Professional development events inspire staff to grow, lead
Inspiring workplace health and well-being… (L. to R.) Lihua Qian, Meghan Forbes, Cristina Foley and Nahren Shamoka are four of the 16 staff members who volunteered at the 14th annual “Inspiring From Within” conference, held this year at Liuna Station on February 26.
Who says work can’t be fun? On February 25 and 26, McMaster staff members came together for two inspiring events at Hamilton’s Liuna Station.
On Thursday, February 25, there was plenty of food for thought for 125 members of The Management Group (TMG), who gathered for a one-day retreat on leadership.
And on Friday, February 26, it was food for the soul. More than 230 staff members explored everything from improvisational theatre to healthy eating at the 14th annual “Inspiring From Within” conference.
Thursday’s program – “Leading with Integrity” – was the third annual offering for TMG members. Three speakers offered their unique perspectives on leadership:
- Ron Foxcroft (LL.D 2001), chairman, founder and CEO of Fox 40, urged the audience to “give more to your community than you take.” After a highly successful career as an NCAA referee, Foxcroft invented the Fox 40 whistle, now used in sports worldwide.
- Rumeet Billan spoke on emotionally resilient leadership. Twice named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women, the social entrepreneur and educator shared her research on how to live a life with purpose and meaning.
- Innovation expert Tom Wujec discussed the exponential growth of technology and how this is impacting our lives and work. A speaker and author, Wujec is “chief disruptor” at Autodesk, a global leader in engineering software.
McMaster was back at Liuna Station on Friday for “Inspiring from Within” (IFW), a highly popular annual conference available to all McMaster employee groups. More than 230 staff members enjoyed a fun and healthy day of personal development.
Andrew Whitney, who chairs the team of 16 IFW volunteers, explained they had placed an emphasis on “interactivity” this year to offer participants more active, hands-on sessions.
- Debbie Fawcett, a “Master FISH! Facilitator,” encouraged participants to have fun at work, see the lighter side of life, and choose happiness.
- Joy McCarthy, author and nutritionist, offered dietary tips for Mac employees to boost their energy and vitality.
- Toronto’s National Theatre of the World gave brave souls a lesson in improvisational theatre, with many useful take-aways for the workplace.
- Sonia Hawrylyshyn and Catherine Crawford of McMaster’s Employee Career Services provided an in-depth session on how to write a great resume.
Comedian Kate Davis closed out the day with a hilarious keynote address, demonstrating that laughter really is the best medicine.
Tables in the main hall were sprinkled with colourful pieces of paper with jokes printed on them (Q: “What was Beethoven’s favourite fruit? A: Banananaaaaaa.”). For the more artistically inclined, there were plenty of crayons and paper.
Nicole Grosel ’09 has been working at McMaster for four years. She volunteers on the “Inspiring From Within” committee, as well as with ConnectME (formerly the McMaster Employee Spirit Society).
“I was looking for ways to branch out, meet new people, interact with colleagues, and give back to the McMaster community,” says Grosel, Community Engagement and Development Coordinator with Athletics and Recreation.
Istvan Boda came to Mac two years ago to work as Business Systems Analyst in the Registrar’s Office. This was his first time attending “Inspiring From Within.”
He especially enjoyed the session on nutrition. “There was a lot of good information. It gave me a lot of ideas and also confirmed some of the things I knew about nutrition. I’m very glad I had a chance to do this.”
Both events took place at Liuna Station, a national historic site in central Hamilton.
The Inspiring From Within Organizing Committee will be recruiting new members to help plan the 2017 event. Watch for a call for participation from Organizational Development in the spring or email empconf@mcmaster.ca.
To learn more about the programs, services and benefits available to McMaster employees, visit http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/
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