“Derek’s presentation started me down a road of self discovery and really finding my purpose.”
Heather LaPorte
Oracle
AVAILABLE WORKSHOPS
WORKSHOPS FOR
ALL EMPLOYEES
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Every day, we move in one direction or another. We’re free to choose from endless possibilities. Only you can choose the direction for the rest of your life. Whether you are a seasoned executive, emerging leader, stay-at-home parent, or college student, frustration is inevitable. Now is the time for you to SHIFT from, “I’m so busy and stressed,” to, “I’m living my ideal life right now.” In this presentation, Derek will teach you a 5-gear process that you can apply in your personal and professional lives. Each gear will uniquely move you from frustrated to fulfilled. Through powerful questions and effective exercises, you’ll discover how to make today the day you are inspired to change. It’s your next move!
Learning Outcomes
✓ Discover who you are -- confront your fears & form your core values
✓ Decide where you are going -- pursue personal growth & visualize your preferred future
✓ Design how you will get there -- adopt a positive mindset, personalize your ambitions & exercise meaningful action
✓ Fulfill your ideal life -- build an aligned life for personal & professional success
✓ Inspire fellow travelers -- become a leader worth following
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For too long, our recognition of leadership has been narrowly defined to a select few –– presidents, CEOs or historical icons. We have been captivated by charismatic figures on the cover of Forbes or viral sensations on social media. But what about the everyday leaders who have shaped us on a personal level? The parents, mentors, teammates and family members who have left an indelible mark on our lives? It's time to reimagine leadership, to celebrate the silent influencers and to recognize that each one of us possesses the power to lead. Are you ready to step into your role as an everyday leader?
Learning Outcomes
✓ Understand the difference between micromanagement and everyday leadership as well as the importance of empowering and nurturing others.
✓ Recognize the value of stepping outside one's comfort zone to facilitate personal and professional growth.
✓ Seek discomfort to lead to greater growth over time -- with strategies for gradually expanding one's comfort zone through small, everyday actions.
✓ Appreciate how individuals can have a profound impact on those around them, regardless of their position or title -- and show appreciation for those people in your life.
✓ Discover the importance of finding one's "why" or purpose as a leader, beyond just pursuing victories or accolades.
✓ Understand how prioritizing the needs, growth and happiness of others is a key aspect of effective everyday leadership. (It's not about you)
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Carefully look over your "to-do" list. Will you commit to action? Reality check: wherever you are in your life and career is a result of your habits, good or bad. Great news! No matter where you are right now, you can transform your life by transforming your habits. The best way to get started is to bridge the gap between being busy and being productive. In this workshop, you'll learn that the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Derek will help you design every minute of your activities with 10 gap-closing behaviors. You’ll go from, “I’m overwhelmed, stuck, and unfulfilled” to, “I’m laser-focused, making progress, and fulfilled.”
Learning Outcomes
✓ Set an inspiring goal
✓ Create a deadline
✓ Block off alone time
✓ Commit to deep work
✓ Track your micro-actions
✓ Say no
✓ Try new things
✓ Capture your thoughts
✓ Schedule your to-do list
✓ Do it afraid
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In today’s world, we know that a commitment to wellness has a positive impact on everything. However, making a deep commitment to health and fitness can be challenging. In this presentation, Derek will teach you how to dial up brainpower, productivity, and energy levels by managing stress, sleep, food, exercise, and water. You’ll learn how leading by example can increase your team’s overall wellness engagement. You’ll learn why a nurturing environment will set up conditions to allow everyone to be their best. Together, we can build lives where we can work hard and stay healthy at the same time.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Take 100% responsibility for your energy
✓ Manage and reduce stress
✓ Stop bragging about getting little sleep
✓ Stop waiting until Monday to eat better
✓ Find your fit & move your body every day
✓ Make drinking water a decision
✓ Support the wellbeing of your employees
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Talk is cheap; everybody does it. Connection is where it's at. The most effective leaders know how to connect. It's not about power or popularity, but rather making the people around you feel heard, comfortable, and understood. While it may seem like some folks are born with a commanding presence that draws people in, the fact is that anyone can learn to communicate in ways that consistently build powerful connections. In this presentation, Derek will share four principles and four practices to develop connection skills. Connecting is a learnable skill that you can apply today in your personal and professional relationships.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Slow down and build an others-focused plan
✓ Understand power of our actions and tone
✓ Connect with others authentically
✓ Patiently seek to understand
✓ Practice the FACE Technique to remember names
✓ Apply the four ways to use energy to connect
✓ Ask better questions to deepen conversations
✓ Create a sense of belonging
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Nearly everyone is part of a team. If you are married, you and your spouse are a team. If you are employed, you and your colleagues are a team. If you give your time to an organization, you are part of a team of volunteers. While everyone knows teamwork is a good thing, you may not know how it really works. In this easy-to-get-it approach, Derek reveals the process of building a winning team while making it simple to grasp, retain, and put into practice. Whether you are a leader or team member, this workshop will inspire you to dive in and enjoy the process of team-building.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Know the impact of good teamwork
✓ Understand the 9 characteristics of a good team
✓ Demonstrate what it means to be a team player
✓ Create positive energy on the team
✓ Move closer to achieving your team’s common goal
✓ Build a winning team that lasts
WORKSHOPS FOR
MANAGERS & EMERGING LEADERS
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True leadership isn't a matter of having a certain job or title. In fact, being chosen for a position is only the first of the five levels every effective leader strives to achieve. To become more than "the boss" people follow only because they are required to, you have to master the ability to inspire and invest in them. To further grow in your role, you must build a team that produces while helping teammates develop their skills to become leaders in their own right. In this workshop, Derek will show you how to master each level and rise up to become a more influential, respected, and successful leader.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Provide a clear picture of leadership
✓ Define leading as a verb, not a noun
✓ Break down leading into understandable steps
✓ Implement a game plan for leadership development
✓ Extend your influence for the benefit of others
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Do you always wait until the annual performance review to give any feedback? In this workshop, you’ll learn that feedback is a tool for appreciating, coaching, developing, and empowering employees all year long. Feedback is NOT punishment, it's a gift. Derek will facilitate conversations and activities on how feedback can be helpful or harmful depending on how it’s delivered. You’ll walk away knowing that frequent informal feedback positively impacts productivity, morale, and results.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Understand why you should give feedback
✓ Prepare for and deliver feedback using the SBI-3 process
✓ Stop avoiding difficult conversations once and for all
✓ Show empathy and make room for the possibility that you might be wrong
✓ Learn how to ask for and receive feedback
✓ Manage up and give feedback to your boss
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Delegation is a critical skill to help time-starved managers expand their range of responsibility, empower others, and create higher performing teams. For many leaders, however, it's a difficult transition from doing it yourself to getting the work done through others. Expectations offer direction, create accountability, and unite a team around shared goals. Lack of clarity around expectations is a fatal flaw in management. If people aren’t sure what to work on, you leave success up to chance. During this workshop, you'll learn that assigning work and setting expectations is an ongoing process, not a single event.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Identify roadblocks to delegation
✓ Execute the steps to effectively engage and create buy-in when delegating
✓ Determine what tasks should and should not be delegated
✓ Link delegation tasks to development and people's strengths
✓ Ensure that employees understand what's expected of them at work
✓ Create a culture of accountability when setting expectations
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The “A” word can be intimidating. It often prompts feelings of micromanagement. But without accountability, the organization will suffer. If someone is late for work, there are gaps in production. If team members submit poor-quality work, the brand becomes damaged. If a safety issue isn’t raised, it can have devastating consequences for the company. In this workshop, you'll learn how to create a culture in which employees take personal ownership for results. You’ll walk away more comfortable and confident holding employees accountable. Accountability isn’t an "old-school" or a mean-spirited approach to managing. It's a crucial component of success!
Learning Outcomes
✓ Distinguish between responsibility and accountability
✓ Understand why workplace accountability is important
✓ Identify the right ways to drive accountability
✓ Practice with the Accountability Planning Worksheet and DASCIO Method
✓ Boost employee morale and productivity with a culture of accountability
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According to Gallup, only 2 in 10 employees strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work. Given this statistic, it’s easy to see why so many organizations are evaluating and rethinking their approach. The good news is that reviews don’t have to be a dreaded “check it off the list” process. In this workshop, you’ll learn actionable ideas on how to create an effective performance management system that your people will love. You’ll walk away inspired to make progress and impact results through small steps, rather than a once-a-year conversation. Employees who understand the power and purpose of performance discussions will buy in, approach them with a positive mindset, and embrace them as growth opportunities. Performance management is a critical factor in helping you and your organization succeed.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Understand the qualities and benefits of effective performance management
✓ Recognize the difference between performance and development
✓ Eliminate biases affecting performance reviews
✓ Use the self-reflection worksheet and review templates to prepare for conversations
✓ Apply tips to create a rating scale that works for your organization
✓ Integrate ongoing Quarterly Conversations and Stay Interviews into the employee lifecycle
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The role of a manager must be that of a coach. Coaching involves unlocking people's potential to maximize their own performance. An effective manager-as-coach asks questions instead of providing answers, supports employees instead of judging them, and facilitates their development instead of dictating what has to be done. Development opportunities are everywhere. Employee development is a mutual responsibility of the employee and the leader. In this presentation, you'll learn what a development plan is, why they’re important, and how to create one. Development plans clearly outline an employee’s career goals along with the tangible steps the employee can take to achieve their goals. Managers are forgotten quickly. Coaches are remembered forever.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Know that the role of a good manager must be that of a Coach.
✓ Practice the GROW coaching model.
✓ Recognize that performance reviews & development discussions are different.
✓ Learn that development is the mutual responsibility of the employee & leader.
✓ Understand that development plans must be customized for each person.
✓ Apply the 4-step Individual Development Plan (IDP) process.
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Lost the whole day to busywork? Didn’t complete anything meaningful today? We’ve all been there. Here’s the truth: You have goals to achieve, but it’s incredibly easy to get sidetracked and bogged down with the little things. Increasing your productivity doesn’t have to be rocket science. No need for complicated systems, new apps, or Navy SEAL-level habits. Some of the simplest actions can have the biggest payoffs. In this presentation, you’ll learn several time management techniques that will help you become a more efficient and effective leader. It’s designed to help you get set up with your ideal workflow as quickly as possible, so you can start reaping the productivity benefits right away.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Stop complaining that you don’t have enough time
✓ Set priorities that are ranked and aligned with business and customer needs
✓ Distinguish between tasks that add value and those that are busywork
✓ Test popular time management techniques and do what works best for you
✓ Change the way you work by designing each day around your top priorities
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You’re smart and capable, but are you emotionally intelligent? The pressure of deadlines and interpersonal conflict can cause employees and managers to react negatively toward each other. Emotionally charged interactions can lead to workplace sabotage. In this workshop, you’ll become aware of emotional habits, strengths, and limitations. You’ll learn how to lead constructively in stressful situations. You'll walk away knowing how to make your emotions work for you, not against you.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Identify, understand, and manage emotions to increase your leadership effectiveness
✓ Develop the key traits of emotionally strong leaders
✓ Learn the four skills of Emotional Intelligence
✓ Apply ways to stay calm under pressure and de-escalate workplace conflict
✓ Utilize the Johari Window technique to better understand your relationship with yourself and others
✓ Understand the difference between emotionally dismissive and supportive language
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Every leader encounters challenges where the right solution isn’t always clear. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll build skills to face those moments with boldness and strategic clarity. Discover approachable tools and adaptable frameworks that’ll help you not only solve problems but create opportunities for growth and progress. You’ll leave with a toolkit for turning challenges into meaningful action, giving you and your team the power to move forward with confidence and resilience.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Analyze challenges to uncover the root issues that need addressing.
✓ Apply flexible frameworks to create effective, innovative solutions.
✓ Make decisive choices with confidence and clarity.
✓ Establish a team culture that prioritizes proactive problem-solving.
✓ Strengthen resilience to lead confidently through changes and setbacks.
✓ Design actionable plans that ensure accountability and measurable progress. -
Great teams thrive on trust and open communication, and it all starts with psychological safety. This workshop gives you the skills to build a team culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to speak up, share ideas, and learn from one another. By creating space for open dialogue, encouraging vulnerability, and reinforcing mutual respect, leaders can unlock higher collaboration, creativity, and resilience. Get ready to transform your workplace into a space where feedback is welcomed, ideas flourish, and the team thrives together.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Implement strategies that make psychological safety the foundation of high performance.
✓ Create a culture where open communication and honest feedback are the norm.
✓ Build trust and respect through proven methods for authentic team connections.
✓ Identify and address obstacles that hinder psychological safety.
✓ Develop tools to strengthen team resilience through challenges.
✓ Foster an inclusive environment where every voice is valued and empowered. -
Change doesn’t have to be overwhelming—it can be the key to growth, innovation, and progress. This workshop equips leaders with practical tools to build a resilient, future-ready culture where teams not only adapt but thrive through change. Discover proven strategies to inspire flexibility, strengthen morale, and foster a mindset that sees every transition as a new opportunity. By the end, you’ll be ready to lead with confidence, turning each shift into a powerful move forward.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Identify key phases of change to guide teams through transitions smoothly.
✓ Apply clear communication techniques to address concerns and build trust.
✓ Cultivate team commitment and engagement to gain buy-in for change.
✓ Promote adaptability, empowering teams to approach change as growth.
✓ Create structured action plans that provide clear steps through change.
✓ Establish a culture that embraces change as a driver for progress and impact. -
Meetings are essential, yet they often feel like a drain on time and energy. Why? Too many lack clear goals and direction, leading to endless, unproductive discussions. This workshop equips you with the skills to turn meetings into engaging, results-driven sessions that people actually look forward to. Discover practical strategies to create focused, efficient, and impactful meetings that drive meaningful progress. Meetings take up a big part of our workdays—let’s make each one count!
Learning Outcomes
✓ Define clear objectives and purpose for every meeting to stay on track.
✓ Create effective agendas that prepare participants for meaningful contributions.
✓ Facilitate discussions that are focused, balanced, and engaging.
✓ Apply time-saving methods that keep meetings concise and productive.
✓ Assign actionable items with deadlines to ensure accountability and follow-through.
✓ Build a collaborative atmosphere that promotes teamwork and respect.
FEATURED WORKSHOPS
SHIFT:
MOVE FROM FRUSTRATED TO FULFILLED
Carefully look over your "to-do" list. Will you commit to action? Reality check: wherever you are in your life and career is a result of your habits, good or bad. Great news! No matter where you are right now, you can transform your life by transforming your habits. The best way to get started is to bridge the gap between being busy and being productive. In this workshop, you'll learn that the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Derek will help you design every minute of your activities with 10 gap-closing behaviors. You’ll go from, “I’m overwhelmed, stuck, and unfulfilled” to, “I’m laser-focused, making progress, and fulfilled.”
✓ Set an inspiring goal
✓ Create a deadline
✓ Block off alone time
✓ Commit to deep work
✓ Track your micro-actions
Learning Outcomes
✓ Say no
✓ Try new things
✓ Capture your thoughts
✓ Schedule your to-do list
✓ Do it afraid
LIVE WELL, LEAD WELL: 5 PRACTICES TO FEEL BETTER IN WORK & LIFE
In today’s world, we know that a commitment to wellness has a positive impact on everything. However, making a deep commitment to health and fitness can be challenging. In this presentation, Derek will teach you how to dial up brainpower, productivity, and energy levels by managing stress, sleep, food, exercise, and water. You’ll learn how leading by example can increase your team’s overall wellness engagement. You’ll learn why a nurturing environment will set up conditions to allow everyone to be their best. Together, we can build lives where we can work hard and stay healthy at the same time.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Take 100% responsibility for your energy
✓ Manage and reduce stress
✓ Stop bragging about getting little sleep
✓ Stop waiting until Monday to eat better
✓ Find your fit & move your body every day
✓ Make drinking water a decision
✓ Support the wellbeing of your employees
THE 5 LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP: PROVEN STEPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR POTENTIAL
True leadership isn't a matter of having a certain job or title. In fact, being chosen for a position is only the first of the five levels every effective leader strives to achieve. To become more than "the boss" people follow only because they are required to, you have to master the ability to inspire and invest in them. To further grow in your role, you must build a team that produces while helping teammates develop their skills to become leaders in their own right. In this workshop, Derek will show you how to master each level and rise up to become a more influential, respected, and successful leader.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Provide a clear picture of leadership
✓ Define leading as a verb, not a noun
✓ Break down leading into understandable steps
✓ Implement a game plan for leadership development
✓ Extend your influence for the benefit of others
EVERYDAY LEADERS: SMALL ACTIONS, BIG RESULTS
Whether your desire is to lead a business, strengthen your children, or reach the world, you can achieve it by raising your level of influence in the lives of others. The good news is that no matter where you stand on the stairway of influence, there are learnable qualities to help you climb to the next step. A person’s influence does not develop overnight, but rather through an incremental progression. This progression includes four stages: modeling, motivating, mentoring, and multiplying. In this workshop, you'll learn simple, insightful ways to interact more positively with others.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Apply the 10 impact skills to increase your influence
✓ Connect with your team members on a deeper level
✓ See your employees respond to you with new enthusiasm
✓ Achieve greater business success
✓ Reach more people
EVERYONE COMMUNICATES, BUT FEW CONNECT: WHAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
Talk is cheap; everybody does it. Connection is where it's at. The most effective leaders know how to connect. It's not about power or popularity, but rather making the people around you feel heard, comfortable, and understood. While it may seem like some folks are born with a commanding presence that draws people in, the fact is that anyone can learn to communicate in ways that consistently build powerful connections. In this presentation, Derek will share four principles and four practices to develop connection skills. Connecting is a learnable skill that you can apply today in your personal and professional relationships.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Slow down and build an others-focused plan
✓ Understand power of our actions and tone
✓ Connect with others authentically
✓ Patiently seek to understand
✓ Practice the FACE Technique to remember names
✓ Apply the four ways to use energy to connect
✓ Ask better questions to deepen conversations
✓ Create a sense of belonging
THE MIRACLE OF TEAMWORK: TOGETHER WE CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
Nearly everyone is part of a team. If you are married, you and your spouse are a team. If you are employed, you and your colleagues are a team. If you give your time to an organization, you are part of a team of volunteers. While everyone knows teamwork is a good thing, you may not know how it really works. In this easy-to-get-it approach, Derek reveals the process of building a winning team while making it simple to grasp, retain, and put into practice. Whether you are a leader or team member, this workshop will inspire you to dive in and enjoy the process of team-building.
Learning Outcomes
✓ Know the impact of good teamwork
✓ Understand the 9 characteristics of a good team
✓ Demonstrate what it means to be a team player
✓ Create positive energy on the team
✓ Move closer to achieving your team’s common goal
✓ Build a winning team that lasts
WATCH DEREK IN ACTION
PRAISE FOR DEREK’S WORKSHOPS
WHY WORK WITH DEREK?
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Derek’s events are tailored to specifically address challenges and opportunities. He studies your organization and integrates your mission, vision, values, and goals.
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Derek delivers thought-provoking keynotes and workshops that energize his audience. He motivates the participants to act long after your event.
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Derek’s curriculum provides a roadmap to create a culture shift towards increased employee effectiveness, engagement, and retention. He creates customized handouts and resources with action items.
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Derek is committed to delivering practical content in an engaging and enthusiastic way, making participants laugh and learn at the same time. He shares his failures and teaches you how to learn from them
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As an experienced HR and operations executive, Derek understands the importance of finding the right speaker.He facilitates a rigorous pre-event process to help organizations make the right decision.
THE DEREK DIFFERENCE
Ditch the old school leadership manual you've been holding! Derek offers a dynamic approach to growth, bridging insightful knowledge drawn from years of experience with effective, hands-on program design.
Derek understands the challenge of finding the right speaker. In his previous career, he was responsible for hiring speakers and trainers. Like you, Derek researched several prospects to ensure the right fit. For that reason, he created The Derek Difference to make it easy for you to get the information you need to make the best decision possible.
Leadership & Professional Development
3-Step Design Process
DISCOVER
Complete pre-event questionnaire & leadership assessment
Review questionnaire & assessment results
Set learning & development goals
DESIGN
Build initial learning plan
Review plan & make necessary adjustments
Select program(s) & create itinerary
DO
Complete event planner & audience pre-event work questionnaires
Facilitate customized program(s) & do post-event application activities
Evaluate the program(s) & send nudges to keep people motivated
Derek realizes that the success of many events comes down to the quality of its speakers and trainers. If they are engaging, people will talk about the event for years. If they are boring, participants will dread the next one. Derek is committed to partnering with you, and he is honored that you are considering him for a future event.
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Keynote Speech to Open or Close Conference or Annual Meeting
Action-Based Workshop to End Event to Turn Motivation into Execution
Full Day Seminar with Keynote & Workshop
Replace Several Standing Meetings with Leadership Team Group Coaching
2 Day Retreat with 2 Keynotes & 2 Workshops
Leadership Development Design Day with Executive Team
John Maxwell Leadership Day with 2 Maxwell Certified Workshops
Half Day All-Employee Meeting with 1 Self-Leadership Workshop
WORK WITH DEREK!
Derek would love to hear from you.