The Future of Work in 60 minutes or less
Our speaking shifts thinking into action, creating communities of talent revolutionaries.
Two distinct voices
In front of 32+ countries
Countless possibilities
As we shift how we learn, connect with each other, and share knowledge, we also shift the Future of Work. Challenge Factory’s approach to bespoke learning, training, and speaking empowers organizations to deeply consider the outcome they are designing for. We create experiential learning that supports this outcome, using the right people, practices, tools, and timing that allow creativity to flourish. It’s learning that thrives on both experimentation and legacy.
We don’t just speak; we listen. We teach. We ask you questions. We invite you in. We build community and conversation using:
- Applied research
- Rituals like noticing circles
- Of-the-moment technology
- Surprise, humour, and story-based techniques
Our keynotes, workshops, and webinars are sought-after across the globe and remembered long after they finish.
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Challenge Factory steps beyond the keynote with our research-to practice model. We are more than a company of thought leaders with new (and sometimes surprising) research. We’ve field tested the ideas we speak about with leaders and organizations. Our facilitation combines research and practice with practical tools and takeaways for audiences ready to shape the Future of Work.
Decoding the revolution: Welcome to the Future of Work
Even before the rollercoaster of the pandemic, it was clear we were in the midst of a talent revolution. How we work, when we work, where we work, and who we work with have been shifting for years. The meaning of traditional terms like “retirement,” “freelance economy,” and “9-5” have changed. In this keynote, Challenge Factory connects what is happening to workforce and career patterns right now with trends that have been emerging over time. Using data, research, and expert predictions, we challenge you to consider the role you have to play in how we move forward into a new world of work.
Futurism, not forecasts: Stop preparing for the Future of Work
What if the most important action we can take is to stop preparing for the future? What if, instead, we focus on shaping the Future of Work that we want for ourselves, our children, and future generations? This keynote breaks down five drivers shaping the Future of Work and identifies the implications for talent and technology. It challenges you to consider what is hype, what is real, and what we want.
Missing pieces: Why the future is a mystery, not a puzzle
Traditional approaches to problem solving require a complete understanding of the issues, boundaries, and pieces at play in order to succeed. Even design thinking, with its creative and user-centric focus, seeks to solve for ‘what customers value most’. But what if we approach today’s career, talent, and workforce challenges less like business school puzzles and more like science experiments? This keynote examines new techniques and skills from a variety of sectors to show that leadership teams have the tools they need to decode their own futures. They just need to focus on finding the first clue along the journey.
Stalled Talent: Your organizations have Broken Talent Escalators®
Today’s talent structures no longer reflect the needs, skills, and demographics of today’s intergenerational workforces. Organizations spend fortunes to modify, augment, and improve outdated structures to accommodate different age cohorts, but Challenge Factory has proven there is a more powerful approach. This keynote argues that it’s time to return to first principles rather than evolve outdated workforce programs. First, we need to define what it means to have an active, vibrant, productive workforce that’s engaged throughout its entire working life. Then, using this foundation, we can reimagine today’s intergenerational organizations—without throwing the baby boomer out with the bathwater.
Culture hack: Overlook workplace rituals at your peril
In today’s tight labour market, culture is all-important. But addressing workplace culture can feel like an endless task of surveys and feedback, new programs and initiatives, expectation setting, and risk assessment. One overlooked culture-building tool is the workplace ritual. During the pandemic, leaders and workplaces created more space for connection. Our communal need for the warmth of ritual was rekindled. Rituals are powerful connectors of values, people, and goals. This keynote explores the untapped opportunity to develop workplace rituals, big and small, that foster enviable workplace cultures. Together, we experiment with hands-on examples of ritual to build connection, self-care, and resilience for a healthier, happier workplace.
You’re wrong: Employees are NOT your organization's greatest asset
It feels so good to declare that your employees are your greatest asset. Yet many of today’s struggles with engagement, loyalty, recruitment, and retention may well be traced to organizational practices that see people treated just like assets—acquired at a price, depreciated over time, and written off for nothing. Learn how new relationships inside and outside your organization can challenge traditional thinking. This keynote introduces new and better ways to think about the relationship between organizations and their people. We lay out exactly how changing people management from an asset-based accounting approach to equity-based value creation can transform organizations into workplaces of the future.
Lisa Taylor
“Lisa’s research-based, long-game perspective on the Future of Work has helped us avoid quick-fix traps and ‘everyone-is-the-same’ assumptions.”
– Kathleen Kilgour, Senior Leader with Prince’s Trust Canada
Emree Siaroff
“Emree enjoys supporting people to become stronger and better versions of themselves. This, combined with his knowledge and experience, makes him an individual that I would recommend for any organization that wants to make a difference.
– Trine Remin Ankjær, Chief People Officer at BDO Denmark
We are a trusted keynote and facilitation partner for:
Career development organizations like: CERIC, International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP), National Career Development Association (USA), People and Career Development Association (Singapore)
Higher education institutions like: McMaster University, National Institute on Ageing (Toronto Metropolitan University), Wilfred Laurier University
Professional organizations like: Canadian Electricity Association, Charity Village, Conference Board of Canada, Information and Communications Technology Council, Ontario Nursing Association, Ontario Securities Commission, Toronto Community Housing
Government departments and networks like: Canadian Armed Forces, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Government of Canada National Managers Community, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Veteran Affairs Canada
