As you look to develop your managers, unite your teams, engage your new employees, and grow your talent, I’m here to help.
I’ve worked with hundreds of organizations and consistently receive rave reviews. This is because I’m not afraid to dive into the core of all workplace miscommunication: effective feedback.
I believe company loyalty starts with rapport building and genuine conversations. For some this comes naturally, but most need training. That’s where I come in. Through my keynotes, workshops, and company retreats, you can expect a funny, engaging, tailored, thought-provoking experience to train and develop everyone on your team.
I’ve been living this work for 15+ years and wrote a book about it. Before I was a full time speaker, I spent years building, training, supervising, and evaluating teams. When I speak to audiences I share the lessons I’ve learned and the successes I’ve had in using my authentic leadership approach. These personal stories always hit home for audience members – because they’re real. I don’t show up with other people’s stories, when I show up you get me. Unapologetically me.
PREVIOUS CLIENTS
Most Requested Corporate Keynotes/Workshops
IMPROV your Teamwork and Communication
Teamwork and communication are the backbone of any effective corporation. These highly interactive workshop(s) focus on highlighting best practices and common pitfalls that teams exhibit in these areas. I will cater each workshop to your company’s specific needs and they can range in length from 1-4 hours. This workshop will stretch your team’s comfort zone, breaking down the barriers that hold us back from authentic and supportive workplaces. At the same time it will create a safe place for people to laugh at themselves and process what they are experiencing.
I have been performing and teaching improv since 2003. I trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York and have been a faculty member at the Magnet Theater in New York and taught workshops all around the country.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Breakdown communication/teamwork issues in your current work environment in a safe and supportive manner
- Learn best practices for sharing positive and negative feedback
- Understand the benefits of being an active participant on a team vs. trying to do everything by yourself
- Learn improv rules and how they correlate to communication in the workplace
Leading Imperfectly: The Value of Being Authentic for Leaders, Professionals, and Human Beings
Hey Superwoman, take off your cape. Hey Batman, take off your mask. Hey decision makers, put away your ego. In this session, attendees will be asked to think about the way they communicate with each other differently by considering this concept: authentic leadership is about using your experiences, your shortcomings and lessons learned to make yourself appear human to your co-workers to create more genuine relationships thus boosting morale and trust. In this manner, you earn far more respect and admiration than you would from trying to be a leader who is a flawless hero. In turn, the bonds you form in your corporation are tighter and the greater the influence you can have on one another.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Learn the definition and application of “Authentic Leadership.”
- Discover the importance of being a leader who is purposeful, empowering, real and moral.
- Differentiate between being a hero and a role model (role models make and learn from mistakes instead of trying to be seen as flawless heroes).
Work/Life Balance: Find Your Third Place
Work cannot run your life. We all need to have something that excites us outside of work and home. If we dedicated more time to that thing, our personal and professional lives both benefit because we would become more productive at work and more present at home. This introspective talk is about finding your third place, a concept made popular by Ray Oldenburg, and learning how to apply it so we can chase after the elusive “work/life balance” we all crave. In doing so we will add more stability, more impactful stories, and, most important, more fulfillment in our lives.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Learn the third place principle
- Recognize that prioritizing your third place more will benefit you personally and professionally
- Understand the difference between the stories we tell others and the stories we tell ourselves
- Realize that we are deserving of a more fulfilling life
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“The initial calls with James showed his energy, authenticity, and effortless communication style. He took time to understand the objectives of the session and also focused on details like the composition of my leaders so that he could best articulate his message. James helped with the pre-work, facilitated the session, and joined us for an evening event where we could relax and enjoy time together. He was a champion throughout.”
DAVID FABRICANT
Senior Vice President, American Express
“Huge thank you for making the trip down to speak with our GE Leaders of Tomorrow group. Whitney, my conference co-chair, and I loved it and learned a ton. I think it was a big value add for the people that attended – hopefully they took as much away from your talk as I did. Thank you for being so generous with your time.”
CAMERON DUNCAN
Lead Supplier Quality Engineer at GE Power
“I just wanted to shoot you a quick note and say thank you again. I loved your talk at the GE Women's Network and the feedback has been extremely positive. I really appreciated you tying back into the first speaker – it really helped the day feel more cohesive.”
SARAH GRAY
Lead Project Manager at General Electric
“From your initial research into our company, to working with us during your presentation as we communicated our wants and needs, you navigated your workshop to make it a productive and fun success…Your personal stories and delivery combined with your discussion of our office were instrumental in capturing staff’s attention and developing rapport and inspiration. Concepts has taken a wonderful step with you during your workshop with us. Your ideas on authentic leadership, appreciation and communication have sparked a new way of thinking for our company.”
ANTHONY G. CAPUTO
CEO of Concepts of Independence, Inc.
“Absolutely bring James on board, he’s relatable and his messages will ring true in any industry. Also make sure to build in time at the end for people to ask questions and spend time with James, because that was invaluable.”
JENNY BERKEDAL
Director of Employee Experience, Metal Toad
I spoke to a group of HR professionals in January of 2020. Here is what the organizer, Brooke Richartz, had to say about having me come in and keynote her event.
Here’s what I bring to the table…
Customization
Before any engagement I spend time personally on the phone with multiple members of your organization to get a well rounded understanding of the talent and pain points that exist within the team. I like to know even the silliest little details, because it generates trust from the audience when I speak about tangible problems they’re facing. And for me, that trust is invaluable.
Personality
My background in improv and stand-up comedy helps me riff with audiences, making your team feel more comfortable and building rapport that comes quick and easy. Often audiences come into these keynotes and workshops closed off and disengaged. I love this challenge when I speak: I use humor to open everyone up, which makes space for us to have the genuine, raw, honest conversations that we all need.
Interactivity
This isn’t a passive experience; my presentation style is very interactive and inclusive. Our conversations will be thought-provoking, filled with self-awareness, and laced with comedy, which means your team will stay engaged from beginning to end. I also get audience members talking to each other, up on their feet with improv activities, and doing self-reflection. And it’s with this level of engagement that the words and concepts transform into action and results.
Results
During our time together your team will break down barriers to solve current work environment issues, learn how to share negative and positive feedback, understand the benefits of being an active member on a team, and discover and apply the principles of being an authentic leader.
Let’s Hangout on YouTube
Get in touch with me.
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You can also contact me by phone at 646-306-1713 or email James@JamesTRobo.com if you prefer.
I look forward to working with you!