Judith Briles

Confidence, Communication, Conflict, Change, Sabotage in the Workplace, Gender Issues and Personal Finance are topics that Dr. Judith Briles presents from her thirty years of business and entrepreneurial experiences. She is an award winning author of twenty books, and and international motivational speaker who delivers her programs with content and humor. Recognized as an expert on workplace issues within the healthcare environment, she concentrates on common sense strategies and solutions that are adaptable in both personal and workplace environments.

Prior to full time dedication to speaking, writing and research, Judith was a stockbroker and financial planner for fifteen years. Since the mid-nineties, her speaking and research has been within the healthcare workplace.

She is featured frequently on radio and television and several Internet sites. Her work and articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time, Money, The New York Times, People and other publications. She has appeared on over 1000 programs including MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, CNNfn and Oprah. She writes The Career Moves Column for the Denver Business Journal, and contributes to Colorado Woman News and Zenith Magazine.

Dr. Judith Briles is known as a catalyst for change and believes that every pitfall experienced leads to an opportunity and greater success. Judith is an honorary member of the Association of Women Surgeons. She is the president of Colorado Independent Publishers Association and is a past board member of the National Speakers Association and the Women's Bank San Francisco. Although she holds both Masters and Doctorate degrees in Business Administration, her real degrees come from life. In 2004 she was named Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts.

Speech Topics

Aliens in the Workplace: What Planet Are YOUR Co-Workers From?

Your workplace today is nothing like last year, or the previous decade. Today's workplace consists of more variables than managers and leaders envisioned just a few years ago. It's as though Aliens have invaded the workplace! Diversity is created by all sizes and shapes...and age, cultural upbringing and gender. Co-workers are not aliens...just different. Explore workplace trends that encompass today's information age, and "who's who" in the generational work force. Meet the players in your workplace. You will learn their assets, limitations, what makes them tick and how to manage them.

Changing for the Better: A Collaborative Approach

When your unit is in need of change and it's your task to figure out what to do and how to do it, where do you start so that the result is happier, not resentful employees? In this 2 day session, Dr. Briles takes your staff and leaders through separate assessments to determine who still belongs--in the unit, the facility, even the profession. By revealing the "unwritten rules" of the workplace, the real drivers of the current culture will be discovered and strategies will be formed based on new knowledge of what works--and what doesn't.

Communicating with Confidence and Clarity for Credible Leadership

Are you communicating? You might think you are, but only your colleagues know for sure! Rarely is a communication style wrong, just different. Participants will learn the four steps to effective communicating, both as a listener and speaker, and identify the factors that impede successful communication such as gender, age and culture. Learn how to avoid the pitfalls of sharing too much information and why listening is the key to resolving conflict and to successful negotiation.

Conflict, Sabotage and Ethics--The Myths, Risks and Realities of the Health Care Workplace

Ethical behavior comes from an individual's perception of right and wrong. Is conflict good...or is it bad? Do nurses each their young? Do women's unique workplace behaviors impact their coworkers positively or negatively? How do Red Ink Behaviors impact your bottom line? Why doesn't everyone see things the same way? In a point/counterpoint environment, this highly interactive program is customized to fit a workplace or profession. A customized script is created after consulting principals within the group. Some members of the audience become actors, and everyone else becomes a player. You'll learn why it's often better to withhold judgment. This is a very, very audience-interactive program and incredibly thought-provoking.

Cosmic Gooses Lay Golden Eggs (General Sessions only)

Life delivers a series of unexpected events--some good, some not so good. Judith calls these cosmic gooses--usually life-changing, and if you had your druthers, something you wouldn't want to go through again. Participants will go on a journey of the good, the bad and the ugly and learn how to grow and thrive when a cosmic goose lands at their doorstep.

Creating Confidence Out of Chaos or The Confidence Factor (General Sessions Only)

Confidence is THE Career Maker or Career Breaker. Based on Judith's best-selling book, The Confidence Factor, you'll learn that confidence is acquired, no inherited. Woven around the Ten Steps to Building Confidence, this stimulating and humorous speech is guarenteed to motivate and inspire audiences. Included are tips from thousands surveyed and interviewed that focus on developing self-confidence at work and home.

Keep the Keepers...Lose the Losers

Retention is the key to any recruitment program. Too often, hospitals have created a "bait and switch" strategy to recruit new hires. The secret is not in adding numbers, but in creating an environment and culture that keeps and attracts the best while eliminating marginal employees. Creating cultural changes while reducing conflict-inducing behaviors are key factors in keeping your keepers. This program shows you where to start and gives you the tools to keep going toward the goal of "Employer of Choice--of Choice Employees."

Leading with Confidence

Leaders need to know how to manage, yet lead; managers need to know how to lead, yet manage. Both must be confident to be successful within their organizations and teams. Learn the key tools to creating and becoming a Confident Leader.

Making the Manager's Dream a Reality: A Waiting List of Quality Employees Wanting to Work for You!

Everyone knows who the "good managers" are. But how do you become one? This half or full day leadership workshop focuses on the new nurse manager and the skills needed to avoid the landmines encountered when moving from colleague to supervisor. To be a "good manager," you need to know how to manage. In both facets, you must be confident to be successful, and you'll learn the key tools to becoming a confident leader in your new management role. You'll also learn the Four Steps to Effective Communicating, the five stages of change and how to access resistance to change. Ten Steps to Build a Collaborative Workplace, and how to use the Conflict Management Style Survey. An ideal workshop for longer and all-day sessions, this program is adaptable for any health care concentration.

Power...Use It or Lose It

Everyone has power, no matter what level you work in and what your role is. Participants will learn the seven types of power, how to use each and when it makes strategic sense to shift from one to another. This presentation is highly interactive and involves audience participation. Ideal for leadership and teambuilding tracks.

Red Ink Behaviors

The working habits, styles and behaviors of people you work with, manage or even report to may be the curse of your workplace. Over 50 behaviors have been identified in Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace (a Nurse Book Society main selection and best seller)--behaviors that contribute to lower productivity and morale. This highly interactive program teaches how to create a more collaborative workplace and involves audience participation. General session or workshop format.

The Domino Factor--How to Get Out of the Game and Back to Work

When distractions like mergers, acquisitions, promotions, reorganizations, pink slips and senior-management shakeups occur, the result in the workplace is worry, speculation and guesstimating outcomes. Men generally hang around the "cooler" then get back to work while women tend to continue to dissect the latest at their respective work stations, either via desk chatter, email, or on the phone. It's called the Domino Factor, and when it's in play, productivity takes a dive. As a manager, you need to acknowledge that it exists, determine its roots and work on resolution before it costs you more red ink than it already has. Learn how to anticipate the Domino Factor by understanding the distractions that put it into play, and what steps to tkae to get your employees off the subject and focused back on their work.

The Savvy Worker's Guide to Personal Finance

Too often caregivers take care of everyone but themselves. In this workshop based on Judith's award-winning books, 10 Smart Money Moves for Women and Smart Money Moves for Kids, participants learn 10 smart ways to secure their financial future. Ideal for an extended breakout session, the program is presented interactively and delivers information that can be used immediately. Judith's business background includes more than 11 books focused on financial topics!

Thriving with Change When Thriving Doesn't Feel Like an Option

Change is everywhere. Some changes are no bigger than gnats, others the size of a Mack truck. Either way, the thought and implementation of changes can demoralize, even destroy those going through it. Participants will be able to identify the five stages of change, access their resistance to change and create and action plan to grow through it and thrive.

What the Beep Did you Say?

Are you communicating? With who? You might think you are, but only your colleagues know for sure! Rarely is a communication style wrong, just different. Learn the 4 steps to effective communicating, both as a listener and speaker, and identify the key factors that impede successful communication. Learn how to avoid the pitfalls of sharing too much information and why listening is the key to resolving conflict and to successful negotiation.

When Women Work with Women

Women are unique...and they use unique factors in communicating, dealing with and creating conflict. Do women undermine other women? Yes. Are there saboteurs in your midst? Most likely. You'll learn why, how and ways to change a toxic workplace and confront saboteurs in the midst. Judith Briles pioneering work in this area was first published in 1987 in Woman to Woman: From Sabotage to Support, the winner of the Chicago Tribune's Business Book of the Year.

Women Working with Women: From Sabotage to Support

Judith Briles pioneered the research on female-dominated workplace sabotage and conflict. Participants will learn why sabotage occurs, how to recognize the differences in sabotage created by men and women, what the true costs are and how to create a supportive and collaborative environment. Based on the Chicago Tribune's Business Book of the Year, Woman to Woman and Woman to Woman 2000, GenderTraps, Zapping Conflict in the Workplace and The SeXX Factor. This is a dicey topic presented with solid research, relevant stories and practical solutions to a major problem within the workplace.

Zapping Bats, Slugs and Pit Bulls

Every workplace has its fill of Conflict Creators (the Bats), Saboteurs in the Midst (the Pit Bulls) and even those sluggers who are waiting for the retirement bell (even if it's five years away). Participants will learn how to identify each persona, why they act and react the way they do and multiple ways to deal and work with them. General session.

Zapping Conflict from A to Z

Health care is unique because of its gender dominance, practicing cultures that do not mirror the written mission of the organization and the wild care--the patient. Participants are taught how to identify the initial problem, its underlying causes, the impacts, and the effects on patient satisfaction and the bottom line. Finally, solutions are delivered to zap conflict. Based on Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace, a 2003 Nurses Book society best seller.