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Speaking
Dr. Alise Cortez is an inspirational speaker whose impassioned messages on meaning and purpose lift and motivate her audiences. She is frequently described as passionate, high-energy, knowledgeable, and inspiring.
Live with passion, work on purpose. Working from our “why” drives energy, conviction, and perseverance, key ingredients for any worthy endeavor in life. This lofty ideal is well worth the effort to attain, though many people make the mistake of looking for it in the wrong places. And many people walk through life haunted by the seeming passivity of finding their purpose – and don’t realize that passion is the by-product of having done so. They look for their purpose in the most unsuitable areas. Purpose does not live where most believe it does – and learning where to look for it and unlock it opens a whole new vista of possibility and magic. When we find and then live our purpose, we come alive in the most powerful of ways, can touch others profoundly, and start to realize our most ardent dreams that let us live with true passion and work to make the impact worthy of our lives.
Most requested presentations:
1
Grab Your Gusto! Live with Passion and Work on Purpose
In today’s hustle-and-bustle world, who has time for passion and purpose? “I can barely keep up with life – caring for my family and everything going on at work. I’m exhausted!” As working professionals, it seems we leave little time and energy to care for ourselves. But as far as we know, we only get one shot at this thing called life to make the difference we crave. So, what will you do with your precious gift and make the contribution and impact you want? Grabbing your gusto means digging for your zest -- taking ownership for the meaning you give your experiences, being intentional about your mindset, cultivating passion and inspiration, while awakening to your purpose. You owe this to yourself. And guess what? When you live with passion and work purpose, you generate potent impact worthy of your precious life, and everyone WINS!
2
Inspirational Leadership: On Becoming Irresistible and Unforgettable
What does it take to become an inspirational leader – someone people can’t resist following or ever forget? The answer starts with a deep dive into passion – for your own life and the vision you have for the future of the organization. Inspirational leaders are convicted in their belief in abundance and possibility for what their team is taking on. Their optimism and capacity to appreciate and recognize the contributions of each team member informs their communication style. And their ravenous appetite to look for what’s strong in each team member and help steward their journey to realize their own greatness makes them unforgettable. Becoming an inspirational leader is about communicating the worth and potential of each person on your team – telling them how they matter, that you appreciate them, and you can see even more in their future. The journey toward becoming an inspirational leader entails a life fully examined and radiantly lived in service of others.
3
Purpose: The Heart of the Matter for Leaders and Organizations
Unleashing the urge to matter is the ultimate promise of purpose. People crave the opportunity to serve at their highest and best level in a way that is only theirs to do. They yearn for the opportunity to distinguish a contribution that represents their legacy. Purpose provides crazy energy to pursue what would otherwise seem daunting or impossible. It orients a clarity of direction when numerous opportunities and obstacles present themselves. Purpose is the great enabler that is available to everyone, yet well advantaged only by those who seek and unleash it. Purpose beckons. Answer the call.
4
Passion: The Essential Enlivening Ingredient in Life and Work
What fascinates you? What do you pour yourself into? What can you NOT not do? If you don’t quite have an answer, you’re not alone. In the rush of today’s fast-paced living, it turns out a lot of people have lost touch with what most lights them up. Humans are sensate beings – so passion is always available. Find your way back to it – simply stepping on the path to rediscover it enlivens you. Reconnecting with your passion and working from it empowers your unique expression that distinguishes your life and contribution. Well worth the search, commitment and effort. Only then are you enabled to lift your team members to go in search of their own passion. Stand back and unleash the fireworks!
5
Igniting Meaning in the Workplace
Work: It’s the way we spend our lives. It’s the opportunity to become the best version of ourselves while contributing our unique talents to the community we’re connected to. Yet, it’s often a torturous, soul-sucking experience for much of the world. The key difference? Our “mode of engagement” – the way we “play” with the work we do while simultaneously earning a livelihood. Any job can be meaningful, and individuals, leaders and companies have a surprisingly wide array of ways to transform the experience from demoralizing and diminishing to invigorating and uplifting.
6
Enabling Meaningful Engagement and Higher, Inspired Performance
Every organization depends on the performance and innovation of its employees - in fact, its very lifeblood is at stake. But sometimes as an organization is experiencing growing pains or changes in leadership, employees can become misaligned from the mission. Or perhaps the culture of the organization no longer supports their best engagement and performance. This is understandable in these ever-changing economic times. The key to prosperity and success for all, though, is to restore that situation back to strong health, ASAP – before the employees get entirely disengaged and no longer perform at strong levels, they entirely “check out” but stay polluting the organization, or they leave the organization. Leaders, managers, and individual contributors alike can have an incredibly positive impact on engagement and performance – but they must be committed and empowered to do so.
Consulting
Alise Cortez and Associates equip leaders to activate meaning and purpose in organizations through a 4-part model. One or all may be applied, depending on your desired outcome.
Want a gift? Is your organization equipped to operate in the purpose economy where team members crave meaningful work and the opportunity to grow into their full potential? Find out by downloading and completing the Best Practices to Vitalize through Meaning and Purpose to evaluate your organizational fitness for today’s times. Once you discover your score, let us know if we can help
Phase 1 - Enliven
Symptoms your company may benefit from this offering:
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Low employee engagement
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Poor employee performance
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High attrition
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Little to no innovation
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Poor customer satisfaction
Consulting application:
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Purpose and Culture assessment and analysis
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Facilitated session to refine and align the team on Purpose, Mission, and Vision statements
Results:
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A clarified and shared understanding of the company’s Purpose, Mission, and Vision that inspires increased commitment to the company and motivation to perform in service of its purpose.
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Awareness of strengths and opportunities for improvement in culture and operations.
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Increased team solidarity, inspired to realize a brighter future together.
Phase 2 - Enlighten
Symptoms your company may benefit from this offering:
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The leadership team is motivated to address issues learned in the Phase 1 assessment to improve business operations.
Consulting application:
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People process audit is performed to evaluate the effectiveness and seek ways to better “humanize” the employee experience of recruitment, onboarding, training, promotion, recognition, etc.).
Results:
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The company has vital intelligence with actionable recommendations to improve the full employee experience and step on the path toward creating a culture anchored in meaning and purpose.
Phase 3 - Empower
Symptoms your company may benefit from this offering:
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There is a gap between leadership and managerial acumen to steward a workplace anchored in meaning and purpose that is equipped to address issues identified in the Purpose/Culture assessment and people process audit.
Consulting application:
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Vitally Inspired: Living and Leading Through Purpose ™ program -- designed to awaken leaders to their passion and purpose and infuse inspiration into their leadership expression.
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Managing Through Meaning ™ program -- teaches essential management practices like setting goals, delegating to grow the team, providing feedback that empowers, while further activating their ability to summon meaning in the everyday moments on the job.
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Ongoing tracking and improvements application to people processes identified in Phase 2.
Results:
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Inspiring leaders and managers of meaning are growing everywhere in the company, and they know that for all boats to rise and the company to realize its vision, so they are now activating the ongoing growth and development of each person’s potential.
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Leaders have developed critical communication abilities to effectively enroll people into the company’s purpose and vision and inspire engagement and performance among all employees to realize its mission.
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They have learned how to discover and activate meaning on a daily basis for themselves and for their team members to increase energy and motivation.
Phase 4 - Employ
Symptoms your company may benefit from this offering:
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Collaboration with the larger eco-system of all stakeholders is lackluster or conflicted
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Leaders recognize the cultural transformation toward meaning and purpose requires enrolling and aligning all stakeholders to the company’s purpose, mission, and vision.
Consulting application:
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Grab Your Gusto professional development and wellbeing program – weekly “mini” lessons teaching through short videos and application exercises employees to activate meaning, passion, and purpose delivered digitally to all employees (also offered as a stand-alone program).
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Parliament of Purpose Assembly -- Leaders identify all stakeholders in the eco-system and map their desired roles and contributions. A dynamic meeting among representatives of each of the stakeholder communities (employees, customers, suppliers, investors, partners, community members, and is facilitated to dynamically enroll and align on the company’s purpose, mission, and vision. “visioneer for a greater purpose” among all parties.
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Ongoing Leadership Coaching – to support and fortify ongoing exercise of Vitally Inspired and Manage Through Meaning programs and address individual learning needs while guiding learning and discussion to their respective teams to apply Grab Your Gusto content.
Results:
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Serving as an employee benefit/learning tool, the ongoing infusion of content arouses and “lifts” everyone in the company, stoking their appetite for ongoing growth and the further realization of their potential, while fortifying the company’s cultural transformation anchored in meaning and purpose.
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Stakeholders emerge enlivened and inspired to contribute to the company’s purpose, discover current and possible new ways of alignment and mutual support, creating a tighter, strong fabric among the stakeholder community to fortify company operations and realize its purpose toward its vision as executed through its mission.
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Leaders and managers are increasingly equipped and sustained over time to continue nurturing their teams while growing themselves as inspirational, effective leaders stewarding a culture of meaning and purpose.
Programs
Consulting
1
Grab Your Gusto: Well-Being and Vitality from the Inside Out
(Our signature platform – for all employees)
A webcast learning platform (live and recorded) designed from Dr. Cortez’s Purpose Ignited book content to develop the capacity of each individual in the company to nurture passion, inspiration, meaning and purpose – vital ingredients for well-being. Customizable packages include weekly video webcasts, a library of audio podcasts, and experiential exercises to apply the learning. Ideal to address or avoid burnout, low motivation or productivity, and mental health issues while demonstrating your care, support, and commitment to well-being and ongoing development. Offered as a subscription service.
Consulting
2
Vitally Inspired: Living and Leading from Purpose
(for company/leaders)
Are you deeply connected with your own source of vitality with energy and verve radiating from you? This is the basis for becoming an inspirational leader as this essence communicates your passion for life and the purpose that governs it. Then, when you learn to develop the talent to activate, appreciate and recognize each team member’s unique gifts and contribution, you become irresistible, unforgettable and leave a lasting legacy. Engagement, productivity and innovation skyrocket, as teams are motivated at their highest level to give their best to inspirational leaders like you.
Consulting
3
Managing Through Meaning
(for managers)
Activating meaning in the everyday moments of work is the critical factor to enliven the workforce in order to communicate why a person's job is vital to a company's mission, how to give feedback to help them realize their greater potential, and make them feel like they belong are now critical to the managers function.
Consulting
4
Strengths-Based Teams
While many professionals recognize they must “overcome weaknesses” in order to have a successful career, they often do so at the expense of maximizing their strengths and thus miss the opportunity to thrive in their organization. By way of synergy, organizations that foster a culture grounded in strengths also register greater levels of productivity, innovation, and retention. When employees are encouraged to do tasks they really enjoy, they experience increased intrinsic motivation and longer periods of concentration, and thus persist at tasks longer – all of which propel creativity and productivity. Leaders who help each person discover and understand their strengths and find frequent ways to use them at work unleash passion and create a team dynamic that people desperately crave. Strengths-Based leaders seek, prize, and lean on distinctive talent that stands out, especially from their own. Looking for ways to constantly leverage the bundle of different ways team members think, feel and behave becomes the lens of a Strengths-Based Leader. Employs Gallup’s Strengths assessment.
Consulting
5
Modes of Engagement in Teams
(for leaders and teams)
Do you understand your personal connection to the work you do? The way you and your team members experience work can be incredibly empowering, unleashing tremendous energy and creativity – or dismally draining and soul-sucking. The meaning ascribed to work has a powerful, synergistic impact on how we experience its relationship to our personal identity – that is, who we are, how we think of ourselves, and how we engage with the world. And that connection between our work and how it informs our personal identity drives our decisions, behavior, and overall effort. Participants learn their own current mode of engagement, realize the pros and cons that accompany it, and consider ways to adopt other modes of engagement that can better suit their values and goals, if change is desired. Whether your current mode of engagement is your ideal, this program allows both the organization and the individual to discover ways to enable a more fulfilled, engaged, and productive workplace.
Consulting
6
Coloring Life - Your Transformation to Growth Through Loss
(for the public)
Everyone experiences loss – whether it’s a loved one, a job or career, a marriage, a pet. Most of us are not well equipped to talk about it or deal with it. Yet, loss is a critical part of life - we grow through our grappling with it. Hearing about someone else's story of loss and grief can be just the therapy you need to help you move through your own. This beautiful, connected afternoon celebrates Alise's latest work on loss and resilience through her book called 'Coloring Life'. This is an impactful afternoon that begins with the story of losing both my parents 28 days apart, the wisdom about living that came from the loss, and is enlarged by the sharing of fellow participants about their own experiences of loss and what it taught them.