Pick Your Professional Development at NextGen

It’s time to break out!  
 
With the speakers and schedule all set for the NextGen Government Training Virtual Summit: Powering Your Public Service Career Forward, take a look at these Breakout Sessions to pick which one you’d like to attend on May 10. 
 
Don’t forget to register, and we can’t wait to see you there! 
 
How to Deal With an Underperforming Team with Carolyn Mooney, Owner and Coach, Enough LLC, and Former Background Investigations Lead  

Let’s get real: Not all teams are winners. It’s true at work as much as it is in sports. But unlike the Washington Commanders at the end of another losing football season, you can’t just trade your colleagues for better players. In this breakout session, our expert will provide practical steps and strategies for dealing with an underperforming team. 
 
Discover and Communicate Your Strengths with Falland Hamilton, Manager, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency  

From the cradle to the cubicle, we often devote more time to dwelling on our shortcomings than developing our strengths. To grow in your career, you need to flip the narrative and start leading with your strengths, but figuring out how to do that isn’t always easy. And worse, once you know your strengths, communicating them to a manager can be even harder. In this breakout session, you will learn how to identify your strengths and put them to use in your work. 
 
From Numbers to Narrative: Using Data as an Asset with Dr. Craig P. Orgeron, Ph.D., Professor of Management Information Systems, Millsaps College and Dr. Bill Rials, Associate Director and Professor of Practice, Tulane University School of Professional Advancement Information Technology Program  

When advocating for a new project, pitching an innovative idea or asking for funds for modernization, it’s imperative you use data to back up your argument. But it isn’t easy to turn data into a compelling argument. In this breakout session, you will learn the art of data storytelling. 
 
DEIA in 2023: What You Need to Know with Mika Cross, Workforce Management Expert, Dr. Theresa Horne, Director, Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), Elaina Ho, Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s STEM Engagement Program, and Michele Perez, Assistant Deputy Secretary at U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development  

Much of the advice for under-represented groups in the workplace focuses on the need to lean in. But what about the barriers to doing so or the unequal rewards (and even penalties) when they do? Achieving diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, or DEIA, requires people to work together to tackle systemic and cultural challenges. In this session, you’ll learn about the major challenges that under-represented groups face in career advancement. We’ll also look at what individuals across genders and generations need to collaborate with one another and create more equitable workplaces. This session is designed for both under-represented groups and allies. 
 
How to Pick Your Battles: Which Causes Help or Hurt Your Career Progression with Wendie Veloz, Social Impact Strategist, Coach and Consultant  

If you’re a parent, you know how critical it is to pick your battles. Kids can take umbrage with just about anything. But there are some infractions that you must deal with. The same is true at work. If you fought every single battle to the end, you wouldn’t have time to get any real work done. The key is figuring out which are essential and which to let go. In this breakout session, you will learn how to do just that. 

The Power of Influence: How to Lead Without the Title with Kiersten Patton, Advisor for the Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times Program, George Washington University  

There is only one President of the United States, only one Secretary of your agency, only one direct supervisor for you. But these people don’t hold a monopoly on good ideas; everyone is capable of constructive input. The challenge is getting the ideas out there. One strategy is to increase your influence within the organization, so your colleagues and bosses listen to you. In this breakout session, you will hear from a government leader about how to lead without the title.  

Embrace Emotional Intelligence for Career Advancement (and to Be a Better Human) with Keylin Rivera, Special Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs (Political Apointee), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  

In today’s workplace, mastering traditional hard skills is necessary but it’s not sufficient. To be successful in your job and advance your career, you also need to develop emotional intelligence (EI). EI is the ability to manage your emotions and those of the people around you. In this breakout session, you will hear from a government expert about how to improve your EI skills and use them to move up the career ladder.  

Imposter Syndrome No More: Upping Your Confidence with Brian Wilson, Organizational Change Management Lead, Cloud Center of Excellence, a Federal Regulatory Agency  

Have you ever stepped into a new role or taken the lead on a project only to feel horribly underqualified? This feeling of self-doubt, inadequacy or insecurity around professional responsibilities is not only stressful but can significantly impede your confidence and growth at work. If it’s any comfort, you’re not alone. Nearly 70% of the U.S. population has experienced imposter syndrome. In this interactive session, you will learn the science behind imposter syndrome, strategies for combating it and insights to overcome the “fake it ’til you make it” mindset. 

How to Stop Playing It Safe and Pitch Your Ideas with Virginia (Ginny) Hill, Senior Executive Coach and Facilitator  

Putting yourself out there can feel risky. What if people don’t get your idea or, worse, don’t think it’s any good? The fear of being vulnerable often holds back employees from pitching their ideas, but you won’t get ahead if you play it safe. In this breakout session, you will learn how to pitch your idea…even if you are nervous to do so.  

How to Have a Critical Conversation in the Workplace with Mel Kepler, Senior Consultant, Management Advisory Services, LMI  

Are you bracing for an important conversation at work and feel nervous that you might not be clear or might get talked over? Or maybe you have to share difficult information on behalf of your agency. Figuring out how to have challenging conversations in a safe, equitable and constructive way is essential. In this interactive session, you’ll explore the communications skills needed to have difficult conversations, rather than avoid them.