This session explored the fundamentals of continuous improvement and process improvement and how they can be combined to bring about lasting changes to existing business processes. Using case studies and examples, the session explored how to create process maps and how to use them to identify areas for improvements and remove the frustrations caused by outdated activities.

Administrative professionals often juggle competing priorities, differing expectations, and the complex dynamics of supporting teams. Many of these tensions aren’t problems to solve, but polarities to manage – pairs of values or goals that may look like opposites but actually need each other to create sustainable success.

This session introduced Both/And thinking as a practical tool for navigating those tensions. Participants learned how to recognize, map, and manage polarities to reduce friction, enhance collaboration, and support healthier and more effective teams. Through examples and hands-on exercises, participants gained strategies for moving beyond “either/or” thinking and fostering balance and clarity in your workplace.

Even the most well-designed meetings can derail when emotions rise, power dynamics surface, or participants disengage. Great facilitation requires more than managing an agenda; it requires actively managing the emotional energy of the group. Drawing from the NeuroLeadership Institute’s SCARF model (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness) and the Organizational Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC) frameworks, this session explored how participants can create psychologically safe, adaptive spaces for better group collaboration and decision-making.