Dr. N. Elizabeth Fried
National Consultant, Author, and Professional Speaker

N. Elizabeth Fried, Ph.D. national consultant, author, and professional speaker will move your audience to action through solid content and an engaging style. As a respected human resource consultant and skilled storyteller, Elizabeth currently delivers keynotes and seminars on a variety of business and personal topics at meetings and conventions. She has appeared on a dozen television broadcasts and over 175 radio program in the US., Canada, and New Zealand.

Elizabeth is committed to helping her clients plan successful meetings. She works closely with the meeting planner and offers assistance to assure the event is well publicized and highly attended. She’ll provide promotional materials and arrange for interviews with the media. It is her regular practice to tailor each presentation to the client's needs by conducting personal interviews with key conference planners and attendees.

Elizabeth has served as president of N. E. Fried and Associates, Inc., since 1983, a human resources consulting firm, which maintains offices in California and Ohio. A subsidiary of her firm, Intermediaries Press and Speakers Bureau, evolved in 1992. It provides access to a broad range of professional speakers.

Seminars Topics

Monday Night Football:    A Playbook of Gender Communication Strategies™

Men: Can you afford to lose client business from the growing market of women business owners and corporate executives because you don’t understand how women communicate and can’t relate to their perspective?  Women, are you frustrated by the glass ceiling? Would you both like to develop cross-gender communication skills to help you to increase sales, open promotional opportunities, and enhance client relationships?

This seminar illustrates that men and women grew up in different cultures and how this directly impacts communication styles, approaches to processing work, and development of business relationships. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll acquire adaptive skills and techniques to help you successfully gain credibility and acceptance when dealing with the opposite sex. Additionally, you’ll learn how to protect yourself from verbal attackers--regardless of gender--by spotting, diffusing, and redirecting non-productive communication patterns and transforming them into meaningful, productive exchanges.

Topics:

• Identify the underlying reasons why men and women communicate differently and use that knowledge to positively influence and build relationships with clients, customers, co-workers, and vendors.

• Apply specific cross-gender communication techniques with co-workers and clients to increase productivity, make the sale, influence others, improve customer satisfaction, gain recognition, and achieve greater promotional opportunities.

• Learn the art of verbal self-defense to protect your self verbal attackers.

Sex, Laws & Stereotypes

When Men and Women Clash in the Workplace

Run smart, not scared when dealing with sexual harassment claims, by making sure your response to legal compliance rises above minimum requirements. Develop values-driven policies that reflect the way you want employees to conduct themselves. Review recent court decisions that now favor employers and how they affect your exposure. Understand management's responsibilities for maintaining a respectful workplace environment, and learn the best approaches for preventive action to protect yourself and your organization against financial liabilities. Learn to spot potential risky behavior and what specific action to take. Stay out of court by taking complaints seriously, addressing them immediately, and stopping inappropriate behavior. Develop skills for conducting thorough and objective complaint investigations.

Topics:

• The Big Picture – Recognizing that your organizational values drive day-to-day business decisions.  Understanding how government regulations set the floor, not the ceiling for respectful workplace behavior.

• Sexual Harassment – Clarifying the legal definitions of quid pro quo and hostile environment sexual harassment. Developing appropriate policies to avoid litigation and assure respectful treatment of all employees

• Spotting Risks – Training managers on expected employee behavior and specific procedures for handling complaints and confronting sexual harassers. Understanding the importance of being proactive rather than reactive to potential risky employee behavior.

• Investigations Techniques – Assuring fair treatment by applying probing, impartial investigation skills to gather information in an objective, consistent, and thorough manner.

• Note: This course contains explicit language expressed in video scenarios, actual court case summaries, and excerpts from the book, Sex, Laws & Stereotypes. Every effort is made to keep the presentation discussion in good taste when addressing these sensitive issues.

The book, Sex, Laws & Stereotypes, is part of the course materials. This heralded sequel to Outrageous Conduct, is an entertaining and informative odyssey into today’s challenging workplace world. Dr. Elizabeth Fried expands her research of unusual, but real cases with an eye toward key learning points. She addresses serious and often unthinkable employment situations in an offbeat, easy-to-read style, while explaining complex workplace issues.These cases, loaded with pathos, humor, and practical solutions cover ADA, discrimination, sexual harassment, benefits fraud, workplace violence, and more. Experience the virtual reality of HR management as you’re drawn into each scenario. Then benefit from the employee relations and legal tips offered by her extensive panel of HR and legal experts who tell you how to prevent future problems and avoid courtroom battles. This page-turner is used in corporate training programs and college HR courses to captivate students–it’s one business book that won’t lull you to sleep!

How Am I Doing?  A Look at 360º Feedback

Help employees change and grow for both themselves and their organization. Information is the key to making improvements in competencies, skills, and behaviors for continued growth. Learn why multi-source feedback–gathering responses from the widest circle of observers–provides one of the most effective ways to get the information necessary for successful personal and organizational transformation. Recognize the importance of choosing candid feedback providers and selecting the right coach. Design valid and reliable appraisal instruments, and install safeguards to maintain system credibility and prevent appraiser collusion. Identify when and how to link the 360° approach to reward systems without compromising the quality of feedback.

Topics:

• The Power and the Purpose – Understanding the evolution and variations of the new multi-source assessment model to determine how it fits your organizational needs. Applying the feedback beyond individual performance appraisals to other business areas.

• Taking the Plunge – Designing a system that matches your requirements. Implementing a project that will insure buy-in from stakeholders. Evaluating the results of the information and the process to make sure data is valid and reliable.

• Overcoming Obstacles – Avoiding common pitfalls and preparing for criticism to insure successful design and implementation.

• Linking Pay to Feedback Data – Identifying how and when to connect performance feedback to reward systems while maintaining candid feedback.
  A Look at the Future – Evaluating side benefits of the 360° model and reviewing what other organizations have gained from its use.