Cheryl Cran

Future of Work & Change Leadership Expert

Cheryl Cran

Future of Work & Change Leadership Expert

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Biography

Cheryl Cran is the founder of NextMapping™/NextMapping.com, creator of the NextNow podcast and the CEO of parent company Synthesis at Work Inc. Named #1 Future of Work influencer by Onalytica, and in the top ten future of work experts by GoCatalant.

Cheryl is the author of 10 books including her newest, Super.Crucial.Human and her bestsellers, NextMapping – Anticipate, Navigate and Create The Future of Work and The Art of Change Leadership – Driving Transformation In a Fast Paced-World.

Cheryl’s thought leadership on the future of all things including work, society and life has been featured in publications such as Fast Company, Huff Post, Forbes, Metro New York, Entrepreneur Magazine, Reader’s Digest, CBS Online, NBC Online, and more. For over two decades Cheryl has built a reputation for delivering extraordinary value for clients that include Amazon, Upwork, AT&T,, Gartner, Scottish Water, ExecOnline and more.

Clients rate her keynotes on hybrid workplace, the human future, the future of leadership and leading hybrid teams as being inspirational, research based and highly relevant to the fast changing now and future workplace.

Cheryl brings unique multiple perspectives to her clients, gained by years of successfully working with a multitude of organizations.

Her multi-industry experience and successful track record provides unparalleled value to her clients.

Cheryl helps leaders and teams to increase perspectives to expand opportunities, to identify patterns of success, and to learn and grow at the speed of change.

NextMapping™ was developed as our proprietary business solution brand that encompasses all of Cheryl’s work and research on the future of all things including work and the ‘future ready skills’ needed by leaders and teams to navigate change in the workplace.

Cheryl is not a futurist that just shares trends, she is a pragmatic optimist who is a future of work (all things) expert helping her clients to ‘create the future now’ by ‘leading the changes needed’ to get there.

It’s time to not just hear about the future but to create change and use models and tools developed including our proprietary NextMapping™ process to get there!

The common theme in all of Cheryl’s life’s work is to change the world through business.

Cheryl is passionate about helping leaders and teams develop the crucial human skills needed to lead a human focused future where we leverage technology to automate the mundane so that we can elevate the humane.

Speaker Videos

Speaking Reel

2023 Workplace Trends For Leaders - NextNow Podcast Episode 28

Change Leadership To Create Future of Work -NextNow Podcast With Cheryl Cran - Episode 25

Speech Topics

The Future is Human: How Being a Better Human Is the Key to Future of Work

This keynote focuses on what it means to be a better human in order to be a better leader - its not about being 'soft' its about caring, compassion and mutual accountability

Based on Cheryl’s new book, Super.Crucial.Human this keynote focuses on the concept that now and in the future ‘everyone is a leader’ and with that everyone needs to be a better human. Research has confirmed that not only are we in a workers market, we are going to need MORE people now and into the future even with the rise of automation, AI and robotics. What we need is people who have crucial human skills – skills that go beyond the basics when it comes to compassion, creativity, communication and collaboration.

This keynote will INSPIRE, elevate the mindsets of audience members to embrace that being human means we have infinite possibilities to evolve and to adapt at the speed of change.

In this keynote you will learn:

Research on the social trends that are driving the urgent need for everyone to develop ‘crucial human skills’
How to reframe challenges, setbacks and disruptions into elevated opportunities to evolve and grow
The 4 C’s of being a super crucial human – next level skills of compassion, creativity, conscious communication and collaboration
Why LQ (love quotient) is even MORE important than EQ (emotional intelligence) and how to apply it in both life and work
How to leverage the ‘me to we’ mindset model to increase collaboration in a hybrid workplace reality
Actionable models and strategic ideas on how to elevate crucial human skills and apply in real time in life and work for accelerated success in all relationships

The Future is Human: How AI Requires Us To Be Better Leaders

This keynote focuses on the key human skills leaders and teams need to have in a fast changing AI and ChatGPT era.

Based on the best selling book, Super.Crucial.Human.

Research has confirmed that not only are we in a workers market, we are going to need MORE people now and into the future even with the rise of automation, AI, ChatGPT and robotics.

What we need is people who have crucial human skills – skills that go beyond the basics when it comes to compassion, creativity, communication and collaboration.

This keynote will INSPIRE, elevate the mindsets of audience members to embrace that being human means we have infinite possibilities to evolve and to adapt at the speed of change. Audiences will leave with practical tools that they can apply personally and take back to their leaders and teams.

In this keynote you will learn:

Research on the digital and social trends that are driving the urgent need for everyone to develop ‘crucial human skills’
How to reframe challenges, setbacks and disruptions into elevated opportunities to evolve and grow
The 4 C’s of being a super crucial human – next level skills of compassion, creativity, conscious communication and collaboration
How everyone can elevate to being ‘change leaders’ driving positive change forward
How to leverage the ‘me to we’ mindset model to increase collaboration in a hybrid workplace reality
Actionable models and strategic ideas on how to elevate crucial human skills and apply in real time in life and work for accelerated success in all relationships

Leading Hybrid Teams In A Fast Changing Workplace

We are firmly in a workers market. Hybrid workplace is here to stay. 89% of workers surveyed have stated that they want to work remotely at least two days a week. We are in a new reality where workers expect increased flexibility and increased life/work balance. Leaders need to upskill their mindset, perspectives and strategies to inspire their hybrid teams.

We are in a workers market until at least 2030 - hybrid workplace is here to stay!

There is no ‘right way’ to do hybrid. Every organization is lining up their hybrid strategy to align with their workplace culture. With the hybrid workplace comes challenges that include increased siloes, decreased communication, less sense of an embedded company culture, leaders challenged with engaging and motivating workers and more.

Workers have higher expectations from their leaders and their workplace and this means leaders and teams must upskill and reskill to ‘future ready skills’. This includes shifting to multiple perspectives, increasing compassion and patience and creating new strategies that match up with the hybrid workplace dynamics.

In this keynote you will learn:

The now and next hybrid workplace reality and what it means for leaders and the future of business
How leaders can engage workers in the company culture in a hybrid workplace
The three biases that increase siloes and hinder collaboration and what to do about it
The change leadership skills needed to successfully recreate a unified culture
A proprietary hybrid communication model to help leaders coach their teams to greater productivity
Actionable ideas on how to increase worker engagement and collaboration in the hybrid workplace

The Future of Leadership

Never before have workplaces had so much ambiguity, uncertainty and constant change. Workers are challenged with doing more with less, learning at the speed of disruption and working with diverse situations. There is a massive opportunity for leaders to create the future for themselves and their teams.

With the increase of digital transformation there is a calling for leaders to be connected, empathetic and inspiring for their teams.

Attendees will leave this session with:

The most recent and up to date research on the future workplace and what it means for leaders today
Statistics and sentiment analysis on worker attitudes and what workers want today and in the future from their leaders
Leadership models on the ‘me to we’ mindset and mapping the future of the leadership journey
Tips and strategies on how to leverage leadership mastery to increase the attraction and retention of top talent
Inspiring ideas that can be put into immediate action to increase employee motivation and engagement
Practical daily actions to help leaders feel energized and to help their teams to be inspired and excited to create the future of work

Cheryl Cran future of work expert and founder of NextMapping shares inspiring, uplifting and practical ideas for leaders to be future ready now!

The Future of Work Is Now – Are You Ready?

What will leaders and their teams have to do to thrive today and beyond to the year 2030? Today’s challenges include ongoing global change, technological innovation and fast changing workplace dynamics.

Employee engagement, creating future ready leaders, attracting and retaining top talent are all elements that are rapidly changing and impacting the way we work and how we need to change to meet the challenges of the future workplace today.

This keynote will provide researched global business insights, thought provoking, creative, leading edge ideas and strategies on how leaders can take immediate action to increase team buy in, adaptability and execution NOW as we head towards 2030.

Attendees will leave this session with:

A look at the trends and technologies shaping the future workplace today
Ideas for leaders and their teams to adapt their personality style and leadership style to the fast changing workplace
“How” to successfully work with and engage the multiple generations in the workplace
Insights into how leaders need to adapt to the ever-changing reality of worker attitudes and shifting attitudes on loyalty, job satisfaction and how work is done
Mindset model on how to navigate fast pace of change as we head to future of work
Research on the multiple intelligences needed to navigate the future of work
Case studies and examples of progressive companies and leaders on the leading edge of creating innovative future ready workplaces
Strategies on how to get everyone on board with the overall future vision, build excitement for the company’s direction and create commitment and buy-in to taking action today and for the future
Cheryl’s style is dynamic high energy and interactive, she presents relevant research and her presentations always have fun movie clips and music. With Cheryl Cran as your keynote speaker you are guaranteed to have one of your best events ever with increased audience engagement, and an audience that leaves with easy to implement ideas as well as inspired to lead with 2030 vision to build the future workplace today.

How To Attract and Retain Top Talent In a Hybrid Workers Market

95% of companies surveyed cite a big focus for the future is finding and keeping top talent in the age of robotics, remote workers and increasing competition.

Fortune 500 CEO’s surveyed state that even with the age of robotics they are planning to continue to seek and hire talented people well into 2020 and beyond. The competition for attracting top talent is increasing, and as quickly as people are being hired and trained other industries are approaching and poaching talent. In addition the increase in freelance and entrepreneur opportunities for millennials is making the talent search even more challenging.

What can companies do? What do leaders need to do to win the war for talent?

In this keynote, you will learn how to map out a strategy and plan on how to attract top talent and how to retain them for longer than average time frames.

Attendees will leave this session with:

The latest research for your industry on future trends regarding attracting and retaining top talent
Insights into current reality of finding and keeping good people the stats and the best practices
Innovative ideas on finding the right people that are suited for your industry
Creative ideas and examples from global companies winning the war for talent
The top ten ‘attractors’ of what top talent want when looking to work for a company
How to be a company that ‘attracts’ talent, including having transformational leaders and creating a culture that focuses on shared leadership
The number one reason people leave an employer and how to fix it
A greater understanding of why investing in recruiting alone is a no-win approach
Creative solutions that you can put into place right away to increase your wins in attracting and keeping top talent

Testimonials

"Cheryl your keynote on, “Change Leadership & The Future of Work,” was perfect for our group of leaders and for all of our global partners. Our team was thrilled to have you in the Las Vegas head office and we had numerous positive feedback from everyone on-site and from the live stream participants. We saw a lot of Twitter discussion about some of your strategies on change leadership and the future such as ‘learnerships’ and breaking down silos. We all wished we had more time with you! Let’s stay in touch for future collaborations – thanks again."

- Aristocrat Technologies

"Cheryl was our opening keynote speaker for our Innovation Unplugged Skills Summit in Toronto. From our first conversation it was obvious that Cheryl was very knowledgeable in the Future of Work and took the time to understand the objectives of our organization and our event. Her presentation was engaging and informative and set up the rest of our day perfectly. We had a diverse audience which included secondary school students, educators, industry experts and government officials. Everyone took something away from Cheryl’s speech and commented on the power of the presentation in their feedback comments. I would welcome working with Cheryl again in the future."

- ICTC President and CEO

"Cheryl Cran was our keynote speaker for our annual leadership event and in a word she was outstanding. Cheryl’s unique perspective on the future of work and what is needed for companies to be on the leading edge brought tremendous value for our group. She spent time consulting with myself and the leadership team on our distinct culture and how to leverage what we were already doing well. Our leaders gave two thumbs up for Cheryl’s delivery style which was fast paced, direct and dynamic. In addition, the leaders really enjoyed that Cheryl joined us for our evening social. What I found very valuable as CEO of the company was the survey before event that she incorporated into her keynote as well as the real time polling and texting which really engaged our discerning group of leaders. Cheryl didn’t just talk about the future and trends she actually gave us the change leadership tools to create our next level of success."

- Fike

"I can’t thank Cheryl enough for her inspirational and informative keynote on Attracting Change Makers at our JLT Canada Public Sector Summit 2018. Her session certainly resonated well with our municipal audience, but as a millennial aiming to be a change maker one day, Cheryl’s session landed particularly well with myself. And our delegates could not stop talking about the interactive elements to her presentation – it served really well as a way to connect everyone, literally!"

- Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc.

"Cheryl Cran was our opening keynote speaker at the 2018 CSU Facilities Management Conference and she was outstanding! Her message on change, courage and collaboration was exactly what our group needed to hear. The future is not to be feared when one realizes you are the architect. She shared usable tools that all of us can take back and apply right away for increased team success. Cheryl’s use of texting with audience and polling was greatly appreciated and our group actively engaged with her using these tools. I loved how Cheryl willingly answers ALL text questions including the challenging ones. Texting questions encouraged the public expression of heartfelt concerns. Many attendees reported through text and Twitter that Cheryl’s dynamic opening keynote set the tone for a very successful two-day conference."

- California State University

"Cheryl Cran is the Genuine ‘Real Deal’. There is no better motivational speaker, generational psychology expert, and change leadership mentor than Cheryl Cran. Cheryl is totally credible, sincere, transparent, and endearing as she relates her life experiences to today’s business and work situations. I have no reservations in recommending her to any Fortune 100 company who is dealing with radical change in their workforce. The world would be a much better place if they followed Cheryl’s advice and recommendations on hope to relate to others and how to cope."

- Raytheon Employee Association

"We had Cheryl as our keynote speaker at our annual strategic retreat for our senior leaders. Her presentation, 'Leading with Power, Energy, and Passion,' was exactly what our team needed. Cheryl had the unique ability to completely create a customized message that was EXACTLY what we needed. Her knowledge of technology, leadership, and emotional intelligence, and her ability to give us tools to leverage our skills was right on track with where we need to go as a leadership team. We have a team of highly intelligent and accomplished leaders who are quite jaded and we had one of our long-term leaders say, 'I have been coming to these for years and Cheryl was by far the most relevant and excellent leadership expert we have had to date.'"

- Pacific Hotel Management

"Thank you Cheryl for your keynote at our annual BC Health Conference in Richmond. Your message about 'Leading Change in a Fast Paced, Technological, and Multigenerational Workplace' was so perfectly timed for us and our industry. Healthcare is going through major technological advance at a fast speed and we have a diverse group of teams who are adapting to change at different speeds. You provided us with research and insight that helped the leaders in attendance to recognize their need to adapt to change and the shifting realities of the workplace, but also how they can help their teams adapt and get along with each other better. The practical tools you provided were relevant and will help our leaders continue to lead at the highest levels possible."

- BC Health Services

"Cheryl, we want to thank you for your keynote presentation at our annual Western Broadcast Association conference. Your session on 'Leading Change in a Fast Paced, Technological, and Multigenerational Workplace' was extremely well received by our members. Your message provided insight into the fast pace of change being made by social media and other technology. You provided leadership strategies and insights to deal with multigenerational workplaces. We appreciated the time you took to customize your message to the realities of the media industry. The media industry is changing rapidly and the tools you provided helped our members look at their own speed of change as well as help their teams to adapt to the changing workplace."

- Western Association of Broadcasters

"Cheryl presented at our annual convention and her topic was timely, relevant, and helpful to the bureau owners and agents in attendance. We appreciated the time and effort she took to prepare a fully customized presentation that was applicable to our audience. She provided insight and relevant tools that I believe will help those in attendance build their business and achieve increased success. The research on social media as well as the technological tools Cheryl provided, such as relevant apps, were both interesting and helpful."

- International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB)

"Cheryl, thank you so much for the INCREDIBLE keynote presentation that you prepared for the Houston Chapter of IFMA. It was one of the most entertaining and insightful presentations that I have had the pleasure of sitting through. I have gotten a lot of feedback from the attendees and the feeling appears to be unanimous: Cheryl Cran rocks! I especially appreciate how you took the time to learn so much about our industry and incorporate it into your presentation. Spoken like a true Facilities Management Pro!"

- Houston Chapter of IFMA

"I wanted to send a big thank you for your very successful presentation at our staff meeting. Your presentation kept everyone entertained and engaged while presenting very practical information. I appreciate that you took the time to learn more about our organization and the employees who attended the meeting in order to customize your presentation. The tailored material you included was very well received and enhanced the delivery for everyone in attendance. I hope to have the pleasure to work with you again and would highly recommend you as a presenter."

- Manulife Financial