Biography
Dr. Mary Donohue has a sincere passion for living and celebrating life. To a large degree, this sincerity is based in her fight to overcome chronic leukemia. The stress of surviving cancer led her to set an ambitious goal of reducing stress for all, and specifically the stress we experience daily through digital communication. She is achieving this goal through her best-selling book Message Received and the Digital Wellness Center.
A social scientist with a focus on digital wellbeing, Dr. Mary’s research and teaching has benefited companies such as Microsoft, Walmart, American Airlines, TD Bank, Bank of Montreal, OLG, and Kaiser Permanente.
Recognized by premiers, prime ministers, Queen Elizabeth II, and her peers, Dr. Mary has been honored as one of the 18 Outstanding Women in Tech and named one of the 100 Most Influential Woman in America. Her work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, as research for stories on major networks, in columns for the Huffington Post and Financial Post, and on-air for all the major news networks.
Dr. Mary is a yogi, runner, mom, and overall nerd, but for a brief shining moment she will never forget, she was a Supreme with Miss Diana Ross.
Speech Topics
NEW!
Digital Wellness (aka “Message Received”)
Research has proven that more than two-thirds of the population is suffering from exhaustion and stress-related anxiety. COVID-19 has raised the stakes. Many of us find that we are angry, tired and frustrated.
As leaders, it is our role to understand the dynamics, characteristics and barriers to success for ourselves and those we lead and consider how we can respond to effectively lead in what is rapidly becoming the “new normal.”
Through extensive research with over 27,000 people, Dr. Mary Donohue has uncovered that much of the stress and exhaustion people are experiencing is a result of challenges arising from the growing lack of clarity, potential for misinterpretation and misunderstanding inherent in digital communication. As many of us are now leading teams remotely this poses a problem.
Dr. Donohue’s “Research has found that only 20% of what’s read in digital platforms is clear,” That means 80% of what people send is open for interpretation — and that leads to misunderstandings, disagreements and stress.
In other words, for every 10 emails you receive only two are clear to you. The rest of the time you have to guess at what is meant.
Communication is a two-party interaction – sender and receiver. Given the multi-generational, diverse make-up of today’s workplace, the possibility miscommunication, misunderstanding, misinterpretation is quite high. Dr. Donohue has found that stress, both for the leader and his/her followers can be lowered when you use the science of generational insights to understand and not assume but rather ensure the message sent is the message received.
WHY IS NO ONE TALKING TO ME?
Most C-level executives and their teams are not fully aware of the looming crisis that will crest in mid 2018. This crisis is even today negatively affecting new hiring, consumer expectations, and the virtual workplace. At a recent global conference, where Dr. Mary spoke alongside Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Michelle Obama, she revealed that in North America we have become a workplace of the text culture. We type, and we don’t talk.
Dr. Mary’s powerful 60-minute new speech and book will enable you to understand how to use everyday technology that is available on your phone and in workplaces to customize and prioritize communication for new hires and consumer engagement, and to effectively manage teams in the virtual workspace.
As an added bonus, participants will also learn through Dr. Mary’s new research and the research of 224 other academic studies that putting these seven steps into practice will decrease stress by 34% and increase happiness by 34%, and will find at least one extra hour in their work week
7 New Secrets to Innovation & Creativity in the Modern Workplace
By 2020, Millennials could be 50% of the workforce, and organizations will also then be experiencing the influence of incoming Gen Z digital natives. This incredibly diverse, mobile cohort seeks a sense of purpose and connection to a company mission – so this new culture of work is emerging that creates an environment requiring every employee to be creative, think critically and collaborate with others.
In this keynote presentation:
- Learn from social science and evolutionary psychology how to engage this workforce and embrace a new culture of work
- Hear how organizations built by and for Millennials and Gen Z-ers empowers creativity and teamwork
- Discover how to choose the right tools to unlock creativity and teamwork for your workforce
The Evolution of You at Work
Dr. Mary Donohue, a social scientist who specializes in evolutionary psychology, uses her research to explain your brain and your brain on technology. This presentation is based on her annual workplace research. Dr. Mary helps you understand why you do what you do at work and why others respond to you, the way they do.
She explains the framework of cross-generational friction, and how to use traits of every cohort to transform what many consider a communication and societal gap, into productive strengths.
Forget Millennials And Boomers. Gen X Will Save The Workplace
How to capitalize on your changing workforce.
Ever wonder why you seem to be repeating yourself? Why no one is listening to you – why do you feel so much stress?
Dr. Mary Donohue, AKA “Dr. Mary,” will help you diagnose this problem and provides you with a prescription that is helping most people in North America who work with her feel happier and more productive. Client’s of Dr. Mary’s rave about her system, and how it allows them to feel less stressed, more in tune with their team and how have extra time in their week.
As North America’s foremost expert on technology based conversation, development and learning for each generational she uses her annual research to help you understand more about you and the people around you. She gives you the secrets that help you unlock your productivity and influence triggers, helping you feel less stressed and happier at work.
In her presentation, Dr. Mary explains how most organizations were built by and for Boomers and, what the ramifications of that are. She shows how and why Gen X and Gen Y might not get along at work, and what’s coming with Gen Z! But most of all, her talk will leave your audience with actionable takeaways on how to effectively communicate in our digital, multi-generational work place.
The best part is that Dr. Mary is able to do this with wit, humor, and the professionalism only a leading social scientist on this topic can provide. Also, Dr. Mary’s latest work has been garnering tons of discussion – it’s about the amazing Generation X, and how they will save the day!
Mary’s Keynote presentations can be followed with a break out or workshop session. Call us for details.
Why We Do What We Do at Work
For almost 21 years Dr. Mary has had an obsession: What makes people great communicators? Is it experience, schooling, parenting or just luck?
Back in 2009 her dissertation research began to reveal why people are great communicators, how it affects their lives, and the insane results it can produce at work.
Dr. Mary is your communications expert. She has been a TV broadcaster, columnist and political advocate for almost 20 years. It wasn’t till her dissertation was completed that she realized the data indicated that the stress we feel at work is present because we aren’t communicating with each other effectively due to technology and how we respond to leadership.
She found by testing her Generational Problem Solving System™ (built on her successful mentoring system) that you can shift your communication and get tremendous results including more money, more time, and more productivity for you and your coworkers/family.
She loves to share all of this with the students who take her certified Executive Education courses and of course in her speeches. What you will learn is how when Dr. Mary was very sick she realized that she had to do something right now or die. She had to change how she communicated because so many other people were getting sick from the same stress, not being heard or valued at work. In this speech you will be introduced to a new way of problem solving and responding to communication that allows you to make sense of Millennials, Gen X, and Gen Z.
Waiting to Exhale: Decreasing Stress, Increasing Productivity and Communicating Effectively in the “Connected” Workplace
In this vibrant keynote presentation, Dr. Mary Donohue explores the causes and effects of stress in today’s workplace. From working in isolation despite being constantly “connected”, to a lack of employee engagement, mentor-ship and leadership, Dr. Mary will explain what’s gone wrong at our offices and job sites – and what we can do to make it better. Attendees will learn how to increase productivity, be more inclusive, achieve more on any given day, and how to deal with stress – along with so much more. Warning: You may want to throw your smart phone into a river after listening to this entertaining but riveting talk!
In this talk you’ll hear:
- Exploring the causes and effects of stress in today’s workplace
- Working in isolation despite being constantly “connected”
- Outlining what’s gone wrong in today’s workplace and how to make it better
- Examining the lack of employee engagement, mentorship and leadership
- Navigating conversation patterns of different generations to better communicate
- Building a sense of value in your team through effective leadership
- Increasing productivity to be more inclusive and achieve more
Speech Testimonials
“Through her no-nonsense approach to mentoring, Dr. Donohue consistently delivers practical resources for today’s leader, and she has a unique way to simplify the complex.”
Michael Camp, Director, Walmart Stores Inc.
“As I mentioned to you, I have attended a number of Speaker’s Series events since its inception and to say yours was the best would be a complete understatement. I have never gotten so much out of such a short period of time.”
Dale Jenkins, Instructor – Research Unit, Ontario Police College
“I am privileged to convey to you our expressions of sincerest gratitude for your generous participation in WIL Mentorship program. Your outstanding, perfectly focused keynote address set the upbeat tone for the whole program. You highlighted the important facets of a successful mentorship relationship, captivated the audience with your stories and shared the tools for self reflection. We were honored to host such an informative, engaging and inspiring evening with a writer of your caliber and subject expert.
Thank you very much!”
Florence Liberski, Director, Women In Leadership
Dr. Mary’s New Book 2020:
