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About Maureen

Maureen K. McCarthy is an international
management consultant, senior executive
coach, keynote speaker, and author of the
upcoming book, The State of Grace Document.
Maureen’s focus is on engaging the soul at
work, which ultimately results in increased
profits and performance.

Maureen is founder and principal of Engaging the Soul @ Work. She has worked across the US, Canada and Europe with numerous individuals, corporations and organizations to create places where people actually look forward to going to work. Workplaces where everyone's knowledge, passions and interests rise to the surface to create a stronger, more vibrant company.

Maureen engages an organization on many levels because she transcends the hierarchy. She shows every individual how to do the Dance of Leader and Follower and gives them the tools to better balance people and profits...

People spend more time at work than anywhere else, and when a person doesn’t feel respected, honored and appreciated in their work environment, it ultimately affects their personal life, as well as the life and profit of the company. Strong profits being integral in the health of the organization.

Maureen is a gifted communicator of foundational thoughts, feelings, and ideas. She has a compelling grasp of the power of storytelling in her speaking style and is known for encouraging even the largest keynote audience to their feet to participate. At once, she speaks from the head and from the heart to make transitional, belief-shifting moments possible for others. She stirs people’s senses and changes their world of work.

Maureen is an extremely upbeat, energetic speaker. Her power resides in the numerous tools, ideas and network of people she makes use of in an almost intuitive sense. She is always fresh and off the cuff as she reads where the audience needs to go. Maureen inspires everyone she comes into contact with because she lives what she believes.

Maureen K. McCarthy is a consummate storyteller who has built her success on the wide range of tools she uses to create real change in an organization. Her experiential speaking engagements leave you with several tools you can use at work the following day. She is not a speaker of business philosophy, but of active, practical ways to enhance your work and life.

With degrees in journalism and public speaking from the University of Florida and a background in art from the Art Institute of Chicago, She has a compelling grasp of the power of storytelling in her speaking style and is known for encouraging even the largest keynote audience to their feet to participate. At once, she speaks from the head and from the heart to make transitional, belief-shifting moments possible for others. She stirs people’s senses.

She has worked with such companies as BP, The World Relief Organization, Shell Oil, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, Schering-Plough, Abbott Laboratories, Ford Motor Company, Ameritech and the U.K. Government-Dept. of Trade and Industry.

Maureen is the author or the upcoming book entitled The State of Grace Document based on a tool she created, and uses within organizations, to build stronger foundations for business relationships. Most of our current business foundations such as legal contracts and employee manuals are based on the premise, “I don't know if I can trust you, so I need to protect myself.” It’s time we built new foundations that say staying in a state of grace is our ultimate goal rather than avoiding the difficult conversations, hanging onto the status quo at all costs or ending things bitterly.

Maureen was asked to speak on The State of Grace Document at The Annual International Conference on Conflict Resolution (ICR), held each spring in St. Petersburg, Russia. She witnessed the State of Grace Document transcend both language and cultural boundaries among the 57countries represented there. It is a concept that is remarkably simple yet ultimately life altering, whether that be between countries or individuals.

Maureen has personally witnessed the strength of State of Grace Documents with clients, colleagues, friends and family. And the people she has created them with have all gone on to create these documents in many areas of their business and personal lives. Maureen has a wealth of stories about how powerful the State of Grace Document has already become.

Maureen’s life calling has led her to work with corporations, organizations, and individuals to create more inspiring work environments. She attains this by working within the scope of an individual’s whole life rather than purely work life. In doing so, she has realized the degree to which people are out of a state of grace with one another personally and professionally. Getting both into alignment is critical for the success of the person as well as the organization.
Maureen inspires everyone she comes into contact with because she lives what she believes.

My belief…

“I have a passion for creating tools that every person can take with them into their workplace the day after they learn them with me. More than anything I want people to see that this begins with them, whether they're the executive or the new hire.

“When you look at the organizations over time that have truly made an impact on our world and on our self esteem as individuals, organized religion and government instantly come to mind. Through community service, assistance programs, education, etc., each has made an enormous contribution to the human race.

“Now it's time for Business to make that same positive impact. Corporations have more influence and financial resources than any other. We spend more time at work than anywhere else in our lives. If we really want to change the world, then it has to begin in the world of business. Everywhere I work I come across one person after another who's crying out for a work environment that inspires them. Our current business models weren't originally designed in the best interest of people; they were built for profit. It's now time to balance the two.

“My message is nothing new. It's nothing that we haven't all learned. It's essentially just been forgotten or never built into our way of "doing business." People are ready for a change. People are hungry to be their authentic selves when they're at work. We don't want to check our souls at the door when our personalities enter the office.

“I believe the change revolves around making choices; every minute of every day. We have to choose to make it different within to see the difference on the outside. We have to choose to remember. It's not about blaming "them" for what's wrong at work. It's about seeing value in every person, choosing to love them, and giving what we want to receive.

“We have to begin to look at what it means to be a leader. And I mean leadership in the sense that every one of us is called to be a leader and a follower at various times in our day. When you look at leadership over centuries, basically the 2000 years B.C. was characterized through leadership by physical domination.

"If I could conquer you, you now followed me." Then we moved into the time of A.D. up till today, which has largely been leadership by intellectual domination. "I have all the information and I'll let you know when it's time for you to know." Leadership through intellectual domination is what our current business models are based on as well as our government and religious institutions. We’ve spent many years controlling others by withholding information. That’s where the hierarchical business model stems from.

“But, like it or not, we are moving into a new model for leadership. It is one that’s based on what I call a Wisdom Web. Information has become so accessible to people that we can no longer use that as a way to keep the power. Take a look at the greatest leaders of all time. Whether that's Martin Luther King, Thomas Jefferson, Gandhi or Christ they were all servant leaders. If we are to learn this new dance of being leader and follower, we’re going to need to be highly aware of what everyone brings to the table. Leadership is now about asking questions and really listening to the answers. It's time for all of us to become both leader and follower. Every one of us. Not just "the boss."

“We are reaching an age where people are beginning to look inward for answers. How a person perceives himself can wholly impact how things play out around them. We need to address the lack of value, respect and love that exists in too many work environments today. We need to remember the inherent good that's in all of us.

“The pace at which technology is changing business; the effect the entrance of Generation X and Y will have on the work world; the need to accomplish more at a faster pace; the corporate push to keep people on the edge of their intellectual toes. These are a few of the issues presently creating a whole new list of stresses in the business world. Leaving these unaddressed can create an environment based on fear and apprehension that can eventually bring a company to its knees.”

So...let's engage our souls at work.

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