Rock Paper Scissors

Tips and tools to increase your work-life balance(offered through UNON STDU) - Part 2
2024-05-16 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Moscow)
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The learning curve has never been so steep.

Our stress levels, anxiety, and fear have risen to all-time highs while our certainty and access to regular routines have plummeted. Our boundaries have changed and become fuzzy. And talk about the ‘new normal’ is rife – yet who can even remember the old ‘normal’?

Meanwhile, throughout these challenges, we’re told to look for “balance” in our home and work life. It’s enough to make us dizzy with confusion, trepidation, hopelessness, and more stress.

Fear not. There is hope.

We’ve come a long way in learning how to navigate the challenges of returning to the office and/or hybrid. Let’s build on all the things you’ve learned in the past year and add to your toolkit so you’re healthier, more relaxed, less stressed, and more resilient.

Here’s how.

Join me for a two-part interactive workshop where I’ll introduce you to a myriad of simple tools to add to your toolkit. The workshops will be very practical, so you can get going on your continued way to wellness ASAP.

Contact UNON-HR to register (for UN staff only but contact me if you’d like to chat about having a similar workshop for your organization).

Delivery: The course is divided into five sections →

Self-facilitated: There will be a couple of short tasks to complete before we meet together online (estimated time: 15 minutes)
Facilitated by the instructor: A two-hour in-real-time workshop
Self-facilitated: To help you apply what you’re learning there will be a few more tasks for you to complete on your own time before we meet again (approximate time investment: 30 minutes)
Facilitated by the instructor: A two-hour in-real-time workshop
Self-facilitated: Again, to help you use what you’ve learned, you’ll have a couple more tasks to complete on your own time, (approximate time investment: 15 minutes)

Total learning time with the instructor: 4 hours

In this workshop with me, Lee-Anne Ragan, you’ll:

Put the elusive myth of work-life balance to bed for good and replace it with a healthier, more realistic, and practical outlook.
Know thyself with four tools designed to uncover how you’re currently dealing with work-life balance and how you can create more relaxation and balance, and less fear and anxiety.
Take action with four skills designed to decrease your stress and increase your wellness – practical examples, from bookends, keeping up, and speaking up to simple, easy (and slightly weird but backed by research) tips to combat stress instantly.
Learn how to diagnose your specific situation by using my more than, less than, and equal to tool.
Map three types of stressors and where you’re at with your ‘buckets’, in order to create a customized work-life balance plan that fits you.
Come away feeling inspired, hopeful, and with an online resource portal full of tips, tools, and more.

How to effectively teach and present online while being cool, calm and engaging (offered through UNON STDU) - Part 1
2024-06-19 09:00 - 11:00
Wondering what a roller coaster, raccoon, vacuum cleaner, and elephant have to do with effectively teaching/presenting online? Keep reading.

Lectures that drone on and on. Overwhelming unread notifications of online events. Workshops that are drier than the Sahara desert and more boring than watching paint dry. We’ve all been there.

Online meetings, courses, workshops, check-ins are never-ending. Some research shows we are spending up to 16 hours a day on digital media! Globally, we doubled our online content consumption in 2020.

We are bored, exhausted and we’re struggling. Mental health challenges are up in most countries and yet mental health service provision is down.

There is hope, however.

Notwithstanding the tremendous costs of the global pandemic, there are hidden benefits to Covid and all that time online. Help is in sight. Teaching and presenting online CAN (and should) be engaging, interesting, and impactful. We can make a difference. We can use tools to help us engage with dignity, inclusion, and impact. And we can do all that without inducing suffering in ourselves or those we’re working with.

Here’s how.

Join me for a series of fun, interactive workshops where I’ll introduce you to a helpful framework and success signposts to aim for on your online journey. The workshops will be very practical. I’ll demonstrate a number of interesting yet simple tools and techniques that you can use right away.

Contact UNON-HR to register (for UN staff only but contact me if you’d like to chat about having a similar workshop for your organization).

Delivery: The course is divided into two sections →

Facilitated by the instructor: A two-hour in-real-time workshop
Facilitated by the instructor: A two-hour in-real-time workshop

In this workshop with the instructor, Lee-Anne Ragan, you’ll:

Discover eight success signposts for your online teaching/presenting
Uncover two opportunities hiding in plain sight for increasing engagement
Learn the abysmal retention rates for the dreaded lecture and three easy things to replace them with that scale engagement and retention
Understand your preference in teaching/presenting and how to be more engaging by using the S.A.K.E.© tool
Uncover the seven deadly sins of online presenting/teaching so you know what NOT to do
Discover your tech personality, what a raccoon, vacuum cleaner roller coaster, elephant have to do with it and why it’s important to know all this
Get a chance to practice teaching/presenting online and receive supportive feedback
Have fun experimenting with 16 tools for online presenting/teaching that include tools for managing information, collaborating/sharing online, managing learning, and teaching/presenting
Come away feeling inspired, hopeful and with an online resource portal full of tips, tools, worksheets, surveys, and more

How to effectively teach and present online while being cool, calm and engaging (offered through UNON STDU) - Part 2
2024-06-20 09:00 - 11:00

Learning and Development Roundtable - Unlock Your Voice: Strategies for Powerful Public Speaking
2024-06-20 17:00 - 18:30
Sweaty palms. A million butterflies tossing around in your stomach, threatening to escape out of your mouth. Your tongue feels like it’s wearing a sweater made of sandpaper. Your voice is wavery and quavery.
And most of all a looming sense of dread, with a side of fear and a complete and utter desire to get this over with is consuming you.
Public speaking can be a nightmare at worst or nirvana at best.
Public speaking can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.
Whether you’re new to public speaking or practiced, addressing a small team or presenting to a large audience, whether in person or online, the challenges of communicating well are universal.
In this month’s Learning and Development Roundtable, we’ll explore common pain points and challenges associated with public speaking, and discover easy-peasy (I promise) strategies to overcome them.
In this free workshop on June 20th with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Uncover why public speaking is an essential skill to master
Learn a number of very simple techniques you can master before your next public speaking event to help you relax, prepare, and shine
Discover some truly remarkable, very easy tech tools to support you in your public speaking preparations
Practice a number of equally simple techniques you can use while you’re public speaking to help you dazzle like the subject matter expert you are
Build your confidence (so you don’t come across like the screengrab above, which is from my terrible, awful, horrible public speaking example)
Come away with a number of tools so you can continue building your skills
Count the workshop towards your annual professional development requirement (if you’re a UN staff)

RSVP using this link by June 18th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7-8:30 am Vancouver
8-9:30 am Mexico
10-11:30 am Montreal/New York
11 am to 12:30 pm Rio
3-4:30 pm London
4-5:30 pm Paris
5-6:30 pm Nairobi/Beirut/Mogadishu/Amman
6-7:30 pm Abu Dhabi

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times.
Use 05-06:30 pm EAT (Nairobi) to compare your timezone.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –>

Join the mailing list to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources.
RSVP by June 18th for the June 20th Roundtable.

Share this workshop information with a friend and/or colleague and participate together. The more the merrier.

Learning and Development Roundtable - Pack a Punch with Picture Perfect Visual Storytelling How To's
2024-09-19 10:00 - 11:30
Are you tired of having to create Powerpoints, reports and/or other means of communication that have you faint with fear that your hard work will go unnoticed?
You’re not alone.
Infobesity, also known as infoxication or information anxiety, is information overload (Source: Wikipedia).
And it’s no wonder. We create a whopping 402.74 million terabytes of data every day (Source: Exploding Topics).
The effects of infobesity include:

Difficulty understanding an issue
Difficulty making decisions because one has too much information (TMI) (Source: Wikipedia)

We have so many ways now to share information. And that’s a good thing.
Sometimes.
Question: What do you get when you combine the ability to share information far and wide with infobesity (information overload)?
Answer: Difficulty communicating information, especially in PowerPoints, reports, etc.
More specifically, you get:

Death by PowerPoint: Slides packed with text in tiny font, with no room for a margin, let alone an image.

Dense, dull, dry reports that make you nod off even before you’ve passed the first page.

Social media posts that whiz by your brain, failing to grab your attention because they’re too confusing, too long, and too trying.

But fear not. There are lots of engaging, easy ways to reverse this.
In this free workshop on September 19th with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Uncover why using images is the magic trick up your sleeve
Learn why visual storytelling is the answer to people engaging with your content more and also remembering it
Dive into why and how you can move from displaying your data to telling a story
Learn the specific elements that make great images
Practice six lessons for great visual storytelling
Add to your visual storytelling toolkit with some really simple, cool tech tools
Come away with a workbook chockablock full of helpful visual storytelling resources, including audio and video recordings and one simple URL that opens up all the online resources
Gain access to 11+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual professional development requirement (if you’re a UN staff)

RSVP using this link by September 17th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones.

8-9:30 am London
9-10:30 am Paris/Rome
10-11:30 am Nairobi, Beirut, Mogadishu, Amman
11-12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45-2:15 pm Kathmandu
3-4:30 pm Manila
4-5:30 pm Fukuoka

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times. Use 10-11:30 am EAT(Nairobi) to compare your timezone to.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Also know next month’s Learning and Development Roundtable will likely be at a more friendly time as I alternate the times for this very reason.
Take action now –>

Join the mailing list to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources.
RSVP by September 17th for the September 19th Roundtable.
Share this workshop information with a friend and/or colleague and participate together. The more the merrier.

Learning and Development Roundtable - Unconscious Bias 101: How to Spot It, Stop It, and Build Inclusive Spaces
2024-10-31 17:00 - 18:30
Do you recognize yourself in any of the following:

You’ve heard of unconscious bias but perhaps you’ve shelved it because you’re busy and all those plates you’ve got spinning in the air are threatening to overwhelm you. It’s not a priority.
You honestly don’t think unconscious bias has anything to do with you. We get it. (That’s common annnnnd, pro tip, it applies to EVERY single human on the planet.)
You can feel your stomach twisting and turning as some low-grade guilt is kicking in. You know unconscious bias is important but …. well…. maybe you’ll have time next month to deal with it.
You’re starting to feel some low-grade resentment burn in your gut because you’ve been the victim of unconscious bias more times than you have fingers and toes combined.

Unconscious bias, is defined as “unintentional and automatic mental associations. Automatic associations feed into decision-making, enabling a quick assessment of an individual according to … stereotypes” (Source: ILO ACT/EMP Research Note, Breaking barriers: Unconscious gender bias in the workplace).
Unconscious bias takes an enormous toll, on individuals, teams, organizations, communities, and globally.
But fear not, there are oodles of tools to spot it, stop it, and build more inclusive spaces, all without feeling awful. In fact you’re in for an engaging and fun experience. Truly.
In this free workshop on October 31st with special guest Dr. Rubina Malik and me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Dive into what unconscious bias truly is, what it’s not, and how to recognize it
Uncover the good news that will have you sighing with relief about unconscious bias
Understand the ‘bad’ news – why and how your brain is wired for unconscious bias
Learn what the unconscious bias traps are and how to cleverly avoid them
Explore a number of ways you can take action to ditch unconscious bias and reap the benefits of doing so
Come away with a workbook chockablock full of helpful unconscious bias resources, including the audio and video recording and one simple URL that opens up all the workshop resources
Gain access to 11+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual professional development requirement (if you’re a UN staff)

RSVP using this link by October 29th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month to reach more people in various time zones.

7:00 -8:30 am Vancouver
8:00 – 9:30 am Mexico
10:00 – 11:30 am Montreal/New York
11:00 am to 12:30 pm Rio
3:00 – 4:30 pm London
4:00 – 5:30 pm Paris
5:00 – 6:30 pm Nairobi/Beirut/Mogadishu/Amman
6:00 – 7:30 pm Abu Dhabi

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times. Use 5:00 -6:30 pm EAT(Nairobi) to compare your timezone.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Also know next month’s Learning and Development Roundtable will likely be at a more friendly time as I alternate the times for this very reason.
Take action now –>

Join the mailing list to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources.
RSVP by October 29th for the October 31st Roundtable.
Share this workshop information with a friend and/or colleague and participate together. The more the merrier.

Learning and Development Roundtable - From overwhelmed to organized: easy tech tools to save your sanity at work and at home
2024-11-21 10:00 - 11:30
Daily life can often be a massive challenge. From overloaded to-do lists to crunched time, and feeling like we’re being pulled in every direction to the dizzyingly fast pace of life – it’s enough to make even the most patient person have a meltdown (or multiple meltdowns).
Added to this is the pressure of using technology, which seems to change faster than you can say ‘Make it stop!’
So-called helpful tech tools can be a huge time suck.
You’re not alone. Eighty percent of people experience at least one technology-related frustration every day, with 30% of folks experiencing five or more tech frustrations daily (Source: Small Business Trends). That’s a whole lot of frustration and a whole lot of wasted time.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Imagine for a moment, if you could easily and effortlessly find your digital resources, and keep track of your to-do’s without requiring a Ph.D., in Tech. Imagine you could use some Simple and Easy (yes, with a capital S and E) tools to reduce your overwhelm, and amp up your ease and efficiency.
Sound like a pipe dream? I assure you it’s not.
Join me for a fun, interactive workshop where I’ll introduce you to a simple, effective process for identifying your specific pain points, and easy-peasy tech tools that ease those very pains.
In this free workshop on November 21st with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Learn how to identify and prioritize your pain points in life and in work by rewriting Einstein’s theory of relativity
Create your very own tech map – based on your unique needs and paint points
Discover my four-point plan for minimizing pain and ensuring your tech success
Have fun exploring a bunch of simple, easy tools to show you that tech tools really can bring you ease and efficiency whether your pain points are related to managing information, collaborating, saving time/being more productive, researching, managing your email, and/or professional development.
Push the opportunities even more with tech tools just for fun, for being of service, and for mental health/work-life balance.
Come away feeling inspired, hopeful and with a workbook full of strategies and tools for you to implement
Come away with a workbook chockablock full of helpful tech tool resources, including the audio and video recording and one simple URL that opens up all the workshop resources
Gain access to 11+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual professional development requirement (if you’re a UN staff)

RSVP using this link by November 19th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7:00 am to 8:30 am London
8:00 am to 9:30 am Paris and Geneva
9:00 am to 10:30 am Beirut,
10:00 am to 11:30 am Nairobi, Amman, and Mogadishu
11:00 am to 12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45 pm to 2:15 pm Kathmandu
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm Manila
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm Fukuoka

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times. Use 10 am to 11:30 am EAT(Nairobi) to compare your timezone.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –>

Join the mailing list to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources.
RSVP by November 19th.
Share this workshop information with a friend and/or colleague and participate together. The more the merrier.
Add the rest of the Learning and Development Roundtable 2025 dates to your calendar:

January 23, 10- 11:30 am
February 20, 5-6:30 pm
March 20, 10-11:30 am
April 24, 5-6:30 pm
May 15, 10 -11:30 am
June 19, 5-6:30 pm
July no meeting
August no meeting
September 18, 10-11:30 am
October 16, 5-6:30 pm
November 20, 10-11:30 am
December no meeting

Learning and Development Roundtable - Design a customized learning plan for 2025 that fits you to a T
2025-01-23 10:00 - 11:30
Information is flowing faster than ever. We are walking and talking faster than a decade ago. We’re inundated with platforms, blogs, websites, tweets, LinkedIn posts, Youtube videos, online courses etc., etc. But who has time for learning?
The better question is ‘who doesn’t have time for that all-important, strategic, let’s-get-to-the-bottom-of-pressing-social-problems learning’?
Learning is key to your professional and personal success and carving out time for a brief workshop (that’d be this one) to help you craft a customized learning plan for you and/or your team will not only save you tons of time but make your time more meaningful and make you more likely to reach your goals.
Learning plans help you bridge between where you are now and where you want to get to.
Learning plans help you be deliberate about learning; “Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence. ―Abigail Adams
Learning plans help you to be proactive about learning; “In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges, and the foolish build dams. ~ Nigerian proverb
Learning plans help you put learning in context: “Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.” ~ Guinean proverb
Suffering is optional. In this fun, interactive workshop you’ll learn a Simple (with a capital S) system for identifying your learning needs, how to meet those needs, and all in a way that fits you, your goals, your capacity, and how you learn.
In this free workshop with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll learn:

What a learning plan is and why it’s so important that you and/or your team have one
How to use my simple, interactive worksheet to create a customized learning plan for yourself and/or your team
Why the letter I plays a huge role in your learning plan
How to use my S.A.K.E.s© tool to streamline the process
How to make the learning fit you instead of bending yourself into a pretzel for learning methods that don’t work for you
How to do all of the above in a fun, interactive way (Hint: the Pink Panther just may make an appearance and there might be a friendly small group competition with a prize)
Count the workshop towards your annual professional development requirement (if you’re a UN staff)

RSVP by January 21st. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7-8:30 am London
8-9:30 am Paris, Rome and Geneva
9-10:30 am Beirut
10-11:30 am Nairobi, Amman and Mogadishu
11-12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45–2:15 pm Kathmandu
3-4:30 pm Manila
4-5:30 pm Fukuoka

Click here to convert to and confirm your timezone if it’s not listed above.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –>

Join the mailing list to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources.
RSVP by January 21st.
Share this workshop information with a friend and/or colleague and participate together. The more the merrier.

Learning and Development Roundtable - How to have those difficult conversations that you’re dreading
2025-02-20 17:00 - 18:30
We all have to have them, whether we like it or not.
Difficult conversations that is.
Those conversations that make you cringe, and give you a topsy-turvy feeling in the pit of your stomach.
The ones you’re dreading and are liable to find any excuse to avoid.
Often though, it’s those difficult conversations that hold the key to discussions that matter most.
They’re important conversations to have.
But they don’t have to make you feel like you’re going to faint. Or worse.
I promise.
Here’s how.
In this free workshop on February 20th with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Learn what truly makes a conversation difficult
Uncover what your most common difficult conversation types are
Be able to identify and avoid difficult conversation traps
Build some key self-awareness skills for effectively handling difficult conversations
Come away feeling inspired, and hopeful, with a workbook chockablock full of helpful tech tool resources, including the audio and video recording and one simple URL that opens up all the workshop resources
Gain access to 12+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual professional development requirement (if you’re a UN staff)

RSVP by February 18th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7:00 -8:30 am Vancouver
8:00 – 9:30 am Mexico
10:00 – 11:30 am Montreal/New York
11:00 am to 12:30 pm Rio
3:00 – 4:30 pm London
4:00 – 5:30 pm Paris
5:00 – 6:30 pm Nairobi/Beirut/Mogadishu/Amman
6:00 – 7:30 pm Abu Dhabi

Click here to convert to and confirm your timezone if it’s not listed above.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –>

Become a member and receive invitations to the monthly Roundtables, and get access to all the Roundtable resources.
RSVP by February 18th.
Share this workshop information with a friend and/or colleague and participate together. The more the merrier.

Effective Public Speaking Training Workshop- Part 1
2025-03-19 14:00 - 17:00
Yes, it’s true.
There IS research suggesting that people fear public speaking more than death.
In a 1973 study by R.H. Bruskin Associates, which surveyed Americans about their fears, public speaking ranked as the number one fear, even above death.
This led to the famous quote by comedian Jerry Seinfeld:

“Most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.”
Glossophobia (fear of public speaking) is extremely common, affecting up to 77% of people.
Public speaking can trigger immediate anxiety because it involves social judgment, potential embarrassment, and high stakes, all in real-time.
But, it doesn’t have to. Trigger anxiety, fear, embarrassment, and more, that is..

Join me to learn effective public speaking, both online and in-person.
Note: this workshop is for UN staff (but if you’re not a UN staff and you’re interested in this workshop, reach out – let’s talk!)
You’ll have opportunities to practice and improve your public speaking skills.
Your comfort and confidence levels will increase and you’ll get easy tips and techniques to boost audience engagement.
You’ll have access 24/7 to a learning resource portal so you can continue to hone your skills long after the workshop is finished.

Is your interest piqued? Read on.
In this two-part workshop with me, Lee-Anne Ragan, you will:

Understand the essentials of public speaking
Get tips on how to craft your message
Overcome nerves and build your confidence through my A.B.C. method (including 5.5 science-backed ways to calm your nerves in 60 seconds or less)
Learn how to grab and maintain your audience’s interest
Learn how to create engaging content and deliver that content in engaging ways
Discover how to use simple tech tools to support your public speaking (seriously, if you don’t ooh and ahh with these magical tools, I’ll be concerned for you)
Take advantage of the opportunity to practice and receive customized feedback (if your blood pressure has just gone up with the mere thought of public speaking, don’t worry, the environment will be very safe and supportive)

Questions?
Simply reach out to me laragan (@) rpsinc.ca
How to register
Easy peasy, Simply email unon-hrlearning (@) un.org

Learning and Development Roundtable - Personalities and Team Work: Communicate Better, Resolve Conflict Easier and Lessen Misunderstandings with Life Lenses®
2025-03-20 10:00 - 11:30
– Are your team mates driving you up the wall?
– Do you sometimes feel like you’re speaking a language nobody gets but you, and you DESPERATELY wish you could communicate more clearly and be understood?
– Do you feel like there’s an invisible wall between you and your team members preventing collaboration?
– Do you hate conflict, and yet somehow find yourself navigating a bunch of misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and confusion?
– Do you feel like you’re having to constantly decipher the people around you? Best case, it’s tiring. Worst case, it feels like people are trying to provoke you with all the daft, dumb things they’re doing.

We’ve got a lot of things coming at us, so naturally — and quite rightly — we filter LOTS of things out.
But what if you’re also filtering out too much of the stuff that actually matters? What if all of that unconscious filtering is the very reason you so often feel stuck, lost, misunderstood. As if everyone around you is speaking Greek.
The consequences are huge; we miss out on the insights, and experiences that can enrich our lives. We miss out on the things that can help us reduce conflict, lessen disagreements, parent with ease, create far better products, services, programs…

Here’s the thing: Great minds DON’T think alike.
Only we’ve been sucked into the idea that they do.
But there is a way to shift your view, to address your biases (we all have ‘em), and to benefit from other perspectives:
Learn to look at life through different lenses – the Life Lenses® that is..

In this free workshop on March 20th with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Discover the eight Life Lenses® and which ones appeal to you the most
Illuminate your ‘natural’ perspectives – and see where you shine when it comes to conflict, communication, team building, project management, and more
Uncover how you can communicate with lenses (a.k.a. your team members) that are different from yours (and why that’s so important)
Learn how to avoid the very natural and very strong temptation to stick to your own lenses
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP by March 18th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7-8:30 am London
8-9:30 am Paris, Rome and Geneva
9-10:30 am Beirut
10-11:30 am Nairobi, Amman and Mogadishu
11-12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45–2:15 pm Kathmandu
3-4:30 pm Manila
4-5:30 pm Fukuoka

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.

Take action now –>

Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources (including time-stamped recordings in case you can’t make it in real-time).
And don’t forget to RSVP for this Roundtable by March 18th.

Optional: Get even more out of this Roundtable by taking the Life Lenses® assessment ahead of time. Get to know your Life Lenses® in detail, take the assessment here, and bring your results.

Effective Public Speaking Training Workshop- Part 2
2025-03-20 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-06-19 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-25 09:00 - 12:00
Yes, it’s true.
There IS research suggesting that people fear public speaking more than death.
In a 1973 study by R.H. Bruskin Associates, which surveyed Americans about their fears, public speaking ranked as the number one fear, even above death.
This led to the famous quote by comedian Jerry Seinfeld:

“Most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.”
Glossophobia (fear of public speaking) is extremely common, affecting up to 77% of people.
Public speaking can trigger immediate anxiety because it involves social judgment, potential embarrassment, and high stakes, all in real time.
But, it doesn’t have to. Trigger anxiety, fear, embarrassment, and more, that is..

Join me to learn effective public speaking, both online and in-person.
Note: this workshop is for UN staff (but if you’re not a UN staff and you’re interested in this workshop, reach out – let’s talk!)
You’ll have opportunities to practice and improve your public speaking skills.
Your comfort and confidence levels will increase and you’ll get easy tips and techniques to boost audience engagement.
You’ll have access 24/7 to a learning resource portal so you can continue to hone your skills long after the workshop is finished.

Is your interest piqued? Read on.
In this two-part workshop with me, Lee-Anne Ragan, you will:

Understand the essentials of public speaking
Get tips on how to craft your message
Overcome nerves and build your confidence through my A.B.C. method (including 5.5 science-backed ways to calm your nerves in 60 seconds or less)
Learn how to grab and maintain your audience’s interest
Learn how to create engaging content and deliver that content in engaging ways
Discover how to use simple tech tools to support your public speaking (seriously, if you don’t ooh and ahh with these magical tools, I’ll be concerned for you)
Take advantage of the opportunity to practice and receive customized feedback (if your blood pressure has just gone up with the mere thought of public speaking, don’t worry, the environment will be very safe and supportive)

Questions?
Simply reach out to me laragan (@) rpsinc.ca
How to register
Easy peasy, Simply email unon-hrlearning (@) un.org

Learning and Development Roundtable - How to (actually) increase your resilience, your grit and your ability to manage change
2025-04-24 17:00 - 18:30
– Are you weary with all the conflict, division and distractions in the world?
– Are you needing a jolt to keep you going despite the despondence?
– Are you in a leadership role or wanna be a leader and are sorely in need of some new tools to motivate yourself and others?

This is a particularly challenging time.

The stakes are high. And so is the division.

And all of that takes a mighty toll. On everyone. Including you.

But don’t despair. Help is a Roundtable away.

In this free workshop on April 24th with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Diagnose where you most need support so you can apply your learning to suit those very needs
Discover six simple tools to help you increase your resilience, your grit and your ability to manage change
Come away feeling inspired, and hopeful, with a workbook chockablock full of helpful resources, including the audio and video recording and one simple URL that opens up all the workshop resources
Gain access to 12+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP using this link by April 22nd. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7-8:30 am Vancouver
8-9:30 am Mexico
10-11:30 am Montreal/New York
11 am to 12:30 pm Rio
3-4:30 pm London
4-5:30 pm Paris
5-6:30 pm Nairobi/Beirut/Mogadishu/Amman
6-7:30 pm Abu Dhabi

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –>
Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources (including time-stamped recordings in case you can’t make it in real time). And don’t forget to RSVP for this Roundtable by April 22nd.

Learning and Development Roundtable- Tips and tools to increase your work life balance / integration
2025-05-15 10:00 - 11:30
In today’s whirlwind of change—think USAID shake-ups, tariff tussles, and global conflicts—it’s easy to feel like you’re juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle.
In these times of massive ambiguity and change, it’s more important than ever to pay attention to your work-life balance (or integration).
At our upcoming Learning and Development Roundtable, we’re diving into practical strategies to help you keep your sanity intact and maybe even find a little zen amidst the chaos.
Join us to swap stories, share a laugh, and discover tools that’ll help you navigate these turbulent times without losing your cool.

In this free workshop on May 15th with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Put the elusive myth of work-life balance to bed for good and replace it with a healthier, more realistic and practical outlook
Come to understand some of the best research when it comes to work-life balance and integration
Know thyself with a simple tool designed to uncover how you’re currently dealing with work-life balance and how you can create more relaxation and balance, and less fear and anxiety.
Take action with one simple skill designed to decrease your stress and increase your wellness
Map three types of stressors and where you’re at with your ‘buckets,’ in order to create a customized work-life balance plan that fits you.
Gain access to 12+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP using this link by May 13th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

8-9:30 am London
9-10:30 am Paris/Rome
10-11:30 am Nairobi, Beirut, Mogadishu, Amman
11-12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45-2:15 pm Kathmandu
3-4:30 pm Manila
4-5:30 pm Fukuoka

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –>
Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources (including time-stamped recordings in case you can’t make it in real time). And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by May 13th.

Effective Public Speaking Training Workshop- Part 1
2025-06-18 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-24 09:00 - 12:00

Learning and Development Roundtable - Learning W.E.L.L.: Why Learning Is Your Secret Weapon for Thriving in Turbulent Times
2025-06-19 17:00 - 18:30
In a world that feels fractured and divided — with massive changes rippling through the humanitarian and development sectors — it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in unanswered questions, sprinting on a hamster wheel of to-dos, all while wondering if gravity is going to stop working tomorrow.
But here’s the truth: when it comes to our resilience, grit and our ability to handle change, there’s one sure fire, fail proof way to make progress.
Learning.
Learning isn’t a luxury — it’s survival.
At our upcoming Learning and Development Roundtable, we’re diving into the heart of why learning well — deeply, and intentionally — is critical now more than ever.
And more importantly, how you can make learning work for you without adding more to your overloaded and spinning plates.
Join us to reconnect with your curiosity, spark fresh motivation, and uncover why investing in your learning is one of the smartest (and most soul-satisfying) moves you can make.

In this free workshop on June 19th with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:
🌱 Discover why it’s not you that’s the problem; the four I’s of context we’re surrounded by that make learning tough
🌱 Discover why traditional learning models (think universities, conferences, endless webinars) often fail — and what to do instead
🌱 Understand how becoming a learning champion relates to your income and your happiness
🌱 Identify roadblocks, ramps, and “red curtains” that help or hinder your learning
🌱 Map out your personal “Learning W.E.L.L.” – six step plan to support your learning mindset
🌱 Apples anyone? Reignite your curiosity with this simple but powerful P.O.M. tool to close your “knowledge gaps”
🌱Gain access to 12+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
🌱 Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome).

RSVP using this link by June 17th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7-8:30 am Vancouver
8-9:30 am Mexico
10-11:30 am Montreal/New York
11 am to 12:30 pm Rio
3-4:30 pm London
4-5:30 pm Paris
5-6:30 pm Nairobi/Beirut/Mogadishu/Amman
6-7:30 pm Abu Dhabi

👉 Click here to convert to your time zone and double-check, as daylight savings can sometimes cause shifts.
If you’ve just realized the time doesn’t work for you, don’t worry! As long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free), you’ll get access to the audio and timestamped video recordings, workbook, and more.

Take action now –>
Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources (including time-stamped recordings in case you can’t make it in real time). And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by June 17th.

Learning and Development Roundtable –From What’s In It for Me to What’s In It for Us: Getting Results with Your Personal Operating Manual (POM)
2025-09-11 10:00 - 11:30
Ever feel like you’re working hard but not getting the results you want—either for yourself or your team?

Maybe expectations feel muddy.
Maybe collaboration feels clunky.
Maybe motivation is… missing in action.

We all have different styles, needs, and ways of showing up to work. And yet, we rarely take the time to get clear about what those are—let alone share them.
That’s where your POM comes in: your Personal Operating Manual.
Just like your favourite device comes with a manual (okay, most of us ignore it…), this Roundtable will give you the space and tools to reflect on how you work best—and how your teammates do, too.
And yes, we’ll play a little with the idea of POM as in pomme (French for apple). 🍏
Because understanding your own operating system? That’s sweet.

In this free workshop on September 11th, with me, Lee-Anne Ragan, you’ll:

Explore why so many teams struggle with performance, despite good intentions
Learn how to clarify your own work style, motivators, and needs (your POM)
Discover how to use this awareness to reduce friction and improve team results
Explore how to shift from WIIFM (What’s In It for Me) to WIIFU (What’s In It for Us)
Gain access to 12+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

Come ready to laugh, reflect, and uncover a few “aha” moments about how you—and those you work with—really tick.

RSVP using this link by September 9th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

8-9:30 am London
9-10:30 am Paris/Rome
10-11:30 am Nairobi, Beirut, Mogadishu, Amman
11-12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45-2:15 pm Kathmandu
3-4:30 pm Manila
4-5:30 pm Fukuoka

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.

Take action now –>
Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly Roundtables, and get access to all the learning resources (including time-stamped recordings in case you can’t make it in real time). And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by September 9th.

Learning and Development Roundtable – How to make learning (and pretty much everything else) inclusive
2025-10-16 17:00 - 18:30
Ever felt like your carefully designed workshop slides were shining… only to see glazed-over eyes staring back? Or maybe you’ve struggled to make your training stick across cultures, time zones, or even just coffee preferences.
Designing workshops that truly include and engage participants as well as spark lasting learning can feel daunting.
But what if you had a set of tested, trainer-friendly tools that made it easier to connect, include, and inspire?
In this month’s Learning and Development Roundtable, we’ll explore six powerful, practical tools that will help you design workshops that actually land with your audience—whether they’re across the table or across the globe:
In this free workshop on October 16th, with me, Lee-Anne Ragan, you’ll:

Discover your strength and your bias when it comes to your learning style and how to adapt so you include everyone..
Unlock new ways of seeing, thinking, and acting to bridge perspectives using the Life Lenses®.
Uncover your S.A.K.E. strengths and biases in order to make your workshops are balanced and inclusive.
Explore a simple but mighty tool to strengthen learning design, noneother than the almight almond.
Discover some simple trauma informed tips to build spaces that are safe, inclusive, and effective.
Understand what drives participants (and you) so learning doesn’t just start—it sticks.
Gain access to 12+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

✨ Come ready to reflect, connect, and leave with fresh ideas to put into practice right away.
RSVP using this link by October 14th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request. This month we’re gathering at (though do double check the time in your timezone):

7-8:30 am Vancouver
8-9:30 am Mexico
10-11:30 am Montreal/New York
11 am to 12:30 pm Rio
3-4:30 pm London
4-5:30 pm Paris
5-6:30 pm Nairobi/Beirut/Mogadishu/Amman
6-7:30 pm Abu Dhabi

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry—by registering, you’ll get access to the recording.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –> Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly Roundtables, and get access to all the learning resources. And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by October 14th.

Learning and Development Roundtable: Getting motivated and building healthy habits (especially if you’re lagging and sagging)
2025-11-20 10:00 - 11:30
Is your motivation lagging and sagging? Do you feel perpetually behind, juggling a million plates in the air? So much so that you feel defeated before you even start?
Does the idea of building good habits sound appealing, in part to address your motivation, but you haven’t a hot clue where to start? Do you know you could be more of who you want to be and do more of what you want to do if only you could master some healthy habits?
Motivation is the willingness to get the job done by starting rather than procrastinating, persisting in the face of distractions, and investing enough mental effort to succeed.
It accounts for 40% of the success of team projects, says Richard E. Clark and Bror Saxberg in their HBR article 4 Reasons Good Employees Lose Their Motivation.
Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day. Source.
Having good, healthy habits and being motivated are game-changers. But you’ve got to get them first.
Let’s put the two together.
Motivation + good habits = serious fun and serious changes
Here’s how to get motivated AND build some healthy habits.
In this free workshop on November 20th with me, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll:

Discover what motivates you so tasks don’t feel like you’re trying to climb Mount Everest backward, without oxygen. Seriously. This tool is a total game changer.
Uncover clues about what motivates others, including your colleagues in order to bring some ease and reduce conflict.
Learn the one change you can make to ensure your motivation sticks and actually makes a difference.
Disrupt your waning motivation with this peculiar but highly effective tool that involves a General and a grid.
Learn from the work of the best habit brains when it comes to creating healthy habits, including Charles Duhigg and James Clear.
Pick from a smorgasbord of tools to help you track your newfound healthy habits (paper-based and/or tech-based as you wish and want).
Gain access to 12+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP using this link by November 18th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7-8:30 am London
8-9:30 am Paris/Rome
9-10:30 Beirut
10-11:30 am Nairobi, Mogadishu, Amman
11-12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45-2:15 pm Kathmandu
3-4:30 pm Manila
4-5:30 pm Fukuoka

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry—by registering, you’ll get access to the recording.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –> Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly Roundtables, and get access to all the learning resources. And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by November 18th.

Learning and Development Roundtable – Design a customized learning plan for 2026 that fits you to a T
2026-01-15 10:00 - 11:30
Information is flowing faster than ever. We are walking and talking faster than a decade ago. We’re inundated with platforms, blogs, websites, tweets, LinkedIn posts, Youtube videos, online courses etc., etc. But who has time for learning?
The better question is ‘who doesn’t have time for that all-important, strategic, let’s-get-to-the-bottom-of-pressing-social-problems learning’?
Learning is key to your professional and personal success, and carving out time for a brief workshop (that’d be this one) to help you craft a customized learning plan for you and/or your team will not only save you tons of time but make your time more meaningful and make you more likely to reach your goals.
Learning plans help you bridge between where you are now and where you want to get to.
Learning plans help you be deliberate about learning; “Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence. ―Abigail Adams
Learning plans help you to be proactive about learning; “In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges, and the foolish build dams. ~ Nigerian proverb
Learning plans help you put learning in context: “Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.” ~ Guinean proverb
Suffering is optional. In this fun, interactive workshop, you’ll learn a Simple (with a capital S) system for identifying your learning needs, how to meet those needs, and all in a way that fits you, your goals, your capacity, and how you learn.
In this free workshop with me on January 15th, Lee-Anne Ragan, you’ll learn:

What a learning plan is and why it’s so important that you and/or your team have one
How to use my simple, interactive worksheet to create a customized learning plan for yourself and/or your team
Why the letter I plays a huge role in your learning plan
How to use my S.A.K.E.s© tool to streamline the process
How to make the learning fit you instead of bending yourself into a pretzel for learning methods that don’t work for you
How to do all of the above in a fun, interactive way (Hint: the Pink Panther just may make an appearance, and there might be a friendly small group competition with a prize)
Gain access to 12+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP using this link by January 13th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7-8:30 am London
8-9:30 am Paris/Rome
9-10:30 Beirut
10-11:30 am Nairobi, Mogadishu, Amman
11-12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45-2:15 pm Kathmandu
3-4:30 pm Manila
4-5:30 pm Fukuoka

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry—by registering, you’ll get access to the recording.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free), you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook, and more.
Take action now –> Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly Roundtables, and get access to all the learning resources. And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by January 13th.

Learning and Development Roundtable - Reclaim Your Life: Effective Strategies for Stress Management and Work/Life Balance
2026-02-19 17:00 - 18:30
In today’s whirlwind of change—think UN/Development/Aid shake-ups, and global conflicts—it’s easy to feel like you’re juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle.
In these times of massive ambiguity and change, it’s more important than ever to manage your stress and pay attention to your work-life balance (or integration).
At our upcoming Learning and Development Roundtable, we’re diving into practical strategies to help you keep your sanity intact and maybe even find a little zen amidst the chaos.
Join us to swap stories, share a laugh, and discover tools that’ll help you navigate these turbulent times without losing your cool.
In this free workshop on February 19th, with me, Lee-Anne Ragan, you’ll:

Put the elusive myth of work-life balance to bed for good and replace it with a healthier, more realistic and practical outlook
Put into practice some of the best research when it comes to stress management and work-life balance and integration
Know thyself with a simple tool designed to uncover how you’re currently dealing with work-life balance and how you can create more relaxation and balance, and less fear and anxiety.
Take action with one simple skill designed to decrease your stress and increase your wellness
Map three types of stressors and where you’re at with your ‘buckets,’ in order to create a customized work-life balance plan that fits you.
Gain access to 13+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP using this link by February 17th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

6-7:30 am Vancouver
8-9:30 am Mexico
9-10:30 am Montreal/New York
11 am to 12:30 pm Rio
2-3:30 pm London
3-4:30 pm Paris
4-5:30 Beirut
5-6:30 pm Nairobi/Mogadishu/Amman

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –> Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly Roundtables, and get access to all the learning resources (including time-stamped recordings in case you can’t make it in real time). And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by February 17th.

Learning and Development Roundtable - Working with all kinds of people (yes, even the difficult ones): Simple skills for real-world teams
2026-03-19 10:00 - 11:30
Working in teams can be tough. Which may be the very reason for the popularity of reality TV shows. “Did you see what he did when she did X and how they responded?!”
It can feel like there are multiple thick filters between your team intentions and your results.
We’re endlessly fascinated, often overwhelmed, sometimes frustrated, and occasionally delighted by our fellow humans—and what it’s like to try to work together regularly.
Teams bring energy, creativity, and collaboration—but also miscommunication, conflicting priorities, and those moments when dynamics feel downright dubious.
In this interactive, engaging Learning and Development Roundtable, we’ll explore practical, easy-to-use strategies to navigate the ups and downs of teamwork. You’ll leave with concrete tools to communicate more effectively, handle challenging interactions with confidence, and maintain your own clarity and focus.
You’ll gain insights into group dynamics, discover ways to keep collaboration productive, and feel more empowered in the face of daily team challenges.
Join us to learn, share, and leave with actionable approaches that make working in teams more enjoyable, effective, and less stressful. Just think how improving your team interactions could change your day-to-day work!
In this free workshop with me on March 19th, Lee-Anne Ragan you’ll learn:

Use the three S filter to easily spot which type of team member you’re dealing with
Learn the R&R technique to customize your best strategy for the best outcome
Discover seven tools at your fingertips that are standing by for your use anytime and anywhere to help you and your team
Gain access to 13+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP using this link by March 17th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

6-7:30 pm Abu Dhabi
7-8:30 am London
8-9:30 am Paris/Rome
9-10:30 am Beirut
10-11:30 am Nairobi, Mogadishu, Amman
11-12:30 pm Abu Dhabi
12:45-2:15 pm Kathmandu
3-4:30 pm Manila
4-5:30 pm Fukuoka

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry—by registering, you’ll get access to the recording.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –> Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly Roundtables, and get access to all the learning resources. And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by March 17th.

Learning and Development Roundtable - From Generic to Genius: Leveraging AI to customize your learning
2026-04-16 17:00 - 18:30
Leaving time for learning, let alone digging into learning that fits you and truly lands, can feel exhausting … before you even get started. You invest time and money into a workshop, a conference, an online course, a podcast, etc., etc, and still wonder if it will make any difference. Will you actually learn anything useful?
One-size-fits-all training often misses the mark. Different roles. Different skill levels. Different motivations. And somehow, we’re expected to learn in a way that works for everyone.
Enter AI.
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere in the conversation right now. But beyond the buzzwords and bold promises, how can you actually use AI in practical, ethical, and effective ways to create customized learning for yourself?
In this interactive and engaging Learning and Development Roundtable, we’ll explore how to use AI as a powerful partner in designing more personalized and engaging learning for you.
This session will be practical, engaging, and immediately useful.
Join us to explore how customized learning powered by AI can move from concept to capability. Just imagine what could shift if your learning solutions truly met you where you’re at.
In this free workshop with me, Lee-Anne Ragan, on April 16th you’ll:

Leave with fresh ideas and greater confidence in using AI to enhance your learning rather than overwhelm it.
Explore twelve relevant and timely AI tools to pick from that suit you best.
Uncover my simple bonus tool to help you determine which AI tools work best for you so you don’t waste your time.
Gain access to 13+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP using this link by April 14th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request. And please double-check the time in your timezone because, well, timezones are tricky. Use 5 pm EAT as your comparison.

7-8:30 am Vancouver
9-10:30 am Mexico
10-11:30 am Montreal/New York
11 am to 12:30 pm Rio
3-4:30 pm London
4-5:30 pm Paris
5-6:30 pm Nairobi, Mogadishu
6-7:30 pm Beirut, Amman
8-9:30 pm Abu Dhabi

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry—by registering, you’ll get access to the recording.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook, and more.
Take action now –> Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly Roundtables, and get access to all the learning resources. And don’t forget to RSVP for this roundtable by April 14th.

Learning and Development Roundtable- How to (actually) increase your resilience, your grit and your ability to manage change
2026-05-28 10:00 - 11:30
Are you weary with all the conflict, division and distractions in the world?
Are you needing a jolt to keep you going despite the despondence?
Are you in a leadership role or wanna be a leader and are sorely in need of some new tools to motivate yourself and others?

This is a particularly challenging time.
The stakes are high. And so is the division.
And all of that takes a mighty toll. On everyone. Including you.
But don’t despair. Help is a Roundtable away.
In this free workshop on May 21st, with me, Lee-Anne Ragan, you’ll:

Diagnose where you most need support so you can apply your learning to suit those very needs
Discover six simple tools to help you increase your resilience, your grit and your ability to manage change
Come away feeling inspired, and hopeful, with a workbook chockablock full of helpful resources, including the audio and video recording and one simple URL that opens up all the workshop resources
Gain access to 13+ years of Learning and Development Roundtable resources
Count the workshop towards your annual UN professional development (If you’re a UN staff) (but know that you don’t have to be a UN staff to attend, any and all are welcome)

RSVP using this link by May 19th. Then watch your inbox for our agenda and how to participate online.
Please note the dates and times alternate each month so as to reach more people in various time zones at their request.

7-8:30 am Vancouver
8-9:30 am Mexico
10-11:30 am Montreal/New York
11 am to 12:30 pm Rio
3-4:30 pm London
4-5:30 pm Paris
5-6:30 pm Nairobi/Beirut/Mogadishu/Amman
6-7:30 pm Abu Dhabi

Click here to convert to your timezone if it’s not listed above and to double-check the times as they can sometimes change due to daylight savings times.
If you’ve just realized with dread that the time is untenable for you this month, don’t worry, as long as you’re a Learning and Development Roundtable member (membership is free) you’ll get access to the audio and (timestamped) video recordings, workbook and more.
Take action now –> Become a member to receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all the meeting resources (including time-stamped recordings in case you can’t make it in real time). And don’t forget to RSVP for this Roundtable by May 19th.

Learning and Development Roundtable
2026-06-18 17:00 - 18:30, 2026-09-17 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-10-15 17:00 - 18:30
Welcome! Every month I host a free, interactive Learning and Development Roundtable. If you’re interested in learning, training, professional development and/or education you have found your clan.
Watch this space for updated topic information.
Take action now:

Become a member and receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all 11+ years of Roundtable resources.

Founded in 2012, our vision is to build and sustain a vibrant, engaged learning community where members participate in interactive workshops designed to educate, inspire and reinforce learning in a variety of diverse formats for diverse learners.
Add to your professional development through a once per month, online, engaging, interactive, 1 1/2 workshop each designed around a particular topic that serves the members’ needs. Past topics have included workshops on themes such as professional skill development, leadership and organizational development, tech tools and more.
Meet and learn from diverse members in a comfortable, innovative learning environment (including UN, corporate, NGO, INGO, government, educational institutions, entrepreneurs etc.)
Participate in a member driven group where members can suggest topics plus engage between meetings through a LinkedIn group and a Facebook group to discuss topics, ask questions, get resources etc.
Count the workshop towards your annual professional development requirement (if you’re a UN staff)
Anyone can participate in the individual Learning and Development Roundtables but only members get the following benefits.
Exclusive Benefits for Members only:

Receive invitations to the monthly Learning and Development Roundtables
Gain access to extensive learning resources from 11+ years of meeting resources, including each Roundtable’s workbook, video recording, audio recording, etc.

Logistics:

To accomodate different time zones, meetings are generally alternated between the third Thursday from 10-11:30 am EAT and third Thursday from 5-6:30 pm of each month (click here to convert to your timezone).

Roundtable gatherings are held online

Meetings are facilitated by Roundtable founder Lee-Anne Ragan (to find out more about me click here and be sure to scroll your mouse over my photo for a surprise)

Take action now:

Become a member and receive invitations to the monthly meetings, and get access to all 11+ years of Roundtable resources.
