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Dr. Paul White        

Psychologist, Author & Leadership Trainer

Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, speaker, and leadership trainer who “makes work relationships work”. He has written articles for and been interviewed by Bloomberg’s Business Week, CNN/Fortune.com, Entrepreneur.com, Fast Company, FoxBusiness.com, Huffington Post LIVE, U.S. News and World Report, and Yahoo! Finance.

As a speaker and trainer, Dr. White has taught around the world, including North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean. His expertise has been requested by Microsoft, NASA, the Centers for Disease Control, the Million Dollar Round Table, ExxonMobil, DIRECTV, L’Oréal, and numerous other national and multi-national organizations.

Dr. White is the coauthor of three books including, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, which has sold over 400,000 copies (written with Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the #1 NY Times bestseller, The 5 Love Languages). Based on their extensive research and expertise, Dr. White and Dr. Chapman have developed practical ways for leaders and employees to communicate authentic appreciation that leads to increased employee engagement, lower staff turnover and more positive work environments.

Their Appreciation at Work training resources have been used by numerous corporations, medical facilities, schools, non-profit organizations, and government agencies, over 725 colleges and universities, and in over 60 countries.

Dr. White graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wheaton College with a major in Christian Education, earned his Masters of Counseling from Arizona State University, and received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University, where he received the “Outstanding Doctoral Student” award during his final year of study.

He has been married for over 39 years and is the father of four adult children. Dr. White enjoys fishing, watching college sports and playing with his five grandchildren.

Speech Topics


Not All ‘Generational Issues’ are Really Generational: Managing Disrespect & a Perceived Poor Work Ethic

Tension among employees and managers who are members of different generations continues to be an issue. As a psychologist, Dr. White has investigated the issues which seem to underlie much of the tension experienced. The answers may surprise you. In this session, Dr. White will discuss the question, “Are ‘generational issues’ really generational?”, and offer other potential explanations for the behaviors observed. He will also help participants understand why (and when) we feel respected and disrespected, and practical steps to take to address the issue. Finally, he will offer reasons why younger employees seem to have less of a work ethic and what can be done to reduce the tension around this perception.

Not All ‘Generational Issues’ are Really Generational: Managing Disrespect & Lack of Trust

Tension among employees and managers who are members of different generations clearly continues to be an issue. As a psychologist, Dr. White has investigated the issues which seem to underlie much of the tension experienced. The answers may surprise you. In this webinar, Dr. White will discuss the question, “Are ‘generational issues’ really generational?”, and offer other potential explanations for the behaviors observed. He will also help participants understand why (and when) we feel respected and disrespected, and practical steps to take to address the issue. Finally, he will offer the four core components of trust, our culture’s misunderstanding of not trusting others, and actions each person can take to begin to build (or rebuild) trust with others.

Do Generations Differ in How They Want to Be Shown Appreciation?

A lot of attention has been given to the differences across generations – their values, perspectives on work, and what motivates them. Much of this “information,” however, appears to be based on individuals’ observations or opinions, rather than grounded in factual data. Learn what differences (and similarities) exist across generations, related to how different generations want to be shown appreciation – what is important to them, and what isn’t. Based on research with over 60,000 employees, Dr. White helps guide leaders and colleagues to practical actions that can be used to show authentic appreciation to their colleagues, regardless of the employee’s age.

How to Successfully Communicate Appreciation to Remote Employees

More and more American employees are working remotely and the proportion of remote workers continues to increase every year. Additionally, between 80 – 90% of the U.S. workforce report they would like to work remotely at least part-time. Since we know that when employees feel appreciated, their engagement increases and turnover decreases (as well as a number of other positive benefits occur), a key question becomes: how is appreciation effectively communicated to remote colleagues?

We conducted research with over 86,000 employees, comparing how individuals in long-distance work relationships want to be shown appreciation in contrast to those who work in face-to-face settings. Dr. White shares these results and the practical implications for supervisors and managers who work with remote employees. Information will be given both about the preferred appreciation languages of remote workers and practical actions these employees suggest for making long-distance appreciation more effective.

How to Neutralize Negativity in Your Workplace

Negativity is rampant in the workplace today, as evidenced by increases in complaining, blaming, gossiping, criticism, cynicism, anger, conflict, even physical aggression. Why? Are employees more negative? Do managers really not care about employees? Discover where negativity comes from and what can be done to make a more positive work environment. From his research with toxic workplaces, Dr. White identifies the issues that underlie employees’ negative reactions and provides insight into practical steps that we each can take to ‘calm the waters’ and begin to create healthier and more positive work cultures.

Dealing with Dysfunctional Team Members

One of the greatest challenges in our work is dealing (effectively) with those with whom we work – supervisors and managers, colleagues, and customers. Blaming, making excuses, entitlement, controlling information, creating conflict, passive-aggressiveness – all are dysfunctional patterns commonly seen in the workplace. Often, we know we are frustrated with others but don’t what to do to “fix the problem” or just how to survive the day! As a psychologist, Dr. White provides insight into the behaviors that create such intense turmoil and gives tips on how to respond in a healthy way – and not go crazy yourself!

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Overcoming 3 Key Obstacles to Creating a Vibrant Workplace: Busyness, Negativity, and Difficult Colleagues

Building a healthy, vibrant workplace is challenging, largely because of the existing obstacles in place. Dr. White shares the 3 key obstacles that most organizations encounter when trying to build a positive culture: busyness, negativity, and truly difficult colleagues. Discover the factors that contribute to: a) why everyone feels so busy (and if anything can be done about it); b) the development of a negative culture and how to keep it from continuing; and c) experiencing some team members as so frustrating, and how to keep them from ruining your week.

Why Most Employee Recognition Programs Don’t Work (and What to Do About It)

Although 90% of all workplaces have some form of employee recognition program, employees still report high levels of not feeling valued. Managers and supervisors are frustrated, not knowing what to do to encourage their staff. Discover the core conditions for individuals to truly feel appreciated and how to empower your staff by giving them thanks in the ways that are meaningful to each individual. Learn how to apply the concepts from the bestselling, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, to your daily work-relationships.

Improving Staff Morale through Authentic Appreciation/Creating a Positive Work Culture Through Authentic Appreciation

In spite of the efforts made through employee recognition programs, many workplaces continue to have departments that struggle with poor morale. In some settings, cynicism and negativity continue to grow. With limited financial resources available, supervisors are frustrated, not knowing how to support and encourage their staff. Utilizing humor, real-life stories, and videos, Dr. White will share the core conditions for individuals to truly feel appreciated and give practical tools that will empower you to encourage your staff in the ways that are meaningful to each individual.

Applying the 5 Languages of Appreciation to Daily Work Life

Although 90% of companies have some type of employee recognition activities, employees still report high levels of not feeling valued. Discover the difference between “going through the motions” recognition and authentic appreciation. Learn the 5 Languages of Appreciation and how to use them practically in everyday work life. Empower your staff by giving them practical tools to encourage colleagues in the ways that are meaningful to each individual, and create a positive workplace culture in the process!

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