Carrie Root of AlphaUMI

We have all experienced it. Saying hello to a co-worker and getting a response that was less than welcoming. Maybe they ignored you, maybe they gave you a less than cheery response back. Or getting spoken to in a harsh tone that wasn’t warranted.

So, you take that in and stew about it. You lose a couple hours because it really wasn’t what you were expecting, and you took it very personally.

These events happen all the time. Internalizing them costs us—it costs us in our productivity as well as our positive state of mind.

This workshop explores ways to take control of those feelings that upend our day. It also offers approaches to dealing with the situation as well as the offending individual.

The bottom line: it’s about relationships. Somebody needs to take care of them, and we might as well get better at handling those difficult situations. It’s difficult when you don’t know what to do, but if you have things you can do, you can often turn things around for yourself and the person who snubbed you.

All it takes is one person to start spreading goodwill around. It does catch on.

Biography:

Carrie Root, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Alpha UMi, spent over two decades as an engineering consultant and high-level trouble shooter for the Department of Defense and NOAA. Today, she is bringing innovative professional development curricula to tomorrow’s workforce. She is committed to providing the opportunity for human skill development to all who desire it. Her company, Alpha UMi, develops and delivers relevant, engaging, and transformative learning experiences in topics such as leading without authority, generational intelligence, leadership, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal communication. 

Dr. Root was recognized as a Commander's National Award Winner for Science and Technology. She recently was inducted into the Eta Kappa Nu honor society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in recognition of her work bringing transformative leadership skills training to IEEE’s Women in Engineering and to engineering students. She is an engaging speaker and has articles, podcasts, and a recently published book, The Other Soft Skill: How to Solve Workplace Challenges with Generational Intelligence. Often sought as a writer and speaker on generational challenges at work, her favorite interview was published in the article “On a Mission to Combat Ageism in the Workplace”, which addressed questions of ageism that were triggered by William Shatner’s venture into space, published by Rethinking65. Her most recent article, Viewpoint: How to Create a Boomer-Friendly Workplace, was published in April 2023 by the Society of Human Resource Management.

A few other fun facts: She is a second generation American from Swedish stock who loves to cook, connect with friends, alone time, and good coffee.