Keynote
What the World’s Best
Workplaces Do Differently
In his highly-acclaimed book, The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace, award-winning psychologist Ron Friedman surveyed the world’s most successful organizations, identifying key practices that position them to thrive.
In this engaging keynote, we reveal the highlights, offering a surprising look at the emerging science of workplace excellence.
You’ll discover...
What the best jobs have in common with a video game.
Why turning colleagues into close friends elevates your performance at work.
How to boost your energy level without drinking more coffee.
The one workplace reward that feels better than a raise.
Why Dreamworks pays employees to decorate their desks, the Boston Consulting Group penalizes analysts who don’t go on vacation, and Radio Flyer provides mileage reimbursement for employees who ride their bikes.
What Audiences Are Saying
“I was blown away by the quality. Dr. Friedman was very prepared, natural, and engaging. I’ve already heard discussion throughout our building about bringing him back for a workshop or another speaking engagement.”
-Trey Whitaker, Mass Mutual
-Luann Heinin, National Business Group on Health
“Dr. Friedman’s insightful, little-known, practical strategies captivated our audience. A joy to work with, he went above and beyond to customize his presentation to our group. I think I speak for everyone when I say we’d have him back in a heartbeat.”
-Pete Seljevold, Blue Cross Blue Shield
“It’s not easy being the speaker for an after-dinner format such as you experienced last week at the Chamber Annual event. But you were superb. Your content was gripping—some of it wonderfully confirming to people. But many of the study findings were stunning, and compelling to many. Ideas and examples you shared were quite illustrative and motivating. Additionally, your presentation style was authentic and by that I mean not the overly polished tendencies of those “on the circuit.” You were different. We could feel it. You had great research findings and a sincere cause in revealing them to us.”
-Marsha Lindsay, CEO, Lindsay Foresight and Stratagem
“Dr. Friedman helped make our offsite a truly memorable event. He didn’t just deliver great content—he invested hours getting to know us and customized his presentation to our group.”
-Brian Doyal, CoHead of Global Investment Banking, Robert W. Baird & Co
“Dr. Friedman is the single best speaker we’ve ever had at an annual event. For context: we have a tough audience—smart, analytical, and busy. Ron kept nearly 1,000 executives engaged and entertained every minute of the way. More than that, his insights have already sparked a wave of transformations throughout companies in our area. Months later, I’m still receiving compliments about our event. I could not recommend him more highly.”
-Zach Brandon, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
“Ron was absolutely fabulous. Our attendees were blown away.”
-IBM Smarter Workforce Institute
“Ron Friedman spoke at our Great Places to Work breakfast and many people later told me that he was the highlight of the event for them. He offered clear, concise advice on how to make a workplace better, and many of the event’s attendees said they were going back to the office with ideas they wanted to implement.”
-Sherri Dalphonse, Washingtonian
“Your presentation was fantastic – even better than I hoped for. And, as I hoped it would, it led to a lively discussion afterwards. Thanks for being so easy to work with and so kind to my team.”
-Wendy Cassity, Nuance