As our lives become increasingly digital, we’re getting more adept at skimming and sampling huge volumes of information - while doing something else at the same time. We live in a state of continuous partial attention, with unlimited amounts of data always at our fingertips.  But as we train our brains to switch-tasks and scan, we’re rapidly losing our ability to concentrate, contemplate and truly connect with others.  Research shows that trust, empathy and attunement are critical components of high-performing teams.  So how do we build these values and skills (which are central to Emotional Intelligence) when so many of our relationships are mediated by screens and devices?

In this session, we will explore the brain science behind empathy and focus, the interplay between isolation and connectivity, and the effects of technology on memory.  We’ll examine the phenomenon of “virtual distance” and learn strategies for mitigating it and building trust.  Lastly, we will connect Emotional Intelligence skills to key project management competencies and look at ways to keep our finger on the pulse of the digital world while nurturing the qualities that make us most human.

Video Introduction
Christa Kirby, MA, LCAT, PMP, CSM, CSPO
Vice President, Global Learning Innovation
Global Practice Director, Leadership and Interpersonal Skills
International Institute for Learning

Christa Kirby joined International Institute for Learning in 2009 as Director of Global Communications.  Today, as VP of Global Learning Innovation, she also serves as practice director for IIL’s Leadership and Interpersonal Skills portfolio.  A licensed psychotherapist, Christa is an active coach and trainer, as well as a frequent speaker at conferences, PMI chapters and client events all over the world.

Christa's career has followed an interesting trajectory, beginning with nine years in the trenches as a professional actor.  She joined the corporate world in the '90s as a writer and editor at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide.  For nearly a decade, she rose through the ranks of Communications and Knowledge Management at Ogilvy before shifting her focus toward training and education.  

For the past fifteen years, Christa has conducted workshops and led training for corporations, non-governmental organizations and foundations on topics such as team-building, leadership, conflict resolution, effective communication, leading cross-cultural teams and Emotional and Cultural Intelligence.  Her work has taken her across the US, throughout Western and Northern Europe, as well as to countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, Estonia, Ethiopia and Mexico.  

Leveraging her strong background in the arts, Christa delivers speeches and workshops that incorporate a unique blend of creativity, interactivity and fun.  She integrates the latest psycho-social and neuroscience research with case study anecdotes from all over the world to make her presentations engaging, informative and memorable. 

Christa has a BA in Psychology from Duke University and an MA from New York University.