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The future of remote work in government: working from home, managing virtual teams, and navigating the new normal

One year into the pandemic it’s clear that working-from-home will continue to play a role in the public service for the foreseeable future. While much of the current discourse has centred around logistics and policies, the past 12 months have raised a number of pressing questions about how we work together in a virtual environment.

What will be the lasting impact of widespread remote work? How will we establish and maintain the interpersonal relationships from our basements and spare rooms? Will working remotely impact career progression as colleagues begin to return to the office? What about coaching and performance management? How will we replace the office ‘water cooler’?

Join us on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 for a special discussion on these topics and more.

Speakers:

  • Darlene de Gravina, Assistant Deputy Minister of HR, Employment and Social Development Canada

  • Christine McDowell, ADM for Atlantic Region, Employment and Social Development Canada

  • Dr. Phil Clampitt, Hendrickson Professor of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and an expert in the field of virtual communication at work.

  • Matthew Kobylar, Senior Associate and Design Director at global consulting, interior design and architecture firm, Gensler. Gensler specializes in understanding how the built environment can help people to live better lives through the power of design.

Darlene de Gravina

Darlene de Gravina

Christine McDowell

Christine McDowell

Dr. Phil Clampitt

Dr. Phil Clampitt

Matthew Kobylar

Matthew Kobylar

Moderators:

  • Dr. Sara Filbee, former Assistant Deputy Minister for the Atlantic Region, ESDC and currently Public Servant in Residence at Dalhousie University’s School of Public Administration

  • Dr. James Barker, Lamb Chair of Business Education at Dalhousie’s Rowe School of Business and Founding Fellow, MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance also at Dalhousie

 
Dr. Sara Filbee

Dr. Sara Filbee

Dr. James Barker

Dr. James Barker

 

Location: This is a virtual event and will be held on YouTube.
Registration: Free. Note: If you aren't already a member of IPAC, you can become one here.

This 90-minute virtual session will explore the new normal challenge from the perspective of the large and institutionally very diverse Federal Government department, Employment and Social Development Canada / Service Canada (ESDC). Dr. Sara Filbee, former Assistant Deputy Minister for the Atlantic Region, ESDC and currently Public Servant in Residence at Dalhousie University’s School of Public Administration and Dr. James Barker, Lamb Chair of Business Education at Dalhousie’s Rowe School of Business and Founding Fellow, MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance also at Dalhousie will set the context for the session. They will then moderate the conversation with the panelists, focusing on the practical experience of what has worked and what hasn’t and what have been the consequences of this major shift in how ‘we’ work together. The panel will also explore how they see these issues developing and the session will wrap up with a consideration of how employers and leaders can go forward in this area.