Front Line Managers Online - FountainBlue's When She Speaks

FountainBlue’s Monthly Front Line Managers Online Program

Launched in May 2020 at the recommendation of HR leaders in the community, FountainBlue’s Monthly Front Line Managers Online series features monthly interest panel discussion on leadership and innovation topics of interest to front line managers, their leaders and staff. Notes from our programs are distributed via e-mail to registered attendees and also posted on our blog and sent out through our monthly newsletters.

Our meetings are conducted online on first or second Fridays from 11:50 a.m. – 1 p.m., PST. Starting in 2023, to honor the international appeal of our program, we will also conduct an annual program at Asia-friendly and at Europe-friendly times.

Beginning in 2024, most of our programs will be held on Thursdays from 7:50-9:00 a.m. (Europe-friendly time) and on Thursdays from 4:50-6:00 p.m. PST (Asia-friendly time).

Get Informed and Involved

2023 Front Line Managers Online Programs:

Adopting a People-First Mindset, January 13, 2023, 11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

as a People Leader – Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung Research America
as a Operations Leader – Nancy Mason, NVIDIA
as a Product and Program Leader – Sam Gupta, Pure Storage

Leadership in the New Reality, February 10, 2023

as a People Leader – Kerry Perryman, Samsung Research America
as an Engineering Leader – Kamal Kharrat, Bestow Life Insurance
as a Business Leader – Kelly Haan, Cisco

Managing Up, Down and Sideways, February 23, 2023, 4:50-6 p.m. PST – optimized for Asia time zone

as a Business Leader – Kavita Shah, SunRise Memory Corp.
as an Operations Leader – Vicky Watson, Lam Research
as a Product Leader – Nancy Moreno, Adobe
as a Program Leader – Amber Barber, Jade Global

Managing Up, Down and Sideways, Feb 23, 2023 Panel

The VUCA Reality – It’s Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous, March 10, 2023

Resolving Conflict When The Stakes are High

April 7, 2023: Resolving Conflicts When Stakes are High:

as a People Leader – Tammy Sanders, Lam Research
as a Program Leader – Dennise Gearty, Cisco
as an Engineering Leader – Kamal Kharrat, Bestow

FountainBlue’s April 21 Front Line Managers Online program on the topic of ‘The Need for Speed‘. Please join me in thanking our panelists.

as a Program Leader – Neela Deshpande, Boomi
as a Business Leader – Ronald Goossens, ASML
as a Sales Leader – Karen Muldoon, Coupa

Leveraging Data to Make Decisions, Friday, May 5,11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST Online

as a People Leader, Tammy Sanders, Lam Research
as a Program Leader, Susan Eagleson, Jade Global
as a Business Leader, Dennise Gearty, Cisco

Empowerment and Engagement Best Practices, June 2, 2023

as an Operations Leader – Nancy Mason, NVIDIA
as a Business Leader – Tamara Rivera, Viavi
as a Customer Success Leader – Rijuta Bhagwat, Gigamon

Building Emotional Intelligence, July 7, 2023

as a Product Leader – Sherry Guo, Vaxcyte
as a People Leader – Susan Norton, BOLD
as a Business Leader – Suchitra Narayen, Informatica

Problem-Solving Best Practices, Thursday, August 3, 7:50 – 9:00 a.m. PST Online – Europe-friendly time zone

as a People Leader – Tammy Sanders, Lam Research
as a Program Leader – Sam Gupta, Pure Storage

Negotiating for a Win-Win, Thursday, August 31, 4:50 – 6:00 p.m. PST Online – Asia-friendly time zone

as an Operations Leader – Bhavya Vaidya, Lam Research
as a Marketing Leader – Matthew Robinson, Contentsquare

Embracing an Agile Mindset

Friday, October 6, 11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST Online

as a Program Leader – Janet Daijo, Change Foods
as an Engineering Leader – Sangita Patel, Lam Research
as a Business Leader – Dennise Gearty, Cisco
as a Product Leader – Jill Choi, SmugMug

2023 Front Line Managers Online Programs, scheduled from 11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. online PST

The Gift of Gratitude, November 3, 2023
Visioning Program for Sponsors and Speakers, December 1, 2023

Below is a draft calendar for 2024 Front Line Managers Online programs. Most programs occur on Thursdays at either 7:50-9:00 a.m. PST to support our European audience or 4:50-6:00 p.m. PST to support our Asia audience.

One Plus One Makes 11, January 11, 2024, 4:50-6:00 p.m. PST
A People-First Mindset, February 8, 2024, 7:50-9:00 a.m. PST
Performance Management Best Practices, March 7, 2024, 4:50-6:00 p.m. PST
Change Management Best Practices, April 11, 2024, 7:50-9:00 a.m. PST
Adopting a Growth and Agile Mindset, May 9, 2024, 4:50-6:00 p.m. PST
Decision-Making Best Practices, June 6, 2024, 7:50-9:00 a.m. PST
Ways to Lead, July 11, 2024, 4:50-6:00 p.m. PST
Negotiating for a Win-Win, August 1, 2024, 7:50-9:00 a.m. PST
Best Practices for Connecting Global, Hybrid Teams, September 5, 2024, 4:50-6:00 p.m. PST
Embracing the Creative in a Tech-Rich World, October 3, 2024, 7:50-9:00 a.m. PST
Open Hearts, Open Minds, November 1, 2024, 11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Visioning Event, December 6, 2024, 11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

2022 Front Line Managers Online Programs –

All held online from 11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST

Front Line Managers Online Program:

Communicate, Connect, Engage, January 14, 2022

as a People Leader – Tammy Sanders, Lam Research
as a Product Leader – Shobhana Viswanathan, Automation Anywhere
as a Business Leader – Louise Lamb, Coupa Software

Choose Your Battles, January 28, 2022

as a People Leader – Olga Campa, ProofPoint
- as a Product Leader – Sam Gupta, Pure Storage
- as a Business Leader – Nancy Mason, NVIDIA

Negotiating for a Win-Win, February 11, 2022

as a People Leader – Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung
as an Engineering Leader – Tam Nguyen, Arlo
as a Business Leader – Sahana Bergland, Texas Instruments

Embracing the Creative in a Tech-Rich World, February 25, 2022

Embracing the Creative in a Tech-Rich World

as a People Leader – Tammy Sanders, Lam Research
as a Product Leader – Mariah Manzano, Cisco

The VUCA Reality – It’s Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous, March 11, 2022

Introduction – Personal and Professional Background and Shifts with COVID

The VUCA Reality – day to day challenges in a VUCA reality

as a People Leader – Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung
as an Business Leader – Nancy Moreno, Adobe
as a Product Leader – Sam Gupta, Pure Storage

One Plus One Makes Eleven, March 25, 2022

as a People Leader – Charmy Ruparel, Okta
as a Product Leader – Prajakta Naik, PayPal
as a Business Leader – Marla Field, NOVA

Customer-Led Digital Transformation, April 8, 2022

as a Business Leader – Lara Bliesner, ARM
as a Marketing Leader – Angel Oberoi, Gigamon
as an Engineering Leader – Shruthi Koundinya, Stealth Start-up
as a Program Leader – Nancy Moreno, Adobe

One Dot a Point, Two Dots a Line, Three Dots a Trend, April 22, 2022

as a People Leader – Sameena Siddiqui, Micron
as an Engineering Leader – Pooja Agrawal, Renesas

One Dot a Point, Two Dots a Line, Three Dots a Trend

Embracing an Agility Mindset, May 6, 2022

as an Engineering Leader – Pooja Agrawal, Renesas
as a People Leader – Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung
as a Program Leader – Nancy Moreno, Adobe
as a Business Leader – Lara Bliesner, ARM

Resolving Conflict when the Stakes are High, May 20, 2022

The Need for Speed, June 3, 2022

Show Me the Data, June 17, 2022

June 17 Front Line Managers Online Program: Show Me the Data

Growing Your Emotional Intelligence, July 1, 2022

as a Business Leader – Sheri Simmons, Philips
as an HR Leader – Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung Research America and Susan Norton, BOLD
as a Product Leader – Ashwini Lahane, Freshworks

Embracing Agility, July 15, 2022

as a Business Leader – Louise Lamb, Coupa
as a Program Leader – Mona Hudak, Cisco
as an Engineering Leader – Pooja Agrawal, Renesas

Managing Up, Down and Sideways, August 5, 2022

as an HR Leader – Kerry Perryman, Samsung Research America
as a Product Leader – Sondra Bollar, Oracle
as an Engineering Leader – Stephen McGrath, Trimble

Problem Solving Strategies, August 19, 2022

as a Product Leader – Lora Muller, Tektronix
as an Engineering Leader – Pooja Agrawal, Renesas

Performance Management Best Practices, September 2, 2022

as an HR Leader – Kerry Perryman, Samsung Research America
as a People Leader – Jennifer Exum, Gig Talent Collective
as a Program Leader – Sam Gupta, Pure Storage

Performance Management Best Practices Panel 2022

The Why Before the What, Before the How, September 16, 2022

as a People Leader – Ruth Radford, Lam Research
as a Program Leader – Sam Gupta, Pure Storage
as an Engineering Leader – Pooja Agrawal, Renesas

Making Decisions That Count, October 7, 2022

as a Program Leader – Amber Barber, Jade Global
as a Business Leader – Melissa McDonnell, Dolby
as an Operations Leader – Lora Muller, Tektronix

Change Management Best Practices, October 21, 2022

as a Startup and People Leader – Sarah Keim, Fort Robotics
as a Business Leader and Strategist – Linda Holroyd, FountainBlue

The Gift of Gratitude, November 4, 2022

as a People Leader – Shari Moore, Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities
as a Program Leader – Milissa Kubal-White, Coupa
as a Business Leader – Lori Kate Smith, former ARM and Diana Pohle, Myovant

Open Hearts, Open Minds, December 2, 2022

as a Business Leader – Lara Bliesner, ARM
as an HR Leader – Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung
as a Sales Leader – Thenu Kittappa, Zendesk Visioning Program for Sponsors and Speakers, December 13, 2022

2021 Front Line Managers Online Programs

January 8, 2021: Goal-Setting Best Practices

Lori Kate Smith, Health Wildcatters
Shobhana Viswanathan, Automation Anywhere
JD Dillon, Tigo Energy (not pictured)
Lynn Marie Viduya, Intermedia

January 22, 2021: Networking to Expand Your Circle of Influence

February 5, 2021: Efficiency in the New Normal

February 19, 2021: The Urgent Need for Inclusivity

March 5, 2021: Change Management Best Practices

March 19, 2021: Show Me the Data

April 2, 2021: One Dot a Point, Two Dots a Line, Three Dots a Trend

Kristen Brastad, Lam Research
Claudia Galvan, Oracle
Shruthi Koundinya, HPE
Nivedita Ojha, CITRIX

April 16, 2021: Managing Up

May 7, 2021: Collaboration Best Practices

Nancy Gilbert, Lam Research
Tina Sayadi, Texas Instruments
Claire Zhang, Samsung Research America

May 21, 2021: Embracing Agility

Being Agile in the Next Normal: How can being agile help you:

As an Engineer: Mike Chen, Samsung Research America
As an IT Leader: Jason Amici, Intel
As a Product Leader: Indira Joshi, Micron; Ramana Murthy, Nutanix
As a Business Leader: Smiti Sharma

June 4, 2021: Building Emotional Intelligence

Building Emotional Intelligence – What is it, Why Have it?

Managing and Growing Emotional Intelligence

as a Product Leader – Karthi Gopalan, Maxim Integrated
as an HR Leader – Sanchita Gupta, Samsung Research America
as an Operations leader – Louise Lamb, Coupa Software

June 18, 2021: People Not-Like-You

July 2, 2021: The Need for Speed

July 16, 2021: Culture In the Next Normal

As an HR Leader: Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung
- As a Business Leader: Louise Lam, Coupa

August 6, 2021: Being Creative in a Techphilic World

as a Product Leader – Shruthi Koundinya, Aruba HPE
as a Business Leader – Beth Trivedi, Pure Storage
as an People Leader – Tammy Sanders, Lam Research

August 20, 2021: Negotiating for a Win-Win

As an HR Leader: Shari J Moore, HR Leader and SJSU Professor
As a Marketing Leader: Krista Pavlakos, Renesas

September 3, 2021: The Why Before the What, Before the How

as a Product Leader – Vidya Venkatesh, Exact Science
as a Business Leader – Linda Christensen
as a People Leader – Dana Gharda, Lam Research

September 17, 2021: Climb the Mountain

as a People Leader – Sanchita Gupta, Samsung
as a Product Leader – Amber Barber, Lam Research
as a Business Leader – Krista Pavlakos, Renesas

October 1, 2021: Be the Sherpa

as a People Leader – Ruth Radford, Lam Research
as a Product Leader – Swati Handa, Cisco
as a Business Leader – Sam Gupta, Pure Storage

October 15, 2021: Never Settle

as a People Leader – Yvonne Thomson
as an Engineering and Business Leader – Adriane McFetridge, Netflix

November 5, 2021: The Gift of Gratitude

as a People Leader – Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung
as a Product Leader – Colm Lysaght, PeerNova
as a Business Leader – Tamara Rivera, Viavi
with comments on Gratitude Journaling by Nancy Mason, NVIDIA

December 3, 2021: Open Minds, Open Hearts

as a People Leader – Susan Norton, BOLD
as a Product Leader – Umesh Lakshman, Lumen
as a Business Leader – Shari Begun, Renesas

December 14, 2020: 2022 Visioning for Sponsors and Speakers – Invitation-Only Interactive Discussion

Front Line Managers Online, Topics, Dates and Speakers

There are also links to notes taken for each program, active for corporate partners for the series.

E-mail us at info@whenshespeaks.com if you’re interested in becoming a corporate partner with access to programs, community and notes.

Change Curve – May 15, 2020

Monica Kaldani-Nasif, Kateeva

Conflict Management Best Practices – June 5, 2020

Conflicting Needs – Nivedita Ojha, CITRIX
Conflicting Styles – Kavita Shah, Nova
Conflicting Perceptions – Krista Pavlakos, Renasas
Conflicting Goals – Ronald Goossens, ASML
Conflicting Pressures – Nancy Gilbert, Lam Research
Conflicting Roles – Megan Cheek, Anatomage
Different Personal Values – Tracy Meersman, Skybox Security
Unpredictable Policies – Olga Campa, ProofPoint

The Diversity Imperative: We Must Do Better – June 19, 2020

Opening Remarks on the Diversity Imperative by KT Moore, Cadence Design Systems
Win the Talent War: Shari Moore, Coherent
Improve the Quality of Decision-Making: Erica Wright, Agilent
Increase Customer Insight and Innovation: Monica Kaldani-Nasif, Kateeva
Drive Employee Motivation and Satisfaction: Dana Gharda, Lam Research
Improve Company’s Global Image: Yvonne Thomson, former Symantec

July 2, 2020: Embracing Agility

Adopting an Agile Mindset – Berylann Paz, FireEye
Pivoting the Strategy, the Processes, the Target Goal – Tracy Meersman, Skybox Security
Aligning Short and Long Term Goals – Megan Cheek, Anatomage
Embracing Best Practices for Training an Agile Workforce – AJ Elias, Meriwest Credit Union
Leveraging Tools to Optimize Performance and Communication – Krista Pavlakos, Renasas
Measuring and Monitoring Differently – Indira Joshi, Micron
Meeting Notes
Meeting Slides

July 17, 2020: Building Engagement

Enable, Measure and Report on outcomes, Linda Holroyd, FountainBlue
Optimize the Employee Experience, Tammy Sanders, Lam Research
Walk the Talk, Talk the Walk, Preethy Padmanabhan, Freshworks
Be Aligned on a Corporate Purpose Which Resonates in the Market and with the Staff, Roxanne Dos Santos, Samsung
Notes from the Meeting
Slides from the Meeting

August 7, 2020: Decision-Making Best Practices

Involve more of the right people, Communicate and Measure Progress – Monica Kaldani-Nasif, Kateeva
Make critical small choices, Communicate and Measure Progress – Monika Thakur, Oracle
Set up a nerve center, Communicate and Measure Progress – Suruchi Sharma, T-Mobile
Empower leaders at all levels – Marilyn Becker, Western Digital
Opportunities When We Make Better Decisions – All
Notes from the Meeting
Slides from the Meeting

August 21, 2020: Performance Management Best Practices

Doing Performance Management Differently – Linda Holroyd, FountainBlue
Show Me the Data – Charu Madan, Veeam Software
A Culture of Feedback – Larissa Boyd, FireEye
Peer Review and Support – Kavita Shah, Nova Measuring Instruments
Recommended Tools, Processes, and Approaches – David Ortiz, Oracle
Alignment on Purpose, Focus on Execution, Communicate for Results – All

September 4, 2020: Uncomfortable Conversations

Feeling Uncomfortable in Conversations: Linda Holroyd
Embrace Diversity and Change: Steve Jarrett, Oracle
Draw a Line in the Sand: Lora Muller, Tektronix
It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Data: Amber Barber, Lam Research
Making A ‘Me Outlook’ Into a ‘We Outlook’: Paula Ewanich, Skybox Security
Best Practices for Having Uncomfortable Conversations (All)

September 18, 2020: Centered Leadership

Alignment of Values and Principles – Julie Cullivan, ForeScout
Deer-Stops-Here Mindset – Stacey Moser, Tektronix
Slow Down to Speed Up – Preethy Padmanabhan, Freshworks
Strategy Meets Execution – Krista Pavlakos, Renesas
Best Practices for centered leadership – All

October 2, 2020: Common Management Challenges

A New Take on Old Management Challenges – Linda Holroyd
The Importance of Stability, Then and Now – Urvashi Sheth, Intermedia
The Importance of Relationships, Then and Now – Nehal Mehta, Genesys
The Importance of Social Cohesion and Inclusion, Then and Now – Debbie Shotwell, Saba
The Importance of Individual Purpose and Contribution, Then and Now – Kim Harr, Lam Research
Managing in the Digital Age – All

October 16, 2020: Stress Management Best Practices

Stress as a Part of Life – Linda Holroyd, FountainBlue
Building Self-Awareness and Centeredness – Courtney Gribble, Coupa Software
The four A’s of Stress Management – Diana Pohle, Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Helping Others Manage Stress – Roxanne dos Santos, Samsung
Stress as an Opportunity – Preethy Padmanabhan, Freshworks
Advice for Dealing with Change – All

Resources:

FountainBlue August 2020 Blog: A Stress Sandwich
Helpguide on Stress Management https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm
Rick Conlow, Sept 2020: A Mindset that Masters Life’s Struggles
Stress management Stress basics – Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic, Healthy Lifestyle https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/
WebMD: Stress Management: 13 Ways to Prevent & Relieve Stress
CNBC, Oct 2020: What the Workforce will look like in 2025 as it morphs due to the pandemic
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: Dweck, Carol S
Notes from the meeting
Slides from the meeting

November 6, 2020: Productivity Hacks

The Challenge to be Ever More Efficient and Effective – Linda Holroyd, FountainBlue
Email Productivity Hacks – Parshuram Zantye, Lam Research
Meeting Management Techniques – Nancy Moreno, Equinix
Leveraging IT for the Good – Sameer Mehdiratta, Renasas
Optimizing Communications – Adriane McFetridge, Netflix
Embracing Productive Excellence – All

Resources:

November 20, 2020: Welcoming the Gift of Feedback

The Gift of Feedback – Maranda Dziekonski, Swiftly
Explain the Why – Maranda Dziekonski, Swiftly
The Customer as King – Kavita Shah, Nova
Performance Review Feedback – Colm Lysaght, Micron
Facilitating Awkward Feedback Conversations – Thenu Kittappa, Nutanix
Best Practice for Providing Feedback as a Gift

Resources:

December 4, 2020: The Next Normal

2020 – A Story for the Ages – Debbie Shotwell
Collaborating to Create An Agile and Resilient Supply Chain – Amanda York, Lam Research
Optimizing Operations and Facilities – Aaron Campbell, OhmniLabs
Rethinking Business Strategies and Business Models – Krista Pavlakos, Renesas
Embracing a Decentralized Workforce – Louise Lamb, Coupa Software

December 15, 2020: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of 2020 and What It Means for 2021 – Invitation-Only Interactive Discussion

Please join me in thanking our panelists for their participation.

Amber Barber, Lam Research
Roxanne dos Santos, Samsung Research America
Maranda Dziekonski, Swiftly
Ronald Goossens, ASML
Karthi Gopalan, Maxim Integrated
Thenu Kittappa, Nutanix
Louise Lamb, Coupa Software
Debbie Shotwell
Amanda York, Lam Research

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of 2020 and Its Implications for Planning for 2021

Meeting Agenda

A draft agenda for our semi-monthly Front Line Managers Online meetings is below.

11:50 Networking and IT Check (no-host lunch and drink)

12:00 Welcomes and thank yous

12:02 Introduction to the topic, and research

12:10 Presentations by a senior HR leader from participating company

12:40 Facilitated interactive discussion with additional questions from participating front-line managers and HR leaders

12:55 Takeaways, Closure

1:00 Meeting Adjourned. Presentation will be uploaded to groups.io site for access by participating HR leaders

As a follow-up to our July blog entitled ‘What One Thing Can We Do to Support Black Professionals?’, FountainBlue will launch a ‘You Can Too‘ program, to give more education, access and connection to under-represented, disadvantaged and at-risk youths and young professionals.

FountainBlue will provide up to 20 You-Can-Too Summer Scholarships for youths and young professionals to attend of our semi-monthly Front Line Managers Online programs from July-September, and including a fifteen minute online coaching session once a month for three months.

To apply for the summer scholarship for our ‘You Can Too’ program, visit https://forms.gle/RaGBoRqquiFgngNW9. To volunteer to support the program, e-mail us at info@whenshespeaks.com, or just refer your nominated candidates to the program.

Below are suggestions on how you can get involved, so the themes of Diversity, Empowerment and Engagement remain front and center every time, all the time – for the greater good for our leaders, for our teams, for our business.

Become a corporate partner for the Front Line Managers Online series – see benefits below.
Continue to share your stories and your resources on what non-Blacks can do to support Black professionals.
Share your best practices on how we can better Embrace Diversity, Facilitate Empowerment, Measure Engagement. The findings will be shared in our August blog.
Connect one-on-one to discuss how we can sustainably make a difference in mindset, in confidence and communication, in measured business results.

Cost and Benefits

The associated cost for becoming a corporate partner is $1000 a month and includes:

Admission for ten people to attend our semi-monthly Front Line Managers online programs
Admission for ten people to attend our monthly When She Speaks program
Admission for one executive to join our monthly VIP roundtable and
Optional half an hour of coaching or consulting each month
Inclusion in online community, with access to meeting notes, articles and other resources and connections
Panelist participation in semi-monthly programs
Nominations for quarterly ‘You Can Too’ scholarship program.

To register for this month’s programs, visit https://www.tikkl.com/fountainblue/c/frontline

There is a $500 discount if you order for a six month period and a bonus half hour of coaching each month, along with a $2000 discount if you order for a twelve month period. For these six and twelve month options, we work with your finance departments following their PO and invoicing process.

Individual Passes and Coaching Options

You may also purchase individual passes for each When She Speaks program ($50), Front Line Managers Online program ($50 each) or VIP Roundtable ($200 each). You may also purchase a corporate pass for $250 for ten people to attend any ONE When She Speaks event, but there are no volume discounts for the Front Line Managers Online series.

If you become a corporate partner, you will receive half an hour of executive coaching (or program support) each month. You may purchase additional coaching (or program support) services for $200/half hour. Find out more about our coaching services.

To register for individual tickets or coaching services, visit https://whenshespeaks.com/register.

For more information, e-mail us at info@whenshespeaks.com.