Ohio University’s Classified Senate Professional Development and Relations Committee is inviting the university community to attend a motivational leadership event from 1:00 until 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, in Baker 231. The event will be live-streamed, and it is free and open to the public. 

Chris Stewart, operations coordinator at the Scripps College of Communication and author of the books, “Building Champions” and “Coaching Life,” will speak on culture and discipline.  

The event is a follow-up to Stewart’s motivational talk on April 4, according to Marilyn Maher, co-chair of the Professional Development and Relations Committee. During this talk, Stewart focused on goals and habits. 

“We heard a lot of positive feedback from staff in regards to the first event, so that is why we decided to host him again as a continuation of his first presentation,” Maher said. 

Stewart’s May 1 talk will delve into workplace culture, which he says is often talked about, but in the same breath, often misunderstood. 

“In any team, organization, or group, culture can be defined by three things: What people believe, how they behave and the experience they give and receive in the group,” he explained. “All areas of our lives affect the others. Work-life balance is a myth; work and life are not two different things. Your work and your life are interconnected; you are always the same person, whether at work or at home.” 

Stewart will also focus on discipline, specifically discipline-driven behavior over default-driven behavior.

“Discipline-driven behavior is guided by intentionality, purposefulness and skillfulness,” Stewart added. “Default-driven behavior is guided by impulse, autopilot and resistance. We will always, in any given moment, be guided by either disciple or default. Discipline is not something that exists in the environment, it exists in you.”