Lorie is the Co-Founder and CEO at SPARK Creations & Company Inc., a training and development organization that inspires people and companies to create meaningful cultures and workplaces. Over the past 20 years, Lorie has cultivated her people and culture development, community relations, and leadership coaching experience through partnering with leaders, teams and organizations in the mobile and web technologies, interactive entertainment, professional services, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, and non-profit industries.
Lorie is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) with The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and Business Administration degree majoring in Human Resources Management from the University of British Columbia. Lorie’s life purpose is to live WOW and LOVE completely. She and her team at SPARK are on a quest to reinstate love at work and at home.
We were super lucky to talk with her about HR and what she’s talking about at DisruptHR Vancouver. Connect with Lorie at sparkcreationsinc.com.
Editor: Please tell us a little about yourself – your career path and expertise.
Lorie: When I was 6 years old, I experienced what it felt to be left out and excluded. That experience has fueled me to ensure everyone I meet feels seen, heard and loved.
That SPARK has helped me realize my life purpose is “to live WOW and LOVE completely”! I fulfill and serve this purpose through focusing on people and culture development, community relations, and leadership coaching.
My first introduction to HR was a recruiting project at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. I loved the experience of interviewing and connecting with individuals to find their careers. That experience led me to complete my Bachelor of Commerce and Business Administration Degree majoring in Human Resources Management at UBC. When I graduated, I landed my first HR role at Electronic Arts. Most of my career has been in the technology space, and I thrive collaborating with conscious and purpose-driven entrepreneurs and Leaders.
In 2007, I went through a life changing experience that led me to see a coach. When I discovered my core values and purpose, it gave me the confidence and courage to take control of my life. I then decided to become a certified Executive and Leadership Coach and combine my coaching and culture designing experience. In 2011, I partnered with Aileen de la Torre to make a bigger contribution in our community and we co-founded SPARK Creations & Company Inc.
Editor: What’s your company and how does it help professions in the Talent arena?
Lorie: SPARK Creations & Company Inc. is a training and development organization that inspires people and companies to create meaningful cultures and workplaces. We use a unique FLOW approach through all of our product offerings to focus on the whole experience using new and fresh perspectives in a collaborative way while keeping it simple and clear.
Our team of creative, committed and progressive trainers, facilitators, and certified executive and leadership coaches have 75+ years combined corporate training experience in strategic culture visioning. This experience includes leadership development, team building and communications, as well as executive and leadership coaching, people and culture program development (human resources), flow (lean and process) management, employer branding and marketing, and project management. For more information, go to sparkcreationsinc.com
To learn more about our Culture Program, click here.
Editor: What brought you to becoming a speaker at Disrupt HR Vancouver?
Lorie: I believe in always challenging the status quo. The world and the kind of experience human beings are craving for have evolved. The traditional organizational structure, roles and leadership philosophy, no longer works. I believe the role of HR has changed. It is every individual’s duty within an organization to lead by example, to lead from his or her essence, and to reinstate love in the workplace.
To learn more, please read my thoughts in the following blogs:
Are you qualified to be in HR?
It’s Time to Bring the “Human” Back into Human Resources
Editor: What will you be speaking about at Disrupt HR Vancouver?
Lorie: I will be sharing on the topic “It’s Okay to Love in the Workplace”. I believe what is missing from today’s corporate workplaces is the human connection. I will share the difference between fear-based and love-based cultures. I want to create a movement to #chooselove and reinstate love in the workplace.
Editor: Why is your topic important to HR and Talent pros?
Lorie: All the data shows that we can create more engagement, trust, collaboration, connection, and purpose if we start with leading ourselves first and caring more for each other. It is not only a generational expectation; it is a human need that we must fulfill in all areas of our life.
People want to work with leaders, teams, and organizations that create human-centered workplaces and cultures. People wish to be part of organizations that make a bigger impact in our community and that are creating purpose.
Editor: You only get 5 minutes to speak to the audience. What unique challenges, and indeed opportunities, does such a condensed speaking slot offer?
Lorie: Speaking for 5 minutes will provide all the speakers an opportunity to share meaningful stories that are focused, succinct and purposeful.
Editor: How does Disrupt HR provide you with a platform to talk about talent in new ways?
Lorie: Disrupt HR is a community and movement that is inspiring Leaders in this space to come up with new ways of elevating the human experience in the workplace. I am honoured to be a featured speaker and to have the opportunity to share my passion and love igniting cultures and creating purpose.
Editor: Please share 2 or 3 ‘influencers’ in the talent and recruitment space who you follow and tell us why.
Lorie: Simon Sinek – he is a thought leader in culture development and leadership, Daniel Pink – he is a thought leader in motivation and leadership, and Brene Brown – she is a thought leader in vulnerability and personal leadership
I have so many influencers. Click here to learn more.
Editor: The HR Gazette is a big believer in the shift from traditional thoughts of HR to embracing modern HR as part of ‘people and culture‘. What does ‘people and culture’ mean to you?
Lorie: People and Culture = Human Connection or Human Workplace
I believe there are 6 Elements of an Ideal Culture. Our new role is to develop an inspiring and stimulating community that creates a fulfilling workplace experience.
Editor: What do you think will be the major developments in the Talent space to watch out for in the next 12 months and why? For example, how does the growing numbers of Millennials in the workplace shape traditional talent management approaches?
Lorie: “Millennials, who are already emerging as leaders in technology and other industries and will comprise 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025, want to work for organizations that foster innovative thinking, develop their skills, and make a positive contribution to society.” – Deloitte 2014We believe that organizations must focus on the following
We believe that organizations must focus on the following 6 Elements of an Ideal Culture to inspire Millennials and multi-generational workplaces.
DisruptHR Vancouver will be held at Rise‘s Head Office on Wednesday, March 30th 2016. Make an effort to make it out there and buy your tickets now!