We all know them: the office clown, the procrastinator, the drama Queen/King, the rescuer, and the victim, just to name a few. Do we have one or more of the 13 common characteristic patters? Sylvia Lafair, PhD, is president of CEO—CREATIVE ENERGY OPTIONS, INC. a global consulting company focused on optimizing workplace relationships through her exclusive PatternAware™ leadership model. Using the OUT Technique, (Observe, Understand, Transform) you can change your outmoded interactions to patterns of success. With a doctorate in clinical psychology, Dr. Lafair, who was a practicing family therapist, took her talents into the work world and has revolutionized the way employees react and teams cooperate.
Dr. Lafair is the author of “Don’t Bring It to Work: Breaking the Family Patterns that Limit Success” published by Jossey-Bass. This is the first book to explore what happens when patterns originally created to cope with family conflicts are unleashed in the workplace. She has also written numerous articles for trade publications and national magazines.
Always an adventurer, Sylvia has spent her life uncovering the basic building blocks of relationships. Along with her husband, Herb Kaufman, programs were created to help business and social-service professionals explore the newest advances in health, wellness, and spirituality. They hosted a stellar collection of thinkers, including Deepak Chopra, Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, Matthew Fox, Huston Smith, Herbert Benson, Robert Bly, David Whyte, Joseph Chilton Pierce, Willis Harman, and many others.
Delving into the complexities of conflict, The Center for Intercultural Dialogue was created to better understand the human dynamics between Israelis and Palestinians with a focus on the expressive arts as a means of communication. Sylvia has taught in Europe, South Africa, India, and has begun a leadership program in Ghana.
In all her journeys to “the heart of the matter,” Sylvia has sought out “that which connects us” to bring this perspective into the business world. She has developed such intriguing educational programs as: Don’t Bring It to Work: Decoding Office Politics; Get the But out of Your Yes: Effective Communication Skills; Ouch! : Resolving Conflict at Work; The Creative Edge: Team-based Innovation. CEO’s flagship multi-session program, Total Leadership Connections™, utilizes the tools of PatternAware™ Leadership to help individuals understand how behavior patterns developed at home and repeated at work can derail success and how to transform them into productivity, purpose, and profit.
As a workshop leader or keynote speaker, Sylvia engages audiences with her natural storytelling ability. She weaves her knowledge of what makes a business successful using real life stories about workplace cultures. Her thought-provoking messages leave audiences with information to take back to the office and immediately put into practice.
Sylvia and Herb divide their time between White Haven, Pennsylvania, the headquarters of CEO with its private retreat facility, The Country Place Retreat and Conference Center, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sylvia enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren; she is especially fascinated watching them all “stand on the shoulders of the past.”