Travels from California, USA
Seth Mattison's speaking fee falls within range: $30,000 to $50,000
One of MeetingsNet’s Editors’ Picks as a Favorite Speaker, Seth Mattison is known around the world for his expertise in employee relations and communication culture. Founder and CEO of Futuresight Labs, his presentations on workforce trends and generational dynamics are in demand from many of the most important companies around the world.
Seth’s passion is to create better understanding and collaboration in the workplace. By monitoring new workforce dynamics and bringing his own experience and skills to their interpretation, he presents a roadmap for doing so.
Combining anecdotal evidence from his own experiences with the very best and most recent research, Seth provides clients such as MasterCard, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Kraft Foods, AT&T, PepsiCo, GE Energy, Prudential Real Estate, Cisco, State Farm, Merrill Lynch, Dow, Disney, and Deloitte with new perspectives and plans which can have an immediate, positive effect on business.
Widely regarded as one of the most dynamic young speakers currently on the circuit, Seth’s ideas have been featured in many prestigious publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post and the Globe and Mail.
With his finger on the pulse of the changing nature of work and leadership, Seth Mattison blends storytelling from his own personal experience working with category-leading brands with cutting-edge research to develop fresh perspectives on the issues most relevant for organizations to thrive today.
Seth is an internationally recognized thought leader, author, advisor, and top- rated keynote speaker on talent management, high performance cultures, leadership, and the Future of Work.
His research, case studies, and thought leadership focus on inspiring audiences, while sharing actionable strategies to support individuals and organizations in their pursuit to be future-ready.
For almost two decades, Seth has shared his insights with tens of thousands of business leaders around the globe for many of the world’s most recognizable brands including Mastercard, Johnson & Johnson, IBM, The Dallas Cowboys, AT&T, PepsiCo, GE Energy, E&Y, Caterpillar, and The Walt Disney Company, to name a few.
In addition to speaking, Seth is the founder and CEO of FutureSight Labs, an org design and transformation firm that supports many of the world’s most inspiring leaders by helping prepare themselves and their organizations for the Future of Work through research, training, advising, coaching, digital tools, and thought leadership.
“In this new world, it's not about how you want to communicate," Seth Mattison tells his audience, “it's about how the person you want to reach and connect with wants to be communicated with." Setting out his vision for dynamic profitable business in the digital age, he explains, "We all have to be flexible in this new space."
Seth Mattison presents a series of keynote speeches which offer many valuable insights into the changes in workplace and consumer markets led by the new digital generation. He offers his audience the examples and tools they need to gain or retain prominence in the new marketplace.
Seth’s presentations can show you how each generation of talent in your organization has its own specific skills to offer, and how you can harness and combine them to greatest effect. After listening to Seth you will have far greater insight into what is coming in the new world of work and how change can be a positive force for your business.
Combining entertainment, information and motivation, Seth’s presentations are essential viewing for anyone who desires to keep their company practices and employee relations dynamic, profitable and developing.
Navigating What’s Next: Insights for the Future of Work
The Future of Work is unfolding now and there has never been a more important moment to claim your version of it! What will we collectively create?
We’re entering an unprecedented moment in the world of work. With so much in flux, everything is up for grabs as we collectively claim a Future of Work that best supports us all as we draft a new social contract between employees and employers.
Seth Mattison will help you and your leaders answer some of today’s most pressing questions: What does talent need today? What type of leadership will be required? How will we nurture great teams? What employment experiences will matter most? How will we activate a culture of belonging to drive high-performance? As a researcher and thought leader, Seth will help you answer these questions and more.
As we enter a new era of work, leaders are making big bets on what’s next for their industry, the future before us, and the world at large. Navigating this defining moment while preparing to capture the opportunity will require a bold vision, the courage to change, and a commitment to contribute to the evolution of work and leadership.
Rooted in the research and bolstered by time helping high performing leaders through moments of transformation, Seth Mattison will share insights on the biggest trends impacting the state of work today. Armed with actionable insights and practical tools, participants will be primed to lead their teams and organizations as they intentionally shape the future.
Attendees will gain: ● Insights on the trends shaping the Future of Work and talent. ● Strategies to design compelling employee experiences and high-performance cultures. ● Change strategies for growth and scale. ● Perspective on the leadership skills and competencies of the future.
High-Performance Hybrid Culture: Insights for Elevating Culture in a Work from Anywhere World
Culture does not live in the walls of your building; it lives in the hearts of your people.
No one knows exactly what the Future of Work will look like, but we do know the culture drivers required to support talent working from anywhere today. Seth Mattison knows that we are never going back to business as usual. After years of experimentation, it’s clear the Future of Work is less about place and more about building cultures that support people’s potential, regardless of where they’re physically located.
As we enter a new era of work, leaders are faced with the challenge of reengineering their organizations to drive business performance and maintain the cohesiveness of their culture both inside and outside their four walls. The problem is, only half of organizations today are prepared to support this transformation. Are you one of them? In this session, Seth Mattison helps leaders rethink how to best support talent and activate a high-performance culture in a work from anywhere world.
With teams mixed between essential onsite work and remote settings, new systems, processes, skills, and competencies will be required to build and maintain an inclusive and equitable culture rooted in belonging. These efforts will fuel a culture that feels engaging, participatory, and full of the human connection we deeply value.
Seth Mattison will unpack the challenges and opportunities our hybrid environments present, along with research, case studies, and best practices for what leaders and managers can do today to effectively support and lead a work from everywhere workforce.
Attendees will gain: ● Insight on the data of what drives real engagement with hybrid workers ● Frameworks for building a work from anywhere culture ● Strategies for supporting a culture of fairness and equity ● Techniques for maintaining human connection digitally
Elevating Employee Engagement: Connecting Hearts and Minds to Drive Better Business Outcomes in the New World of Work
As the war for talent continues to wage across industries today, organizations will be forced to battle for a smaller and smaller pool of qualified candidates. Losing high-performing individuals is simply not an option when growth is the mandate. Supporting leaders in their efforts to shape elevated employee engagement has never mattered more. Seth Mattison knows that talent needs more than a fleeting warm-fuzzy feeling and a decent paycheck to thrive today, helping leaders understand how to unlock the key drivers of engagement through purpose, meaning, vision, psychological safety, and opportunities for growth. Not only does engagement have the potential to significantly affect employee retention, productivity, and loyalty, it is also a key link to customer satisfaction, company reputation and overall stakeholder value.
The Great Reset has created a moment of reflection for the whole world- societal values are shifting and new expectations are emerging. Seth Mattison will help you answer some of the most pressing questions: What does talent need today to feel deeply connected to their work and their teams? What will be required of leaders and organizations to support these shifting values and drive engagement?
In this highly interactive deep-dive discussion, Seth Mattison will shed light on these questions and add a new perspective to the conversation today by dissecting the fundamental drivers of engagement and helping to unlock the employee experience of the future.
Attendees gain: ● Insights on how the drivers of engagement have shifted and what matters now. ● The 4 levels of employee engagement that drive productivity and performance. ● Perspectives on the employee value proposition of the future. ● Tools for building a culture rooted in trust and belonging.
The Heart of Leadership: The Secret and the Science to Influencing and Leading During Times of Transformation
In this moment of disruption leadership everywhere is faced with the challenge of defining the Future of Work while delivering value to the enterprise today. Navigating disruption of this magnitude is often messy and regularly takes years to work through. However, Seth Mattison knows these moments also provide us with an incredible opportunity to re-assess, re-think, re-imagine, and re-design how we want to do this thing called work and the type of leadership that will be needed in this moment.
The stakes have never been higher for organizations looking to grow while competing for a smaller and smaller number of qualified potential employees who are pursuing opportunities across industries. Seth Mattison provides leaders with the insights and surprising truths about where the world is moving next, and the type of leadership skills needed most to meet the moment.
Leaders today must have the understanding and the skill to not only connect with the rational and logical parts of people’s brains but also have the capacity to connect with their hearts to understand what drives human behavior at the deepest level.
As traditional hierarchies are re-examined, leadership becomes less about title and tenure at the organization and more about influence, impact, and the ability to connect. Developing and cultivating our capacity to reveal our full selves every single day will become the new mandate for leadership in the modern era.
In this highly interactive deep-dive discussion, Seth Mattison will add a new perspective to the conversation and unlock leadership potential by elevating empathy, courage, influence, and impact for a better world of work.
Attendees gain: ● Perspective on the neuroscience and neuroradiology of influence and change. ● An unprecedented look at the future-ready skills and competencies to prime performance, culture, and organizational growth. ● Strategies for activating the power of empathy and attunement to drive engagement. ● Access to case studies from category-leading brands activating heart-based cultures to drive growth.
Gritty: Building Resilience in the of Face Resistance
Leaning into uncertainty, ambiguity, and adversity as tools for grit, growth, and resilience.
Seth Mattison defines resilience as the process of responding well in the face of adversity. As much as resilience involves “bouncing back” from difficult experiences, it can also mean profound personal growth through grit and grace. Seth unpacks one of the most critical leadership attributes of the moment and how the past two years have given leaders the opportunity to test their mettle and find their resilience in the face of unprecedented change.
In a world of ongoing marketplace disruptions and organizational transformation, the virtues of grit and tenacity stand tall among today’s most critical leadership attributes. The most resilient leaders of high-performing organizations can adapt to changing circumstances and encourage others to do the same. As a result, their teams operate with higher productivity, engagement, and a greater sense of well-being. Resilient leaders cultivate emotional intelligence and strong relationships, and they facilitate learning and personal development through everyday experiences. More importantly, these exceptional leaders create a culture of psychological safety- the number one predictor of high-performing teams.
In this program, Seth Mattison will unpack the leadership habits that improve team well-being, productivity, and performance and share the latest research in neuroscience and psychology for developing resilient leaders, teams, and organizations.
Attendees gain: ● Insights on your habits, belief systems and the neuroscience that support and enhance resilience ● Lessons to cultivate positive emotions, make stress work for you, and activities that proactively build resilience ● Techniques for stepping out of reactivity and responding to what is most important ● Strategies for fostering a culture of psychological safety
SPEAKING.COM: What do you want people to learn / take away from your presentations?
MATTISON: A lot of what I talk about boils down to change. Changes taking shape inside organizations as well as in the marketplace with how we engage clients and customers; but the truth is, change is scary, it’s uncomfortable. and just down right hard. Not only do I want to give people insights and research into what’s coming next but I also want to leave them with two big inspiring thoughts…
Number 1 – While the world of work is changing at warp speed, it’s important NOT to have an “out with the old in with the new” type mentality. Yes we need to adapt but we also need to make sure we’re tapping into the wisdom, knowledge, and perspective of those that have gone before us. Not dismissing those insights because we think they’re irrelevant today can save us from making painful mistakes. It has to be a two way street.
Number 2 – I want to inspire people to be courageous enough to face the fear of change we ALL deal with so they can continue to adapt, learn, and grow. I don’t think we talk enough about the importance of courage today and the fact that the amount of change we’re navigating requires individuals to be brave enough to continue to face these disruptive waters every single day.
Once they’ve flexed that courage muscle and have experienced the satisfaction of learning and trying new things, I want to help them tap in the power of joy. We all deserve the chance to do work that brings joy into our life and the truth is no matter where people are at today, what job they’re doing, if we can change our perspective, we can all find the joy.
At the end of the day I want to equip people with a new framework to think about the change they’re navigating in their world and I want to inspire them to be courageous enough to continue to evolve and ultimately find joy in their work.
SPEAKING.COM: What kind of special prep work do you do prior to an event? How to you prepare for your speaking engagements?
MATTISON: One of the biggest things that have helped me deliver successful engagements is being committed to doing interviews before every event. I typically try to interview anywhere between 3-7 key stakeholders from client audiences in the weeks leading up to an event.
These interviews are an incredible opportunity for me to get a clearer picture of the world the audience lives in every single day. It’s one thing to track the trends from the sidelines; it’s another to spend meaningful time with leaders on the front lines of change today.
From these conversations we’re able to identify and confirm not only the challenges leaders are facing today but also some of the best practices and strategies that are creating real wins for individuals. These stories are incredibly important to highlight and celebrate and I take a lot of pride in brining these to life from stage.
SPEAKING.COM: Have you had any particularly memorable speaking engagements / unusual situations arise while on the road?
MATTISON: I was speaking in Mexico this past winter and we had a medium sized earthquake hit while I was on stage. I didn’t feel it at first but then started to notice the audience pointing at the large screens off to the side of the stage and from the corner of my eye I could see they were swaying back and forth. No major damage but enough of a jolt to wake up the people in the back! I was so in the moment I didn’t skip a beat.
SPEAKING.COM: Who are some of your favorite audiences?
MATTISON: My favorite groups are the ones that laugh at all my jokes and think I’m brilliant!!! In all honesty that’s a hard questions. Every group is fun and unique in their own way but I think the best groups are the ones that surprise you. The ones that you think might be tough or skeptical or difficult to win over but if you show up prepared and give them all you’ve got, they might just come around. Watching the light bulbs turn on and the energy in the room kick into high gear, those are special days.
SPEAKING.COM: What types of audiences would most benefit from your message?
MATTISON: I’ve yet to meet a leader or work with a single industry that is not being impacted by the dynamic between the hierarchy and the network, one of the main areas of research for us at FutureSight Labs right now.
Every audience is made up of a core group of leaders that came of age in much more of a top down world based around an entirely different set of “unwritten rules” than colleagues under the age of 35 that have came of age in the network. The tension that exists between these two is actually being felt at all levels of society and all levels of power. This makes our talks incredibly relatable for people from all different background because they see it play out in their companies, in their communities, and also in the families. Gives people a lot to think about.
SPEAKING.COM: What inspired you to start doing speaking engagements?
MATTISON: I started formally studying workforce trends and generational dynamics almost 10 years ago but I’ve spent a lifetime learning about how each generation’s story shapes their view of the world and trends impacting our society.
I had the good fortune of being raised on a 4th generation farm in Minnesota where I grew up working along side my father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather. Three generations of men whose experiences ran from WWI to the Challenger Explosion and everything in between. They were history buffs and storytellers and created an environment where I was exposed to the idea that each generation has their own unique story.
I’ve taken those early lessons to fuel my work at FutureSight Labs where we focus on understanding and sharing these generational stories to help make sense of the cultural shifts we’re all experiencing both in society as well in our organizations and it’s become a powerful way to talk about change.
SPEAKING.COM: You’ve presented to audiences across the globe, in many industries. What makes a “Seth Mattison” keynote unique?
MATTISON: There are a few things I try to bring to stage beyond just subject matter expertise:
1. Gratitude. No matter where I am in the world and no matter who the group I’m working with is, I take some quite time prior to the program to give thanks for the opportunity. I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to do this work, to share ideas with people all over the world and I try to never take that for granted. Each time I hit the stage it’s a gift and I think people can feel that energy when I’m up there.
2. I try really hard to not make it about me. As human beings we all have a tendency when we stand in front of a group of strangers to immediately begin the self-talk of; “Do they like me? Do they think I’m funny? Do they think I’m a fraud? Do they think I’m relevant? Do they think this or that?” You have to find a way to put your attention 100% on the audience and NOT make it about you.
I do this by writing a small note on a piece of paper before every speech that comes with me on stage. The note simply says, “Love People. Serve People. Add Value. Have fun.” It might sound cheesy but it’s a way for me to remember why I’m up there. I’ve found that if I keep these values at the center of my program, my authenticity shines through and I’m able to connect with people on a deeper level. It helps break through the barrier so the program starts to feel more like a conversation instead of stuffy speech.
3. Homework: the interviews we do with members before events have really been a game changer. When the group finds out that you cared enough to really try to understand their world, they’re more likely to buy in. They’re more likely to forgive you if you stumble over your words or forget a point. They know that you care and that you gave them your very best effort. I also try not to take myself to seriously. We’re definitely going to laugh during our time together.
Some of the fascinating subjects Seth discusses in this interview, include:
“Seth can draw out of an audience answers to questions they did not know they had. That, and even more powerfully, he will have them question the very answers they come up with in a way that reveals an even deeper level of insight and understanding.” Devin Salinas, Managing Director, Northwestern Mutual
“We’ve worked with Seth on multiple occasions to help our state manufacturing leaders keep a pulse on the changing nature of work and what the workforce of the future will need from leadership. He lit our room up and inspired our leaders to expand their vision of what’s possible for our state and the industry.” Ann Franz, Executive Director, New Manufacturing Alliance
“As we navigated our own transformational journey, Seth’s research and insights provided a spot-on and powerful framework to help our executive team challenge the assumptions they’ve made and the beliefs they carry about who they are and how they’re showing up in the world as leaders.” Susan Cisco, Head of HR & Employee Experience, MassMutual
“Seth’s work with the agency has had a big impact. A number of leaders have continued to reference the session and how much of an impact the ideas have had on their thinking as it relates to leading digital transformation at the agency.” Jane Datta, Chief Human Capital Officer, NASA
“Your messages were insightful, interesting and useful. Also, importantly, they were consistent with our overall message and really helped drive home the themes we were communicating. Thanks for your time, energy, and passion.” Andy Cecere, Chief Executive Officer, US Bank
“You were absolutely amazing! We can’t thank you enough for sharing your time and expertise with us today. It was exactly what these business owners needed to confidently move forward. It felt like you were speaking directly to me and I completely lost sight of the fact that I was listening in via Zoom. Your virtual connection to the audience was remarkable.” Crystal Ducker, Vice President Research and Communications, International SPA Association
“We had a speaker last year on Generations and we were concerned that the audience would not receive another speaker on the topic so soon. But the audience loved Seth – he had a different message and was able to give them tips on how to apply his message to their business. They walked away very motivated and with some great ideas.”Texas Association of Realtors(Event booked by Speaking.com)
“Seth was the top rated keynote speaker at NCA’s 2013 State of the Industry Conference. He was utterly amazing, everyone in attendance couldn’t stop talking about him for days! He is a super star, over the top with knowledge, expertise, energy, creativity and brilliant speaking skills. He interviewed several of our attendees in advance and then customized his speech which really made it a home run. Seth made our conference a tremendous success and any organization that hires him to speak is certain to take their event to an entirely new level.”– Libby Taylor, VP of Meetings & Membership, National Confectioners Association
“Seth did a fantastic job keynoting for us at our FMI Supply Chain Conference. He was spot on with all aspects of his presentation and his “prep work” on the front end set it all up. He was one of the most prepared and engaged speakers I have ever worked with. I am not surprised this has translated into increased momentum. I hope you’re getting all the engagements you can handle.”– Rhett Asher, Food Marketing Institute
“Seth Mattison is a force to be reckoned with. Seth spoke at one of our Leadership events and focused his message around “Managing 4 generations in the workplace”. His content was spot on. His keynote was engaging, interactive and connected directly with our audience. Seth did his homework and reached out to several members as well as visiting a member company before the event to ensure he was able to tie in “real-life issues” to the program.”PMA
“You have probably heard speakers on the topic of generational differences in the workplace, but Seth Mattison is by far the best. His presentation ‘Rocking the Workplace: Managing and Leading the Four Generations’ skips over all the negative and annoying stereotypes (‘millennials have no loyalty, no work ethic’) and gets the audience fired up about the idea of getting along with four—soon to be five—generations at once. His presentation is fun and funny, energetic, and totally relatable. He manages to engage every member of the audience, which in most cases will span every generation, in an affectionate and endearing way.” “– Betsy Blair, Director of Content and Media Integration, MeetingsNet
“I just want to thank you for your outstanding presentation in Indianapolis. As I sat next to my CEO and I just wanted you to keep talking. I would say to myself: ‘Just keep talking! Just keep talking! More, more!’ You touched on so many important points, perspectives and trends that I’ve been expressing to my managers, VPs and just recently my CEO, trying my hardest not to come off too harsh or as a ‘know it all millennium brat’. Not an easy task! It was so nice and refreshing to have an outsider, completely unbiased, deliver the same message. As you can imagine, the insurance world is a very slowly adapting and often times technological challenged industry. Despite the growing opportunities for us millennials, it isn’t without its challenges. Your presentation was not only inspiring for us ‘millennials’ but also for the gen X and baby boomers about to retire. For that, I thank you! You definitely had our wheels spinning, giving me the opportunity to benefit from brilliant mentors who are now a bit more willing to pass down their experience, success and failures. Again, thank you!” – Kathleen Gauvin, Underwriter – LOGiQ3 Corp
“Seth makes it FUN!! His keynote was amazing. Full of great takeaways.” – Katherine Waters Clark
“Thanks for bringing your A-game to our RE/CHARGE event!” – Dan Breault
“I had the chance to see Seth speak in Las Vegas at the Audigy Team Summit. He was sandwiched between two other big speakers (Jim Collins & John C. Maxwell) and none of us knew who he was. It didn’t take long for that to change though. By the end everyone around me commented that he was the BEST of the group. Seth was the FIRST to open my eyes to the Hierarchy versus the Network concept and it’s completely changed the way I think about my workforce.” – Dr. Scott Young, CCC-A, FAAA, Hearing Solutions Centers, Inc.
“Couldn’t agree more with Seth’s keynote “The Relationship Revolution,” on three ways to communicate better.” – Megan O’Neal
“Seth was the wrap up speaker at a conference ATB Financial hosted, including a mix of 500 top customers, ATB Board Directors, and Executive team members. He was passionate, insightful, and full of energy in sharing his stories and perspective. Mattison comes from a place of deep understanding regarding the opportunities served up through leadership accountability, workforce trends, and the tricky navigation of inter generation teams. He has the skill of making his presentation authentically connect with the audience and their thirst for learning and leadership. Participants from all groups raved about his memorable session. Seth and his work are embraced as a key part of our leadership strategy and system.” – Lorne Rubis, Chief People Officer – ATB Financial
“What a great session! Haven’t laughed that much in a keynote. so what WOULD your last meal be?” – Eleni P.
“Powerful, relevant, inspiring! Could see light bulbs turn on above folks’ heads!” – Manny Vasquez
“Seth did a wonderful job here at 3M for us. Everyone who attended provided great feedback on the session. We conducted a survey with all of the Managing Directors to evaluate the presentations and sessions we covered during the week and Seth’s was rated one of the top performers! Thank you very much for your professionalism, enthusiasm and quality work, we really enjoyed working with you.” – Wanda Frias, Strategic Planning & Government Markets, 3M Latin America Region
“Thanks for a great talk in Chicago. Eye opening, a lot of new thinking was spurred.” – Sekayi Hailwood
“Best session ever attended – forced me to take a hard look at myself and change my routine to push me to the next level of servant leadership and innovative thinking. It is about the impact on others that you can make every day that will really shine after a session with Ryan and Seth. Thanks for making a life changing day and recommend to anyone wanting to seek and provide inspiration.” – Barb Schwarzentraub, Director, Component Operations and Supply Chain, Caterpillar Inc.
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The War at Work
We’re entering the age of the Network, a world of hyper-connectivity and constant flux, where disruption is the norm and autonomy, empowerment and meaning are basic expectations of the new workforce. Organizations are being forced to execute and perform today while simultaneously maintaining the discipline to reinvent themselves for a very different future. Successfully navigating the challenge of thriving in two very different worlds is the mandate of the modern day leader.
This book will show you how.
The fact is, we live in a half-changed world, where everything from communication and etiquette, policies and procedures, where and when work happens, and “paying your dues” are still influenced by a long list of “unwritten rules” established by the world that preceded the Network: the Hierarchy. Responsible for the creation of incredible efficiencies and scale over the past 150 years, the top-down structures and culture of the Hierarchy are still deeply embedded in our organizations and leadership ideologies today.
Drawing from their experience guiding everyone from Fortune 500 executives to major-league coaches through the new world of work, Seth Mattison and Joshua Medcalf combine timeless truth with timely strategy in THE WAR AT WORK, a fable grounded in two leaders’ introspective journey from the top down world of the Hierarchy to the hyper connected world of the Network. For anyone seeking to embrace the future, find meaning, purpose, and mastery in their career and leadership capacity, this story is a compass, providing new perspectives and practical solutions to navigate the disruptive waters of change, unleash human potential, and bring genuine transformation to a world that desperately needs it.
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