Positive Deviance and the Rise of Rebel Talent

Facilitated by Todd Conkright, Consultant and Dean at Midland University

Positive Deviance is a veering from the path - forging a new way where there appears to be no way. It’s taking the limited resources available and putting them to use innovatively and cleverly to solve a problem or forget a new opportunity. Rebel Talent, according to Harvard’s Gina Francesca, are individuals and teams who break the rules for a good reason. In this session we will explore the positive side of deviance and rebellion, the principles and practices that leverage curiosity, possibility, and the talent in the room to bring about change, clear roadblocks, and advance strategies. 

Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of what positive deviance and rebellion are

• Identify mindsets and rules that block creativity and innovation

• Explore covert and open ways to challenge the processes and cultural norms that prevent change

• Begin to develop a plan to start a positive rebellion in their workplace and for their clients

• 
  

Todd Conkright has been the Dean of the Dunklau School of Business at Midland University since August 2018, and is responsible for the undergraduate business offerings including the renowned accounting program, as well as the Master of Business Administration, MS in Learning & Talent Development, and Code Academy.

With more than 20 years of professional experience, Todd’s leadership encompasses a variety of market knowledge spanning areas of process improvement, talent development, and change management. Prior to Midland University, Conkright was the Director of Global Client Education Services for First Data (now Fiserv), where he led a team of client-facing instructional support representatives to help educate users on products, systems, and tools to manage and grow their credit and debit issuing business.

Serving as Owner and Principal Consultant, Conkright established Todd Conkright Consulting, focusing on human capital strategy and executive coaching, working with organizations to identify and eliminate barriers to performance. He is the author of A Guide to Peak Performance Through People, a human resources guide for small businesses.