Agree what the session is for
A virtual wellbeing keynote can introduce a topic, encourage reflection or help managers think about working practices. Define which of those outcomes you want. General education, personal experience and clinical guidance are different contributions and require different expertise.
Explain the organisational context to the speaker without disclosing unnecessary personal information. If the event follows a difficult period, agree the tone and topics that need particular care.
Look beyond individual coping
The World Health Organization’s mental health at work guidance includes organisational action to address workplace risks, alongside training and other support. Use that distinction when shaping the brief: a keynote should not imply that people alone must compensate for harmful working conditions.
For an audience of managers, the useful question may be how to notice and discuss working practices that need attention. For a wider audience, the priority may be understanding the support available and having a constructive conversation about needs.
Check fit and boundaries
- Which qualifications, experience or sources support the proposed content?
- Is the contribution education, a personal account or professional clinical guidance?
- How will questions outside the speaker’s scope be handled?
- What organisational context would change the speaker’s approach?
- Can participants take part without sharing personal experiences?
A lived-experience story can be valuable, but it is not the same as evidence that a method works for everyone. Ask how the speaker will make that distinction.
Make the virtual environment considerate
Agree optional participation, moderated questions and clear recording information. Do not ask attendees to disclose diagnoses, treatment or personal distress in a shared chat. Private reflection can be an alternative to public sharing.
Tell participants what support routes are available within their organisation and who can answer practical questions after the session. A keynote should not be presented as therapy or a replacement for appropriate care.
An example of a focused brief
Illustrative brief: “Give our managers an accessible introduction to supportive conversations about working practices. Keep the session educational, use non-identifying examples, and allow questions through a moderator.”
Confirm captions and accessible materials with the production team. Let attendees know in advance if sensitive subjects will be covered, so they can make an informed choice about participation.
Evaluate without collecting unnecessary sensitive data
Ask whether the session was relevant, understandable and useful for the audience’s role. Avoid presenting a short event feedback form as a health assessment. Record practical programme improvements, such as clearer access instructions or a better question process.
Decide what kind of wellbeing contribution is appropriate
A virtual wellbeing keynote might explain working conditions, communication, recovery, inclusion or the experience of seeking support. Define which of those is intended. A broad promise to improve everyone’s wellbeing in one session makes it difficult to choose a speaker or assess the contribution.
The WHO mental-health-at-work fact sheet discusses workplace risks and organisational action as well as support. For an event organiser, that is a reason to place a keynote within the wider workplace context rather than treating it as the whole response.
A worked virtual brief: making workload discussable
Illustrative brief. Managers and employees join a remote session on communicating about competing demands. The keynote asks: “How can a team discuss capacity before commitments become unmanageable?”
A fictional team has three urgent requests and no explicit priority. The speaker explores possible conversations and their limits. Participants can privately consider which question would help the team clarify expectations. Nobody needs to describe their own health or personal situation.
The internal host closes with the organisation’s relevant support and escalation routes, checked before the event. If participants raise individual concerns, the moderator should direct them appropriately rather than inviting the guest to assess them in public.
Credentials, claims and personal stories
Distinguish lived experience from clinical expertise and workplace experience. Each can contribute something valuable, but they answer different questions. Ask the speaker to state what they are qualified to discuss and how they handle questions outside that scope.
A personal story should be presented as personal experience. If a speaker describes a research result, ask for the source and what population or setting it concerns. Avoid turning a memorable anecdote into a promise about what every attendee will experience.
A considerate virtual format
Tell attendees the scope and any sensitive themes in advance. Allow cameras to remain off and reflection to remain private. Check who can see chat messages, whether the session is recorded and how the host will respond if someone shares personal information.
A wellbeing keynote does not need a public emotional disclosure to be useful. A question about a fictional situation can support discussion without placing a listener on the spot. Offer a clear way to leave or pause participation, and do not interpret silence as disengagement.
Evaluate the relevance and clarity of the session, not changes in participants’ health. If the organisation wants to understand workplace conditions, that needs an appropriate separate process.