In the future of how we’ll work, live, play, and give, 15 forces will create dramatic headwind, tailwind, or turbulence in our lives and careers. Learning their relevance is no longer optional; it’s a necessity.

For most people learning is linear – they learn then they apply. We believe when it comes to relationships, a different lens is needed. Time and again, people enter our lives that dramatically alter both the direction and destination of our lives. I call enablers of this adaptive and accelerated non-linear growth, Curve Benders.

So, who are your Curve Benders and how do you find them? More importantly, how do you become one in the lives of others? And how can the Curve Bending mindset unlock the next level of enterprise value creation and profitable growth?

Join SHRM-Atlanta and bestselling author, senior leadership advisor, executive educator and coach, David Nour, as he shares key insights from his 11th book, Curve Benders, at the intersection of the future of work, strategic relationships, and non-linear growth.

Keynote Speaker: David Nour | CEO – The Nour Group, Inc. Read more about David >>

A streamlined interactive process should not be complicated. In the aftermath of broadscale nationwide shutdowns, however, employers and HR professionals struggle to apply traditional processes to vastly expanded expectations for telework allowances. In an interactive format, we will apply practical processes to support HR professionals in simplifying a legally defensible accommodations process, particularly in the face of increasing telework accommodations requests.

From this session, you will learn an efficient, effective step-by-step process for all accommodations requests, including telework accommodations, Additionally, you will learn strategies to manage legal risk without compromising the essential functions of employees’ positions or your workplace culture.

Speaker: Keely Jac Collins, Esquire, LL.M. | Attorney, Elarbee Thompson

The pandemic will eventually be over, but the workplace is likely to be changed forever. The era of working from home is here to stay, and remote working creates new challenges for management and HR professionals. The increased focus on employee safety and social justice during the pandemic is also expected to ignite a wave of union organizing under a new administration.

This program will identify these important trends in the workplace, and more, as well as strategies and policies for employers to use to adjust and adapt to the “new normal.” As a participant you will:

• identify legal issues raised by requests to work from home as reasonable accommodation under the ADA and continued obligations following end of the pandemic.
• learn about employer rights and obligations in the event employees seek to organize a union in response to safety and social justice issues in the workplace.
• develop strategies for developing and implementing changes in company policies to adapt to emerging workplace trends following Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaker: David Barron | Attorney, Cozen OConnor

Do you avoid conversations about race? Ever imagine that conversation going bad? Or question whether or not you’re prepared for the conversation? Well, the truth is you’re not alone, as a matter of fact most people avoid talking about race in the US and all around the world. But those days are over! In this talk you will discover how to communicate successfully, confidently, and courageously.

Speaker: Kenston Henderson Sr. | CEO, Live With Lyfe, LLC

This session digs deep into the brain science of unconscious bias and unintentional organizational discrimination (policy and practice). We’ll debunk common misconceptions about bias in a way that welcomes everyone into the conversation. We’ll explore how bias and discrimination show up in the workplace and focus on equipping participants with tools and tactics to navigate challenging situations and difficult dialogues around these topics. We’ll build awareness of the impacts of judgments in the workplace and develop skills to improve how we make judgments in order to prevent issues that negatively impact diversity and inclusion efforts.

Speaker: Eric Bailey | President, Bailey Strategic Innovation Group

In March of 2020, we sent people home to work, thinking it would be back to normal in no time. And yet here we are, with no end in sight. While some work is transitioning back to the office, most companies are now struggling with how they manage people in the office and those who work remotely.

Most companies are running fully remote teams, but expect to see 90% of those teams evolve into a hybrid structure. Some people will work in the office, some will work from home, and many of them will be split into limited schedules to enforce social distancing. This presents new challenges for leaders who have to manage people at the office and remote.

As the CEO of a workforce with 26 full-time employees and 3,000 independent contractors that has been fully-remote for years, Chris Dyer has a deep understanding of the benefits and challenges that come with virtual teams. In this keynote, Chris shares his secrets for developing a high-performance culture where virtual employees thrive, no matter where they work.

Speaker: Chris Dyer | CEO, Keynote Speaker, Author at PeopleG2

In a Covid-19 world, the only constant in work is change. That’s when the most successful leaders respond with a coach approach – the set of messages and methods that help others thrive in the face of uncertainty.

This interactive and evidence-based training demonstrates how leaders can put high-performance coaching to work for the benefit of their entire organization. Using proven, practical models, you’ll learn how to navigate change as a change agent. Coaching supports high-trust, authentic relationships between leaders and team members and sets the conditions for business growth despite the unpredictability of current conditions – and it’s something that every leader can start to do, regardless of background or prior experience.

In this three-part plan, you’ll learn how a “coach approach” can shift the dynamics of change from fear to safety, worry to results and isolation to partnership. Each stage of this model is driven by research-informed, highly practical strategies that set the conditions for individuals and organizations to thrive.

From sharing critical feedback to building trust and improving teamwork, this training will inform and inspire you to sustain powerful outcomes across your organization and help others manage change by discovering the best versions of themselves.

Speaker: Dr. Joe Hirsch | Managing Director, Semaca Partners

The iGen: Understanding & Recruiting GenZ is a program that effectively unlocks the mystery behind the new generation coming into today’s workforce. Each generation is frustrated as they try to understand one another. I will share research that provides a deep dive into both sides of the generational gap and explains where the problem lies; AND I will share real, tested solutions that will work for your organization.

Knowing the problem is only the first step. Join me as we discuss generational concerns, why these problems exists, and how they are impacting worker productivity. You will leave with solutions which are not just based off of statistics and theory, but are based on real-world business dealings and direct contact with Generation Z. After this program, you will know how to understand, how to communicate with, and how to connect with Gen Z.

Speaker: Gary Campbell | Founder, WineView, The Workforce Evolution

Employee Performance Management encompasses effective structure, communication, consistency and fairness. When conducted properly, it impacts the organization, individual departments, and every employee. It drives systems and processes attempting to build products and/or services with results that have value.

• What is the role of the Supervisor in managing this vital human resource program during a pandemic?
• How can HR professionals ensure an effective program?
• What differences need to be considered?
• Does anything remain the same?

Speaker: Joshua A. Sky, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP | President, The Sky’s The Limit Consulting, Inc.

Employee handbooks are an important tool in establishing company culture through the use and implementation of various company policies. During this session, we will discuss what are considered the essential employment policies for any employee handbook. Essential employment policies which will be covered including the EEO policy, attendance policy, vacation policy, cell phone use policies, and harassment and discrimination policies among others. We will also discuss common employment policies which may serve as the basis for an unfair labor practice claim under the federal National Labor Relations Act if not drafted properly.

Speaker: Philip J. Siegel | Member/Shareholder, Hendrick, Phillips, Salzman & Siegel, P.C.

Participants will learn the newest strategies in preventing COVID-19 litigation, how the new conservative US Supreme Court will affect HR and HR laws, how the federal government is making it easier for companies to classify workers as 1099 independent contractors instead of as employees and how courts are making it easier for smaller companies to avoid discrimination lawsuits.

Additionally, there will be more general employment law updates that confirm previous court holdings so that attendees can confirm that what they are presently doing is correct.

Speaker: John P. Hagan | Managing Attorney, Hagan Law Group LLC

Are you an HR practitioner fighting the good fight in a small or mid-sized business? Are you a department of one? Do you ever feel like no one understands what you deal with? Does it seem like all of the industry talk is geared toward big business? This session is for you!

Lack of technology, minimal budget, managers stuck in the past – we will cover it all. In this session parody of Bravo’s The Real Housewives series, we will identify the greatest HR challenges in small business and discuss practical, economical solutions. Even in small business, you can be a strategic partner!

Speaker: Christie Engler | Director of HR Client Services, Consolidated Employer Services

The power to change your life and the lives of others depends on the degree of your influence. Without influence success is impossible. However, one need not be famous or be in a high-profile position to be a person of influence. Each person, whether they intend it or not is an influencer.

Everyone influences others. Whenever your life connects with another person, you exert influence. Everything you do -at home, at work, or at play- has an impact on the lives around you. No matter what your goals are in life, you can achieve them more effectively and efficiently and the contribution you make can be longer lasting if you learn to increase your influence. This program will equip you with 10 universal principles and empower you to positively impact the lives of those around you.

John Maxwell says, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” Becoming a person of influence is not an instantaneous process. It takes time, effort, and the practice of certain behaviors. In this interactive session attendees will learn simple, insightful ways to interact more positively with others, and then watch their personal and organizational success go off the charts! With influence you can achieve success at work, at home, and in every area of life. Want to become a person of influence? Join us for this session.

Speaker: Ed Krow, SPHR, CCP, SHRM-SCP | Talent Transformation Expert, Ed Krow, LLC

Great teams require great leaders. And great leaders pour love into their talent. It may feel weird to bring up love in business, but it’s the cornerstone of commitment, relationships, teams, and growth, so it’s time we talked about it. If you’re ready to see dramatic performance and development gains in your teams, this session is for you.

Speaker: James Robilotta | Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), James and Tina LLC

The recruiting world today is nothing that we have seen before. Companies are navigating the uncertainty and ambiguity with the future of work and the future of their company. When you are looking for solutions for new challenges, design thinking provides you with a method that creates creative ideas and solutions that are both human and business focused. Design thinking is the method that can help talent acquisition professionals from recruiters to leaders come up with new ideas and solutions to move their organizations forward.

In order to understand design thinking, you must do design thinking. This session will be hands on. The group will start with understanding how to create a challenge statement, “what might we” question focused on the future of hiring and move into the ideation phrase where the group will experience a brainstorming session and finally prototyping. By the end, the group will see how fast & creative you can be with utilizing design thinking methodology.

Speaker: Jodi Brandstetter, SPHR, SHRM SCP | Chief Talent Strategist and Author, Lean Effective Talent Strategies LLC

As a human resources community, it’s imperative that we are agile and ready to adapt to the ever-changing environment around us. That when met with uncertainty, we can rely on our judgment and empathy, and pivot our strategies to care for our employees, our candidates and each other, to maintain a strong employer brand.

Join employer brand leaders Alex Her, Noelle Holdsworth and Holland McCue, for a discussion around building and fostering an agile employer brand in our February chapter meeting. During this panel, they will share their experiences building agility in a company’s brand from the onset, to strategies to successfully pivot in times of uncertainty.

Speakers:

• Holland McCue | Sr. Manager, Strategic Sourcing & Talent Marketing, Delta Air Lines
• Noelle Holdsworth | Director of Talent Acquisition, Sourcing & Recruitment Marketing, Sutherland
• Alex Her | Global Talent Attraction and Employer Brand Manager, Acoustic

The annual talent review is often an overwhelming process for HRBP’s and HRM’s. This session will help HR professionals reinforce talent topics year round and introduce mechanisms that create clarity and consistency throughout the organization

Speaker: Diamara DeSouza, MHRM, SHRM-CP | Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Amazon

Technology is changing the way we work, providing mobility and, through the internet of things, reducing our cognitive load so we have more mindshare for our work. The technology tools we use to get those benefits have implications for office design.

This presentation provides an overview of how organizations can improve the fit between employee and technology. By understanding the psychological toll of technology and providing various ergonomic tools that support people as they use technology. Through understanding some of the physical, social, and cognitive issues related to the use of these tools, and by designing based on the needs of people and their work activities early in the design process, organizations can improve employee health, engagement, and productivity for employees wherever they work.

Speaker: Kibibi Springs, I-O Psychologist (Ph.D. Candidate), CEAS I | Workplace Wellbeing Knowledge Lead, Herman Miller

This presentation will educate attendees as to the unique challenges in working with millennials by unpacking their shared experiences and studying their world view along with a discussion of the variances in their pattern of substance abuse. Attendees will learn new ways in which to understand, connect with, and support the millennial generation. This presentation is tailored to the needs of the employer and HR professionals as they balance the needs of the workplace and the employee population.

Speaker: Joseph Gorordo, LCDC | Vice President of Business Development, Recovery Unplugged

People skills are important, but if you want people to really value your ideas and insights, trust your judgment and leadership and leverage your talents, you need to show you can think like a business professional who also has expertise in HR. Learn how to seize opportunities, evaluate costs against a value proposition, prevent problems early on (and quickly solve ones that do arise), and present the business case for changes you want to make in your organization. Transform your thinking and the business around you by learning this decision-making process and how it relates to successfully presenting your ideas.

Speaker: Joe Rotella CVO, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPBA | Chief Value Officer, Delphia Consulting, LLC

API is a pretty common term . . . for technology teams. But it’s getting real in the HR space, in many cases becoming a critical component of the HR technology stacks. APIs can be a relatively simple way to solve for some HR must-have’s. In this session, digital expert Maria Hayes will help de-mystify APIs and explain how they can be leveraged to help improve HR processes. The session will also share how APIs can help evolve HR reporting, address common HR process pain points and integrate quickly into ATS and HCMs – in many cases improving HR practitioner capabilities often without requiring significant technology resources, training disruptions or investments.

Speaker: Maria Hayes | Vice President, Digital Strategy