The 2008 sessions and speakers will be posted here throughout the month of May.

Keynote Address:
From Prominence to Prison: Dealing With Moral and Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace
Patrick J. Kuhse
President, Speaking of Ethics
Back by popular demand and overflowing with new insights, Patrick Kuhse will share several key lessons, warning signs and critical thinking errors that often lead to grave outcomes both in the workplace and in life. With masterful storytelling ability, Patrick will show how a series of seemingly unimportant decisions ultimately can prove to be the difference between personal integrity and eventual fraudulence. In this entertaining, illustrative and informative keynote presentation, Patrick will take you on his own personal journey - from a successful stockbroker with a loving family in San Diego to the jungles of Central America as an international fugitive to incarceration in two countries. Along the way, Mr. Kuhse will detail various measurements to use as an "early detection system" to determine when employee behavior is not in alignment with established ethical and organizational standards. In human resources, raising personal awareness of subtle and covert wrongdoing is essential for the prevention of deceit and the erosion of values. After all, each of us is faced with moral and ethical dilemmas in life; Mr. Kuhse will illustrate the preventive techniques and lessons learned to develop practical, constructive and effective strategies for lasting success.


Flexible Work Options: Building a Successful Initiative
Lori K. Long, Ph.D., SPHR
President, LK Consulting
Today's diverse workforce demands more balance between work life and personal life. Not all baby boomers are ready to retire, but many no longer want to work the traditional workweek either. Parents want more time with their families and disabled workers often require alterations to their work schedule or location. These and other societal trends create a demand for flexible work options. In response, many employers have discovered that offering flexibility in working arrangements can increase employee motivation, productivity and retention. Often, however, a conflicting company culture, untrained managers or poorly written policies lead flexible work initiatives to fail. This session will inform participants on the necessity and benefit of providing flexible work and will provide specific how-to on designing and implementing a successful flexible work initiative. From building the business case for flexibility to writing your flexible work policy, this session will provide you with the tools you need to get your flexible work initiative started.


Succession Planning
Tom Tomasula, Jr.
Senior Consultant & Trainer, Employers Resource Council (ERC)
Hiring and retaining a quality workforce continue to be among the top priorities for most organizations. As such, organizations invest significant resources to attract and hire top performers. However, very few organizations have developed or have even discussed succession planning for their critical positions and for their top performers. The fact is that every organization has or will have a key leader or top performer exit their organization. The future success of an organization is adversely impacted by not being prepared for such a key leader’s exit. The key question becomes, "What is your company doing to develop a succession plan to retain top performers?" Savvy and strategic HR professionals must have a plan to retain key employees and to mobilize the right talent to fill critical vacancies - quickly and effectively. This session will provide HR professionals with the financial business case for succession planning and retaining top performers while providing practical guidance and tools to establish a succession planning process that creates long-term success. Specifically, the session will focus on:
• Implementing succession planning.
• Managing the succession planning process.
• Long-term value of succession planning.



Creating Custom Learning in Varying Business Environments
Anahid V. Berberian
President, PerformingPeople Consulting, Inc.
Oftentimes, organizations find themselves facing the challenge of whether or not to design and develop custom learning. In making this decision, certain important questions come to mind: When is custom learning appropriate? How can a smaller organization create custom learning with limited resources or a tight budget? How have other organizations - both large and small - developed custom learning to work for them? Will the investment in custom learning pay off? This session will consider the options for custom learning that are available in varying business scenarios. Focusing on practical outcomes and providing real-life examples, participants will walk away from this presentation with actionable tactics and strategies. Discussion points will include:
• Tips and techniques for designing and developing custom learning across varying business environments.
• Different scenarios in which custom learning may and may not be the best answer.
• Methods that have proven to be successful in developing custom learning.
• Organizational barriers and success factors that HR and training professionals need to consider.


Plus these others . . .

Creating a Culture of Accountability
Jim Smith, SPHR
The Executive Happiness Coach & President, People Inc.



HR Metrics
Susan Pyles
Senior Consultant & Trainer, ERC



Wage & Hour Law Update
Robert S. Gilmore, Esq.
Partner, Kohrman Jackson & Krantz PLL



Trends in Compensation
Amy Petrus, SPHR
Senior Human Resources Consultant, ERC



Followership: The Other Half of Leadership
Amy B. Shannon
President, Pinnacle Leadership Solutions, LLP



The Pension Protection Act: Recent Legislative Updates
Tony Strittholt
Regional Vice President, Ameriprise Financial