Conference Agenda

In this keynote, bestselling author, positive psychology expert, and executive coach, Stella Grizont, will discuss the latest research in the science of happiness and how it applies to the workplace, so that one can be most engaged, energized, and on purpose at work.
Stella will share simple tools to help you and your employees:

• Manage thoughts and emotions to bolster positivity, resilience, and focus despite setbacks
• Understand the mechanics of engagement and how to optimize productivity
• Connect more deeply in relationships to feel seen, understood, and appreciated
• Experience more meaning and purpose in everyday life without making dramatic changes
• Clarify what you really, really want and how to achieve fulfilling success

Join Chris Elliott, CRO at BizLibrary and Justin Jones-Fosu, author and keynote speaker, as they discuss Justin's new book (and series with BizLibrary!), "I Respectfully Disagree." In addition to discussing how to facilitate respectful discussions, Justin and Chris will also field questions from the audience and answer them live!

Join Mike Gutman as he discusses the importance of creating and maintaining a flexible work environment and how it can positively impact employee engagement, retention, and wellness.
He'll discuss:

• Strategies for empowering managers
• Best practices for setting up policies
• How flexibility and wellness are intertwined
• What a top down and bottom up approach looks like

Effective Learning and Development programs are crucial for equipping teams with the skills and knowledge needed to drive success. And the key to a truly impactful L&D initiative lies in strategic planning. Join BizLibrary's Best in the Biz Award Winners, as they share their own experiences and discuss:

• How to align your L&D strategy with your company's mission, vision, and goals
• Methods for identifying key business drivers and translating them into actionable learning initiatives that support long-term success
• The importance of thorough needs assessments and gap analyses to identify skill gaps and development opportunities
• Tips for gathering and analyzing data to ensure your programs address real needs

Company culture is the best way to attract, retain, and motivate employees. In other words, an inclusive and respectful company culture is a competitive advantage. So how do you get there? Attend this session to learn real, tangible, and actionable steps to building a better workplace culture using Civility Partners’ proven method for positive culture change.
At the end of this presentation, you will be able to:

• Confidently discuss the similarities and differences in bullying and harassment, and bullying and workplace violence
• Understand negative behaviors as a social phenomenon that includes peers, leaders, and the organization’s culture
• Conduct a simple survey to gain understanding of your company culture
• Create an action plan to build a positive workplace culture and track progress
• Use the three steps of intervention to help abrasive leaders change their ways

Are you looking to create an onboarding program that not only welcomes new employees but also sets them up for long-term success? Join Carli as she discusses how to build an onboarding program that will enhance the employee experience, foster relationship building, boost engagement, and drive employee retention.
In this session, you will learn:

• Key components of an effective employee onboarding program
• Strategies for building a program that is engaging, informative, and even fun
• Creative ways to integrate your new hires into the company culture
• How to measure the success of your onboarding program
• Resources that can help streamline the process while creating an experience that leaves a lasting positive impact on your new employees and your organization

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming industries and reshaping job roles, and the spotlight for training and development has shifted to technical skills and digital proficiency. However, amid these advancements, the significance of soft skills—such as communication, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking—becomes more important than ever.
In this session, you will:

• Learn how these human-centric skills foster stronger relationships, effective teamwork, and innovative problem-solving
• Gain insights into how developing soft skills can future-proof your career, making you more adaptable to evolving job markets and emerging technologies
• Discover the types of programs that can positively influence your organization and help create authentic interactions

In the world of HR, self-investment often takes a backseat. But when a RIF or reorg hits, the lack of a robust network and supportive community can make the road ahead not just challenging, but isolating. It’s time to change that narrative. By investing in relationships with those who are equally invested in your growth, you’re not just securing your current role—you’re fortifying your future. Your company may be the here and now, but your HR community is the bridge to long-term success and belonging. Don't wait until you need it—start building your community today.

Join the BizLibrary leadership team for a discussion on what's to come for BizLibrary products in 2025 and beyond. During this conversation, they'll discuss upcoming trends in the L&D space, as well as how we're leveraging AI in our product to create value, drive learner engagement & create ease of use for both learners and administrators. We'll dive into what organizations need to be thinking about to stay competitive, as well as how to leverage learning and development to retain talent.

The leaders at the frontline of your organization are one of the highest leverage points for achieving greater results. Their ability to lead impacts nearly every important measure of organizational success – from retention to revenue. In this interactive and practical session leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry will help you see the value of these leaders and give you three specific strategies to help you develop them more effectively.
At the end of the fast-paced 30 minute session, you will be able to:

• Describe why new and frontline leaders are so important to your success
• Build a case for investing more in your new and frontline leaders
• Apply three strategies develop them more reliably and effectively

Join Melissa to explore the art of giving and receiving feedback, a key skill for HR and L&D leaders. This session covers different feedback types, emotional triggers, and strategies for navigating tough conversations to promote growth and development.
Key takeaways include:

• Identifying the various forms of feedback and when to use them
• Understanding common triggers that derail feedback conversations and strategies to manage them
• Best practices for giving constructive feedback that builds trust and encourages continuous improvement
• Approaches to creating a feedback-rich culture that promotes transparency and development within your organization

Join BizLibrary's Best in the Biz Award Winners as they discuss best practices for designing L&D programs that are engaging, relevant, and tailored to an organization's needs.
Our panelists will draw on their own experiences and share:

• How to leverage learning modalities and technologies to create a diverse and effective learning experience
• Strategies for setting clear objectives, measuring program effectiveness, and evaluating the return on investment
• Key metrics and evaluation methods that can help track progress and demonstrate the value of your programs to stakeholders
• Insights into fostering a culture that supports ongoing learning and development
• Ways to encourage employee engagement, promote a growth mindset, and integrate learning into everyday work

Join ThinkHuman for an interactive session on harnessing your ability to influence positive change in your organization and beyond. In this session, we'll discuss:

• Shifting your orientation from what you want to what matters to others and the importance of creating a collective vision
• How to strengthen your credibility and connect emotionally to your stakeholders
• Practical tools for elevating your ability to influence across the organization -- regardless of title or “formal” authority
• How to position what you’re asking for so that the decision maker is open to actively considering it
• Engaging in influence situations for the ‘long-game’ with high relationship quality

Learn how to work smarter (not harder) when building a program! We'll share best practices in building learning programs with BizLibrary products. We'll also share how to use key features plus why you'd want to use them to deliver engaging and effective learning programs.

As a former Chief People Officer, Adam knows firsthand that many HR and L&D leaders get into the profession with aspirations of doing purpose-driven work, only to be stuck in the doldrums of administrative tasks. But after conversations with over 1,000 senior HR & L&D leaders over the past decade, Adam has identified 5 traits that the top 5% of strategic leaders all share. In this dynamic presentation, Adam will share how to elevate your HR and L&D team’s function from administrative to strategic.
We’ll cover:

• The real meaning of strategic HR
• The 5 traits shared by the top 5% of strategic leaders
• Practical, real-world examples of how to implement those traits into your own function