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Figure out if ELE is for you. Straight answers on what ELE is, who it’s built for, and how contributing members actually work together. Still have a question? Contact us.

LAK Group

Human Synergistics

Session Focus: <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/angie-zeigler">Angie Zeigler</a> will build on the foundation of the Chicago keynote to explore in greater depth why values often fail to translate into behavior. She will lead a peer discussion on identifying the cultural forces that quietly accelerate or undermine performance.
For talent leaders, the biggest culture risk isn’t unclear values—it’s the widening gap between the values on the wall and the behaviors employees experience every day.
In this follow-up live discussion, Angie Zeigler, head of culture practice with LAK Group, builds on the Human Synergistics keynote to explore why well-intentioned values initiatives stall—and what actually drives culture change at scale. Drawing on decades of research and real organizational data, Angie shares practical stories of how organizations that prioritize and reward specific, constructive behaviors are significantly more successful in closing the engagement gap.
This discussion is designed for leaders who want to move beyond culture statements and into the real work of aligning values, behaviors, and results.
Human Synergistics' research makes visible what most leaders sense—but struggle to diagnose.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44495" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CHIE2025-Kern-Keynote-80-vs-25-percent-slide.jpg" alt="Michael Kern presenting a slide showing a contrast between “&gt;80%” and “&lt;25%” to illustrate gaps between stated values and lived behaviors." width="1920" height="1133" />
What this data reveals is uncomfortable—but actionable. Most organizations believe they are values-driven, yet fewer than a quarter consistently experience those values in daily work. That gap isn’t cultural “noise”—it’s a performance signal.
In this discussion, leaders will examine how everyday behaviors, systems, and incentives quietly reinforce—or undermine—the culture they say they want, and where small, targeted shifts can create outsized impact.
Who Should Join
This discussion is designed for leaders responsible for shaping culture, performance, and behavior at scale—across HR, talent, learning, and the business. If you’re wrestling with gaps between stated values and what actually gets rewarded, or trying to understand which behaviors accelerate performance—and which quietly undermine it—you’ll be in good company.

How This Works
Each discussion runs for 50 minutes and blends a short framing insight with open, peer-driven exchange.
There are no slides to sit through and no pitches—just focused conversation designed to surface what’s working, what’s not, and what leaders are trying next as culture and performance collide in real organizations.

Join the ELE Conversation
These every-other-Friday discussions are part of ELE’s ongoing peer exchange for leaders shaping talent and work in the AI era. Come ready to listen, contribute, and learn alongside peers testing ideas in real organizations and sharing what they’re learning.
Recordings are posted to <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights">ELE Insights</a> within 2–4 business days.

From Values to Behavior: Navigating Superheroes and Saboteurs

single-event

future of work

Your Teams

Learning Circles

digital transformation

innovation

angie.zeigler

upskilling

performance improvement

talent development

Complimentary

online event

complimentary event

Culture Change

employee engagement

collaboration

accountability

Performance Improvement

Engagement &amp; Culture

continuous learning

reskilling

L&amp;D

matt.sernaker

organizational culture

HR leaders

AI in HR

Strategic HR

workplace adaptation

knowledge sharing

Culture Transformation

Values Alignment

actionable insights

practical strategies

employee trust

practical insights

leadership behavior

cindy.pinkstaffmiller

cathleen.cooke

1Q2026

performance culture

cultural diagnostic data

targeted intervention

organizational systems

HR processes

culture risk

culture reality check

AI and learning

AI reskilling

reframing hr

An organization’s culture will either accelerate its strategy or quietly erode it. Too often, executive teams believe they know the culture—but their perception doesn’t match the day-to-day reality experienced by employees. That disconnect creates risk, stalls momentum, and undermines credibility.

This breakout session tackles the challenge head-on. Together, we’ll explore what happens when the executive team is out of sync with the current state culture and how to align them to confidently shape the future state. The session will emphasize both courage and accountability—helping leaders validate today’s reality, unify around tomorrow’s vision, and activate new cultural beliefs and behaviors across the enterprise.

By the end of this session, participants will:
<ol>
 	<li>Validate and Verify Reality – Learn approaches to help executive teams see the true current state of the culture through evidence, feedback, and honest dialogue.</li>
 	<li>Unify Around the Future State – Discover methods to bring leaders together around a compelling cultural vision and the specific behaviors required to achieve it.</li>
 	<li>Activate Across the Organization – Gain tools to cascade and reinforce new cultural beliefs and behaviors, ensuring they are embedded at every level of the business.</li>
</ol>
This session focuses on guiding leaders from assumptions to clarity, from division to alignment, and from intent to bold, cultural action.

Bridging the Culture Gap

Strategy

michael.grubich

suzanne.sherry

Change Management

employee experience

CHIE2025

strategy execution

culture gap

executive alignment

culture strategy

leadership accountability

cultural beliefs

unified vision

cascading change

future state culture

Lead Belay

By 2030, the workplace will be unrecognizable: AI will be a teammate, automated workflows will handle routine tasks, and data will shape every decision. In this reality, the only sustainable competitive advantage is not technology, but the unique, non-replicable humanity of your workforce.

This powerful and deeply personal keynote addressed the most urgent question facing senior leaders: How do we successfully lead when machines can mimic empathy and analyze performance, yet cannot truly feel or connect?

Drawing from his own journey of profound personal change, Mike Kester validated the truth that the most effective leaders in the age of automation are those who help us tap into what makes us most human.

The keynote leveraged the context of the Ideal Culture Profile to reveal that as AI assumes more of the cognitive load, human performance is increasingly driven by three powerful, deeply human forces that leaders must intentionally cultivate:
<ol start="1">
 	<li>Fear (and the Courage to Face It Together): Creating a culture of psychological safety where employees can confront the disruption and rapid obsolescence of skills without professional paralysis.</li>
 	<li>Purpose: Providing the meaning that ensures work feels worth doing, connecting daily tasks back to a mission that transcends automation.</li>
 	<li>Love (and Deep Care): Fostering the organizational care that awakens the best in people, transforming teams into resilient, connected networks designed to innovate.</li>
</ol>
The keynote challenged leaders on how their Ideal Culture Profile must evolve when machines are teammates, not just tools. This talk examined cultural shifts—from human–AI collaboration to data-informed leadership—and highlighted one bold pivot leaders can make now to ensure their culture stays ahead of the curve.

The culture that thrives won't avoid disruption; it will channel it into trust, reskilling, and innovation.

Leading with Humanity in the Age of AI

Future of Work

Leadership

mike.kester

leadership development

Talent Strategy

psychological safety

competitive advantage

human AI collaboration

Workforce Resilience

innovation culture

Purpose-Driven Work

AI era

data informed leadership

eading with humanity

courage in leadership

emotional connection

ideal culture profile

UL Solutions

Burns Bright Consulting

In this 45-minute panel discussion, Jennifer Rainey will moderate a discussion on exploring how belonging fuels engagement, innovation, and wellbeing for the next generation. Through a dynamic conversation we’ll examine how leaders can intentionally design cultures where people flourish—and where leadership itself becomes sustainable.

What if thriving at work came down to two simple shifts—leading with love and living with intention? Drawing inspiration from The Power of Love in Business and All In! The 28-Day Reset, this discussion explores how trust, courage, and compassion create high-performing, resilient teams. Expect to walk away with “Seven to Heaven” principles and small daily resets you can apply immediately to strengthen belonging and wellbeing across your organization.

📚 Related Readings:
<ul>
 	<li><a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/becoming-a-human-organization-transforming-work-touching-lives" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Becoming a Human Organization, Transforming Work, Touching Lives | ELE Group</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/the-power-of-love-in-business-12-principles-to-help-you-and-your-business-thrive" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Power of Love in Business: 12 Principles to Help You and Your Business Thrive | ELE Group</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/all-in-the-28-day-reset" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">All In! The 28 Day Reset: A Daily Commitment to Being at Your Best | ELE Group</a></li>
</ul>

Becoming a Human Organization | Simple Shifts for Transforming Work and Touching Lives

azizeh.constantinescu

belonging

wellbeing

HR Strategy

leadership principles

Talent Retention

Sustainable Leadership

High Performing Teams

owen.burns

ali.glaser

human organization

senior HR leaders

compassionate leadership

intentional design

For senior HR and Talent leaders, the single biggest culture risk isn't a lack of declared values—it's the massive, draining gap between the values on the wall and the behaviors on the floor. This misalignment actively undermines performance and erodes employee trust, creating a confusing and exhausting work environment.

In this practical, research-backed session, Michael Kern, Consulting Director at Human Synergistics, leveraged over 40 years of groundbreaking culture research to reveal a hard truth: Your organizational systems and leaders' everyday behaviors, not your mission statement, are the true curriculum for your culture.
<h3>Essential Takeaways for Aligning Culture and Performance:</h3>
<ul>
 	<li>The Culture Reality Check: Attendees moved beyond surface-level surveys to understand the deep, diagnostic data that reveals the gap between the "Ideal" (what people value for success) and the "Current" (what people actually experience). You can't change what you can't measure with precision.</li>
 	<li>Identifying Superheroes and Saboteurs: Michael provided a framework for senior leaders to identify the forces—both people and organizational policies—that are either driving the desired culture ("Superheroes") or actively undermining it ("Saboteurs"). This is the critical step to move from generalized observation to targeted systemic intervention.</li>
 	<li>The Three-Part Alignment Strategy: The session detailed the essential alignment needed to bridge the values gap, focusing on:
<ol start="1">
 	<li>Leadership Behaviors: Shifting from mere approval of values to actively modeling the desired culture every day.</li>
 	<li>Organizational Systems: Revising HR processes, recognition programs, and performance management to reward value-aligned actions.</li>
 	<li>Values: Ensuring the stated values are clear, actionable, and connected to business outcomes.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
This keynote was a powerful call to action for leaders ready to stop declaring their values and start living them, creating a truly congruent, high-performing organizational culture that drives measurable results.

Reconnecting Values to Culture | Navigating the World of Superheroes and Saboteurs

michael.kern

Culture isn’t a poster on the wall—it’s the unwritten rules shaping every decision, every hire, and every exit. In her keynote at the Milwaukee Talent Development Conference 2025, “Culture Shift: Navigating Constant Change Management Using Better Assessments,” <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/shelley-smith">Shelley Smith</a> (Managing Director, LAK Group) challenged us to confront an uncomfortable truth: most culture efforts fail not from lack of effort—but from fuzzy alignment and wishful thinking.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-43036" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Afternoon-Keynote-Shelley-Smith.jpg" alt="Culture Shift - Navigating Constant Change Management Using Better Assessments" width="632" height="352" />

This interactive session explores how advanced, science-based assessments can provide clear insights into leadership agility, team dynamics, cultural alignment, and individual readiness, enabling leaders to proactively manage a dynamic workplace and workforce.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-43038" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Afternoon-Keynote-Culture-with-Shelley-Smith.jpg" alt="Culture Shift - Navigating Constant Change Management Using Better Assessments" width="634" height="351" />
If your culture work feels performative, here’s what Shelley says you’re missing:
🔥 5 High-Impact Moves from Shelley Smith:

<ul data-start="1699" data-end="2389">
 	<li data-start="1699" data-end="1848">
📊 Get brutally honest with assessments: Skip the assumptions. Let the data surface the gap between leadership narratives and employee reality.
</li>
 	<li data-start="1849" data-end="1983">
🚀 Train leaders to see their blind spots: Culture shifts when leaders model the future—starting with their own micro-behaviors.
</li>
 	<li data-start="1984" data-end="2106">
🔄 Redefine ‘change’ as human transition: Change is logistics. Transition is mindset. One sticks, the other doesn’t.
</li>
 	<li data-start="2107" data-end="2248">
🧠 Use neuroscience to rewire habits: Repetition and coaching create new neural pathways. It’s not fluff—it’s how transformation works.
</li>
 	<li data-start="2249" data-end="2389">
🧩 Hardwire culture into your talent stack: Recruitment, onboarding, succession—they’re not separate from culture, they are culture.
</li>
</ul>
Shelley didn’t talk about culture as a vibe—she talked about it as an operating system.
💡Want to lead real transformation? Start with the truth, invest in the brain, and make leaders your culture’s architects—not just its mouthpieces.

Culture Shift - Navigating Constant Change Management Using Better Assessments

talent management

shelley.smith

talent assessment

workplace transformation

Team Dynamics

executive coaching

wise2025

culture shift

leadership agility

cultural alignment

individual readiness

dynamic workplace

workforce management

science-based assessments

proactive management

talent identification

neuroscience in HR

HR assessments

culture alignment

transition management

CNA Insurance

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions

Session Focus: Harnessing AI to Connect Learning with Strategic Business Execution (Use Case: Zurn/Elkay Culture Building Post M&amp;A)


This ELE Experience offered senior HR and talent leaders an immersive, hands-on look at how generative AI—specifically Microsoft Copilot—can bridge the gap between learning initiatives and business strategy.

As organizations continue to evolve—through mergers, digital transformation, or shifts in workforce expectations—talent leaders are expected to do more than manage programs. We're being asked to deliver strategic value that shapes culture, enables leadership, and drives execution.

That’s why the theme of our May 8 AI Practical Lab, “Aligning Learning with Organizational Goals,” resonated so strongly.
<blockquote>"We’re rebalancing our efforts—performance goals matter, but how we lead matters just as much." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jenny-heitman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenny Heitman</a>, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions</blockquote>
We were especially excited to welcome <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jenny-heitman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenny Heitman</a> from Zurn Elkay, who shared a real-world case study on rebuilding engagement and leadership alignment post-merger. Her example, paired with The Capability Blueprint from our Insights archive, created a simple but powerful framework for strategic alignment:

<img class="aligncenter" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Capability-Blueprint.jpg" alt="" width="793" height="558" />

As we prompted Copilot using The Capability Blueprint, the combination became a practical guide to drive focused action and business impact.

For those who couldn’t join us live, here are three questions we encourage you to explore with your team:
<ol>
 	<li>What do we want to be? -- Clarify your business strategy—your north star that defines purpose and direction.</li>
 	<li>How do we get there? -- Look at it through multiple lenses:
<ul>
 	<li>People (culture, organization, and competency)</li>
 	<li>Process (workflow and efficiency)</li>
 	<li>Technology (tools, applications, and delivery vehicles)</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>How do we know when we’re there? -- Define meaningful performance metrics that demonstrate impact and progress.</li>
</ol>
Let’s keep the momentum going. If you'd like to dive deeper into any of these areas.

This wasn’t a theoretical discussion—it was a practical lab. With support from Jason Davis, Behati Hart, and Peter Hogaboam, participants learned how to:
<ul>
 	<li>Use Microsoft Copilot to structure a learning strategy,</li>
 	<li>Align behaviors with values across job families, and</li>
 	<li>Generate measurable outcomes that matter to the business.</li>
</ul>
As Peter reminded us, success with AI starts with a mindset shift:
<blockquote>"Try things. Be curious. Upload a document. Ask how AI would approach the problem. That’s where the value shows up." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/peter-hogaboam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Hogaboam</a>, CNA Insurance</blockquote>
<h2 class="" data-start="1895" data-end="1939">🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways for HR Talent Leaders</h2>
<ol data-start="1941" data-end="2488">
 	<li class="" data-start="1941" data-end="2093">
Behavioral Alignment Is the Real Culture Work Strategy alone isn’t enough—behavioral consistency across roles is what brings change to life.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2095" data-end="2296">
AI Enhances Strategic Clarity and Speed Generative AI, when fed with the right context, can accelerate the creation of blueprints, surface KPIs, and shape actionable learning interventions.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2298" data-end="2488">
Inclusion + Peer Collaboration Drive Sustainable Change Engaging employees in co-creating expectations and collaborating across companies fuels belonging, creativity, and buy-in.
</li>
</ol>

<hr class="" data-start="2490" data-end="2493" />

<h2 class="" data-start="2495" data-end="2538">🛠️ 5 Practical Actions You Can Take Now</h2>
<ol data-start="2540" data-end="3530">
 	<li class="" data-start="2540" data-end="2735">
Reinforce Core Values at Every Level Map how your values show up in each job family. Use AI tools to draft behavioral guides tailored to functions like marketing, operations, or tech.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2737" data-end="2950">
Train Teams on Prompting and Contextual AI Use Encourage your HR and L&amp;D teams to experiment with uploading docs and using AI to synthesize strategic plans, build personas, and generate learning paths.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2952" data-end="3156">
Use ‘How Might We’ Questions to Drive Engagement Reframe initiatives as design prompts (e.g., “How might we build accountability into everyday work?”) to spark ideation and shared ownership.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="3158" data-end="3336">
Co-Create Success Metrics With Business Leaders Define what winning looks like with key stakeholders first, then build learning solutions that support those outcomes.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="3338" data-end="3530">
Host Peer-Led AI Practice Labs Create safe, vendor-free spaces for your team or community to test tools like Copilot, ChatGPT, or Claude. Share results, iterate together, and grow.
</li>
</ol>
This session underscored a vital shift in our field: the future of learning and development isn’t just about content or delivery—it’s about orchestrating behavior change at scale. AI can help, but it’s still the human insight that drives impact.
As HR talent leaders, we’re at a unique inflection point—where the tools are powerful, the expectations are high, and the opportunity to lead through innovation has never been greater.
Are we ready to challenge our understanding and integrate AI in ways that not only meet but advance our strategic goals?
Let’s keep learning—together and share your journey on <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ELE Idea Exchange</a>.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42837" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/For-The-Culture-Book-Cover.jpg" alt="For The Culture (Collins, 2024)" width="348" height="522" />
<a title="I Bullseye Tactics For Non-Technical Business Leader" href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/for-the-culture">For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be</a>

<blockquote>"You shouldn’t be afraid of AI taking your job, but you should be afraid of someone who knows how to use AI taking your job." - <a href="https://www.learningexecutive.com/members/mike-kester">Mike Kester</a></blockquote>

✨ AI Practical Lab: Aligning Learning with Organizational Goals

Digital &amp; AI

dirk.tussing

jason.davis

Adding Value

betty.hart

organizational effectiveness

learning and development

jenny.heitman

peter.hogaboam

learning trends

ChatGPT

AI tools

HR Innovation

HR future

GenAI

Workforce Strategy

generative AI

talent-talk

behavioral change

ai practical lab

Build a book

erin.joslin

Business Alignment

2Q2025

laura.sandera

rhonda.sharp

The author of The Talent Code unlocks the secrets of highly successful groups and provides tomorrow’s leaders with the tools to build a cohesive, motivated culture.

“A truly brilliant, mesmerizing read that demystifies the magic of great groups.”—Adam Grant, author of Think Again

A BLOOMBERG AND LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Where does great culture come from? How do you build and sustain it in your group, or strengthen a culture that needs fixing?

In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world’s most successful organizations—including the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team Six, IDEO, and the San Antonio Spurs—and reveals what makes them tick. He demystifies the culture-building process by identifying three key skills that generate cohesion and cooperation, and explains how diverse groups learn to function with a single mind. Drawing on examples that range from Internet retailer Zappos to the comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade to a daring gang of jewel thieves, Coyle offers specific strategies that trigger learning, spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change. Coyle unearths helpful stories of failure that illustrate what not to do, troubleshoots common pitfalls, and shares advice about reforming a toxic culture. Combining leading-edge science, on-the-ground insights from world-class leaders, and practical ideas for action, The Culture Code offers a roadmap for creating an environment where innovation flourishes, problems get solved, and expectations are exceeded.

Culture is not something you are—it’s something you do. The Culture Code puts the power in your hands. No matter the size of your group or your goal, this book can teach you the principles of cultural chemistry that transform individuals into teams that can accomplish amazing things together.

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