Today’s performance systems were built for predictability, not neurodiversity. In this session, Joe Rotella and Elisa Judson challenge outdated feedback models and explore how organizations can evolve their approach to coaching and performance management to be more inclusive, human-centered, and effective. You'll discover why feedback so often fails, how traditional systems can create barriers for neurodivergent employees, and what it takes to build clarity, trust, and forward momentum. Through case studies, practical frameworks, and real-world shifts in language and mindset, they show how coaching can create safety, belonging, and alignment—without sacrificing accountability. The session offers tangible strategies to reframe [...]

If feedback only happens during reviews, or when something goes wrong, you’re not alone. But you're also not building the kind of culture that drives real growth. In this session, Joe Rotella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPBA, explores how to shift feedback from a reaction to a routine. We’ll look at the habits that help feedback land (and stick), why timing matters more than polish, and how positive reinforcement can be just as powerful as correction. Because when feedback becomes part of the way your team works — not just a performance fire alarm — it leads to clarity, trust, and [...]

Performance conversations often slip through the cracks, especially when schedules shift, meetings go virtual, or expectations are unclear. One-on-ones get delayed. Feedback becomes inconsistent. And what should be a steady rhythm turns into occasional noise. Join Joe Rotella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPBA, as he discusses how to bring structure and momentum back to performance conversations. We’ll look at how to adapt coaching and check-ins across different work settings, support managers in tackling difficult topics with confidence, and create space for meaningful two-way dialogue, including feedback that flows up the org chart, not just down. Whether in-person, remote, or somewhere in [...]

This October, we’re putting aside compliance checklists and credit hours to do something different: play. In this special 5th-Thursday session, we’ll roll up our sleeves and experiment with AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot in real time. Minimal slides, no stress... just an hour of hands-on exploration, creative prompts, and idea-sharing. Bring your own AI account (free or paid) and be ready to test out spooky HR scenarios, swap results with peers, and see firsthand how different platforms respond. From drafting haunted job descriptions to giving performance feedback to a vampire intern, we’ll have some Halloween fun while [...]

Accountability isn’t about pressure or blame. It’s about being clear, following through, and making expectations visible at every level. In this session, Joe Rotella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPBA, takes a close look at what it means to build accountability into everyday work. We’ll talk about how to help managers hold themselves and their teams to a standard without hovering, and how to keep expectations from drifting—especially in flexible or fast-moving environments. We’ll cover: Describing what accountability looks like in day-to-day performance management Recognizing how unclear expectations and poor follow-through create accountability gaps Using tools and conversation habits that help managers [...]

Data is everywhere: engagement scores, goal metrics, completion rates, peer feedback. But if that data never sparks a conversation, reinforces expectations, or leads to action, it's just another report collecting dust. This session explores what often gets overlooked as the metrics are gathered: the interpretation, the conversation, and the action that follows. Joe Rotella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPBA, will examine how HR can play a key role in helping managers move from passive reporting to active engagement. The focus is on using everyday performance data not just to monitor progress, but to reinforce expectations, spark timely dialogue, and make small [...]

Change is constant. The reaction to it is not. When change is introduced without enough clarity, people fill in the gaps themselves. That is when confusion grows, trust wavers, and momentum slows. Join Joe Rotella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPBA, for a practical 60-minute session focused on how HR and managers can support change in a way that reduces uncertainty and keeps people aligned. This session looks at how employees actually experience change, where communication tends to break down, and what leaders can do to make change more understandable at every level. We will walk through a simple framework that helps [...]

Rethinking the Link Between Reviews and Compensation It seems like most organizations connect performance management and compensation by design. Reviews lead to ratings. Ratings influence pay. The structure is familiar, but it also shapes how conversations happen, what gets said, and what gets avoided. In this 60-minute session, Joe Rotella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPBA, examines what happens when organizations begin to question that connection. We’ll explore how tying performance directly to pay can influence feedback, manager behavior, and employee expectations alongside what can change when that link is adjusted or separated. The session looks at both sides. In some [...]

How Organizational Friction Slows Performance Most performance problems don't appear overnight. They build gradually through unclear expectations, duplicated effort, rework, communication gaps, and competing priorities. Over time, these small points of friction consume time, drain energy, and make it harder for employees and teams to succeed. In this session, Joe Rotella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPBA, explores how seemingly minor performance challenges can compound into larger organizational issues. Rather than focusing solely on individual performance, we'll examine the systems, habits, and workplace conditions that create friction and slow progress. We’ll dive into the hidden costs of confusion, inconsistent follow-through, and [...]

From Panic to Pattern: Making Feedback Routine, Not Reactive Most managers don't avoid feedback because they don't care. They avoid it because they wait. They wait for more evidence. They wait for the right time. They hope the issue resolves itself. And by the time the conversation finally happens, frustration has built, employees are surprised, and what could have been a simple discussion becomes a difficult one. In this practical session, Joe Rotella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPBA, explores why feedback often breaks down, and not because managers lack skill, but because they lack a consistent pattern for having performance [...]

The Work Around the Work "Why Employees Spend So Much Time Doing Everything Except Their Actual Job" Every organization has work that creates value. Unfortunately, most organizations also have work that exists simply to support the work. Meetings to prepare for meetings. Reports that summarize other reports. Email chains to clarify previous email chains. Manual workarounds, duplicate data entry, and unnecessary approvals quietly consume time and attention every day. It never seems to end. Over time, these activities become part of "the way we do things," making them difficult to recognize and even harder to challenge. The result [...]