October Chapter Meeting

Topic: The Midwest Nice Paradox: How Leaders Build High-Performance Cultures, Not Just Harmony

Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Time: 11:50 am - 1:00 pm

Format: 

• Virtual: Presentation streamed via Microsoft Teams 

Featured Speaker

Laura Janusik, PhD, MBA

Listening to Change, LLC

What You'll Learn

Are your most well-meaning employees quietly undermining productivity? In the pursuit of "Midwest Nice," many companies unknowingly allow conflict to fester, leading to passive aggression, unresolved tension, and higher turnover. Go beyond surface-level niceties to uncover the behavioral science behind this unique cultural dynamic. Learn to differentiate between performative "nice" and genuinely effective "kindness" to unlock a more transparent, high-trust workplace.

Leave with two immediately actionable strategies to elevate your conflict resolution from a perfunctory process to a powerful business driver. By transforming a potential weakness into a source of competitive advantage, you will not only foster psychological safety but also prove your value as a strategic HR leader.

This session breaks down:

• Diagnosing the root cause of why traditional conflict management programs fail to gain traction in Midwest corporate cultures

• Strategically leveraging the critical distinction between being "nice" and being "kind" to build a more resilient workforce

Agenda

• 11:50 AM – Virtual attendees join the Microsoft Teams meeting
• 11:55 AM – Chapter announcements + speaker introduction
• 12:00 PM – Presentation + Q&A

Recertification Credits

Pending

Registration Policy

• Registration deadline is Friday, October 23 at 12:00 pm
• Anyone may attend in place of an active BNHRC member
• Guests welcome ($15 guest fee due by registration deadline)
• First-time guests and potential new members attend free!
• Review our event payment policies

Questions?

Email us at hello@bnhrc.org