How to Become an Employee Whisperer: What Every Manager Should Know About Human Nature
Instructor:
David Lee
David Lee
Friday
June
20
2025
10:00 AM PDT | 01:00 PM EDT
Duration:
90 Minutes
Webinar ID: 75524
Live: One Dial-in One Attendee
Corporate Live: Any number of participants
Recorded: Access recorded version, only for one participant unlimited viewing for 6 months ( Access information will be emailed 24 hours after the completion of live webinar)
Corporate Recorded: Access recorded version, Any number of participants unlimited viewing for 6 months ( Access information will be emailed 24 hours after the completion of live webinar)
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This activity has been approved for
1.5 HR
(General) recertification credit
HRTraininngs is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.
?
1-hour educational program = 1 PDC.
1-hour and 15 minute concurrent conference session = 1.25 PDCs.
3-hour e-learning course = 3 PDCs.
Overview: 1-hour and 15 minute concurrent conference session = 1.25 PDCs.
3-hour e-learning course = 3 PDCs.
Managers at all levels often find themselves frustrated and perplexed by similar employee issues:
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of initiative
- Workplace drama
- Resistance to change
- Difficulty retaining talent
While there are a variety of root causes for any of these issues, there is one unifying theme: understanding human nature-"what makes people tick"-enables you to understand why employees do what they do and how to bring out the best in them.
When you understand human nature, you become like Ceasar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, except for humans.
Because Ceasar Millan understands "dog nature," he can take a dog whose owner finds frustrating and problematic and turn that dog into a model citizen and “high performer.”
Why?
Because the dog’s owner doesn't understand "canine nature" and Ceaser does.
Instead of being frustrated and puzzled why employees don't care as much as you wish, or work as hard as you need them to, or if you find it hard to find and keep quality employees crack the human nature code and become an Employee Whisperer.
Why you should Attend:
- Get the best work-both quality and quantity-out of your employees
- Help employees embrace, rather than resist, change
- Foster initiative and discretionary effort
- Get greater buy-in for your decisions
- Avoid employee relation landmines that result in high turnover or lawsuits
- Reduce complaining and drama
Areas Covered in the Session:
- What core human needs play a central role in employee satisfaction and engagement; neglect these and you get disengagement and turnover, satisfy these and you get a highly engaged, highly productive workforce
- Why the hard-wired need for control-or more accurately-to NOT feel helpless is arguably the most important facet of human nature that needs to inform decision-making, strategy implementation, feedback delivery, and promoting initiative
- How lack of initiative and apathy are often signs of Learned Helplessness and how to combat this
- The difference between stress that invigorates and stress that leads to overwhelm and burnout
- What peak performers know about the mind/body connection and how to use that to boost your energy level and mood for sustainable high levels of performance and to be at your best when it matters most
- How negative stress compromises brain function and how that influences an employee’s response to organizational change, feedback, corporate messaging, ability to innovate, and engage in mature, productive conversations
- How to use the concept of Cues of Threat and Cues of Safety, from Polyvagal Theory to become more effective in delivering hard-to-hear feedback and bring up difficult issues, and creating Psychological Safety
- What the fields of neuroeconomics and medical malpractice reveal about humans primal reaction to being treated unfairly and its implications for leaders and their communication style
Who Will Benefit:
- Managers
- Directors
- Senior Level Executives
Speaker Profile
David Lee , the founder of HumanNature@Work, is an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of employee engagement and performance. He is the author of over 150 articles and book chapters that have been published in trade journals and books in the US, Europe, India, Australia, and China, as well as the books Dealing with a Difficult Co-Worker and Powerful Storytelling Techniques (published by ASTD Press).
In addition to his research and work with both struggling and “best in class” organizations, David Lee’s work draws from a wide range of scientific disciplines including cognitive neuroscience, anthropology, psychoneuroimmunology, trauma and resilience research, and paleopsychology.
Taking this research which typically doesn’t find its way into the business world, David translates these principles of human nature into practical leadership and managerial strategies that optimize employee performance. To capture the impact understanding human nature makes, David borrows from the popular TV show The Dog Whisperer, and explains “Understanding human nature helps you become a People Whisperer, and by doing so, dramatically improves your ability to get the best results from others (and yourself).” Recently, his work on what makes organizations resilient and employees perform at their best has focused on the central role productive relationships and productive conversations have on these outcomes, with this being the take away message:
“Every better business result you want requires having a better conversation.”
Taking this research which typically doesn’t find its way into the business world, David translates these principles of human nature into practical leadership and managerial strategies that optimize employee performance. To capture the impact understanding human nature makes, David borrows from the popular TV show The Dog Whisperer, and explains “Understanding human nature helps you become a People Whisperer, and by doing so, dramatically improves your ability to get the best results from others (and yourself).” Recently, his work on what makes organizations resilient and employees perform at their best has focused on the central role productive relationships and productive conversations have on these outcomes, with this being the take away message:
“Every better business result you want requires having a better conversation.”