David Shar

"I need to be here. I can only be here. This is my happy place." Those were the words of a teenage employee at a Baltimore ice cream parlor on the morning her boyfriend was the victim of a violent crime. Her boss, Dr. David Shar, then the young owner of that Cold Stone Creamery, pulled her aside and told her that she should leave work to be with her family and friends during this difficult time... She refused. That moment launched a two-decade obsession. Why could inner-city youth find genuine meaning scooping ice cream, while so many of us in objectively meaningful work (teachers, nurses, HR professionals) dread Monday morning? And what happens when even our most passionate employees start to fall out of love with their work? David's original research is the first qualitative study ever conducted on work passion decline. What he found might surprise you. Passionate employees do not burn out suddenly. They fall out of love slowly, with warning signs most organizations completely miss. In this research-driven, humor-filled, authentically human keynote, David gives leaders a blueprint they can use immediately. Not to treat burnout after the fact, but to recognize and interrupt the quiet disengagement happening right now in their organizations. Key outcomes: - Walk away with a practical toolkit for catching passion decline early, having more honest conversations with your people, and protecting your greatest assets from becoming your greatest liabilities. - Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy forms of work passion, and learn how to create conditions that support one without accidentally fueling the other. - Understand what actually drives passion decline at work, and why the most common organizational responses tend to make things worse.

We all know the exorbitant cost of turnover to our businesses. In this workshop we will learn how to strengthen our selection process while increasing diversity, through the utilization of some of the latest research in I/O Psychology. We will discuss the validity of various selection methods and we will debunk common myths and misconceptions about the selection process. The audience will learn to: - Understand the advantages and disadvantages to many common selection methods. - Understand the challenges associated with unstructured interviews and why this method can often hinder diversity efforts within an organization. - Understand the limitations of common personality assessments and be familiar with alternatives with greater validity. - Understand Face-Validity and the impact it can have on applicants. - Understand Adverse Impact and how to build a selection process that promotes diversity. - Understand why cognitive ability assessments have traditionally led to higher adverse impact and what HR can do to overcome this barrier. - Understand the nature of surface level & deep level diversity and how diversity, coupled with inclusion, can positively impact their organization.

In today's high-stress workplaces, negative behaviors like incivility and bullying are on the rise, taking a toll on morale, engagement, and retention. Recent research suggests that nearly 100% of employees have experienced incivility at work, with half of employees saying they experience incivility on a weekly basis! But there is a better way forward. In this engaging and insightful keynote, David Shar, through his KINDER Culture framework, explores the transformative power of kindness in the workplace. Translating the latest psychological and organizational research into actionable strategies, David combines personal anecdotes and eye-opening interactivity as he challenges the audience to expand their roles in fostering a supportive and inclusive work culture. This keynote empowers each individual, regardless of their position, to be a catalyst for change. With a unique blend of humor and relatability, David delivers a powerful message, inviting you to join the Kinder Kind of Workplace Revolution. Attendees will: - Learn actionable strategies to not just prevent incivility, but actively promote kindness in their workplace. - Discover the power they hold to foster a more supportive and inclusive work culture, regardless of job title. - Dive deep into the psychology of "Kind" vs. "Nice" and learn why we all need more kindness in the workplace.