HR Cruises

Deneen Lester
"Toxic Talk: Tackling Incivility in the Workplace" (On Board)

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify common forms of workplace incivility and understand their impact on employee morale, productivity, and organizational culture.
2. Recognize the early warning signs of toxic communication and explore strategies to address and de-escalate uncivil behaviors in a professional and constructive manner.
3. Develop a proactive action plan to promote a culture of respect, accountability, and psychological safety within teams and across the organization.

    

Session Description:

Toxic Talk: Tackling Incivility in the Workplace is a dynamic and solutions-focused session designed for HR professionals committed to building respectful, high-performing workplace cultures. This presentation explores the subtle yet damaging impact of incivility—behaviors that often go unchecked but can erode morale, collaboration, and trust. Participants will learn to identify early warning signs, apply effective HR interventions, and implement proactive strategies to promote civility and accountability. Rooted in research and real-world scenarios, this session equips HR leaders with the tools to foster healthier communication, strengthen employee engagement, and address conflict before it escalates.

Speaker Bio:

Human Resources is not just a profession, but it’s Deneen’s passion!! Deneen is a Certified Human Resources Professional with thirty- five (35) years of experience in her profession. She retired from the City of Memphis as the Talent Management Officer in the Division of Human Resources and currently services as the Human Resources Senior Manager, Executive HR Leader, at the Salvation Army Memphis & Mid-South. She was the first African-American female elected as President and head of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) - Memphis Chapter and formerly served as the West Tennessee District Director of the SHRM Tennessee State Council. Deneen holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration , a Master's Degree in Leadership and Policy Studies and a Doctorate Degree in Management and Organizational Leadership. She is also a graduate of Leadership Memphis and the New Memphis Institute. She is also the recipient of the 2022 HR Excellence Award from TN SHRM State Council and 2022 recipient of SHRM-Memphis Lifetime Achievement Award.

Deneen is the Founder, CEO, and Host of HR TV featuring the talk show “Let’s Talk HR with Dr. Deneen”. Deneen is also the Founder and CEO of the Christian HR Network, a faith-based HR Association dedicated to assisting churches and religious organizations in creating, improving, and developing Human Resources functions to help facilitate and execute ministry excellence.

Deneen is married to her best friend and confidant, Rev. Dr. Chuck Lester. Together, they worship God and serve the people of God. As a couple, they are committed to God, their families, their church and each other.