Meeting/Event Information
September 16, 2026 Breakfast Meeting
September 16, 2026
8:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Hilton St. Louis Frontenac
1335 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131
Venue website
Directions
It's Not You...Actually, It Is You. How to Elevate Your Impact:
A Practical Work Session on Culture, Accountability & Strategic HR Influence
Presented by
Mike Rener
Senior Consultant
The Arbinger Institute
Today’s HR professionals are being asked to do more than manage compliance. They are being asked to help shape culture, strengthen accountability, rebuild trust, and influence the business in more strategic ways.
In this practical keynote, participants will examine where they currently sit in the organization and how they/HR can increase its influence. The session will explore how to help leaders and employees move from blame, resistance, and compliance toward ownership, civility, collaboration, and genuine accountability. For us to be effective at that, we have to see what it means for us.
Participants will leave with practical language and a simple mindset-based approach they can use immediately in their work with leaders, teams, and employees.
Participants will leave better equipped to:
- Evaluate HR’s current seat in the business and identify practical ways to increase strategic influence with leaders, managers, and employees.
- Reframe accountability from “making people accountable” to helping people take ownership for their impact, behavior, and results.
- Apply a practical outward-mindset approach to common HR challenges, including workplace conflict, civility concerns, culture fatigue, employee engagement, and leadership alignment.
This session is especially relevant for HR professionals who are navigating:
- The shift from compliance function to strategic business partner (and uncover a key blind spot)
- Culture fatigue
- Workplace civility and conflict
- Accountability gaps among leaders, managers, and employees
- Employee trust, care, belonging, and retention
- The need to influence without always having direct authority
With his extensive experience helping clients architect and roll out Arbinger’s programs, Mike Rener deeply connects with people around their own realworld challenges and helps them see new possibilities for ways forward. His caring, empathetic manner draws in clients, inspiring and motivating them around mindset change. Mike has been a focused keynote speaker at conferences, delivered hundreds of in-person work sessions, and provided implementation consulting sessions, with feedback from clients including, “[Mike] is a master teacher,” “amazing storyteller and facilitator,” “engaging,” “made things relevant and practical,” and “kept energy levels high.”
Mike was introduced to Arbinger’s work over 20 years ago, and like many Arbinger team members, was a long-time client, learning about and implementing these concepts within his own life before joining Arbinger full time. For over the last decade, he has been managing strategic accounts and consulting organizations to implement cultural change and improve performance. He has worked with corporate executives in Fortune 100 companies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, local and federal government leadership, and senior officers in the military.
Prior to joining Arbinger, Mike delivered Arbinger’s training programs as a contract facilitator in the for-profit and social sectors. With a background in hospitality and brand management, Mike brings a client-oriented and corporate perspective to his work. He has a passion for helping people see and leverage the practical applications of Arbinger’s material. Mike lives with his family in Park City and enjoys taking advantage of the many outdoor activities that Utah offers.
Schedule
8:00 am - Breakfast & Networking
8:30 am - 9:45 am - Keynote Presentation
Fees
SHRM St. Louis Chapter Member - Included in Dues
Non-Chapter Member - $50
Tickets
$0.00 SHRM St. Louis Chapter Member
$50.00 Non-Chapter Member
