ATLANTA, GA (October 18, 2006) Veteran civil rights attorney Julius Chambers and former Enron executive Lynn Brewer joined ELI's founder and president, Stephen M. Paskoff, Esq., as keynote speakers at the company's 20th Anniversary Conference in Atlanta this October. Playing off the conference's theme of "past, present, and future," the speakers gave participants an insider's view of historical events that have shaped the workplace and provided their thoughts on the skills companies need to develop in their employees going forward.

Paskoff set the stage in his kick-off address, noting that over the past 50 years the legal consequences of inappropriate behavior have waxed and waned. "We know you can't just rely on legal scare tactics to get people to behave," Paskoff said. "Managers need new communication, persuasion, and leadership skills to ensure everyone's conduct aligns with organizational values."

Chambers spoke candidly of his experiences at the forefront of the civil rights movement as well as the legal work he continues today, and Brewer presented a frank account of the Enron collapse, noting that any organization can be at risk for the same problems. Both speakers emphasized that everyone is accountable for working conditions and practices, not just the CEO.

In concurrent sessions, panelists from companies such as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Wachovia, Microsoft, Liz Claiborne, and Pfizer shared their experiences and best practices on a wide range of topics, including global workplace issues, emerging legal trends, selling the value of training, building a compliance initiative, and creating a values-based culture.

In a general session addressing the role of leaders, executives from Arizona Public Service, Beazer Homes, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and Mayo Clinic discussed the importance of setting the proper tone, enforcing standards consistently, and being a role model for values-based behavior.

"Honesty and integrity are values that most companies have," said Ian McCarthy, President of Beazer Homes. "But to maintain the values, leaders have to be upfront and address issues."

Other conference highlights included a "Past-Present-Future" room, which gave attendees an interactive view of ELI through the years and a preview of new programs and services, and an awards dinner at the Atlanta History Center honoring ELI clients.

About ELI®

Founded in 1986, ELI is a training company that teaches professional workplace conduct, helping clients translate their values into behaviors, increase employee contribution, build respectful and inclusive cultures, and reduce legal and ethical risk. Founder Stephen M. Paskoff, Esq., a nationally recognized author and speaker, is co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Compliance Training and Communication subcommittee. A former trial attorney for the EEOC and partner in a management law firm, he is a member of the Georgia and Pennsylvania bars. Representative ELI clients include Beazer Homes, Cox Communications, Liz Claiborne, Microsoft, Pfizer, and Verizon Wireless.

More information: www.eliinc.com.

SHRM Annual Conference details: www.shrm.org.

Contact

ELI®
Marketing Department
800-497-7654 x 100
info@eliinc.com