Meetings & Events

Built to Block: How We Accidentally Designed HR to Say No

A Keynote by Tracie Sponenberg | Founder & Chief People Officer, Tracie Sponenberg LLC

About This Session

You've been called "The Department of No." You've eaten lunch at your desk while answering emails from people who didn't consult you before making decisions that now require your clean-up. You've been told to "be more strategic" while spending 40+ hours a week on transactions that keep the lights on.

This isn't your fault. But you're the one who can change it.

In this keynote, Tracie Sponenberg — former Chief People Officer of a large, multi-state distributor who spent decades living this exact reality — breaks down the three structural design flaws that turned HR into a reactive, under-resourced, blame-absorbing function. More importantly, she'll give you the exact language, scripts, and action plan to start changing it.

What You'll Walk Away With

The language to name what's broken. Most HR professionals feel the frustration but can't articulate the structural problems to business leaders. You'll leave able to clearly explain the three design flaws that created "The Department of No" — in language your CEO will understand.

Word-for-word scripts for three critical conversations. Not theory. Not frameworks. Actual language you can use in real meetings, including how to handle the pushback you'll get.

1. The Workload Conversation — How to show leadership the math behind your impossible workload and make them choose between resourcing you properly or accepting transactional HR.
2. The Employee Experience Conversation — How to shift your organization from chasing engagement scores to designing the moments that actually drive retention, especially for deskless workforces.
3. The Risk Conversation — How to name the blame dynamic that's making you say no to everything, and get the support you need to start saying yes strategically.

A 30-day action plan you can start Monday. Week by week, step by step — from diagnosing your current system to making one visible change that business leaders can't ignore.

Who This Is For

This session is built for HR professionals who are tired of being under-resourced, excluded from strategy, and blamed when things go wrong. Whether you're a solo HR practitioner, an HR director managing a small team, or an HR leader in distribution, manufacturing, or any organization with a deskless workforce — you'll leave with tools you can use immediately.

This program is valid for 1.25 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^® or SHRM-SCP^® and 1.25 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).

About Tracie

Tracie Sponenberg spent nearly 30 years in Human Resources, leading HR functions for 25 years, including nine years as Chief People Officer of The Granite Group, now an 80+ location distributor with 800+ team members. She knows what it's like to be "The Department of No." And she knows how to change it. Today, as founder of Tracie Sponenberg LLC, she helps organizations transform HR from paper-first to people-first. She's a recognized Top 100 Global HR Thought Leader, global keynote speaker, and strategic advisor who believes HR professionals aren't broken. The system is.

This meeting is sponsored by:

“HRMA of Central Massachusetts is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP^sm or SHRM-SCP^sm. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit www.shrmcertification.org.”

“HR Certification Institute's® (www.HRCI.org) official seal confirms that HRMA of Central Massachusetts meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.”