Join Flint Hills SHRM for our monthly chapter meeting and program.
Topic: Grief in the Workplace: Beyond "I AM SORRY"
In this session, Slater challenges organizations to stop avoiding grief and start leading with compassion. Through storytelling, research-backed strategies, and actionable tools, participants will learn how to recognize grief triggers, support employees effectively, and build a culture that allows people to show up as their full selves. Attendees will leave with practical, sustainable approaches for prioritizing human well-being while strengthening organizational culture. If we don’t talk about grief in the workplace, who will? Thank you for joining the conversation. Today, you’re helping your organization take a meaningful step toward compassionate, people-first leadership.
Learning Objectives:
● Preparation: Equip leaders with the tools to respond to grief effectively before it happens.
● Permission: Create a workplace where grief is acknowledged without stigma or fear.
● Presence: Showing up matters… Ensure consistent, compassionate support beyond the initial loss.
Speaker: Slater Heglin
Slater Heglin is a leadership speaker, business leader, nonprofit founder, and business owner. As the Assistant Vice President - Customer Service, Marketing, and Training at Grant County Bank in Ulysses, Kansas, Slater combines his expertise in business leadership with his experience in leading with compassion. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Education with a Concentration in Talent Development and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, along with Certificates in Business Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing, and Organizational Leadership, all of which he obtained from Fort Hays State University. Slater is also a Certified Grief Coach. In addition to his role at Grant County Bank, Slater is the Founder and President of Keep Life Jumping 4 Kay, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting cancer warriors in western Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle. He also owns SignGypsies – SWKS, a custom yard greeting company, serving nine zip codes in Southwest Kansas. Slater speaks regularly on leadership, grief, and branding, with past engagements including Kansas Electric Cooperatives, the O’Brate Foundation, and regional schools and organizations. He created and leads a grief-focused Bible study curriculum. Slater advocates for greater grief-awareness in the workplace, challenging organizations to respond to grieving employees with empathy and compassion. In addition to his business and nonprofit endeavors, Slater serves on the Grant County Community Foundation Board of Directors, is the Co-Leader of the Leadership Project for Grant County 4-H, and is the College Relations & Emerging Professionals Director for the Kansas Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) State Council.
