Several members of the LRI Consulting Services team attended the Fall 2026 CUE Conference in San Antonio, October 18–20. Discussions covered employee engagement, organizing campaigns, AI, labor law, and the challenges frontline supervisors face. Here are some of the things that we thought stood out at the conference.
Engagement Starts With What Managers Actually Do
One memorable moment came when a speaker described a conversation with a location manager about improving employee engagement.
“What are you going to do differently this year?” the speaker asked.
“We’re going to work on engagement.”
“Okay, but what are you actually going to do?”
“We’re going to focus on engagement.”
The conversation later turned to the speaker’s son’s football team, which he coaches. The team wasn’t doing well, and the speaker said they needed to work on a few things at practice.
“What are you going to work on?” the manager asked.
“We’re going to practice football.”
“But what are you actually going to do?”
“We’re going to practice football.”
Eventually, the speaker explained they would work on blocking and tackling, improve their passing game, and make defensive adjustments.
Then he turned back to the manager. “Now, let’s talk about what you’re actually going to do to improve engagement.”
It’s a familiar problem. Employers can set goals for engagement, communication, and employee trust without identifying what managers need to do differently to achieve them.
That theme surfaced throughout the conference. Here are some of the other areas where good information was shared.
Evaluating AI in Labor Relations
One session offered a five-part framework for evaluating AI tools: business value, accuracy, legal and labor relations risk, required human judgment, and whether results can be explained and defended. Each category receives a green, yellow, or red rating. A strong productivity score doesn’t offset unacceptable legal or accuracy risks.
Contract interpretation, discipline, credibility assessments, bargaining strategy, and arbitration positions still require human judgment. AI can help process information, but people remain responsible for the decisions.
New Supervisors Earn Trust in the First Two Weeks
New supervisors inherit authority, but they still must earn credibility, particularly when they’re promoted from within and suddenly find themselves managing former coworkers.
One session led by our own Phil Wilson recommended meeting individually with every employee during the first two weeks, sharing some personal background, and resolving at least one manageable concern early. Just as important, tell employees what was done. Early follow-through gives people a reason to trust their new supervisor.
Inclusion
Inclusion programs are more likely to gain traction when operational leaders explain their purpose and how they connect to employees’ work. That includes business resource groups (BRGs), benefit changes, and employee referral programs.
Employers should also examine whether referral programs are repeatedly drawing from the same networks. Some worthwhile ideas, including peer mentoring and employee-hosted cultural lunches, originate with employees rather than corporate headquarters.
Digital Organizing Reaches Employees Before You Do
Union organizers are using short-form video, encrypted messaging, chatbots, mobile apps, geo-targeted advertising, and online review campaigns to reach employees. Workplace network mapping and sentiment analysis are additional developments worth watching.
Communication Channels and Follow-Through
Employers need communication channels that reach their own employees. Text messages and short videos may be more effective than email for some workforces, but the channel matters less if management doesn’t respond to concerns. Credible supervisors and consistent follow-through remain essential.
Safety Programs and ER Heat Maps: Measure What Happens After the Report
Employees judge safety programs by what happens after they report a problem. Slow responses and unresolved hazards can undermine confidence in management, regardless of how good the company’s safety materials look.
Useful measures include:
- Hazards and near misses reported
- Time to acknowledgment
- Percentage resolved, including feedback to the reporting employee
- Employee-initiated improvements
- Recurrence of previously identified hazards
ER heat maps combine data such as complaints, turnover, absenteeism, and other workplace indicators to identify locations or work groups needing attention.
The session recommended starting with 10 to 15 weighted measures, maintaining consistent definitions in a data dictionary, and updating results monthly or quarterly.
A heat map can show where problems may be developing. Managers still need to determine what’s causing them.
Employee Engagement Beyond Perks
Another session examined why familiar engagement efforts, including recognition events, giveaways, pizza lunches, and employee appreciation activities, often have limited lasting impact.
One model described engagement as developing from more basic employee needs, beginning with health and stability and progressing through trust in management.
Effective strategies also depend on the workforce, leadership capabilities, operating conditions, and the location’s history. Employee surveys provide useful information but shouldn’t be the only source.
And that brings us back to the football story. Improving engagement requires more than naming it as a priority. Managers need to know what they’ll work on, how they’ll measure progress, and what they’ll do when something isn’t working.
