I’d have to say that it was actually getting
hired into an HR job in the first place! :) Back in the day, there were no degrees in “Personnel Management”,
but I took as many personnel and industrial relations courses as I could in
college (just a few available). I joined the student chapter of ASPA (what SHRM
used to be called – The American Society of Personnel Administrators) for the
opportunity to learn more, and connect with HR leaders who supported the
chapter. However, once I graduated, it was difficult to convince anyone to hire
me into an HR Personnel job because I didn’t have any prior experience.
So I had to do what any enterprising young
professional should do I used my network to get a recommendation to interview
for a Personnel Manager job from someone who knew me, and I found ways to frame
my education and prior work experience in HR language. I dealt with customer
issues as a cashier (employee relations), interviewed and recommended
candidates (hiring/selection) during an internship for a convenience store
chain, and audited personnel files and policy compliance as a bank auditor.
When I got the job offer, I was thrilled! I
knew that once I “broke in” to HR, I was going to stay and make a difference.
2. Is it possible for someone with a long career to still have
breakthrough HR moments? If so, how?
Absolutely! In fact, if you’re not
having regular breakthrough moments in your career, and in your job, something
is wrong. You’ve probably grown complacent and stagnant, or you’re in an
organization that is not interested in growing. (It’s usually the former. Be
careful about blaming someone else for your lack of personal growth.)
It’s critical for any business leader
to remain curious about what is happening in the external environment (economy,
industry, community, etc.), and consider how those changes affect their company
and their own job. The world around us is constantly changing and evolving. We
have to intentionally choose to keep up with/stay ahead of those changes. It
doesn’t happen on it’s own.
I would challenge any HR professional
to try at least one new thing personally (a networking event, reading a book
contrary to their usual point of view, attending a conference or event outside
of their “normal” responsibilities, etc.), and also at least one new thing at
work each month. Breakthroughs often happen when we’re outside our comfort
zone!
3. You have a session on Monday, June 20 at 4:00 p.m.
titled, " Take Control of Your Personal Brand to Help Your Career and Your
Organization Grow." What is the biggest mistake individuals make
when it comes to personal branding?
For many business leaders, the biggest
mistake I see individuals make when it comes to personal branding is thinking
that they don’t need to build their own because doing so would take focus off
of their business, and put it on them. I find this is really the case with HR
professionals. They often feel that they should be working “behind the scenes”
as a support department, and having a strong personal brand doesn’t support
that. I completely disagree.
I believe that anyone who wants to get
things done in their organization needs to have a strong personal brand. Who
would you rather have working on your team as the HR leader – someone who is
known as a leader in their profession, mentors other professionals, and has
developed a reputation as a thought-leader or innovator; or someone who works
mainly behind the scenes and implements other’s ideas. Both of these types of
people exist in HR. Only one type is able to influence leadership to make
positive changes and do what needs to be done to remain competitive for talent
in a challenging global economy.
4. You have an additional session (a MEGA SESSION!) on Tuesday, June 21
at 10:45 am titled " The Future of HR: Four Strategies to Meet Business
Challenges and Deliver Maximum Impact on Results." Which HR
competency is the top priority that needs to evolve?
I believe the competency that elevates
HR leaders into the category of a “business leader” in their organization is
the Critical Evaluation. Multiple research studies and surveys indicate that
human capital issues are some of the biggest challenges facing organizations in
the future. As a result, HR professionals are uniquely positioned to deliver
competitive advantage by ensuring that their companies have the talent needed
to deliver upon their objectives.
The ability to think critically means
that HR professionals must think about business needs and objectives first –
and focusing on how HR can help with delivering upon them – rather than
focusing on meeting HR’s needs first (compliance, administration, etc.) Strong
and successful HR leaders will also be skilled at analyzing and interpreting
data in order to make decisions and recommendations, versus reporting and
tracking data against goals. For many, this requires a shift in thinking, but
whether you’re an HR leader in a large, global organization, or a small
organization, the ability to think strategically, and then guide your
organization accordingly is what the c-suite needs from HR.
5. You've attended the SHRM Annual Conference numerous times. What
keeps you coming back each year?
This will be my fifth year speaking at
the SHRM Annual Conference, and I consider it a tremendous honor and
opportunity to do so. I also very much enjoy attending the conference as a
learner. I attend as many sessions as I can beyond my own, and always learn
something new each year. I also enjoy meeting new people and making connections
that can be meaningful beyond the conference experience, as well as connecting
with old friends. For me, the SHRM Annual Conference is like a high school
reunion each year – which you actually look forward to. :)
6. What advice would you give to someone attending the SHRM Annual
Conference for the first time? What is the biggest rookie mistake you
see?
I’d recommend having a loose plan in
advance. Look through the session guide and determine which sessions/speakers
interest you, and make a tentative schedule for yourself. But, don’t be married
to your schedule! If someone at the conference recommends another session, or
if you meet a speaker that interests you, be flexible and change it up.
A rookie mistake that I see people make
(and many veterans too) is not considering connecting with people at the
conference that they don’t know yet as a specific learning opportunity.
Challenge yourself to introduce yourself to people while waiting for sessions
to start, or standing in line. Don’t just ask their name and title. Ask them to
share a challenge that they face in their organization, a success story in
their career, or what their biggest takeaway has been so far at the conference.
Look for commonalities and connection points. You’ll only find those if you go
beyond name, rank and serial number. If you leave the conference only having
connected with people you know, or hanging out with your co-workers, in my
opinion, you’ve failed.
7. You love horses (and you can't spell horse without HR!). What
could a HR professional learn about their job by interacting with horses?
Now you’re speaking my language! I
think everyone can benefit from more horses in their life. :)
Seriously though, horses can teach us
much about communication and leadership. They can’t understand our words, so
what we communicate through our actions and emotions affects them. For example,
I’ve had experiences with my horse where I was nervous or frightened, but I
knew I needed her to go forward and keep moving. So, I kicked and squeezed, but
she kept going backwards. My trainer observed this situation and later pointed
out to me that although I was kicking and saying, “go forward”, I actually had
a death grip on the reins, and was pulling backward. My actions didn’t match my
intentions. I see this often in how we deal with employees, and my horse helps
me to be aware of these types of situations, so I can ensure I’m consistent
with my communications.
8. You are CEO of Disrupt HR? What would you disrupt about the SHRM
Annual Conference?
I think SHRM does a great job of making
changes each year to keep the conference fresh and add value for attendees. The
SMART Stage talks are similar to DisruptHR talks, and I like the fact that they
provide an opportunity for many more people to share a message in a short-form
format.
So, since they’ve got the conference
covered, I’ll choose to disrupt the Tuesday night entertainment. Bring on
Beyoncé!
Too expensive? Okay, I’ll settle for
Maroon 5.
