Last year, we lost a shining light in HR - Callie Zipple - to stomach cancer at the far too young age of 32 (and you can read my thoughts about her from a previous blogpost here).  As a student and as a representative of SHRM, she was always striving to advance the profession and make HR better.

I was contacted by her parents last week wondering if I could find a home for the HR and business books she had accumulated over the years. Given her push for HR education, and the recent announcement by the SHRM Foundation to create a student scholarship in her name for future HR leaders, I thought the best use might be to help support the scholarship through support for SHRM Foundation.  

So, here's the deal.  If you make a donation (no matter how large or small) to the SHRM Foundation in 2020, and send an email to me at matthew.stollak@snc.edu with some proof of donation, I will send you one of the books from Callie's collection (while supplies last) free of charge.  You can make a donation to the SHRM Foundation here.

I have 54 books to send out...can we find 54 kind donors to help support HR research and education?

Dear SHRM Foundation,

We’ve known each other for years.  We’ve had our ups (your support of the HRGames) and our downs (the 247 Director’s Circle pins you sent me as a sign of your affection).  However, despite this rollercoaster of emotions, I’ve always supported you and been in your corner.  So, in this public forum, it is time to declare my love for you and say that you’re the best thing under the SHRM umbrella.  How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
 

1.  I love your heart and generosity- you provided $170,000 in scholarships and awards in 2015.  These scholarships and awards are available for such things as certification, studies in HR, as well as for dissertations and the HR Advisor of the Year (I'm a proud recipient in 2006).  Further, you continually give many of the products that are the result of your efforts away for free to the greater HR community.  You have changed and affected the lives of so many in such a positive, affirming away.
2.  I love your mind – You are the leading funder of HR research.  Over the past three years, you have provided over $1.8 million in grants to fund rigorous research (which is near and dear to my heart).  You are changing the face of the HR profession with cutting-edge products, such as the Effective Practice Guidelines, and the DVD Series.  Your Thought Leadership Initiative is setting the tone by identifying trends that will impact the workplace in the next 5-10 years.

Thanks for all that you do to enrich and advance the profession.

 Xoxo,

 Matt

P.S. if you know of others who love you as much as I do, please tell them to stop by Booth 2640 while at #SHRM16 and contribute to make the Foundation even stronger.  If you are reading this at home, go visit the SHRM Foundation website at https://shrm.org/about/foundation/pages/foundationhome.aspx, and read more about the great things the Foundation does. 

In about a month, individuals will be heading to Las Vegas to attend the 2015 SHRM Annual Conference.  This will be my 15th SHRM Annual Conference, and, based on my years of experience, here are the things you do NOT want to do while attending.

1.  Do NOT avoid drinking water 
Its the desert, people.  Every day will likely be 100 degrees and it will be a dry heat, so you won't even feel like you're sweating.  But, given the significant amount of walking you're likely to do as well as the arctic temperatures inside the convention center to counteract the heat, you'll need all the H20 you can handle.  Bring a portable water bottle and keep it filled and by your side at all times.

2.  Do NOT suffer from SWAG remorse.
 
The exhibit hall is going to open at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 and you going to be tempted by every vendor with some sort of gee-gaw or doo-dad that you absolutely have to bring back to the office.  You may have already received an inch tall pile of vendor mail and you've mapped out your strategy for maximizing your haul.  You may have even packed light so that you have plenty of room in your suitcase for all the giveaways.  It is free, right?  You HAVE To grab it.  Trust me, as a former victim, you will suffer from SWAG remorse.  It may take a week....it may take a month, but you are going to look at that tote bag full of "goodies" you brought back and you are going to ask yourself why you grabbed that 7th t-shirt or 14th squeeze ball.  Regret always tastes sour.

3.   Do NOT accept anything being handed to you by anyone on the Las Vegas Strip

You'll suffer from more than SWAG remorse.  Trust me on this one.

4.  Do NOT bring a rollerbag to the conference
 
I have posted this several times since 2010, and people are still not listening.  Rollerbags are the scourge of the exhibit hall.  They get underfoot, and people are often unaware of the people behind them when toting it along.  Don't be that person.
 
5. Do NOT get in the way
 
You make think the exhibit hall is huge, but the rows are narrower than you think.  If you see someone you know, step out of the way, so that others can traverse the area more freely.  If people have to walk around you, you're doing it wrong.
 
6.  Do NOT use the phrase "Seat at the Table" or you'll be fined $100
 
The phrase "seat at the table" is officially barred from mention at the conference.  If you say it, you owe $100 to the SHRM Foundation.  If you overhear it in Las Vegas, tell that person they owe $100 to the SHRM Foundation. If a speaker uses it in a session, please tweet out the following phrase:

"(Insert speaker name here) owes $100 to the @shrmfoundation for saying "Seat at the table." #SHRM15 #SHRMShame"
 
7.  Do NOT be Gwyneth Paltrow in "Contagion"
 
I know you are excited to be going to Las Vegas, and hanging with 13,000+ of your favorite HR friends.  You may have already spent significant dollars on travel, hotel, Cirque tickets, etc.  However, if you are even remotely close to being ill, please consider staying home.  It seems I get ill once every couple of years, and most likely I caught something from a sick person.  So, do not be patient zero.  Dr. Oz may be a keynote speaker, but I doubt he can magically prevent germs from being spread.
 
8.  Do NOT treat students with disrespect
 
This one goes out to the exhibit hall vendors.  Ideally, every person who walks through the exhibit hall should be treated with respect.  However, it is inevitable every year that my students will come back with horror stories about being treated rudely by someone manning an exhibit hall booth.  I know you are there to make potential sales connections, and a student is unlikely to be a customer anytime soon.  However, if these students are dedicated enough to travel to Las Vegas to attend the conference, they are dedicated to the profession, and will likely be a potential customer in the future.  Don't burn a bridge before it has a chance to be constructed, as those students will remember who did them wrong!
 
9.  Do NOT text or tweet and walk
 
There will be 13,000+ individuals in attendance at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  When that General Session with Marcus Buckingham or Dr. Oz lets out, you and all your new friends will simultaneously be trying to get out of the hall and head to the next session, the bathroom, or to grab some coffee.  Please do not start walking and stare down at your phone.  I am excited that you have the Twitter, Facebook, or Hootsuite app, and you are using the #SHRM15 hashtag.   But, inevitably, you will run into the back of someone.  This will not be one of those "meet cute" scenarios you see in the movies. Instead, you will likely be called out because that person you just ran into will see your name on your badge.
  
10.  Do NOT make me stand up & participate during your session 

If you are a speaker and part of your schtick is to get me to do some activity as part of the session (particularly as a warm-up at the beginning), unless it magically causes me to lose 40 pounds, you will receive the lowest rating possible.  It tells me you do not have enough material for the time required.
 
11.  Do NOT wear your SHRM Conference badge at night.
 
As SHRM notes, wearing your badge outside of the convention center will peg you as a visitor from out of town and a target for crime.  Even worse, many of you will likely heading to one of the bevy of parties that are out there.  Bad behavior might ensue.  Wearing your badge will likely make your name live in infamy as people mention your sordid exploits at future conferences.  Try to drink in relative anonymity and leave your badge in your hotel room.  Sight see, but do NOT be a sight to be seen.

So, what else would you tell attendees NOT to do?  Leave a note below, or tweet your suggestion to #SHRM15Festivus .  Also, check out the #NextChat twitter discussion on Wednesday, June 3 at 3:00 p.m./2:00 Central for all things #SHRM15 related from the #SHRM15Blogger crew

Dear SHRM Foundation,

We’ve known each other for years.  We’ve had our ups (your support of the HRGames) and our downs (the 247 Director’s Circle pins you sent me as a sign of your affection).  However, despite this rollercoaster of emotions, I’ve always supported you and been in your corner.  So, in this public forum, it is time to declare my love for you and say that you’re the best thing under the SHRM umbrella.  How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1.  I love your heart and generosity- you provided $200,000 in scholarships and awards in 2013  These scholarships and awards are available for such things as certification, studies in HR, as well as for dissertations and the HR Advisor of the Year (I'm a proud recipient in 2006).  Further, you continually give many of the products that are the result of your efforts away for free to the greater HR community.  You have changed and affected the lives of so many in such a positive, affirming away.
2. I love your mind – You are the leading funder of HR research.  You provided more than $600,000 in research dollars in 2013.  You are changing the face of the HR profession with cutting-edge products, such as the Effective Practice Guidelines, and the DVD Series.  Your Thought Leadership Initiative is setting the tone by identifying trends that will impact the workplace in the next 5-10 years.

Thanks for all that you do to enrich and advance the profession.

Xoxo,

Matt

P.S. if you know of others who love you as much as I do, please tell them to stop by Booth 2264 and contribute to make the Foundation even stronger.  If you are reading this at home, go visit the SHRM Foundation website at http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/Pages/default.aspx, and read more about the great things the Foundation does.  You can also "Give on the Go" by texting SHRMF to 56512

In less than a month, individuals will be heading to Orlando to attend the 2014 SHRM Annual Conference.  This will be my 14th SHRM Annual Conference, and, based on my years of experience, here are the things you do NOT want to do while attending.

1.  Do NOT suffer from SWAG remorse.

The exhibit hall is going to open at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 22 and you going to be tempted by every vendor with some sort of gee-gaw or doo-dad that you absolutely have to bring back to the office.  You may have already received an inch tall pile of vendor mail and you've mapped out your strategy for maximizing your haul.  You may have even packed light so that you have plenty of room in your suitcase for the haul.  It is free, right?  You HAVE To grab it.  Trust me, as a former victim, you will suffer from SWAG remorse.  It may take a week....it may take a month, but you are going to look at that tote bag full of "goodies" you brought back and you are going to ask yourself why you grabbed that 7th t-shirt or 14th squeeze ball.  Regret always tastes sour.

2.  Do NOT bring a rollerbag to the conference

I have posted this several times since 2010, and people are still not listening.  Rollerbags are the scourge of the exhibit hall.  They get underfoot, and people are often unaware of the people behind them when toting it along.  Don't be that person.

3. Do NOT get in the way

You make think the exhibit hall is huge, but the rows are narrower than you think.  If you see someone you know, step out of the way, so that others can traverse the area more freely.  If people have to walk around you, you're doing it wrong.

4.  Do NOT use the phrase "Seat at the Table" or you'll be fined $100

The phrase "seat at the table" is officially barred from mention at the conference.  If you say it, you owe $100 to the SHRM Foundation.  If you overhear it in Orlando, tell that person they owe $100 to the SHRM Foundation. If a speaker uses it in a session, please tweet out the following phrase:

"(Insert speaker name here) owes $100 to the @shrmfoundation for saying "Seat at the table." #SHRM14 #SHRMShame"

5.  Do NOT be Gwyneth Paltrow in "Contagion"

I know you are excited to be going to Orlando, and hanging with 13,000+ of your favorite HR friends.  You may have already spent significant dollars on travel, hotel, Disney tickets, etc.  However, if you are even remotely close to being ill, please consider staying home.  It seems I get ill once every couple of years, and most likely I caught something from a sick person.  So, do not be patient zero.

6.  Do NOT, treat students with disrespect

This one goes out to the exhibit hall vendors.  Ideally, every person who walks through the exhibit hall should be treated with respect.  However, it is inevitable every year that my students will come back with horror stories about being treated rudely by someone manning an exhibit hall booth.  I know you are there to make potential sales connections, and a student is unlikely to be a customer anytime soon.  However, if these students are dedicated to travel to Orlando, they are dedicated to the profession, and will likely be a potential customer in the future.  Don't burn a bridge before it has a chance to be constructed, as those students will remember who did them wrong!

7.  Do NOT text or tweet and walk

There will be 13,000+ individuals in attendance at the Orlando Convention Center.  When that General Session with Robin Roberts or Tom Friedman lets out, you and all your new friends will simultaneously be trying to get out of the hall and head to the next session, the bathroom, or to grab some coffee.  Please do not start walking and stare down at your phone.  I am excited that you have the Twitter, Facebook, or Hootsuite app, and you are using the #SHRM14 hashtag.   But, inevitably, you will run into the back of someone.  This will not be one of those "meet cute" scenarios you see in the movies. Instead, you will likely be called out because that person you just ran into will see your name on your badge.


8.  Do NOT make me stand up & participate during your sessionIf you are a speaker and part of your schtick is to get me to do some activity as part of the session (particularly as a warm-up at the beginning), unless it magically causes me to lose 40 pounds, you will receive the lowest rating possible.  It tells me you do not have enough material for the time required.

9.  Do NOT wear your SHRM Conference badge at night.
  
As SHRM notes, wearing your badge outside of the convention center will peg you as a visitor from out of town and a target for crime.  Even worse, many of you will likely heading to one of the bevy of parties they are out there.  Bad behavior might ensue.  Wearing your badge will likely make your name live in infamy as people mention your sordid exploits at future conferences.  Try to drink in relative anonymity and leave your badge in your hotel room.






So, what else would you tell attendees NOT to do?  Leave a note below, or tweet your suggestion to #SHRM14Festivus (h/t to Laurie Ruettimann for the hashtag).  Also, check out the #SHRMChat twitter discussion this afternoon at 3:00 p.m./2:00 Central for all things #SHRM14 related.  http://weknownext.com/blog/nextchat-the-shrm14-experience

Advice has already starting flowing in about what to do while in Chicago for the big event.  In case you missed it: China Gorman provides some excellent advice about maximizing your SHRM Conference experience.  Jessica Miller-Merrill provides you with the top 10 things to do while you are in Chicago and not going to the conference.  Trish McFarlane has brought back her 10 Conference Commandments.

This will not one of those posts.

I will be attending my 13th SHRM Annual Conference, and below I, instead, will provide you, based on my years of experience, the things you do NOT want to do while attending.

1.  Do NOT suffer from SWAG remorse.

The exhibit hall is going to open at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 16 and you going to be tempted by every vendor with some sort of gee-gaw or doo-dad that you absolutely have to bring back to the office.  You may have already received an inch tall pile of vendor mail and you've mapped out your strategy for maximizing your haul.  You may have even packed light so that you have plenty of room in your suitcase for the haul.  It is free, right?  You HAVE To grab it.  Trust me, as a former victim, you will suffer from SWAG remorse.  It may take a week....it may take a month, but you are going to look at that tote bag full of "goodies" you brought back and you are going to ask yourself why you grabbed that 7th t-shirt or 14th squeeze ball.  Regret always tastes sour.

2.  Do NOT bring a rollerbag to the conference

I have posted this several times since 2010, and people are still not listening.  Rollerbags are the scourge of the exhibit hall.  They get underfoot, and people are often unaware of the people behind them when toting it along.  Don't be that person.

3. Do NOT get in the way

You make think the exhibit hall is huge, but the rows are narrower than you think.  If you see someone you know, step out of the way, so that others can traverse the area more freely.  If people have to walk around you, you're doing it wrong.

4.  Do NOT use the phrase "Seat at the Table" or you'll be fined $100

The phrase "seat at the table" is officially barred from mention at the conference.  If you say it, you owe $100 to the SHRM Foundation.  If you overhear it in Chicago, tell that person they owe $100 to the SHRM Foundation. If a speaker uses it in a session, please tweet out the following phrase:

"(Insert speaker name here) owes $100 to the @shrmfoundation for saying "Seat at the table." #SHRM13 #SHRMShame"

5.  Do NOT attempt to scalp your Kelly Clarkson wristband

Unless you're registered as a "ticket broker" with the Illinois Secretary of State, selling/bartering for tickets anywhere at an event venue aside from the box office is illegal.  It is a Class A misdemeanor and you may be subject to a $5000 fine from the state of Illinois. 

Note: I am not a lawyer, nor will I be staying in a Holiday Inn Express while at SHRM Annual.

6.  Do NOT, under any circumstances, sing "Happy Birthday" to Jennifer McClure at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, June 17.

While it is Jennifer McClure's 32nd birthday on June 17, she would TOTALLY be embarrassed and would just hate it if a capacity crowd began singing "Happy Birthday" to her as she closed out her Mega-Session.  Instead, she would appreciate it if you simply attended...oh, and some Diet Coke, cupcakes, and M&M's.

7.  Do NOT text or tweet and walk

There will be 13,000+ individuals in attendance at the McCormick Place.  When that General Session with Dan Pink or Blake Mycoskie lets out, you and all your new friends will simultaneously be trying to get out of the hall and head to the next session, the bathroom, or to grab some coffee.  Please do not start walking and stare down at your phone.  I am excited that you have the Twitter, Facebook, or Hootsuite app, and you are using the #SHRM13 hashtag.   But, inevitably, you will run into the back of someone.  This will not be one of those "meet cute" scenarios you see in the movies. Instead, you will likely be called out because that person you just ran into will see your name on your badge.

8.  Do NOT wear your SHRM Conference badge at night.
  
As SHRM notes, wearing your badge outside of McCormick Place will peg you as a visitor from out of town and a target for crime.  Even worse, many of you will likely heading to one of the bevy of parties, or, from what I hear, Chicago has a few bars.  Drinking will likely lead to bad behavior on the part of some of you.  Wearing your badge will likely make your name live in infamy as people mention your sordid exploits at future conferences.  Try to drink in relative anonymity and leave your badge in your hotel room.

So, what else would you tell attendees NOT to do?  Leave a note below, or tweet your suggestion to #SHRM13Festivus (h/t to Laurie Ruettimann for the hashtag)

As I have written several times on this blog and elsewhere, I appreciate the SHRM Foundation.  Their products and work are outstanding.  

One of the videos from the SHRM Foundation I used to show in my HR class was entitled "HR Heroes: What it means to be a Strategic HR Leader in the 21st Century" (later renamed HR Role Models) It featured Libby Sartain and others discussing, as the title suggests, strategic leadership at both high-tech and low-tech companies.  The SHRM Foundation even produced a nice little discussion guide with it which you can see here.

The introduction to the guide contains the following gem:

There is a lot of talk about HR being a strategic partner/leader today.  Yet in most organizations HR is not part of the executive team.  So, what is required to be a strategic HR leader?  And what must HR do when it has a "seat at the table?

Seems reasonable, particularly to someone new to the HR field.  So, why have I stopped showing it?  

It was created in 2003.   

The role of the strategic HR leader has changed...yet, in 2012, there is still conversation about that piece of furniture.

At the 2012 Leadership Conference in November, Jose Berrios, Chair of the SHRM Board of Directors, mentioned "seat at the table" in his opening remarks.

Yesterday at the HR Fishbowl, guest blogger Christopher de Mers used that same phrase in an excellent piece. 

Nearly 10 years later, we are still having that same conversation.

So, how do we change it?  How do we get rid of that dreaded phrase?

Do we go all Samuel Jackson - Snakes on a Plane-style "Enough is Enough, I've had it with this M@#&$%F*#*ing seat at this M@#&$%F*#*ing table?!?!?

Here is what I propose...treat the phrase like a swear jar you had as a kid.

If you hear a HR talk where that four word phrase is uttered, groan loudly and say to that person that he or she MUST donate $100 to the SHRM Foundation (here's the donation link).  End of story.

Similarly, call the person out on Twitter with the hashtag #SHRMFound100:  "At today's #SHRM luncheon, John Jorgensen used the dreaded phrase, "seat at the table."  $100 to the @shrmfoundation #SHRMFound100"

It is hoped that such an approach will not only banish the phrase from the HR profession, but it will raise some money toward a good cause.  And, who knows, perhaps the SHRM Foundation could use the funds to make an updated DVD!

It's my birthday next Tuesday, and I'll be celebrating with a good burger and watching the Cubs and Brewers battle for 4th place at Miller Park.  Given I am in my forties, I pretty much have most of my material wishes satisfied.  So, here's what I wish for:

1.  If you are a SHRM member, please vote in the 2013 Elections.  Whether it is for the SHRM approved slate, the SHRM Members for Transparency slate, or the 8 Man Rotation slate, let your wishes be known!

2.  Make a contribution to the SHRM Foundation.  I haven't been shy about my support for the SHRM Foundation -  they advance the HR profession, and they may very well be the best part of SHRM.  Plus your donations are tax deductible.  Learn how you can donate here.

If all else fails, I have an Amazon wish list here.  Ha.

I know there are a lot of temptations here in the sin city of Las Vegas...the slot machines, a Cirque du Soleil show, the $4.99 steak and seafood special.

However, there is one thing you truly must visit before Leaving Las Vegas...the SHRM Foundation booth at the center of the Expo Hall.   Why?

1. The SHRM Foundation provides $100,000 in scholarships to HR professionals, $50,000 in student membership scholarships, and $20,000 in Doctoral Dissertation Awards.
2. The SHRM Foundation is a leading funder of rigorous, evidence-based research, with more than $1.3 million in ongoing research projects.
3. The SHRM Foundation continually gives many of the products that are the results of their efforts away for free to the greater HR community, such as the Effective Practice Guidelines, and DVDs, such as their most recent endeavor, "Making Mergers Work."
4. The SHRM Foundations created the annual Thought Leaders Retreat, which "brings together a select group of leading-edge thinkers and executives in the HR field. Participants explore issues shaping the future of the profession and their implications for research and practice"

So, please stop by the SHRM Foundation booth and make the Foundation even stronger.  If you are reading this at home, go visit the SHRM Foundation website and read more about the great things the SHRM Foundation does