October 21, 2011

NEW GUEST POST: 4 Power Tools Needed in Your Job Hunt

 Author: Chika Uwazie

Currently I am a student obtaining my Masters in Human Resources Management, and as my graduation date draws closer I am now actively back on the job hunt again. I told myself that I am not just looking for a job, but looking for a career that I can grow and feel fulfilled. Throughout my job search I have used many social media tools that have been helpful in getting me noticed by recruiters.  The job competition is extremely fierce and these four tools, will make you stand out from the hundreds of people in the applicant pool pile.

  1. Linkedin Signal

Recently Linkedin Signal was released, and it is a great new way for professionals to consume information. Signal allows you to search through your very own network news, and updates that matter most to you. As a jobseeker it is always important to be one step ahead when searching for new jobs. Through Signal you can type in the word hiring in your search query and voila, all the people in your network that are hiring pop up in your search. You can save search queries you have done, and use this as a way to directly contact recruiters that are actively hiring.

  1. Twello.com

Have you ever gotten frustrated with trying to locate all the people in your professional field on twitter? Well now Twello has made it easier than ever. Twello is a yellow book directory for twitter and you can find people directly in your professional field by either conducting a search or just clicking one of their many categories. I love this website because I was able to find a ton of new people to follow in the HR field, and have now put them in a separate list. I also was connected with a recruiter, by simply tweeting one of my new followers a question about their student human resource programs. They tweeted me back with a name and an email address where I can send my resume.

  1. Word Clouds

I am sure you have seen a word cloud before on t-shirts or on someone’s blog, but now you can use them to analyze your resume. It is always important to customize each resume to the specific job you are applying for, and word clouds makes that process easier than ever. By going to websites such as Woordle.com you can make a word cloud between your resume and the job description and see if the clouds have a similar pattern. If they do not this means that when applying, your resume may not be ever looked at by a human eye simply because you were not able to get past the applicant tracking system.  Use this system as a way to pull out keywords that are important in the job description cloud and make the necessary adjustments on your resume. Guaranteed to help.

  1. Jibber Jobber

During a job search it can be very easy to get overwhelmed with how many jobs you applied with, who you have followed up with, and ect. Jibber Jobber allows you to manage your job search all in one place. Not only does this website help you manage your job search, but also helps you stay connected with connections you have made. It is important to keep in touch with people you have connected with even after you have been hired in order to form real, solid relationships.

These 4 tips will revamp your job search and help you work smart and not hard. Social Media is increasingly becoming more essential during a job search, and with the right tools you can stay ahead of the jobseeking mobs.

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October 19, 2011

Quick Poll: CFOs move into HR?

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October 17, 2011

How is that ANGER working for ya?

Anger Controlls Him

Image via Wikipedia

In the journey to help HR evolve from within, I have had a number of great folks share personal stories to help support the data and value of The Lockard 7.

One that was shared with me this last week flies in the face of all that I have heard, and aspire to as a professional. I will share parts of this relayed story – and of course names and organization have been spared.

Story went a little something like this: “An employee had approached a fellow HR professional because they had been heavily intimidated by their supervisor. The employee didn’t know if they should even be talking with the HR professional because their supervisor just happened to be a senior manager of the organization.

After some reassurance from this HR friend, the employee shared further. They weren’t just intimidated, they were down-right scared, not just for themselves, but for the other members within their department.

Basic problem boiled down to the fact that the Senior Manager didn’t have a life, and expected their subordinates to capitulate and also be what the senior manager considered dedicated (and when we say dedicated, we mean his expectation was for his subordinates to work well beyond “regular” business hours all the time, which made for some really early morning and very late evenings – not just in special project situations but all the time…and oh, weekends were supposed to be used for keeping pace with his productivity). My first supportive questions revolved around retention and turn-over. Then quickly turned to surprise.

Apparently, the story gets worse as no one in this department wanted to come forward because the supervisor’s idea of motivation was bordering on severe. His tactics were to anger quickly, and then move up an escalating scale that ranged from yelling to all-out brain exploding meltdowns. So – for this manager, he had been positively rewarded for such negative behavior…because he got results.”

I am hoping that you can hear my cringing through the computer, but I will share with you that this situation was adequately remedied within the organization (PHEW). However,  for sake of conversation, how would you handle this?

This is your opportunity to shine – so take your best shot and let us know what your professional prowess has to say about this manager.

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October 9, 2011

What HRev-er withdrawal?

So, I am going through some HRevolution withdrawal.

The latest “Unconference” event was held last weekend (Oct 2), but unfortunately for me, life got in the way and I wasn’t able to attend the glitz and glamour in Vegas.

So why am I lamenting so much? Because I know that that I missed out… in a very large way.

See, HRevolution scratches my itch for technology, practicing “cutting edge” innovation, and connecting with cool folks.  It could very easily do the same for you as well.

The best part of attending the HRev events for me has always been the fact that I have walked away from the Un-Conference energized, and ready to put into practice what I have learned. I have gotten to bask in the inspiration of some of the greatest HR thought advocacy leaders from around the country…and internationally (nod to my friends from “across the pond”). This may sound a little geeky, but the sheer fact of being around folks like this is electric for me.

The group who assembles at HRevolution is there to share (well, most of them anyway).  They are a lively bunch, of smart, energetic industry leaders who even accept family members (long story).

Yes, HRev presents attendees with cool new information, calls-to-action, cutting edge techniques, a ton of differing beliefs and opinions (depending upon whom you talk with), and even proven methods of how to become better engaged with an ever-distant workforce. But, “developing off-line” relationships is the greatest gift that HRev can bestow on any professional.

What I am getting at here is the fact that this group of HR “techies” are very, very human…and are even more invigorating when you get to meet/know them in person than just through means of the “electronic internets”.

For example, at the HRev last spring in a session titled HR SLAM SESSION moderated by Mary Ellen Slayter and Charlie Judy I was able to bond with a team of other HR professionals while solving a real-life event for a small business. It was during this event that our group leader, Bryan Wempen (of Drive Thru HR fame) created a new holiday, which the team later jokingly deemed “Cinco De Wempen”. What a great memory.

The list of relationships that have been forged at HRevolution I am sure can pretty much go on forever now, but the influence that those connections have had on me personally, I feel could last a lifetme. For this, I am very thankful.

HRev, I miss ya and look forward to when we can meet again…hopefully soon.  Until then, please know that I am applying everything that I have learned from you thus far.

Here is to the future. I look forward to making many, many more connections, and sharing many, many more thought advocacy conversations. Cheers!

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August 17, 2011

It is all about CHOICE

Though it has been a few months since having the opportunity to enjoy the SHRM 2011 Annual Conference in Las Vegas,  however one haunting word has been around-and-around in my head, over-and-over.  That word is: CHOICE.

I sat through a number of sessions at the Conference in which it sounded like there was a pep talk that the presenter was trying to give to the audience. The first session I heard ”the talk” was in was very early in the morning. At first,  I thought that I may still be asleep, and then changed my thought to the approach being a  little gimmicky and hokie (hoping that the presenter wasn’t honestly expecting me to buy something so early in the morning), but as I sat there listening and wondering why I hadn’t gotten a cup of coffee before entering the session, I listened to what was being said.

Eventually, As the morning haze lifted in the second session that “the talk” immerged, I realized that what I had heard about this idea of choice wasn’t actually a bad idea.  Infact, the more I thought about it, the more it became a great message that was quite inspiring. Besides, who wouldn’t like the thought that each of us, whether HR professionals, or Recruiters all have a choice about how we approach the business that we partake in day-in, and day-out.  The feeling was downright empowering when it hit me,  ”Heh, you are in control, dummy!” YEP, that is what I was hearing…I had control!

Since the conference I have personally found this idea of choice to be so powerful that I have realized that it extends beyond just our own personal attitudes and affects our own business effectiveness, but can affect our counterparts in other departments as well.  See,  unfortunately, perception is reality in many cases.  And sometimes when you can change our own reality and how you equate yourself in your current environment, you can shape the thoughts of others. Now, I am not abdicating that we as a profession can get around the previous experiences, and unfortunate damage that other well-intending HR professional fore-bearers have had on shaping the stereotypes that our workplace counterparts (accounting, marketing, IT and Operations) still hold and have about us even before we perform our work functions, however I do know that we can create out our own professional futures.

How? That simple single word – CHOICE. I like the idea that I may have some control over shaping the way that other business professionals that I interact with perceive me…because boy have I felt the eyes bearing down on me in a couple of business social settings as I share with folks, “Yeah, I work in HR”.  My point is that we can choose to leave our non-strategic, hectic, angry, abused, and overworked selves at the door, and take on a new persona each day of the year. Bottom line also is the fact that, humans tend to forgive,  if, and only if and apology is made, and previous ways are  proven that they have been changed (or at the very least in the process of being changed).

Being competent is much different from making excuses for our lack of understanding, or knowledge – but we always have a choice of cutting the crap and getting down to the necessary business at hand. Unfortunately though, and in many cases,  we hold ourselves, our departments, our organizations and ultimately our entire professions back because we won’t choose to face our worst enemies (which is ourselves) head-on and make this change.

Also unfortunately, I am not completely sure if other HR professionals (or any other professionals for that matter) believe this idea of choice really exists. Why else would we all not be choosing to take a different approach each morning when we wake up, run into challenging information, or experience confrontation?

I am very interested in hearing what others have to say about this, and want to know your thoughts. Can HR professionals really control the way that other professionals view and/or relate to Human Resource functions by simply choosing to present themselves differently? Weigh-in, and  let me/us know your thoughts.

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August 8, 2011

Break Time!

Since attending the SHRM National Convention over a month ago, I have been very interested in a statement that Arianna Huffington made in concern to workplace productivity. She said that we, as business professionals are going to have to learn more about: 1.) Sleep, and 2.) Disengagement. The second of these is not disengagement with each other (oh, quite the contrary) but with our technical world.

She really got me to thinking, and it took me back to my roots in the beginning of my career as an HR professional with the FAST, FUN & FRIENDLY giant, Target. These three words define wanted traits in their employees, and really are the root of all that the quality in the company culture.  Interesting that my mind would go there first, as disengagement with the technological world around us (and getting in enough shut-eye) can actually make us more energized, and ourselves even more fast, fun and friendly. Don’t believe me – check out a two year-old after a nap and you will get my drift pretty quickly.

This pretty conclusive evidence was enough for me to think about this further, and even go as far as stating that this small idea of addressing and ensuring that our employees are always as well energized (because of having disconnected adequately from the 24/7 business life that pervades so much of our western culture) will have to become the front line of creating a competitive advantage – and a very real way that our impact as HR professionals will be able to be felt in the future, but we need to start now.

Have you ever been woken up in the middle of the night just because you have so much on your mind, it is in overdrive? Personally, I have heard complaints about this more and more from folks my own age…not so good. Burning the candle at both ends (and repetitively being woken up at 4:30AM because something is weighing so heavily on our minds is going to take a toll someplace – and unfortunately that happens in the hieght of the workday, in mid-afternoon (the amazing 4:30 lul).

So what is my point? If we (as professionals) really want to help our organizations to get ahead in the evolving world of high paced business, we are going to have to teach our staff how to ”unplug” from time to time to keep their competitive advantage. Because business is not always done between 9-5 any longer, we are going to have to start to carry out things in our work environments like sleeping pods (much like can be found at Zappos).

Yes, taking steps/actions like this is very innovative, and I have to admit really sounded unbelievable to me when I first heard it as well….but Ms. Huffington really got me to thinking…measures like these could probably help us (collectively) to improve the morale that has plagued so many of our work environments for years. Besides,  being cranky at work just isn’t cool.

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June 13, 2011

The Lovejoy of the Season

Found between late April (Spring) and early June (what some would consider Summer) you will find a season which is filled with hope, ambition, revelry, and sometimes the highest of pageantry. The best part of this season is that the benefits that go with it are as personal and transformational as you are as willing for them to become.  Surprisingly though, this unique season is often forgotten. That is, until this blog has brought it back to your attention…

The season, which we have seemingly left off of the calendar, but yet is celebrated by Thousands and Thousands every year is no other than the famed space of time known as: Graduation Season.

Much like more famous family events such as the holidays of Christmas, Chanukkah, or Kwanza, my family makes a lot ta-do about a graduations. We are like the Griswold’s of Graduations, complete with mishaps, small family feuds, time schedules (my father was a Navy Man/Aerospace Engineer), and even some hijinks.

Above and beyond this family fact is an unspoken expectation that all of our immediate family members are to do whatever they can to attend the graduation of another family member…no matter how far they have to travel, or how much cost they may incur to get themselves there. Our mission is to get ourselves to the show.

This family tradition has grown to become a form of showing respect to the educational accomplishments of other family members. A coming of age celebration, if you will. Not showing up for a graduation event could lead to a lot of family problems because it would be interpreted as a thumbing your nose at not just the graduate, but the entire imposed law of family unity. So, needless too say, I have almost always enjoyed the events of a graduation.

Though it has been years since I have participated in said Graduation Seasons’ events, I recently had the unique opportunity to partake while attending a ceremony for my sister from Johns Hopkins’ University in Baltimore, Md. She was graduating with a Masters’ in Environmental Policy.

The guest speaker was none other than Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy III, Ph.D.  so sizing everything up, and totally underestimating the power of the season,  I thought that I was in for some serious boredom,  a suntan and buckets worth of sweating. I was pleasantly surprised however as I listened to Dr. Lovejoy’s address and found myself so very wrong in estimating the limitations of the event, and the season which was about to affect my life.

See, being a pioneer in the field of Environmental Science, Dr. Lovejoy quickly realized that his research pointed back to one very large problem: Humans were in large part negatively shaping the world, and having a major impact on his research. This realization brought him face-to-face with a very real, very human problem of his own. Would he keep his mouth shut, and go about life in an academic bubble?, -or-  would he do the ver unpopular thing in the early 80′s and share his research? Luckily for us Dr. Lovejoy decided on the later, and stepped out of Enviro Sci obscurity.

While sharing his wealth of knowledge, Dr. Lovejoy recounted a few tidbits that he found most useful in his life. Personally, I found many of his remarks absolutely wonderful, and highly adaptable to any pioneering work (especially when talking about the pioneering world of Social Media in Human Resources).

Three of the most seering statements that he made were these:

1.) “During the course of my education, research, and later navigation through academia, when I ran into an event that had never been documented before or required that I “think outside the box”…I simply made it up.”

I have to admit, when this statement was made,  the crowd definitely take notice. I believe I even heard someone say “YES!!!!, I knew it!”.  For me,  this statement was a gold mine. It is very encouraging  to hear someone in an industry leadership role say that at one point in their career that they also had to roll up their sleeves and apply some of self ingenuity…even more so amazing was the fact that this statement was coming from someone with such a high mental capacity, and who is so revered in his field and society-at-large.

In comparison, far to many times (especially in HR) societal (and sometimes organizational) beliefs insist that we ”live and die by the rules”. Unfortunately, it is because of our adherence to the rules 100% of the time that we miss the opportunity to aid our organizations make the critical change and find a new competitive advantage by simply asking the question “why”. Sometimes it is beneficial to look at processes differently, and innovatively. It is also empowering to know that we all have the brain power and ability to formulate breakthroughs in our industry by just applying ourselves in a genuine way.

2.) “Truly listening is the most underappreciated leadership skill.”

This statement holds a lot of information, but I believe that it stands pretty much for itself. He went on to say that listening to younger generations especially was at the core of his convictions…something along the lines of “constant learning through teaching the next generation”. Very heavy stuff, but still uplifting. It also had an almost ominous warning to not get to wrapped up in our ourselves as much,  so as not to lose sight of what we are capable of accomplishing together as team versus always trying to place ourselves in the limelight. Personally, I think that is o.k. to listen to what others are saying to learn how to adapt.

3.) “Be willing to stand up for what we know is the truth,  even when it isn’t popular.”

This statement grabbed me the most, and honestly is something that I think that most pioneers struggle with (no matter what field). I think that there is so much struggle around this ideal because so many pioneers feel that “success” can be defined by how society views them . Personal perspective on what the “truth” is, especially in the face of social norms is very daunting to overcome. This statement reminds me to stand strong in that in the face of the groupthink, or when ethical and moral values tell me otherwise.  Unfortunately, when caught up in the race to make a quick dollar many organizations compromise or even their sets their goals/achievements on the “industry” ideal instead of their own productive ability.

As you can see, the Graduation Season is more than a mere time for celebrating endings, achievements, or completions. As I have learned, it is also about personal reflection, evaluation and building for the future.  Either view that you may personally want to enjoy it, this month and a half should never be forgotten again. I highly urge you to fully take part in the Graduation Season, when, and if you are so lucky to get a chance. Who knows, maybe you will even turn out to be your very own Lovejoy.

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May 23, 2011

Takin’ it to the streets

There are two (2) things I have to admit: 1.) The Universe sends me inspiration when I least expect it,  2.) I can miss these inspirations sometimes because they come in such small packages (What? I grew up with four sisters. There was always something BIG/Noisy going on at our house when I was growing up. I got used to it.), or because I have just not been paying enough attention.

Case in point: This past week.

 While playing the role of “Saint Rob the Good Shepard” and attempting to keep my dedication transfixed on the caring for those who have recently experienced a ”right-sizing” at work (attempting to help them find their next “professional home”),  I was also prepping for a presentation on “Social Media and the HR Pro”.  Of course, as I prepared I didn’t realize how the presentation was about have an adverse affect on me (though at the time, I was hoping that it would do the reverse).  

As I worked on the presentation, I learned a lot about the demographics of HR professionals who live/work in and around the District of Columbia.

Now, I have to admit something else:  Personal arrogance.  

Arrogance toward the fact that I originally approached the presentation (after being asked back in February) like I was going to talk with folks who didn’t know a lick about social media other than as something “they needed to do” to keep up with recent trends…envisioning a group of folks who had come into a distorted knowledge of Social Media kicking-and-screaming instead of being willing participants.

This approach was laid out not based on stereotype, but experience. I have personally felt the resistance to the use of Social Media by HR practitioners throughout my journeys into Social Media (while in DC). The mention of Twitter still gets a consistent response from HR professionals, (whom I have looked to for mentorship) 20+ years my senior like I had a contagious disease – turning their noses up with an “EW…I don’t Tweet”.

Never-the-less, I have trudged forward and have done things to advance the use of Social Media in HR through sharing my personal experience,excitement for the “latest and greatest”, as well and what I have learned under the tutelage of other…well, shall we say, more “Social Media educated folks”.  My approach has been light-hearted, but soundly informed.

Ultimately, I think that my frustrations revolving around the HR/Social Media tug-o-war are two-fold;  first, I see way to much fear running rampant in the HR community toward Social Media. I don’t think that as a community that we have embraced the change that these new technological advances can assist us with and instead have focused on the dangers and risks that they can present.  

The second frustration I have is the high amount of resistance, and bad rap that Social Media has gotten from those in the HR community that turn toward stubborn ignorance and an unwillingness to change in general. It is almost as if the word “social media” has taken on a negative tone, becoming a scapegoat for the word “change”.   Add to this point that we (as HR practitioners) have been asked by organizations to be ”THE” gatekeepers of our company brad – Et Viola – no wonder so many HR folks have held onto not being tech savvy for so long…we have spent our time creating policies on how to restrict our employees from accessing the evils of Social Media instead of embracing it. My answer to all of those that are shouting “BEWARE” is this: an old youth minister friend once told me, “You have to know the devil,  to be able to beat the devil”. The same applies for competent HR practitioners – they need to understand the uses of Social Media before they can attempt to even think about controlling it.

Back to the presentation –  it was going to be my latest way to personally advance both the HR profession, and foster the beginnings of an appreciation for Social Media as a tool in the HR community at large…well…atleast for a couple of other HR colleagues. Needless-to-say, I was incorrect about a couple of things in concern to the presentation….

A few days before the presentation, our Executive Director Teri sent us (my co-speaker) Elisa and I the attendee list. After researching a couple of the attendees, I quickly surmised that all but two (2) of the attendees had a LinkedIn Profile that was just about stellar. WOW – signs that some HR folks in DC actually “got it”…I was surprisingly proved wrong about my assumptions that I would run into major resistance with following through on sharing my ideas/knowledge in the presentation. The second incorrect assumption was that while in the heat of the presentation I thought that I would have a hard time, or loose attention during the presentation when talking about Twitter. Amazingly, the one point that I thought would be the hardest to explain; the advantages of Twitter was seemingly the most interesting to folks (go figure).  

 All in all, I have to say that I am proud of myself for having gone through this exercise, learned something, and come out the other side still wanting to share….now more than ever before (person-by-person if necessary).  The entire event has been rather funny.  I never anticipated the thought that by taking up something like this crusade to shed the veil of secrecy around social media for others in HR, I would actually see so very much about myself.

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May 16, 2011

In a single word: INTEGRITY

Through my up-brining as a Navy brat, and the influence that my Marine buddies have had on me I have learned the real-life meanings to the words: Duty and Honor.

Back in Boy Scouts I learned the meanings to the words: Trustworthy, Loyal, Brave, and Reverent.

Through my Kung-Fu and Tai-Chi training I have learned the meaning of the words: Balance, Precision, Commitment, and Humility (somewhere in my head I hear my four sisters laughing at this statement, but it is humility that I have learned all the same).

However, this last week I learned an entirely new definition to the word Integrity…

This last week, I had the unfortunate ability to see a social science project up close, and in person. I learned that my company was going to need to go through another “right-sizing” exercise (nothing new in my line of work really) , but this time it that had a surprise that the end. My already compressed hybrid of a position as an HR Manager/Recruiting Manager was being eliminated. Now before you go and think that this blog post is one of ill-content, I harbour no negativity, and would in no-way, shape, or form wish to break rank here. In fact, I thank my employer for being so gracious and giving me an 8 weeks heads-up notice. I am very thankful!

This blog  post instead revolves around a word that I believe needs to be exemplified more often in the HR lexicon, and brought to the forefront of more of our workplace conversations. How much more honest and frank can you get than by asking an employee if they feel that they have the integrity of continuing on under their current circumstances?

My reasoning for this statement/question comes after completing an exit interview conversation during this past week. A now-ex-employee asked me a question to which I could only answer with this one word. Integrity. They asked me, “Why Rob? Why are you still “plugged in” and connected here? I checked out two weeks ago… they have already told you that your job is scheduled to be eliminated, so why do you care?” Astoundingly, the old, dusty word just popped right in my head. It was like lightning zapped my noggin and it rolled out of my mouth. Of course, I then extrapolated how I cared…not so much about what other employees had to say to my face while I was there, but more about how they would rate my performance after I left (besides, no one had really been hovering over my meticulous building of HR structures over the last year and three months, but they did like the outcomes. My diligence was just something that I did because I innately thought that it needed to done…nothing special in my mind until I can now see the impact). To wrap up the conversation I shared, “besides,  I have worked to dang hard to get things where they are now. If they just fall apart after I leave, what does that say about my leadership? Nothing.”

To say the least, I am still astounded shocked at my response, and never really knew that I had such emotions for an environment, and a group of people like this - but I guess that is what happens when you put on the “vest of invulnerability” everyday and jump into danger when the organization, or an employee sends out the emergency signal…I am hoping at this point that some HR colleagues can agree that it can become a bit of force of habit.

The real question I have in reflection to the events of the last week are this: How much INTEGRITY is too much? Is there a line of INTEGRITY that is to far out of reach?

I understand being a representative for an organization, and holding true to company ideals, visions and values until the very end -  but, in our present day economy with even the best of intended business decisions going wrong - can an HR professionals continue to hold themselves in harm’s way at the risk of being the only leader of a company that worries about the fate of others before the fate of themselves?

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May 9, 2011

You may say I am a dreamer…

John Lennon once said, “You may say that I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one”.

The fact in my case is that I am just 1 of at least 150…150 strong, and ever growing number of HR Professionals who have been infected by the dream of reaching out and personally connecting with other professionals (either via the technological advances of Twitter, blogging, or in real life) who think just about the same way that they do about HR as an industry, and share in the want to personally affect it positively.

Labeled by China Gorman as ”HR Activist” (because the old model is dead), folks such as myself believe in things such as: actually talking with employees (radical thought, I know), supporting and showing how we support the bottom line in our organizations, interested in the latest and greatest technological advances available to Human Resource professionals, as well as taking personal responsibility for our actions as business professionals (after all – stereotypes get started some how, right?).

What I am referring to are the beliefs and ideals that revolve around HRevolution.  What started as a just a un-conference just three years ago has seemingly blossomed into something more like a way of life and not just the flapping of gums.

My exciting personal journey through HRevolution began almost 2 years ago when I first learned about this HR un-derground at something called a “tweet-up”. I met a few early compadres at this event (jessica lee), but since have been awoken to fundamental HR premises, HR beliefs, HR understandings, compromises, not to mention the network connections with other HR professionals that I had missed in my time B.T. (Before Twitter), or what I like to more admiringly call B.HRe.

During my progressive learning curve in this new world, I have met folks who are real masterminds in their respective fields, like:  Mike VanDervort, Shauna Moerke, Ben Eubanks, Steve Browne,SPHR, Dave Carhart, Dave Ryan, Tammy Colson, Paul Smith , Mike Krupa, Matt Stollak, SPHR, Ph.D, Robin Schooling and Teresa Morris…and this list is just the tip of the iceberg.

This very open, and accepting group of folks that revolve around the main premise that “actions speak louder than words” has my commitment because of one small reason:  They inspire and urge me toward taking a stand myself without even really knowing it.

After reading many of their blogs (and at this point many of their takes on the latest HRevoloution event), I don’t think that I could ever look any of them in the eyes (either through electronic means, or in-real-life) and not think to myself “to thine own self be true, Rob” very well,  if I were to ever to stop striving to achieve ”HRevolution atonement”.

Now before I loose anyone to some “MAUM Meditation chanting”, I have to admit that I am big boy and can handle my own business, but it is nice to know that from time to time that even Super Man can find support in a Hall of Justice.

With that said, I was challenged lately (thank you Steve Browne and Jason Lauritsen) to find it within myself to take responsibility for my own actions as an HR Professional. I have committed myself to personally advancing the HR Profession by sharing with the professionals that I interact with  (those whom I can say I supervise)  how their efforts affect the bottom-line. Taking this a step further though, (because I can never leave well enough alone) I set out leaving HRevolution with the idea to attempt to share this idea with any HR professional that I come in contact with.

This idea didn’t last long though, as in the week that I have been back from HRevolution, I have been tested many times on keeping good with my basic commitment.  There has been a lot of negativity that has come while back on the work site, and even in interactions with fellow HR professionals in the local HR Association. I have learned that  a lot of folks don’t seem to understand that things  aren’t so doom and gloom, and don’t need to take a negative approach when talking about the future of the industry.

For example, while at the local HR Association Annual Conference, I was asked why I was tweeting the event – and who really cared other than the folks who were there? Needless to say, stepping out and doing something different from what has been done before initially was intimidating. I was scared that when I announced the Hashtag “DCHR_CONF” and getting blank faces, my attempt wasn’t going to work. However after the first RT from a complete stranger (whom I met later at the event) I felt good, and that I had taken my first step to open that digital door in a rather inhospitable environment. I felt even better when I was approached by four different HR individuals who wanted to know more about how to “create a on-line brand”. It was then that I realized that I was living up to my commitment, just through a different medium than I had originally anticipated. So, I guess in a way, I have found another way to meet my commitment – I can affect further change to HR within the District of Columbia through sharing both my technical knowledge and continuing to write here in my blog.

Watch out HRevolution friends – you have a powerful new ally, because I am not just a dreamer….any longer, but also now an activist. I have seen how I can affect change, and even been uncomfortable in a group of my peers because of it.

Founders of HRevolution, thank you for the inspiration. You have awakened a giant – who is learning how to push the boulder of doubt towards HR change in DC…even if it takes me one HR professional at a time.

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