Category: Random Thoughts

No apologies

It’s time for HR people to quit complaining about knowing each other. Instead, we should be doing all we can to get to know our connections as real people.

Disclaimer – (all good HR people know how to do these . . .)

The following post may seem like name dropping, but it’s not.  It’s about the value of getting to know the people we choose to follow and be connected to.  If that makes me a “clique” former – so be it !!

Now for the post:

Last week the coolest thing happened !!  I received a DM on Twitter from Bryan Wempen asking me what my day looked like. I was a little confused by this since Bryan is normally in Tulsa, OK and I’m in Cincinnati, OH, but I responded.  Turns out he was in town and wanted to see if we could get together. To say I was GEEKED would not give this enough credence !!

Bryan is someone I met through Twitter and also through his incredible blog radio show, Drive Thru HR, which he co-hosts daily with another friend – William Tincup.  We went to our Boudinot location for LaRosa’s and had some great conversations over great pizza !!  I learned more about him, his family and great stories about career, college, etc.

You see, Bryan was inadvertently helping me reach a goal I set for myself for 2011.  I want to meet as many of the people I’m connected to as possible in real life !!  I think this really matters.

I think HR people in the Social Media space are struggling with “what’s next?” when it comes to where things are going.  The piece that’s missing is that we long to really know each other.

Coming up in the next few months, I get to go to the Northern Ohio HR Conference to present and catch up with Joe Gerstandt as well as 100’s of other attendees who may/may not be involved with Social Media.  Also, in April I’m going to HRevolution 2011 and couldn’t be excited enough to meet others that I read about, learn from and communicate with.

There’s more to come in 2011 including the Ohio HR Conference in September where I’m fortunate enough to be this year’s chair !!

I feel that too many HR people keep their heads down when they go to great events like these and worry too much about HRCI credits, where to sit in the room and if the person sitting next to you is going to “bother” you by tweeting instead of listening to the speaker.

Time for this to stop !!

The GREATEST resource at these events are the people sitting next to you, the people in the exhibitor halls and the people milling through the halls !!

So, no apologies.  I plan to meet ALL of you – and I can’t wait !!

Guess what I got for Christmas ??

Announcing the blog launch from a person who is in HR on purpose !! A different forum which promotes HR strategically and as an integral function in today’s business world.

My family is different from most in today’s society (in a good way).  You see we actually like each other, enjoy getting together and look forward to time catching up and sharing what’s happening in our lives.

Ten years ago, our family started a Christmas “tradition” where the adults and kids were supposed to make something for someone, give something to a charity in their name, or regift something you liked from the other family (like an heirloom or something that had deep meaning to someone).

My amazing sister-in-law, Kathi Browne, had my name this year, yet there wasn’t a gift for me under the tree. I was curious because the tree was inordinately full even though each year we say we’re going to “cut back.” When my turn came to open my gift, Kathi opened her laptop and showed me my Twitter handle as a URL . You see, my sis-in-law gave me a blog !!  How cool is that?

I’ve had people mention that I should do this someday, and many of you have been kind enough to let me be a guest on your great blogs.  I appreciate  you letting me get my feet wet.

Now, I guess I’ll be out here with you.  I’m just getting started and I’m sure that I’ll be reaching out to others to have them guest here as well.

It’s a great way to start 2011 !!  Let’s see what happens . . .