As I sit down to type this post, I’m exhausted. My wife and I just returned from the SHRM Annual Conference in San Diego, and some time away we tacked on the back end of the event visiting San Francisco. We enjoy visiting places once we land in a destination. We do all we can to pack in as much sightseeing and local flavor that we can. The bookends of flying are always somewhat adventurous even if most things fall into place.
Each year I attend the annual conference, I am renewed and rejuvenated !! There is one primary reason for this rekindling, and that is spending time with my HR peers from around the globe. I’ve been going to the conference for 15+ years and have been fortunate to be a presenter at the last 11 years. I am geeked to see familiar faces, and get a jolt of energy if someone screams out my name, “STEVE !!!” from across a crowded hallway. There are countless smiles, hugs, and laughs shared from the moment I touch ground in each host city.
I know that I’m fortunate to have that occur. I don’t take it for granted. I also want those who attend to know that who they are and what they do matter to me, and to the lives of the people they touch. HR can be thankless work. This arena gives me the opportunity to gather people around, encourage them, and hopefully renew their interest in the industry that has been my chosen field for the past four decades.
The constant shining reality of what SHRM has always been about for me is the people. That has been true for the 25+ years I’ve been involved – through thick and thin.
Walking through the convention center in San Diego is daunting. It stretches on and on in one continuous line. Sessions happened in hotels that were at each end of the center as well as throughout the two floors of the center itself. I give you that mental picture as a framework for what occurred.
I get stopped often when moving through SHRM Annual. Having been a regular for some time, I’ve met thousands of people over the years. This year took on a whole new level of personalization that I wasn’t seeking or expecting. It’s humbling to me when people come up to me and share stories. You never know what you’re going to hear, and each one fills me with intrigue and anticipation. You see, if people are willing to take time to open up, be vulnerable, and share what’s on their hearts, then they will always get my undivided attention.

When I was stopped, the conversation usually began with, “Can I tell you something ??”
The stories shared often brought me to tears and left me speechless. I heard one after another from people who told me how they had been moved and affected by my presentations. Many told me they were on the verge of quitting HR, and then changed their minds. Others shared how they were just wandering the halls and unknowingly sauntered into one of my sessions.
I heard tales of how they bought toys for their office or for their staff after seeing the menagerie I travel with. They talked about how they found joy once again in being an HR practitioner.
I was shaken to my core. Often, I shared a hug and could barely squeak out a “Thank You” before I wept. Wave after wave of emotions hit me at every turn. I can’t capture in words how much these conversations mean. My favorite ones are people who confide they’ve seen me speak for several years but didn’t know if I’d be open to meeting them in person.
I assured each person that I’m a peer and just a guy in HR. I cherish the chance to meet anyone who’s willing to connect and share even the smallest hello.
If you’ve read my blog at all over the years, you’ve heard me state how important it is to connect as fellow HR professionals. I mean it. People who do good work are aching for someone to come alongside them. Each time I meet an old friend for a warm embrace or a new one for a handshake, I’m anchored.
This week, reach out to someone as an HR peer. Give them just a few moments of your time during your hectic week. Don’t worry about what to say, or what you’ll cover. Start simply with . . .
“Can I tell you something ??” . . . and watch what happens !!