Conversing and Connecting

Another reflection from HRevolution…

Every now and again, after the HRevolution group gets together, someone inevitably brings up the concept that we’re still hanging out ‘in the echo chamber’ and/or having the same conversations over and over again with only each other.

But I sensed a difference at this year’s HRevolution.  Why?  Because while these lines were uttered by several people there were a lot fewer who said it.  Rather, I found a palpable sense that the conversations ARE extending beyond our little world.  We can point to these past 12 months and we see things like Jason Lauritsen’s HR Reinvention Experiment and Steve Browne’s continuation of his awesome HR Roundtable series and the HRNet.  People who are part of our little family, such as Jessica Miller-Merrell,  have greatly extended their reach with speaking gigs and books which have moved them well beyond their original HR audience.  And the fact that we had Liz Gottung, CHRO from Kimberly Clark actually at HRevolution and hanging out all day brought that point home.

We look back over the last 12 months and see that many people rose to the challenge to break out and have these conversations with folks outside of this same circle.  I sense that we’ve all spread the word about strengthening the current (and future) state of HR, the power of social media/networking/connecting and OWNING our own credibility and influence.

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I’m sure you’ve had the chance to go to a ‘typical’ conference where the hallways are silent, no one speaks to each other at the breaks, and there is z-e-r-o energy.  A bunch of zomboids wandering the hallways waiting for the next flashy exciting and sexy POWER POINT presentation to begin while silently tallying up their CEUs and HRCI credits in their minds.  Rushing out to an east-facing corner of the conference center so they can get cell phone reception and make that super-important phone call.

You know what I loved once again about HRevolution?  The conversations did-not-stop.  Ever.  Barely for a moment.  Everyone was so pumped up and enthused that as people hung out on the lovely Georgia Tech patio throughout the day, the chatter continued. And will go on.  For HRevolution is not a over and done deal.  And that’s what makes it so special.

The conversations and connections serve a purpose.  And we saw a bit of the impact when Liz Gottung stood up and told 130 people that she was ‘leaving HRevolution with more hope for what HR could do.’  (Yay Liz! – Yay HR!)

Tasty morsel #2 – let the conversations and the connections continue, flourish and GROW.