SHRM-Atlanta

This is a repost of an article, Hire People, Not Just Skills, I wrote for HR Examiner last week, that was inspired by some of the fantastic speakers/sessions from our recent 23rd Annual SHRM Atlanta Conference.  One of the themes that really resonated with me was threaded through many of the sessions that I attended — and that was a focus on people – humans.  This is a subject I have been very passionate about throughout both my Recruiting / HR and IT career, whether we are talking about business application design, technology/tool adoption, hiring, talent acquisition, management, or development.  While a seemingly simple concept, it is one that gets missed – way too often.

I want to thank the following speakers that I had the opportunity to see, for their focus on this very thing in their sessions — and the additional inspiration for my post:

Speaker:  Jennifer McClure, Unbridled Talent LLC – From HR Leader to Business Leader: 7 Strategies To Achieve Maximum Impact in Your Organization
Speaker:  Eric Winegardner, Monster Worldwide – The Evolving World of Work
Speaker:  Melanie Holmes, ManpowerGroup – Talent Mismatch — the Gap Widens
Speaker:  Jason Lauritsen, Talent Anarchy – The Future of Talent Management

Please follow this link to read, Hire People, Not Just Skills. found on HRExaminer.com.  I welcome your comments – please join the conversation!!

Chris Havrilla is a Management Consultant through her own company Havrilla LLC, as well as the incredible team at Recruiting Toolbox, where she focuses on all aspects of strategy, process, technology, and training as it relates to Recruiting, Sourcing, Talent Management and Development. Chris holds a BBA in Management Information Systems and is an often-sought after speaker, writer, and advisor in the recruiting and HR industries.  Chris is currently serving as Vice President, Social Media for SHRM-Atlanta, as well as on the board of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Recruiting Society.  In addition to co-founding and blogging at RecruiterChicks.com, she is also a regular contributor on HRExaminer and Jobsite.com blogs.

By Tom Fee

Leadership is the ability to get people to follow you.  So how do you do that?  Influence.  Dan Crosby, PhD, of IncBlot, outlined the psychology for the 6 Pillars of Influence in his SHRMATL 2013 conference presentation.  It has less to do with your title and more to do with your approach.  You have to learn how to package and deliver your recommendations in a way that is attractive and enticing.  So here are the laws that good leaders use to influence others:

1-      Reciprocity – you have to give to get, kindness for kindness.  People have a natural need to return a favor with a favor.  But watch out, women and southerners have been taught to underplay the significance of their contribution.  When you have done a favor, accept their thanks graciously, but in a way that clearly underlines the value of the favor and relationship.

2-      Scarcity – people want what they can’t have, because it is rare or the opportunity is slipping away.  When you make a recommendation, make sure that you reinforce the consequences of not accepting the offer.  Most people are two times more upset about a potential loss, than attracted by an opportunity.  Also, clearly outline what needs to be done to implement the plan, people often fail to connect the action to the benefit.

3-      Authority – people trust others with experience, expertise and credentials.  If you don’t have them, quote the opinion of someone who does.  And remember that you depend on others to build your authority, so constantly reinforce the authority of those in your group to build your own.  The best approach is a subtle approach, when underscoring your authority start by admitting a minor weakness and then offer your most authoritative evidence; “lower their guard and then counter punch”

4-      Commitment and Consistency – people stick once they commit, even to a small commitment.  So get people to commit to something, anything, and they will be one step closer to sticking to the succeeding decisions.

5-      Consensus – people have a herd mentality and they look to others for approval.  If you can get some people to commit others will follow.  You can leverage the unseen “they”, just like the advertising that tells you that everyone else uses a product.  Surprisingly, the merit of an idea has less to do with the adoption of an idea than the adoption of others.

6-      Liking – like speaks to like.  People tend to agree with people who are just like them.  So, position your approach and appeal to appear to have commonality with your audience.  Make them laugh, be attractive (well groomed), share common stories, pay compliments and show that you have a common struggle.  Take the time to recognize a person’s personal Brand (their clothes, hobbies, tastes, style) and compliment them on it.

That’s it – 6 Pillars that will make you much more influential.  It has to do more with building your credibility in a group and using relationships effectively, than it does with title.  Take the time to build these six capabilities and you will find your influence and impact growing in your organization and life.

Tom Fee is the Managing Partner of Verity Partners, a consulting firm that helps drive new strategies to successful execution.  He brings over 30 years of experience and expertise in business analysis, design and implementation with over 100 companies (consulting at Booz, Deloitte, Verity Partners).  Currently Tom is developing new approaches to effective change by focusing on individual learning and adoption.  SHRM Atlanta was thrilled to have Tom as a part of our #SHRMATL13 Press Team providing media coverage of our annual conference!

Confidence, Leadership, Influence, and Implementation

I just attended my first SHRM-Atlanta Conference and had the honor of being invited to blog for the Business Acumen Sessions. I knew the conference would be fantastic.  But the rich quality of the content that was offered was even beyond my wildest expectations.  The event was incredible!

I used to work as an HR executive and during this SHRM-Atlanta conference it was fascinating to see how much that role has changed and evolved over the years.  Today it is more important than ever to realize the key components of HR leadership and the vital role that HR management plays within an organization.

I noticed four common themes interwoven into presentations and panel discussions as we heard from the industry’s top HR gurus.  So I thought I would highlight those.

Confidence

Several presenters emphasized the necessity for HR leaders to exude confidence.  They explained that if you can’t envision it, then you will never be able to share that vision with others – and you won’t achieve it.

Confidence is always a key ingredient to success.  You have to trust in your ability and act decisively, knowing how much value you bring to the table.  But before demonstrating confidence on the outside, you have to cultivate it within yourself.

Before you start to construct and fuel a talent pipeline, create and inspire a positive workplace culture, or act as a strategic partner you must first believe in yourself.

Influence

It is critical that HR executives master the art of “influencing those who are influential.” You have to convince senior decision makers to invest in recruitment, development, retention, succession-planning, and a dynamic, positive culture.

But HR results are not so easy to quantify. Providing metrics related to profit margins, sales volume, and the number of widgets manufactured every quarter is a whole lot easier.

So HR executives need to figure out innovative ways to illustrate the value of having the best people and the best working environment. You have to draw convincing correlations between HR initiatives and the accomplishment of organizational goals.

Leadership

But to be perceived as a strategic senior partner, you need an executive mindset.  Move beyond any psychological limitations that restrict you to playing a smaller, less important role.

As Pat Bernard explained, “Take the administrative part of HR and make it a non-issue. Don’t be seen as the administrator or taskmaster.”

I also loved the insight shared by Nancy Vepraskas who said, “To become a more strategic leader, you have to have a leadership mindset.  Don’t assume that you are a strategic partner and then get asked questions and find yourself in the weeds.”

Implementation

While addressing HR challenges, the conference simultaneously empowered all the participants with innovative tools, intelligent strategies, experienced insights, and sustainable inspiration.

A powerful team of HR experts shared a veritable library of wealthy tips and insights.  They told us how to improve employee engagement and create healthier and more productive work environments.  They explained dynamic ways to get involved on a leadership level to exert progressive influence across all facets of your organization.

Now we have to focus on developing specific competencies that deserve our attention.  We have to commit ourselves to our individual leadership, and begin to take steps toward mastering the tools, strategies, and techniques we gained from the conference.

I came away enlightened, enlivened, and rejuvenated.  I had a wonderful, transformational experience at my first SHRM-Atlanta Conference.  I want to congratulate SHRM-Atlanta and all the participants for their commitment to lifelong learning and professional development.

Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS is an internationally distinguished executive coach, corporate consultant, professional speaker, and the founding CEO of her own company, Illustra Consulting.  A career acceleration and leadership presence expert, Hathorn created the innovative Predictable Promotion System, a 10-step proprietary process she uses to coach managers aspiring to be directors, directors seeking vice presidential promotions, and VP’s eager to ascend to the C-suite.  Hathorn served as a senior level executive for a Fortune 100 company for 25 years, and she has more than 30 years of experience mentoring high potentials for rapid career advancement and extraordinary success.

Sarah’s tips, insights, and advice on professional presence, career acceleration, and executive leadership development have appeared on Forbes.com, msnbc.com, The Huffington Post and in features published by numerous newspapers and magazines including the New York Times and Money Magazine.

Organizations have fire starters: those who escalate issues causing havoc and drama in the process.  They also have fire fighters: people who scurry to find a way to pacify, implement or solve emergencies.  Regardless of the position, it costs the company and everyone involved lots of time and money.

My issue with many businesses, especially large ones fraught with multiple layers of management is that a simple dictate from a high ranking exec may start out as a “when you get a chance” kind of comment, but later turns into a “fire drill” as it’s passed down the chain of command.  Sure there are honest critical crunches when all hands on deck is imperative to meet deadlines. But in the corporate telephone game, since these directives are rarely formalized or written down, confusion or others’ interpretations often drive a normal delivery time into needing it yesterday.  It can also happen through some self-serving manager along the way trying to look important by claiming the item is “hot” and needed ASAP by the executive who casually mentioned the detail in the first place.  In the meantime schedules are juggled, meetings and tasks are postponed in order to attend to the now frantic issue.  Gaining momentum as it circulates through the organization, very few people push back or even consider going to the original leader for clarification.

As a leader, communicating and yes, even formalizing requests with clear due dates can make a huge difference regarding time, energy and profits.  It keeps everyone on the same page and gives realistic priorities to the work at hand.  Using this process, if a situation arises that truly is needed STAT, it will get the necessary immediate attention.  An executive’s awareness of the requests put forth and how they are implemented  is essential to keep an organization running efficiently.  Although you can’t keep your finger on the pulse of all the issues, at least know the ones you’ve initiated have been clearly communicated with realistic deliverables, directions and expectations.

Those in an organization who regularly spiral assignments  to frenzied levels, are just fanning the flames.  The world will not end if every project does not have priority status.  Don’t cry wolf, save those matches for a real crisis when you’ll need to light a big fire.

Becky Arrington, founder and President of Arrington & Associates, guides individuals and businesses to discover their purpose and live authentically. Whether you’re a company looking for innovative ways to lead and engage employees or an individual trying to prioritize, reduce stress or decide what you want to be when you grow up, learning to accept and thrive in change is key.

Research confirms what HR Professionals already knew:  employees that are in the divorce process are often less productive, stressed, and more prone to distractions and increased absenteeism.

Integrated Organizational Development estimated the cost per worker going through a divorce at about $8,300, an amount that not only quantifies the decrease in productivity of the affected employee, but also incorporates a supervisor’s involvement and co-workers who absorb the “employee’s slack”.

What can HR professionals do about divorce’s costs?  Happily, these strategies – Train, Inform, and Protect – not only guard the bottom line, but also serve the interests of an employee who may be in crisis.

1. Train Supervisors to Handle Subordinate’s Personal Disclosures Appropriately.  Maintaining professional distance when an employee is facing a personal crisis can be difficult.  Accommodating the employee’s need for a sympathetic ear or advice, however, may deter the employee from getting the professional advice or other resources that are needed or contribute to performance issues.  Provide supervisors with strategies that promote appropriate boundaries.
2. Maintain Information About Divorce Resources within the HR Office.  Every HR office should have a “Divorce Packet” that includes information about divorce and COBRA coverage, QDRO Information, and any employee benefits that relate to legal, financial, or mental health services.  Other information that an HR Office may choose to provide includes contact information for attorney referrals, Divorce Professional directories (such as Mediators and Certified Divorce Financial Analysts), mental health practitioners’ professional associations or a licensing agencies (such as the Secretary of State for Marriage and Family Therapists), and other divorce services (such as Visions Anew Institute and Divorce Recovery programs).
3. Address Workplace Safety Issues.  Unfortunately, many domestic relationships involve violence.  In instances of divorce, domestic violence can be a real concern that can infiltrate the workplace.  Take steps to make it easy for employees to share concerns about violence with the Company through supervisor training and an informational policy that can be found in the Handbook.  Such policies can be specific with regard to how to report threats and to whom in the Human Resources office a court issued Protective Order should be delivered.

HR Professionals have an opportunity to make a difference in their organizations by being prepared to proactively address divorce, a recurring issue, in the workplace and quantify the impact.

Be sure to catch Jennifer’s session, When It Isn’t All Left Behind:  When Family Issues Come To Work, at SHRM-Atlanta’s Annual Conference March 13 &14 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA.

Jennifer Keaton is an attorney who has focused her practice on conflict communication, workplace investigations, training, and mediation/arbitration services with One Mediation in Buckhead.   With over a decade of experience litigating employment matters, Ms. Keaton promotes internal dispute resolution processes that provide employees another option, other than court, to address disagreements and problems in a manner that often is faster and more cost efficient.  Contact Ms. Keaton with questions or comments at jkeaton@onemediation.com .

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the 21st Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference — and it was quite an event!  Attendees were welcomed to opening remarks by SHRM President and CEO Hank Jackson, who also talked about 2012 focus areas– and of course, next year’s national conference being held in our fince city of Atlanta.  There was also the moving and  inspiring key note from Kat Cole, President of Cinnabon — don’t miss Alex Putnam’s post on what Kat’s address meant to him!  There were also a host of sessions across several tracks that made it very hard to choose what to select!

The very first session I attended was on Leadership and Conflict by Sylvia Lafair, PhD, President of CEO – Creative Energy Options, Inc., and author of “Don’t Bring It to Work”.  Sylvia made a simple, yet very profound statement that we have to begin to see separating who we are at work and who we are at home is really just an illusion.  Boom!!  She is so right – who we are and the things we experience at home, does affect us at work.  As such, we really do have to take this into account when dealing with conflict in the work place.  My friend, Dr. Daniel Crosby of Incblot, wrote a very moving and personal post recently that touches on this concept – check it out here.

We all deal with conflict in different ways…as Sylvia pointed out, most of us either Fight, take Flight, or just Freeze, like a deer in headlights.  The problem is we get stuck into patterns in times of conflict and fall back on repetitive reactions that “…keep us stuck in the world of ‘always’ and ‘never’…”.  Understanding common patterns in people — and what affect these patterns can have on the team — is a critical part of dealing with conflicts that can arise due to these patterns.  This is crucial to keeping the people on your team engaged in a productive and trusting work environment.  She outlined many common patterns you do see such as:

• The Super Achiever – must win at all costs.
• The Rebel – can’t accept any authority.
• The Procrastinator – won’t finish anything.
• The Clown – reduces everything to a joke.
• The Persecutor – bullies people into misery.
• The Victim – too scared to take any action.
• The Rescuer – demands to be the big hero.
• The Drama Queen/King – makes emotional scenes.
• The Martyr – does everyone else’s work.
• The Pleaser – say what folks want to hear.
• The Avoider – dodges work and responsibility.
• The Denier – won’t face problems directly.
• The Splitter – secretly sets up conflict.

She acknowledges there are others, but the most important thing is that you do deal with it and outlined some simple steps to handle.  First and foremost is you must

1) Cool down by trying some deep breathing exercises to get your mind right and focused to talk this out.

2) Slow down and identify what buttons were pushed and what ways you think could help move things forward.

3) Play down by ‘owning’ your own pattern of behavior an how this could be contributing to the conflict

4) Sit down, preferably in a quiet, private area to discuss the things identified above – sans blame, judgements, or attacks – in the spirit of open and honesty and a desire  for positive change.  It may help to practice first!

5) …and finally….Touchdown!!  It’s time to celebrate and do whatever necessary to celebrate and reinforce a solution!

Simple steps, but certainly ones we rarely take the time to do – at home or at work.  If you are looking for some advice on the “sitting down” part, Sylvia describes her O-U-T technique in this recent SHRM-Atlanta post, Conflict, Relationships, and Pollution.  Or, of course, check out Sylvia’s book,  as well as the presentation found on the SHRM-Atlanta web site!!

Chris Havrilla is a consultant specializing in strategy, process, technology, and training projects as related to Corporate Recruiting / Sourcing / HR / Talent Management.  Chris is Co-VP of Social Media for SHRM-Atlanta and she blogs at www.recruiterchicks.com. 

The 21st Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference will feature a two day track on Business Acumen & Leadership.  These sessions build the business know-how of HR practitioners ranging from the specialist/generalist to the mid-level manager to the seasoned leader.  Specialist/generalist and mid-level professionals can select from sessions that develop and enhance their fundamental business “literacy”.  Seasoned leaders can learn about the impact of their actions on decision-making and how this in turn affects outcomes at the functional, unit, or corporate level.

Here is what you can expect to learn more about in this track:

Savvy Leadership Acumen | Speaker:  Karla Brandau, CSP, Workplace Power Institute
Monday, October 17, 8:00 am – 9:00 am | Strategic Management Credit

Are charismatic leaders born or grown? The question has been asked for centuries. The truth is that no baby is born with a silver leadership spoon in their mouth. Most anyone can become a charismatic leader if they work from their own leadership attributes; work to implement admirable traits they observe in others; and resist the urge to be a copy cat of a popular yet perhaps flamboyant individual. The engaging and charismatic leader has a brilliant comprehension of personal innate strengths and an intuitive discernment of the inner assets of team members and employees. This knowledge generates savvy leadership acumen and provides a powerful concentration of courage and fortitude in the face of the indomitable challenges of the 21st Century relationships. Navigating work relationships and forging ahead to increased organizational productivity with the full support of colleagues, team members, and employees is a phenomenally complex endeavor. In this session, Karla simplifies it for you and gives you real help, not just theory.

Developing Your Strategic HR Business Partner Capabilities | Speaker:  Walter Boehm, Talent Connections
Monday, October 17, 12:40 pm – 1:40 pm | Strategic Management Credit

This session looks at the various ways in which an HR professional, develops leadership skills to work in the C-Suite delivering HR startegic value to the organization. We will do this through looking at two different buisness case studies on companies based in Atlanta. We will review the skills and HR startegic initiatives which drive bottom-line business results such as productivity and share-holder value.

Leading in Tough Times | Speaker:  Luis Castro, Cameron and Associates, Inc.
Monday, October 17, 2:20 pm – 3:20 pm | Strategic Management Credit

This session will bring hope, share proven strategies, ideas, tips and suggestions that really work while leading in tough times. Luis will discuss leadership greatest challenges; how leadership styles affect outcomes; management vs. leadership; ten strategies when leading in tough times; six rules for successful leadership; choices to make before and after the crisis; moving from the comfort zone to the challenge zone; and seven rules for leading in tough times.

Using HR Data to Make the Right HR Investments | Speaker:  Cathy Missildine-Martin, SPHR, Intellectual Capital Consulting
Monday, October 17, 3:35 pm – 4:35 pm | Strategic Management Credit

HR Departments are faced with decisions about which programs, initiatives and deliverables should be implemented almost on a daily basis. HR must compete for dollars and resources both within the HR Department and with other functional areas. Post recession, CEO’s are more risk adverse, therefore driving the need for HR to create a solid business case when competing for investment dollars. What if you had to choose between a wellness program and a new rewards and recognition program? How would you determine which of the two had the greatest impact on business results?  By understanding strategic mapping, HR professionals can directly link programs and activities to business outcomes.  Once key relationships are established in the mapping process,  simple statistical methods can be used to determine which investment has the most “bang got its buck.”

Get a Vision | Speaker:  LynnMarie Earl, Earl MKTG, LLC
Tuesday, October 18, 8:15 am – 9:15 am | General Credit

In this seminar you will learn how to assess future goals and convey them to others in a positive and encouraging way.  Your staff will be able to create their own goals as you work with them to visualize. You will learn how to empower yourself and others through a better understanding of characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses.  You will be able to share the importance of having, creating, and following through on individual and corporate visions to improve individual, team, division, and corporate growth.  Specific techniques are shared to ensure incorporation of methods learned and taught to staff and employees. Emphasis is placed on learning your, and your staff’s, characteristics that help or hurt you, time schedules, goals/numbers, and true focus on specific goals over general statements of growth.

F&B, Tweets & Green Peppers:  Practical Leadership Techniques | Speakers:  Joyce Chastain, SPHR, HR Florida State Council; Carol McDaniel, HR Florida State Council
Tuesday, October 18, 10:00 am – 11:00 am | General Credit

Using a conversational style, this session provides useful leadership strategies using real-life examples of lessons learned in the trenches of senior leadership positions. These three HR professionals are currently co-authoring a book by the same title which is expected to be completed in late 2011. In the book, “F&B” relates to business necessity (financials, mission, etc.); Tweets relates to outside influences (how you got here, who’s cheering you on, who’s attacking you); and Green Peppers relates to distractions (things that divert your attention from what’s important to what someone else thinks is urgent.)

Leadership GPS:  Goals, People, Systems | Speaker:  Seth Davies, Competitive Solutions, Inc.
Tuesday, October 18, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm | General Credit

What is your organizational direction? Are you ready to emphasize growth over survival? Are you ready to demonstrate to your organizational leaders that they are vital and valuable? Are you ready to re-calibrate your organizational GPS? In this interactive presentation, participants will receive a lively overview of the four key elements necessary to create and sustain a high performance mentality and process throughout any organization. The presenter will focus strongly on the role of organizational leadership to create, emulate, communicate and reinforce the non-negotiable strategies necessary to sustain business success. This presentation will look at the real-world business challenges facing organizations today, as well as give participants a specific implementation methodology to begin practicing upon immediate return to the workplace.

The Future is Here: Human Capital is the New ROI | Speakers:  Marcus Harwood, CPA, CPIM, MBA, OND; Vallerie Parrish-Porter and Jerry Glazier (both formerly of Embarq)
Tuesday, October 18, 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm | Strategic Management Credit

Imagine a world in which HR owns the single most value-rich improvement initiative, an initiative that dwarfs the value of the next ten, most significant improvement initiatives spanning the company – combined! That future is here. We will describe how one company leveraged a simple language and rich methodology to lay the foundation and take the first major step toward that future. The CIO (HR’s customer) and senior HR executive (IT’s business partner) from a top telecom will discuss the problem they faced, the bold new approach they took, the results they achieved, and, how they see the next steps – the future. The future calls for radical changes in talent acquisition, deployment, development, evaluation and recognition. The improvements in company bottom-line and competitiveness will make the “reengineering movement” and the “SAP movement” small in comparison. The only thing mind-boggling about this movement is that it has not already happened. The movement will unleash unprecedented productivity gains, turn around the performance of all mission-critical teams, enable truly productive collaboration for a purpose, and, materially elevate employee commitment and passion – raising acquisition and retention of top talent to levels thought impossible before. The movement takes HR from playing cop to sitting at the table as major initiatives are planned and implemented – as an integral part of mission-critical business processes from vision through implementation.

Influence for Impact | Speaker:  Hodges Golson, PhD, ABPP Management Psychology Group
Tuesday, October 18, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm | General Credit

Psychological assessments of thousands of executives, sales people and technologists have shown that skills of influence are in short supply. These are most often mentioned as “developmental opportunities” in a very wide range of people. This talk presents a distillation of what psychologists have found out about influence and persuasion over the past 50 years. And it offers practical advice about how to use this knowledge to your advantage.

Register today!  You will not want to miss out on this great two day conference.  And keep in mind that this is not the only track being offered at the session.  We will have six current tracks covering seven specialty areas.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Mary Lynn Miller, Chief Operating Officer
404.869.2568
mmiller@shrmatlanta.org

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Jean Yahres, Association Director
404.760.8129
jyahres@shrmatlanta.org

Georgia’s Largest Human Resources Conference to Gather Hundreds for Education & Networking:  Hosted by SHRM-Atlanta October 17-18

Atlanta (September 15, 2011) – SHRM-Atlanta, the Atlanta Chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management, hosts the 21st Annual SHRM-Atlanta Human Resources Conference on October 17 and 18 at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Human resources professionals and other individuals with an interest in human resources from all over Georgia are invited to attend this two-day conference to network, learn and share ideas with other HR practitioners, as well as earn continuing education credits from the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI). The event is the largest gathering of the human resources community in Georgia this year; last year’s conference drew over 1,000 participants. Kat Cole, president of Cinnabon, presents the keynote address, “Transformational Leadership: Building Teams for Success through Times of Rapid Change,” on Monday, October 17 at 9:40 a.m.

The theme, “Working for a Better Atlanta,” spotlights Atlanta’s position as a vital economic center and the role of human resources professionals in shaping a more prosperous future. “The SHRM-Atlanta community has really come together to produce an unparalleled opportunity to meet and explore the critical issues – and opportunities – the HR profession currently faces,” said Mary Lynn Miller, SHRM-Atlanta’s chief operating officer. “Legislative changes and compliance, using social networking for recruiting, tackling recruitment and retention as the cost of providing benefits increases… we’re gathering the experts under one roof so HR practitioners at all levels find new insights and tools to improve their personal and company performance.”

Over 60 concurrent breakout sessions organized into seven educational tracks are planned. Confirmed speakers include leaders from MetLife, Merrill Lynch, Cox Enterprises, AARP and a number of other prominent corporations, consultancies and law firms. Tracks include: Business Acumen & Leadership, Law & Legislation, Total Rewards, Organizational Evolution, Talent Management, Diversity & Inclusion and HR Leveraging Technology.

The Resource Partner Showcase opens on Monday, October 17 at 9 a.m. and features over 100 exhibitors providing products and services to help human resources professionals work more efficiently. For the second year, the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) presents “Tech Row,” a series of vendor booths representing TAG’s member companies providing products and services to the HR community. Admission to the Showcase is free and open to the general public.

A highlight of the agenda is the 2011 SHAPE Awards, taking place Monday, October 17, to recognize individual HR professionals and teams who exemplify the highest professional standards in the industry. Networking opportunities also include a roundtable breakfast held Tuesday, October 18 where conference attendees share ideas and knowledge about specific topics or areas of expertise.

Full-access, student and one-day registration rates are available, ranging from $230 – $650. Group discounts for five or more participants from the same organization are available. Admission to the Resource Partner Showcase (exhibition hall) is free. For detailed rate information, the full agenda and additional information regarding the 21st Annual SHRM-Atlanta Human Resources Conference, visit shrmatlanta.org.

About SHRM-Atlanta
SHRM-Atlanta, the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, was founded in 1965, and has current membership of over 2500 individuals. SHRM-Atlanta seeks to promote the professionalism of the Human Resources Management field by offering members a wide variety of professional development opportunities and a common forum in which to share ideas and experiences. Serving the Atlanta HR professional, SHRM-Atlanta provides opportunities for career development and community involvement both inside and outside of the Chapter. SHRM-Atlanta – Working for a Better Atlanta!
www.shrm-atlanta.org

On Twitter: @shrmatl
Conference hashtag: #shrmatl11

 HR Leadership: Becoming a Strategic Partner

Stephen Covey advised us to “begin with the end in mind,” sage words for HR professionals who want to become strategic partners with leadership. This advice is particularly true if you want to add value to the sustainability of your organization by helping senior leaders ask and answer the ten critical questions for creating the culture of the future…now.

Question 1: Have you clearly defined and communicated the Core of your company (mission, vision & values) and given employees opportunities to align their Cores with the Core of the organization? All roads to a successful future begin here. A compelling, shared Core provides the focus, direction and passion that drive results.

Question 2: How well is your business doing from a customer as well as from an employee perspective and how do you know? The right, deep assessment helps you get beyond symptoms to root causes which allows you to pinpoint the gaps and designate priorities. Go beyond the climate survey that asks how employees feel to culture assessments that dig into the many levels of culture that drive the business.

Question 3: What are you doing to develop the current and future generation of leaders? Your organization is the reflection of the quality of your leaders. Providing the right developmental opportunities ensures the sustainability of your company. By the way, training is only one developmental possibility and not always the best choice.

Question 4: How are you building customer loyalty? You are only in business as long as you have customers. This fact is also true for not-for-profit organizations as well as nonprofits. Ongoing communication with your customers is essential for success. Doing something with customer feedback is even better. Many CEOs recognize that customer service has become a key differentiator for success.

Question 5: How are you ensuring that everyone in your business is a strategic thinker, not just senior leaders? The days are gone when senior leaders do the thinking and everyone else is the “arms and legs.” Teaching everyone to ask, “What am I doing in my job today and how will it affect the organization tomorrow?” is essential for success.

Question 6: Are you using more than just a rearview mirror to measure success? You have to know where “there” is before you can declare victory. Using only financial measures puts you at a disadvantage because once the numbers are in, you can’t change them. Leading indicators provide a look into future results so you can adjust appropriately.

Question 7: How are you innovating and improving your processes to keep pace with and ahead of your customer’s demands? As products and services have become more homogenous, innovation is the key to sustainability of the business. Processes should be customer-focused and employee-enabled.

Question 8: What are you doing to attract, develop and retain top-notch employees? It has been an employer’s market in the new economy but the talent war is coming. Understanding what self-motivates the different generations to come, stay and contribute to your organization is essential.

Question 9: How small is your corporate impact on the earth’s resources? How large an impact are you leaving in the community in which you operate? Responsible businesses take action to leave a lasting environmental and community legacy. Younger employees are attracted to organizations that contribute to the greater good.

Question 10: What other actions can leadership take to ensure a belonging, learning and contributing culture that attracts and retains the right people? For example, saying “good morning” when people show up for work, provide motivating and challenging assignments, and showing appreciation for jobs well done.

Do these questions take work to answer? Absolutely. You might pilot the process in your own function so that leadership knows “the cobbler’s children do have shoes,” and, now, everyone wants a pair.

Dr. Jane Goldner, president of The Goldner Group, is one of the nation’s leading authorities on talent retention and trusted advisor to Fortune 100 Companies, government and military organizations, and to mid-sized businesses. She is the author of Driven to Success: A 10-Point Checkup for Achieving High Performance in Business, a step-by-step business guide for leaders. Dr. Goldner is a highly rated adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University Coles College of Business. She is a recovering Type E Woman who focuses on helping other women recognize and address their Type E behaviors.

We would like to congratulate our HR Leadership Academy class of 2011 on their recent graduation!

UGA and SHRM-Atlanta have joined forces to bring high-quality executive education specifically designed for HR practitioners who need more business acumen.  By offering this exceptional experience locally for metro-Atlanta, our vision is to educate rising HR stars with high-potential to become strategic business executives and we intend to accomplish this in a cost-effective, time-sensitive and convenient schedule.

If you are interested in being part of the 2012 HR Leadership Academy, please contact info@shrmatlanta.org.

A special thank you to our sponsor of the 2011 HR Leadership Academy:

We appreciate your support and dedication to advancing the HR professional!