Monthly Archives: August 2011

Illinois SHRM 2011

I have always loved to listen to colleagues when they return to work after attending a really good conference. It’s especially entertaining when they’ve attended with another in the same organization. Their talk around the office is littered with the language of a newly-found cult, and references foreign tongues that lead others to wonder what exactly they ingested with the conference Kool-Aid. They try to summarize in 2 minutes what they spent 2 days learning, and they usually butcher it. They occasionally smile at each other, wink, and maybe even develop a secret hand shake or fist bump. What is sometimes apparent is the mystical impregnation of energy and urgency to make a difference in the organization. This is all good. Over the past week, I’ve become one of them.

The question quickly turns to just how long that renewed faith will endure. We are a skeptical lot by nature, and we’re convinced that the once-converted will be re-assimilated into the culture of our reality. For many that isn’t very long. So what does that mean for nearly 800 attendees of Illinois SHRM 2011 who left a great conference full of spirit? Or maybe that was full of too many spirits?

It’s Personal

This post is NOT a recap of the themes and key learnings to come from Illinois SHRM 2011. Others have already written some great posts: Mike Vandervort; Josh Rock via HR Schoolhouse; Geoff Webb ; Susan Avello; and Illinois SHRM . I encourage you to check them out.

Instead, I have spent the last week reflecting on the conference experience from a very personal perspective. Illinois SHRM is the first HR conference that I have attended. After more than 12 years in the profession, I have finally joined the larger HR community. I even stood and testified with hundreds of other HR professionals on Drury Lane, and that was several hours before any actual spirits.

Community

SHRM’s social media guy, Curt Midkiff ~~cornered~~ engaged several conference attendees as they left the final session, and asked them to sum up their experience in just one word. The word that came to my mind was “community,” which I stole shamelessly from conference emcee Charlie Judy. As Joe Gerstandt and Jason Lauritsen discussed in their keynote address, the ability to influence anything in HR (and in life) is dependent upon the relationships that we develop with others.

I understand that this is not rocket science, especially for HR pros. But, the ability to develop these relationships has reached an entirely new level, which is something many HR pros still don’t get. The strongest motivator for me to attend this conference – outside of an outstanding agenda – was the opportunity to meet dozens of people with whom I had connected on social media. Let me say that another way: my first step into the larger HR community was through my decision to get involved online. What had only been virtual connections prior to the conference have transformed into personal relationships since. What I didn’t anticipate was that the personal relationships that were born at the conference can now be nurtured through continuing dialogue online.

Introverts (Re)Tweet!

If you are introverted by preference, then please take note because this may be the only useful part of this post: Start making connections to other HR pros online! What others don’t understand about us is how painfully difficult it can be for us to participate in large social gatherings (i.e., conferences). If you are not introverted, let me say that these situations can suck the life out of us.

Already having connections before the conference did not entirely resolve this introvert’s curse, however it did provide a great foundation to navigate my way through the social blender. What I found interesting is that even the short fits of maladroit, mental withdrawals did not escape the notice of some veteran HR professionals. What was impressive was their willingness to call the question, and to make sure that I was doing okay. The answer was, “yes.” Don’t mistake silence for disinterest. And, thank you for making the effort to show that you care.

Spirit and Community

Back to the original question – yes, I do have a point. Why do so many professionals lose their energy, passion and spirit only days or weeks after returning from a great conference? Hypothesis: Because they lose their connection to the community of people with whom they shared that learning. It is not the ideas of the conference that generate the emotional conviction to return home and create change. It is the spirit of relationships and community that energizes us to want to take on the hard stuff, and to want to make our organizations better. I plan to stay connected.

While nobody in my organization knows what to make of the Freak Flag that is flying outside of my office, I take great comfort in knowing that there are almost 800 other Freak Flags flying across Illinois, and a few other states. Oh yeah, there is at least one flying in Canada too.

*Insert Secret #ILSHRM11 Fist Bump Here*

Leadership Lessons from a Dance Competition

Carnival of HR: Online Social Currency Edition

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The idea for the theme of this edition of the HR Carnival was the result of online social currency. Victorio Milian had been crafting a post on this idea long before I had considered using those three words consecutively, and in an actual sentence. He was gracious to grant me permission to run with it for this Carnival’s theme. What I haven’t quite figured out is whether it was the result of Victorio’s online social currency, or mine. Either way, it has prompted some fabulous contributions.

Enjoy the HR Carnival, and please take the time to interact with the authors, and each other. Even if you were not able to submit an article for this event, you still have the opportunity to contribute significantly to the dialogue by leaving comments on the posts, and by using some of your online social influence to spread the word for our contributors.

I have loosely categorized submissions into 2 categories: (1) Online Social Currency posts – those who took on the challenge; and, (2) Other Great Topics.

Online Social Currency

Unusual Idea of the Day – A Better Use of Social Currency. This post, by Victorio Milian (Victorio Milian blog) was the catalyst for this HR Carnival theme. Be sure to read the thoughts that have caused others to ponder the same question.

Finding Value in SoMe, by Dwane Lay (Lean HR blog). While entering into the world of social media is as simple as signing up and actually using it, the value of social media for businesses is something that needs to be quantified and measured. Dwane offers up some great, free advice in his post.

Project Social: What is Influence? by Laura Schroeder (Working Girl blog) is talking about “triangles of adoration.” What more to you need to follow the link? If you must, she also questions whether social influence is more about influence, or popularity?

HR Online – All Aboard Please – A Voyage of Discovery! is by Ian Clive (HR Toolbox). Why would anyone in HR feel compelled to share his or her thoughts with the world? While that might be a good question for your shrink, Ian shares his perspective on the matter.

The Net Worth of Your Network by Sri Subramanian (Talented Apps) asks if in today’s world of interconnected, geographically removed people, is it even possible to really connect without an online presence? She shares some solid principles.

Help Others to Earn Online Currency is by Ben Martinez (Riverbend Media blog). How should we define online currency, and how do we measure it? Ben writes about the connection that we have with other people.

Hoard, Spend, or Barter? What Kind of SM Personality Are You? Take your seats for this post by Robin Schooling (HR Schoolhouse). She takes an intriguing approach to asking how social capital is spent in a capitalistic society. So what kind of personality are you?

Online Social Currency: How to Build and Measure It by Lynn Dessert (Elephants at Work). This is a very nice piece for those who are still trying to figure out how the use of social media might translate into real currency. Yes, it is also a great read for those of us who only think we know. Either way, there is some solid, specific advice.

Other Great Topics

A Numbers Game, Sort Of, by Doug Shaw (What Goes Around Limited) takes an interesting and analytical approach to interpolating what blog statistics really mean. It’s okay, it doesn’t require the use of math to read and enjoy.

Advantage to Butt-In-the-Seat Training was written by Paul Meshanko (EdgeOhio). At what point is using technology to create real learning ineffective? Paul shares some great thoughts about the value of still planting butts in seats in our organizations.

Social Screening of Job Candidates: Focusing on the Facts, was submitted by Courtney Hunt (Social Media in Organizations). Whether we like it or not, social screening is on the rise, and there are some things that employers and job candidates need to understand. Now, if that wasn’t enough, Courtney also contributing a follow-up piece titled, Social Media and Recruiting 101: Overview and Recommendations. They are both great pieces and worth the read.

The Gordon Gekko Approach to Professional Development. Okay, movie buffs, who is this famous character? Stumped? Patrick Mullarkey (mentoring Mullarkey blog) will remind you, and will suggest that since money never sleeps, neither should your professional development efforts.

Which Change Model Should You Pick? Dan McCarthy (Great Leadership blog) contributed a timely piece on a topic that is right up my professional alley. While we are all dealing with change in our organizations, which model or models should we really be using? This might cause you to blow the dust off of some of those management textbooks, and I suspect it will introduce you to something new.

How to Talk to a CEO, by Mark Stelzner (Inflexion Advisors blog). The only thing more fun than writing a post to share how you’ve screwed up in your career is having the opportunity to read how someone else has done it. Mark shares a great post with some solid advice.

Are Your High Performers Really High Performers? This is the question asked, and answered by Chris Young (Rainmaker Group – Maximize Possibility blog). Smart companies reward employees based on potential, and recognize job fit as a contributor.

The Name of the Integrated Talent Management Game, by Kevin Oakes (i4cp – Trendwatchers blog) asks the question, why is it that so many companies recognize that talent is critical to competitiveness, but managing it as a comprehensive strategy remains so rare?

Transformational Change Management and Organizational Culture, by Maryanne Wanca-Thibault. Maryanne writes about change as an ongoing part of an organization’s evolution. The key is in finding a strategy that minimizes uncertainty and perceived risk.

Well, there you have it friends – the HR Soot version of the Carnival of HR. Thank you to all who contributed, and I again invite others to join the discussion by writing comments on these posts. Now that I’ve spent my online social currency, I suppose that I had better invest some time in the work that is providing me with a paycheck today. But then again, who knows what our social connections will lead to tomorrow.

Transformational Change Management and Organizational Culture

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This is a guest post by Maryanne Wanca-Thibault, Ph.D. Maryanne is an organization development and leadership strategist, and an executive coach. She uses a communication-based methodology to help her clients effectively navigate the complexities of change and align business strategy, culture, structure, and people with change initiatives. You can contact Maryanne at her website www.creativeintelligenceinc.com (under a little construction at the moment); on Twitter (@wanca_thibault), and on LinkedIn. Her email address is creative intelligence (at) q (dot) com.

As forward thinking and strategically savvy as the leadership in an organization may be, when it comes to implementing change, some level of resistance must be anticipated. This is supported by statistics that show about one third of corporate initiatives are successful. Even when the need for change is recognized and goal of the initiative is clear, people naturally avoid the uncertainty that transformation brings. The costs associated with failure can be high – not only financially, but also psychologically. Leaders need to recognize and plan for this inevitability. They are not without a tool that can be used to support long-term change. Building and maintaining a culture that values and promotes change is in fact one of the most underutilized advantages leaders have.

Culture can be interpreted in a number of ways, but most commonly it is defined as a specific worldview that results from a set of commonly held values, beliefs, and norms. Culture can be explicit or implicit, but in either case it drives the behaviors of the group. When new or inconsistent behaviors are required in an otherwise “status quo” environment and those behaviors are not supported by the current cultural system, resistance to change is the outcome.

Understanding an organization’s unique culture is a first step in determining how to shape change. However, the assumption that leaders must change the way that people think before they can change their behavior is a misnomer. While awareness and education can change how people think, this approach takes a great deal of time and the effort doesn’t guarantee a long-term change in behavior. In fact, it is actually easier to change behaviors first with the intention of “pulling” the culture in the direction more consistent with the desired change. Once those behaviors are put in place and reinforced a new set of supporting values, beliefs, and norms (i.e., culture) results.

Leaders interested in managing change using this approach should focus on using communication to instill the behaviors that can lead to cultural change. Consider taking the following steps:

Clearly define the behaviors that will lead to the desired change and translate them into processes that are specific and concrete enough to be meaningful to the audience. While it is important for people to understand the overall goals of a change initiative, leaders cannot simply ask people to change without a strategy that outlines the day-to-day impact the new behaviors have on the way they perform their jobs.
Clarify the costs and benefits of the change so that people understand the need for change. Provide specific examples. People are more likely to buy-in to the change when they understand how it impacts them directly and fits into the bigger picture.
Lead by example. Change comes from the top and employees look to their leaders to guide the cause. Modeling behavior not only has a positive psychological impact on people, but also opens the opportunity for dialogue that can reinforce the desired behaviors.
Create metrics and a performance system that align with the desired change and build accountability into the new system. Often the behaviors that leaders look to change are not supported by existing reward systems. In addition, people are not easily moved out of their comfort zone without good reason and clear consequences.
Finally, leaders must continually provide people with the skills and support to maintain change. New behaviors are best reinforced with feedback and coaching. Cultural change is more easily achieved when people are reminded of what they are doing well and how their behaviors reflect the overall values, beliefs, and norms of the organization.

Change is an ongoing part of an organization’s evolution. As such, finding a strategy that minimizes uncertainty and perceived risk can increase the success of the change process. Successfully meeting the challenges associated with transformation requires adaptive leadership and a clear understanding of the ways in which instilling new behaviors impacts cultural change in the organization.