WHY HR SOOT?
HR Soot was started in the summer of 2010 as a spontaneous social media experiment. Shortly thereafter, I was fortunate enough to become involved with Project Social HR, where I learned a lot about the power of social media for HR professionals.
The name “HR Soot” originated from my belief that in human resources and leadership work, like in life, the most valuable lessons learned frequently come from the unintended bi-products (soot) of what we intend to accomplish. The opportunity to share my learning with others has brought me into a community of people who share many of the same interests, passions, and convictions.
I intend to write 1-2 posts each week, but only when I have something to say. While I most frequently write about human resources and leadership, I will occasionally weave in posts about diabetes and wellness; I’ve even had a few posts about dancing.
I welcome and encourage comments and feedback, so I hope you will participate in the conversations. I can also be reached offline through the Contact Me tab, or directly at wgould (at) hrsoot (dot) com.
ABOUT ME
I have been a practicing healthcare human resources leader for more than a dozen years. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Wyoming, and a Master of Science in Organization Leadership and Human Resource Management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. I hold several professional certifications and designations including the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS). I am also a certified trainer in Crucial Conversations. More detail about my professional background can be found on my LinkedIn profile.
If you read my posts, or follow me on Twitter, you will learn that I am a Type 2 diabetic (diagnosed in March 2011), and have become a serious runner (defined as obsessed as opposed to accomplished) as a highly effective strategy for managing the disease. This has led to a personal and professional interest in health and wellness for individuals, and for employee populations.
DISCLAIMER
You know how this section goes…this blog, and everything herein strictly represents my own personal views, thoughts and opinions, and is not representative of anything having to do with my employer (past or current), or any other organization with which I may have had either a formal or informal association.
While I intentionally challenge thoughts, arguments, beliefs and positions, it is NEVER my intent to offend anyone. Please feel free to comment on the posts, or you may contact me directly.
GUEST POSTS
I am happy to entertain inquiries from students, freelance writers, and other HR and business practitioners who have an interest in contributing to a dialogue that is related to the topics and themes on this blog. I am also open to discussing collaborative projects, and to providing useful content for other blogs and publications.
[Header Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech]