I was lucky enough to be invited to speak with my good friend Jennifer McCusker at the HR Houston – 2010 Gulf Coast Symposium conference last month and wanted to share what we presented.
While a “Accelerating Leadership Development” is a big topic, we presented what we believed are the foundational elements needed to development a strong pipeline of leaders. Let us know your thoughts on the presentation and if you have any questions…
First of all, my hats off and a big thank you to the HRevolution founders, committee members, and the sponsors for a tremendous event. It has been a few days since 130+ passionate HR pro’s, vendors, and consultants took over the Windy City at HRevolution. In that short period of time, there have been many great blog posts on the weekend’s events by Lance Haun, Victorio Milian, Trisha McFarlane, Ben Eubanks, Steve Boese, Charee Klimek, Bill Boorman, John Nykolaiszyn, Mike Vandervort, Kevin Grossman…just to a name a few. So, does the world really need one more blog post, one more perspective, one more voice on HRevolution?
Absolutely – this is what HRevolution is all about. Sharing perspectives, candid dialogue, and diversity of thought all focused on building a re-thinking the future of HR. In that spirit, I wanted to share what I believed worked, what didn’t, and what the future holds.
What Worked –
Honestly, there is a lot that really worked about HRevolution, but these three really stuck out in my mind…
The People – Hands down the big draw was meeting, interacting, and getting to know so many new people who share a passion for taking HR to the next level and social media.
The Location & Logistics - The event committee nailed this one cold. Not only was Chicago the perfect back-drop to the event, but our hotel ”The Wit” was hip, and the Catalyst Ranch couldn’t have been a better choice to host an “unconference.” But, they didn’t stop there as the #Monstersocial rocked, the SHRM bus was on time, and the popcorn (and food) was way above average.
Big Ideas- In only it’s second time to bat, HRevolution didn’t hold back by tackling some big topics, challenges, and opportunities for HR. I think I speak for all who attended that the facilitators who prepared each session made it their personal mission to push our thinking. Thanks for leading the charge.
What Didn’t –
One of my favorite quotes is ”Feedback is the breakfast of champions,” and so the following comments are with the simple intention of making HRevolution even better next year.
Facilitation of Sessions- The idea of an “unconference” is that the faciliators pose a few questions or a distinct point of view and then faciliate a group discussion that lets the group take the conversation where ever they want it to go. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen as often as I would have liked. What I frequently saw where sessions that turned into real life “tweets” where a perspective would be shared, then another, then another…without taking the time to stop and understand what that person was truly saying.
At times, the discussions felt much like the old analogy of ”8 blind men and the elephant” all touching a part of an elephant, but none believing that they were. What would have helped is if some of the facilitators would have seen their role as paraphrasing perspectives, drawing people out, and summarizing ideas, instead of, pushing their perspectives and being provocative just to be provocative. A suggestion for next year – focus on three/four key questions for each session…keep us laser-focused, more small group/table discussions, more large group report outs, and maybe even a few more flip charts.
More Formal Networking- One of the comments I heard as we walked in on Saturday morning was that at the first HRevolution they started the day by doing quick introductions, but the group was too big this year…too bad. We missed an opportunity to build an ever bigger sense of community, to make it even easier to open a conversation later in the day, and to make this event that much more different, better, and human than the typical conference. Next year I would like to see us spend more time, get more creative and push ourselves to connect with all who attend.
What the Future Holds- while no one can predict the future, there is no doubt in mind that the HR community known as HRevolution will grow in influence, scope, and impact over the next few years. But that growth and future promise is dependent on each of us contributing our voice, building new relationships, and pushing ourselves beyond our current thinking and boundaries. Here’s to the next HRevolution (how about Hawaii?).
HRevolution is only a few days away and with over a 100+ HR pro’s, social media guru’s and top consultants converging in Chicago on Saturday, this can only be described as a can’t miss event. With many of this year’s crew blogging helpful hints like tips for great facilitation from Mark Stelzer, what to pack and expect by Jason Seiden, or Steve Boese’s advice on how to share the HRevolution experience, I felt inspired to join the conversation and pose a simple question.
Come Monday morning…What will you do differently as a result of attending HRevolution?
We all go to conferences (and…unconferences) for a little boondoggle, to meet new people, to hear some good ideas, and have some fun, but the bottom line is that attending HRevolution is an investment that goes beyond the price of admission and giving up your weekend. HRevolution is an investment in yourself, your organization and your larger HR community.
So the question is…
Why ask questions like these before the big day? Because if we can’t answer these questions then HRevolution will be just another conference after all…See you in Chicago!
