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…

• How will you ensure you get a return on your investment?
• What actions will you take?
• What behaviors will you change?
• What messages will you spread?

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!

I remember the exact moment that I knew Facebook was a phenonom too big to stop. It was a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon and I got a call from my Mom. She had called to tell me that she had joined Facebook and she had ”friended” me. While I am sure many other thirty somethings got similar phone calls that weekend, two main thoughts came to mind as I replayed the words “friended” in my mind. 

First, aren’t we already friends? I mean she did bring me into this world. Second, if my Mom and her friends (Yes, Women over 55 are the fastest growing group) were crashing the party was this the beginning of the end for Facebook? For the record, I did accept my Mom’s invitation to “be friends” (if I didn’t it would have made the holidays kind of awkward) and with the news today Facebook is now the 4th largest site in the world with no signs of slowing down.

With over 250 million registered users, Facebook is now officially the world’s largest cocktail party and one of the best places to engage, connect with, and recruit future employees. While recruiting employees might be the last thing on your organization’s mind in these tough economic times, learning how to use social media to get a competitive edge should be front and center. With the big job boards in decline and 77 million unique visitors to Facebook in the month of June alone, you would expect that almost every company would be starting to experiment with Facebook as a way to create a dialouge between themselves, their customers, and potential employees.

Unfortunately, only 29% of the Fortune 100 has created a fan page on Facebook this according to a new study by Burson-Marsteller, the fifth-largest public relations firm in the world, and Proof Digital Media. Let’s look at that another way, 81% of the Fortune 100 has yet to even test the Facebook waters and is indirectly ignoring 250 million people ready to be a trust agent for their consumer or employment brand.  

While there are companies leveraging Facebook like Vans (625 fans), Oracle (137 members), Ernst & Young (the 1st company to use Facebook in 2007 – 30,109 fans), and Best Buy (2,219 fans) the majority are not and most are still playing by the old rules. To paraphrase the words of singer/songwriter Prince, isn’t it time that your company started partying like it is 2009?

I have always liked snowflakes. Each one tells its own story. Each one has its own beautiful shape, texture, and crystals that make it truly unique. However, the interesting thing about snowflakes is not that they are one of a kind, but rather, how they got to be that way.

 Just like people, snowflakes are the ultimate product of their environment. Their final appearance depends entirely on the changing temperature and humidity that the snowflake falls through on its way to the ground. Just a little colder or a little more humid and you have an entirely different snowflake. A similar process has shaped each of us.

Our parents, where we grew up, and the type of experiences we have had over our lifetime have formed us into individuals, each with our own distinct point of view of the world. Our personal experiences truly make us special and have the same impact that temperature and humidity has on a snowflake. Of course, snowflakes cannot tell you about how they came to be, but people can. It is when people begin to share their personal stories, where they came from, and what they care about that they become much more interesting to us.

The other interesting thing about snowflakes is that by themselves they cannot cover much ground. It is only when snowflakes begin to cluster in communities that they make a much larger impact. If you have enough snowflakes, you can transform a desolate mountain into a tourist filled ski resort. The same is true for blogs. One blog by itself will not alter the landscape, it is only when a community with divergent points of view comes together that something great is created.

 I see blogging as a revolutionary way to share one’s personal point of view, create community, and start conversations that matter. According to the Technorati: State of the Blogosphere 2008, 184 million blogs were started worldwide with over 26 million in the US alone. Managing The Curve is my personal contribution to this growing community and demonstrates my belief in the power of 184 million snowflakes.         

Photo credit: Erica Marshall of muddyboots.org