2nd Report on SHRM Atlanta: Building a Better City - Social Awarness

I had the opportunity to sit in on a lunch where there was a panel discussion composed of a distinguished panel discussing the subject of Building a Better Atlanta. The panel consisted of the Mayor of Atlanta, Kaseem Reed, Sam Williams of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Mike Cote the CEO of Secureworks and Ed Baker, Publisher of the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

I am sure, unless you are in the Atlanta area, that you don't really care about building a better Atlanta. But I did want to highlight the comments of Ed Baker because I think they reflect solutions for Building a Better America. Ed's company also publishes business papers in about 40 other cities so he has seen the issues that are widespread.

The areas that Ed says we need to address are:

1. The entrepreunerial market place. 90% of jobs today are in companies with fewer than 100 employees. We need to encourage growth in this sector.
2. Education needs to be fixed. We have been talking for years about making it better. Business needs to be involved at ALL levels of education in order to equip students with the skills needed to succeed in the world.
3. There is a dirth of leadership and it is going to get worse. Younger workers just are not taking on leadership roles. Older leaders have not engaged them and they are uninterested. That needs to be remedied.
4. Aging demographics. 40% of BabyBoomers will be out of money before they die. This is going to create a whole new world fo homelessness. If we do not take care of the problem now we will never get a grasp.
5. Wellness. Business needs to take the lead in making sure that the BabyBoomers (who start turning 65 this year) are taking better care of themselves. Wellness education needs to have a business lead. Otherwise will pay for it big time.

Although Mr. Baker was addressing his remarks to Atlanta issues I think this could have easily been transferred to most, if not all, major metropolitan areas in the country.

We need to heed his words. What can you as a business leader do to make an impact in your workforce and your community?

HR Conferences: Highlighting SHRM-Atlanta's 20th

HR Florida has started today and it has promise for being a great conference. Conferences can be a great professional development tool. The opportunities for learning and connecting are limited only by your time and willingness to attend. Since you cannot make it to HR Florida, unless you are already there, you need to look for other opportunities.

One I am familiar with, since I live in the Atlanta area, is the 20th Annual SHRM-Atlanta Conference. The keynote speaker is Don Yeager. As the conference brochure says:

 As a four-time New York Times bestselling author and long-time associate editor of Sports Illustrated, Don Yaeger has developed a reputation as one of America’s most provocative journalists. The variety of topics he has covered is so vast that every major talk show – from Oprah to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America – has invited him to be a guest. Using the lessons learned over his extensive career as both a journalist and an entrepreneur, Don has also become an award-winning keynote speaker, working with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 Companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story. Additionally, he has been engaged as a media coach to countless high-profile athletes, business leaders and elected officials.

The educational tracks for the conference include:

• Business Acument and leadership
• Law and legislations
• Total Rewards
• Organizational evolution
• Talent management
• Diversity and inclusion
• and HR Connection (social media tools)

They have extended the early bird registration until September 13th. So click on the link.

By the way, one of the most educational aspects of a conference is the market place. That is where you learn what is happening with new products and new ideas. You get exposed to the cutting edge stuff. So ALWAYS visit the market place at a converence.

It is easy to get to Atlanta, so no excuses.

Getting the Most Value from a Conference: The Marketplace is Where It Is AT!

I have returned to the office from having attended the SHRM-Atlanta Fall Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference was pretty well done. As in all conferences there were a number of topic tracks you could choose from. I spent the majority of my seesion times on compliance issues ( I know that is so out of character for me, LOL). I knew most of it, but it doesn't hurt to hear what might be new. So there was some value there.

But the real value for me was derived by the time I spent in the marketplace. The value is found in three places in the marketplace. First was reconnecting with people I had not seen in awhile, both attendees and vendors. As much as you would like to stay in touch with people it is hard to do so in the course of the day-to-day routine. So meeting an old friend or acquaintence wandering around or staffing a booth is always a pleasant event. In doing so I catch up on what they are doing and where they are in the world. If I happen to see two at one time I try to be a "connector" for them and introduce them to someone they have not yet met. This follows along with the keynote address on Netweaving, presented by Bob Littel.

The second value derived is connecting with someone I had not previously met. I made several new aquaintences at this conference, either through an introduction or by walking up to a vendor and sticking my hand out and introducing myself. You never know where that introduction may lead.

The third value is learning what vendors are offering these days. As a consultant I try to be a resource for my clients, and not in just things that I can offer. So hearing what is being offered, what is cutting edge, what is new and exciting is invaluable to me. If you aspire to be strategic in your organization you have to have some foresight. Foresight is gained by doing research and the best way to do that research in the most convienent way possible is to walk around a conference marketplace. Yes you may have to listen to a sales pitch, that is ok. Knowledge comes at a price. It will not kill you. Plus, you have an opportunity to get some great "swag". Pens, cups, and other gizmos that always make a conference fun.

So the next time you attend a conference make an effort to spend time in the marketplace. Make an effort to meet the vendors and learn more about what is going on and available outside of your office. If nothing else reward these vendors who pay big bucks to be there, it helps keep your cost of attendance down.