Although the SHRM 2009 conference ended on Wednesday, I wanted to take a few days to think about the experience before drawing my conclusions. It was wonderful spending time with a wide variety of terrific individuals, so thanks to those of you who shared a meal, a drink, a conversation and a laugh. Let’s get right to it:

The Event Itself

It was very well executed. The complexity of hosting nearly 7,000 individuals through a multitude of activities and personal preferences is quite a taxing affair. I personally did not witness a single mishap or misstep - and I’m sure there we several - making this one of the most organized events I’ve attended in some time. Yes, the choice of New Orleans in late June probably had more to do with cost than common sense, but the event staff pulled it off without a visible hitch. Well done!

Attendance and Attendees

There is no two ways to say this - attendance was way, way down year over year. This 40% drop can be partially attributed to the economic crisis, but SHRM should be worried about broader concerns such as sustainability of it’s core base among an increasingly fragmented market’s understanding of their future direction. I spoke to a wide variety of attendees, and their feedback directly correlated to their seniority. My conversations have no scientific bearing, but in general, what I heard was this:

• HR generalists/managers were thrilled. At this early stage in their career, this event exposed them to a wide array of content that they would not have been privy to otherwise. Without the benefit of experience, this truly accelerated their learning curve.
• HR directors were happy with the general sessions/keynotes but were left scratching their heads during most of the breakout sessions. One such director (from a very large firm) was visibly upset that the content appeared to be targeted at such a lower level.
• HR VPs (when I could find them) were really there for the guru sessions and a partial family vacation. They spent more time with vendors than in sessions (good news), but those I spoke with said they had never procurred a single product/service from a SHRM event (bad news).

Sponsors and the Expo

I’ve written about this already, but when you have hundreds of vendors attempting to lure HR people into their booths with shiny objects (versus valued products/services), the whole system falls apart. The flaw in this entire model is that a badge swipe is considered a “lead” - a number largely used by marketing to justify the next year’s expenditure. However, the sales people I spoke with really were challenged in identifying truly qualified leads from the show. This directly correlates to the seniority of attendees, and recognition vendors (whose programs are administered by lower level HR personnel) seemed to be some of the only victors in the “Short Attention Span Theatre” of the Expo.

Embracing New Media

I applaud SHRM - and more specifically COO China Gorman - for taking it upon themselves to invite new media representatives from across the country, myself included. Not surprisingly, the number of blog posts, real-time Twitter feeds and general coverage by “new media” well exceeded that of traditional media. However, the more informal nature of new media also means that every flawed presentation, bad quote, misguided speaker and ridiculous activity would be exposed to the masses. From where I sat, the appearance of dissonance among SHRM leaders relative to our presence was palpable. This ranged from barely concealed “tolerance” to outright joy. My message to SHRM is this - new media is not going away so you better get everyone one the same page ASAP. You cannot have it both ways, so either get on the train fully or reject it outright. Anything in between sends mixed messages and makes bloggers have to choose with whom they associate within your organization. China got you off to a good start, but you need to take it to the next level.

SHRM Itself

SHRM appears to be struggling with it’s identity and this was readily apparent. Lon O’Neil elected not to give a “State of SHRM” address, leading many to question the future direction of the organization. Most are aware of the strategic review that is happening internally, but some statement of purpose under Lon’s leadership was required. It was a mistake to have passed and a missed opportunity. Moreover, the sense that the SHRM leadership team is not in alignment was also quite apparent. As the largest HR organization in the world, the struggle for a new clarity of purpose is no simple task. But SHRM must move swiftly, because members will vote with their feet, and the choices they have for their specific needs are unlimited.

Conclusions

With an emphasis on growth over the past several years, SHRM has trapped itself into the business of commoditization. And with such a strong emphasis on certification, they have created a self-fulfilling prophecy of ensnaring the lower echelon of the HR function. This, in turn, has largely disassociated SHRM from the senior most in our profession. SHRM’s new CEO is a very senior HR professional, but he doesn’t hold SHRM certifications and was not a member upon his appointment. How does that appear to the massive base of members? These are the questions they will have to address and reconcile.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do believe that the dichotomy between the sheer power and strength of SHRM and the way in which their wield that power is an enormous problem. SHRM can and should be doing more to move this profession away from the stereotypes that have held it down for so long. This requires an agility and responsiveness that will force SHRM to break away from a mentality of the “way we’ve always done things”.

I do believe SHRM intends to work in the best interests of the market, but I fear that they will be unable to get out of their own way. Even the most cynical of us would love nothing more than to be pleasantly surprised by this powerful group. I see glimmers of hope, but my fear is that they will fade as a result of time and indecision.

I’m glad I attended, but I leave with more questions than answers. What was your experience? Please share your thoughts and let’s keep the conversation going.

After an authentic N’awlins dinner with Lance Haun and a little bit of shut-eye, I washed away my Day 1 doldrums and started anew.

Day 2 began for me with a coffee meeting followed by the general session. While in line at Starbucks, I overheard a group of HR professionals from Wal-Mart lamenting the ROI of having a vendor booth at the show (note that this was a very consistent theme today). They also had a good chuckle when new vendors state that they can handle Wal-Mart’s population/needs/configuration with “no problem”. Oh Wal-Mart, you coy and fickle lover.

SHRM made several announcements today, including the winners of the Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America. Congratulations to all the winners! In my opinion, the quote of the day was by one of the winning firms during their short acceptance speech:

“The measure of a company is how they treat their lowest paid employee.” - Scott Scherr, CEO, Ultimate Software

The keynote was by the unstoppable Earl G. Graves. Although he generally read from his prepared remarks, I really became a fan when he broke script and just spoke to the crowd. He shared his life story, joked about how his grandkids keep changing the ringer on his cell phone before presentations and made it abundantly clear that he absolutely adores his wife. He has a tremendous amount of energy, passion and influence and has lived a life to emulate. He challenged the audience to make a difference and heralded those early HR leaders who took it upon themselves to bring diversity to the workplace. He also got a laugh when describing how 85% of his employees are minorities and that “it’s not easy to find qualified white people”. And as you can see from his photo, the man sports a mean pair of mutton chops. I thought he was terrific.

I then sauntered into a session that I obviously misunderstood. The title was “Management Courage: Having the Heart of a Lion” by Margaret Morford. Don’t get me wrong - Margaret was charming, a terrific presenter and really engaged the audience. My problem (and it was my problem) is that the session really honed in on difficult conversations managers have with their employees. For example, how do you tell someone they physically stink, have a drinking problem, or like? Margaret offered great advice, but I was hoping for a bigger message on courage. And speaking of big, her PowerPoint font was huge! She was great but I was left a bit unsatisfied.

The next session was on “Etiquette in the Workplace” by Peter Post, Emily Post’s great-grandson. I’ll be writing a full post on Post soon as there is too much to cover here. One takeaway? I think I converted him to the power of Twitter when we spoke afterwards.

All things being equal it was a pretty good day. My only disappointment came when I walked the expo and saw the frantic rush for crappy giveaways. This picture of HR pros screaming for one of those ugly stuffed Monster dolls just about made me drive to the airport. Like the Wal-Mart attendees, I really had to question the value of so-called “leads” captured from this event when most attendees simply want swag.

The evening storms then blew in and I met some terrific HR bloggers for dinner and drinks. In doing so, I strolled past a Yahoo! HotJobs party on Bourbon street. Watching HR people throw beads at flashing strangers has no small amount of hilarity and irony.

Day 3 is well underway so I need to run. Please share any thoughts/comments you may have and - like always - let’s keep the conversation going.

I didn’t really have a full day here at the 2009 SHRM conference but did want to share my initial impressions and reactions. Given that my flight arrived in to New Orleans toward the late afternoon, I unfortunately missed the Jack Welch presentation (although I heard it was “impressive”… I’m certain other bloggers will cover it, sorry).

The enlightenment portion of my trip took place at 30,000 feet when I had the pleasure of chatting with a very pleasant woman sitting next to me. Like most on the flight, she was traveling from Washington, DC to New Orleans for the SHRM event. But in her case, she was flying in to accompany her husband for his last professional conference.

He is a 38-year tenured employee of the Federal government and currently works for the Department of Treasury. In May, he was driving to work and started to feel pains in his chest. He wisely exited the interstate and found the nearest fire department, a godsend given that they were able to rush him to the hospital before additional cardiac damage occurred.

I asked her if this event helped put everything in perspective. With warm eyes smiling, she said yes, and that they were finally going to retire in a few weeks to a Missouri homestead that has been in her family for generations. This would be a second retirement for her, the first being when she decided to leave her job as an HR expert many years ago out of frustration with the profession. The first retirement “didn’t stick”, and she found herself running a payroll consultancy with an impressive list of clients. She explained how she’s been transitioning her clients away the past few months in anticipation of their move. And their home in DC? It sold in two days (much to her surprise).

I share all this detail for a few reasons. First, it is rare when you meet a complete stranger who is so open and candid about her life and experiences, but you will never know if you don’t make yourself open to meeting new people. Second, because life will eventually be taken from you, so embrace the cliche and live every day like it’s your last. Third, it made me think of my wife and how much I love her and hate to be away from her for long. And finally, because this lovely woman reminded me that a job is just a job. At the end of day, we leave our “careers” behind to be with the ones we love. But I ask you this - why do we wait so damn long to start living?

On the irritation front, there were several things that chaffed me from the moment I arrived at the actual conference:

1. The heat. My cab’s gauge put it at 102 degrees (plus humidity). Why did SHRM pick New Orleans in late June? Was the surface of the Sun unavailable this week?
2. The press briefing. A number of bloggers were invited to the show and therefore participated in SHRM’s press briefing. Here’s a bit of advice - don’t brief bloggers on things they are not allowed to blog about for several days! It takes away from the idea of blogging, don’t you think?
3. The research. Research was released by SHRM stating that 86% of employees surveyed are happy with their current jobs. I’m sorry but I find this extremely hard to believe. In fairness to them though, I need to read the study frame before I hammer on this too heavily. However, based on what I hear in the market, this doesn’t seem to gel.
4. The language. I predicted that I would lose my mind if I heard one of a few phrases that drive me insane about this industry. Sure enough, it only took thirty minutes of attendance to hear that HR should be “strategically aligned with business objectives”. And from a senior SHRM leader no less….ugh.
5. The poor response. I’m sure she’s exhausted, but when asked why SHRM CEO Lon O’Neil is not offering a “State of SHRM” address like his predecessors, SHRM’s media affairs manager chalked it up to a “scheduling conflict”. C’mon now. This is your annual conference and you can’t find a slot to speak to the state of the organization but can manage to schedule, “Spreading Contagious Enthusiasm”?? Not a good answer.

That’s it for tonight folks. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we tip back toward the enlightenment side for Day 2. And for those interested, you can follow me on Twitter for real-time thoughts. In the meantime, stay tuned for more perspective tomorrow and let’s keep the conversation going.

Most of you probably think that HR people are old curmudgeons who police organizations like professional hall monitors. Can I let you in on a little secret? HR people love to party! That’s right. They *love* to party. And the only place where they can let their guard down and throw back a few is when they’re surrounded by fellow HR pros who can appreciate their pain. Well ladies and gentlemen, get ready for HR Gone Wild at SHRM 2009!

This year we travel down to the Big Easy for some crawdads, hurricanes (the drinks, not the weather), jazz and zydeco. I am very fortunate to be covering the SHRM ‘09 event as a press blogger. Perhaps more important, I’ll be part of a wonderful group of HR pros that have decided to pull a Lance Armstrong and abandon Sheryl Crow for an HR Tweetup. That’s right Sheryl - if it makes us happy, it can’t be that bad.

If you’d like to get in on all the action, be sure to use Twitter search to follow the “#SHRM09″ hashtag. Inflexion will also be blogging live from the event and will provide a post on every session we attend. In addition, there will be a number of other bloggers and press covering the event live, including Punk Rock HR’s Laurie Ruettimann, HR Bartender’s Sharlyn Lauby, SmartBrief’s Mary Ellen Slayter and a host of others.

Now this isn’t all fun and games, and I certainly hope to hear some terrific ideas and thought leadership. But to be honest, I’m expecting to get into a frothing rage if/when I see presenters focusing on:

• A seat at the frickin’ table;
• The “dangers” of social media;
• Becoming a strategic business partner; or
• Anything else that makes my head spin.

Be sure to tune in here or on Twitter to track my lovely commentary. And, if you’re attending and would like to meet me live, please drop an email to mark.stelzner@inflexionadvisors.com. Between the sweat of the summer heat and my anticipated anger, I should lose about 10 pounds by this time next week. I’ll look forward to hearing from you and let’s keep the conversation going!

Are you Interested in the two-faced manager, the sword-swallowing succession planner, the work-sharing Siamese twins or the bearded HR lady? Well ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up and welcome to the Carnival of HR (*dramatic bow*)!

Your new Ringmaster HR Minion (aka Shauna Moerke) has been kind enough to let the clowns here at Inflexion host this week’s Big Top of the HR blogosphere. Be sure to wander through all the posts as we’ve assembled a terrific show. Let’s get right to it!

Well, it’s time to take down the tents and move the HR Carnival to a new town. We hope you enjoyed the show, and be sure to join EffortlessHR on July 8th. The show must go on!

Having just returned from the marriage of my younger brother to his new bride, all the lovely details of planning and executing a wedding are fresh in my mind. And since we’ve all heard the comparison of job hunting to dating, why not take it to the next level and plan your job search like a wedding! Here are several common wedding planning activities that may be applied to the modern job hunt:

1. Create a budget: Working with your financial advisor, significant other and/or friend(s), take a hard look at your financial situation and get a good sense of what you can and cannot afford. This will inform your thinking for the remainder of your job search and help you prioritize your activities.

2. Pick a date: Although we usually would say “as soon as possible”, determine your absolute drop-dead date for employment by keying off of your budgetary exercise. This also helps you to treat your search like a project plan with milestones, deliverables and outcomes.

3. Choose a location: Rapidly assess your geographic options and try and lock down your first, second and third choices. This helps to narrow your search criteria and ensures you remain focused on the right opportunities and organizations for your specific location(s).

4. Inform your family: Some of the most important people to leverage are your loved ones. Although most of us hate the idea of asking certain family members for help, you never know what stone they may be able to turn over on your behalf.

5. Assemble the wedding party: Each of us should have the equivalent of a job search wedding party. These are the people who will go the extra mile and employ extraordinary means to assist you in your search. And don’t forget to leverage all your virtual friends via online social networks sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

6. Send out invitations: You should use the same type of selective logic in submitting resumes as you would in wedding invitations. Who do you want to associate with? What firms and positions are you passionate about? Create lists and be sure to personalize everything you do.

7. Plan the honeymoon: In addition to all the rigor of the job search, you should also take some time to assess what truly makes you happy. Many people use unemployment as a trigger to reinvent themselves, so wake up your inner entrepreneur/dreamer/philanthropist and focus on the difference between what you can do versus what you want to do.

8. Find that perfect dress/suit: Make sure you have the appropriate wardrobe for interviewing. If it has been some time since you last searched for a job, ensure you are up to style and stick to the basic classics of business-wear.

9. Breathe: It’s stressful out there right now, and when things are rough, we tend to hear bad news much louder than good. Keep your wits about you, get away from the computer and remember to find ways to relax and calm your inner neurosis. Everything will be okay.

10. Enjoy the big day: After all the prep work, the endless resumes, the mock interviews, the networking and the anxiety, be sure to take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments. Whether it’s the securing of a hard-to-get interview or the attainment of an offer, remember to congratulate yourself on a job well done. Much like marriage, a good job is often a result of what you put into it, so raise a glass and enjoy your moment in the sun.

What did I forget? I’m sure there’s something we missed so be sure to share your job hunt/wedding stories. Having seen plenty of quality candidates left at the alter, I’m certain you each have one hell of a tale to tell. So throw out your written bouquet below and let’s keep the conversation going.

Let’s face it, we live in a world of divided attention. Whether talking on the phone while driving, checking email while on a conference call, or Tweeting during a live presentation, we are all guilty of an obsession with multitasking. And as a result of this behavior, we are completely destroying our pathetic little lives!

Oh… sorry… typo there. I was updating my Facebook status while writing that last bit and forgot the topic. Right! Ok. Multitasking (re-reading the opening paragraph again). Perhaps psychologist William James can get us back on track with his definition of attention:

“Everyone knows what attention is.”

Um, thanks William. Care to elaborate?

“It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence. It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others, and is a condition which has a real opposite in the confused, dazed, scatterbrained state which in French is called distraction, and Zerstreutheit in German.“

That’s better, thank you. It is this “withdrawal from some things” that we struggle with in today’s 7×24 uber-connected environment. So what are the negative effects of Zerstreutheit? In his 2007 Atlantic column, The Autumn of the Multitaskers, writer Walter Kirn provides an glimpse:

“[The] next inevitable contraction that everybody knows is coming, believes should have come a couple of years ago, and suspects can be postponed only if we pay no attention to the matter and stay very, very busy. I mean the end of the decade we may call the Roaring Zeros—these years of overleveraged, overextended, technology-driven, and finally unsustainable investment of our limited human energies in the dream of infinite connectivity. The overdoses, freak-outs, and collapses that converged in the late ’60s to wipe out the gains of the wide-eyed optimists who set out to “Be Here Now” but ended up making posters that read “Speed Kills” are finally coming for the wired utopians who strove to “Be Everywhere at Once” but lost a measure of innocence, or should have, when their manic credo convinced us we could fight two wars at the same time.

The Multitasking Crash. The Attention-Deficit Recession.”

That’s catchy. But c’mon Walter, the pressure to be everywhere and do everything at once is palpable, and the unspoken rule at most organizations is to be “on demand” whenever and wherever your company needs you. Is it really that harmful?

“[C]ertain studies find that multitasking boosts the level of stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and wears down our systems through biochemical friction, prematurely aging us. In the short term, the confusion, fatigue, and chaos merely hamper our ability to focus and analyze, but in the long term, they may cause it to atrophy.“

Hmm, “atrophy” doesn’t really sound analogous to “productivity”, does it? It seems like we all know we should slow down, focus, prioritize and breathe. If only there were a quote from thousands of years ago that could sum up this topic in a brilliantly simplistic way….

“To do two things at once is to do neither.” ~ Publilius Syrus, Roman slave, first century B.C.

Well done Publilius. So what about you? What tips and tricks do you have for dealing with divided attention? What does your organization do to encourage focused attention? Share your trade secrets and let’s keep the conversation going.

Each month Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership by Dan hosts the “Leadership Development Carnival“, a collection of some of the best and brightest minds in the industry.  We are fortunate to have been included numerous times and grateful to Dan for the honor.  However, I wanted to call your attention to several of the other notable posts from my esteemed colleagues:

“When a good friend had a bad day, I realized that leadership is a choice. When I choose to put on my leader clothes, our group runs more smoothly:
Becky Robinson presents Put On Your Leader Clothes posted at Mountain State University LeaderTalk.

Wally Bock says that Warren Bennis’ distinctions between leaders and managers may be the most pernicious and damaging bit of nonsense published in his lifetime: Wally Bock presents More leaders v managers nonsense posted at Three Star Leadership Blog.

Sometimes, the truth is a pig: Jason Seiden presents Do you want the truth, or do you pretend you want the truth? posted at Next Generation Talent Development.

Michael D. Haberman, SPHR presents Employee Attitude or Management Attitude? Or Both? posted at HR Observations.

Social media is allowing consumers to put the quality of company management under the microscope: Sharlyn Lauby presents Transparency Training posted at HR Bartender.”

This is just a sampling of the 30+ topics in this month’s Carnival, so take a short walk down the midway and let’s keep the conversation going.

Let’s face it, HR generally gets a bad rap. But whether you like HR or not, these are the people in your company who hold the keys to your pay, learning, benefits and opportunity for advancement. So given this fact, why do employees sometimes insist on behaving like such morons? Perhaps it’s their personal goal to piss off HR.  If so, here are five guaranteed means to that end:

1. Take No Personal Accountability:

Something going wrong at work? Have an issue that can’t seem to get resolved? Here’s the solution - break the mirror of self-reflection and hold a jagged shard to the throat of HR until they fix it for you. Whatever you do, don’t try to take corrective action yourself or realize that your actions may have contributed to the problem. That would be crazy.

2. Forget How To Read:

It’s funny how your ability to read seems to fade in and out at the office. Just receive your comp plan? Suddenly you know how to read. Instructions on a new travel policy? Oops, synapses stop firing and the words just don’t make sense anymore. Reading may be fundamental, but why take the joy away from the HR rep who can do the reading for you.

3. Leave Quality Control to Others:

We all like to have a good time at work, but wouldn’t it be fun if you entered your personal or dependent information incorrectly on the corporate intranet? Even better, what if you filled out the forms with conflicting information! But here’s the best tip - if you’re getting married or having a baby, keep that information a secret until you need something. HR loves surprises.

4. Threaten To Quit…Repeatedly:

Every negotiator laughs and laughs when someone threatens to jump…. and then does it again…. and then does it again. Repetition for the sake of personal gain is frickin’ hilarious! And don’t concern yourself with little things like pay parity, your industry reputation or appearing to cry wolf. Those are just HR terms designed to confuse you.

5. Act Entitled:

This garbage about “hard work pays off” is absurd, right? Try this instead - just show up. That’s right, focus on attendance like you’re a fifth grader earning a ribbon. But don’t do this presenteeism bit too much or people might think you care. I say do the minimum and expect the maximum reward. Oh, and one other thing, ask your parents to call every once in a while to remind HR what a good person you are. Those are precious moments.

If you follow these five tips, I’m certain you’ll be on your way to endearing yourself permanently in the hearts and minds of your HR department.

So HR pros, how have employees helped to put you into a blind rage? Share your tales of woe and let’s keep the conversation going.

First off I want you to just settle down and relax. This isn’t one of those typical blog posts bashing HR about the head for not becoming a strategic business partner. Instead, let’s enter a Zen-like state…breathe…and repeat after me:

[Inhale]”There is no seat.”

[Exhale] “There is no table.”

Excellent. We are now free of traditional prejudice.

I actually want to talk about one of my favorite topics - language. More specifically, the language that is meaningful to s/he who controls the pursestrings of your organization, your Chief Financial Officer. As you’ve likely experienced, the relationship between HR and the CFO can be a tenuous one. Some of you report directly to the Master of Numbers. Others may have relinquished control of payroll to the Dictator of Direct Expense. Regardless of the org structure, you must be prepared to engage with both strong footing and a laser sharp understanding of the CFO’s somewhat foreign tongue.

And like all journeys into quasi-hostile territory, I want you to be conversant so that you can position yourself without the need for a translator. If you haven’t journeyed to Financeland lately, it’s an increasingly mysterious and compliance-laden place. You’ll find spreadsheets, cash flow, NPV, and an obsession with socks (or is it SOX? see what I mean…). Here’s a picture from my last trip:

All CFO joking aside, I think it’s important to remember that the finance organization is far from flawless. And like all functional heads, the CFO makes gut calls and applies judgment to the best of their ability. But in knowing that s/he is data driven, HR does own analytics that can and should be relevant to the operations of the business. This, among many other reasons, is why collaborative interplay between the two organizations is so critical.

In the preface to their excellent 2008 book, Financial Intelligence for HR Professionals, authors Karen Berman, Joe Knight and John Case describe a number of reasons why financial literacy is of the utmost importance to any function, not the least of which is that:

“Finance is the language of business.  Whether it is comfortable for you or not, the one thing every organization has in common is numbers and how those numbers are tabulated, analyzed and reported.” (pg. xiv)

Despite this undeniable fact, CFO Magazine columnist Kate O’Sullivan places much of what’s lost in translation back on the finance function itself:

“Highly skilled groups like finance… struggle with what amounts to a language barrier — their technical vocabulary can hinder communication with their colleagues throughout the rest of the company. But attempts to bridge that gap and share ideas prove worthwhile, helping finance staffers raise their profiles and find new ways to contribute throughout the business.” - “Good Sports” - May 1, 2009

Despite the fact that both sides could improve their communications, it behooves HR to continue to increase it’s financial literacy. And who knows, if all goes well, the CFO may finally invite you to lunch to discuss HR’s needs (provided, of course, that you don’t expense it).  

Please share your comments, study up and let’s keep the conversation going.