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We are proud to have our entire team attending this year’s HR Florida State Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida.  We will be attending with over 30 fellow members of our local Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Chapter, Big Bend SHRM.

Like in past years, we are amazed at the work the conference team has done to put on this huge event that attracts over 1,000 HR professionals from across the state of Florida and even a few internationally.  It starts with a fantastic group of pre-conference sessions on Sunday and then opens on Monday with a keynote by Christine Dumas, a lifestyle, consumer health and fitness reporter, and author.  On Tuesday and Wednesday we will be listening intently as the Honorable Alexis Herman and Edward James Olmos present their keynote speeches.  The concurrent session schedule over the 3 day event provides ample opportunity for top notch training and continuing education credits from the HR Certification Institute.

A bunch of other great conference events will be taking place while we are in Orlando, including a TweetUp organized by Mike VanDervort from Human Race Horses.  For example, we are very excited to attend the HR blogger panel, “Blogging & HR:  Can the two peacefully coexist?” facilitated by Florida’s very own HR Bartender, Sharlyn Lauby.  The panel will include some of our favorite HR bloggers including Kris Dunn from The HR Capitalist, Jessica Lee from Fistful of Talent, Michael Long from The Red Recruiter, Laurie Ruettimann from Punkrock HR, and Mike VanDervort as previously mentioned.

Stay tuned as we hope to get some live blogging and tweets out as regularly as possible throughout the conference.  Just look for the #SHRMFL hashtag when on Twitter.  Off to get our learn on!

As midsummer approaches, I find myself eagerly anticipating the HR Florida Conference & Expo in August.  I am looking forward to the networking and sessions, especially Keith Ferrazzi’s “Relationships for Group Success”.  I am reading his newest book, “Who’s Got Your Back?” in order to better prepare for his session.

Last fall, Keith Ferrazzi was a keynote speaker at the national College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) conference in St. Louis. I was presenting a concurrent session that morning and almost skipped the keynote to do a last minute run through of my presentation.  I was glad I stayed and listened. 

Keith, who is also the author of “Never Eat Alone,” told his story of going from being the son of a steelworker and a cleaning lady to earning a scholarship at Yale, receiving his MBA from Harvard, and becoming the youngest partner in Deloitte Consulting’s history. All of these accomplishments were the result of his ability to connect with others.  He stressed the true value of networking is not exchanging business cards, but building actual relationships.  It is our individual stories and our passions that give us the tools to connect with others. Conference attendees were encouraged to step out of our comfort zones and introduce ourselves to one another by sharing what was important to us, that passion that defines who we are. We were challenged to do that throughout the remainder of the conference.

The concepts were simple and I took the challenge seriously.  I left the session and hurried to the room assigned to my presentation, knowing I could no longer present it in the way it had been practiced. How could I better tell the story behind the presentation?  Where was my passion for Human Resources?  I had 15 minutes to revise a presentation that had come together over several months. 

As the room filled and it was time to start, I took a deep breath and introduced myself – not as a title on an organizational chart, but as a Human Resource professional whose passion is to make a difference in the world. The PowerPoint presentation became the vehicle to help tell a story.  The presentation became more personal and the interaction with the 40 people in the room became frequent and genuine. I realized later it was the best presentation I had ever given.

Most people view conferences as a good way to retreat from their day-to-day world, make new friends and earn continuing education credits.  A good conference can be so much more; what you learn and the connections you make can make a difference.  It’s not too late to register for HR Florida! Go with an open mind and a willingness to explore new ideas!  I guarantee you will hear something that lights a fire or kindles a passion, allowing you to return to your day-to-day world empowered with new gifts and a fresh commitment to HR.

When Big Bend SHRM’s Communication Chair, Rebecca Devivo suggested the name HR Gumbo for the Chapter blog, I immediately became caught up in the imagery of a large black cauldron over a hot fire…. As someone who comes from a family of cooks, the concept of a recipe that involved Human Resources, subject matter experts, fresh ingredients and pinches of commentary told me this had potential….

I love to cook!  Sometimes, it is a rushed necessity, but cooking is more often a creative outlet that feeds both body and spirit.  For special occasions, I plan the meal beginning with a visit to the local grocery store. More often, I open the pantry and refrigerator and look at what I can create from the ingredients I have on hand.

As we look at our places of work, how many of us have the ingredients for HR Gumbo? I know we all have at least one “Subject Matter Expert”. Each of us brings our unique experiences and knowledge to jobs.  “Heat” is a constant that comes with the job.     “Fresh ideas” are readily available from many sources: networking with peers; professional development opportunities such as the HR Tallahassee Conference, the HR Florida State Conference & Expo or even the SHRM National Conference, and HR magazines, journals, and on-line resources.  Unfortunately, there are times when we get so caught up just trying to get through the week that we forget the resources available to assist us.   The feedback received from customers, employees, and management offers HR daily “Commentary” and opportunities to respond. 

So what could be missing?  How often have you read or heard someone in the past few months comment that we’re losing the “Human” in Human Resources?  That is the one ingredient that sets our gumbo apart from all the others. The “Human” ingredient is concern for others.  It is the passion for making a difference in people’s lives. It is our calling to make the world a better place. It is why we work in Human Resources.

As Human Resource professionals, we walk a fine line representing both our businesses and our employees; but in these difficult times the human face of our endeavors becomes even more important.  Yes, there may be layoffs, but we can deliver bad news with care and compassion and explain how to file for Unemployment Compensation and COBRA. Yes, there will always be performance issues, but we can discipline and still respect the employee.  Yes, budgets may be too tight for salary increases, but we can teach management to reward employees in other ways.  It is our job to build morale. It is our job to encourage employee creativity and growth. We might not be able to alleviate the circumstances creating job fears among employees, but we can almost always reduce the apprehension and other negative effects.

Look at your office.  Assemble your ingredients and make a big pot of HR Gumbo this summer! With all the right ingredients, the end result will feed both the body and spirit of your organization.