Currently browsing SPHR

I have a birthday coming up next month.  It is not a traditional milestone birthday, but as I have gotten older, I tend to look at each birthday as a milestone and they become a time of celebration and reflection.

The Beatles

I am of the generation that reveled in change.  We went from the Cuban Missile Crisis and “duck and cover” drills to the Beatles, bellbottoms, and protesting war. We were going to change the world and, in so many ways, we did. 

Last year around this time, I began a list to remind me of how much there is for me still to learn and do.  It is my “Firsts after Fifty” list and it grows monthly.  Some of the items on the list are career oriented, such as earning my SPHR certification. Others are more personal, such as beginning to study piano or meeting George McGovern. All of them represent my need for growth, development, and change. 

The generation of change is now watching the world change around us. Retirement funds have diminished with the economy and many of us will not be able to retire at the age we had hoped.  We will work more years than we planned, but we are less certain as to where we will be working and what we will be doing.  Some of us have lost our jobs due to no fault of our own. Others have seen their career growth slow down or stall.  Many of us are searching for new jobs and wondering if we are too old to find one. We have another 10+ years to contribute to the workforce, but will we be doing something we enjoy and working where our contributions will be valued?  

Growing up in change, we are resourceful and resilient and it is still our mission to change the world.  In order to do that, we “fiftysomethings” need to sharpen the image of older workers.  Let it be known that we are not resting on our laurels and counting the months and days to retirement.  We are not unwilling to learn new technology.  We are a valuable resource that is too often left untapped.  

HR professionals need to be looking at ways to engage and develop our “seasoned” employees.  There is a need to nurture and use our institutional knowledge and mentoring/coaching skills, and better train supervisors to ensure that employees of our generation continue to not only give valued service, but feel valued. 

We still have a future, but only the present is ours to change.

I live just a few minutes away from one grandson and 1000 miles from the other.    Fortunately, I am able to spend time with each of them every week. When I have mentioned this to friends, the first thing they ask is, “how?”  The answer is simple:  A computer and a webcam allow us to overcome the distance and see our grandson, Lorenzo, as he has begun to walk, run and say words. We visit with Lorenzo and his parents for an hour or so every weekend. Lorenzo gets excited when we first can be seen on the computer screen and greets us enthusiastically. After everyone says hello, he proceeds with his play while we talk with his mom. A few minutes later, he will come back to the computer and wave, dance to music, laugh and wander off again. He blows us kisses and waves goodbye when the conversation is ending. In that hour, the relationship with his grandparents deepens and grows.

The same routine is followed with his paternal grandparents in Italy, though this conversation is in Italian. He responds – plays – dances and blows kisses. At 15 months, this little boy is connected across the globe! It is comfortable and commonplace for him in a way that would not have been possible a few years ago. 

It should be no surprise that HR is expanding into a global focus!  HR has changed; this millennium has seen the profession developing across borders and cultures. The dramatic changes that have occurred in the global landscape and economy have resulted in a world that is more connected than ever before.  Historical and geographical divisions are becoming increasingly irrelevant and our jobs in HR are becoming even more challenging.  A new world is dawning and we need to be ready.

I am not sure how Lorenzo’s generation will be referenced. Will Gen Z come after Gen Y?  Whatever they might be called, I see a generation for which technology is commonplace, diversity is the norm, and relationships regularly transcend geographical borders. It will be an exciting world, not just for Lorenzo, but for us all.

Get ready – study for the GPHR!  Visit www.hrci.org for details.

What a whirlwind of a week it has been here in Orlando, FL.  I’m beginning to get used to a 5:00 am wake-up call, although this one seemed like it came in even earlier after the Vegas Night festivities!  Up and out the door by 6:00 am to meet up with my buddy Michael Long of Red Recruiting to set up for his “rise and shine” session “Twitter for HR and Recruiting.”  It was awesome to see such a large group of attendees for such an early session.  Michael touched on the basics of Twitter like retweets and direct messages and then went on to discuss search capabilities perfect for recruiting.  The audience was fully engaged and asked lots of excellent questions.  A big shout out to Michael for giving us some face time as he was pulling double duty – attending the HR Florida State Conference as well as the Disney Institute.  Check his blog out for full coverage. 

The last general session began with the announcement of the 2009 HR Florida Volunteer of the Year, Lori Goldsmith, SPHR.  Lori has tirelessly been the voice of certification since her early days in HR Tampa, and has continued to be the face of certification for HR Florida. Along with volunteering her time serving the HR Florida State Council in that role, she volunteered to step in as the program chair for the 2009 Conference when the previous program chair stepped down.  Lori is a professional. She embraces the HR Florida State Council mission and values while continuing to improve on her skills and assisting others in improving theirs.  Congratulations Lori!

Following the award we welcomed Battlestar Galactica’s Admiral William Adama (aka Edward James Olmos) to the stage for a keynote address on diversity/race relations.    After joking with the audience he launced into one of the most intense presentations I have ever witnessed.  Everyone watched intently as Olmos described “race” throughout history.  “There is only ONE race – the human race.”  He also referenced his lively presentation at the United Nations on the same subject.

As this was the last day of the conference, it was the shortest with sessions ending at noon.  While attendees were checking out of the hotel and traveling back to their homes across the state our conference team was debriefing and beginning plans for the 2010 conference.  In a year that has been so troublesome for so many we did not know what to expect when it came to meeting our goals as an organization.  Countless organizations across the country have had to cancel their conferences due to projected poor attendance and financial difficulties.  With this in mind the council made an effort to be optimistic – and I am sure glad we did.  As one person put it, “We are in spitting distance of reaching our goal!”  Not only did our team sell out the expo hall, we also secured sponsors who went above and beyond to make this event such a success.  On top of that our attendees were amazing.  I had multiple conversations with exhibitors and sponsors who echoed the same sentiment – the attendees this year were the best they have ever seen.  Engaged and invested, not here just for the swag.

2009 HR Florida Conference Team

What began as distant goal last year ended today with one of the best conferences the HR Florida State Council has ever put on.  From a behind the scenes perspective this has been one of the largest and most demanding events that I have ever been a part of.   So much goes on that the average attendee is unaware of.  I have to give kudos to an amazing conference team led by an incredible leader.  Without them we may have faced similar hardships as many other organizations.  We stepped up to the plate and hit a home run!  It has been an honor to work with each and every one of them.  Until next time…