Carnival of HR: July Edition!

Hello, everyone! This month, I have the great honor of hosting the Carnival of HR – a collection of blog posts from our friends and peers doing awesome and important things out in the world of the internet. When Robin Schooling asked me if I’d be willing to host, I said, “Of course!” Or maybe I said, “Do I have to?” The record is unclear. But what IS clear is that the Carnival is a great way to be exposed to a variety of voices in the HR space – some you know, some you don’t.

There is no real theme this month – more of a “what do you have to say about HR” approach. And people have a LOT to say. I sort of wanted to make it more like the Brazilian Carnival, mostly because it’s super fun to say car-ni-VAHL. Plus, who doesn’t love to samba?! But alas…it is but a blog post sharing other blog posts. Feel free to wear your most festive feathered Carnival outfit while you read them.

This month’s entries include:

John Hunter, author and founder of Curious Cat, LLC, explores some suggestions on how to successfully navigate change, including leveraging influence AND acknowledging the sins of the past.
HR practitioner and podcast host Wendy Dailey examines her own path to better self awareness in the attempt to be more inclusive.
Proper disciplinary procedures: it may not be sexy, but it can save you a world of hurt later down the line. Judith Lindenberger, President of The Lindenberger Group, outlines a simple yet effective approach to addressing inappropriate behavior.
Acacia HR Solutions CEO Sabrina Baker warns against approaching leadership development as a checkbox activity versus a commitment to the growth of their employees.
Curious about the impact structure has on a company’s culture and need help navigating that evolution? Read this post by DesignAround’s Julie Winkle Giulioni.
Dorothy Dalton, CEO of 3Plus International, presents a compelling suggestion on how to get more women in leadership…and it involves leave for men.
I’m a sucker for all things employment law, so founder of Rudner Law Stuart Rudner’s article outlining what companies can and can’t dictate around tattoos and piercings was a fascinating read.
Blended learning can be an effective way to help your employees grow. Melissa Suzuno, HR and L&D Insights writer for Udemy for Business, recommends five approaches to weave into your business’s blended learning strategy.
Also from UDemy for Business, Shelley Osborne, Head of L&D, shares tips on how to apply Agile development techniques to learning & development processes.
Dr. Natalie Baumgartner is the Chief Workforce Scientist at Achievers and has done some really cool work in the areas of culture and engagement…and resilience. She shares her insights around the ways you might go about building a resilient workforce in your company. It’s about being intentional and it’s not rocket science, even though she DOES have a PhD.
Recognition getting you down? Lynne Levy, Workhuman evangelist, outlines the myths of do-it-yourself recognition programs and suggests another way.
Perhaps you’ve run into John Baldino (aka Jumbo Gina), President of Humareso, in your travels to conference. Perhaps not. I hope you get to. John challenges companies to approach learning strategy as more than just an LMS implementation. And he references Zoolander, so you know it’s good.
Over on Voice of HR, Mark Stelzner, Founder and Managing Principal at IA-HR, addresses the challenges our love affair with the cloud has generated in workplaces and the best ways to overcome them. He’s not anti-cloud, he’s pro-relationships.
Having employee relations issues at work? Anthony Paradiso, Human Resources Business Partner/Consultant, makes the connection between inclusion, diversity and equity and employee relations. It’s people…not politics.
And last, but not least, some guy named Steve Browne, who works as an HR leader at LaRosa’s Pizza, submitted a post on a topic that many of us are staring squarely in the face – navigating the new world of being a “sandwich generation” and how businesses can help eliminate some of the stress associated with it.

So there you have it – the July 2019 edition of Carnival of HR. Connect with this people. Learn more about them. If you had a reaction to their work, let them know! All writers want to know that people are reading their content. We’re needy that way,

Be good to each other, and be on the lookout for next month’s edition!

The Right Side of History: Musings from Workhuman

Disclosure: I am compensated for attending Workhuman and sharing my thoughts and commentary on the conference. No one at Workhuman directs what I am supposed to write or how I cover the conference – I am simply invited to share my impressions of the experience.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend my FIFTH Workhuman conference. The conference was started by Globoforce to highlight not only its recognition platform, but because the company believed there was a better way to work. The first event was, shall we say, “intimate” – not a lot of people, but a lot of buy-in around the idea of treating employees like human beings and acknowledging that they bring more than their productivity to the workplace.

The buy-in was so strong that the conference has grown 600% since that first gathering, and Globoforce has since changed its name to Workhuman, outwardly reflecting the commitment to an idea that has been internally held all along; and the conferences shall henceforth be known as Workhuman Live.

Enough about the backstory. How was the conference, Mary?!

In short, the conference was really good. Through the years, the event has experienced some growing pains, particularly in the area of registration and picking up your badge. The image that comes to mind is locusts on a field of wheat with a couple of people waving their arms around to try and calm the masses…but that might be a bit dramatic. What really happens is everyone arrives about the same time, and when you have pre-conference sessions that people what to get to in a short period of time, it can get crowded. Add to that an unfortunate technical issue with a badge printer, and you get some long lines. But as always, the conference staff handled it well – apologies, smiles, and handing out water to the people waiting in line.

It’s hard to sustain a unique event experience year after year. At some point, conferences get so big that you have to scale your logistics in proven (read: “traditional”) ways – keynotes, breakouts, etc. Workhuman continues to set itself apart by limiting the “expo hall” (which they call Workhuman Central) to a few product demo areas, one or two partner booths, and a focus on connection. The Gratitude Bar (where attendees can use the Workhuman platform to recognize others) took center stage, and for every recognition shared, Workhuman contributed to three local charities. The Studio Sessions offered smaller, conversational style discussions on topics, and everywhere, there were places for attendees to sit, rest, connect, recharge.

Yeah, yeah…what about George Clooney?

Yes, Workhuman does a very good job of booking speakers. And many of you may wonder, “What the hell does Gary Hamel/George Clooney/Kat Cole/Geena Davis/Brené Brown/Viola Davis/etc. have to do with working human?!” (Okay, maybe Gary Hamel, Kat Cole and Brené Brown make sense. And they were phenomenal. And I got to meet Kat Cole, so there.) Aside from the obvious star power that these names bring to the conference, I am always impressed at how Workhuman identifies speakers who live the values the event espouses. I was struck by the humility and humanitarian focus of each of the speakers. Yes…George Clooney is impossibly charming and every inch the movie star…and he uses his platform to do good things. Humanitarian efforts are personal to both George and Amal Clooney – they put in the time and work. It’s not just a cause they donate money to. Geena Davis has established a foundation called the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which engages film and television creators to dramatically increase the percentages of female characters — and reduce gender stereotyping — in media made for children 11 and under. Viola Davis speaks TRUTH – she uses her success and visibility to challenge all of us (not just Hollywood) to do better in how we think about and act on diversity and inclusion. None of these speakers were scripted – these are issues they speak about with passion and a real belief that we have an obligation to use our abilities to help others.

Any takeaways? Or are you just going to keep describing the conference?

That last piece – the obligation to use our abilities to help others – is my chief takeaway from Workhuman 2019.

Each of us has an obligation to use whatever influence/power/gifts/resources/whatever to make the world a better place – for all humans. George Clooney (I know, I know…but he was really good!) shared the values his family instilled in him early on, the importance of helping others who need it. He spoke about the role of luck in his life and acknowledged the help he’s had along the way. Most of all, he expressed his belief that those who have need to help those who have not.

Perhaps the quote that has stuck with me the most is this: “You are never on the wrong side of history when your aim is progress.” Progress is helping others. Progress is a hand up, not a hand out. Progress is teaching empathy. Progress is vulnerability and learning from mistakes. Progress is making a workplace that is welcoming and safe for all people. Progress is representation – in investing, in community, in movies, in the boardroom, in life. Progress is using your platform to advance society forward, not move it backwards.

We all may define progress differently, but this is the definition of progress I want to see and promote.

I want to be on the right side of history.

Workhuman Live (the new conference name) will take place in Denver in 2020.

WorkHuman 2019: The journey continues

Okay, yes. That’s a super cheesy blog post title. But cut me some slack – I’ve been writing about WorkHuman for a really long time! The first post I wrote about it was in 2015, which feels really long ago. I’ve been to all of the WorkHuman conferences (here’s a quick overview of the history). I really like them. I’ve attended as a speaker, a moderator, a member of the social media team, and as a mere participant (who also still wrote and tweeted because I apparently can’t attend a conference without doing that).

So why do I keep going back to WorkHuman?

Well, for one thing – they invite me. 🙂 I really appreciate that. There are a lot of people out there who can write and tweet about a conference, and I am grateful they see a value in bringing me back each year to help the promote the event. And I also appreciate the fact that while I do receive some compensation for promoting the event, I have never once been directed about what I should say or how I should say it. They have always let the conference speak for itself and ask people to be open and honest about the experience. I can’t say enough about the team that puts on the event – they are fantastic people who love what they do, and it shows.

Every year, the conference is a different experience because the team experiments with different set ups to encourage as much human interaction as possible. It’s much different than most conferences I’ve been to. Last year in Austin was really amazing – a large space for downtime, networking conversations, indoor food trucks, gratitude trees, coffee bars. It was a fantastic set up and I can’t wait to see what they do this time!

I also go because I get to see so many people who want to learn more about how to work differently. The topics at WorkHuman aren’t focused on compliance or laws (although the conversation DOES come up). Most speakers talk about the importance of making a human connection, and the attendees really respond to the message. People are frustrated at work. The lines between work and home continue to blur. The more we acknowledge the social nature of human beings (yes, even introverts), the more we recognize the need to change how we approach our interactions. The people at WorkHuman are there to learn from the speakers’ sessions and I love talking to them throughout the conference.

And let’s talk a little bit more about those speakers. When you look at the roster of speakers that WorkHuman has gotten over the years, it’s mindboggling – Arianna Huffington, Adam Grant, Shawn Achor, Simon Sinek, Michael J Fox, Brene Brown, Salma Hayek, MICHELLE FREAKING OBAMA – just to name a few. All the keynote speakers brought unique perspectives and research and experiences to the conference, challenging the attendees to see the humanity in everyday life. And last year, WorkHuman featured a spotlight on the #metoo movement, with a memorable panel featuring Tarana Burke, Ashley Judd, and Ronan Farrow. This year promises to bring even more amazing speakers to the forefront – Viola Davis, Brene Brown (back again!), George Clooney (Amal Clooney spoke last year), and others – including me!

So I’m counting down the days until I get to join all my friends at WorkHuman – this time in Nashville, TN. I hope to see you there!

There is still time to register! Use discount code WH19INFMFA when you sign up here.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: