The Global HR Village

While the past three months have been “unprecedented,” unnerving and just plain strange, I have found the Global HR Village to be more open, collegial, and there for each other in ways that I never could have imagined. Without pretense, organizations are opening up to share best practices. Leading consortiums have dropped the paywalls to their research. Industry thought leaders are sponsoring roundtables with open access to some of the most notable names. It is this spirit of cooperation that has helped sustain the professional development of our industry.
Since February, I have been “grounded” like many others due to the travel restrictions. For someone who is used to flying weekly, along with the occasional International Long-Haul trip, it has been a bit unnerving staying put. However, that has not stopped me from meeting with friends, colleagues, and networking globally. Recently I have had the opportunity to be quite active in India and Asia lately attending, speaking, and moderating events. I only wish I could find a way to get United miles for Zoom minutes!
Last month I was honored to join two amazing panelists Joji Sekhon Gill and Xiangcen Guo to speak to the latest trends in HR hosted by People Matters. Only a few short months ago HR was discussing talent shortages and upskilling. Today many are dealing with furloughs, reskilling and eventual onboarding challenges. The panel discussion was an amazing hour of insight from a Global Perspective that stressed the need for HR to stay agile in the absence of any protocol for today’s events. HR is uniquely positioned to help lead the way. You can see more in the People Matters Panel here.
I had a second chance to work with People Matters two weeks ago through a Co-Hort Event that was a mini-conference of sorts. The theme was: Reactive To Proactive: Managing and preparing talent for the “New Normal.” There were 24 industry leaders, myself included, gathered to discuss digital acceleration, HR tech and the talent conundrum; highlighted with what skills are needed to survive the HR perfect storm. Compressed into a four-hour time frame there was time for keynotes, networking, and break-out discussions. Attendees were completely engaged as they listened and shared observations with each other.
Most recently I’ve hosted my own WebCast series, The Future of Work: HR Strategies For A Changing World, through SumTotal. What initially started as an idea for virtual Coffee Breaks has turned into more of a “Coffee Talk” with industry experts. My first webcast was with Kevin Oakes, the CEO of i4cp, a leading authority on next practices in Human Capital. We discussed the “State of the Union” as it relates to Talent, Learning and Development. Some of the major themes discussed touched on organizations preparing for the return to work, the virtual alternatives for collaboration and virtual learning. The webcast is available on demand.
My second WebCast comes out today with Kimo Kippen, former CLO of Hilton Hotels and now CEO of Aloha Learning Advisors, LLC as my guest. Our discussion focuses on “Leading through Uncertainty.” Leadership is struggling with the new virtual paradigm of management. Not only are the employees challenged and stressed, so too are the managers. Organizations need to understand the new elements of culture, trust and empathy in a virtual setting as primary skills to navigate the new employee experience. Taking a page from Marshall Goldsmith, Kimo emphasized the point that “Everything Matters” today. Our health, both mental, spiritual and emotional relies on making positive decisions as to what we eat, drink, read, and feel, because Everything Matters!
As HR Professionals in today’s environment there is so much to process every day. It can be unnerving to not have a routine, but that’s ok. We are normally creatures of habit that enjoy attending regional and national events to listen to speakers and colleagues share their insight. That can still happen in the virtual setting, and lately is available now, mostly FREE for anyone. The HR Community has stepped up in ways I could not have imagined just a few short months ago. HR is changing from the “Adjacent Strategic Partner” to the “Critical Strategic Partner for Business Continuity.” Our organizations are counting on HR to not only sustain the current state but lead in the recovery. Stay Safe and I will “See” you soon!