As I spoke to other attendees and asked them about their conference experience, I frequently get one of three reactions:

1. Who are you and why are you talking to me?
2. A story about the great session they just went to.
3. A comment about how little new information has been learned, but how they are hearing and getting refreshed on things they already knew.

It’s this third point that catches my interest. I believe this provides an opportunity for the HR pros who attend conferences to leverage their own knowledge in their organizations and build their credibility in the organizations.

We know that outside “experts” are often believed more than those who are embedded within organizations. This gaining of knowledge from the outside can be leveraged to help position HR as true knowledge partners throughout the organization.

When you hear a speaker talking about something that you believe and sharing information that you want your organization to use or implement, take note. When back in the office, share what you’ve learned. A simple summary of points can go far in helping convey points that need to be made. Giving credit to others brings both enhanced credibility to you as a learner and shows the value that attending conferences or other learning experiences is for the organization.

So, if you’re heading to state conferences in Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New York, or Michigan in the next few weeks, don’t let the information gained reside only in your mind. Spread the knowledge and share the wisdom!

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“I’m Brad and I’m a conference addict”

Please respond in unison “Hi Brad”

The reality is that yes, I do enjoy state HR conferences and the reasons really do go beyond what one might ordinarily expect.  There are certainly great speakers to be heard, HRCI credits to earn (I’m not taking the SPHR exam again!) and enthusiastic vendors to meet.  I think it is my parental duty to bring back at least one souvenir to each of my children and my professional duty to have at least one new idea that can improve my workplace (or the workplaces of my clients!)

Beyond those obvious things, I cherish the opportunity to meet and talk to new people.  There are so many interesting stories to be learned and be shared.  I’ve been to multiple state conferences now of all sizes and times of year.  No matter where or when, I always come away knowing more about someone and getting the chance to see people who love what they do.  This satisfies one of my core beliefs in looking for the best in everybody.

It bears remembering though that this requires some effort, and often, a little extra time.  Although sessions and time in exhibit halls can bring these moments, they are much more apt to occur after the conference’s official hours are over and attendees are gathered in more informal settings.  I think back fondly to Louisiana SHRM and my conversation with Laurie Ruettimann and Lizzie Maldonado.  Although I know Laurie, I still learned more about her experience and life beyond HR and her cats.  Liz I hadn’t really known before and now I not only follow her on social media, but know and see firsthand the great vivacious person behind her twitter handle and her work at The Starr Conspiracy.  Moments like these happen everywhere from sitting down with John Jorgensen and Dave Ryan (both from Illinois) while in Ohio to meeting Travis Sinquefield from Michigan while at HREvolution in Chicago.  All great people who are so much more than their Twitter bio can describe!

So, if you’re attending one of the many great state HR conferences coming in the next few months, please take a little time and go out on a limb to meet some new people.  I guarantee that you will benefit from doing so!  I know I intend to meet new folks and gain insight from those I am fortunate enough to get to know during my time at Illinois SHRM from August 18-20 and at my own HR Indiana August 27-30, 2013.

Performing some self-reflection on this, I know that I love new things and that connecting with people is important (for those who are familiar with StandOut by Marcus Buckingham, I am a Pioneer/Connector) for me to be at my best.  Being able to do so while seeing what is possible with the continued evolution of technology and human resources is a great thing.

In the 2 weeks since the show, the emphasis on technology has lessened while the people around the technology have grown in importance.  Some of the vendors have reached out and connected with me personally, noting specifics of our conversation and my interest (even if it was minor!) in the products and services they offer.  Others have sent me a standard e-mail and made no real effort to connect with me.  Really, it’s quite easy to find me and I am happy to speak with someone if they have a real reason to connect.  The best technology will not help if the people associated with it are also not the best.

People must touch technology for it to be effective

This lesson is of course not limited to technology companies.  No matter how great the product or service offered by a company is, the bottom line still comes down to the people in the company.  For that reason, it will always be easier to convince me that an organization’s people are a better investment than the newest technology.  If technology can help me maximize the human capital, then a great partnership is possible.

I had the honor this year of attending the Illinois state HR conference in the lovely Chicago suburb of Oakbrook.  This was my 3^rd state conference within a year as both Indiana and Ohio were on my schedule last year.  However, this experience was different as I was attending as a concurrent session speaker for the first time at a state conference.

Although my session was not the most highly attended (I was scheduled simultaneously with the likes of powerhouses Paul Hebert, Trish McFarlane, and Steve Boese and their standing room only crowds!) of the concurrent session, I was pleased that my first time presenting this material worked out without any major blunders and that the session was certified by HRCI for that SPHR sought business and strategic credit.  I appreciate the kind comments I heard after the presentation and send a special shout out to Buzz Rooney and Dr. Daniel Crosby for being in there to live tweet while I rambled on!

All of our state conferences provide great education opportunity, time with vendors who can provide products and services to the HR market, and good food (kudos to Illinois for what has been among the best food I’ve ever had at a large conference!) the best part for me is the networking with other HR professionals from around the state and country.  Meeting some HR social media colleagues for the first time in real life (IRL) was great and reconnecting with those I already know provides me with energy and a renewed enthusiasm for the work we do.  Keynotes by Talent Anarchy and Cy Wakeman were highlights for me and I hope it’s not the last time I have the opportunity to hear them.

I encourage everyone to check out the Twitter stream from #ILSHRM and have gotten some good informational tweets by watching the #MOSHRM hashtag too.  It’s not too late to register to attend HR Indiana (#INSHRM) on the 27th of this month or the conferences being hosted by #WISHRM, #OHSHRM, and #MNSHRM.  Two unconferences are also occurring with TalentNet and HRevolution.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a public thank you to John Jorgensen and Sabrina Baker for allowing me to be small part of your great conference.  Thank you!

As I get more involved, my level of enthusiasm continues to grow as I get to know people and make the real life connections that have started on-line.  During my time at HRevolution in Atlanta, I was struck by the authenticity that I experienced from everyone present.  Although many people who are not involved in social media feel that an on-line persona cannot be authentic, I believe it is the opposite since being on-line can provide a safe way to talk about our real self as we all continue to pursue our ideal self.  Trying to convey this to those unwilling (or unable) to jump in and try it continues to be a challenge.

The line between pushing limits and settling for status quo is a fine one and I am trying to straddle that now.  While wanting more of my HR colleagues to embrace social media and experience some of the community that is brings, I worry at the same time about the loss of authenticity that may come about as more people get more involved.  I may not have a legitimate concern as my own involvement is only one year old now and I hope that I have not been guilty of what I am worried about.  There are many good people in the social media sphere and I enjoy learning from them each day.  There is rarely a day now that I do not refer to someone within my social media circle as a resource for a workplace issue.  Because of the information richness it brings, I truly cherish having as many people as possible involved.

Despite the resistance that some give, I will continue to push more to be involved to make the social media space even richer for those already in it.  Of course, nothing beats personal connections and going beyond the computer to reach the real lives we all enjoy.  That still reigns supreme in establishing a solid authentic relationship.