“One of the great things about travel is you find out how many good, kind people there are.” — Edith Wharton
This past spring I took a trip to Germany. It was my third time visiting the Fatherland. I love Germany – the culture, the history, the people, the food, the BEER! Some of my love for visiting the country stems from my lineage. My family has, in part, German roots. Some of my love for visiting Germany comes from a general love of travel. I like to experience new things, see wonderous sights, and meet people with different experiences and viewpoints.
I wish all HR practitioners felt this way, as well. Many do! HR is made of people, right? People are not homogenous and have different makeup. They’re not a conglomerate mass of sameness. However, say “HR” in a room of people, and many may cringe. I wish this homogenous response to our profession wasn’t the case!
One of the major ways HR can break from this is to travel! I don’t mean to German, or wherever, although that is still advisable! I mean get out of our comfort zones and meet people where they are!
This means getting up from the desk and walking around! This means visiting your people and talking to them. Show them you see them as human beings and not pains in the asses! “You need WHAT again??? Didn’t you read the handbook?”
Steve Browne mentions this frequently on his blog and in his many books (which I advise you go and read – HR pro or not).
I’ve been thinking of a new way of “getting out and walking around,” however. It’s conferences – specifically non-HR conferences.
I have been to my fair share of conferences – some of them life changing. Others, meh. However, something I just started wondering is… do HR pros go to non-HR conferences? If the answer is no, then why not??
Yes, HR themed conferences are important and a backbone for our continued development and growth in the profession. But HR is part of business, not the only part of business. We can learn so much by seeing what other areas have to offer.
Example – I have been to public transit conferences, community action conferences, and non-profit conferences. All of them have been industry specific, but I learned so much as an HR pro, which I then got to bring back with me in my quiver of knowledge and skills. I learned about other aspects of these industries, including grant management, financial tools, upcoming trends, and the “temperature” of Washington (and I’m not talking weather).
Just as important, I got to network and connect with people not specific to HR. I conversed with them on what I thought HR means and how I go about “HRing.” I learned about their people challenges and what had them perplexed.
In addition, presenting at non-HR conferences with an HR perspective can help us all begin to change the narrative of what good progressive HR can be! I’ve given presentations and sessions at the aforementioned conferences on HR trends, burnout prevention, modern HR best principles, and of course philosophy! The look on many of the attendees’ faces was a mixture of amusement and perplexing!
“I didn’t know HR could be like this!”
“I am bringing back to work such new and interesting information.”
“You’re in HR? No, seriously?”
Yes, I am! I’ve just had the benefit of learning from masters in the field, who taught me how to be better at it.
The point being, we can be emissaries for our HR industry, our HR colleagues, and ourselves. But we can’t do that if we are sitting in our offices not “walking around” and traveling outside our comfort zones. First, get out of the office and visit your people wherever they work. Next, get out of the industry silos and visit other conferences. Be an HR ambassador, a missionary, a summoner!
We cannot be agents for change by sitting in our silos and echo chambers. We have to bring HR to others and show them WHY times are different. This ain’t your mama’s personnel department no more!
Next up? Maybe going to a food themed conference. There is an international bakers conference every other year in Munich right before Oktoberfest. I think if anyone needs good HR missionary work, it’s bakers! At least, that’s what I am telling myself. 😊
© 2023 HR Philosopher. All rights reserved
The HR Philosopher 