Upon my arrival in Sturgeon Bay last Thursday, it was Betsy Mitchell who first greeted me, asked about my trip and immediately struck up a conversation. Betsy is the VP of Organizational and Staff Development for the Green Bay Packers and was a featured speaker. Despite “19 seasons with the Packers” (which is how they measure time…in seasons), Betsy is one of the most self-effacing and approachable leaders I’ve ever met. She doesn’t pull punches about her initial reservations in joining such a “testosterone laden” organization. A hilarious storyteller, Betsy has had some very interesting experiences, including one with former Coach Mike Holmgren that involved her stealing his cookie after he walked out of a lunch meeting in a huff. It’s a great story about power and sticking to your principals, something which Betsy clearly embodies while speaking to the values and culture of the legendary Packers. Suffice it to say that there were a number of enjoyable moments at this event and Betsy was a highlight.

Although a tough act to follow, I intended to carry Betsy’s lead forward by combining levity with provocative and challenging ideation. There were several other sessions that preceded my keynote but I was ready to roll when the time came. However, after ninety minutes on the microphone, I’m wasn’t sure if I accomplished any of my original goals. Much of the audience seemed genuinely shell-shocked by what I had to say and it was only afterwards that individual attendees provided me with a bit of context relative to the confusing (from my vantage point) reaction to the material. Let me try and explain.

The slides (which you can download here and are embedded below) may not do justice to the conversation we had and certainly miss many of the important developments and future considerations you may see for our industry. I attempted to focus explicitly on those big picture issues where HR can either proactively take a stance/position or pay the price by letting others shape our destiny. Take a look at the deck and you’ll get a sense of what I am talking about.

My expectation was to dialogue with this terrific leadership team and really dive deep into some of the more challenging concepts. Instead, some of the fundamental premises which shaped my underlying thesis were perceived to be unfounded. Outsourcing transactional HR? Some audience members either felt that their firms were too small for consideration or that outsourcing was a four-letter word. Third-party payroll providers? Less than ten percent have these relationships in play today. And the list of misses went on and on….

Naturally I started to second guess myself and wonder if I was way off base. Students aside (and there were many present), this audience had a fairly standard distribution across both size of organization and the experience level of attendees, so that wasn’t at play. And I don’t want to paint a picture of a group of out of touch, small town HR folks – remember these are the leaders of one of the more progressive state SHRM councils. Their desire to improve our profession was palpable in every other instance that I witnessed. However, in my case I think the problem is this…

It wasn’t safe to have this conversation in public.

I spoke with about a dozen attendees before heading back home and each of them (in their own way) thanked me for saying what they’ve been “wanting to say for years“. Add to that the several dozen emails I received with the same tenor and we start to reach a consensus. So I sit here today both pleased that my ideas resonated with so many and gravely concerned about our ability to address difficult issues together.

I firmly believe that it is only through open and honest dialogue that we’ll progress as an industry, but how do we overcome the gravitational pull toward the status quo? Isn’t it our leaders who need to demonstrate the courage to challenge the norm and question that which came before? And what of the students who were hoping to learn from their seasoned colleagues prior to beginning their adventure into our industry? I see this as both a tremendous success and a missed opportunity.

I want to thank the Wisconsin State SHRM leaders for their hospitality and interest. I enjoyed meeting so many of the attendees and appreciated the opportunity to push us out of our comfort zone. But now it’s your turn to weigh in – did The Future of HR deck resonate with you? And what of our need to discuss these challenges openly and honestly? Please share your thoughts below and, as always, let’s keep the conversation going.

• Charlie Judy offered terrific coverage, including, What (the ‘f) were you thinking? A new calling for HR.
• Monster.com had a terrific team on the ground this year, so be sure to check out posts such as Jennifer McClure’s, What HR Wants to Know About Social Media CAN HR Them, and Ben Eubanks’, Creating a Culture of Engagement: HR Leader’s New Strategic Role.
• Mary Ellen Slayter of SmartBrief partnered with Monster to produce a wonderful series of SHRM 2010 interviews for the Monster Thinking Series.
• Laurie Ruettimann used to offer fantastic hotel-cam observations of her world travels, and this year she’s back! Be sure to check out her fashion insights from the show.

Ok, let’s get down to business:

The Venue/Location

I’m a big fan of San Diego and the convention center really did offer a terrific venue for the event. There were plenty of places for exhausted, swag-laden HR pros to find a little corner to relax and even catch a brief nap (I saw more than a few sleepers). Although San Diego was geographically too distant (and therefore costly) for many, the convention center was conveniently located within walking distance of several hotels, dozens of restaurants and nightlife, as well as on the shore for those who needed to get away from the chaos of the expo hall. My only nit is that there were not enough coffee shops as the lines were very, very long. If there’s one thing to know about HR, we love our java.

SHRM’s Organization/Speakers

I said this last year and I’ll say it again – I really can’t imagine the difficultly in hosting more than 11,000 attendees, coordinating hundreds of sponsors, securing hundreds of volunteers and making it look relatively effortless. My hat goes off to the organizing committee for another terrific job. Moreover, this year we saw some new offerings including the introduction of a social media lounge and what I felt was a much more comfortable press room. With plenty of power strips, good high-speed internet, pre-configured laptops and desktops and all the beverages and snacks you could handle, our merry band of misfits were connected, caffeinated and ready to roll. A personal “thank you” to SHRM’s new social media guru Curtis Midkiff for doing a great job in his inaugural appearance.

Now let’s talk about presenters. Regardless of your political views, nearly all attendees I spoke with were thrilled with Al Gore having spent the time and effort to truly tailor his speech to human resources. It wasn’t just a casual mention but a full-blown call to action. My suggestion is that SHRM work with Michael J. Fox and Sir Richard Branson (SHRM ’11 keynoters) to ensure that their presentations are similarly on point. It is member dollars that are funding these speaker fees and they deserve to walk away with something relevant.

My last point on speakers is this – where is the diversity?? I’m hoping someone kept score but it appeared that only white males were available for a trip to San Diego in late June. Of course I’m exaggerating, but I did not see a proper representation on stage. Hell, SHRM itself only has one female executive leader in the hopper, and she hasn’t started her job yet. In an industry dominated by women, we need to do a better job of lifting them up and celebrating their contributions and accomplishments. This picture does not do the membership justice (and people really do take notice).

Executive Presence

I want to hit this on two fronts.

First, SHRM rolled out their entire leadership team and we witnessed some (unfortunate) dancing from a few of them. Much to my surprise, CEO Lon O’Neil even launched his Twitter account (although he had some phantom tweets appear while he was on stage). However, I did not walk away feeling the level of transparency and openness that we saw under prior leaders such as Sue Meisinger. Where’s the annual financial report? Where are those heartfelt and unscripted moments? And Lon, where in the hell is your SPHR certification? You can’t claim that it’s a tremendous asset to HR leaders while never having secured it yourself. It’s been almost two years, so either acknowledge that it’s not important (which will never happen) or make this a top priority. Pot, meet kettle…

Second, I was sadly disappointed by the attendee reaction to a keynote featuring a panel of HR leaders, including Google, Northrop Grumman, Kaiser Permanente and Deutsche Bank. SHRM’s membership is generally not comprised of the senior-most HR professionals from the world’s largest firms, so when they actually take the time to show up, share best practices and offer advice, you damn well better pay attention. Attendees swarmed from the session, first in 2′s and 3′s and then by the dozens. Are you there to listen to Steve Forbes and Al Gore or should you perhaps learn from those who have theoretically arrived at your career destination? And if you did walk out early, you missed a gem from Deutsche Bank’s Conrad Venter when he predicated that HR will be obsolete in ten years if we stay on our current course. I tend to agree.

Attendee Behavior

The oddity began the moment I arrived on Sunday. While walking through the expo hall, a senior VP of HR locked eyes with me from fifty yards away. She was trashed on free margaritas from one of the vendor booths. Swaying down the red carpet, she made her way toward me as I looked over my shoulder to assess who in the hell she was looking at. When she grabbed me by the shoulder, I realized I was her target. Holding my shoulder with her left hand, she then silently stroked my cheek with her right. (Yeah, this really happened.) Then gravity took over, she swayed around me to the left and continued her bumper-car journey of bliss.

She never said a word.

I know, you’re thinking this must be one out-of-control attendee from a sea of well-behaved professionals. But let me tell you something. I have been to well over one hundred HR conferences in my career and this is more “normal” than you might expect. HR people get shit-faced, misbehave, rant, party, dance and flirt to excess at these shows. My theory is this – all year long they have to model behavior as the dream corporate citizen. So, when the opportunity arises to hang out with their peers and finally let their hair down, they take full advantage. In some respects, I can’t blame them, but I would ask that people get their act together and maintain some dignity. While walking to my car last evening, I saw two thirty-something SHRM 2010 attendees, one rubbing the back of the other while she threw up in an alley. Both were still wearing their badges.

Engagement

This continues to be SHRM’s number one challenge. Many attendees came for the party, others came for the HRCI credits, and others probably realized they needed pens, dolls, stuffed animals, notepads and bags of other bizarre tchotchkes. I saw droves of attendees just sitting around, doing crossword puzzles, checking email, walking in and out of sessions and generally moving listlessly through the convention center. Some were just simply overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of the event, and that really concerns me. I suggested to some SHRM staffers that they consider a pre-event orientation (via video) that can be viewed remotely and help prepare first-time attendees for the experience. Heck, this would even help the veterans understand the venue, logistics and surrounding areas. Or, how about a mentor/protege program where more experienced attendees would help their newer peers?

Although this is SHRM’s biggest revenue generator, something needs to change. Attendance does not guarantee learning or action, and if SHRM truly intends to use this event to advance the profession, the issue of engagement must be addressed. I know, I know… it’s difficult to meet the specific needs of 250,000 members and over 10,000 live attendees. But when dozens of people say to me, “maybe SHRM is just too big?”, you know that there is a groundswell of discontent and a questioning of value.

And this brings me to my last point – member voice. I am very concerned that SHRM is no longer capturing the true needs of its constituency. For example, I asked at least twenty SHRM staffers how the legislative agenda is set. No one knew. So when millions of dollars are being poured into lobbying and policy changes, is SHRM confident that it’s voice is truly that of it’s constituents, or is this an educated guess made by a sequestered committee? I’d like to know.

What Do You Think?

Whether you attended or not, I’d love your thoughts. My goal with this 1,500+ word post is not to rant and complain, but instead to bubble up some of the systemic issues facing our industry. I implore SHRM – the largest, most influential body in our industry – to read these words with an eye toward member value (versus top line revenues), engagement (over sponsorship) and the future needs of the profession (over certification credentials). We’re all in this together, and we must keep an open and honest dialogue going. I’ll look forward to your comments.

What Happened

It’s both simple and complex.

First the simple part — Approximately 130 human resource professionals, recruiters, pundits, consultants, executives and industry representatives converged on Chicago for an ‘unconference’. This meant a fun venue conducive to freeform conversation, an agenda emphasizing facilitation over lecture, and the freedom for attendees to make this experience their own. Like last year’s inaugural event, we all came with a different set of expectations for what we wanted to occur, who we would meet, what would be said and what would happen next. The bar was set high (perhaps too high) but minds were open and hearts in all the right places. Because of the gracious support of a variety of sponsors, the event only cost $100. Based solely on the standing ovation during the closing session, my sense is that most attendees felt like they received many times their fixed cost in value.

Discussions ran the gamut of the profession itself. These included branding, benefits, diversity, devices, recruiting, influence, behavior, learning, generations, technology, community and the future of HR. Since no one wants to read a 5,000 word post I’m going to skip the details for now. For the sessions I personally attended, I found people generally respectful to one another (although not always), including the right to disagree and/or voice their opinion. If you didn’t like a session, you were able to vote with your feet without anyone taking offense. It was a fluid, dynamic and unique experience.

As for the complex part — Change is painfully difficult and highly personal. The pacing is too fast for some and too slow for others. Public disagreement is uncomfortable with some voices loud and dominating over those who are soft yet serious. In the whirlwind of moving from room to room, conversation to conversation, session to session, we sometimes forget to pause and take stock. We’re frustrated and can’t explain why. We’re impressed but don’t know what to do. We simultaneously analyze and paralyze. And then as we get on our planes and board our trains we wonder whether it was worth all the pomp and circumstance.

I think it was.

What I Could Have Done Better

I was fortunate to have a senior role by serving on this year’s planning committee. This included a wonderful team of people you should know (if you don’t already), including Jason Seiden, Trish McFarlane, Steve Boese, Ben Eubanks, Crystal Peterson and Joan Ginsberg. These are passionate and dedicated professionals who decided to add to their already full plates by volunteering to organize an event whose primary reward is to leave the audience hungry for more. I’m proud to have served with them and admire their dedication and selflessness.

After last year’s event I questioned whether this is an HR evolution or HR revolution. Frankly, I’m still on the fence. My sense is that last year’s attendees would have hoped for more revolutionary talk whereas the new folks preferred an evolutionary approach. Which brings me to two things I could have done better.

First, I neglected to realize just how foreign the concept of mediated conversation is to both presenters and attendees. We are trained from a young age to show up on time, take our seats and listen to the person in the front of the room speak to us. As we get older some get comfortable raising their voices during the appropriate time and begin to confidently share their own wealth of knowledge and perspective. But we’re not trained or really even encouraged to do so, and as time goes on and we enter the professional world, the behaviors of old are simply reinforced. As speakers, the problem is frankly a bit worse as many lack the skills or training to extract insight or action as opposed to imparting one-sided wisdom.

So picture yourself arriving in a largely unstructured environment that is the antithesis of most everything that has come before. It’s scary and definitely doesn’t feel safe or even appealing. We missed an opportunity to make this easier on people. The good news is that now I know this is something to be addressed.

As for the second item, it’s a personal one. When you agree to jump into the fray and help organize it comes with a sense of responsibility and accountability that I take very seriously. As a result, I missed a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with those I admire and respect. Despite the hectic melee I should have taken the time to stop and meet each and every one of you. I didn’t do that enough and for that I’m sorry.

What The Future Holds

There have been a number of terrific posts on the event and it would be difficult for me to call them out here today. Fellow organizer and HRevolution co-founder Ben Eubanks will be hosting a Carnival of HR dedicated to all the HRevolution posts on May 19th. Be sure to read what others have said (good, bad or indifferent) about their experiences and perspectives as this will inform your thinking about what’s next.

HRevolution has a number of decisions to make and each one has serious implications for the movement. Do we try and build larger events with more attendees and offer more tracks to keep the sessions small? Should we take this on the road and hyperlocalize to cities and counties around the world? How about dividing by functional area? …size of employer? …topic(s)? Do we imbed HRevolution into traditional conference settings to attempt to offer an alternative for individuals who are attracted to the format? The permutations are seemingly endless and your feedback is strongly encouraged.

HRevolution exists for no other reason than to change the lens through which we view our roles and responsibilities. No one is going to hand you the answers so you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work necessary to break through the norm. It’s not for everyone and that needs to be okay. Those who disagree with the approach or find it unappealing have a right to voice their constructive criticism. A movement based on embracing the voices of all cannot suddenly quiet those in dissent. It’s counter to a healthy dialogue that improves the experience for everyone.

I leave you with the same feeling I had last year. I’m excited but dissatisfied. I see a need for this type of venue and sense a growing appetite for something new. I see discontent among those who have paused long enough to question the norm and feel their desire to effect positive change. I personally intend to fuel the flames in a constructive way and welcome your thoughts. No one can do this alone but we can do it together. Thank you once again to everyone who participated and let’s keep this extremely important conversation going.