“Undervalued person or thing: Somebody or something originally considered ordinary but whose true beauty or value is later revealed or appreciated.” – Encarta

Which brings me to today’s post – Does the HR blogosphere reward ugly ducklings? It may be too soon to tell, but let me give you two examples where unrecognized value is a big mistake:

1. Punk Rock HR: This is one of the most controversial blogs in the HR market and is written by my good friend Laurie Ruettimann. And if you’re a fan, you know that if Laurie so much as sneezes her opinion on any issue (cats, poop, HR… all quite similar topics at times, mind you), the comments start rolling in. Now a lot of people don’t “get” Laurie’s whole approach, but I think she’s brilliant in that she uses questions, an engaging conversational tone and an openness to ideas to get her audience involved. So what exactly is she? My verdict: A Duckling in Doc Martins
2. YourHRGuy: Then we take a look at another wonderful and popular blogger, the venerable Lance Haun. Lance is also a friend (who isn’t, right? I like most people), but you’ll notice that he takes a completely different approach. He doesn’t write very often, but when he does, it’s thorough, thoughtful and even poignant, at times. Lance disarms the reader with his self-deprecation and doesn’t claim to know the secrets of the universe. But here’s the thing – although Lance’s content is actually more “radical” than most, he doesn’t set off alarms in how he delivers his dissenting opinion. Where’s that leave him? My verdict: A Duckling in Swan Clothing

I am a huge fan of both of these bloggers. They are bright, cutting edge and important voices in today’s HR world. But my suspicion is, that when comparing them, you’ll have a very different reaction to the concepts and content they promote.

And that’s okay. But my point is this – take the time to look beyond the presentation and focus instead on what HR bloggers are actually saying. If you are true to Encarta’s definition, you may find that you’ve undervalued or overlooked some of the best new voices in our industry. So keep your mind open, keep your feathers dry and let’s keep the conversation going.