“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.

• Toby’s Support Group – Head on over to The Office and share some of your HR nightmares with Toby.  If they’re good, he may break confidentiality and post them on the NBC website.
• Out of Office Advice – Resident punk Laurie Ruettimann tells her readers that out of office messages are for one thing only (namely to convey who can help in your absence).  Enjoy the rebel yell.
• “Regulators!” – Research warns that many “highly regulated industries report no code of conduct”.  I can think of one governor and one former Nasdaq chairman that might agree.
• Blue Blood, Red Face – The venerable Harvard allows the “Top 10 Ways Obama Can Change American Culture” to get online. The most offensive?  It’s difficult to choose, but maybe, “#8, Kansas will go cosmopolitan and develop children like Obama’s mother, with curiosity about other countries.”
• Sick of Sick Time – HR Wench takes the temperature on PTO in her post “Thank you for not being sick.”  Jenn responds to a reader’s email with her typical no-BS style.
• Still Can’t Get No Respect – With apologies to Rodney Dangerfield, a recent study shows that HR executives still don’t get C-suite respect.  What?  You’re shocked?  C’mon. Really?

Revel in these goodies while I continue to fight the head cold from hell.  Be sure to post your own stocking stuffers for others to enjoy and let’s keep the (congested) conversation going.

We are just over ten days away from the 11th Annual Talent Management Summit and host IQPC has extended a final incentive to Inflexion Point readers.  Simply mention code “TMIP04” and you’ll receive $400 off the main conference (a 20% discount) or the all-access pass for $2,599 (a $1,000 savings).  

With the overwhelming coverage of the economic crisis, I’m certain you will benefit from the wisdom of your peers and colleagues.  All are experiencing similar challenges, but many view today’s climate as a fantastic opportunity to upgrade your talent.  Learn from some of the best and brightest in the talent management industry and come home brimming with ideas and confidence for those emergency executive meetings.

Plus, you’ll get a chance to meet and greet some of our most talented and innovative HR bloggers!  In addition to myself, I’ll be joined by HR Wench (aka Jenn Barnes), Laurie Ruettimann of Punk Rock HR and the elusive and lime-green HR Minion.  We’ll all be covering the conference live via Twitter and our respective blogs.  I hope you’ll join us and help keep the conversation going.

There is a lot of great stuff in Jon’s summation, with a main topical thrust on HR bloggers who address the “sexiness” (or lack thereof) of HR:

“The need for HR to become more sexy is explained by Jessica Lee at Fistful of Talent. Jessica lists a number of areas in which development could make us sexier, for example by making more investment in social media. And helping up us gain a better understanding of this area are Larry Dunivan at Perceptive HR Technology, commenting on an earlier post by Jason Corsello, and Janet Walsh at Strategic Thinking.

Still confused by what sexy HR means? Well, some good examples of definitely not sexy HR are provided by HR Wench and Laurie Ruettimann at Team Building is for Suckers and some suggestions for being sexy in the downturn are offered by Frank Roche at KnowHR.”

I’d suggest you take some time to check out some of the links and other HR bloggers.  These are some of the knowledgeable, perceptive, insightful and even grumpy HR professionals producing interesting content on a regular basis.

Let’s keep the conversation going.