#SHRM18 – What Now?

Wow – that is the best way to describe the SOLD OUT SHRM18 Annual Conference!

It’s the last day, the hardest day, the day when you realize those lessons you’ve been writing down or tweeting out must be put to work. When you are required to go back to work and for most, teach and inspire others.

While attending this conference, we’ve met many HR Professionals, we’ve exchange phone numbers, twitter handles, LinkedIn accounts, and much more. So, where do we go from here?

How do we take that step to creating the change in our organization? Here are a few ideas:

1. Write – After the conference is over, I like to go back through each of the sessions I attended. I search the speakers name on twitter, I scroll back through 4 days of tweets and pick out the things that stood out the most to me. I write those lessons down. Technology is great, but when I’m trying to digest my thoughts, the old school pen and paper work best.
2. Communicate – We’ve discussed many functions in the last few days. After having your ideas together, communicate it with your leaders. You’ve figured out exactly what you’re trying to say, now it is time to seek out those who might agree and those who will disagree. We can’t hold our knowledge in, assuming our employers will not want to listen or change. It is time to create change and you’ve spent the last week listening and connecting with the right people to help you make the difference. Even if you think they won’t go for it, if you really believe in it, sell it, provide the options, put together the presentation and at least you’ll know you did your very best.
3. Connect – While some HR professionals attended SHRM18 to grow their personal brand, a lot of HR Professionals attended for their company. Hopefully, while drinking that cocktail in the Expo Hall, you stopped at vendors booth who could really make a difference for your organization. This is what your company is looking for, they want you to come back with information and options. Connect them with the vendors you know are wanting to resolve an issue, not the one that you simply thought the T-shirt was cool.
4. Continue – Continue learning, educating, and trying to make a difference. Continue reaching out to other professionals. Because of my first conference experience in 2017, I started blogging and reaching out to other HR Professionals who are willing to teach me and challenge me. Continue the fight to making your organization better, not just for HR reasons, but because your employees deserve it, you deserve it. Continue fighting for your personal brand and professional development. Continue realizing that without one another, we are failing HR.

The struggles that we might face in HR won’t be resolved in one day and if it was, another would come tomorrow.

The SHRM18 conference has been an amazing opportunity for me. From meeting the people I’ve been connecting with for over the last year, to growing HRJazzy and realizing that I have people in my life who want to see me succeed and do everything possible to help me to reach those goals. I can’t wait to share the different lessons I learned later this week and for the coming weeks. To connect you with the people I’ve met, so hopefully, you can find the ones who are willing and able to continue pushing you.

It’s been a long 4 days, it’s been an amazing 4 days, but the work doesn’t stop here. So, when you get back home or walk back into your office and say “What Now?” think of this post and do your best to start or continue creating the person and organization you want to be.

It was great seeing you again HR, stay connected.

HRJazzy