Companies he mentioned who did not adapt as quickly as needed and paid the price? Blockbuster and Borders.

Preparing for change involves a workforce ready to compete in a global economy — and who have skills we need right now — and that we’ll need going forward.

The importance of change and being adaptable was also a key theme in Malcolm Gladwell’s remarks. Gladwell, best-selling author and pundit, pointed out how even the way change happens (or tries to happen) is changing!

He compared the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s, which was an organized and hierarchical movement with strong, top-down leadership to the “Occupy” movement of the past year, which had no leader, no specific ideology or strategy and was loosely organized at best. Gladwell’s point? Millennials prefer unstructured movements — they learn from Wikepedia (many authorities), not the encyclopedia (one authority). Gladwell explained, “They take a profoundly different attitude toward authority and toward expertise.” Gladwell explained this as a paradigm shift from hierarchies to networking, from discipline to flexibility.

However, he closed his remarks by explaining that “networks can start revolutions, but hierarchy is needed to finish them.”

An interesting way to think about and evaluate change — and how we approach change and its results.

What does this all mean for job seekers and business owners?

How are you preparing for your “next thing?”

If you are a job seeker, are you embracing new technologies and new ways to demonstrate your expertise and expand your network? While I’m not on the “resume is dead” bandwagon, we all know being competitive means jumping into using new tools, which may be uncomfortable or even difficult. You don’t want to use Blockbuster as your model, though — if you don’t change, you will probably be left behind.

Are you approaching your challenges in an organized manner, or are you more an “I’ll take it as it comes” type of “planner?” Maybe you’re not looking to start a revolution, but if you are (maybe in the form of a new business idea?), are you incorporating some hierarchical structure?

Hank Jackson reminded us, “Something that sounds like sci fi today can put you out of work tomorrow.” He also noted, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up somewhere else.”

Things are changing. You need to change, too.

photo by busy.pochi

The post Things are changing – how are you keeping up? appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice,  spoke eloquently and brought some messages I thought appropriate for job seekers and the HR audience of many thousands who crowded the huge hall to hear her remarks.

Rice presented an overall optimistic overview of where we as a country can go, as long as we remember the importance of education and focus on “legitimacy based on consent,” instead of “legitimacy based on prosperity.” She spoke about how important it is to “mobilize human potential,” which she said is the “key to greatness.”

Innovation. Creativity. Optimism. Prosperity. Dignity. Freedom. Generous. Compassionate.

These are all words I wrote down in my notes…These themes peppered her speech, and she reminded listeners, “ You can not control your circumstances, but you can control your response.” She also commented, “It doesn’t matter where you come from, it matters where you are going.”

Not a surprising sentiment from someone who grew up in segregated Alabama and managed, through education, hard work and tenacity, to achieve the role of Secretary of State, and today, as professor at Stanford University.

Rice asserted that to succeed, you need to be prepared, convince yourself you are prepared, find a mentor and do your job. She explained, it is not necessary to find a mentor who looks like you, but instead, to find a mentor who is interested in you. The audience chuckled when she commented how finding an African-American woman expert in Soviet politics would have been impossible for her as a young person.

I think her talk should inspire job seekers and small business owners to ask themselves some questions:

1. What are you doing to mobilize YOUR human potential? If you aren’t getting it done, it’s not going to happen. Are you blaming others for whatever situation you find yourself in? Waiting for something outside of your control to change before you take action on your own plans? If you are letting someone else drive your bus, you’re unlikely to succeed with your goals. Don’t just sit there; take some action and make something happen.

2. How are you controlling your responses? Circumstances are way beyond most of our control. While we can vote, most of us are not governing. We are not leading large companies. That doesn’t mean we don’t have the opportunity to take the reigns and be in charge of our responses. What have you tried or done differently lately to change your situation (if you’re not happy)? What are you learning or trying to learn more about to help adjust your circumstances in your favor? If you do nothing, you’ll go nowhere. Nowhere isn’t a great place to stay for very long.

3. Can you legitimately say you are prepared? Rice noted you also need to convince yourself that you are prepared. This is easier to do with practice and — well, preparation! Probably the most important person you need to convince that you can succeed is you! (I have to believe it when the former Secretary of State says so — she won a job, but she clearly needed to remind herself that she was the one for that job.) What steps can you take if you are not prepared? Or, you don’t feel prepared? It’s up to you to alter your course and put yourself on the road to success.

4. Find a mentor. What’s a mentor? Someone you admire who cares about and is willing to advise you. Again, it’s up to you to identify a mentor and to make the relationship work. (Sensing a theme of self-responsibility here…It is all up to you to make this happen.)

5. Do your job. It seems obvious, right? Get your job done, whatever your job is. If your job is finding a job or starting a business, it isn’t going to happen unless you make it happen.

You can make it happen.

photo by ATOMIC Hot Links

The post How to succeed? Be innovative, creative and optimistic. And: DO YOUR JOB appeared first on Keppie Careers.

My job? To blog and tweet about the event and showcase information from the program. My formal post highlighting a predominant lesson in several of the sessions I attended, You Don’t Have to Grow the Trees to Build Your Deck, is on the SHRM Atlanta blog…Be sure to take a look to learn what I learned from several presentations.

I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to share some informal insights about the conference. Maybe some of my takeaways will inspire you the next time you attend an event or consider whether or not to take the time to do so.

1. There’s nothing like in-person contact to solidify a partnership or friendship. You can interact with people online and via social media all day long, but sometimes it takes sitting down for lunch or an in-person conversation and handshake to confirm your mutual interests and plan to move ahead. Never underestimate the value of attending conferences and events — if only for this purpose.

2. Make an effort to introduce people to each other — and to introduce yourself. It’s great if you are lucky enough to have someone nearby who can vouch for you and make a generous introduction on your behalf. (Think about how you can do this for other people…Being a connector and putting people together who may have mutual interests is a great way to build your value in your community.)

Even if there is no one around to introduce you, stick out your hand with a smile and introduce yourself. Ask some questions and be interested in the person who is sitting down next to you in a session or who is waiting in line with you to get your picture taken! We’re all focused on what we’re doing next or where we need to be at the stroke of the hour; use that to your advantage. Ask other people where they are going next, or about the key note address. Strike up a conversation; everyone around shares something in common with you if you’re attending your professional conference. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet someone new.  Once you do — take the time to introduce that person to someone else.

3. Ask how you can help. What a powerful question, and a great way to indicate your willingness to connect with someone else. Just saying the words, “How can I help you?” — imagine how powerfully they will land. Try it. I know I plan to.

4. Keep an open mind and stretch for connections. I’m in an interesting position at SHRM, since I’m not an HR professional. I’m not a good customer for any of the vendors in the exhibit hall — I don’t plan ways to reward employees, I don’t oversee a benefits plan, I don’t engage workers in wellness initiatives and I don’t check references and perform background checks.

However, I do make it a point to think about how I can be of service to the vendors in the exhibit by asking if they may have information or resources to share with the job seekers I normally engage via my online sites. So, maybe a vendor who offers ways to help employers reward employees can share some statistics about trends about employee rewards that can help job seekers. Or, a company that creates benefits packages can offer details about what job seekers should expect in the way of benefits for their next job; this could make it easier to negotiate. A company that does drug testing can share useful details about what they look for and how employers are using the testing.

Thinking outside of the proverbial “box,” I collected information that I hope will benefit my traditional readers and the exhibitors.

What’s the lesson? Stretch your thinking…Where ever you are, think about different ways to make the situation work for you. Think positively and be creative. You never know what opportunity is just around the corner.

photo by mag3737

The post How to extend yourself at a professional conference or event appeared first on Keppie Careers.

October 17-18, 2011 at Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA | Learn More & Register
The SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference offers 54 concurrent breakout sessions organized into 7 educational tracks. Sample from all the tracks that interest you, or focus in on just one or two for a more intensive learning experience. (Click through to learn more and to register.)

Concurrent Session Track Descriptions

Business Acumen & Leadership | Two Day Track

These sessions build the business know-how of HR practitioners ranging from the specialist/generalist to the mid-level manager to the seasoned leader. Specialist/generalist and mid-level professionals can select from sessions that develop and enhance their fundamental business “literacy.” Seasoned leaders can learn about the impact of their actions on decision-making and how this in turn affects outcomes at the functional, unit, or corporate level.

Law & Legislation | Two Day Track

Whether in a union or nonunion workplace, HR professionals must understand critical legal issues that affect day-to-day business decisions. These sessions will highlight policies and practices and focus on key employment law issues that affect the way HR professionals conduct business.

Total Rewards | Two Day Track

These sessions will focus on the broad span of topics ranging from the basics to leading edge topics in compensation, benefits and total rewards.

Organizational Evolution | One Day Track

As many organizations grow, change and evolve today, it is increasingly important to strategically manage the lifecycle of the organizational talent. These sessions will showcase trends in recruiting, interviewing, change management initiatives, employee engagement, and generational gaps in the workforce.

Talent Management | Two Day Track

These sessions will help you maximize your focus on talent management including areas ranging from hiring, educating, coaching, development, to succession planning, employee surveys and assessments.

Diversity & Inclusion | One Day Track

This track will focus on the qualities, experiences and work styles that make individuals different yet unique – such as age, race, religion, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, and sexual orientation and how organizations can realize the benefits and leverage those qualities in support of business objectives.

HR Leveraging Technology | Two Day Track

In addition to Technology Row, the Technology Association of Georgia is proud to present the Technology Track for the second year. These sessions discuss how technological tools can impact and improve your business in areas such as networking, HR administration, recruiting, and company communications.

Keep an eye on my blog and Twitter feed next week — hashtag #SHRMATL11

The post Keeping up with HR, leadership, technology and more at SHRM Atlanta appeared first on Keppie Careers.