Inspiration- #SHRM14 Style

A week ago I was listening to Robin Roberts inspire 10,000+ HR professionals with her journey, wisdom and strength. I continue to be impressed with the speakers that SHRM pulls for events, but Robin Roberts probably takes the cake! She was so humble and I love her sense of humor. A week later I’m still sitting her amazed at the honor of sharing a room with her. She was just amazing, but we also heard from one of our own, Heather Abbott. Heather, if you do not know, is an HR professional (and certified I might add) that was injured at the Boston marathon bombing. Heather lost part of her left leg and has had to overcome a life changing injury. She decided to be an advocate for others who have experiences similar to hers. It was inspiring to hear from Heather and she was a great choice to pair with Robin Roberts message.

Going back through my tweets (which is basically my way of taking notes) I only had three tweets during Robin’s session. That honestly happened because I was paying attention to her the entire time! So what did I learn from Robin?

•         Things will not always go as planned, and that’s just life-you can go on. We already know that we have to be ready to switch gears when a plan doesn’t pan out as beautifully as we’ve imagined, but a reminder doesn’t hurt.
•         Proximity is power! The notion that proximity is power is… well… powerful! I can think of several examples throughout my career thus far that panned out the way they did because of proximity.
•         When you strut, you stumble (everyone needs a reminder to not let yourself get cocky).
•         Transparency will have a huge impact. When Robin told the story of almost crying on air when asked if she found her family after Katrina hit she walked us through her thoughts that focused heavily on the fact that she was going to get fired because she was showing emotion on air. Her real emotions had a positive impact on ratings and people felt connected to the heartache that Katrina caused. Transparency is not always a bad thing. If Robin Roberts can be transparent on air, what is holding you back in the office? I’ve said it a million times, but I believe if you treat people like adults, they will behave like adults. I think that means being transparent. Can’t you tell when someone is hiding something from you? What makes you think your employees can’t tell?
•         A good team to cheer you on can get you through anything. We heard about her co-workers, family and friends being there for her in difficult times. They were even there for her when she didn’t expect them to be and they made it very clear to her that it was not just her fight but their fight too during her most recent battle with her health. How awesome is that? How would our workforce feel if they knew we were in their battle too? How would they feel if they could see behind the policies. procedures, etc. and see that we will make sure they have everything they need to face their battles and struggles? Whoooo, I can’t even imagine, can you?

These are simple takeaways that we can use every day in HR routines. The only question is, will you?

What did you love about Robin Roberts session?
 

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