HR Advisors Group recently hosted the 2nd HR Leadership Connection for Architectural and Engineering firms with the theme “Connecting, Sharing and Growing.” I’ve been in the HR field for close to 30 years (yes, I hate to admit it) and I’m still energized by the people I meet in the field.   The professionalism, dedication and drive that HR professionals have for our profession, as well as for the organizations and the people with whom they work, is amazing.

I’m not aware if there have been many studies done on “why people go into the HR profession,” (and it would be an interesting study) but my guess is that the answers would include “yes, we like people”… “we want to solve problems”… “we love connecting with folks and helping them find ways to work together in the sandbox”… and “we want to help people grow, aspire and develop into what they want to be”!

You pull a group of HR folks into a room and the number of ideas, suggestions and concepts that are generated is infinite. If someone has an issue, problem or challenge in their organization, there is someone else out there helping them find a solution. Whether we are coaches, advisors, implementers and at times, compliance officers, I think that we can do great things with our peers and colleagues with whom we share ideas and the organizations and clients we work for.

Someone told me many years ago that we can’t do everything; you need a support system, a village to help you through the roadmap of work and life. So, when our team came up with the theme for this year’s event, I thought it was so fitting, not only for HR professionals, but for any profession or occupation in general.

 

  • Connecting with people through social media vehicles, face-to-face or however it works for you – it’s important to stay connected and network with peers in your profession. Not only will you make connections that can help you today, but you’ll build relationships with other professionals who can help you throughout your career.
  • Sharing ideas and brainstorming on what works for one organization and how you can use that concept, idea or program and apply it to another organization – it’s a powerful thing. Within our own organizations, we can deliver a better product or service by sharing ideas gathered through our own or other’s experiences.
  • Growing through teamwork and helping each other – at the end of the day, you learn and grow from these various experiences in your work and life. No matter where you are in your career, it is critical to continue to develop and grow in order to be successful.

 

We’re all about helping our organizations be the best we can be, and there’s lots of great ways to get there! So, the next time you connect/network with a peer or colleague, think about exchanging and sharing ideas, and as a result, learn and grow from that experience.