Yes, I have to admit it. I am a card carrying SHRM Member and have been for many years. SHRM is a huge organization, representing a very diverse profession with a multitude of members.

SHRM offers MANY resources for practitioners new to the field in a generalist role. As a one-person HR department many years ago, SHRM was my primary resource. They were there when I needed them. Over the years; however, I have found fewer resources to meet my needs and, each month, I find that the HR Magazine is of more value to my HR staff than to me.

SHRM takes some hits and has some displeased members and I am not so sure that all of it is deserving; it is difficult to be everything to everyone.

I have the SHRM Annual Conference brochure on my desk. A few of the Executive Education Programs sound very interesting. And I like the tag line: New Ideas. New Orleans. Makes me think of a fresh start. I like that.

When I look at SHRM, I see change. Will the change be what everyone is looking for? Will it be in response to member needs? Hard to say. I am not ready to turn in my card now but I will be watching and supporting.

I made a contact today. Actually, I made it last week but am just getting to writing about it now.

I am Linked In. I have a profile on Linked In and I go in periodically. I click through the buttons to check contact updates, see what new apps are available, scan the ever growing list of groups, and then if I have time, I search for people locally or long, lost friends (where the heck are you Kathy?!).

Sometimes I find some to invite and connect with, and sometimes I don't. Last week I did. I found (like they were ever lost) a friend and a few HR colleagues.

The friend is someone I had attended my Ordnance Officer Advanced Course with eons ago. He stayed in the Army, I got out. He's a Colonel now and from what I remember about Colonels from when I was a Captain, he is pretty old right now. Glad I got out and didn't age like he did :)

My HR colleagues are from the local area. Turns out one was looking for work and I was able to forward her information about an opportunity I had just received via Linked In a few days ago. She responded back later that evening: she had a face-to-face interview on Wednesday! I know what you are thinking because I thought the very same thing, "Did I do that for her?" Talk about a rush. What a great feeling to be able to help another. Turns out, she was already aware of the opportunity. She had a phone interview last week and the face-to-face was already scheduled. So, it was not me but the rush was still the same.

Bottom line: I would not have had the opportunity (or the rush) had it not been for a social networking tool.

This time it was Linked In. What will it be next time? MySpace? I don't think so, I have a profile only so I can have access to my sister's page. Facebook? I had a profile but deactivated it because I never went into it. Twitter? Possibly. I feel the energy behind Twitter. I went to the site a few times but did not sign up. I even subscribed a few months ago to the Twitter Handbook (but lost my password so can't get to it now). What was stopping me? I am not sure how Twitter would fit into my life and my technology situation, i.e. cell phone (no text messaging).

Maybe it was the rush of seeking and making a connection; the possibility of being able to know (quickly) what is happening with friends and family; wanting to know as much as I possibly can about the medium that may very well consume my little girl in the next few years; or just plain curiosity. Whatever it was, I took the leap. In the spirit of possibility and of making connections, I signed up for Twitter and have started to tweet at http://twitter.com/lisarosendahl.

It is all about making connections, isn't it?

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Lisa Rosendahl