HR, Cherry Blossoms, and {Airquote} Technology

Technology is at the forefront of HR agendas today.

 In the Hackett Group 2012 survey, The HR Agenda: HR's Top Issues in 2012, 60% of companies surveyed indicated that many HR organizations are failing to leverage their technology and data and that HR needs to deploy and use technologies to better enable service delivery and improve the quality of information and insights to support decision making.

Technology has not been at the forefront of my agenda, but that is changing. My goal for 2012 is to become conversant in the "happenings" in the field and the relationship between technology and the delivery of federal HR services.

It may seem odd, or very appropriate, for an HR leader whose battle cry is "ban the No. 2" to step into the federal HR Tech ring at the national level, but that's just what I am about to do as a moderator (and a guest of LRP Publications) for the session, "Accessible Technology Solutions to Current HR Challenges."

Washington D.C. in April? If I had a bucket list, cherry blossoms would be on it. Will the forces of nature align and greet me with a peak bloom?

I do know that the forces of HR, technology and learning will align on the panel. Let me introduce you to our panel members: 

• Steve Boese, Director, Talent Management Strategy at Oracle will discuss the current state of HR technology and trends we can expect to see in the future.

• K. Scott Derrick, Founder and Advisor, 13L, will introduce you to a low cost low tech and highly effective mentoring program and put to rest the notion that  mentoring takes a lot of time. 

• Lori Rectanus, Assistant Director for Staff Development and Growth at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will take you behind the scenes of a campus recruitment program.
  

Our commitment as a panel is that attendees will leave our session thinking differently about HR and technology than they did when they walked in. 

With our commitment in mind, what questions would I be remiss in not posing to the panel? If you were listening in, what would you want to hear the panel members discuss, react or respond to?  

Will this be the beginning and the end of the conversation? Absolutely not. Just another stop along the way.

Personal Shoppers and Psyches: A Day in the Life Sunday

Years ago, I worked with an image consultant who was tasked with transitioning me <and my closet> from 10 years of camouflage and yoga pants to my new corporate gig in . . .  in 8 hours or less.

Think personal shopper, complete overhaul and a single woman with too much disposable income.  

We started bright and early and purposefully made our way through a small selection of boutiques, designer stores and fashion enclaves in Philadelphia <that would be hard to find for a person less connected> building my new wardrobe. She loved her job and her energy was contagious.

With a smile on my face and my credit card in hand, we didn't stop until I had a new haircut, new glasses and a closet full of new clothes. Think personal colors, designer eye wear and Max Mara.

It was fun.

There's nothing like waking up to a closet full of clothes you love to wear, knowing how make better decisions when shopping and dressing and best of all, feeling more confident and comfortable in your own skin.

Flash forward to today where you find me in the gym locker room utterly annoyed:

Me: This shirt is too freaking big and it won't . . stay. . in. . .my. . pants when I move!

Friend: Don't think of it as big, think of it as . . . blousy, yes, blousy. That's the style these days, you know.

The thing is, I tried the shirt on before I bought it. What size do I think I am anyway? How did I get out of the store with this shirt, in this size and - here's the kicker - with 2 more like it?

As I wake up today with a closet full of nothing to wear, underwhelmed by my clothing choices and lack of shopping savvy and feeling generally blah <and old>, I know that, without a doubt, I want my power and my image consultant (who BTW now provides impression and relationship management programs to businesses) back.

Knowing the shopping spree of long ago is not happening today and short of taking out a second mortgage on the house, how do I reenergize my closet and my psyche?

Do tell, what's worked for you?

Photo credit iStockphoto