Step Out of Line !!

I’ve just returned from SHRM18, and this was one of the best SHRM Annual Conferences I’ve attended. It was the largest and most attended in SHRM’s history, and yet it felt very accessible and easy to maneuver. The attendees were geeked whether they were in sessions, browsing the SHRM store, enjoying the keynotes or taking in the wonder of Chicago.

At the end of one of the days, the 17,000+ attendees all seemed to be leaving at the same time. I was in the midst of everyone else and was hot and tired – just like the masses. I walked out into the city heat to grab a cab and was told to go back in line. I didn’t know there was a line, so I headed back inside. What I saw was staggering !! The queue for the cab line was enormous and folded back on itself many times. The lines for the shuttles seemed to go on forever as well. I also looked at a countless number of attendees looking at their phones waiting for their Uber or Lyft to arrive.

After observing all of this, I tried to lighten the tension by suggesting people step out to get a drink. I was met with scowls and grumbling. This didn’t seem to be going well in general. So, I made a decision.

I stepped out of line !!

I walked out of the cavernous McCormick Center and started walking down a street. I looked at a map on my phone and saw that I had a short 46 minute stroll in front of me as the sky above me darkened with thunderstorm clouds. I didn’t care and kept walking. After about eight expansive Chicago blocks, I spotted a cab by itself across the street. The driver was checking something in his trunk, and he was heading back to get in. I screamed across traffic, “Sir !! Sir !!” He saw me and beckoned me over. I zig zagged through passing traffic and collapsed into the cab dripping with sweat.

The driver calmly greeted me and asked, “Hello !! Where to sir?”

I told the driver my destination and then he began talking. He asked me how my day was and where I was from. He told me he was originally from Lagos, Nigeria and that he had been in Chicago for over ten years. His only job in the states has been driving a cab in Chicago, and he loved it. He loved talking to passengers and hearing about who they were, what they did and why they were visiting Chicago. He was wonderful, welcoming and fascinating !! All of my anxiety and stress of rushing back to get to the next HR event wanted, and we had a fantastic conversation.

As we pulled up to my hotel, I extended my hand out to the driver and said, “My name is Steve.” He replied, “My name is Sunday.” I thanked Sunday for the best experience of my time in Chicago yet.

I never would have met Sunday had I stayed in line. The lines were the most obvious choice because they were the system that was provided and that people were used to. There’s nothing wrong with the system, but it was bogged down. It was leading to frustration and angst because people wanted to get out of the building for the day.

This sounds like HR and the world of work that all of us face. If we would have the courage to step out of line vs. trying to contain people within lines, we’d have a completely different experience every day. We would see what’s happening all around us because we’d be in different environments. We’d have to fend for ourselves and learn how to solve situations from a fresh perspective, and we’d enjoy the adventure !!

All of the “learnings” we can encounter can occur in the most unlikely places. The key for all of us is that we intentionally – step out of line !!

To Blog Or . . .

. . . not to blog. That is the question. Whether, ’tis better to keep your thoughts to yourself. Or, to take the chance to put yourself out there for people to critique.” (With apologies to William Shakespeare)

I’ve been blogging on a weekly basis for over seven years now. It’s something that I truly enjoy and hope to continue for years to come. Sure, it’s tough to come up with new “material” all the time, but that is part of the challenge. I have a handful of friends who have been blogging for longer than I have, but that number continues to unfortunately shrink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I understand that it takes a ton of energy to write – more than most people think. I also get that you can tire of blogging, lose interest in the passion you once had, or you have other circumstances in life that pull you in new directions. I’ve noticed a few new movements in social media that honestly excite me instead of discourage me !!

Podcasts – More and more of the “original” HR bloggers are now starting podcasts. They are still sharing their voice, but in a different format. Podcasts are fantastic and diverse. You can find them on HR, business, the arts, etc. It’s a great way to broaden what you know. I hope that these friends continue to blog, but as long as they’re sharing – I’m good.

New Voices – There are many new voices who have begun to blog and they are in various stages of their careers. I love hearing what they have to say and their perspective. Yes, they’re covering some topics that have been blogged about in the past, but so what ?? I have added many of these new bloggers to my Blog Roll and I encourage you to check them out.

HR Conferences – There have been bloggers who have attended HR conferences for years. They are brought in to provide coverage and share what they’ve heard in sessions. It’s a great way to get content out. I’m especially excited about the #SHRM18Blogger squad that has been convened this year. They have been very visible and active to bring the event to life even before it occurs in June.

There is one trend I do not like to see, and that is when I hear about people who demand absolutes from blogging. The idea of “for and against” has rarely yielded anything positive. The reason for that is that if YOU are for something, then you see is has value. If it runs contrary to your beliefs or how you practice HR, then you tear it down.

I’d like to suggest that we stick with a better approach and that is that blogs “inform” us. They always have and that is why blogging still intrigues me !! I want to be informed of views that both align and divert from mine. I love reading the blogs of many of my peers to learn from them. I don’t agree with all of them, but they give varying perspectives. That is the beauty of sharing thoughts and ideas.

I’d encourage you to start a blog if you want to share your voice. I’d encourage you to read other’s work so that you can see where people are coming from and be more informed. One other item . . . I encourage you to share the work of others.

I know I’ve stated this many times before. In order to shatter the social media/blogging echo chamber, share the blogs of others. It’s not enough to “write into the wind”. I love to see other’s work shine and get spread around the globe. We have the means to do it. Please join me in this effort.

Blogging connects us and makes us a stronger HR community. The stronger our HR Tribe is, the more we influence the industry and organizations. I look forward to seeing what continues to be written !! I choose to blog.

Image from the Editorial Cartoonists – Cox & Forkum