Ya Gotta Love it Baby!

Remember Hot Rod Hundley and his barely-restrained exhilaration as he practically shouts out the plays in an exciting Jazz game?!? Maybe I'm a nerd, but the past few days have left me pretty 'jazzed' (har har har) about my field and the potential that strategic HR has on impacting the corporate world and by extension, most of mankind. When used in conjunction with effective OD principles/theories and sane management, history-altering--more importantly, human-altering--innovations abound.

Here are a few of the nuggets I've gleaned over the past few days...mostly from the aforementioned conference.

Regarding leadership and the concept of hope over fear: "It's easy to be a cynic. Dissonance is the [human] default. Resonance and hope take effort. ...a leader must choose hope over fear and cynicism." -NJ & Greg Pesci-

Their solution: The 6 Ps of Leadership

1. Purpose - Critical as a leader (and I would add, in life)
2. Principles - These matter. Establich core, relevant principles and hold to them!
3. Persistence
4. Perspective - Give the truth and the context to your people. Tell them how and why.
5. Persuasion - Must deliver a consistend and constant message.
6. Passion - People need to see and feel a leader's dedication.

From Al Switzler of VitalSmarts: Will is a Skill! Or in other words, one can/must train themself to have a planned--strategic is a better word--reaction or approach in the moment to maintain his/her will.

For example, if tempted to violate your commitments to a goal (i.e. dieting, emotion mngt, etc.) often distracting yourself for a minimum of a few seconds will allow the desire to pass and willpower to re-engage. Al addressed much more--including the good ole 6-cell model from their book, the Influencer--but that's all I will say for now.

There were many more fantastic discussions and learnings--a great model and a practical summary of strategic HR imperatives from Eric McAllister of Omniture, killer examples of leaders who have made a difference from Dave Hanna, and practical customer retention strategies (b/c "You can shear a sheep a thousand times, but you can only kill it once.") from the Cornerstone Group.

However, perhaps the most poignant and lasting take-away for me from this conference was from Grover Wray of Western Union. Grover didn't focus very much on lessons learned or strategies that work or models to use. He told a story. A story that he didn't even get to finish in 90 minutes. He relayed the story of Arthur Anderson during the unfolding of the Enron scandal.

(As a side note, much was publicized by the media that was apparently not true. Much was misinterpreted about the real issues of the case. Many--former employees and clients--still defend the integrity of the company. And FYI--the conviction was subsequently overturned in 2005...offering some moral recompense and justification to those tied to the company.)

Grover's critical point was that after all was said and done, he still had his faith, his family, and his health...and he was grateful, as many partners did not walk away with as much. He spoke humbly and sincerely of the importance of keeping things in perspective and maintaining appropriate priorities. In his words, "I woke up one day and realized almost everything I had dedicated my life to was gone." Only then did he get the proverbial slap in the face to remember where his values and his treasures really lay. Powerful stuff. Great vicarious lesson for the rest of us.

Ya gotta love it baby!