This week, when the HR Tech Conference came to Chicago, something special happened.
Thursday night, after the expo closed, Steve Boese hosted his weekly podcast, HR Happy Hour… and what was supposed to be a quiet little show with just a few of us turned into something much, much bigger. There were well over a dozen people in the room during the “taping,” another half dozen people who couldn’t fit in the room, and too many people on the phones to get to all involved.
For an hour or so, Steve’s little project turned into The Place To Be. (Within HR, at least.) For that hour, we stopped talking about social media and technology and HR, and we just did it. We moved the conversation online. We threw a wide, open net that actively involved 20+ knowledgeable, invested, interesting industry insiders. We had a single discussion that extended from a podcast to Twitter, and that now extends to multiple blogs, as well.
Nicely done, Steve.
Click over to Steve’s blog and have a listen. (The podcast will start automatically.) Agree, disagree, whatever. It doesn’t matter. Just experience it.
If you’re new to social media, you’ll be shocked at the informal nature of the discussion and primitiveness of the production quality (relative to what you’re used to on TV). You’ll also be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to get involved in the discussion:
- Write a response to Steve’s post (you’ll find the link to a form for doing so at the bottom of his post). We read those. If you say something interesting, even if we don’t respond, we’ve taken notice.
- Get a Twitter account (my feelings about the site notwithstanding), and type HRHappyHour into the search box. Add everyone who’s name comes up to your follow list by clicking their faces and clicking “Follow.” UPDATE: click here, I’ve put the list together for you. Read what they say. Respond. Say hi (by starting your message with @THEIRNAME so they know you’re talking to them).
- Someone on the show pique your interest? We’re all findable online. In fact, you just found us on Twitter. Click through to our personal links (which will take you to our blogs, company sites, or LinkedIn profiles), and then send an email. Even better: call.
- Want to do a show like this yourself? It’s easier than you can possibly imagine… all you need is a phone, an internet connection, and 15 minutes to experiment with Blog Talk Radio. Got a phone? Online? Yeah, you can do a show, too.
UPDATE: The reason I’m addressing this post to HR practitioners new to social media is because this group is big enough to be helpful, yet small enough to be manageable. You know how you constantly hear people tell you to build relationships “now,” before you need them? But then you turn around and don’t know where/how to start? Well, in this case, the hard part is done: radio show; guests; conference; opinions. You have a doorway in, a reason to engage, and a group to engage with.
Like I say on the call, you can’t lead from behind a desk. Get out there here. Connect with someone new. It’ll feel pretty weird, but then, first steps generally do. That’s why we get the phrase, “tentative first steps.” Take some. Fall. Fail Spectacularly.
Everyone from that room last night understands what you have ahead of you, because we’ve all been there. It’s not that we’re less afraid of technology, it’s that we’re more willing to move forward in spite of our fears and insecurities.
And we’re in HR, just like you.
Which means you can do it, too.
We’ll see you there.
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Jason I can’t thank you enough for your herculean efforts to make the live show, with all those fantastic people in attendance possible. It was absolutely the best HR Happy Hour show yet, and largely due to your efforts, insights, and enthusiasm. The direct link to the show is at http://www.blogtalkradio/Steve-Boese if anyone wants to listen, and also check out any of the old episodes. Thanks again!
@Steve, thanks, but the only thing I can take credit for is being part of a terrific group. It was like in a movie, where each person in the group just happens to have a skill is the exact ability the group finds itself needing to get past some challenge. It was great to be part of it all, and to be able to contribute.