• We value those who have chosen PIHRA® Membership, but remain challenged by those who have not yet joined
• We take pride in the opportunities we offer those who do participate, but constantly seek to identify new possibilities for those less active
• We are grateful for our current supporters, but endeavor to identify future income opportunities

PIHRA is different than other groups and organizations that provide services to the HR community.  The essence of that difference is member-centricity.  This imperative requires continually looking ahead of our accomplishments.

PIHRA provides affordable opportunities to HR professionals who choose to participate, encouraging that participation by providing information members need via the methods they desire.  In 2012, we will continue to leverage technology to provide additional services as well as to enhance two-way communication.

I am deeply appreciative of the several thousand hours our members devoted to augmenting their professional competence yet keenly aware that even more can be accomplished in 2012.  PIHRA is the place where HR professionals want to be, not only because of the opportunities provided, but also because every employee, volunteer and leader has a desire to be there themselves.

So I say thank you very much for your 2011 participation and contributions and let’s get a move on to collectively make 2012 an even better member experience!

Richard Propster, SPHR-CA
2011-2012 PIHRA® President

For the second year running, District 8 and District 14 partnered with The Orange County Register to present the Orange County Top Workplace Awards. The award winners were selected from 119 companies in small (Motorcycle Industry Council), medium (DPR Construction), and large employer (Evergreen Realty and Associates) categories. The top companies were determined by anonymous survey responses from more than 18,500 employees. WorkplaceDynamics evaluated the data and ranked the participating employers. More than 300 people attended the award dinner at The Grove in Anaheim on December 1.

Do you think your employer would have made the cut? Would employees in your organization see your HR program as a contributing factor in their definition of a Top Workplace?

Confidence in leadership ranked high among the factors taken into consideration by the 18,500 participating employees. Sixty-eight percent believe their employer is going in the right direction. While senior leaders set that direction, HR plays a key strategic role in making it happen. The “right direction” involves establishing and maintaining a pipeline of capable people. It includes compensation and reward systems that support key initiatives. Importantly, it depends on leadership development programs that produce competent leaders at all levels.

Sixty-seven percent of survey respondents ranked feeling genuinely appreciated as a key factor. Appreciation is an elusive concept. The award recipients, however, held a firm grasp on it. Universally, they spoke of the value of employees. They highlighted people working together toward common goals. They repeatedly expressed gratitude for the efforts and contributions of employees at all levels in all departments. Sitting in the audience, you got the distinct feeling that employees at these companies are known by name and treated as unique individuals.

Respondents (62%) said that feeling that their job was part of something meaningful was an important factor in their ranking of their workplace. This is an important distinction. People need to know how and why their job matters. No one likes busy work. We all like to feel that what we are doing something that has a greater significance. HR plays an important role in communicating this message. The Covington, an Episcopal Home Community (second place in the mid-size category), provided a great example in their acceptance speech. They pointed out that their groundskeepers (and other staff) become part of the extended family of their retiree residents. Suddenly mowing the lawn or trimming the bushes takes on a whole different perspective. It is a reminder that employees at all levels need to understand how their job contributes to the overall strategic mission of the organization. A successful HR program develops formal systems that reinforce the role of each member of the corporate team. It looks for opportunities in employee communication programs, award ceremonies, and performance reviews to remind, reinforce, and demonstrate the value of employees and the jobs they do.

The special OC Register Supplement on Friday, December 2, 2011, (http://www.ocregister.com/sections/business/topworkplaces/) highlighted some of the Top Workplace leaders. The interviews included one particularly interesting question – What rookie mistake did you make in your first foray as a boss? The answers provide critical insights into the needs of new supervisors and managers. They range from trying to make a big impression every day, to failing to separate friendships and work with direct reports, to not seeing team development a top priority, to being too involved in the details. These answers alone provide a working outline for a new manager training program. They highlight the role HR plays in coaching front-line leaders who struggle to find their place. It is an important HR responsibility that is too often viewed as a low priority.

Are the Top Workplaces perfect? No they are not. Do they do things differently? Yes they do. They somehow manage to combine a unique set of policies, systems, and practices that enable more employees to recognize that the place they call work has a little more bounce and a little more energy than others. They pay attention to details that make a difference to employees and in turn to the customers and clients they serve. Their HR programs are about more than just compliance. They contribute to the strategic success of the organization through a variety of innovative talent management initiatives.

So what would you say in your acceptance speech for the OC Register Top Workplace Award for your employer? What would you highlight in sixty seconds or less to reinforce the role of your HR program? How would you explain the contributions HR makes that enable your employee survey response to rise to the top of their 18,500 counterparts from neighboring employers? It could be quite a speech. You have a year to think about it. But first, you have to plan for your Orange County employer to be nominated in May, 2012. If you are successful, you will be able to hoist the Top Workplace logo high for current and prospective employees to see. You will see your employer’s name displayed prominently in the OC Register Top Workplace Supplement. Your success might just make a difference to the bottom line of your organization and help move it a step closer to a key strategic goal. It might just provide tangible evidence that your HR program has value.

Mike Deblieux, SPHR-CA, designs and presents on-site seminars and workshops for front-line workplace leaders. He provides coaching support for supervisors and supports HR professionals through special projects to help their organizations achieve strategic goals. Mike writes HR Concepts to help HR professionals better understand and use fundamental HR principles. Share your feedback on this article with Mike at mike@deblieux.com.

Here’s the first understatement of the year:  2012 is shaping up to be a doozy – especially for HR.  Is there anything that touches the headlines that won’t directly impact the way you do your work? As I write this, Congress is wrestling with payroll tax negotiations.  Our returning vets need to rebuild their lives –  preferably employed in the civilian sector. Immigration. Healthcare. Unemployment, of course.  The fact that the country has never been so divided in an election year since, perhaps, the Civil War.  This year, it won’t be brother against brother. It will be coworker against coworker. And the one question that influences so many of the decisions we’ll make: Will the economy expand or contract even more in 2012?

Want to make a quick buck next year? Here’s what you do: Print up a bunch of T-shirts that read, “I survived the earthquake of 2012.”   Only this time the earthquake is 2012.

As much as HR will probably be the corporate function most affected by the goings on of 2012, HR is probably the profession most equipped to take it on.  HR is used to operating in an atmosphere of constant uncertainty.  You have to pack a philosophical approach to the people side of your operation to help your enterprise achieve its business objectives. And you’ve been pivoting on a dime for, what, how long now? While everyone else will be in a panic because the plans designed on last quarter’s projections aren’t panning out, you’re rolling up your sleeves to take another whack at finding a wiser approach to the changed scenario. That’s what you do.

You save jobs. You save businesses. You save families. You save communities. You help make dreams come true.  And now, you could use a little extra support as we all walk into 2012.  So in the spirit of providing HR with some comfort and joy for the upcoming months, I spoke with some of California’s best HR leaders to discover what they would recommend to be the best resolutions for HR in 2012:

I will approach my HR responsibilities next year with a fresh perspective, willingness to leave behind outmoded ways of doing things and openness to risk and new ideas. (Arte Nathan, former VP/HR, Irvine Company, now Laguna Beach-based consultant)

While HR has been transforming rapidly in recent years, trends watchers agree that the changes that 2012 will bring may transform the world so fundamentally that true leaders will have to be willing to jettison almost everything they thought they knew — and approach this new year with courage and an open mind.

I will approach everything I do from the reference point of yes. (Mark Torres, SVP, People and Culture, Rubicon Project)

Your yeses don’t have to be commitments to deliver on unrealistic, unwise, or inappropriate ideas. Your yeses keep you in the game as a partner in building your organization’s future.  You are saying yes to the collaborative spirit of working with your colleagues to invent the best scenarios and solutions as a team.  And when a necessary no must emerge from your group exploration, it will be a team no.  In the meantime, your door still says yes on it.

I will take the time to be a mentor, and encourage my colleagues to honor the mentoring process as well. (Terry McCormick, VPHR, Easter Seals, Southern California)

No one will argue the value of mentoring. In fact, its value is so obvious, it’s easy to take mentoring for granted – something on the “it’ll get done one of these days.” But it never gets done.  Something more urgent takes its place.  Every time.

2012 will get away from you, if you let it. You and your team will be so busy chasing fires and emergencies that you will forget to take the time to freely exchange wisdom, perspective, approaches, and techniques that will keep the body of HR knowledge alive. This is especially vital to remember as HR professionals begin to retire at an accelerating rate.  Commit to creating and sustaining a culture that mentors – up, down, and sideways. Everyone, no matter how young they are, have essential knowledge to share.

I will ensure that the people we have hired are developed to the point that they can add more value to the organization.  (Adrienne Gary, SPV Organizational Strategy and Administration, Miramax LLC)

So many aspects of doing business will be changing in 2012 that it’s not a stretch to say that we must all be entrepreneurial this year. We’re start-ups because we’ll be starting afresh in many ways.  As with every start-up, we have to make the absolute most of the talent we have. We’re operating lean and we have to hang on to our trusted resources. At the same time we have to keep our people inspired and motivated to continue contributing their best in the upcoming months.

It’s a rare organization that can use the old mechanisms to motivate and engage.  Mechanisms like money, for instance.  Look for ways to help your people develop and grow their skills and careers. Then, ideally, they’ll grow as your organization grows. You’ll not only keep your talent excited about giving their best to your enterprise, you’ll keep your talent. Period.

I will help my organization rediscover what’s wonderful about itself. (Laurey Long, director of HR, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles)

You’ve probably heard the expression: That which you feed the most grows the most. What are you feeding your attention to the most? All the challenges, problems, emergencies and anxieties?  Or do you feed the awareness among your people that your enterprise has an inspiring mission that will make the world a better place in some way.

Don’t let your people become so distracted by the challenges that 2012 will fling at them throughout the year that they forget why they’re doing the work they do.  What makes your organization wonderful?  What is the vision of your enterprise that will restore the hope and positivity of not only your employees but all your stakeholders?  As the HR leader it is your job to keep your employees’ focus on all those things that are good about what your organization offers your community.

This year, give yourself the gift of passion and preserve positivity as your core approach to facing 2012 head on.  There will be plenty to tempt you toward negativity. So you may have to look a little harder than usual for those reassuring, uplifting reminders that the people side of business is where the heart of your operation resides.  You are the keeper of that flame. The shepherd of your company’s culture.  You’re the one in charge of doing right by both the people and the successful enterprise you’re all working together to create.

No matter how long you’ve been in the profession, there’s just no getting around this simple fact: There’s simply no better corporate function than the people part.

Keep that thought in your heart and head as you march bravely into 2012.

Happy New Year. You deserve it.

Bio: Martha Finney is an employee engagement consultant and speaker who especially loves engaging HR professionals. She is the author or co-author of 17 books on employee engagement and HR career management, including HR From the Heart, with Libby Sartain. For a free copy of her complete nationwide collection of best resolutions for HR for 2012,  email her at Martha@hrcareersuccess.com.

We began the year with a kludgy website and a mishmash of District sites, each with its own rendering of our logo and style. We end the year well on the way to a consistent professional presence that reflects our vision of being the preeminent Southern California provider of networking, learning and advocacy for the HR profession.

We began the year with an all-too-frequently inaccurate email roster for our Board that was confusing to all. We end the year with email addresses that provide a static means of contacting each member of the Board and District leader. We will soon roll out telephone numbers offering the same facility.

We began the year anticipating a conference that would be a source of pride. We end the year inspired by the success of that conference to design an even better 2012 conference.

There are too many successes to mention herein, from a more focused staff to a more dedicated leadership with enhanced succession planning at many levels. Both our paid and volunteer leadership should be proud of the strides made in the last twelve months and encouraged by members coming forward to play more active roles in our future. It has been a good year!

May you each enjoy a warm and pleasing holiday season spent with those of your choice.

Richard Propster, SPHR-CA
2011-2012 PIHRA® President

In a recent study by TFG Inc, 73% of the participants stated that “accountability to my mentor was one of the main reasons for my success in the project.” The overall goal of this study was to determine whether a more financial literate workforce would have an impact on productivity in the workplace. Beginning with baseline data pertaining to their financial status, as measured by their Financial Strength Score TM and their Financial Stress Evaluation, the subjects went through the program which tracked their financial and behavioral changes before, during, and after the program. After the program ended in October, the study showed that 61% of participants said their productivity at work increased significantly and 75% stated that they were confident in their ability to handle their finances.

An essential part of the project was the personal coaching program provided to the participants. During this program, each employee met one-on-one with a financial coach, who provided them guidance and support while the employee restructured their personal finances. Participants used a unique financial ‘edutainment’ tool called The Frugality Game™, as a core research tool to study the impact of a workplace financial literacy program over a period of eight months.

Other findings in the study include:

• 85% of the participants now have a sense of hope for their financial future.
• 58% are no longer living paycheck to paycheck.
• 65% are ready for expenses caused by unplanned events.
• 77% said there stress levels have improved.
• 73% stated that “accountability to my mentor was one of the main reasons for my success in the project.”

Using the workplace as a financial education classroom, employers are in a powerful position to enhance the state of financial literacy, for both their own interests and those of the nation. More than ever before financial literacy and employee’s financial strength has become a key component in securing higher productivity and engagement levels.

A Financial Services Co. with a financial Wellness product emphasizing on solutions to employers for employees suffering from today’s economy. Includes Live one on one coaching, virtual coaching, one line Financial Strength Scoring tools, and easy to learn steps to creating day to day budget, and spending habits. www.financialstrengthbuilder.com

[1] Garman, E. Thomas, et al., “Financial Distress Among American Workers,” Personal Finance Employee Education Foundation, March 23, 2005,

[1]Walji, H. PhD. ‘ Financial Strength and Employee Productivity’ A Case Study by TFG Inc. October 21, 2010

Emmons, a UC Davis professor, backs his claim with 8 years of intense research on gratitude. He found that people who view life as a gift consciously acquires an “attitude of gratitude” will experience multiple advantages. Gratitude improves emotional and physical health, and it can strengthen relationships and communities. Gratitude enriches human life. It elevates, energizes, inspires, and transforms. People are moved, opened and humbled through expressions of gratitude.

Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa each include elements of giving. These traditional holidays encourage us to become selfless and focus our energy on acts of kindness, giving gifts, thinking of others, and encouraging peace through the world.

Just four weeks after our reflection of blessings at Thanksgiving, we have the opportunity to “act” or “pay forward” that gratitude with selfless acts of service and heartfelt giving.

Research also reveals the healthful benefits of giving. Providing support to a loved one offers benefits to the giver, not just the recipient, a new brain-imaging study by UCLA life scientists reveals.

“When people talk about the ways in which social support is good for our health, they typically assume that the benefits of social support come from the support we receive from others, but it now seems likely that some of the health benefits of social support actually come from the support we provide to others,” said Naomi Eisenberger, a UCLA assistant professor of psychology.

New Year’s without building too much of a theme here, it seems that one phenomenal way for us to prepare to strengthen our mental and physical health in our January 2012 New Year’s resolutions, is to really get in touch and act on the holidays in November and December! These 3 consecutive holidays that make up the holiday season can really be summed up in three excellent verbs: Thank-Give-Act!

You may want to consider applying part of the “Thank-Give-Act” good health remedy for 2012 to the PIHRA Foundation! It is a perfect way to apply “Thanks” for career blessings, to “Give” to the future development of the profession, and to “Act” on your health goals for 2012!

Just in case you are not familiar with the PIHRA Foundation or its activities: The PIHRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the Professionals In Human Resources Association (PIHRA). The Foundation is a legally separate organization, and is not funded by PIHRA membership dues. The PIHRA Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors from the HR profession, including academics, practitioners and PIHRA volunteer leaders.

The organization was incorporated in 1991as Human Resource Management Institute (HRMI), as initial plans were for it to offer human resources professional development programs. This plan was scrapped because of tax considerations, and the name was changed in 1994 to PIHRA Foundation. Its mission statement was established as: “To promote the Human Resource profession through research, education and community service, primarily in Southern California.”

In 2009 the PIHRA Foundation Board expanded the new Mission of the Organization to focus on a broad range of business community activities focused on Workforce Readiness support.

Current PIHRA Foundation Mission:
Human Resource professionals advancing workforce readiness through community service in the greater Los Angeles area.

The PIHRA Foundation’s work includes:

You and Your First Job – SHRM Pinnacle Award Winning booklets available both on- line and in print form. The booklet is a guide that contains valuable tips and assistance for high school and early college students preparing to enter the workforce. This book continues to be distributed to many different high schools across the southern California and the US.

Scholarships. The PIHRA Foundation awards annual scholarships and awards for college, HR Certification and Professional Development financial assistance.

Community Involvement – LA Youth At Work, Annual CalSHRM Student Conference/

Competition, High School and University classroom instruction, and always exploring additional opportunities to expand the reach, support and volunteer resources in the greater LA Community.

To fund its programs, the PIHRA Foundation conducts an annual silent auction in conjunction with the PIHRA Conference as well as annual PIHRA district campaigns and special events. The Foundation recognizes the generous support of the PIHRA districts, individuals, corporations and others who make its work possible.

SUCCESSFUL 2011 PIHRA FOUNDATION SILENT AUCTION UPDATE
submitted by Jenny Klein

Located front and center of the PIHRA Conference Exposition Hall, lots of people came to bid on exciting donated items at this year’s PIHRA Foundation Silent Auction. At the countdown, people competed to get their last bid in. The 2011 PIHRA Foundation Silent Auction and Raffle generated close to $13,700 gross, exceeding last year amount by over $2,000. THANK YOU TO ALL THE BIDDERS AND THE DONORS!!!

The PIHRA Districts’ Baskets were awesome! Thanks to all of you for your creative ideas and continued support! Special thanks to PIHRA for the booth and donations too!

The PIHRA Foundation would like to recognize some of the donors as we are so appreciative of every item contributed. Please see the PIHRA Foundation website pihrafoundation.org to see more. Thank you to REM Eyewear, Valley College, Winston & Straw, Bradford Portraits, Rowley Portraits, Affordable Vacations Option, Sharon Gerber, Merle Norman Cosmetics, CRIW, CSI, Loyola Marymount University, UCLA, Mattel, Hula Daddy Kona Coffee, Atkinson Andelson Loya Puud &Romo, ITT Technical Institute, Citizen Watch Company, Allen Associates, Mike Arlen, Jenny Klein, Bill Groenekamp & Associates, Amanda Sommerfeld, CCL Tube, Aquarium of the Pacific, LBW Insurance, Sybil Belton-Braggs, Paul Falcone, Natural History Museum, Paula Cohn, Mike Deblieux, Sea World, Charles Abbot Associates, Santa Anita Park, Hallmark Collectives, Donna Schilder, Michele Higuera, MetaForce Agents, just to name a few. The PIHRA Foundation welcomes your 2012 Silent Auction Participation!

Can you participate? Be part of something really BIG!

Your financial support is vital to ensure that the PIHRA Foundation can continue this important work. Donate today!

Assume for the moment that your career goal leads to a Director of Human Resources position with a medium to large employer in the next five to ten years. What knowledge, skills, and abilities will you very likely need to demonstrate to your future employer to get your big opportunity?

Talk the Talk
Most successful people talk the language of their audience. They recognize that they encounter different audiences throughout each day. They move seamlessly from a casual conversation with a production worker to a formal presentation to the Board of Directors. They listen well. They hear what others say and work to understand their message before responding. They offer well reasoned opinions based on a broad range of experience, knowledge, and perspective.

In your future position, you will interact with a dynamic team of executive and management colleagues. They will be well educated, technologically adept, and wise in the ways of the world. They will be young, energetic, and focused as much on giving back to the community as they are on business success. They will expect you to be a knowledgeable resource and a valued advisor with a multi-disciplinary perspective. You will be challenged to lead an HR program that is innovative, flexible, and able to adapt to a rapidly changing future.

Analytical Analytics
The days of “by guess and by golly” are long past. Your future employer will expect you to back up your hunches with objective data. You may not need to be the statistical expert, but you will need to know how to find one and work effectively with her or him.

Consider a few real life examples. The New York Times recently published a story about Google using complex analytics to define the ideal Google manager. At the SHRM Strategy Conference in Chicago in October, a speaker form Credit Suisse detailed how his team analyzed everything from the demographics of new workforce entrants to the ROI of bringing former employees back into the fold with the experience they gained in an outside organization. Sara Rynes, Ph.D., honored with SHRM’s 2011 Michael R. Losey Human Resources Research Award pointed out at the same conference that knowing how to access and use academic research in day-to-day HR management is a critical skill.

It will be important for your resume to demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of statistics. Knowledge will not be enough. It must include real-life examples of projects and strategic initiatives that you led after an objective analysis of key workforce indicators.

Around the World
In a recent story on National Public Radio, a featured economist was asked what business leaders should do to prepare for the emerging future. The answer was a short and to the point, “Learn Mandarin.” The explanation reinforced that the road to the business world ahead makes international work experience, multi-country knowledge, and cultural skill an absolute requirement. HR is not exempt from this key business dynamic.

You will enhance your chances of landing your dream job by showing actual global experience – a work assignment in China, an interdisciplinary project with colleagues in Singapore, Zurich, and Rio de Janeiro, or a Master’s in International Business.

HR Cop Gone Enabling Auditor
The role of HR Cop will not play well on your resume for your future employer. The historical power grab associated with a “You cannot do that” reputation goes against the grain of organization-wide collaboration.

Your interviewers will look for clear signs of your ability to audit policies, systems, and practices for trends that lead to new, innovative programs. You will need to show an innate ability to anticipate problems and translate them into opportunities. That will not, however, be enough. Your repertoire must include the ability to persuade other key leaders to support cause.

You will land this dream job because you clearly demonstrate your strength as a leader, a teacher, and a coach. You will not be able to win the day on this requirement as a lone eagle. You will need to show that you have the skill, ability, and connections to assemble, motivate, and lead a cross-functional team of HR professionals to implement your great ideas.

Woven in the Web
Wikinomics, by Don Tapscot, should be on your already read and re-read list. You are hopelessly behind if it is still on your need to read list.

Your entryway into your new position will depend on your ability to plan, develop, and, in many cases, implement complex projects through the nanosecond walls of the internet with corporate colleagues and distant formal and informal partners. Linux, thewaterproject.org, and Wikipedia offer glimpses into the way things will get done on your watch.

It will not stop there. You will use your yet to be invented virtual control device to project examples of your work from your personal cloud repository during your interview. Your presentation will include video examples of you interacting with colleagues. You will use a wall-size touch screen to highlight, circle, and move key elements of your career portfolio grab the attention of the interview team.

Conclusion
We started this discussion with the premise that it was risky to predict the future. The danger is that what we know today may not provide a clear picture of what tomorrow will demand. Look around at the world financial crisis, the Arab Spring, the upcoming Presidential election, the Occupy movement, and a host of other events that may profoundly affect you and your career. If there is one clear message here, it is that building a successful resume for your future requires you to be flexible, smart, curious, and connected. You cannot afford to say, “I don’t have time.” You have to manage your time to hone your knowledge skills, and abilities around concepts that are not a priority in your current role. You have to constantly mine your universe for relationships, opportunities, and experiences that enhance your professional foundation. Your future employer is waiting for your galactic resume to WOW them over. What are you doing today to write it for them?

Mike Deblieux, SPHR-CA, designs and presents on-site seminars and workshops for front-line workplace leaders. He provides coaching support for supervisors and supports HR professionals through special projects to help their organizations achieve strategic goals. Mike writes HR Concepts to help HR professionals better understand and use fundamental HR principles. Share your feedback on this article with Mike at mike@deblieux.com.

The IRS raised the annual contribution limits for IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement plans for 2012 which is based on inflation and to adjust for the increase in the cost of living during retirement years.

Surveys of retirement plan participants show that only 5% of about 60 million 401(k) plan participants contribute the maximum allowed to their 401(k) plan account.

Saving in a 401(k) is more affordable than you think. While contributing $17,000 a year may sound like a lot of money, it’s actually only about $210 per week after the tax savings are factored in. When you make pre-tax contributions of $17,000 to your 401(k) plan, you can save about $6,000 in federal and state income taxes each year.

If maxing out your 401(k) contribution limit is too high then at the very least make sure to contribute enough to take advantage of any company match. It is essentially free money left on the table if you don’t.

Harry Kim, MBA
LPL Financial
Wealth Manager

3111 W Burbank Blvd Suite #103
Burbank, CA 91505
Office: 818-569-3600
Fax: 818-569-3700
Direct: 213-268-1641
website: www.lpl.com

Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC

This information was developed as a general guide to educate plan sponsors, but is not intended to be all encompassing. Each plan has unique requirements, and plan sponsors should consult their attorney or advisor for specific advice. In no way does advisor assure that, by using the information provided, plan sponsor will be in compliance with ERISA regulations.

The PIHRA Districts’ Baskets were awesome!  Thanks to all of you for your creative ideas and continued support!  Special thanks to PIHRA for the booth and donations too!

The PIHRA Foundation would like to recognize some of the donors as we are so appreciative of every item contributed.  Please see the PIHRA Foundation website pihrafoundation.org to see more. Thank you to Gardena Jewelry, REM Eyewear, Valley College, Winston & Straw, Bradford Portraits, Rowley Portraits, Affordable Vacations Option, Sharon Gerber,  Merle Norman Cosmetics, CRIW, CSI, Loyola Marymount University, UCLA,  Mattel, Hula Daddy Kona Coffee, Atkinson Andelson Loya Puud & Romo, ITT Technical Institute, Citizen Watch Company, Allen Associates, Mike Arlen, Jenny Klein, Bill Groenekamp & Associates, Amanda Sommerfeld, CCL Tube, Aquarium of the Pacific, LBW Insurance, Sybil Belton-Braggs, Paul Falcone, Natural History Museum, Paula Cohn, Mike Deblieux, Sea World, Charles Abbot Associates, Santa Anita Park, Hallmark Collectives, Donna Schilder, Michele Higuera, MetaForce Agents, and Big 5 Sporting Goods just to name a few.

The Foundation would love you to consider to be a donor at next year’s PIHRA Conference.  Can you participate?  Be part of something really BIG!  Since its inception, the PIHRA Foundation has provided over $100,000 worth of assistance for education, certifications and professional development to Human Resource professionals and those individuals entering the workforce. The PIHRA Foundation also publishes”You and Your First Job” series of booklets which have been shared with vocational classes and scores of California secondary schools and junior college.

I am on a flight home from the 2011 SHRM Strategy Conference in Chicago. Three days’ worth of HR ideas, concepts, and opportunities are clamoring around in my mind waiting to be processed – none of them focused on legal compliance or precedent. So it is that I have decided to try something different with the HR Concepts column this month. I am going to offer you some food for thought; some randomly selected thought provoking ideas from notes jotted down while listening to key thought leaders over the last three days. My goal is to prod you into wanting to learn more about the strategic side of your career pursuit.

#1 Tomorrow is the Starting Point
If there was one theme that resonated over the last few days, this was it. All HR starts tomorrow. Too often we focus on yesterday, or at best, today. The world moves too fast for that. It operates in a level of complexity that refuses to accept now for more than a fleeting moment. Talent Management provides one example:

•    What competencies drive future success for your organization?
•    What technical skills are needed to produce new products, develop new services, and meet the needs of emerging markets?
•    What is the ROI on promoting from within versus hiring a super star from the outside?
•    How will rapidly emerging markets around the world affect staffing needs?

Point: Strategic HR requires a skill to fight the pull of today in favor of tomorrow and beyond.

#2 The Change of Today is Equivalent to the Industrial Revolution
Every key note speaker (Bill Conaty, former Senior VP of HR for GE, Jeffrey Garten, former Undersecretary of Commerce, Bridget Van Kralingen, General Manager, IBM North America, Don Tapscot, author of Mcrowikinomics) touched on this point in one way or another. The Arab Spring, the Net Generation, the power and potential of emerging markets, etc., etc., etc!!! All of these and more speak to a radical change in the way of business and the success of organizations in the future. Success from now on requires collaboration, not departmental silos; organizational charts must depict cross-functional relationships, not across hallways, but continents; agility and risk are foundation blocks, not wishful characteristics, and the list goes on.

Point: Strategic HR depends on fluid organizational models that adjust and adapt quickly to rapidly changing circumstances.

#3 Collaboration is It
Collaboration is no longer interesting. It is a fundamental organizational skill. It is a skill that passes in a nanosecond across world networks at all hours of the day.

Collaboration is messy. It is neither quiet, nor organized. It lives somewhere in between learning, discussing, debating, laughing, social networks and more. It is not about shutting down Facebook. It is about enabling, fostering, and supporting social networking among peers within and outside of the organization (check out www.goldcorp.com, www.localmotors.com, and www.inthesetimes.com for real life examples).

Point: Strategic HR rethinks workforce communication to embellish and support the nanosecond needs of emerging corporate structures.

#4 An Absolute Focus on Talent
Speaker after speaker reinforced this point. There is no room for satisfactory. It does not work anymore. Everything from hiring to promoting to feedback must grow from an overriding strategic goal of excellence. Some of the key ideas that speakers shared included:

•    Reverse Mentors = A fifteen year old advising a CEO on the intricacies of social networking
•    Workforce Metrics = Measuring success rates by recruitment source; tracking exiting employees who may return to add future value (i.e. five short stints instead of one long one)
•    Feedback = Candid, honest developmental feedback that measures job performance, corporate values, and unique skills

This point is all about rethinking normal HR. It is about becoming a knowledgeable resource to support organizational initiatives.

Point: HR analytics, systems, policies, and practices must drive performance excellence.

#5 HR Competencies Matter
A profession is defined by a series of competencies. A professional has the knowledge, skill and ability to practice those competencies. His or her competence is demonstrated through a rigorous certification process and continuing education. SHRM is in the midst of defining a contemporary set of HR competencies. The study involves a careful examination of skills related to a variety of capabilities from gap analysis and statistical measurement to leadership and relationships with the C-suite and on to international business and emerging economies. It is a new world where professionals will be distinguished by their ability to walk, talk, and practice sophisticated HR competencies. Yet, despite this clear trend, a mere ten percent of the estimated one million HR professionals are certified to practice their profession through the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Point: Certification confirms a combination of academic study, professional experience, and a practical ability to apply accepted principles to real world organizational issues. It is not a luxury. It is a requirement in a world that demands increasingly sophisticated professional job performance.

Conclusions
The SHRM Strategy Conference draws approximately 500 HR professionals together to consider, discuss, and debate HR trends and strategic issues. Attendance is heavily weighted to HR certified professionals with an SPHR designation. It is a heady gathering where participants interact with each other and key thought leaders. There is a considerable focus on the future and what it has in store for human resources. While predicting the future can be a messy business, failing to look into it can spell disaster for a practicing HR professional. Assuming that the future will bring more of the past will surely take years off of a successful career. Failing to prepare through personal study, networking, and experimentation will bring that career to a sudden end.

A Personal Note
Max Wagoner passed away in September, 2011. Max was an HR professional. He was a pioneer and a colleague. Most importantly, Max was a friend to hundreds of HR professionals and practitioners. No one worked harder to study, understand and practice human resources. Max and I had many conversations, particularly during my term as PIHRA President in 2002. I could always depend on Max to be forthright and sincere in sharing his thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. He had a special gift for not needing you to agree with him, but to always assure that you would walk away with a feeling of mutual respect. Max will be greatly missed. He will be equally remembered.

Mike Deblieux, SPHR-CA, designs and presents on-site seminars and workshops for front-line workplace leaders. He provides coaching support for first-line supervisors and supports HR professionals through special projects to help their organizations achieve strategic goals. Mike writes HR Concepts to help HR professionals better understand and use fundamental HR principles. Share your feedback on this article with Mike at mike@deblieux.com.