One of the responsibilities of my new role as Director of Executive Development Programs at the Whittemore School of Business (shameless plug) is to get out and schmooze with the local HR folks in the New England region. While I’m not a great schmoozer, I like HR pros and usually can find something to talk about.
Last week, I attended the Granite State (New Hampshire) Human Resources Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire. Unfortunately, I was just getting over a cold and lost my voice at about 1:00pm. It’s kind of hard to schmooze when you can’t talk. However, I was able to use hand signals and nod my head and listen, so all was not lost. I kind of liked the keynote speaker, Aman Motwane, who taught us how to ask good questions.
This week, it’s a drive up the coast to Portland, Maine, to attend the sold-out Maine Human Resources Convention, at the swanky looking Samoset Resort on the ocean. It’s one of the largest state HR conferences in the country, with over 700 participants. I’ll be there for just a day on Thursday, so I’ll have to skip the golf outing.
To round out the Lobster HR conference circuit, I’ll be speaking at the Northeast HR Association (NEHRA) Spring Conference in Boston the week of May 23rd. The theme of the conference is called "Rethink HR: People Practices and Tools for Today's Reality". I’m giving a presentation called “Using the 9-Box Performance and Potential Matrix to Assess and Develop Talent".
There’s still time to register for this one - and if you do, please sign up for my session! I'll be giving out autographed IDPs. (-:
If you’re planning to attend either of these conferences, please send me an email so we can maybe connect.
Oh, and one more thing….. what are your least and most favorite networking questions?
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