On Wednesday, January 18th, over 240 human resources professionals gathered at the 2012 San Diego SHRM Law Day program. This year, in keeping with San Diego SHRM’s commitment to providing our members with the skills necessary to bring excellence to their workplace, we updated our program content and format to focus on delivering legal excellence within the workplace. And, what an extraordinary day it was. Not only did participants receive high value and high quality programming presented by the Rock Stars of San Diego’s employment attorneys-whereby all of the content presented can immediately be applied in my organization-we also had the opportunity to network with so many high quality HR practitioners. I really did feel that I was at the HR equivalent of a Lady Gaga concert. I believe that I saw a few little monster’s paws clawing during some of the day’s biggest hits.
The morning began with an exciting program which was designed around “lie to me”, focusing on the behaviors to observe and manage through challenging HR investigations. As a practitioner who has been involved in HR data farming, or fact finding, initiatives for over 20 years, I received some tips on how to design and stage the room where the interview would take place which can greatly increase the likelihood of achieving the desired outcome. Focusing on HR operations, I gained some insights on how to design the format of the interview. Remembering my early days back in the dark ages before the Internet, when I was beginning my HR career, I know that attendees who are just now beginning their HR career received invaluable insight on how to script the interview. All in all, the content appealed to all stages of a human resource practitioner’s career.
Then, I attended an exciting session where Mike Aitken, SHRM Global’s VP of Government Affairs, led us through the legislative and governmental challenges to the workplace that we are facing. How scary that, today for the first time, lobbyists has a higher approval rating than Congress. From Mike’s program, Key Federal HR Issues were identified: tax & benefits issues; labor-management/civil rights issues; immigration reform & employment verification; workplace flexibility; healthcare reform. In addition to SHRM’s work, done on our behalf, to educate Congress, San Diego SHRM and the California State Council of SHRM each have coordinated plans to engage and educate our elected officials on HR related topics at the state, local, and federal levels.
Those were just the morning sessions. I won’t go on and on about each program, although I could (just ask me), so let me summarize my experience. Throughout the day, and the subsequent programming I participated in, I gained insight and knowledge that I can immediately apply in the design of organizational strategy, execution of HR operations, and day to day human resource activities. The value of my 2012 SD SHRM membership has already begun to paid for itself; and the year has only just begun. As a result of my attendance at today’s program, I have expanded my knowledge and gained valuable contacts within San Diego’s HR community.
I hope to see you at one of our future programs or events, and if I happened to have seen you today, I know I will see you at a future program as we know the value of the programming San Diego SHRM is offering. And, after all, we are the Rock Stars of HR. And, if you’d like to ROCK the HR profession with us, check out volunteer opportunities with San Diego SHRM. I was thrilled to hear about interest in volunteering from several of you at the conference today and hope that I will get to work, and learn, alongside of many of you in the year ahead. ROCK ON brothers and sisters!
President (2012) 
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