Speaking, Moving Between Worlds, And Trying To Make A Difference

On Thursday, October 18th I had the pleasure of being the keynote speaker for the Fairfield County HR People of the Year award event.

Sponsored by the Southern Connecticut Chapter of SHRM (SOCTSHRM), it was a way to highlight and congratulate those in the HR profession that provided exceptional service to their respective client groups. In addition to the awards there was a silent auction that helped to raise donations for charity. My role as speaker was to talk about social media--how I use it in my Human Resources role, the benefits and pitfalls, and ideas on how to make it an effective business tool. Stan Friedman, Randall Chase, and the rest of the Southern CT Board members did a great job in putting together this event.

Occurring one week later I'll be speaking again, this time to a different audience. The Osborne Association is a non-profit organization working in communities of need. This will be my second appearance at the Association where I'll be talking about recruitment to a group of men and women who've had previous conflicts with the law. My goal will be to explain, as a recruiter, what they can do to tip the odds in their favor as they seek to gain employment. I'm honored to support the Osborne Association in helping its clients improve their lives.

Two engagements, two completely different audiences and focuses. And yet I noticed some similarities as well. Both groups reached out to me because they believed my attendance could be of value to their respective audiences. The two audiences seem to appreciate the information and insight I'm able to offer. And while not explicit, both groups displayed anxiety about the future. For me, I experienced the same range of emotions--nervousness at the prospect of speaking to total strangers; the feeling of calm as your get into the groove of the presentation; satisfaction at having delivered in the end.

I enjoy the challenge of public speaking. I believe it's a valuable skill set, one that I'm still developing. It's easy to critique speakers when you're just an observer. Once you become immersed in it it quickly becomes apparent how difficult it is! Most importantly, I enjoy helping those that want to be better, regardless of their circumstances or background.

Moving amongst and between disparate groups is something I wrote about before. Along with public speaking, I believe it to be an important part of my professional development. It helps me to craft more effective strategies in terms of communication, networking, and recruitment. It also helps me remain humble, as I (and many of us) have had our share of troubles.

Thank you, SOCTSHRM and the Osborne Association, for the opportunity you have given me. I appreciate it and hope I have the chance to work with you again!