Tag: Career

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The future is bright and not all heroes wear capes… The key points from MAP Student Conference

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on The future is bright and not all heroes wear capes… The key points from MAP Student Conference

What – a – day! So much to say in one short blog post but I’ll give it my best shot! Firstly, I just wanted to say it was lovely to meet so many people, thank you for taking time to speak to me, it was a pleasure to meet you and I hope you had a great time today.

Today’s student conference was held at Aston University and was focussed upon the future of work, thinking about options to consider to structure your career and ultimately what you need to do to get there.

“You have one career, (unless you believe in reincarnation) so make the most of it”

David D’Souza

After welcoming the delegates and getting into the swing of the day we first heard from David D’Souza – (you’ll be hearing his name a lot in this post!) who talked all things Superman and Jurassic Park and the lessons from this were that just because that things are done in a certain way, it doesn’t make a compelling reason for continuing to do things that way. Start looking at things differently and start today, think of the different outcomes that could be and determine the type of HR professional that you want to be. He finished with a line that really resonated around the room – “you have one career, (unless you believe in reincarnation) so make the most of it”.

“The world of work is changing, don’t jump on the trend bandwagon”

Dr Richard MacKinnon

We swiftly moved into an insightful keynote with Dr Richard MacKinnon who begged the question “is it worth considering the future of anything these days” referring to the appointment of President Trump and Brexit and he’s right, if we were reading these headlines 10 years ago, we would have thought that the world had gone mad! But it’s true, our inability to predict the future from all aspects; technological, environmental or in a work capacity, we as humans are terrible at predicting the future and that is simply human nature.

He emphasised that there are a lot of myths in the workplace, be it about people, situations and others in our organisations so it’s about identifying those myths and challenging them whilst thinking that just because others are doing it, it doesn’t mean that you should. For example technology at work, just because it exists, it doesn’t mean that you have to implement it, don’t get preoccupied with future technology before you deal with the issues here in the present day.

Dr MacKinnon’s speech really was fascinating and he encouraged the room to research science at work; there is a wealth of opportunity to learn and develop yourself by using free papers and simply researching into these subjects.

I would recommend anyone to look at his work, you can follow him on Twitter @WorkLifePsych or view his website here: www.worklifepsych.com it’s perfect for those of you who wanted further information on the world of work from a psychology perspective.

Whilst there was a lot of learning going on, behind the scenes a hitch lightening us of two speakers had happened, our hero of the day in the form of David D’Souza (minus a cape) filled in for two sessions – engagement and digital recruitment proving that even when disaster strikes, the team handled it brilliantly so thank you to David and the MAP team for allowing the show to go on with no further hiccups.

Other breakout sessions including an employment law update; there are plenty of those lurking at the moment! Business analytics with National Grid and how to secure a role in HR/LD career pit stop session. To summarise there’s a lot of things to consider when looking at a career in the profession these days – and you thought a career in HR/LD was about tea and biscuits!

We concluded the day with a panel Q&A with Dr Richard MacKinnon, Tiffany Poeppelman and Carole Carson to discuss their experiences and career highlights, it’s safe to say that the whole room took something away with them in this piece; some were inspired, others motivated and others were considering which career path they would choose to take as all three panellists have different backgrounds proving that we are not all made for the same HR/LD shaped hole!

“Your actions define how people perceive you”

Tiffany Poeppelman

The closing keynote from Tiffany Poeppelman from Linked In was absolutely the highlight of my day as it helped me with an area I feel personally that I have been struggling with of late; Building your own brand through social media and networking. With the activities I’ve been working on of late, since ACE  I had not blogged very much and have let my Twitter feed fall behind a little, whilst Twitter is back in full swing with the events coverage I’m doing, my Linked In profile was in need of a refresh.

There was so much useful information and tips but these are her five top things that you should do to enhance your Linked In profile:

  1. Complete and enhance your profile
  2. Connect and grow your network
  3. Join 2 or 3 relevant networking groups
  4. Follow companies, industries and people who interest you
  5. Be an active collaborator – share, update your status, discuss and post. What do you give to your network?

Understandably there is a lot of food for thought to take away from today’s conference and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have and I hope to see you at another CIPD event soon. Finally a big thank you to Eleanor Lloyd-Jones for allowing me to Tweet and blog at the event, it’s an absolute pleasure to be a part of.

 

 

Administration, Blogging, Business, Career, Career Woman, CIPD, Conference and Exhibition, Employee well being, Gender pay gap, HR, Human Resources, Inspiration, Motivation, People Management, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business

MAP Student Conference 2017 – T-minus 13 hours… and counting!

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on MAP Student Conference 2017 – T-minus 13 hours… and counting!

Aston University

We’re fast approaching the Midlands Area Partnership student conference at Aston University and the organisers cannot wait to meet, greet and network with everyone attending!

Ok so there is a heck of a lot to get through in just one day so what actually goes on prior to the event? This blog post is to fill in all the details to highlight exactly how much work goes into making these events a success.

First of all there is a lot of organising to do, budgeting, sourcing an appropriate venue, guest speakers to discuss relevant topics, catering (well of course! If you’re giving up a Saturday you need a vast amount of coffee, tea and food to keep those brains engaged!). Then there’s the task of confirming the attendees, any dietary requirements that they may have and any access requests to the venue so that everyone can enjoy the event.

The organisers will be at the venue very early on the morning of the event to conduct final checks and to ensure everything is set up in time for the delegates to arrive, they are of course our guests!

This is just a short burst of what happens behind the scenes, the day itself is much more fast paced, so this year there will be just half an hour to book in all 200 attendees between 9:00-9:30am and waiting to greet you will be Nic, Gill, Max and Janice so make sure this is your first point of contact.

As this event is completely sold out, we don’t want those who were unable to attend missing out so myself, Amy and Priya will be hosting a mini blog squad reunion so pop over and see us as we’ll be gathering the information from our speakers, talking to as many people as possible to gather your thoughts on the event but also you can ask us anything, we’re here to highlight the key topics at the event.

Finally we can then hand over to the speakers, this year we have a welcome address from David D’Souza and an opening keynote from Dr Richard MacKinnon before moving into the breakout sessions which consist of relevant topics in today’s HR world.

One thing I am really looking forward to is the HRD Panel at 14:20pm with Dr Richard MacKinnon, Simon Lewis and Carol Carson so make sure you don’t miss it!

Finally there’s the closing keynote from Tiffany Poeppelman, a really passionate organisational psychologist so this is something I’m particularly excited about attending for so I’ll be quoting from her a lot on Twitter.

In advance of the event, a huge thank you to the CIPD, Midlands Area Partnership, our fantastic speakers, organisers, volunteers, Aston University and personal thanks goes to Eleanor Lloyd-Jones for making this event happen.

I’m off to watch the rugby now and will see you all bright and early tomorrow. Don’t forget to pop over and see me at the Northamptonshire Branch stand after lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Woman, CIPD, Employee well being, HR, Human Resources, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business

Work you vs. home you; the struggle is real

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on Work you vs. home you; the struggle is real

canva

Every morning of every day, millions of people begin their daily routines; wake up, make coffee, get dressed, brush teeth, grab laptop, cannot locate keys, search for keys, find keys, leave home, commute to work, Starbucks for more coffee, get to office, begin working day.

When I lived and worked in London, I overheard so many conversations on my journey to work, sometimes this was the highlight of my day but on one particular journey I overheard two colleagues discussing their day ahead, they appeared to be nervous and whatever they were heading towards seemed like a big deal. One turned to the other and said, are you going to go in as you, you or work you? To this day I still hear this reference too many times or I see behaviors that demonstrate a work personality and honestly there really is no need for it. As I listened further on into the conversation I thought that being “work you” does not make you either credible nor does it make you authentic. By putting on a work version of themselves I felt that they were putting themselves under unnecessary pressure which was only going to highlight the nervousness of their situation not only in their performance but this would also show to those that they were so keen to impress.

Personally, I believe that people are much more amiable when they are themselves which makes it easier to form genuine relationships, build trust and work collaboratively. We’ve all seen what can happen when people try to be someone they are not such as the recent activity in Celebrity Big Brother; the stitches soon start to unravel and with that follows the breakdown of trust, respect and credibility. So why do so many people still rely upon this behavior in the workplace?

Every HR event I have been to recently all had a common theme; authenticity and credibility as a HR professional. These two elements if ignored can be fatal to your career or development as this is what makes HR exactly that, human. Being yourself can significantly increase your credibility in all areas of your work; especially in situations such as mediation or when presenting at a board meeting, when people know you, it opens a wealth of opportunity, makes you approachable and more importantly someone that the business can rely on.

Of course this is not limited to just HR, I have witnessed these behaviors in every place in which I have worked and unsurprisingly at all levels of those businesses.

It begs the question, are HR professionals expected to be perfect within our organisations? I certainly believe to a degree that this is what people actually accept as true but I also think it has a significant impact upon our ability to be genuine. I think it is categorically important as professionals that we accurately guide employees and managers through the required processes in a way in which we choose without losing consistency. It is the same with directors and business leaders, is it entirely possible to lead and maintain a level of integrity?

It is a difficult balance; some would call it a façade to maintain but so many people feel more comfortable conducting themselves in this way. Could it be that some people prefer to be corporate and professional at all times without letting their guard down as to preserve a certain image or is it that there is a fear of vulnerability and how colleagues would perceive them should they reveal their true persona?

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for this sometimes especially when you are new to a role and are assessing the boundaries, this is a sensible option. However it is equally important to allow elements of your personality to reflect your work so that others can relate to it; be it a spread sheet, presentation or even in a training room. It also enables you to utlise your full complement of skills to project your knowledge in a way you fully understand yourself which sounds bizarre but so many have tried to be anyone else but themselves only to trip over in a public forum, because let’s be honest, it never happens when nobody is watching does it?!

It is not entirely limited to work life only of course, there is a crossover into our personal space, the real you . This can have an impact on a work life balance and personal relationships so being genuine isn’t just about a perception at work, it’s also a factor in mental health wellbeing.

And the moral of the story is; these situations are entirely avoidable, just be you. Trust me, you’ll be grateful to yourself that you were.

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Woman, CIPD, Conference and Exhibition, Employee well being, Health, HR, Human Resources, Love, People Management, Random Acts of Kindness, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business

#HRActsofKindness is back!

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on #HRActsofKindness is back!

kindness

In June this year I launched a small idea called “HR Acts of Kindness” after witnessing the impact of the brexit result. The result not only divided opinion but also divided relationships and had a big impact on the way organisations conducted business.

I remember driving home after seeing the impact it had on my work environment and thinking that there must be a way to turn this divide into a positive and to unite people again and that’s when HR Acts of Kindness was born; in the driving seat of my Mini Cooper!

Little did I know the overwhelming response I would receive to those 5 challenges!

Due to the support and people asking me to bring it back; I wanted to re-launch HR Acts of Kindness with a festive twist in hope to keep the kindness going. You don’t have to be in HR, you just need to have a desire to make a difference. Thank you to all of you who have messaged me, told me your stories and encouraged the success of this small idea that escalated rather quickly!

Christmas can be a difficult time of the year for so many people and I’m asking the HR community to help me kick start a kindness movement which will help those who need it most at this time of year.

At the Annual Conference and Exhibition, Peter Cheese spoke of how HR needs to adapt and be relevant to the needs of not only businesses but our communities and by us working collaboratively we can inspire the future of our profession. By launching HR Acts of Kindness, I believe this provides the perfect opportunity for us to make that impact and not to let what we learnt at ACE become a distant memory as we return to our day jobs.

I gave an interview to Ady Howes at DPG during the CIPD ACE 16 event and if you’d like to see it, I have put the You Tube link here: https://youtu.be/cmeotrPzTS8

Unlike the original HR Acts of Kindness, this time around, I am providing a full list of challenges tomorrow morning which will run from now until Christmas and it covers a whole list of different ways we can utilise our skills to support our work environment, employees, families and communities.

What I’d like to do is to get as many people involved and I want to hear your stories, pictures and anything else you’d like to share with me as you undertake one or more of these challenges.

Most of the challenges are free and there’s bound to be something for everyone to get involved with. Get your teams, departments and anyone else you can think of involved, we need as may people as possible to spread the kindness and reach as many people as we can.

As a thank you; when I receive your stories and pictures I have a special gift to send you so make sure you get those success stories in. After all, it’s nice to say thank you for taking part.

Together we can make our communities a better place; one small act of kindness at a time.

 

 

 

Business, Career, Career Woman, CIPD, Employee well being, Health, HR, Human Resources, People Management, Random Acts of Kindness, Uncategorized, Wellness

#HRActofKindness Challenge Three:That Friday Feeling!

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on #HRActofKindness Challenge Three:That Friday Feeling!

It’s Friday and what better way to celebrate than to take a break and not “talk shop” for once with your colleagues?

HR professionals are notoriously known for not taking breaks yet we spend our lives telling others to make sure they do! Practice what you preach and take a few minutes, grab a sandwich in the canteen/breakout area or head to the local café/pub/restaurant and spend some quality time with your colleagues and why not invite other colleagues along too?

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for taking part in the challenge so far, see you on Monday for challenge four!

 

#HRActofKindness