I admit it… I didn’t know about “spindle adapters.” I wasn’t alone….
Those who owned vinyl records all remember the adapters and those who grew up in an era of compact discs and downloads did not. And while we’re all inclined to think that the newest technology is the best technology, there is a lot to learn from our past as we look forward to our future.
For certain, the spindle adapter allowed us to have some fun with colors that give us something of a “Retro” Milwaukee SHRM feel as opposed to “Metro” Milwaukee SHRM. But that wasn’t why we picked the spindle adapter as our image for the 2013 Annual Spring Conference. But first, a little history….
The spindle adapter was used for music (usually a single song) that was released in a 45 rpm format. In the center of the turntable, there was a post, but it only worked on the larger, 33 rpm full-length albums. So the only way to make your 45s play on the turntable was to have an adapter. You could have a perfectly good 45 rpm record, but if you didn’t use the adapter, it would spin wildly on the turntable and the music just wouldn’t sound right.
And that’s our HR connection.
A business strategy may “sound” perfect. It may have everything needed to make “beautiful music,” but it just won’t work without an adapter.
That adapter is us, HR Professionals. We bridge the gap between people and planning. Without the adaptations made by HR, the beat and the tone of our businesses would sound more like noise than music. We keep things balanced and moving at the right speed. We help to bring it all together!
Our friend, the spindle adapter , came in many forms, but the most typical was a three-armed version. We’ve labeled each of those arms – the first being “Design,” the next “Implement,” and the last “Measure.” None of the arms is more important than the other. Success depends on doing all three and doing them well. That’s how we create balance. That’s how we create continuous improvement.
Our conference is about just that. Continuously improving. Adapting. Connecting.
We challenged our speakers to identify not only good subject matter, but to articulate how their programs could help you in one or more phases of the Design-Implement-Measure process. Put another way, this group of speakers will not just talk about what you should do, but will talk about how you should do it, and how to know the outcomes of your efforts.
We’re excited to have two keynote addresses. Pam Green will kick off the event with an energetic program about the future of HR. At the end of the day, Sharlyn Lauby will wrap up with a program that highlights the people/planning connection.
Spring Conference was created by HR professionals for HR professionals. With seven hours of HRCI credit available, including almost six hours of strategic credit, we encourage you to learn – in the sessions and through your questions. And we encourage you to teach – by sharing your thoughts and idea during our networking sessions. With two keynotes and fourteen sessions to choose from, we’re going to give you plenty to talk about!
We look forward to seeing you! More information and registration materials can be found at MMSHRM.org.
Blog post submitted by Trishya Brown, MMSHRM Chapter President.
