On April 16th, the second session of HRMAC's Leadership Series will examine the human resources leadership needed to manage changes that come through organizational growth. Attendees will hear from senior executives and HR leaders about the challenges and skills needed to develop strategies for all phases in the organizational life cycle from start up through the “teenage years” and beyond.

Patrick J. Allin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Textura Corporation, will share his experiences in launching a company that brings together the very different worlds of construction and technology.  His company went from start up to a global company in just three years.

Growth through acquisition presents an entirely different set of HR challenges, as you will hear from Sharon Brady, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Illinois Tool Works, Inc. The single company that started over 100 years ago has grown through acquisition into an organization with over 800 decentralized business units, with over 60,000 employees operating in 52 countries.

Phil Burgess, National Director of Pharmacy Affairs for Walgreens, will discuss the company's organic growth and the challenges to HR processes that come with such expansion. Over the past five years, while many other retailers have had to shrink operations, Walgreen's has opened more than 400 new stores per year and hired more than 72,000 new employees. Today, the company has 6,200 stores with 226,000 employees operating in 49 states and Puerto Rico.

The moderator for this session will be James Appleton, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Midwest Region, Right Management.

The program will be held on Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at 8:00 am at the Standard Club in Chicago. For complete registration information, visit www.hrmac.org.

2008 Leadership Series Diamond Sponsors

Spencer Stuart

Right Management

Watson Wyatt Worldwide

Just as our member organizations continually review the messages communicated both internally and externally, HRMAC periodically reviews key themes as well. Last summer, HRMAC's Board began a project to review our mission and vision messages. Your membership survey feedback in August gave the leadership clear themes to work with.

Armed with that information and research conducted elsewhere, we were proud to unveil our new Vision Statement at the February Leadership Series event. How did the audience respond? With a round of applause, no less!

Here's what we said…

Our vision statement:

To be the Chicago area's premier resource for advancing workplace strategy and leadership.

• HRMAC is in Chicago and for Chicago, but we understand our impact is global.
• We want to be the premier resource, the first place you think of and the first place you refer others to.
• We have an action orientation by focusing on advancing the theories and concepts, not just talking about them.
• We look at a holistic view of the workplace, not just the workforce. Yes, we recognize the HR function provides critical workforce services like payroll and job descriptions, but workplace encompasses the strategic impact of HR professionals…things like ethics and values and innovation. No ‘101' classes in our portfolio.
• Strategy and Leadership are mission-critical to enterprise success and HR is central to those action plans.

HRMAC is here to provide the forum where human resources professionals and others with interest in the human capital space can assemble to benchmark, share best practices, and advance the latest critical thinking that drives business success.

For nearly 95 years, HRMAC has been focused on being a thought leader for human resources and human capital issues. Our new vision statement gives us aspirational direction, and we are up to the challenge. Let us know what you think of the vision statement. Applause accepted!

M. Bernadette Patton, CAE

President/CEO

HRMAC Volunteer of the Year Award

Because special efforts deserve special recognition, HRMAC will applaud the contributions of those leading change and making a difference with a newly announced award program being launched in April. Presentations will be made at HRMAC's SUMMIT 2008.

“We recognize that so much of what HRMAC is about is two-pronged: industry leaders and volunteers, and without both, neither our function nor our organization would be successful,” noted Board Chair, Amy Mysel. “By establishing our new Volunteer of the Year and Leader of the Year awards, we can take a moment to shine the spotlight on extraordinary contributors.”

The Volunteer of the Year award will be given annually to a HRMAC member representative who has provided long-term, multi-faceted volunteer service to HRMAC, primarily through committee service or similar contributions. A potential recipient would be an otherwise “unsung hero” who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in helping to further HRMAC's mission.

The Leader of the Year award will be granted each year to a leader from a HRMAC member company who has made significant impact to the field of human resources, or business in general. Potential recipients are not limited to those leading an HR function. In fact, general managers, line of business leaders, and C-Suite executives, for example, might also be considered.

“With the Leader of the Year award, we are looking to recognize a leader who has advanced the welfare of the HR profession and demonstrated success in executing HR strategy to drive superior business performance in his or her organization,” explained Bernadette Patton, HRMAC President/CEO. “This is not a one-hit wonder, but someone who has demonstrated achievements over a span of years.”

Nominations for both awards must be submitted by the end of June and will be accepted from any representative of HRMAC member companies. Details, eligibility criteria, and instructions will be emailed to HRMAC members in mid-April. Web-based resources and nomination materials will be available at that time.

HRMAC members are encouraged to participate in this new opportunity and nominate those deserving the spotlight. Start thinking now, and gather information to make your case. Award winners will be announced in October, with presentations being made immediately after the SUMMIT 2008 luncheon on November 5, 2008, in Rosemont.

Pat Walsh, Spencer Stuart, moderates the panel discussion with Daniel Socolow, Rick Stephens, and Margaret Stender at the February Leadership Series.

What is innovation?  How do human resources leaders recognize it and encourage it in their employees?

This was the topic explored at the first session of HRMAC's 2008 Leadership Series held in February and moderated by Pat Walsh, a consultant with SpencerStuart.

“Innovative people are often risk takers that have found a way to work through problems that have otherwise been considered insurmountable,” according to Dan Socolow, Director of the Fellows Program (sometimes referred to as the “genius grants” program) at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. “It's the lonely person that we find, often isolated and working on his or her own, trying to put together something that nobody has been able to do before.”

Optimism is another quality of innovative people, according to Margaret Stender, President and CEO of the Chicago Sky, the city's WNBA franchise. “People who are innovative,” she says, “are truly optimistic. They can see things that other people can't. They can take a blank piece of paper and say ‘I believe passionately in this vision and we'll figure out how to put it all together.' If they didn't have that optimism, I don't think they could do it because there are too many people telling them [it can't be done]. I believe that's something we should focus on that we often don't look for.”

From a talent management perspective, says Rick Stephens, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Administration at the Boeing Company, it is essential to get the right people into the right roles. Some are better at identifying the innovations that customers want and others excel at developing the products. “That is an interesting mix that we have,” Stephens says. “There are some that can cross over, but not as many as we would like. So from a talent perspective, understanding that and getting people into the right slot is imperative.”

Identifying innovators and getting them into the proper roles is only part of the equation, according to the panel. Recognition is essential. “There is a tremendous sense of affirmation that comes from being awarded a MacArthur fellowship,” said Socolow, “it opens up your sense of accomplishment. You've been toiling and laboring and nobody's paid much attention and then suddenly someone you don't know calls you up and says you're great. Just imagine what that does for somebody.”

At Boeing, technical fellows are identified each year and recognized by the company's executive committee at a special black-tie event. The leaders spend time talking with the fellows and acknowledging their contributions to the company. According to Stephens, this recognition is often of more value than getting an increase in pay. These individuals are then assigned some of the most vexing challenges facing the company, which is further acknowledgment of the confidence company leaders have in their ability to contribute to the goals of the organization.

In closing, Socolow reminded the group that finding the most creative people among us is hard work. It takes time because they are often not the obvious suspects. If we seek consensus--if we only feel that we found them when everyone agrees--then we've made a mistake.

HRMAC's Leadership Series continues on Wednesday, April 16 (see related article).

HRMAC members value networking as a top benefit of membership. Renew Today!

It's Dues Renewal Time!

In the coming weeks, HRMAC members will be receiving dues renewal statements for 2008-2009. For the fourth straight year, HRMAC dues have not increased. When you receive your invoice, we encourage you to renew right away so you don't miss out on any of these great HRMAC benefits:

Premier Education

• Over 50 free local educational programs
• Ten Interest Groups
• Executive Roundtables—exclusively for C-Suite HR leaders
• Annual SUMMIT—Chicago's premier HR event!
• Leadership Series—an annual three-part program exploring strategic issues for HR leaders
• Research Series—an annual program featuring two programs addressing top HR issues from a data-driven perspective
• Distance Learning and HRMAC Podcasts—coming soon!

Personal and Professional Support

• HR Job and Resume Bank—at below-market rates!
• Transition assistance for HR professionals
• Research-based resources
• PHR/SPHR credits—HRMAC is an HRCI-approved provider!

Local Networking and News

• Network of over 700 companies and more than 4,000 HR professionals
• Membership directory with supplier index
• Social Networking events—just for fun!
• HR Leader e-newsletter
• New Member breakfasts
• HRMAC website, www.hrmac.org, for the latest on all HRMAC offers!
• 24/7 networking with HRMAC Listservs

Bottom-line Savings!

• One fee for your entire company=membership for the entire team! 
• Over 50 free local events—no travel time or expense involved in attending
• Discounted rates for fee-based programs

Are you the main contact for your company? If so, renew online by logging on to www.hrmac.org with your member name and password; click on Membership, then Renewal. Your company information will be pre-populated. Just enter your payment information and you'll be set for another year!

Forgot your login information? Contact Deborah Thurmond at 312.981.6790 or dthurmond@hrmac.org

Welcome New Members!

HRMAC welcomed 45 new members during the last quarter.

American Association of Diabetes Educators

Anixter International, Inc.

Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa

Astor Asset Management, LLC

Avatar Corporation

Bel Brands USA

Benefits Savvy Associates

Boyden

CGN & Associates

Chicago Partners

Code Red, Inc.

Compusystems

Corbett Accel Healthcare Group

Crowe Chizek & Company LLC

Dale Carnegie - Chicago

EMC Corporation

Freedomroads, LLC

GC America

Gift of Hope

Grant Thornton LLP

Grecian Delight

Harpo, Inc.

Harvest Earnings, LLC

HBK Engineering, LLC

Hometown American Management

HR Focus Consulting, LLC

HR Matters

Illuma, LLC

Information Resources, Inc.

Marren Enterprises

McMaster-Carr Supply Company

Michael Page International

Panduit Corporation

Pathfinder Health

Patrick Engineering

Point Reyes Management Consulting

Prater Industries

Real Estate Dividends

Rewards Network

RNW Consulting

The H.R. Factor

The Pasha Group

Valor Equity Partners

Velocity Resource Group

Verifications, Inc.

Listservs--Another way to connect with HRMAC members!

Want to hear about HR best practices in use by top Chicago companies? Have a burning question about HR policies or procedures? Need a recommendation for a quality vendor of HR services? Subscribe to HRMAC listservs to communicate with other HRMAC members and benefit from the experience, knowledge, and wisdom of your peers!

HRMAC listservs are automated email discussion groups that provide a forum for you to post and discuss industry-related issues in a quick and easy manner. The listservs cover a variety of topics that are generally represented by HRMAC Interest Groups.  Here are some examples of the most recent posts to the HRMAC Listservs:

• “There seems to be a number of differing opinions among HR and OD/OE professionals as to what falls within the definition of Talent Management.  Most felt there was clear distinction between Talent Acquisition and Talent Management, with Talent Acquisition referring to recruiting and onboarding. I am wondering if Talent Management picks up where Talent Acquisition leaves off (after recruiting, hiring and onboarding) and is the "umbrella term" for many HR functions outside of Talent Acquisition?” (HR Planning & Development Listserv)
• "We're evaluating temp labor vendors for manufacturing and would love your input. Do the firms you contract with provide benefits to the contract/temp workers?  If so, what...? Do they do background checks and/or drug/alcohol testing as part of the contract provisions?  Do you have any advice on selection of which temp/contract consolidators are most effective (or not), especially for manufacturing resources?" (Employee Relations Listserv)
• “I am wondering if anyone has had success with reducing their Workers' Comp costs through safety, ergonomic or other programs.  If so, what did you do?  Is there a consultant you would recommend who could help?" (Employee Relations Listserv)

To join a Listserv or view all the email posts/threads, log on to www.hrmac.org and click on Member Listservs.

If you have questions about the HRMAC Member Listservs, contact Pam Marshall at 312.981.6783 or pmarshall@hrmac.org

Forgot your login information? Contact Deborah Thurmond at 312.981.6790 or dthurmond@hrmac.org

Learning and development at its best! HRMAC golfers listen intently to the putting clinic pro at the 2007 HRMAC Golf Outing.

Days are finally getting warmer and yes, summer will soon be here. Time to start thinking about golf!

The HRMAC Golf Outing, always a sell-out event, will take place at Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale on August 27. Open to HRMAC members and their guests, this annual event features networking, meals, and a variety of prizes, as well as 18 holes of golf on the premier Blackhawk Trace course. The day begins with registration at 10 a.m., followed by a putting clinic at 10:15 a.m. and tee-off at 11:30 a.m.

Player fees (held steady since 2006!) are $185 per person or $740 per foursome and include golf, cart rental, putting clinic, box lunch, and awards reception. Fees for individuals wishing to attend only the lunch are $25 per person or $35 per person to attend only the awards reception.

Plan to join more than 200 HR colleagues, their coworkers, and clients for a day away from emails, meetings, and telephones to enjoy one of 2008's last summer days. Since this event sells out every year, golf enthusiasts are encouraged gather their foursomes now! Registration opens April 18.

Sponsorship opportunities are available and range from $350 to $3,000 for holes, games, and other golf outing essentials. Showcase your business and connect with potential clients by becoming a Golf Outing sponsor! Contact Pam Marshall at pmarshall@hrmac.org or 312.981.6790 for more details.

Clyde Lowstuter, Robertson Lowstuter, discusses leadership brand with HRMAC Young HR Leaders

What is Your Brand?

Your leadership brand is made up of:

1. Your values and beliefs (identity)
2. Your displayed behavior (actions)
3. Your emotional response and behavioral changes (impact)

According to Clyde Lowstuter, President and CEO, Robertson Lowstuter, Inc., below are some important brand considerations:

• Everyone has a brand that is rooted in the perception of others.
• What you think is less important than what you feel.
• While you judge yourself on your intentions, others judge you on your behavior (your brand).
• You can create a powerful leadership brand that projects the image you want, provided it is aligned with your authentic self.
• A compelling brand should provoke an emotional response and behavioral change in others and the organization.

Your leadership brand enables your talents to emerge, is aligned with your core character, values and beliefs, is self-revealing, is congruent with your perception of self and others' perception of you, differentiates you, and has lasting value.

--from Developing Your Leadership Brand

Young HR Leaders Interest Group, February 2008

Keys to Developing High Potential Employees

When developing employees, be sure to define the developmental goals for each individual. Jeremy Farmer, Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources for Aon Corporation, kicked off the HR Planning and Development Interest Group meeting with those wise words. With a strong talent development program that ranges from early career development to high potential senior leaders, Aon utilizes a leadership model that encompasses five behaviors:

• Client focus
• Matched teams
• Innovation
• Results
• Values

Hu-Friedy Manufacturing employs a Talent Management Strategy Map that details how the organization attracts and employs staff, develops their people, and fosters greater engagement and commitment. According to Sandy Youngren, Vice President, Employee Services, two of the main goals of this strategy are to foster a “development from within” culture and enhance their internal bench-strength.

The Alzheimer's Association incorporates 11 Leadership Attributes into every job description. Attributes such as “builds trusting relationships,” “drives operational excellence,” “strategic thinker,” and “puts customers first” are among those that all employee performance is measured against. These attributes are imbedded into the performance management system and flow directly to the compensation structure, stated Paula Pelissero, Senior Director, Human Resources and Staff Relations.

From the CEO perspective, Laura Herring, President, Impact Group, believes that motivating highly productive employees starts in the interviewing process. She focuses on the type of culture an individual feels they will thrive in and most importantly, what they are passionate about. Impact Group professional development programs include culture training, career development, tuition reimbursement, and peer-to-peer mentoring and collaboration. Herring believes in taking care of employees so employees can focus on their self-actualizing needs.

--from Developing and Motivating Highly Productive Employees

HR Planning and Development Interest Group, January 2008

Unlocking the Mystery of the Recruiter's Mind

A panel representing contingency firms, retained search firms, and internal corporate recruiters divulged their secrets and offered up their best advice to a record-breaking crowd at the Transition Interest Group meeting. Here are some interesting tips:

• If you want to differentiate yourself, ask “does my resume show what I bring to the table, my accomplishments?”
• Recruiters will almost always return calls from third party referrals, so networking is your most important tool in your job search.
• The handwritten note still can resonate with a recruiter.
• If you think you are calling too often, you probably are.
• If you see a job posted online, go ahead and apply online, but then network your way into the company.
• Make sure your email address, voicemail message, and Facebook/Myspace profiles all reflect a professional image.
• Recruiters would rather not see your picture on your profile.
• Displaying high energy and confidence in an interview will make a big impression.
• Never hesitate to provide salary information. Always be honest. If you don't give this information it can reflect on how you are perceived.
• Most recruiters prefer to see your whole job history on your resume, even if you just list a company, title, and dates for those long-ago jobs.
• Be upfront about bad stuff—recruiters would rather hear it from you than from one of your references.

Recruiter's Pet Peeves:

• Getting the company name wrong.
• Calling and assuming that the recruiter will know your voice (or your name).
• Calling too much.
• Saying you were referred by someone when you really weren't.
• Discrepancies in your resume (you will be found out!).

--from Working with Recruiters

Transition Interest Group, March 2008

Join us for these upcoming HRMAC events…

4-14           Personal Marketing...YOU are a Powerful Product!

Transition IG

4-16      HRMAC Leadership Series: Driving Organizational Growth

4-25      West Suburban IG

             Strategic Workforce Planning

5-1        Internet Sourcing - The Sequel

             Talent Acquisition IG

5-2        Helping Organizations Successfully Navigate Change

             HR Planning and Development IG

5-8        Navigating the Corporate World

             Young HR Leaders IG

5-12      TBD

             Transition IG

5-14      Executive Roundtable: Ethics in the C-Suite

             (open only to CHROs or CHROs in transition)

5-15      A Strategic Approach to Corporate Wellness Programs

             Employee Relations IG

5-20      HRMAC New Member Breakfast

6-5               HRMAC Leadership Series: Linking Employee and Customer

             Loyalty

                        HRMAC Annual Meeting (immediately following Leadership

             Series program)

6-9               HRMAC Wine and Cheese Networking Event - Bin 36

 Interviewing Skills

 Transition IG

6-13            HR Steps to Enter New Markets

 International IG

6-17      Pension Plans: Trends in Movement from DB to DC Plans

             Total Rewards IG

All HRMAC programs (except Executive Roundtables) are open to all employees of HRMAC member companies. Visit the Events section of www.hrmac.org for more details and to register!

HR Leader is published by the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago for its members. Articles, story ideas, calendar items, and comments are most welcome; they can be directed to bpatton@hrmac.org. Or you can contact us at HR Leader, HRMAC, 737 N. Michigan Avenue, #2100, Chicago, IL 60611. Voice 312.981.6790. Fax 312.981.6797. Website: www.hrmac.org.

Chair, Board of Directors - Amy Mysel

President/CEO - M. Bernadette Patton

Membership and Operations Director - Pamela Marshall