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The Human Resources Forum March Update:
Click Here to add this DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: 9th-12th May Aurora
REMINDER TO SELF:
The Human Resources Forum
9 - 12 May 2007 Aurora
Embarkation: 3pm to 5pm Southampton
Bring Passport!
Bonjour [Firstname],
Welcome to The Human Resources Forum march e-newsletter. It's going to be an extremely busy month preparing for the forum in May.
The selections start 1st week of April in which delegates will chose which suppliers they wish to meet with and what conference sessions they will attend.
We are almost fully booked!
As always, if you have any further questions about the contents of this e-newsletter or attending The Human Resources Forum please contact us.
Kind regards,
Samuel Chatelain
Delegate Manager
The Human Resources Forum 2007
The Human Resources Forum is an event which gives delegates the ability to meet with potential suppliers and network with others in similar positions to yours while also being able to attend an outstanding conference programme.
The Human Resources Forum
This year The Human Resources Forum will be running along side The Communication Directors Forum and
The Call Centre Executive Forum.
If you have a Communications colleague or Call Centre Colleague that you feel would benefit from the networking opportunities on board please contact the relevant Delegate Manager provided below.
For The Communications Director's Forum, please email Guy:
gwalker@richmondevents.com
For The Call Centre Executive Forum, please email Bradley:
bhoyland@cmpinformation.com
If you have a fellow senior HR professional you wish to put forward to attend
The Human Resources Forum, please email Samuel: schatelain@richmondevents.com
We look forward to meeting you on board in May!
"What the forum does is ensure that those
you meet are front of mind"
AN INTERVIEW WITH…
Jacky Simmonds,
Director of Human Resources
at
First Choice Holidays PLC
Jacky Simmonds, Director of Human Resources at First Choice Holidays PLC is one of our HR professionals on board The Human Resources Forum this year. Prior to First Choice Holidays, she worked in Recruitment working to recruit powerful teams to work on ground breaking science projects at The Wellcome Trust.
She changed Editor's views of people management in magazine publishing and won Employer of the year for Family Friendly Policies long before it was a legislative requirement.
In her current role as HR Director at First Choice Holidays PLC, she has achieved high employee attitude results, benchmarked against high performing organizations all through five years of constant job cuts and re-organisations in her role.
- Why did you decide to take on a career in Human Resources?
I first became interested in HR when I did a work placement and recognised that HR was the one function where you got an overview of the whole organisation and how it worked.
Initially I worked in Recruitment and was able to contribute to the success of the organisation by bringing in strong capability.
- What advice would you give to others in the HR profession?
My career advice to others would be to always remain focused on the business needs of the organisation rather than following HR best practice for the sake of it.
- What did you get out of attending The Human Resources Forum?
I have attended the HR Forum 3 times now. On each occasion before attending I have always found it difficult to try and justify the time out of the office but every time I have attended I have come away with a new idea or made a new relationship either with a supplier or an HR colleague that has benefited my organisation. Some relationships initiated on board may not actually lead into a full business relationship until much later on; however, what the Forum does is ensure that those you meet are front of mind when thinking about what suppliers to use in future.
- How did you find the workshops and seminars on board?
I have always found the workshops and seminars very interesting. It is a great opportunity to catch up with the latest thinking - it can be reassuring to know that as HR professionals we face similar challenges regardless of industry.
- What is your advice to others thinking about attending the forum?
I see it as a great learning opportunity and often take away inspiration from organisations that are sometimes further ahead in their development.
Spending time talking and listening to people in the same profession and taking time to think away from the office environment is a great luxury but one that has always paid off for me.
It's great fun too!
The Delegate Experience
What's it like, being a delegate aboard The Human Resources Forum?
Best understood if we go through a typical day. Before we start, a brief bit of background.
- You've decided to attend
- You've worked out your objectives
- You've selected those suppliers you want to meet and the conference options you'd like to attend
- You've received your provisional itinerary about 10 days out showing whom you will meet on board, where you will be sitting in the restaurants, and which conference sessions you will attend - all based on choices you have made from the selection site in April.
- For the companies you have chosen to meet, you've checked the supplier profiles provided by Richmond Events and maybe visited their websites.
You've driven down to Southampton and handed your car over to the parking people. Now you're on board the largest ship you've ever seen in your life. A steward has shown you to your cabin and you've gone for a quick wander round the ship, using the little plan P&O will have put in your cabin. You've maybe spotted some of the lounges, restaurants and conference rooms which will be your home for the next two days. Up to the Crow's Nest (top of the ship, sharp end) for a cup of tea. You probably bump into somebody you know doing the same as you.
After a chat you return to your cabin for a look at the cabin pack provided by Richmond Events. In it you find your badge, your final itinerary detailing where your meetings, conference sessions and meals will take place, and other useful information. This document will be your 'bible' for the next two days.
Next comes……
"Feel perfectly comfortable endorsing THE HR FORUM. If someone came on the cruise and didn't find it a major value add, I would be shocked."
Tom Horigan, VP of HR, The Home Depot.
Click here to download the case study: The Home Depot at
The Human Resources Forum.
Leadership Management in the New World
Team dynamics are changing under the pressures of globalisation. Many teams are now dealing with working across cultures, time zones and organisational boundaries.
With this change, one must look at the role of the leader and see what obstacles the leader now faces and what defines a leader in today's new world?
When we asked the delegates on board with us this year for The Human Resources Forum, they rated Leadership Management as one of the top 3 HR issues.
By looking back on previous HR forums and the forum this year, we asked speakers what leadership means to them?
http://www.savoyplace.hrforum.co.uk
Last years Human Resources Forum at Savoy Place had Manfred Kets de Vries speak on Leadership. He spoke about leadership on the couch: A new approach to changing people and organisation. He viewed good leadership as:
"not related to economies of scale or being in a high technology industry world or strategic positions, but that leadership ultimately comes down to people."
This years Human Resources Conference Programme has line up of excellent keynote speakers who will be looking at various meanings and thoughts on leadership in the workforce.
This year's keynote presentation by B J Cunningham is focussed on brand leadership: Profiting from the truth. He believes –
"Leaders must clearly define the direction, values and attitudes of the business and understand how to create involvement by translating those values into internal culture."
When we asked some of the other speakers attending this year's forum, what leadership means to them? We received a variety of different views from different speakers.
Andrew Armes, VP of Invensys plc who will be speaking on
Employee engagement – driving business performance - views leadership as:
"Learning how to unlock your full potential and then using what you learn to unlock the potential in others."
John Smythe, Founding Partner of Engage for Change who will be speaking on Employee engagement as well on Human Resources and the challenge of change feels –
"Leadership in the post 'command and control' era means knowing when and how to share power with those who are delivering the customer experience."
Tom Barry, Managing Director of Blessingwhite will be looking at what authentic leadership looks and feels like - and the business results that prove it works.
He views leadership as:
"taking people willingly to a place that has not yet been created. It encompasses both the sense of uncertainty of destination that's so true in today's world, as well as the fact that people have a choice about whether to follow or not."
Richard Wells, Group Senior Vice President, Human Rescources of Gate Gourmet International speaks at this years forum on Human Resources and the challenge of change. His workshops will focus on the drivers for change and considers the challenges facing leaders and managers in today's world.
He views leadership as:
"Leaders in our organisation are those who will provide the direction, energy, feedback, and coaching to transform our people, our performance and our business."
One of the interesting workshops being held at this year's forum is being taught by Rob Veersma, Learning Service Leader - EU at Royal Dutch Shell plc. He speaks on virtual leadership. His session is called: Getting it right - virtual leadership, virtual teams.
I think this is very relevant to the state of Leadership in the new world. This session outlines the virtual challenge - virtual team leaders who fail to build and sustain a trusting environment within the team.
I leave you with some positive thoughts on how we can see leadership today and what we can do have successful leadership skills when working with complex teams in a complex new world.
Research studies done by Ashridge identified the 5 success factors for leading and working in a complex team environment.
- Communication
- Effective use of technology - not necessarily top technology
- Flexible leadership
- Shared responsibility for leadership
- Support from top HR and top management
Please give us your views on what Leadership means to you and how we can make leadership work in the 'new world'?
Next month we will be looking at our second most rated HR topic
Talent Management
For information on our speakers and their topic please view our
Conference Programme
"I did not know what to expect - but have had a fantastic time - the most rewarding event I have ever attended. I have met more people and gained more new ideas than I have in the last 12 months."
Diane Price, Director of Human Resources,
Martineau Johnson
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