Surviving and thriving through turbulence

After showing two high energy videos (one showing HR hero's which has started every session of the conference) the keynote for day two was introduced by Linda Holbeche, Director of Research and policy at the CIPD.

The theme of surviving and thriving through turbulence was 'split' into people and change focus and leadership focus.

Carolyn McCall, CEO from the Guardian media group started the session looking at people and change. After outlining the changes that her company had faced through the emergence of the digital age he positioned here experience of leading an organisation through significant and unpredictable turbulence.

McCall said that in challenging time like we are experience requires challenging people. McCall highlighted the challenges that the print media had faced, in that for the past 200 years the business model has hardly changed, however the past 10 years has changed everything. In the past you knew where your competitors were coming from... but who would have predicted that a technology (software) company would be the greatest competitor... Google.

To survive we need to keep our 'experts', however they need to be able to be adaptable and work collaboratively.

In times of change and turmoil McCall says that we need training, coaching and mentoring more than ever, and this is the time to increase this activity - not cut it back.

McCall has a clear view on HR, and that is that HR must not work in a silo or be purely functional. HR needs to be a true business partner. As strategic partners they need to be strong enough, work transparently and be honest to the CEO. It is the responsibility of HR to tell the CEO the truth, not to hide the facts. This can prove to be the key information source to the CEO providing information that cannot be obtained other ways.

We were then show a video showing the views of HR people from the GMG company. This clearly showed the commitment the HR people get and give.

The key seven factors for success.

• Make people strategy an integral part of business strategy
• Make change early to set the tone
• Never compromise on getting the best
• Foster networks, coaching and mentoring
• Plan for succession (needs to be live not just a document kept in a draw)
• Keeping investing for the upturn (training, development marketing etc)
• You can never communicate enough

David Robinson - CEO of richersounds.

Robinson started with the statement that when under stress it is easy for leaders to revert to command and control , but that it is important to keep an eye on the people involvement.

The key five leadership qualities that make the difference Robinson's believes are:

1. Communicate - richersounds do weekly and detailed updates to all staff
2. Integrity - better to tell the truth early and if belts need tightening - tighten at the top first (and not just bonuses)
3. Accessibility - not just platitudes during induction but to really be accessible
4. Bravery under pressure
5. Single mindednesses

Robinson said that it is important to admit to mistakes and show that you learn from the mistakes. Honesty and integrity.

Motivating staff is vital in times of challenge Robinson's 'magic' includes:

1. Fun
2. Recognition (just in time)
3. Flexibility
4. Rewards (reward the behaviours that you want)
5. Loyalty (inc long service)

Finally Robinson outlined that to have a winning team we need to look at the successes of the Olympic team GB. To create a team he believes the following is required:

1. Clear objectives
2. Manage failure
3. Have the best ingredients (people and resources, products etc)
4. Work harder (and smarter) than your competition
5. User trigger words or phrases to engage with your people
6. Lead by example
7. Value rest - pausing can make a big difference - take a break.
8. Celebrate success.

Summary

All of the three speakers were coherent and very listenable. Messages were blindingly simple, it was down to the belief, trust and integrity of the people at the very top of the organisation - total commitment to a leadership approach. It was about CEO's starting to spend as much or more time with the HR professionals than they do with the Finance Officer.

A wonderful and engaging close to the second day of the 2008 CIPD annual conference.

Attended a workshop or seminar that is not listed here?

A number of people have approached me and asked if they can contribute about sessions I am not blogging about - well here you can. If you have attended a workshop and want to share your experiences and key learning please do so here.
Thanks for reading (and commenting)
Mike

You can contribute to this Conference Blog too...

A number of people have emailed me asking if they can contribute too - as this is a private Blog (not a CIPD run one) , the most sensible thing is the following:

I will set up a post for each session and a couple of generics for the exhibition etc then please feel free to post your comments, views thoughts and most importantly your learning to pass to others - this way more people can gain from this blog. So feel free to contribute.... Keep it clean and useful please.

Mike

MyEvent - annual conference networking facility

Having received a reminder of this facility in my joining instructions I logged again to see 'where the action was'.

There appears to be a few more people sign up - but few have added much in the way of a profile. The search facility is still turned off - so it is difficult to find people you know (a real shame as most people will be looking today as the last time before they travel)

There does not appear to be any 'forums' set up other than one called "sample forum" - maybe I should post a 'hello' post... OK so while composing this post I have in fact put up a 'hello' post - lets see what happens next...!

It appears to be very early days of MyEvent and I suspect that if this is to be used at all it will happen post event, it looks like it needs to 'push' users onto the platform, as most regular users of the CIPD site will be community contributors and there is currently no link between the two technologies. It is very early days and I am sure the technology will work well - it just needs the event team to push and support the use of the technology in the same way the electronic media people within the CIPD have done with the communities.

I just hope the search facilities and other functionality is switched on before the conference.

The journey to Harrogate for the CIPD Annual Conference

On Thursday 28th of August with just 19 days before the conference I get my booking form and look over the CIPD site to make my selection. As my primary interests are OD, Strategy and L&D I focus on topics, workshops and masterclasses that meet my needs.

The site is a little complex to navigate round, this is probably because there is a lot of data available and for me it was easier to print the pages and then look at the programme on hard copy (not good for the environment - but what I needed to do).

Having made my choices, I filled out the form, scanned it and emailed it to the event team that day. Could not have been easier.

Tues 2nd - I received notification that one of the session I wanted was not full - but being out of the office I did not get this till Wednesday. This was easy to resolve - I phoned up the event team and they told me what was available and the booking was complete. Less than half hour later I received my confirmation. With this confirmation come the hotel booking form, the CIPD block reserve many hotel rooms so I made the call to the third party accommodation company. The only rooms they had were at the Holiday Inn at £160 per night - a little extravagant seeing as there would be little time to use the facilities. Luckily I have a business account with another chain and they were able to book me a room for the 3 days. Harrogate is almost full to overflowing during this event!

Then later this afternoon I receive access to 'MyEvent' an on-line community for attendees of the conference... will have a look and see what it has to offer.

Morale of the story
If you want to attend this event - book your sessions and accommodation early - the event being this full can only mean one thing - it is not only popular - but valued.

Booking to attend the CIPD Annual Conference

OK so I have had notification that I can attend this years CIPD conference in Harrogate, the last one before the move to the bigger venue of Manchester.

Booking could not be easier... download the booking form, look at the available array of Keynote sessions, seminars, workshops and master classes, discussions and interactive sessions. choose from a range of streams including:

• Leadership
• Change
• Talent
• Engagement
• Strategy
• Innovation

The when your choices have been made fax or post the form in... Not having a fax machine, i scanned and emailed mine, having first phoned the events team to confirm availability as there were only 19 days remaining and I was sure some of the sessions were already full... indeed the traffic light system on the site showed that several were already full. Each session has a neat little graphic helping late bookers make their selections:

A useful tool.

The journey begins...

CIPD Annual Conference 2008 - an overview

see CIPD annual conference

CIPD annual conference 2008 - speakers include:

Stephen Alford HR Manager-Diversity Fujitsu Services
Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe Professor of Leadership, University of Bradford School of Management, Emeritus Professor of Leadership Studies, University of Leeds and Chief Executive, Real World Group Chair
Samantha Allen Managing Director Boyden Global Executive Search
David Archer Director Socia
Chris Barez-Brown Global Head of Innovation Capability and Director ?What If!
Angela Baron Adviser, Organisation and Resourcing, Research and Policy CIPD
Laurence Barrett Director of Group Resourcing and Development Prudential plc
Tal Ben-Shahar author and lecturer Harvard University
Octavius Black founder and managing director of The Mind Gym
Neal Blackshire Benefits and Compensation Manager, McDonald's Restaurants
Liz Booth Human Resources Director NSPCC
Richard Boyatzis Author and Professor, Case Western Reserve University and in HR at ESADE
Peter Brown Head of Health and Work Division HSE
Ben Bryant Professor of Leadership and Organisation IMD
Jenny Burns IC Director HBOS
Lou Burrows Global Head of People and Talent ?What If!
Alex Cameron Director Socia
Alison Carter Principal Research Fellow IES
Jane Carter Head of Contracting, Children’s Services Department East Sussex County Council
Andy Case National Secretary Unite
Paul Chadwick Head of Reward and Recognition, Cancer Research UK
Sarah Clark Group Director, Leadership Development, Global Laing O’Rourke
Julia Claydon HR Director Nando’s
Simon Clementson HR Director Capgemini
David Clutterbuck Senior Partner Clutterbuck Associates
Fiona Colquhoun Director Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
Dave Conder Director of People Strategy and Integration KPMG
Robin Cooper HR Director, Electricals UK/Ireland DSG International
Charles Cotton Reward and Employment Conditions, Adviser, Research and Policy CIPD
Jane Cotton HR Director Oxfam
Siobhan Cummins Managing Director Europe, ORC Worldwide and CIPD Vice President International
Shirley Dalziel Director, develop uk and author, HR Business Partnering
Emma Donaldson-Feilder Chartered Occupational Psychologist Affinity Health at Work
Tim Ellis former Business Change Director United Biscuits
Mike Emmott Adviser, Employee Relations, Research and Policy CIPD
Liam Fahey Partner Leadership Forum Inc
Andy Farrar Chief Operations Officer UK Child Benefit and Tax Credit Office
Melanie Flogdell Head of Policy Centrica
Leatham Green Assistant Director Personnel and Training East Sussex County Council
Matthew Guthridge Expert Associate Principal McKinsey and Company
Noel Hadden Head of Learning and Development Deutsche Bank
Brenda Handley-Howorth HR Director May Gurney Integrated Services PLC
Peter Hawkins Chairman Bath Consultancy Group
Fru Hazlitt MD GCap London
Jacquie Heany Deputy Director, HR Professionalism Cabinet Office
Jan Hill Tout Gwent NHS Trust
Wendy Hirsh Principal Associate IES
Scott Hobbs Head of Talent Amey
Michael Hodgson Senior Category Manager, Dairy Sainsburys
Linda Holbeche Director of Research and Policy CIPD
Liane Hornsey HR Director, EMEA Google
Martin Howe Training and Development Manager Cega Group
Andy Hyatt Head of Digital Bernard Hodes Group UK
Daniel Kasmir HR Director BDO Stoy Hayward
Charlie Keeling HR Director Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP
Stephen Kelly Director of People BBC
Paula S. Larson Executive Vice-President, HR Invensys PLC
Chris Last HR Director-General Department for Work and Pensions
Emily Lawson Partner McKinsey and Company
Graeme Martin Professor of HR University of Glasgow
Graham Massie Director of Consultancy Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
Antonia McAlindin Chartered CCIPD, BA, LLM
Tom McCabe Partner, IBM Global Services and Leader of Human Capital Management IBM Global Business Services
Carolyn McCall Chief Executive Guardian Media Group plc (GMG)
Tony McCarthy Group Director, People and Organisational Effectiveness, British AIrways and CIPD Vice President, Employee Relations
Rita McGee Director RMG Consulting
John McGurk Adviser, Learning, Training and Development, Research and Policy CIPD
Annie McKee author and co-founder of the Teleos Leadership Institute
Tim Miller Director, People, Property and Assurance, Standard Chartered Bank and Vice President, Organisation and Resourcing, CIPD Standard Chartered Bank
Stephen Moir Director of People and Policy Cambridgeshire County Council
Bob Morton Head of People Development Competence Centre EMEA and Global Head of OD, Ciba Specialty Chemicals
Rebecca Newton Director, Newton Taylor and Fellow, London School of Economics
David Normington Permanent Secretary The Home Office
Pat Oakley Head of Equality Services London Fire Brigade
Jackie Orme Chief Executive CIPD
Neil Perry Head of HR Group and Employee Relations Legal and General Group PLC
Jack J. Phillips Chairman ROI Institute
John Philpott Chief Economist, Research and Policy CIPD
Michael Portillo
Satish Pradhan Executive Vice President - Group HR Tata Sons
Therese Procter HR Director Tesco.com
John Purcell Strategic Academic Advisor ACAS
Ann Rennie former HR Director World Bank
Richard Roberts Head of People Team Virgin Mobile
David Robinson Chairman Richer Sounds
Vanessa Robinson Head of Operations, Research and Policy CIPD
Chris Roebuck Founder, Transformation and former co-Head of Talent, UBS
Stevens J. Sante-Rose Group Human Resources Director The Coca-Cola Company
Beverley Shears DG Corporate HR, Ministry of Justice
Stephen Sidebottom Head of HR Europe Nomura International PLC
David Smith People Director ASDA
David Smith. Economics Editor Sunday Times
Jon Snow Channel 4 News
Paul Sparrow Director, Centre for Performance-led HR and Professor of International HRM Lancaster University Management School
Michael Spiers HR Partner, Trading and Commercial Sainsburys
Karen Stefanyszyn Head of Organisation Development Norwich Union
Judith Strange develop uk
Richard Summersgill Director of Child Benefit and Tax Credit Operations
Genevieve Tennant Director of HR Allen and Overy LLP
Stephen Timms Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Mike Tims Managing Director of People Solutions SHL Group
Gary Tomlinson Head of HR Kia Motors
Paul Turner Professor of Management Practice Ashcroft Interntational Business School
Andrew Unsworth Head of E-Government The City of Edinburgh Council
Matt Watson HR Director Southern Railways
Robin Wilkinson HR Director National Offender Management Service
Gemma Williams Senior Consultant, Employee Transformation Capgemini UK
Alex Wilson Group HR Director BT
Claire Wilson Head of Talent Development and Resourcing, Organisational Capability Centre of Expertise Department for Work and Pensions
Dianah Worman OBE Diversity Adviser, Research and Policy CIPD
Mike Worthington Ma, Chartered FCIPD, FIH Independent Consultant
Andrew Wright Director, Leadership and Partner Development, NEMIA Ernst and Young
Vicky Wright President, CIPD and Senior Consultant Watson Wyatt

Welcome to the CIPD Annual conference 2008 in Harrogate

The HR event of the year, will you be there?

The CIPD annual conference and exhibition is fast approaching (16-18 September 2008).

This, Europe's premier HR conference and exhibition boasts a world class line-up of speakers addressing the key themes dominating HR and business, together with a new range of seminar formats including sector specific and interactive seminars, this year’s CIPD conference promises to be an event not to be missed.

The annual CIPD conference and exhibition is the event for leading practitioners to meet, network and hear the latest thoughts from the great thinkers in HR as well as to hear case studies from others. Whether you are attending the exhibition and the free seminars or the conference this blog will give you a delegates view of the proceedings.

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Developing the developers Knowledge-Understanding-Action Change Management Coaching Motivational Speakers Scanning the Business Environment BIR - Business Diagnostics Mission Statement Continuing Professional Development Holistic Organizational Staff Survey Diagnostics PRIMO-F - Business Growth Model Organizational Diagnostics and development Resource Zone KPI examples Mike Morrison Employee satisfaction Coaching Sport Performer Porters Five Forces Force Field Analysis Business Coaching Psychometric Testing Glossary of Terms Creatrix - Innovation Inventory Action Learning Coaching Business Transformation Career Anchors Train the trainer Learning Styles SWOT analysis Micro sites Consulting Skills Product/ market matrix Mike Employee engagement Morrison Management Models Personal Development Plans Talent management Key Performance Indicators Coaching Videos Corporate Social Responsibility Critical Success Factors The PESTLE Analysis Executive coaching Learning Logs Best Practice Internal communications SMARTer objectives Life Coaching Business Values Intelligent Purchasing Deep Dive technique

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