Tomorrow I will be at the Greater Cincinnati American Society for Training and Development (GCASTD) Local conference. “Ignite Your Mojo” is the theme. I am excited to attend and present at this conference for the first time.

The thing I really like about it is the fact that a panel and discussion around Social Media will be happening for the first time this year. I think it is great that the local HR and Training community is starting to see some potential and uses for the tools within our field. But we have a long way to go. I am dissapointed in the lack of use and embracing of Social Media within the national ASTD for truly using social tools for learning. It is always funny to me how people give presentations, offer advice and tout their knowledge of social media all while barely using it themselves.

As part of the panel a few friends will join me in discussing opportunites that exist in Social Media, ways we can help people learn, and approaches we have taken to learn new ideas for ourselves. They know quite a bit about it and are, as I would say, “practitioners” since they use social media tools often! Friends and Colleagues Steve Browne, Erin Schreyer and Kendra Ramirez will share the stage. A funny thing I’ll probably mention to audience is that, we as panelists, were able to put together and plan this panel through social media. Actually this will be the first time Kendra and I have met in person, despite the fact that we have built a connection before we even met!

I look forward to the results and outcomes that will start out of this conference. I hope that I can be one of the little nudges for people to go ahead and take the leap!

I’d like to thank the academy… but in a respectful way

Recently ReThinkHR.org was voted as one of the eight best local blogs (Cincinnati, OH Metro). I would like to extend my heart and fingers to CincyChic. I now expect to gain a billion subscribers and a stream of stalking fans. But seriously, to be recognized is always a great thing!

Those amongst the favorites included

Urban Cincy, Queen City Discovery, Cincy Locavore, Cooking with Caitlin,

CincyStreetcar, Building Cincinnati, and Snack Face.

Again, thank you!

To compile the results, the online publication solicited comments through the use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

Have you ever won recognition or a reward you were surprised to receive or extremely proud of?

This is my 100^th post

No confetti, just a quick stick figure drawing that conveys one thing… we need to make better use of technology. We are surrounded by it. At work we use it to contact and even stay away from the boss a co-worker or feared enemy.

The Job of Technology

This got me thinking about how technology is a great benefit to engage our colleagues in the workplace and make communication a little faster. On the other hand, parallel to those benefits – in the left fast lane of life – are the great negatives that also cloud our perception of people through the lens of that technology.

The job of technology is to make things easier right? These tools of innovation, aren’t they meant to help us build a better and potentially easier life? Yet why so often do we allow it to get in the way? We write emails to C.Y.A. We hide behind the screen so no one will bother us. Often the technology becomes a hurdle rather than serve the purpose of what it was made for.

Online to Offline

If you have used technology in the past year and with it you have made connections with individuals, be sure to ‘connect’. Not just through an IP address, an email, webinar, through twitter or facebook; be sure to do it offline as well. That extra step could change the way you think about “making a connection.” The connections you build offline can become more meaningful and powerful.

Wait hold up, I have a call coming in… ahh nope… not today, I’m too busy writing this to talk!

So how have you connected with REAL people? Do you use technology to leverage your connections or do you allow that technology to get in the way?

http://ReThinkHR.org
@BenjaminMcCall

Let’s get to the real issue shall we!

Don’t let Your Mom stop you from being cool!