Greetings, LSHRM Members:
As we enter the month of February, let me share what I envision for our Chapter going forward and how each one of us can be professionally and emotionally engaged. In last month’s LightPost I shared that my platform for 2022 is Compassionate Reset: a direction impacting LSHRM Members, the businesses we lead, and the greater communities we serve.
Now is when I would like your feedback. When I mention Compassion, what immediate thoughts come to mind? During these unpredictable and unpresented times, what conditions have impacted your life, the lives of your employees, and your organizations?
What changes have been made, if any? Has something been missing? Has organizational distancing resulted in the loss of compassion and caring? What has contributed to so many resignations? What can be done to retain and engage employees? I would love to hear your stories.
In the near future there will be a small committee whose sole purpose will be advising the board on ways to build a Compassionate Legacy for LSHRM. Knowing I am blessed with a dedicated Board of Directors and hundreds of brilliant HR Professionals in our chapter, I see a time of great possibilities. Perhaps like my friend Vivian Blade teaches we will build a culture of courageous resilience. As I said, I would like to hear from you: your stories, your experiences, your thoughts, and most of all how your LSHRM membership can help you and your organization recover from these difficult times and prosper going forward.
Also, there has been an interest expressed in having an LSHRM Book Club. As an avid reader, I’m all for that. It seems that with Compassionate Reset in mind the best book to start with should be a book about compassion and the implementation of compassionate strategies in the workplace. Here are 3 books I have in mind. Please let me know your thoughts and if you are interested in joining. The books are:
1. Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations, Authors Monica C. Worline and Jane E. Dutton
2. Compassion@work Creating Workplaces That Engage the Human Spirit, A Collection of Leading HR and OD Experts
3. Engaging the Heart for People, Performance, and Profit: Seven Competencies of Compassion@Work, Author R. Brayton Bowen, AM, SHRM-SCP
Sincerely,
Laura Wood
2022 LSHRM President