You know what can die a fiery death? Influence.
You’re an influencer because you read HR blogs and talk about it at work, your mom is an influencer because she goes to Disney and tells her friends about her trips on Facebook, and your kid is an influencer because he has an Instagram account and does fidget spinner tricks.
The age of influence is over. I’m happy about it. I believe we’re moving towards the era of impact.
My friend Jennifer McClure is ahead of the curve. She started a podcast called Impact Makers and is interviewing people who have sway, magnetism, and a passion for solving problems. Every single one of her guests is focused on serving a community or sharing big ideas. These are individuals doing extraordinary things and sharing their journeys so you can do better.
Jennifer got me thinking about the people impacting my life. From a work perspective, one person who has made an enormous impact on me — and the entire work technology industry — is Bill Boorman. I remember the days before Bill Boorman, and the trade was filled with a lot of myopic product managers and self-loathing sales professionals who hated working in human resources and didn’t see the connection between HR technology and the future of work.
Were there some cool people saying exciting things before Bill? Sure. Did they get press? Of course. However, from the day Bill Boorman stepped out on stage and shared his ideas about systems and processes, you could tell that things were changing. He’s a futurist and an evangelist who cares about the human heart. Whether you know him, the technology that improves people’s lives and allows individuals to do their best work — and get paid for it — garners the attention it deserves because of Bill.
If that’s not the definition of an impact maker, I don’t know what is.
Do you want to solve significant problems in the human resources space? Better make sure you know what you’re talking about because Bill won’t let you ride the coattails of a rising industry and attach your shoddy tech to a movement that’s enabling people to be the best version of themselves at work.
Many people influence purchasing decisions in the HR technology space, but Bill Boorman’s ideas and energy have impacted the current landscape of technology. Also, I’d hate to think where we would be as an industry without him.
So, listen to Jennifer McClure’s podcast. Then think about people who have made an impact in your life or on your job. If you have a second, write a letter of thanks or publish a blog post in praise of people who changed your life.
I know that Bill Boorman has made an impact in my life — and in my industry — and I’m grateful for the opportunity to recognize his work and thank him for his contributions.