Next week is the 5th annual WorkHuman conference, and, as I pack my bags, I’ve been thinking a lot about expertise.
There are three types of speakers at this event.
1. Researchers with a thesis and ideas, and academics who have studied a topic like leadership or gratitude for ages.
2. Practitioners and leaders who work in HR or management and have advice and guidance based on their many years of experience.
3. Thought leaders, key opinion leaders, and pundits who personify aspects of part one and two.
No speaker persona is better than the other, and I enjoy learning from academics as much as HR business partners. Brené Brown is a researcher, Kat Cole is a practitioner, and I’m on stage interviewing smart people like Maya Raghu, Cy Wakeman and Patti Fletcher who aren’t necessarily professors or CHROs but have informed beliefs about the world of work.
WorkHuman attracts some of the best speakers on the market. What makes them great? Successful speakers are confident and have a timely and passionate message for the audience. The worst speakers are mimics who parrot management tropes and business clichés back to the audience like they’re Jack Welch at a GE Conference circa 1995. Thankfully, you don’t see many speakers like that at WorkHuman. Almost everybody has a defined body of expertise. They screen out the scrubs.
It’s probably too late in the game for you to attend WorkHuman, but, if you can find your way to Nashville, I’ve got a discount code for you. It’s WH19INFLRU. You can also follow my tweets at #WorkHuman and ping me with questions.
I’m excited to share expert ideas from the 5th annual WorkHuman conference, and I hope you find it helpful. Good ideas come from many sources, and I look forward to learning from professors, entrepreneurs and thought leaders alike!