Aren't you the all-knowing HR and Talent Management Expert?

I remember back when I was a senior leader in Corporate Canada. It was funny because although I spent so much time in meetings, meetings, meetings - surrounded by people all the time both online and in person - I didn’t always feel like I had an ally in the room.   

Plus, as YOU well know, when you’re in HR or Talent or Learning, it can be rather wearisome at times to be told “we need you to do ALL this - meaning, work some talent performance and development magic - but with little to no money or time or resources. Always remember, you’re a cost centre, not a revenue generator.  Sound good?”  

Now, I’m exaggerating a bit. Sort of. I didn’t always feel that way, but there were enough times that I did - where I experienced that yucky feeling of being an island stuck somewhere between the bottom line and what employees and leaders need to truly thrive.  

Back then, to counter this effect, I worked hard to nurture my relationships with my team members and peers.  to connect with them personally, not just professionally. That helped.  

But sometimes I just felt as though - rightly or wrongly - that no one really got me.  No one understood MY particular predicament.   No one could really mentor me in my professional discipline when I was the leader and resident expert in it.   And wasn’t I supposed to already know how to do all the things?  

You know, you sometimes wonder if you could be or should be more “innovative” or cutting edge - but you don’t know what you don’t know, and you don’t have time to read all the latest research and case studies. You need to learn WHILE still focusing on your big rocks at work, the priorities that are crucial to your success.  

And there was also this perception that networking was icky, at least the traditional type of networking.  But everyone kept saying - me included - how it’s critical to career success.

So sometimes I would go to the occasional chapter meeting or conference for one of my HR or Learning associations if the topics looked interesting.  I might get a few inspiring ideas and maybe exchange a laugh with a couple of new contacts.  But it was all rather surface-feeling, and left me with a new itch to scratch - HOW could I make those ideas work back home on the job?  And, as I was dragged kicking and screaming back into the meetings meetings meetings, I’d say to myself:   “Who are you kidding?  You don’t have time to initiate follow-up networking calls with the people you met.  You’re just keeping your head above water.”

And so it went.  Now I’m not trying to paint the most dismal picture of corporate or the 25 + years that I spent there.  I’m just saying that it was hard sometimes being stuck in the organizational middle, and not having other people LIKE ME, at my level,  to talk to.

Brene Brown, my favourite author, said in her book The Gifts of Imperfection  “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”

I’m a strong believer that we get back what we put out in the world.   When I am feeling scared or anxious or tired and I put that isolation helmet on, I end up playing small and getting stuck for awhile.  Disconnected.   

Yet when I CHOOSE to do the opposite of what I feel like doing - curling up in a lonely ball for instance - and just reach out a little to my brilliant network of friends and colleagues and clients and acquaintances, I start to come back to myself.

I get inspired. Motivated.  Productive again.  I make things happen and they feel easier. 

When I finally became aware many years ago of how connection fuels me, I became more deliberate in terms of how I set myself up for success.   I decided to not only rely on individual connections, but also communities of people who share a common interest or need with me.  A community that meets regularly so that it’s in my calendar and gives me the permission and the space to share stories, think out loud, laugh, and make plans.

Fast forward a few years to when I went out on my own as a coach and thought partner, and decided to serve the people I understood best - other Talent Leaders!

I decided to scratch my own itch, as Tim Ferriss likes to say.  All these years, what I’ve really been wanting in the background, is to be part of a community of Talent Management leaders like me, that is more of an intense and useful experience than typical association meetings or monthly meet-ups. 

A place where relationships go beyond a surface chat and business card exchange, meaningful relationships with like-minded people that grow and develop and sustain me long after the program concludes.  

A place where you can JOIN the conversation, not listen to it.

A social ecosystem of learning.  Where you can be the learner AND be the expert. Where you can be seen. Be heard. Be understood. 

We learn best through the power of great examples and the power of doing.  We can no longer rely on the old approach of “pausing to learn” or flipping on a learning switch.” 

Learning must be integrated into our day-to-day.  After all, those meetings meetings meetings still need to get attended.

And that’s why I created The Talent Trust, a 6 months-long program for ​​leaders who are ready for unparalleled and meaningful peer support, mentoring,  inspiration and results - so that you can implement and sustain those big rock initiatives with ease and confidence. 

If you’re intrigued, I invite you to book a free Clarity Catalyst call with me to explore if the Trust is a good fit for you right now, based on where you’re at. 

This is a no pressure, no commitment call.  I’ll listen, and you’ll feel heard.  I promise I’ll help you get new clarity about what you really want and need and then you can take it from there.  

Don’t wait to book your call though!   People who enroll in the Talent Trust by March 24th will also be invited to join a my half-day Talent Strategy working session at no cost   That’s a HUGE bonus, a value of $950!

At any rate, I’m not about trying to sell you services you don’t need.  But if you are intrigued and you want MORE inspiration, MORE influence and MORE impact, the communities I’m creating here will help you.

Whether we chat or work together at some point, I want to leave you with this:

I know you’re smart, hard-working, committed to self-improvement - you wouldn’t be here otherwise.  You’re also very likely stretched thin and overworked.  

If I can leave you with one thing, it’s that it’s up to YOU to take control of your situation and of your story.   Only YOU can change the narrative.  To do this, you must choose to be proactive not reactive.  

You CAN choose to be intentional in terms of how you buoy yourself up with a sense of community and belonging, however that looks for you.

Here's to you being intentional about getting the support you deserve this year - whether we work together or not!