Our inaugural “Let’s Talk” event on September 29, 2022 at International Market Square brought together top HR professionals in the Twin Cities to learn from our guest speaker RJ Heckman—and from each other—through intimate and provocative discussions.
It was wonderful to have so many talented leaders together again! Thank you to everyone who made time to participate.
Sharing Ideas, Energy and Community Spirit
One of our favorite insights came from pre-dinner networking, where as expected, the new normal for work was a frequent topic.
We loved this recommendation from one of the CHROs in attendance: Instead of calling it “return to office,” why not embrace the positive with “return to each other”?
We are thrilled to have returned to each other with such great energy, ideas and community spirit.
Key Takeaways on Talent Management
Anchoring our evening was a brief presentation from thought leader RJ Heckman. In his book The Talent Manifesto, he incorporates best practices, research and lessons-learned from thousands of global companies to illustrate how organizations can achieve optimum performance through talent.
Now more than ever, Heckman stresses, businesses need a proactive and strategic approach to their people—one that requires clear differentiation, high-quality data and agility.
Each table tackled a topic from Heckman’s “talent waltz,” which represents the three core steps that organizations must employ for optimal talent management:
- Aligning business and HR strategy
- Understanding and employing the right talent analytics
- Moving quickly and decisively in the market
Heckman challenged leaders to clarify the pivotal roles in their organizations that truly drive value, thinking beyond senior management. He outlined the importance of collecting the right data on people, then developing a culture that enables swift decisions and action.
Our attendees debated the opportunities and obstacles to achieving these goals, noting HR may need to spend less time measuring some things, in order to collect data that really matters and that can be used for predictive efforts. They also recognized that agility requires a shift—a willingness to make bold decisions—even if they upset the status quo. Fear-based choices and lengthy approval processes often hold back companies from better compensation and benefit choices.
Download our full summary of our key learnings on talent management.
Continuing Our Tradition of Giving Back
We closed our memorable evening of reconnecting, productive conversation and delicious dinner with two Charity of Choice donations to deserving non-profits:
- To thank our speaker, we donated $250.00 on his behalf to Vocal Essence.
- From a random drawing of attendees, HR leader Jeff Krautkramer recommended the Alzheimer’s Association, who will receive a second $250.00 donation from Navigate Forward.
We look forward to hosting future “Let’s Talk” events. Watch our website for details, or contact us to ensure your information is up-to-date in our files to receive invitations.
Download our full summary of our key learnings on talent management.
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