fter more than 20 years as a Society for Human Resource Management executive,
Sue Meisinger has plenty of annual conference anecdotes from which to draw her most
memorable moments.
What stands out for her, though, is not a specific speaker,
dinner or session. Instead it’s the atmosphere created when about 15,000 HR professionals
gather.
For a function that is often characterized by silence surrounding
sensitive office matters like personnel moves and salary determinations, the annual
conference provides a demilitarized zone where its practitioners can speak freely
and know that that they’re not alone on the HR front lines.
"The high point has always been the sense of community when
you walk into conference," says Meisinger, 55, who is retiring at the end of June
following six years as the organization’s president and CEO. "There’s an energy
to it that I just love."
Meisinger’s role at the conference has evolved as she has
moved from being a vice president to COO to CEO.
As SHRM’s chief executive, she’s in constant motion. Going
from event to event means traversing hallways full of friends from her career at
SHRM and in the government. Her assistant is always at her side, keeping her on
schedule and not letting her linger too long.
"I’ll stop and catch up until the cows come home," Meisinger
says.
Her peripatetic approach has both drawbacks and benefits.
It can be physically draining. But getting out and about also provides opportunities
for rewarding interaction.
"It is not good for my feet, but it’s great for my spirit,"
Meisinger says.
She also has gotten a charge out of meeting the keynote speakers
for the opening sessions. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who appeared at
the 2006 conference in Washington, stands out.
Powell combined a confident military air with a down-to-earth
personality. "He made sure he shook hands with everyone behind the stage—all the
crew, all the staff," Meisinger says.
Another keynoter, Bill Cosby, spoke at the San Diego conference
in 2005 on Father’s Day. When Meisinger was talking with her dad, the comedian walked
over, asked for the cell phone and began chatting with him.
"For my father, who was in his 80s, that was great," Meisinger
says.
Meisinger’s impact on the conference goes beyond meeting and
greeting. She has added elements that help make a huge conference a little smaller
by creating more networking opportunities for first-time attendees and more educational
events for HR executives.
The first Masters Series session more than a decade ago drew
about 2,000 people. Standing in the room, Meisinger says she felt that "we nailed
this one. This was a direction that was welcome and effective for our members."
Meisinger will have "mixed emotions" while in Chicago for
her last annual conference as SHRM chief executive. "It’s been a great run," she
says.
At future shows, she says she will "probably have more fun
because I’ll be able to chat and catch up" with friends. She’ll still have to do
a lot of walking.
Workforce Management Online, June 2008 -- Register Now!
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