How is your HR director holding up these days? 

Next to the CFO, HR is the key operations function.  No longer just a labor law enforcer and payroll expert, an HR director must now be a talent scout and casting crew, cruise director and community builder, therapist and diplomat--aka handler of senior management. (In one case I know, the HR exec is also responsible for corporate communications because their employees are their USP--unique selling proposition.)

Best-in-class organizations make HR a C-suite position, equal to finance and operations, and don't just talk about employees as their most important asset, they walk the talk.   The HR executive is the asset manager, hiring to strengths and developing high potentials.  No wonder some of the best association executives migrate to private enterprise through that department, if only in a training and education position.

Smart firms maintain a network of former employees who move on to competitor-collaborators and customer-clients, looking to bringing them back, better for that experience. How many associations do that? 

Last week, I was chatting with the HR exec of a socially responsible association and her most pressing issue was to find a new community of practice--people she could connect with and learn from.  She had a green network, but really needed to find a group of peers from socially responsible organizations.  And she couldn't find them in traditional association networks, not even those supporting higher ed and scientific societies.

Two days later, I heard the same question from a marketing director recently promoted to a senior vp role.  And yesterday, a senior management team--CEO, IT and publication execs--all expressed the same frustration to me.

What advice would you give these senior practitioners?  Who is your community of practice?

Originally posted @ Ann Oliveri