Be Bold in 2020…at HR West..and Beyond!

May 28, 2023

Contributed by Maureen Middleton, SPHR, SHRM-SCP – HR West 2020 Speaker.

HR West 2020

Be Bold HRThe start of a new year is a time of reflection and change. Thinking about where you have been and where you want to be. Many people make New Year’s resolutions, but others never indulge in that practice.

In 2019, I found my dream job.

Every day I get to apply the skills I have learned throughout my HR career, while also continuing to learn new things. I am part of a 10 person HR team supporting over 150 social justice nonprofits with missions that I am passionate about doing work around the globe.

A friend recently said to me that she was happy I was still loving my new job and that she appreciates the bold job moves I’ve made.

As I reflected on that, it made me realize it was true. I have made some bold job moves in my career. I took the leap, even if I was unsure where I would land.

At the beginning of the new year and new decade, my self-reflection and encouragement is to be bold and to lean into discomfort and places that make you stretch and grow professionally.

I encourage you to take a moment to think about your own career.

  • What are your professional goals for the new year?
  • Where do you want to be this time next year?
  • What are the three steps you can take to get there?
  • How are you investing in your career development?

As part of my desire to be bold, I applied and was accepted to speak at HR West 2020!

I am co-presenting Internal Communications in Times of Change with an HR friend on a topic near and dear to me, Kerry Evensong SPHR.

There it is. I said it. My official announcement! And if I am honest with myself, I can recognize all of my fears around this. As a woman, I struggle with imposter syndrome. Am I qualified? Will anyone come to the session? What if I get a tough question?

And that is where Being Bold comes in.

Do I have real-life experience on this topic? Yes! From every organization where I have worked.

Will there likely be more experienced people in the room? I hope so!

As adult learners, we can all learn from one another and this session will facilitate learning and sharing. Were all the change communications I’ve been a part of handled well? Absolutely not. Have I learned a thing or two? I hope so – I’ve learned what to do well as well as what not to do.

So, if you’re an HR professional and interested in this topic, I hope to see you at my HR West 2020 Session on Day 3 of the conference, Wednesday, March 11th, 10:40 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.

Our session promises to be a lively interactive time and our intention for you to leave the session with hands-on practical tips you can immediately deploy to help manage internal communications in your organizations.

HR Pro-tip!

When you register for HR West online, you can save $100 by using the promo code PRESENTER20 at check-out!

I encourage you to Be Bold in 2020!

About the Author

Maureen Middleton, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is a senior human resources professional with strengths in balancing the goals and strategic objectives of the organization with that of the employees. With experience in the private and nonprofit sectors, Maureen is a diversity and inclusion champion. She currently is an HR Manager at Tides, supporting a portfolio of over 30+ social justice nonprofits doing work around the globe. Maureen is also the founder of MoKell Consulting.

About HR West 2020

The HR West Conference shapes the future of HR together with the HR community. HR attendees and participants are thriving, in-the-know HR professionals and providers, always striving to stay ahead of what’s next and what’s to come in the HR profession.

The HR West Conference has convened annually for 36 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, attracting professionals from across the country, with a heavy presence from the Silicon Valley companies and their HR experts. These HR experts represent some of the most seasoned HR professionals who deliver on some of the biggest HR demands in the profession since they practice HR in California and around the world.


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