Join Us On April 16 for “The Future of SHRM and the HR Profession"
Chapter Discussion Group: “Creating an Emergency Response Plan”
Dulles Chapter Awarded 2002 Superior Merit Award
Dulles Chapter To Sponsor Student Chapter Of National-Louis University
Dulles Chpater Renews Partnership With WTPF
Board Meeting Minutes
"HR Fundamentals Seminar"
“Workplace Success: Building Strategies For Today's Environment"
"Exploring Labor Relations In The Commonwealth"
Update on 2003 State Conference
Mark Your Calendar
Article: Tips For Working With People At Work
Check Out Previous Newsletters

Join Us On April 16 for “The Future of SHRM and the HR Profession"

No doubt you have been a SHRM member for years and have been taking advantage of the myriad of services offered by the largest human resource management association in the world. You have probably attended seminars and the national conference, ordered books from the bookstore, consulted the Information Center, and visited the website for the latest information on a wide variety of topics pertinent to your profession. Join us in April for a unique opportunity to hear from Susan Meisinger, the leader of this remarkable organization that represents more than 165,000 human resource professionals in more than 120 countries. Hear firsthand about the future of SHRM and the HR profession from Ms. Meisinger’s perspective.

Susan Meisinger was chosen as President & CEO of SHRM in February 2002. She had held the positions of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SHRM since 1999, Senior Vice President from 1997-1999, and Vice President of Government and Public Affairs from 1987-1997. Prior to joining SHRM in 1987, Ms. Meisinger served as Deputy Under Secretary for the Employment Standards Administration (ESA) of the U.S. Department of Labor. She holds a bachelor degree from Mary Washington College and a law degree from The George Washington University. Ms. Meisinger has extensive expertise in employment and human resource management issues, experience in the Federal Government and the development of public policy, and an unwavering commitment to the Society and the profession.

Special Guests: We extend a special welcome to our guests from the Leesburg Chapter of SHRM.

Welcome our sponsor, Teresa Bucholz of Spherion. You may learn more about Spherion by visiting online at www.spherion.com.

This program has been approved for 1.0 recertification credit hour toward PHR and SPHR recertification through HRCI. For more information, visit www.hrci.org.

Chapter Discussion Group: “Creating an Emergency Response Plan”, Thursday, April 3

Please confirm your attendance to Cindy Loison at cloisonhr@aol.com. We look forward to seeing you there.

Dulles Chapter Awarded 2002 Superior Merit Award

President Judy Perrault was recently notified by Areas II Manager Shelly Prochaska that Dulles SHRM has received a Superior Merit Award for 2002. The award is in recognition of chapter activities performed during 2002 and reported in our recently submitted Chapter Achievement Plan. Our thanks to the 2002 Board and especially to Judy Perrault who prepared and submitted the summary of our 2002 activities. Look for our new podium banner and Superior Merit Award logo soon.

Dulles Chapter To Sponsor Student Chapter Of National-Louis University

At its March board meeting, the Dulles Chapter Board of Directors voted to sponsor the Northern Virginia student chapter of National-Louis University. SHRM Faculty Advisor Mason Beale presented key areas in which Dulles SHRM could assist the student chapter, including a website link, student access to Dulles Chapter meetings, networking and mentoring opportunities, a practicum for transitioning adults, and speakers for the student chapter meetings in areas such as professional development, networking, and means of gaining experience in the human resource profession. National-Louis offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. The Northern Virginia campus is located on Westpark Drive in McLean. The university has a campus in Washington, D.C. and 13 other campuses throughout the world. The majority of students are military staff. Student Chapter Liaison Rich Stacy will be coordinating activities for this new initiative. Watch for opportunities to lend your support in the months ahead. Contact Rich at rkconsult@aol.com to share your ideas or volunteer.

Board Meeting Minutes

The minutes from the Board meetings are available on our web site - please take a few minutes to review them in full. Click Here to View.

Dulles Chpater Renews Partnership With WTPF

The Dulles Chapter is renewing our partnership with WTPF to offer chapter members an opportunity contribute to and obtain the Annual WTPF Compensation Survey, the metro area’s premiere report of pay levels and trends in the local technology industries. Under this partnership agreement, Dulles Chapter members will have access to the report at special “partner” prices, $1,200 for participants and $1,500 for non-participants. This represents a savings of $300 over non-member prices. Watch for more news in coming weeks.

"HR Fundamentals Seminar"
April 9-10, Microsoft Innovation & Technology Center, Reston, VA

If you are new to the HR profession, a student with an interest in HR, or have recently moved into HR from another profession, you’ll want to register for this two-day seminar sponsored by the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC). Topics to be discussed include human resource management essentials, recruiting and selecting the right employees, compensating employees effectively, orienting and training your employees, ensuring quality performance, and employment law in your workplace. Learn more and register at www.nvtc.org.

Sponsored by: Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)

When:
April 9 & 10

Where:
Microsoft Innovation & Technology Center
Two Discovery Square
Reston, VA

Registration Fee:
Members-$249; Non-Members-$349

Information:
www.nvtc.org

“Workplace Success: Building Strategies For Today's Environment"
April 25, Roanoke Higher Education Center, Roanoke, VA

The Valleys of Virginia Chapter of ASTD and the Roanoke Valley Chapter of SHRM are co-sponsoring with the Roanoke Higher Education Center to present the 3rd Annual ASTD/SHRM Conference. This day-long conference is designed to provide HR professionals with a wide selection of professional development and management practices workshops, including an interactive keynote speaker video conference with Stephen Covey. The program includes presentations in areas such as OD/HRM best practices, training fundamentals, learning technologies, and general courses as well as vendor booths.

Sponsored by: Valleys of Virginia Chapter of ASTD/Roanoke Valley Chapter of SHRM

When:
Friday, April 25

Where:
Roanoke Higher Education Center

Registration Fee:
$109; Covey Video Conference Lunch Only Session-$39.95

Information:
Contact Joyce Kessinger, Jkessinger@boxley.com

"Exploring Labor Relations In The Commonwealth"
May 13-14, Omni Hotel, Richmond, VA

Hear “best practices” from Virginia organizations that have positive labor relations. Learn how recent changes in workforce development programs, such as apprenticeship, are impacting your organization. Network with prominent human resources professionals and labor and government representatives.

Sponsored by: VCU Virginia Labor Studies Center

When:
May 13-14

Where:
Omni Hotel, Richmond, VA

Keynote Speakers:
Governor Mark Warner
Honorable Michael Schewel, VA Secretary of Commerce and Trade

Registration Fee:
3 or more participants: $235.00 for registration by April 25

Information:
(804) 828-7484, (800) 793-VLSC, www.vlsc.bus.vcu.edu

Update on 2003 State Conference
“HR - The Next Generation: Advancing the Profession - Advancing Ourselves”
Fairview Park Marriott, October 15-17, 2003

TThe official website for the 2003 State Conference is up and running. Check it out at www.novashrm.org/StateConf/StateConference.php. Looks for ways to help out on the various committees by making a long-term commitment to a standing committee as conference plans evolve or serving on a short-term basis as a volunteer during the conference itself. Follow the instructions on the website and contact the appropriate committee representative or Alice Waagen of Dulles SHRM, who is chairing the Volunteer Committee with assistance from Maggie Chan, also from Dulles SHRM. Contact either Alice or Maggie directly at worklearn@aol.com (Alice) or maggie.chan@fairfaxcounty.gov (Maggie).

Keynote speakers for the conference will include Susan Meisinger, President and CEO, SHRM, who will open the conference on Thursday morning, October 16, immediately followed by Cari Dominquez, Chair, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The luncheon keynote speaker on October 16 will be Dr. Peter Cappelli, Director, Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School. Bruce Tulgan, Rainmaker Thinking, will be the closing luncheon keynote speaker on Friday, October 17. There will be two rise-and-shine sessions, 21 concurrent sessions, and two Executive Sessions during the two-day conference. Make plans to volunteer and, more importantly, to attend.

Mark Your Calendars

Upcoming SHRM Conferences and Seminars

• 26th Annual Conference & Exposition of the SHRM Global Forum, March 31-April 2, 2003, Los Angeles, CA. For information, visit www.shrm.org/conferences.
• 34th Annual Conference and Exposition of the Employment Management Association (EMA), April 23-25, 2003, Las Vegas, NV. For information, visit www.shrm.org/conferences.
• 2003 HR Leadership Awards Gala, June 3, 2003, McLean Hilton at Tysons Corner. For information, visit www.hrleadership.org www.hrleadership.org.
• 55th Annual SHRM Conference and Exposition, June 22-25, 2003, Orlando, FL. For more information, visit /www.shrm.org/conferences/annual.
• 2003 VA SHRM State Conference, October 15-17, 2003 at the Fairview Park Marriott. Learn more at www.novashrm.org.

2003 Chapter Dinner Meetings

• April 16, 2003 - “Special Presentation by Susan R. Meisinger, President, SHRM” with Leesburg SHRM Chapter
• May 21, 2003 - “Reserves at the Ready” with Bill Albright, Director, Quality of Work Life and Benefits, Mitre
• June 18, 2003 - “Panel Discussion on Benefits - Costs and Latest Trends” with Dave Downer and our panel of experts
• July, 2003 - NO MEETING
• August 20, 2003 - “Compensation Trends” with Mark Avery, MarketPay Associates
• September 17, 2003 - “From Expatriation to Repatriation” with Christine Smith, Wolf Group
• October 15, 2003 - “Diversity” with Katherine Huston, Freddie Mac
• November 19, 2003 - “Background and Drug Screening” with Vicki Tilton, Edge Information Management
• December 3, 2003 - Annual Holiday Party
• December 10, 2003 - Transition Board Meeting

Article: Tips For Working With People At Work
By Susan M. Heathfield
Contributed by Deidre Iannelli, Dulles Chapter Diversity Director

Want to develop effective working relationships with people at work? Start with similarities, not differences, among people when you build relationships. As a human resources professional, manager, supervisor, co-worker, staff member, or business owner, effective work relationships are critical for your success.

We’ve emphasized honoring and appreciating the diverse needs, skills, talents, and contributions of people in recent years. While this is critical, don’t let the pendulum swing too far in this direction. We are in danger of forgetting to honor and appreciate our similarities. By acknowledging the similarities and likenesses, we create a starting point for understanding.

A strong example emerges in The Human Capital Edge: 21 People Management Practices Your Company Must Implement (or Avoid) to Maximize Shareholder Value by Bruce N. Pfau and Ira T. Kay, executives with Watson Wyatt Worldwide. In Watson Wyatt’s WorkUSA research, they asked 7,500 workers at all job levels across diverse industries to respond to 130 statements about their workplaces. Watson Wyatt broke down the responses to look for patterns across demographics including whites versus minorities, men versus women, and people over and under 30 years old.

They found more similarities than differences, especially in the categories respondents rated most important to them. People agreed about what inspires their commitment to a particular employer. People cited these factors as important. They supported their company’s business plan, they had a chance to use their skills on the job, their reward package was competitive, and the company acted on employee suggestions.

People also agreed on what organizations need to improve: employee input and promoting the best performers while helping the worst performers get better. Additionally, the employees want to know how their job affects internal and external customers. They want to understand how their job contributes to the accomplishment of company business goals. They want a safe work environment and highly rated products and services.

Recommendations

In response to the research, Pfau and Key recommend that organizations concentrate on four areas with their employees:

Keep your company effective, winning, and on the right track.

Help people, supplied with needed resources, use their talents and skills to contribute to the overall accomplishment of organization objectives.

Respect and value people and recognize and act on their contributions.

Create an environment in which people have interesting work and enjoy their co-workers.

On the Interpersonal Level

Take a look at your co-workers or reporting staff with new eyes. Think about the factors that you share in common with them. You’ll find:

You’re all human beings with complex emotions, needs, interests, outlooks, viewpoints, and dreams. Share something about yourself to create an environment in which your co-worker wants to share information with you. Listen and don’t pry. Polite and continuing interest in your co-workers contributes to workplace harmony.

You have family and other interests outside work. Hear what your co-workers tell you about their personal lives. Remember the highlights to demonstrate respect and interest.

You have similar needs from work as demonstrated above in The Human Capital Edge. Acknowledge this and note the commonalities.

Work is more exciting when you feel as if you are accomplishing mutual goals. Act as if you are part of a winning team. Emphasize, with co-workers, your common interest in your success and the success of the organization. You’ll get to know people as people if you participate in any fun or team building events your organization sponsors. Better yet, join the team that plans them.

Conclusion

If you start by recognizing the ways in which you are similar to your co-workers, you’ll build a base of understanding and acceptance that will withstand the sometimes stormy times when your differences come to the forefront.

That’s all for this month unless you have any ideas or suggestions? This is your chapter - let us know what’s on your mind!

Judy Perrault
President
Dulles SHRM
vprez@mindbank.com