I attended the opening session, keynoted by Hillary Rodham Clinton. I didn’t write it up immediately, as i wanted a little time to reflect, and also to report on the “buzz” that would emerge.
I expected a loud, positive “buzz”. Mot so. The buzz, while positive, was not loud. I guess it boiled down to a perception that it was a good, well researched presentation. Expectations were high, and Hillary did fine. Just not an earth-shattering keynote.
What did i scribble while she talked?
Compliments. “HR knows what it takes to provide workers with the flexibility to care for children and aging parents. You also know what must be done to provide affordable health care to everyone.”
Big applause on health care.
No remarks on run for prez – she sure looks presidential in sincere blue suit.
Pointed out big importance of womens issues in the workplace, globally.
The best part of the presentation was 10 minutes of Q&A with SHRM CEO Henry Jackson.
Key points:
1. We’ve got to fix immigration. We educate students and then don’t let them stay. It’s a key economic issue.
2. Leadership is a team sport.
3 You can’t win if you don’t show up.
4. A whisper can be louder than a shout
5 Follow the trend lines, not the headlines
In closing, CEO Hank pressured her to return to our conference next year. She sidestepped that one nicely.
Karl Ahlrichs' Uncommon Experience 
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