By Patricia Bortolon, Senior Consultant
The HR Leaders of Tomorrow program kicked off the year with tremendous success. Our program was created for growing HR professionals to foster connections and engage in collaborative learning. Designed with a focus on relevant topics crucial for personal and professional growth, our sessions provide a supportive environment for individuals to develop and thrive together. With engaging guest speakers, subject matter experts, and the forging of new connections, we are excited for the upcoming fall sessions. As we reach the halfway mark, it is an opportune moment to share some of the takeaways that have emerged from our valuable discussions.
During the program’s initial phase, we delved into the first two of our compelling topics designed to enhance professional growth and branding. These topics included:
1. Personal Branding:
- Understanding the concept of branding.
- Defining and shaping your own brand identity.
- Effective communication and marketing strategies for your brand.
2. LinkedIn Presence and Optimization:
- Recognizing the significance of LinkedIn as a professional platform.
- Leveraging LinkedIn for career advancement and networking.
- Ensuring your online presence aligns with your desired brand image.
Key Takeaways from Guest Speakers
Our esteemed guest speakers, Colleen Bailey Moffitt, Dorena Quinn, and Diana Elder, offered profound insights that resonated with our participants. Here are some of the notable takeaways:
Colleen Bailey Moffitt, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, Canada Life:
- Embrace curiosity and consider lateral moves as opportunities for growth.
- Cultivate confidence in your ability to learn by prioritizing and focusing on essential skills.
- Foster intentional relationships with leaders at all levels, seeking guidance and sharing your career aspirations.
- Identify personal priorities such as work-life balance and organizational values.
- Remember that educational background does not restrict your potential – leverage knowledge in unconventional ways.
- Embrace discomfort and push yourself outside your comfort zone to facilitate personal growth.
Dorena Quinn, Senior Vice President, People, IAMGOLD:
- Challenge the notion that career progression must follow a vertical trajectory; lateral moves can be invaluable learning experiences.
- Reflect on your values and align your professional choices accordingly.
- Success is not predetermined by a rigid set of rules; define your own path to success.
- Embrace the concept of lifelong learning and continuously evolve.
- Actively network, seek mentors or coaches, and learn from others to fuel personal growth.
- Challenge self-limiting beliefs and let your experiences shape your future choices.
- Navigating change requires resilience, strong teamwork, stability, and excitement.
Diana Elder, Vice President People and Culture, University Health Network:
- Each career path is unique, and it is essential to proactively seek opportunities and network to gain insights.
- Embrace challenges and let fear be a motivator to move forward with confidence.
- Use LinkedIn and networking to access valuable information and mentoring opportunities.
- Seek role models and mentors, targeting specific areas of improvement for tailored advice.
- Appreciate the current HR landscape’s significance and focus on people-centric strategies.
- Develop and enhance soft skills (power skills) alongside technological advancements.
- Embrace risks, flexibility, and uncomfortable positions as catalysts for personal and professional growth.
As we celebrate the achievements and knowledge gained during the first half of the HR Leaders of Tomorrow program, we are invigorated by the great insights shared by our guest speakers. The transformative power of personal branding and the cultivation of soft skills has become evident through their experiences. We look forward to the program’s second half and the opportunity to continue nurturing future HR leaders who will shape the ever-evolving landscape of human resources.