August 2008
2008 has been another incredible year of learning and growth at
hr connection®. As I had the opportunity to personally connect with many of you
at our annual boat ride in July, I was once again reminded about what an amazing group of people I
have the privilege of serving. You are the best of the best!
Every time I sit in on one of your small group meetings, I am reminded about something I have heard
Bob Bemel say many times: "Something good always happens in group". The incredible learning and
support, coupled with the opportunity to build lasting relationships (not to mention a little fun and
laughter), makes every small group meeting worth the investment of time.
In addition to bringing you your small group experience, we have had the opportunity to bring you two
very significant offerings this year.
In June, we sponsored the Leadership Development Symposium, where you heard seasoned HR leaders from
GE and General Mills talk about leadership in their organizations. You then had a rare opportunity to
learn from (and be entertained by) one of the best in our field - Dave Ulrich. With approximately 325
in attendance for this event, this was our gift to the greater Twin Cities HR community - and an
opportunity for us to send a message - that hr connection® delivers high-quality
learning opportunities!
2008 has also been the year for us to launch our consulting business called
hrHorsepowerTM. We wanted a name that would paint a picture of the
resources we will offer you - resources that can help you create world-class HR departments and
functions - and add, well, "horsepower" to your HR teams - so that you, in return, can help build
world-class organizations. I'm enclosing a brochure so you can get a better picture of some of the
services we provide. We've also added Bob Meekin, an experienced HR leader and long-time small group
member - as well as additional consulting talent - to our hr connection®
team. We now offer some of the best HR consulting resources in town.
In addition to these new offerings, we just recently completed our third session of Building
High Performing HR LeadersTM. This experience continues to strengthen HR leaders by
enhancing their knowledge of business and HR as well as increase their knowledge of self. Here is a
testimonial from one of our members who just recently completed the experience:
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"As I have researched development opportunities for high performing human resource
leaders, hr connection®'s program stands alone. You have assembled renown
presenters, a thorough curriculum, action learning and extraordinary personal coaches into a program
not found anywhere in the Midwest. Adding the values, culture and personal touch so engrained within
hr connection® makes this a program every HR executive should consider for his or
her team. As I participated in the program, I experienced your vision of building and strengthening
HR leaders, one person at a time ... creating the momentum to impact our profession for decades to
come."
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As I move into my fifth year at hr connection®, I remain committed to listen and
learn from you and work to deliver value, always remembering that your small group is the reason
you're here. Oh, and did I mention ... I love my job!
Here's a summary of some of the benefits and services included in your small group membership:
- A confidential setting to meet monthly with a small group of experienced HR leaders and openly discuss issues, share best practices, and seek advice and counsel from peers
- Best Practice Exchanges with presenters and topics that are relevant to the issues you are facing. Our 2008 Best Practice Exchanges have so far included:
- Toxic Personalities at Work: Nightmares for HR Leaders (January)
- Employee Engagement in the Second Half: Optimizing the Work Experience of Employees Over 50 (March)
- Aligning Talent Management With Business Strategy: A Case Study Approach (May)
- Rising Gas Prices - What's an Employer to Do? (July)
- Real time input from other members through the hr connection®
network of close to 250 experienced HR professionals
- Annual compensation and benefits surveys, as well as member-initiated "spot surveys" throughout
the year
- Priority access for registration and significant discounts on all hrUniversity
learning events (including Building High Performing HR LeadersTM), which are offered in
response to your development needs.
- A fabulous July boat ride
- Personal career support
- Discounted fees on your
hrSearch and hrHorsepower needs.
While continuing to add value, we want to keep the fees as reasonable as possible. I know that many of you are the budget planning process for next year, so I want to communicate the fee structure for 2009.
- 2009 fees paid annually: $1,975 (This represents a $225 annual savings over paying quarterly.) This is about a 5% increase over 2008, or:
- 2009 fees paid quarterly: $550 /quarter. This is less than a 5% fee increase over 2008.
Each member also receives an additional 5% discount when there are 2-3 active members from the same
company, and a 10% discount when there are 4 or more members.
We will assume that you want the same
billing option for next year as you are on this year (quarterly or annually) unless I hear differently
from you.
Thank you for placing your confidence in us. We promise to continue to uphold the important
traditions that many of you have valued over the years. We also remain committed to listen to you and
respond with services and resources that make a critical difference for you and your organization.
Your small groups are the reason we exist!
With warm regards,
