Highlights So Far…and Hopes for 2011

Posted by: Alison Chisnell on: December 21, 2010

• In: Blogs | ConnectingHR | HR
• 8 Comments

It makes me smile to think of what my response would have been this time last year, had someone told me I would be writing a Christmas and New Year message for my blog :).  I suspect I may have had an attack of @theHRD’s tourettes and suggest that they bu***r off and questioned how they thought I would ever have time for that?!  Funny how a few months can change things.  The lesson from which, of course, is that you always make time for the things that you enjoy doing.

There have been lots of positives for me in 2010 both personally and professionally and I have a strong suspicion that 2011 will hold many more opportunities, which I am determined to remain open to and benefit from.

Highlights from 2010 –

• Finding the ConnectingHR folk on Twitter and becoming part of a wider professional HR network of like-minded people.  Well, mostly like-minded, we all like a bit of debate 😉
• Attending my first Unconference and being inspired to blog….then wondering what on earth I had started!
• My children starting school and loving it (phew!)
• Achieving a better work-life balance and (mostly) working a true 3 day week rather than trying to squish 5 days into 3
• Developing my blog into something I can be proud of…and being frequently amazed at how much I love doing it

My hopes and plans for 2011 –

• More and better juggling – I will increase to 4 days a week in January and although undoubtedly an adjustment for me, I am optimistic that it will work well
• More networking with the lovely ConnectingHR people and beyond.  I’m already looking forward to January’s tweet-up and May’s Unconference and hope that the initiative will continue to grow, strengthen and improve
• Develop further at work. 2010 was a year of consolidation and regrouping for me, and I believe 2011 will hold lots of potential for meaty projects and meaningful progression in my skills and capabilities, which I am looking forward to tackling
• Blog more and better.  Lots of room for improvement here as I am just beginning on this journey, but I hope to be able to write and share more and by doing so perhaps inspire other HR practitioners to do the same
•  Use LinkedIn more effectively for recruitment and networking

To all who take the time and trouble to read my blog, thank you!  Twitter has proved the source of an enormously strong support network and I genuinely appreciate all of the ‘Encouragers par Excellence’ that I have met along the way…Michael Carty, Doug Shaw, Mervyn Dinnen, Theo HRD, Flora Marriott, Kevin Ball, Gareth Jones and Bill Boorman to name just a few.

I wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a very happy and successful New Year!