HR Marketer had a great quote in their blog, the other day. “Influencers don’t work; workers don’t influence.”
I thought about this over the weekend and decided that the statement needs some fleshing out. I want to know what you think because I cannot agree with it. No way. It just doesn’t seem right based on my own experiences.
I recently met HR professionals like Stephen R. Fussell, Patricia Nazemetz, and Marcela Perez de Alonso at an event in New York. These are professionals who lead, influence, and work hard to make sure that HR and recruiting get it right. They have important and visible roles where they are required to travel, speak to associations, and provide thought-leadership on key issues. They work long hours with executives and employees to ensure that their organizations are profitable and successful.
They work. They think. They influence.
It’s very rare to meet someone who has the magical ability to run a business and speak thoughtfully about the future of global employment, but those people do exist. I’m excited that my second career as an advisor & writer has exposed me to a world where HR people do more than just plan parties. Had I met some of these HR professionals earlier in my career, I might still be working in HR. Now that I know that these men and women exist, I think about going back to work in Corporate HR so I can learn from them and do better.
So what do you think about the quote? Most of you work for a living and earn money in a traditional way. Do influencers work for a living? Can workers influence the business landscape in both philosophical and strategic ways? What do you think?
Let me know!
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m with you Laurie, that sounds like someone who is bitter about something.
It’s a lot of work to put yourself out there as a “thought leader” who has to endure the slings and arrows.
It reminds me of the quote I once read, where the boss walks by a guy sitting at his desk as he’s looking out the window. The boss says, “What are you doing?”, the worker replies, “Thinking”. The boss pauses then says, “Stop thinking and start working”.
And if you read the whole post you’d see where I was going — that influencers do work and workers do influence and all the pretty frickin’ hard-workin’ rainbows that pay off in between and in the end.
Happy Christmas!
How about this?
“Influencers inspire; workers take it higher.”
What, no good?
Most of the self proclaimed “influencers” in the people arena spend their time berating the profession for not delivering strategically, whilst at the same time sitting on their arses talking about HR rather than doing it.
In my opinion, the real influencers are the ones that make a difference for thousands and thousands of people through the way that they run their organisations. The people that make it real, that deliver.
To paraphrse:
Those that can, do. Those that can’t, preach. And those that can’t preach, preach to preachers…….
I think it has more to do with the group to which it is referring. Everyone bears influence, but is that influence one which reflects the corporate direction? All too often, I have encountered the naysayer employees and their primary role is to influence people through their disdain and negativity. Unfortunately, like the media, bad news sells. So, people jump on board. Bottom line is that everyone influences. And we, as Managers, have invested too liberally in employees…through hotlines, HR, peer evals, 360 evals and all of the related, it has become a sludge of discontent.
Everyone influences…we just need fewer people to influence and more people to work. So, I believe that the quote is inaccurate because workers DO influence. Thus, they are the worker AND the influencer.
I believe that influencing/working is a Yin/Yang framework. One has to want to be influenced for influencing to work, just as one has to want to work for working to influence.
Too Karmic for Monday morning.
I don’t believe that no matter how good we are at what we do, unless the other party accepts our thoughts, guidance or input, it won’t work. How do we force minds open to accept?
Interesting thread….I find that many so-called “thought leaders” are people with good marketing skills. Not that there’s anything wrong with marketing
. But, you will see self-proclaimed “thought leaders” who basically take a contrarian point of view. They may be visionary influencers, or not. The way I see it: there are many ways to influence…sometimes the quiet, thoughtful hard working leaders are more powerful influencers than those who make a big splash. Either way, it does require hard work to make a difference.
my one and only thought: i am sick of quotes
hahaha!
happy holidays
If you’re allowing yourself to be influenced by people who don’t work, you’re an idiot.
I only listen to people who actually DO stuff.
A rogue wave is breaking over Human Resources. Leaders are more vocal in their strategy for the evolution of people. For too long we got entrenched in regulation, certification and process.
Creatvity is now a part of HR. Those embracing their ability to think naturally are creating a unique culture.
The door is open!
Once again a perspective from outside the HR influencer ranks…
It seems that most of the folks who comment on your blog, Laurie, are HR influencers. They are people who write blogs, speak at conferences and contribute to efforts to shape the future of global employment. Why does this jaded mental health professional/artist who never has been and never will be an HR professional keep entering into the discussion?
I have been a “worker” in the mental health profession for 19 years. I have had some middle management positions and some direct clinical positions. I have found few people in leadership positions in the various organizations where I have worked who truly knew how to lead and influence in positive ways.
The mental health care system in our country is broken. Seriously broken, and no one seems to care. Everyone expects us to keep people from going postal, but no one seems to want to fund anything to allow us to do that. We need “influencers” who will rattle the cages of those who keep things status quo, but those that exist are generally dismissed as bleeding hearts.
The workers in mental health organizations have ideas about what would fix the system. Most of them either keep their mouths shut for fear of retribution from the leadership, or they simply have no time or venue for influencing the direction of mental health care.
Most mental health professionals reach the point of burn out much sooner than I have, but I am pretty close to “there”. It is not because we deal with hurt people all the time that we burn out. It is because of the barriers in the system that keep us from helping hurt people effectively.
So back to why I follow your blog.
People who influence the direction of the global work force influence EVERYONE because everyone has to work. Most of us want to influence the directions of the respective careers in which we work, but we have little power or voice in the grand scheme of things. I enjoy reading and discussing issues with people who do make a difference, as it give me hope that I might eventually do the same in my own career.
Sadly, there are pompous and illegitimate “influencers” in every field who seem to capture everyone’s attention and draw the discussion away from the real issues. I like how you and your followers call those in your field out and hold them to account. It gives me inspiration that I might be able to do the same in my field some day.
Thanks to all for the daily dose of PRHR wisdom and inspiration.
BZTAT–”influencer” is relative. You’re not in HR and I’m (not) anymore either…but you influence me, by being smart and knowing about your own field.
Laurie doesn’t influence me in HR (because I’m not in HR), but she influences me in tons of other ways. She does a million things well, and I’m influenced by lots of them.
I think people who try to be influencers are usually unsuccessful. It’s the people who just go out there and do stuff who end up being most inspirational. You can’t force it.
I really don’t understand the quote, as I’m not influenced by anyone who doesn’t KNOW what it’s like to slog day-to-day HR. If I attend a conference and a speaker doesn’t prove to me that he/she understands what my job entails, I tune out. I’ve heard quite enough speakers tell me I’m supposed to be strategic. Yeah, I know. Give me some real world examples of how you did it. Frankly, I have more fun at legal seminars because employment attorneys tell the BEST stories and often have better senses of humor than most people I see at HR seminars. And, really, the bulk of HR Magazine needs to be read by senior management, not me. They’re preaching to the choir.
It’s the same reason I’m put off by CEO speakers who lecture at HR professionals about how to get our seat at the table and aim their whole speech assuming we’re all just a bunch of lazy party planners. Hey, it’s not my fault you hired crap HR people and expected nothing more of them, Mr. CEO. Tell me something I don’t know! Give me a trick. Show your hand. Otherwise, you’re wasting my time.
Laurie, I don’t disagree with you. I’ve also thought about the same quote, as well as John Sumser’s work over the years to identify and promote who he believes to be “influential”. He is a very smart gentleman, and while he and I disagree on the difference between demographics and psychographics (lol – he’ll get the inside joke on that one as I believe there is a difference and he doesn’t), John has taken it to a new level by now using an ‘algorithm’ (see Traackr.com) to determine ‘influence’. He helped develop the algorithm, and while I disagree with it (i.e. Kris Dunn ranks a 20/100 on ‘relevance’, which is laughable relative to others who scored higher than him), I give a stark kudos for the effort – in fact, I surely believe it will improve. (Note: I guess the salient topics that Kris writes about weren’t included in the keyword listing used to identify ‘relevance’ – yeah, sure – lol.)
See, let me explain where I’m coming from. Is it really possible to determine ‘influence’ from an algorithm? Can we mathematically define ‘influence’? Sure, we can assign mathematical values to many, many, many things . . . but influence is extremely subjective. I love math, all kinds and flavors, but quantifying the subjective is often an exercise in futility.
Here’s an analogy: Let’s say ‘Bob’ gives a presentation to 1000 job seekers on how to write a better resume, while ‘Jim’ actually sits down 1-on-1 with 10 job seekers to personally help them. Who is more ‘influential’, Bob or Jim? Hint: There is no right answer as it’s subjective! Do we really think the 10 people that Jim sat down with, one-on-one, care that some algorithm showed Bob to be more ‘influential’?
Or take the HR person who’s moving and shaking inside of their organizations. What if they’re actually ‘working’ to influence and improve their own firm instead of tweeting or blogging? (which therefore would result favorable to the Traackr algorithm) In fact, are we even discussing results? Can someone who simply retweets other people’s works and ideas in our space be ‘influential’? We have a plethora of promoters and very few creators, imho.
I’m a fan of social media – I’m more “intune” than I’ve ever been. You can learn more about business in 30 days of concentrated connectedness and reading than 3 years of B-School. We now live in the era of the weak tie . . . However (in fact, this is a huge however), we have to be careful evaluating digital influence as true, 1-on-1 influence.
P.S. For a final analogy, would you prefer your child get tweets and facebook updates from their father figures, or actual attention? As for me, I’d prefer to teach a child how to shoot a jump-shot instead of sending them a text message on what “proper form” is. We have to be careful when we assume ‘noise’ is somehow ‘influence’.
I wonder what it’s like to work with the author of this quote. Humbling, I’m sure…Sheesh.
Let me put it to you this way— The quote didn’t influence me.
@Matthew I’ll start to be a little less disdainful when:
People who take home multi-million dollar salaries stop offshoring jobs and laying people off, and cease complaining about how people who need social services or welfare just aren’t working hard enough.
@Laurie: I disagree with the quote, though I’ll have to read the post in its entirety, it seems. However, I have a lot more respect for people who accomplish things and back up their rhetoric rather than philosophize them, which is why I often ignore political pundits.
I agree with many previous posters that influencing itself can be hard work, and that it’s difficult to be an influencer without the “cred” that comes from having been there/done that.
@Laurie — I like the way you are thinking about this in terms of your own evolution. It’s very difficult to influence while working a full-time worker-bee HR job (my current position); but if you leave that world to influence full-time you risk losing touch with life in the trenches (as you mention in your post). A healthy blend of both, possibly moving back and forth throughout one’s career, might be the best approach. Good luck!
How about this?
“Influencers inspire; workers aim higher.”
Still no good?
I think people who try to be influencers are usually unsuccessful. It’s the people who just go out there and do stuff who end up being most inspirational. You can’t force it.
I love this, @Kerry! So true. Thx for the positive feedback. Nice to know someone thinks I am smart.
I agree that Laurie influences on so many levels. One of the other things that really draws me to this blog is that she always asks my opinion and she always responds directly and personally to me. I think those actions are very important to show your credibility as an influencer. People who interact with share a dialog with people of various opinions are going to know more and are going to earn the respect of those within their scope of influence.
Laurie’s cat and mine are twins from different mothers and she is the only professional I know who regularly uses the “F” word without losing credibility, so those things are powerful influencers as well.
BTW–I do follow your little red wagon over to your blog sometimes, @Kerry, but I NEVER Google you. Honest. I do love your wit!
What I have is the problem with the word Influencer? so what are these individuals, of whom about 80% are not even practicing H.R influencing? and to whom?
Are they influencing others in the art of cooking hotdogs? or how to be friends online? Do we have any direct correlation to demonstrate that they are presenting influence to the H.R market? Outside say a specific online group of individuals?
What about the reach? is it because a specific number of individuals are reading their blogs? then does this list demonstrate the Number of individuals who are reading their blogs are even from H.R? and are a Large Number of the H.R community.
Have these individuals created much change for the H.R community as a whole? not for a small online community, but for the Large percentage.. and how?
When I see lists like this, it scares me, because there is NO way that one can measure the online level of influence of anyone in any industry – especially since the word Influence is all based upon ones own personal opinion..
MHO – this list, like others that even I had been on, bother me – and often I question, what are the motives for a list like this.. especially on a new blog -and many on the list are “good” even safe to say – “great” friends of the Author and each other.
Oh, yes, I do think that there were a number of outstanding people on that list.. but at the same time, I was wondering how some, who have NEVER worked in the H.R field, and know Nothing of H.R or even Train in H.R even made the list.
Hmm,. does that mean Cinderalla, Jack and the Bean Stalk and Mary Poppins are influencers to the H.R field as well.. they are pretty popular. and dang if sites with their names don’t get a lot of traffic..
Oh, ever notice that John Sumser doesn’t allow one to respond to his posts.. to bring comments to this..
@Phil Thanks for the comment and I TOTALLY SANG YOUR PRAISES IN ATLANTA, THE OTHER NIGHT. Were your ears ringing? I called you awesome about 100x while talking to Robyn.
@Kevin We are so NSYNC.
@Perry It’s like a demotivators poster.
@TheHRD “Those who can’t do — blog.”
@Matthew The worker and influencer model. Hmmmm. Interesting.
@Randi Very zen. Thanks for that.
@BettyD Thanks!
@Charlane SNAP!
@Kerry I don’t listen to anyone just to be safe.
@David “Rogue wave.” OMG, everyone is going rogue. I’m almost afraid to go rogue.
@BZ You are too good to me. I’m influenced by your art. Your love of animals. Your patience. Your determination. I don’t know what any of this means — like why you came into my life — but I know it’s awesome. Maybe it was Baby Jesus, after all.
@Kerry I don’t even influence my cats. #sad
@H.Aria What? Jack Welch doesn’t influence you?
@Josh Holy crap, this needs to be a blog post. Want to remodify the comment and we can throw it up on Punk Rock HR for others to read and comment upon exclusively? You always have such good insight.
@Zane I wonder about that, too. I also if authorship doesn’t matter — ideas matter. It’s not about him. It’s about the concept.
@MattyMat Snap.
@Pete I don’t like people who work — but suck at working but don’t realize it. That’s 99% of us.
@Kristy Thanks for picking up on the laurie-evolution. I forgot that I wove that piece into this post! Blends are always good.
@Perry Meh. I’m not impressed with these kinds of quotes but I appreciate the effort.
@BZ PS — Did you know a majority of both readers and commenters aren’t in HR? They come here from computers after googling keyword searches for jobs — or they google I HATE HR and come here from work. The analytics are interesting.
@KMA Whoa, you’ve got a POV on the list. I think this is bigger than the author of the list — how do we define who matters to us within a community? I’m not sure I just want one list. I want more!
David from Traackr.com here.
@Joshua & @KMa Yes, influence can be very subjective which is one of the reason we do not provide a unique score of influence but rather 3 scores of Reach, Resonance and Relevance. You will find people on the list with vastly different scores in these 3 categories. It’s up to you to decide what component is most important to you when looking at influence. People with high relevance tend to be more like expert in their field (they might influence the influencers) and people with high reach tend to be more the loudest voice (think Oprah here, not an expert at anything but very influential).
Of course we always refine our algorithm to improve our results. This is just the beginning of what we can do.
@Lauris – I “do” and I “blog” – cheeky moo…….!
I think this means that Influencers make it look like it’s not work. They also enjoy what they do so much that it doesn’t seem like work to them. This is what makes them influential. You know what they say “do what you love and you won’t work another day in your life.” At least that’s one way to look at it. The other way to look at is is that workers DO influence! We have to look closely at who is working to see that they should be influence us! From the line worker at the factory to the CEO of our company. We have to make sure we are inspired by everyday people who are working and living the American Dream and have a way to influence us in simple and complex ways!!!!! I am inspired by both the CEO of my company, Oprah, and the unskilled worker who is delivering my newspaper or working in a factory. EVERYONE is an influencer in their own ways!!!!!! WE have the responsiblity to ourselves to recognize this and use this knowledge to influence others!!!!
econopete; I concur…welfare, nationalized healthcare, social security are all Socialistic/communistic. And, NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY is worth a $M salary. The ONLY exception is the sole owner who put all of his efforts, all of his funding, etc into his company. So, why do companies keep paying it? That is a system problem…not a people problem. EVERYONE will shoot for the highest salary they can get…it’s self promotion.
Outsourced jobs…c’mon. We started it…it’s capitalism. Organized crime…I mean organized labor (Unions) inflate salaries which comes from the Company. Eliminate unionization, reduce wages (only the portion that the Unions take) and you have a more profitable model. Otherwise, jobs will ALWAYS go to the lowest bidder.
BTW – Unions are probably one of the biggest influencers out there…and they don’t work.
No, I think HR people who work internally are only Corporate Drones. They do not lead nor influence, they merely follow the party line of what is best for their company, with large kiss-ass smiles on their faces. That has been my experience the past 14 years. Rarely do you find a fantastic HR or Recruiting Mgr in which you can learn from or be mentored. It does not exist. They collect a paychecks and do whatever is necessary to keep the status quo.
Influencers are those who WORK outside the norm, though not often get recognition or pay. These are the folks, like yourself, who internal HR people look to for answers and trends. And then adopt (steal) your information and repackage as their own. You do the work, they get the credit.
I would not follow HR people I met at trade shows or seminars. I would listen, gather, and then take it for a grain of salt as their mandate has nothing to do with influencing or helping others.
Be yourself, be a crusader.
Another thing, you do not need to schmooze with HR folks to become an “expert” in a field you know in your heart what to be true or right. People follow people they feel adds value. You obviously add value, a voice. Influencers are someone who when you walk away at the end of a day (or a post), you can nod and say that is an interesting take (they make you think). Corporate drones don’t think.