Career News 24/7: The Cynical Girl: You’ve Been Invited to the CEO’s Table. Now What?

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Cynical Girl: You’ve Been Invited to the CEO’s Table. Now What?

You’ve Been Invited to the CEO’s Table. Now What?

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 03:45 AM PDT

Today’s post is a reprint from March 2011.

We can't go a week in HR without someone mentioning how HR needs to get a seat at the table.

Have you been to the table?

I worked with CEOs and Presidents of insurance companies that were acquired by a parent company, but I never pretended that my role was strategic. It wasn't. And whenever I dealt with real CEOs and CFOs who were accountable to a true board of directors — or whenever I met any of those board members — it was only during the most dire and messed up times.

There was a fire,
I was there with a distinct role,
and then I was sent out of the room so the adults could handle it.

Most HR people have never had a conversation with a CEO, a Chairman, or anyone on the governing board of an organization. My friends (and sponsors) at Ultimate Software have a webinar that might help you figure out what to do if you get a chance to have a seat at the table. Tom Sarnecki, the Vice President and General Counsel for Human Resources Affairs at Amcor Sunclipse, explains how adding value and delivering results are expectations of today's human resources professional.

During this session, this HR leader will offer 10 steps to earning this coveted invitation and joining the ranks of an organization's senior leaders. Watch this free videocast now after completing a short form.

Of course Ultimate Software gives you this video for free because they want to help a new, tech-savvy group of HR professionals to move into executive HR roles so they can talk to you when you're all powerful & stuff. That's not a bad thing. I hope you watch it and get something out of it.

I actually watched it. Really. It's pretty interesting. Go.