Who are the people that are taking the lead in disrupting the future of work?
They’re the official Disruptors (Organizers) of DisruptHR events held in cities around the world.
Each week, we’ll introduce you to one of these intelligent, inspiring, and beautiful people (okay, pick two) who have stepped up, and volunteered to organize a Disrupt HR event in their city.
Meet Nancy Harris – DisruptHR Chicago (Disruptor #32)
Website – Restart Consulting
LinkedIn – Nancy Harris
Twitter – @restartnancy
Facebook – Restart Consulting
Who are you, and what do you do in your “day job”?
I’m Nancy Harris, and I am a workplace re-inventor! I’m the Founder and CEO of Restart Consulting.
How did you first hear about DisruptHR?
I first heard about DisruptHR from Nicole Dessain.
Nicole asked if I would be interested in co-founding DisruptHR Chicago, so I did some research and was beyond excited to know there were other people who wanted to shake things up in H.R. I immediately said, “Hell yay!”
Why did you decide to raise your hand and become an organizer for DisruptHR events in Chicago?
I am very passionate about innovation and disruption, particularly in H.R. Those are not terms we often associate with the function. However, I feel we’re at a critical time, and H.R. will need to “innovate or die.”
I want to see the function live on, so being a part of DisruptHR helps me, in a small but mighty way, bring innovation and new ideas forward.
How many events have you organized?
We’ve organized two events at 1871 – Chicago’s premier technology and innovation lab. We’re also planning our third event, which will be in Spring 2017.
The response in Chicago has been tremendous — we’ve got a lot of disruptors! Both our events sold out in record time, and over 500 people attended, plus we had waitlists of over 100!
Wow…I’ve been humbled and grateful for the support.
What types of people/industries attended your event?
We have a diverse mix, which is what makes it such a terrific event. We have everyone from CHRO’s and Talent Acquisition gurus, to start-up founders and CEO’s.
We’ve had huge support from the start-up, non-profit and business community. Our main goal is to make this inclusive. We can learn just as much for the CHRO as we can from the founder of a start-up.
What are you most proud of that has come out of being involved with/organizing DisruptHR events?
I would say, it’s the people that I’ve met, and the network that we’re building. We have a vibrant, diverse and fun community in Chicago.
I have the privilege of being the point person for all of our speakers, and all I have to say is I’m blown away by their spirit, passion and enthusiasm.
What kind of feedback did you receive from those who have attended DisruptHR Chicago events?
My heart was warmed, when so many people said this was the best event they ever attended – that’s a huge compliment, and we heard it time and time again.
I believe people are ready for change and DisruptHR Chicago is the perfect way to ignite the fire!
What is your favorite DisruptHR Talk, and why?
That’s a really hard one because I think they’re all great! It’s like asking to pick my favorite child – ha ha – and anyone who has the courage to present in the DisruptHR format is awesome!
But, if I had to pick, I’d go with “Women And Disruption: Why Aren’t More Women Disrupting Things?” by Sangita Kasturi – CEO of Action Inclusion.
Women And Disruption: Why Aren’t More Women Disrupting Things? | Sangita Kasturi | DisruptHR Talks from DisruptHR on Vimeo.
Some additional favorites include “Radical Inclusion: Theory + Practice” by Ellen Steele Kapoor – Manager of Talent Management & Leadership Development at ITW, and “People Analytics: From Fear to Fun (Well, Almost)” by Dorie Blesoff – CHRO of kCura.
Radical Inclusion: Theory + Practice | Ellen Steele Kapoor | DisruptHR Talks from DisruptHR on Vimeo.
People Analytics: From Fear to Fun (Well, Almost) | Dorie Blesoff | DisruptHR Talks from DisruptHR on Vimeo.
Based off of the Talks and conversations at your events, what do you feel are the areas with the biggest opportunity for disruption?
I believe it’s learning from other disciplines and bringing them into the fold. HR doesn’t “own” people it’s collective.
I want to share learnings from IT, Marketing, Operations, etc. I think this will only further our disruption and growth as HR professionals.
What excites you or frustrates you about the future of work, your career and/or DisruptHR?
One of my biggest frustrations is when people say, “the speakers could be more disruptive.”
I’m like… “ok, bring on your ideas!” But unfortunately, most of the time its radio silence.
I feel that being “disruptive” can mean getting back to basics. In H.R., many of us (not all), have lost sight of the fundamentals. It’s hard to truly disrupt if the fundamentals are shaky.
I’m excited, however, that there are so many people who TRULY desire to see changes in how we work and how we view people in our organizations. And I’m even more excited to see folks – outside of HR – wanting to do this.
It’s an exciting time to be doing what we do!
Follow What’s Happening With DisruptHR Chicago:
– DisruptHR Chicago Community Page
– DisruptHR Chicago Facebook Page