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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!
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Comments
12.23.09
I read the original article, and it appears HRMarketer doesn't resonate with the statement by John Sumser, "Influencers don't work; workers don't influence." either. They conclude "Influencers work; workers influence.".
John appears to have argued that if you are going to be an 'Influencer' that moves mass opinion or has reach across your industry, you pretty much have to work on that full time. If you are working on Influencing full time, you won't get much else done.
I think of influence in a different context altogether -- I have some things under my control, but I can use influence to extend my reach to effect things that are not under my control. Unless your goal is to be a 'rock star' Influencer (and good luck to you if it is), the benefit of influence is to facilitate your work, or to build synergy with your projects or your community of practice. My favorite 'Influencers' are actually busy at their craft, but share their view or experience in a way that inspires me.
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