Thursday, September 26, 2013

As the Vice President of Programs for the Washington DC Chapter of SHRM, Kim Huckabone wanted to start the 2013/2014 program year off with something other than the usual human resources fare. In looking over Patrina Clark's Joyfully You website and video clips, she felt she had found the perfect "season opener." And, it turns out Kim was right! The session drew almost twice the normal attendance for the Chapter's breakfast meetings, and the feedback from the session was outstanding.

Clark, President and Founder of Pivotal Practices Consulting LLC, kicked things off with a round of speed networking that included prizes as incentives. This helped everyone feel more connected by moving around the room and engaging people they might not have otherwise had a chance to speak to.

Once a baseline for group coherence was established from the networking activity, Patrina had the group do a reflective exercise looking back over the perceived highs and lows of their life's experiences. This activity served as the foundation for the rest of the presentation, which included exercises in exploring personal beliefs, gaining balance and clarity, and individual goal setting.

In her event summary write-up, Huckabone stated, "It was amazing how the whole atmosphere in the room transformed during this exercise. It was as if we had awakened from a deep relaxing nap, all in a brief 5 minutes. Patrina is a true master [capable of] helping her audience find strength and happiness within themselves."

Here's what a few other participants had to say:

"In this age of doing more with less, understanding how to connect with yourself is a valuable tool for survival and a life with no regrets." - LaWanda Robertson, Executive Generalist

"The exercises were very helpful. Fortunately, I am blessed to be a generally happy and satisfied person but the exercises were very useful. The presenter was awesome. Very good spirit." - Tiffany Montgomery, National HR Manager

"Wonderful experience. Patrina is engaging and informative." - Mallory Nichols, Recruiter

"This was inspiring and practical." - Chad Wilson, Tax Consultant

"This was a great workshop. Patrina was engaging, thorough, and thoughtful. I enjoyed how interactive the presentation was and allowed for you to take time for me." - Emily Schelle, Senior Manager

The program had the added benefit of conferring 1.25 general credit hours for Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) recertification.