SHRM De-brief - Re-imagine the workplace

Here is my final debrief from the Society for Human Resources Management Conference in Atlanta this year and there was so much talk about the future of HR and our role as HR practitioners in re-imagining the workplace.  Given that we are living through so many dramatic and unforeseen changes, it is more critically important than ever that HR demonstrates that we are the leading profession in the business.
"As HR Professionals, we own our seat at the table.  Now we must take our seat at the head of the table!"  says SHRM President Hank Jackson.  And I could not agree with him more!
The rules around the workplace are changing so rapidly and these can make or break an organisation's success.  We do not have a "Google Map" to guide us over the next few years but we do need to keep our eyes open for the mega-trends and these are:
1. The growth in the population and the disparity between rich and poor.
2. The explosion of information fueled by social networks
3. The skills gap - how to train and recruit a workforce with the right skills for where we are right now
4. The global and flexible workforce
5. Disruptive innovation which involves products and processes that are so fundamentally different that they can overwhelm even profitable organisations.  What sounds like science fiction today could put you out of business tomorrow if you are not adaptable.
As Hank put it:
"Our success will not be measured simply by how well we connect HR departments to new ideas and new innovation.  But rather, our success will be measured by how well HR professionals lead their organisations into the future!"