Photos from the 2009 Dine and Learn
Human Resources Professionals
Association - Kingston District Chapter
HR Dimensions ~ January/February 2009
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My story about the KD-HRPA Dine and Learn
event…

The January 22nd KD-HRPA dinner event was a very
educative and informative session. I met lots of new and
experienced HR professionals and it was kind of interesting as I
thought to myself “wow, one day I would be interviewed and
recruited by one of these professionals”. As a result I made
very good use of the opportunity I had to network and talk with
as much people as I could. I was also privileged to meet and
talk with the mayor of Kingston.

As the event unfolded, I sat at the tables of great professionals
and listened to their speeches. Allison Griffiths of Mercer
(Canada) Ltd. Spoke on “Compensation Trends in today’s
Economic environment and how it impacts Organizations. Vince
Panetta (Lawyer) of Hicks Morley Barristers and Solicitors
shared his knowledge on “Common Accommodation issues
citing two (2) case studies. I also sat with Stuart Carter (HR
Manager) Invista Canada who talked about his company, the
Market Based Management guiding principles and how they
have been able to pull through the current economic
downturns.

I had the opportunity to interview some of my classmates that
were present at the dinner event and here are their comments:
“The food (salmon) was so good, I made lots of contacts, learnt
a lot from the speakers and really enjoyed being there…”;“…
very informative, interesting, beneficial and I would love to go
again…”; “…Excellent quality speakers, good food, interesting
real-life subjects that I had no knowledge of, great networking
and it was great talking to the real life professionals, a more
private setting would be more appreciated as I felt clustered by
the crowd…”; “…My first speaker did not show up, not enough
time to listen to my last speaker’s presentation, it was a great
event as I was able to network…”; “…the night was interesting
because it provided a chance to hear a lot of people talk in a
short time, great chance to network as people changed places
at tables and the group was very welcoming to students, I was
very comfortable there…”

I enjoyed the night and it was great listening to the
professionals talk about the workplace and what happens in
them. I was also able to contribute my knowledge of some
things and I felt like a professional too. I think the dine and
learn event was a great one, I would love to go again and
probably bring as many people as I can.


Written by Cynthia Egbunonu
HR Post Graduate Student,
St. Lawrence College,
Kingston Ontario.
Book Review






Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
(November 2008)
hardcover $30.99 in Canada, ISBN 978-0-376-01792-3

Karen F. Smith is a Student Member of KD-HRPA.  She holds a degree in
History from Queen's and will graduate from the St. Lawrence College
Human Resources Management program in April 2009.  She is an avid
reader.

Outliers examines the determinants of success in extraordinary people.  
The term “outlier” is defined at the beginning of the book as “something
that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related
body.”  Essentially, the book is an examination of people who for various
reasons differ from the norm and become wildy successful.

In the first part of the book, Gladwell examines opportunity in relation to the
success of people like computer genius Bill Gates and top Canadian
hockey players.  He argues that external factors such as geography,
culture and date of birth play a key and underappreciated role in building
success, as much as intelligence and perseverance are given credit for.  In
the first chapter, the relationship between an early month of birth and
success is examined in Canadian Major Junior A hockey players.  His
assertion is that players born earlier in the year are given more advantages
and opportunities to practice.  Gladwell contends that the amount of time
required to reach a professional standard, not just in hockey, but in all
areas, is 10,000 hours of practice.  He contends that circumstance dictates
who will get the right to put in those 10,000 hours of hard work.  In following
chapters, Gladwell looks at the circumstances surrounding the Beatles,
computer experts, and successful and unsuccessful geniuses and lawyers.  
In each case, he demonstrates how each success story got in his or her
10,000 hours of practice, or not, and how that more of an affect than their
measure of IQ.

The second part of Outliers Gladwell asks, “whether the traditions and
attitudes we inherit from our forebears can play the same role [as
circumstance]” and argues that they in fact can.  Gladwell applies
sociological theory to various cultures to make his point.  He argues that
the American school system and the Chinese school system reflect the
agricultural heritage of each culture respectively and as a long-term result,
influence the abilities that each has displayed in international equivalency
testing of children.  The agricultural work ethics of the two cultures are now
reflected in the much higher test results of Eastern children to those of their
Western counterparts who have summers off  from school and shorter
hours in the winter months.  His other examples juxtapose different cultures,
emphasizing not the superiority of one over the other, but noting the
differences and how they manifest themselves in contemporary behaviour.  

Upon reflection, the examples that the book rests upon are at times very
repetitive and have an overworked feel to them.  The arguments and
examples are detailed, but as they are so few, it is easy to wonder whether
they were the only ones that fit so neatly into the topic at hand.  The
sociological and psychological theory in the book feels oversimplified.  
Despite these weaknesses, the book helps readers reconsider the meaning
of success and perhaps will cause some to rethink their views of personal
success.  Outliers leaves the reader reflecting on its content after the last
page is turned, which is arguably the sign of an interesting book.  
Essentially, Outliers is worth reading for those with an interest in the validity
of standardized testing and the effect of circumstance on success, as well
as for its many interesting stories and conversation-starters.