Sally Handlon: People management a challenge for business owners

When the Women and Minority Business Opportunity Council of LVEDC holds its first event of 2014, the focus will be on a businesses’ most important asset – the people who work there.

Yes, people. Not machines. Not computers. Not even theories about how to make more profits or how to build a better mousetrap. People.

“Employees don’t come to work wanting to do a bad job,” explained council member Sally Handlon. “However because as owners our focus is on the ‘widget,’ we often let our knowledge and skills in human resources management slide.”

The first WMBOC meeting – Trends in Performance Management – will be held from 2:45 through 5:30 p.m. on March 12^th at the Penn State Lehigh Valley campus, located at 2809 Saucon Valley Rd., Center Valley. The event is part of the “Solutions and Connections Business Workshop Series for Lehigh Valley Small Businesses.”

The event will begin at 3 p.m. with a presentation by Tina Hamilton, founder and owner of MyHR Partners, Inc.

“Tina’s experience working with businesses of all sizes includes both consulting and implementation,” said Handlon. “She has years of experience and has challenged her team to provide their best always. I think attendees will benefit from her seldom-seen insights into how to best manage talent. Everyone should walk away with two to three ideas to implement the next day.”

Following Hamilton’s presentation, there will be a 4 p.m. panel discussion featuring local companies that have been recognized for their leadership in performance management. The panel features Anne Baum, vice president of Capital Blue Cross; Laurie Bell, human resources manager of Smooth-On, Inc.; and Bill Hindle, president of Hindle Power.

“It was important to include those businesses recognized in the community for their achievements, especially in the area of employees or culture as well as have a variety of different employee bases,” noted Handlon. “The panelists will be sharing their own experiences with performance management – from how it evolved to what they are most successful with today.”

The event is sponsored by Penn State Lehigh Valley and First Niagara Bank.

For more information and to register, click here.