
Working as an intern and traveling to new cities can be quite fun and entertaining. I have met tons of new people and have learned how different companies seem to provide a service for the next. This past week I attended an event called DisruptHR, and I learned from various speakers about ways that small and large companies can excel with collaboration. Many HR professionals attended the event, as well as some small business owners looking to network. I spoke with several people at the event and did my best to soak up as much information as possible. 13 speakers had just 5 minutes each to present their topic, including the senior partner at Coleman Consulting Group, who also happens to be my father. Each speaker gave a brief introduction to their area of interest and most tried to fuel the crowd to be better communicators and leaders within each of their business communities.The presenters were intriguing in their own way and style of presentation. All of them touched on subjects related to employee engagement, and it always came back to the importance of positive leadership within the workplace. The themes ranged from the importance of using LinkedIn as a way of connecting employees in a workspace to the importance of speaking kindly and positively to your co-workers, bosses and subordinates. All 13 of the talks acknowledged the fact that no one loves to work, but changing and improving workplace cultures can create momentum and energy for employees. Listening to these focused talks made me want to be part of this revolution to help improve workplaces. The event lasted 3 hours in total, but not a second of it was boring. I connected with numerous individuals, and I even set up a LinkedIn page for myself after the inspiring talk on the subject! I learned that the professional world is not always about the task at hand, but also about building the morale of the people you work with. I saw how the little things that bring a workplace down can be fixed by a handful of caring people, and it all revolves around how you engage with each other. Regardless of job title, we all have the power to improve our workplace. It's not a downward flow from the top, but rather an upward and sideways movement involving everyone on the team. It starts with a handful of positive employees and that energy can be contagious in creating a productive and positive work environment.