By Steve Lebofsky, co-Founder of ExecutiveShowcase.com
Originally published in two parts on March 5 & March 12.
The title, “Others Would Love to Have Your Knowledge” is an adaptation of “Most people in the world would love to have your problems in exchange for theirs.” a saying I often heard from my father. As true as his words were, if you have the desire and fortitude to share your HR knowledge, there are many people who would love to have it and even pay for it.
For this article, input was provided by Alan Collins and Ben Eubanks who are both industry leaders with a true passion for improving Human Resources through the sharing of knowledge and experiences. Alan Collins’ best-selling book, Your HR Goldmine (a must read for HR Consultants and senior practitioners along with his other 9 books), details how to best capitalize on the knowledge, skills and experience you’ve gained and to prepare a product for sale. Ben Eubanks is actively involved in HR knowledge sharing through his podcast (We’re Only Human), website (upstartHR), role as co-founder of the HRevolution (TheHRevolution.org) as well as his latest book, Artificial Intelligence for HR: Use AI to Support and Develop a Successful Workforce.
From my experience of speaking with hundreds of HR Consultants and Practitioners over the past few years, I learned that expectations of HR Leaders are incredibly broad and they are expected to be Strategic Experts, Training Developers, Training Facilitators, Analysts, and Communication Experts for all things “People”. The smaller the business and corresponding HR team support, the more challenging and insurmountable this becomes. The key to survival and success comes from the ability to leverage resources. These resources come in different forms and are evolving every day. One of the quickest and least expensive of which is to leverage the knowledge and experiences of HR experts who have Authored strategies and training.
Alan elaborated on this thought when he stated, “There are thousands of small to medium-sized businesses that could no doubt benefit from help on HR issues. Many can’t afford a full-time HR professional or a high-priced consultant.” and “I’ve found that most organizations, no matter how big or small they are, face similar issues related to people initiatives. Big issues like bringing in the right talent, retaining the best people, keeping costs down and improving employee engagement are fairly universal challenges and plague most organizations. So, if you’ve solved problems like these – don’t underestimate the value of your skills and how much in demand they will be to other organizations.” Ben’s insight was, “There's a considerable amount that HR leaders can take into the marketplace. Other companies need HR insights, and if they hire a consultant that could take months and considerable resources. Having an ‘off the shelf’ solution to a problem can be a quick way to solve a problem without all of those expenses.”
The demand for HR knowledge in the form of ‘off the shelf’ solutions to challenges or opportunities will only continue to grow as up and coming generations expect to Google, download, customize and execute.
So what is stopping YOU from becoming an Author? When asked, “What are the primary reasons "Authors" either fail or succeed in their quest to sell their intellectual property?,” Ben Eubanks responded, “They don't make it a priority or they think that they don't have what it takes. If you've led an HR team and have overcome obstacles, someone out there would be willing and interested to learn from you.”
Alan Collins shared, “They never start. They overthink things. They want things to be perfect. I believe in motion, not meditation. Take baby steps, rather than no steps. Just start. There were times when I was too tired to write or had to get it done while managing through an HR day job, family commitments and an unforgiving work schedule that involved lots of travel.” and “My suggestion to anyone from a prioritization standpoint is that you go at your own pace, block a few hours in the evenings and weekends as your time permits. You should also give yourself deadlines along the way to keep your writing moving along. But make it flexible enough to adjust your deadlines as needed. All these steps will keep you motivated to get it done.”
The way today’s buyers want to consume information is in smaller executable bites. Alan commented, “The reason I recommend white papers or special reports is because they are easier to assemble and monetize than books. You can get them done faster. Often, a 20-30 page report, presentation or training can be completed and packed up in a few days rather than months or years that it might take for a 150-page book. And they can be just as valuable to someone that needs the information.”
On the topic of value, many of the Authors I have had the pleasure of working with create their intellectual property not only to establish a new revenue stream, but also for the purpose of giving back to others in their field. A popular statement from Authors is, “I would love to have had these resources available to me when I spent countless hours preparing a deliverable for my company that was comprised mostly of transferable information in a subject I knew little about.” Ben commented, “There are so many options for self-publishing, blogging, and other methods that you can give away (and receive) a ton of value if you are serious about making this part of your own legacy.” Alan’s concluding thought on being an HR author was, “But most importantly, it will enable you to share your HR experience more widely in a way that can help others become more successful. That alone, makes it all worth it!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am Steve Lebofsky, co-Founder of ExecutiveShowcase.com. ExecutiveShowcase.com was created to provide HR Practitioners with easily executed people strategies and training as well as the subject matter knowledge to broaden their expertise and gain credibility within their organizations. ExecutiveShowcase.com was also created as an alternative place for Authors, like those discussed in this article, to sell their wisdom. Learn how to become an Author...
Most Authors are senior HR Practitioners who leveraged their experiences and transformed a few strong successes into strategic presentations or training coupled with facilitation notes to teach the buyer about the subject. The remaining Authors are independent HR Consultants who offer their most impactful works combined with customization tips as appropriate.
Submitting your products as an Author is made easy at Executive Showcase. Submission is free and a Reviewer will be assigned to collaboratively work with you, again at no cost, to create a product that meets buyers’ expectations before being certified and posted for sale. With every download, you, the Author, and the Reviewer earn a part of the purchase price and the satisfaction knowing that you have helped to raise the credibility level of an HR colleague.