Developing Proficiency in HR: 7 Self-Directed Activities for HR Professionals

HR behavior competencies are critical for success today. Developing Proficiency in HR: 7 Self-Directed Learning Activities for HR Professionals provides a roadmap for HR professionals to help themselves and their HR colleagues develop the behaviors necessary to be successful. It is a pragmatic and easy-to-follow book that is filled with practical exercises and worksheets that will be useful to HR professionals—and to HR leaders. The book is designed to transform passive learners into active learners by helping HR professionals develop their HR behavioral competencies at their own pace and based on their own needs. Included is guidance on how to approach personal development in day-to-day activities rather than in a formal course setting. Self-directed activities such as role play, observation, and networking with a purpose—all of which are covered in the book—can be powerful drivers of learning and development.

About the Author

Deb Cohen, Ph.D., is an association executive with more than 25 years of experience advising, speaking, and guiding nonprofit, academic, and for-profit entities. With the publication of this book, Cohen is delivering talks and professional development highlighting how behavior matters to HR professionals and how to develop HR behavioral competencies. As a former senior vice president with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Cohen was responsible for a 50-person division covering knowledge services, original research, and the development of a professionwide competency model. A subject matter expert in HR, management, and organizational behavior, Cohen has expertise in creating and executing new initiatives that support and develop organization strategy. Under her direction, research services were transformed into a million-dollar revenue stream, a curriculum guide for the HR profession was established, and a competency model that forms the basis for a worldwide certification credential was created. She received her Ph.D. in management and human resources and her master’s degree in labor and human resources from The Ohio State University. She is a certified HR professional with the designation SHRM-SCP. She is co-author of Defining HR Success: 9 Critical Competencies for HR Professionals (2015) and a co-editor of Developing and Enhancing Teamwork in Organizations: Evidence-Based Best Practices and Guidelines (2013). Prior to joining SHRM, Cohen spent 15 years as an academician teaching HRM at George Washington and George Mason universities. She has published over 50 articles and book chapters and has been published in such journals as Academy of Management Journal, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Management, and the Journal of Business Ethics.