Hi everyone and welcome to this Carnival of HR!  We're pleased to be hosting a special topic for today - "how HR drives results in the organization."

We have a fantastic line-up of analysts, bloggers and thought leaders, all sharing how HR can raise its game and make a bigger impact for the organization it serves.

This is a topic that's close to my heart, because I believe that HR is too often viewed as just a cost center and doesn't get lots of credit in most companies.  On the flip side, many HR leaders don't live up to their potential and aren't proactive in shaping and driving the company.

So here are some ideas on how HR and executives can work together better for maximum results.  Please visit these bloggers and spread the word.  And of course, use the comment box below to let me know what you think!

Introducing the Carnival of HR Contributors

Naomi Bloom offers lessons on a life well-lived in her essay: Choices, Compromises, Serendipity and Shit.  It's a piece that's relevant no matter what field you're in or what choices you're facing. Looking back on her career in HR technology and systems, Naomi offers lessons for newbies and the soon-to-retire.

Christina Lattimer of People Discovery shares the Secret Ingredient of Brilliant Leaders and Managers and overcome any obstacle in your path.  This post is about the hard (and easy decisions) business leaders make to get the most out of their teams all the time.  I'm not spilling the beans so you'll have to read her post for the full low-down.  Christina is also a Kapta guest blogger and you can see her posts here.

Social HR can change your career (and save you lots of time, money and energy) says Paul Baribeau of Tribe HR. How? Primarily by giving clarity to employees on how they fit into the company, how they are doing, and what they can expect from the rest of the team. This is definitely the way HR technology is going, so it's worth reading this post.

How open and transparent should you be in a job interview? Or when talking with your boss?  These are questions that Tami Palmer of Greyzone Mentoring tackles in her post, Should You Ever Say “In Five Years I’ll Probably Be Pregnant” in an Interview? Worthy advice no matter what type of conversation you're having.

Cathy Missildine-Martin is all over this topic, and she proves in her essay HR Moving From Business Partner to Business Leader.  You can tell that Cathy totally gets this message, because not only is her blog called Profitability Through Human Capital but the tagline is "A blog designed to discuss how organizations are leveraging their human capital in order to increase business results through increased productivity, efficiency, and accountability. By understanding the linkage between employee engagement and customer engagement, companies can focus their efforts on what matters most."

Want to learn now to be more efficient and effective in meetings?  Think hand gestures, and read this post by Kris Boesch of Choose People, from just up the road in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Kris has also written for the Kapta blog before and you can read her previous articles here.

Dan McCarthy is a big believer in the power of talent reviews and thinks that you should be, too.  Read his post from the Great Leadership blog on how and why to conduct talent review meetings.  This is how to prove that employees are your greatest asset, and that top management gets it!

Even while most businesspeople have their nose to the grindstone 60+ hours a week, Mark Miller invites us to remember how (and why) to celebrate our successes to drive performance.  See if you can meet Mark's challenge to celebrate.  And make it a habit.

Consultant and author Ian Welsh writes on Toolbox.com about the opportunity and challenge of the HR entrepreneur and how they can move the business forward.  I always count on thoughtful essays from Ian, and this is another one!

Ben Eubanks of upstartHR provides us with his Ultimate Guide to the New HR Department.  There's no better time for HR to become an integral part of the business than when the HR structure is first established. In this article Ben talks about what it takes to set up a new HR department and how to ensure that it's seen as a successful business partner from day one. In the first critical days the reputation and future of the HR function is undefined, but a solid leader with a plan can set the organization on the right path.

If you want to coach your employees to peak performance, don't guess about what motivates them, writes Chris Young of the Rainmaker Group.  Instead, find out what motivates them and help them achieve their full potential.  This blog post is full of advice on how to be a highly effective coach and leader.

Chris Fields of the Cost of Work blog, disdains labels because they don't add value to the workplace. His advice: go ahead and be different. Chris is another guest blogger to Kapta and you can see his other posts here.

Ellen Julian of Peoplefluent has advice for business facing a skills shortage - look to the baby boomers.  They are highly qualified, experienced and flexible, which can help mitigate a talent crunch and keep your business on track.

Tracey Middlemas of the Talent Function blog has advice on turning recruiting process pain points into opportunities by analyzing your current process and mapping how to future improvements.

Lots of recent research has shown that introverts are highly valuable in the workplace but can be overshadowed by the more gregarious and outgoing.  The HireVue blog provides us with this guide to interviewing introverts and getting them to shine.

For those of you getting into social media in a big way, here's a guide to Twitter tools from the Devon Group.

Melissa Fairman of HR Remix compares HR to Washington's current political parties.  Should be helpful for business executives who want to navigate internal politics. Melissa is another guest contributor here at Kapta and you can see her other posts here.

Jon Mertz of the Thin Difference blog writes that to gain trust, we must be believable so others will have confidence in our ability to keep our word, do our part, and follow through on expectations set. Read more about these four simple ways of building trust.

That wraps up this Carnival of HR - thanks for reading and thanks to all our guest contributors!  Please visit the blogs of each of our contributors, and while you're at it, leave a message below - I'd love to hear from you on this topic.