There are plenty of books that teach business leaders about culture, business performance, and HR practices, but what makes The People Spark stand out? Too often, books focus on theory and concepts (the what that needs to be done), leaving leaders without a clear direction exactly how to do it.
The People Spark is aimed at businesses that may or may not have formalized human resources support or processes in place (and that's okay!)
and provide a step-by-step guide to help leaders determine the culture they want for their business and teach them how to build and reinforce it through straightforward practical actions.
Throughout this book, Erin and Kristen harmonize teaching leaders on creating processes and implementing methods that equip their people for success. This strategic parallel is intended to support, influence, encourage, and infuse the desired culture of a business. It is also to enrich leaders on coaching their people to support and sustain it. That's where the magic happens. THAT'S the People Spark!
Erin Mies brings more than twenty years of experience in human resources. She began her career with General Mills, where she spent ten years working in HR leadership and then transitioned to leading campus recruiting for corporate functions. Erin moved back into HR leadership when she joined Land O'Lakes, in the Purina Animal Nutrition business. It was during this time when Erin's interest in agriculture was sparked. Erin is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's School of Labor and Employment Relations where she teaches change management in the.Erin holds her Bachelor of Arts in Music (Harp) and Economics from Wittenberg University (Ohio), and her Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She and her husband, Joe, reside in Minnesota with their three children, Evan, Grant, and Josselyn.
Kristen Ireland has more than twenty-five years of experience consulting and coaching executives, leaders and managers in both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. She spent more than eleven years at Land O'Lakes cultivating her HR experience. She held roles as HR leader for the crop inputs business, international business, and international development. Additionally, Kristen worked in Organizational Effectiveness focusing on leadership development and organization-wide change initiatives. Kristen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is also a certified Change Practitioner from PROSCI and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's School of Labor and Employment Relations, where she teaches change management. Kristen lives in Minnesota with her husband and family.
