Ryan Gruber, Sphr, Clrp Email & Phone Number

I spent most of my 20’s and 30’s playing music in concert halls across the world. And then along the way, I developed other job-related skills in contract negotiation and benefits analysis that led me to my current career path.What should you know about professional musicians? They’re dedicated – the thousands of hours spent in practice rooms to reach that level don’t happen automatically. They’re self-motivated – in the end, only you can make you better, and nobody can play your part for you. They’re great under pressure – you only get one chance to get it right, and if you screw up, everyone notices. And they’re consensus builders – 100 people on stage have to agree on one way to do something and then commit to it fully.When you come from a world where you only get one shot, you get awfully good at doing things right the first time. Performance doesn’t come with a delete key.StrengthsFinder would tell you my top 5 are strategic, learner, input, maximizer, and activator. In other words, I’m a strategic thinker and an influencer. I’m good at aggregating data, finding patterns that others miss, seeing obstacles that others haven’t envisioned, and solving problems before they become problems. And then I’m good at getting people on board by leveraging their own strengths and interests to maximize results.My teachers would have said the same thing about me when I was six. Some things never change. But my skills with a scissors have improved greatly.I find working in human resources deeply satisfying – particularly when we’re focused on how to make processes more efficient, our teams more productive, and our employees happier and more satisfied. At a time when there have been huge shifts in generational preferences over the structure of work, “we’ve always done it like that” is the biggest obstacle for any organization looking to unlock its full potential. If you’re interested in grabbing coffee and talking shop (or music!), send a message my way.