ROCATD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Eran Hanlon, MSW, MFA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

TALENT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES OPERATIONS for ConvergeOne

One Quote I Love:

“To see into the interconnectedness of all living things is to see how all living things are part of a unified field that contains all, and at the same time to see that this entire field is embodied by each being.”

– Bhikkhu Bodhi     

                                                                                                 

BRIEF CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Eran’s career intersects social work, psychotherapy, massage therapy, modern dance, visual art, music performance, horse breeding, education, training, talent acquisition, talent development, and leadership. He brings 13 years of experience in Human Capital Management, 15 years of experience developing and implementing instructional designs and producing choreography, and 20 years of experience in leadership. He earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in music performance, MSW in Clinical Social Work, and MFA in Dance. He’s held faculty appointments and visiting residencies at Dartmouth College, The Ohio State University, University of Rochester, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, Nazareth College and Wells College. Eran and his husband, Chad Basile, are stewards of Croft Hollow farm in Penfield, NY where they reside and manage a horse breeding farm. Eran’s main focus is maintaining his roles as Manager of Learning & Development at Highland Hospital and Artistic Director of Hanlon Dance & Company.

What part of your work are you most passionate about right now and why?

Anything that is collaborative, creative, and meaningful - which right now involves giving life to new professional & leadership trainings and programs in the service of other people at Highland Hospital, and preparing for a visual art exhibit and multi-media dance theatre performance with my dance company later this year at MuCCC in Rochester, NY.

What brought you to the talent development “world”?

Fate! Talent has always been a central theme in my life via dance, art, and music – which inevitably led me into the field of recruiting talent, then subsequently into the field of developing talent. With my background in education and training, Talent Development came naturally and continues to be a profession that desires and leverages the integration of my own capabilities and current interests.

What tools are you currently using that are most valuable? Why?

My basket of tools continues to expand: from technologies for communicating and building trust to mechanisms for collaborating and generating creative and innovative solutions. Creating space for deep reflection and contemplation is a significant tool that guides me in understanding life experiences and establishing purpose as a means to contribute to an expansive and emerging future.

How have your outside talents, interests impacted your work?

My work as an artist continually shapes my approach to leading collaborations within more corporate professional and leadership development realms. My artistic approach in partnering with other dance artists starts with a mutually shared idea that is intentionally fluid. This malleability allows for the vision to form generatively over time along an iterative pathway that ultimately manifests in something greater than ourselves from the contributions of everyone involved. This mirrors my approach in leadership within the field of learning and development: sensing the strengths and needs of others in order to make connections and ultimately build an experience/product that resonates in-service with the greater whole.

How does your “origin story” contribute to what you do today?

My origin story is one of resilience, perseverance, and growth mindset. As a young transgender child who developed into a gay male teenager and adult, my social upbringing was inundated on a daily basis with discrimination, oppression, and violence. But there was also a great deal of love in my life. The love of my parents, brothers, extended family, friends, mentors, and teachers countered the harmful narrative of society enough so that I was able to internalize messages of great confidence and power in my identity, which extended through in my contributions to the world. This is a gift that I continue to give back in my work every day.

What has been your greatest contribution so far?

Working with the Learning & Development team and leaders at Highland Hospital to establish “The Leadership Institute at Highland Hospital”

How has ATD contributed to your development?

I refer to ROC ATD as one of the tribes I belong to – where the expression of my diversity is welcomed, supported and encouraged. It is a courageous place where I sense, experience, connect, and contribute deeply with other people.