Lisa Rosendahl

HR Trendy: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl — Sun, 27 May 2012 11:00:02 +0000

There is something about the number 3. When anything happens to me 3 times it catches my attention. The past 3 months went something like this, I made a decision, someone expressed an opinion and I responded,

"And here I thought I was being trendy."

Not. My personal eye for trend is limited and really, I am hopeless. But, I am getting better with a little help from my friends.

Take a look at the OlovesM yoga mat bags (aka purses). Cute, roomy and durable as all get out. Trendy?

Not. "Buy a real purse and take that one to the gym" is what my dear friends tell me. Is this Michael Kors any better? Does it make my butt look big? Now that I have one, am I HR predictable?

Looking for a gift certificate for one friend on the West Coast, another suggests The Container Store. Now, I've never been to a Container Store myself but if I was a trendy girl, I'd be a customer, right?

Not really. Turns out the nearest store is over an hour away and really not as practical as Target. "We aren't trendy, we're in HR" is what my dear friends tell me.

Looking for new eye glasses, I go straight for the optician certified trendiest pair of Morel's (picture them with black, brown, gold and silver specked rims) in town. The optician said they fit my face and I said they made my nose look big(ger).

There I was, eye to eye with trend and I could not do it. I circled through a ton of frames right back around to Kliik plastics, my tried and true. Where were my dear friends when I needed them?

Hmph. I am slipping on my Fryes, grabbing my iPad and heading to Starbucks accepting that I'm HR, I'm not trendy.

Really, help an out-of-sync HR girl out. What is trendy today?

Photo credit: iStockphoto

Federal HR Labor Relations Pro Wanted

Lisa Rosendahl — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:24 +0000

Does FLRA, FMCS, arbitration, demand to bargain, negotiation and anything and everything about the Federal Labor Management Statute catch your attention?

In a good way?

Have I got a deal for you! I am looking for a federal labor relations professional to join my human resources staff.

Take a look at the vacancy announcement, apply and we have a chance of working together.

The USAJobs vacancy announcement and how to apply information is linked below.

Lead HR Specialist (Labor Relations), St. Cloud VA Health Care System

We're taking applications through May 31, 2012.

We have fun. You'd like it.

The Coffee Break. Is It the Next Thing to Go?

Lisa Rosendahl — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:00:28 +0000

One tired HR woman, I quickly opened my copy of this month's Harvard Business Review to take a closer look at the article, Coffee Breaks Don't Boost Productivity After All.

What? Are coffee breaks counterproductive?

In the companion interview, Boost Your Productivity with Microbreaks, Charlotte Fritz defended her finding that taking short breaks during the workday doesn't revitalize you - unless you do something job related and positive, such as praising a colleague or learning something new.

I read through the article and the interview and what struck me more than her findings on coffee and microbreaks, which I agree with BTW in terms of my self and my workday, is the idea of mentally disengaging from work.

"We have that time where we really engage in the work intensely, but then other times that we really let go of it."

Letting go is where I lose it. I have a hard time shutting down at the end of the day. During the work day, not a chance. It's a marathon from the start to finish and no cup of coffee (even with all the co-worker praising in the world) is going to give me the recovery I need.

Charlotte says she wants to "keep focusing on the idea of recovery at work. . . really looking at the things that we can do within the workday that help us keep or stay energized."

Recovery during the work day so I can come home with energy to spare is something I can get behind and I'll be waiting - with coffee in hand - to see what she finds. In the meantime . . .

What do you do to recover during your work day?

A Lesson in Aging: Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:08:01 +0000

I don't know when the comments stopped, I just know that I don't hear them anymore.

Whether they came at the kid's elementary school functions, after describing my 9+ years in the military, or discussing the latest hot flash situation, I often heard one the "wow, you-definitely-don't-look-your-age" comment in one form or another.

Not anymore. No more fishing for compliments or hoping for the unexpected comments. They are not coming.

Wiser <but still slightly bummed>, here are a few things I've come to know over the years:

You have to keep me and my face away from orange. If you give me a blush mosaic with even a touch of orange in it, my cheeks will look like a pumpkin.

Metabolism really does slow down after 40. Long gone are the days of eating what I want when I want. I want my personal trainer back!

The sun is not your friend.

I remember the lazy teen summers on the beach with surf, sand and baby-oiled skin. Yes, baby oil. Sunscreen? SPF? Pshaw!

I'll always have the hit the beach before the sun comes up and don't leave before it goes down Daytona Beach memories but I don't want to wear them on my face.

Timeless beauty, beautiful at any age, feel young = be young, it's what's on the inside that counts, yada, yada . . . all well and good for the big picture of life but for the here and now, I want to look the part too.

Enter my new favorite skin care line, DermaDoctor. It's amazing to watch my complexion even out and the sun spots fade away. Too bad we can't burn fat and build muscle as easily, eh?

What one product do you swear by?

Photo credit: iStockphoto

Human Resources, Complacency and Making Mistakes

Lisa Rosendahl — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:23 +0000

There's no room for complacency in my HR.

In a recent Fast Company article, Why RIM Lost Its Crew, Its Groove, the author writes that complacency was one of the factors killing RIM. That's big. {If you weren't aware, RIM makes Blackberry. No worries, I own a Blackberry and didn't always know that either.}

A complacent satisfaction with present knowledge is the chief bar to the pursuit of knowledge. B.H. Lindell Hart

Complacent HR is content with the status quo and (did I say this already. . .?) there is no room for complacency in my HR. It threatens progress, it threatens growth and for HR leaders, it could threaten your very existence.

Let's take a look at an employee relations action you worked on and lost. You actually didn't lose it, you pulled it back before it was decided upon. You actions are good. Your odds are better than good on appeal.

Why would you do such a thing? You missed things. Things that, on appeal, could be problematic. More than that, you could not let your boss decide on an action that was anything less than complete.

Replace an employee relations action with a strategic workforce plan, a new recruitment initiative or an incentive award program proposal that misses the boat and it comes down to one thing: you got complacent.

Are these signs of complacency familiar to you?

You utter,"good enough" in the face of unanswered questions.
Your meetings on key issues end with without commitment or decision.
Your candor is lacking and your support goes to the loudest bidder.
You stick to what you've always done even when it stops working.

What else? You base your decisions solely on past actions, you begin to believe your own press, and you do not stay current on the legal landscape.

The good news about complacency is that it can be killed easily and the first step is admitting you have a problem. Then, you collaborate.

You speak with others. You seek feedback. You listen. Signs of complacency are more obvious to outsiders than insiders. You don't hold back. You do whatever it is you do to exit your funk. You get back in the game with both feet and even though it sounds counterintuitive, you make mistakes.

Mistakes cure complacency. Trust me, I know.

Photo credit: Jessica Hagy, Indexed

Primula, Présumé and Tactile Learning: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:00:27 +0000

Nothing like a shot of Baileys and coffee made in my Primula Coffee Press to start off a lazy Sunday morning.

We have the requisite coffee maker for guests but the husband and I don't use it. Grinding, scooping, smelling, brewing, and pressing our way to the perfect cup of coffee is so . . . tactile.

Sharing my love for Moleskine, my friend Trish McFarlane wondered in a recent post, "Miss Being Tactile? Is There an App for That?

I have Evernote at home, on the Blackberry and on the iPad (complete with wireless keyboard) but given the choice, I reach for the kid's 24-pack of ultrathin Sharpies and a blank sheet of paper and mind map my ideas. Circles here, arrows there and a splash of color to draw the eye into the main points - does it get any better than that?

I struggled with my Nook 1st Edition, barely used my Kindle and am now just getting ok reading with the Nook for iPad. If I could only dog-ear a virtual page or two, I'd be golden.

You see, I am in my element when I can see if, feel it, and touch it.

Although I am the first in line to want to make a good first impression when visitors come knocking, I am also the first to blow past the gloss to see what's really behind the curtain. This may be why I question the wisdom of job seekers who put the shine before the substance with creative resume displays like Présumé.

Take a look at this Présumé. I hate it. Actually, I love it (what I hate is that I lack the creativity to do this.) This was the absolute perfect approach for the job she was seeking but it would not work for everyone in every situation, like applying for a position with me.

This very cool presentation would lose it's appeal when I printed it off so I could hold it in my hot little tactile hands and mark it up with my yellow highlighter as I read for evidence of proven #trenchhr experiences.

It's me, not you. Sometimes a traditional dry, black and white, no more than 2 page resume with no life but a ton of hand-on organizational human resource practitioner experiences it just what this HR Director ordered.

Now, who's going to bottle up a touch of that creativity for me?

Photo credit weevermedia.com/services/app-marketing

Top 20 HR Mentors for Students

Lisa Rosendahl — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:00:32 +0000

It all started with a conference and some construction.

There I was, making my way through Minneapolis construction to the 1st ever MN Bloggers Conference and I met Josh Braaten holding up a sign directing attendees to the parking lot.

One thing lead to another and Josh unofficially became my official Big Picture Web Squarespace connection.

Josh introduced me to Grant Tilus via an offer to guest post and Grant developed this list of Top 20 Mentors for Students to Learn from on Twitter.

It starts off like this:

"As a student studying to become a human resources professional it is important to realize that not everything can be learned within a classroom. In order to help you bridge experience gap prior to graduation we’ve put together a list of the top 20 HR mentors for students to learn from on Twitter. This list of human resource professionals will help you learn and understand current HR related issues while further preparing you for a successful career within the human resources field."

Got your interest? It should. There is a ton of experience on that list. Check out the entire list here.

Not any one list can capture the greatness so who would you like to add as a resource for students aka the future of HR? I'll start with Steve Brown, @sbrownehr.

Your turn!

Employee Relations, Communication and Precision

Lisa Rosendahl — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:01:03 +0000

Researching federal employee relations case law can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. And communicating findings effectively can sometimes be even more challenging for human resource professionals.

When I am developing an action that is new or has a twist we had not encountered before, you can find me combing cases.

Yet, I drew a complete blank when I was recently asked about decisions I encountered that changed my recommendations.

A complete blank. What's that all about? Could it be that I am not as diligent as I could be? That I don't know the case law? Say it isn't so.

It isn't so.

What is so is that I realized I may not be on the lookout for changes in the "routine" landscape as often as I should be and my speaking around case law is not always all that it could be.

Knowing the decisions of third parties like the federal Merit Systems Protection Board and understanding the rationale for those decisions is absolutely necessary for expert advice and informed decision making.

Did you know that:

For the first time, the Merit Systems Protection Board ruled that the prohibition against imposing discipline more than once for the same misconduct may be waived in the context of a last chance agreement.

Although we (I) may use the term freely, the prohibition against "double jeopardy" applies only to criminal charges and not administrative disciplinary cases.

Disciplining an employee more than once for the same misconduct is different than imposing more than one penalty as in compound or unified penalties.

Ok, you know it. Do you really? Ok, you do. But let me ask you this, how did you speak it? The complexities, the contradictions, the conditions . . . oh my.

The one word that comes to mind for me right now when I consider employee relations, human resources professionals and our day to day communication is precision.

I know I could use a little more precision in my HR speak, how about you?

Photo credit iStockphoto

Girls and Math: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:00:55 +0000

"'Math is hard,' a talking Barbie infamously whined.

And math is tough for many people, but a new study from the Girl Scout Research Institute finds encouraging news about girls' interest in (and confidence about) science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Actually, the widely-repeated Barbie quote above is incorrect; she really said "Math class is tough." And like the Barbie quote, the perception that girls don't feel smart enough to do math (or aren't interested in it) isn't quite true either: The study finds that 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects."

Until this morning, I had not read these words in the Discovery News article, Girls Confident in Science and Math. I wasn't aware of the article and the findings until I Googled "girls math 2012 news."

Why in the world did I Google this? It's all about the kid.

The kid was in her first Math Masters competition last weekend. 24 teams of 4 students from 12 schools participated in individual and team events. Typically, one team from our middle school makes the top 3 - which one would it be?

Individual events, team events, kids huddled over papers and calculator keys clicking away every student in the gym that morning gave it their all.

In the minority, our girls made a strong showing. I wasn't at the event but when I heard that one of her teammates won the Fact Quiz I was psyched, go girls! When the kid and her team placed 3rd place out of 24 teams I said, "That's my girl!"

I was thinking "go girls" but the very cool thing about kids at this age, is that they were not. They were thinking and encouraging each other with, "Go Tarah!" "Go Elizabeth!" "Go Eli!" "Go Ethan!" They don't see gender stereotypes or they don't see societal pressures. They see confidence, competence and challenge. They see friends.

I am so thrilled that the schools offer these opportunities for our children and want to acknowledge the the educators who devote their time beyond the school day, the community of parents who support our children and the students themselves for being better to each other than we as a society can be to ourselves.

The article notes that while there are still bumps in the road for women in STEM careers, the future has never been brighter.

I agree.

Photo credit: Piscataways Schools

{Leadership Presentation} Bringing Out the Leader in You

Lisa Rosendahl — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:00:49 +0000

Here's what I think about leadership:

Leadership isn't mythical or magical and it has nothing to do with charisma. It's not loud. In fact, leadership can be so quiet or simple that if you didn't know what you were looking for, you'd miss it. Leadership is not about following a checklist nor is it copying what someone else does.

Just because it worked for someone else, does not mean it will work for you. Why? Because of all the things a leader brings to their leadership each day, the most important is bringing herself or himself.

And guess what? I had a great Saturday morning because I had the opportunity with leaders of the Minnesota Paralegal Association about just this.

Talk about an amazing group of leaders. Go MPA!

Michael Hyatt recently posted his 12 ways to know you are a leader. His words resonated with me when he wrote, "Leadership is not about experience, education or talent. It's about choosing to lead."

What do you think about this? What tips, pointer, experiences would you share with an audience to bring out the leader in them?

Human Resources, Charmed Memories and Making a Connection: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:00:24 +0000

Charm braceletes did not really call to me. When asked what I wanted for my birthday, Mother's Day, or our anniversary, a charm bracelet wasn't ever at the top of my list.

Now, I wear a charm bracelet almost every day. The things we do for our kids. With the dad's financial resources, the kid bought me a charm bracelet. She saw a commercial for Charmed Memories and decided that I had to have one for Christmas.

I wouldn't trade it for the world. Not because of the beads themselves but because the kid picked them out and asigned each bead a meaning for us as a family.

As we were looking at 2 new beads to add, somehow, in this HR-warped brain of mine, I started thinking about supervisors, leaders, and staff.

Short of buying a charm bracelet for each of your employees, staff, mentees, etc. what if you offer them a bead the next time you speak with them? What if you were to make it a point to make a connection with each person.

Think of a colleague. If you were to connect with them tomorrow, not a way that's important to or easy for you, but in a way that has meaning to them, what would you say or do differently?

The strand is unfinished and you have to know that I am fighting the demon inside of me that can't leave things unfinished to finish this sucker off right now.

I am looking at both Charmed Memories and Pandora and I don't see any "I heart HR" beads. Darn.

High School Yearbooks: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 11:00:19 +0000

Lives on display.

From timelines to pinboards and every social networking site in between, our day to day happenings are on display for the world to see. Just how much depends on you. Are you an open book? A closed book? Or do you offer a sneak peak every now and then?

I was looking for some printer paper the other morning and came across my husband's 1977 high school yearbook, the Noble Logue. <Yes, he's old.> I cracked the cover to find his picture. This was easier said than done because apparently "Rosen" comes after "Roset" on the Minnesota Iron Range.

I did not see his picture at first. Then, I turned the page to find his HS mug shot with these graduating word of wisdom,

"Silence makes no blunders."

Profound.

I didn't think my parting words were any more profound so I dug out the Bellport High School Log. Note: we were much more pedestrian on the Island using Log instead of Logue.

Right there, in it's alphabetically correct position, was my HS mug sharing a page with Ziggy and Smurf. My 1981 self said:

"Take it Easy. Eagles. Dreams and Memories. Ambition: To love and be happy."

The kid took one look at the pic tonight and told me I'd have had more friends in HS if I smiled. Oh well. What can I say. This was my deep smoldering look.

Our Class Motto? '81 Has Just Begun.

"Well I'm a runnin' down the road tryin' to loosen my load . . ."

Yes, I know. Some books, and chapters of our lives, are better left unopened.

How To Moderate a Great Panel

Lisa Rosendahl — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:01:04 +0000

How many times have you watched a panel and thought it was entertaining and informative? Hated it and left?

Talk to the moderator.

Moderating a panel is much more than showing up to toss out a few ill-prepared questions to a panel of experts.

Moderating a panel can be deceptively hard because the quality of the panelists may be beyond your control.

Think of it this way, when you moderate a panel you have an opportunity to entertain and inform the audience through your panel members and with a little preparation, you can be on the right track to filling the seats.

Prepare

Be sure the panel topic is one that will benefit from a variety of experiences, points of view or approaches and then do your homework. Research current data, industry trends, and hot buttons. Research your panelists.

Determine the pace of the panel. Is it a deliberate build-up to the main point, rapid fire, or something in between? Be careful with your pacing. You will see more backsides than eyeballs if the the audience has to wait too long to get what they came for.

Contact your panelists before hand to ask what they'd like to talk about, discuss your expectations for the panel, and identify the points you as a panel want the audience to leave with.

Prepare more questions than you think you'll need. I recently prepared questions (enough for a full day session) and assigned them to panel members so they could be prepared with thoughtful answers. For spontaneity, I'd think twice before I prepared panelists to this extent again.

Plan to be a moderator and NOT a panel member. Repeat after me: plan to be a moderator and NOT a panel member. This is not the time to test out portions of your keynote.

Deliver

Audience members are arriving (phew!) so you know there is something about the session that is drawing them in. Now, it's time to deliver.

Briefly introduce yourself. Tell the audience just what they need to know to understand why you are moderating this panel.

Introduce the panel members or have them introduce themselves. I've done both. Next time, as Judy Clemens writes in her Moderator's Manifesto: How To Moderate a Great Panel, I am not going to do introductions as introductions. I will weave them into my questions.

What else?

Depart from your script. "Realize your script, your prepared questions, is only a guideline. Ideally," Judy writes, "your questions will provoke panelists to riff on each other's responses."

Move the podium if you are not able to see your panelists, have a wireless mic so you can be mobile, consider timers for your panel table, brush up on your intervention and redirection skills, be professional at all times and have fun.

Close

Leave time for audience questions. Honor the clock and respect your audience by ending on time. Thank the audience and panel members as you close and be sure to let the audience know how that can contact you and the panel members. Come from around the table or podium and down off the stage to speak with your guests.

Critique, consider or question (but don't beat yourself up). What went well, what did not go as well as you had expected and what what could you do differently next time?

So, what's worked for you or what have you seen work for other moderators? What have you vowed to never do (or never do again) as a moderator?

Photo credit iStockphoto

Collectibles, Dust and Memories: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:00:58 +0000

I don't collect things.

My aversion to having to pack and unpack a bunch of tiny little things each time I moved from home to college, college to military and station to station and then <here's my tipping point> having to dust the nooks and crannies of the not-so-precious figurines was enough for me to swear off collectibles as a young adult.

I'd be open to a nice collection of Swarvoski jewelry or another Charmed Memory for my bracelet but I don't have any interest in an accumulation of bric-a-brac, curios, whatnots or knickknacks.

Except for one - Vintage Josef Originals.

Likely a birthday gift for me as a young child, the August Birthstone Doll is a piece of my childhood sharing space with my adult life.

With a broken arm, chipped paint and dusty creases in her dress, the birthstone doll has traveled from home to college, college to military, and back home again.

I want to share the same with my January-born daughter.

The husband, kid and I like to peruse antique stores every now and then. My tolerance for too much stuff in one place is much less than theirs but I am on a quest.

The last January Birthstone Dolls were made in 1985. I know one could be on my doorstep tomorrow via eBay, Etsy, or Tias but I don't want to order, I want to discover.

In my quest, I discovered a graduation and a wedding dolls I didn't even know I was looking for. Score! I have the dolls set out - not tucked away behind glass or in some closet - so they are a part of our every day happenings.

Will they hold memories for the kid as she grows? Who knows but with 2 already here, another coming and my aversion to collectibles hovering in the background I've hit my limit with Josef Originals.

What have you carried with from your childhood to your adult life? What are you saving for your children? Do you collect? What do you collect? Why do you collect?

The Interviewer's Advantage

Lisa Rosendahl — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:01:02 +0000

I have had the opportunity to interview for new HR staff lately. It's something I don't get to do often although lately it seems I've had the opportunity to do it more due to staff promotions, turnover and new HR positions.

People walk into an interview and it's unknown to me - and to you - what they have on the line at that moment. Whatever "it" is, it belongs to a person in one of the most uncomfortable situations a person could be in.

As the interviewer, I know - but sometimes forget, that I have the opportunity create the space for the person sitting across from me to shine. As I recently watched a candidate come into her own right before my eyes, it made me wonder, what do others do with the very same opportunity?

With this thought on my mind, I saw 10 Human Questions Interviewees Should Ask, from Paul Smith pop up in my Google Reader. Like Paul, I thought "about the anxiety of interviewees and how interviewers have most of the advantages in that environment."

Interviewers can set the stage for an interviewee to be at their best. Their anxious and nervous best, but their best nonetheless.

Why wouldn't every interviewer want to do that?

Is it easier to say, "no" to someone who did not fully step-up-to-the-plate? It is not possible to be both direct and nice? Shame on you if you quell confidence and pride and don't nourish, propup or cultivate every chance you get.

It's not all about the applicant you say? It's all about you? Ok, I get that so let me ask you this, "What impression do you want them to have of their interaction with you, of your department, and of your leadership?"

Interviewers, you have the advantage. Use it well.

Photo credit iStockPhoto