Lisa Rosendahl. Leadership. Human Resources.

Could you lend a blogger-girl a hand? Google me. Seriously.

I once wrote a post, Jingle Bells, Confidence and Fage Yogurt, and even now - one year later (!) Google and Squarespace analytics both show that Jingle Bell(s) is the number 1 search term that lands people here.

I know, I don't believe it either. Nonetheless, SEO Ninja that I am not, I know this isn't good news for a Leadership and HR blog.

This holiday season, it is my mission to knock you know what from the top spots of my search term Christmas tree and replace it with "Lisa Rosendahl," "leadership" and "HR."

Interested in spreading my holiday cheer? Click on the listing below or search "Lisa Rosendahl" and then click through to the blog when you see this listing:

Let's see if we can turn this thing around <without upsetting Google cheer.>

Nothing personal Santa.

Update on December 7, 2011 by Lisa Rosendahl

For the past 3 days, "Lisa Rosendahl" has been holding the top search term spot . . .  yeah! Thank you for playing along with me.

Performance Reviews and Leadership: Questions for Raters

As I spent most of the past week preparing performance reviews, it struck me that this is the very thing I was taking a break from doing 5 years ago when I decided to start up this blog and write my first post, It's So Hard.

Let's talk about hard. It's all relative. It's not the mechanics of reviews that are hard; it's the leadership reflection that can come with it. Writing a review is much more than crafting words for a page. At times <for me> it is nothing less than a review of my leadership.

What does that look?

Not really. Nor is it a crazy-haired psycho reliving each and every exchange or complete calm sitting cross-legged on a pillow with incense in the background.

It's more often me, with a cup of coffee and something Panera, asking a bunch of questions, questions I'd ask myself regardless of whether or not performance reviews live or die:

• Did I set clear expectations or did I expect others to read my mind?

• Did I address performance issues at the right time or did I get to them much too late? Was my response appropriate or did it bear the weight of a compilation of small indiscretions that no one was holding on to but me?

• What issues did I avoid? Why? Did I mistake warning signs for nothing more than the drama of the moment?

• Was I too focused on issues external to the department, expecting the department to run on   autopilot and surprised when it ran aground? Do I have enough checks, balances and internal controls to protect all of us?

• Did I recognize achievement during the year? Did I provide the resources, guidance and room for others to excel? Did I hold others accountable for their own performance?

There are always things each year that, if given the chance, I'd do very differently. Sometimes I suck, sometimes not. Honestly, you'd think I'd have it down to a science by now. But I don't.

But that's the thing.

Leadership is not a science. It's not a laundry list of leadership courses, a degree from a prestigious college, the right car or anything wrapped in an ego. No hubris allowed.

Leadership is not knowing all the answers, it's asking the right questions and listening to the answers. Hint: that means not defending or denying what you are hearing and, above all, not attacking the messenger.

What questions would you add to the list?

Photo credit iStockphoto

Leadership and Bananas: A Day in the Life Sunday

I heart Barnes and Noble. I like the vibe of the store, the look and feel of the Nook and Starbucks in the back corner. Outside of Barnes and Noble I'd easily pass up Starbucks for Caribou Coffee but once inside the bookstore, I can't stay away.

After a quick scan of the Moleskine rack and the babysitting guides, the kid and I headed to the coffee counter. Cappuccino for me and a mango banana smoothie for her. I drank mine but she didn't finish hers. She didn't really like it and decided she wasn't going to order banana in her smoothies anymore.  She likes mango and she likes banana but the banana flavor in a smoothie "dumbs it down," she said

Dumb it down? Where did she hear that? It's not exactly how I would have described the flavor combination but I knew exactly what she meant.

I've bristled at dumb it down comments from leaders and may have even channeled Frank Roche as I cautioned HR staff from doing so in  our HR communications - but it's not a phrase I use regularly.

Nonetheless, with both this phrase and interactions between leaders and followers on my mind today, I have to wonder how leaders can think so little of their staff - or conversely, so much of themselves.

The Lead Change Group recently posted an article, "Leadership Style: Blinders, Beacon, or Both?" In it, the author asks leaders a number of thought-provoking questions that include:

• When there's a problem in the office, do you create a new policy to handle it? Or, do you work with others to figure out the root cause and fix that?
• Does your firm want employees to provide feedback yet shoot the messenger?
• Is the messiness of innovation embraced, recognizing that failures to happen? Or, is innovation part of your mission statement yet failures are counted and are part of performance reviews as a negative?

Leaders, grab yourself a smoothie, ponder the questions and answer this one question for me: are you the top dog . . . or the top banana?

Photo credit iStockPhoto

Panera and Change: A Day in the Life Sunday

Driving to Kinkos with the kid, I caught a glimpse of Panera, one of our favorite places in town. You could say we are regular customers: Fuji apple chicken salad and apple puff pastry for me, mac and cheese and iced green tea for her and our orders rarely change - but I digress.

Panera is on our left and I catch a glimpse, turn my head quickly for a double take and then the conversation went something like this:

"It's green and yellow. Panera wasn't always green and yellow, was it Tarah?"

"It was red, Mom."

"Really? Red? Are you sure?"

"I think so, Mom. You never really know what you don't know until it changes."

And there you have it. Another day in the life of me as mother to my daughter who out-insighted me again . . . and over nothing more than a color change on a building. The freakiest thing for me is that she was on to something.

How often do you go through the day doing what we always do, thinking what we always think, seeing what we always see - yet not really seeing anything at all?

I am sure there is an amazing leadership lesson in here but it's Sunday and in my life, a perfect Sunday includes not much more (if I can help it) than tinkering, eating and leaving the intellection behind.

But since I can't completely let the thought go let's not take it too deep this morning and consider this . . . what item would you miss if your favorite breakfast spot changed their menu?

Photo credit iStockphoto

Personal Board of Directors: A Day in the Life Sunday

The kid participated in a babysitting clinic yesterday. She rotated through stations, role played and ended the day with a panel of parents.

Energized by the day and wanting to babysit NOW, the questions begin and quickly turn from babysitting basics to my babysitting experiences:

"Did you babysit for others before I was born, Mom?"

"No not much. Until I had you, I wasn't particularly fond of children. Why?"

"I want to have my own panel of parents so I can ask them questions. I want people with experience."

A day later, I'm still not sure if I passed and get to be on her panel of parents but her questions got me thinking.

A friend whom I admire greatly, offered his support to help me do whatever it is I wanted to do in anyway he can: critique, connect . . . be on my personal board of directors.

Parenting panel . . . personal board of directors - get the connection? ==> People committed to helping you be better tomorrow than you are today. I've read about them, thought they'd be a grand idea and even suggested to a mentee or two that they consider putting one together  - yet I've stopped short of having one myself.

Why? Oh, I am sure the reasons changed over the years from being lazy and not interested in accountability and returning favors to being a fiercely independent and content know-it-all but it really was not something I thought about often.

I am thinking about it now.

I am thinking about blind spots and about gaps in my experiences, skills and day-to-day activities. I am thinking about people with experiences, skills and day-to-day activities I can learn from. I am wondering how others see me and how that's different <and better> than I see myself. I am thinking about what I can give back.

I am wondering if I already have some of the pieces in place and not even realize it?

Tell me this, do you have a personal board of directors? How did you staff <once am HR girl, always an HR girl> your board of directors? What's the biggest leap they asked you to make that you would not have made on your own?

Photo Credit iStockphoto

A Leader's Privilege

Leadership is not for the faint of heart. Or know-it-alls.

Leadership Fail

Flash to a conference room in Anywhere, U.S.A. for a weekly project meeting. A leader is sitting at the head of the table with his project managers all around. The project hit a snag and a 2 week adjustment to the plan is in order. The leader has a plan and is prepared to communicate it to the team.

The leader convenes the meeting, communicates the change in plans and a project manager raises a concern. The leader explains his reasoning for the particular course of action he selected.

The project manager considers the leader’s reasons and offers his operational perspective on another option. The leader restates his reasoning.

The project manager identifies pros and cons of the two options and requests a change in direction. The leader restates his reasoning.

In the next 30 seconds, employee engagement would be lost.

When the project manager spoke again, it went something like this, “I recommend, and prefer, an alternate course of action  . . .  but you are the boss. If you want us to do it your way, we will.”

Did anyone else just see what I did? Absent the project manager throwing his hands in the air, it was a clear declaration of defeat.

I looked to my left, I looked to my right and I looked to the leader - just in time to hear him restating his reasoning again.

Leadership Lesson

Leadership is hard work. Leadership is about inspiring people and leading change. It's about being present in the moment to influence options and approaches to new or long-standing issues.

The 2 week change in plans would not determine the success and failure of the project; it was a matter of preference and approach. The leader did ultimately agree to accept the project manager's suggestion, but it was too late. Presented with an opportunity to engage the team in jointly solving a problem, he chose to hold his ground.

Leaders have the benefit, and responsibility, of position. Rank does have its privileges but being right is not one of them. Leadership is not about self, it’s about others and leaders are judged by their actions. How a leader views, and acts upon, their leadership privilege speaks volumes.

What are your actions saying about you?

Photo credit iStockphoto