Rise Human Resources

We often overcomplicate performance feedback, making it more tedious than it needs to be. If we really think about it, our employees want three things: 1️⃣ What are the expectations? 2️⃣ Tell me when I'm not meeting those expectations. 3️⃣ Give me a reasonable amount of time to improve! Why do we make this so hard? #performancemanagement #feedback #growth #hr #leadership

🚨 Are you still holding "update" meetings? One of the most frustrating things I encountered in the corporate world was the sheer number of meetings — and the poor use of them. I used to sit in 3-4 “update” meetings a week, consuming hours of my time, just to hear people share information that could have been communicated more efficiently. Did you know that over 70% of people believe meetings are unproductive or inefficient? Even worse, 65% say meetings keep them from completing their real work. I recently came across Dropbox’s 3-D model for meetings: Debate, Discuss, Decide. If a meeting doesn’t achieve one of those three things, they simply don’t have it. I love this! Curious — How many of you still have these kinds of “update” meetings on your calendar? Have your companies taken any steps to eliminate unnecessary meetings? Would this model help? Drop your thoughts below! #leadership #productivity #workplaceculture #remotework

I ran into a client last week, and after a few minutes of chatting, she said, "You saved my life." Did I literally save her life? No, but as a small business owner struggling with a tough employee issue, it might have felt that way. 🛟 She’s a smart, successful, badass businesswoman. She knows what she’s doing— with most things. But with HR? Not so much. 🤷♀️ That’s where we come in. By handling the HR stuff, we allow business owners to focus on what they do best—growing their businesses and driving success. Helping them navigate complex HR challenges isn’t just about solving problems; it’s about giving them the confidence and support they need to thrive. 💫 Sometimes, a little guidance can make all the difference. 💡 #SmallBusiness #HRSupport #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #RiseHR

"Authenticity doesn’t automatically guarantee success, but inauthenticity guarantees failure. Every time. Always." - Jamie Kern Lima Being a great communicator isn't just about speaking clearly or persuasively—it's about adapting your style to connect with the person across from you. But here's the catch: you can't truly adapt until you know and understand yourself. If you're uncomfortable with who you are and what you value, authenticity will always elude you. Think about it: have you ever tried to follow someone else's script for a presentation? It feels unnatural, doesn’t it? For example, my colleague Jenny has a distinct way of communicating that works brilliantly for her. If I try to mimic her style, it sounds silly and wrong. The people that hear this message can sense the inauthenticity, which damages our trust and erodes our relationship. Authenticity starts with self-awareness. It means understanding your own communication style, values, and strengths. When you embrace who you are, only then can you tailor your communication to genuinely connect with others without losing your own voice. In the end, authenticity is the cornerstone of trust and effective leadership. It’s not about perfection—it’s about showing up as your true self and building real connections. Where do you find authenticity challenging in your communication? Let’s discuss and learn from each other’s experiences.

In the health and wellness space folks often ask, “what’s more important nutrition or exercise? In response, you’ll hear that they are both important AND you can’t outwork or out exercise a bad diet.  Which means if you are going to only focus on one thing, that thing should be your nutrition.  I believe the same is true for communication and leadership. You can master many of the skills associated with effective communication—listening, adaptability, feedback—but you’ll never be able to outwork or outtalk a bad connection or no connection with your team members. ⭐ If you only have time to focus on one thing regarding communication, make it creating a true connection with your employees. This connection is found in the sweet spot between knowing your employees personally, understanding them professional, and being present in the right moments.

We recently had a client who kept saying, "we need to get to the bottom 10%" and "let's get down to brass tacks” during a conversation where he was meant to be sharing feedback with an employee. Eventually, Jenny had to stop him and ask, "What do you mean when you say those things?" While we were familiar with the "brass tacks" expression, we had never heard the "bottom 10%" expression. Even if we were familiar, it wouldn’t have mattered because they were just words that didn’t say anything about the actual feedback. He needed to get specific: ➡ What exactly was the miss? ➡ What were the violated expectations or broken commitments? This leader was using a lot of words, but he wasn’t communicating anything. This experience reminded me that communication is difficult enough! We don’t need to add slang, figures of speech, or corporate jargon to the mix. Remember, your employees are looking to you to make complex ideas simple; they are looking for you to put together a clear and concise message. They shouldn’t have to go back to their desks and guess at what it is you are looking for.

I never thought I'd compare communication to shopping in a liquor store, but here we are. A while back, my husband became a bourbon collector. Through this journey, I discovered the fascinating world of specialty bourbon. People join waitlists and befriend GMs of liquor stores, all for a chance to get a call when a rare bourbon arrives. These bourbons are expensive, kept behind locked cages, and only brought out upon request. If you're like me, you probably didn't even know this world existed. One day, I went to the liquor store with my husband to look at this fancy bourbon and listened to a conversation between him and the GM. They were using terminology I didn’t understand, and eventually, I tuned out. My husband was so excited, while I sat there uninterested and ready to go. I wanted to share this story to illustrate a point about communication. Just like the difference between bottom shelf and top shelf liquor, our communication can either be accessible to many or exclusive to only a few. The cheapest liquor is on the bottom shelf—affordable and easy for almost everyone to obtain. In contrast, top shelf bourbon is expensive, locked away, and only accessible if you are part of the “club”, know the right people (and terminology), and are prepared to pay a high price. As leaders, our job is to make sure our communication is like bottom shelf liquor—accessible to everyone. If we use jargon, acronyms, complex ideas, and convoluted sentences to sound smart, we are not doing our jobs and are leaving our employees confused, alienated, and disengaged—just like I was at the liquor store that day! Does this resonate with you? Have you thought about the accessibility of your communication?

Last week, my husband called me from the grocery store and asked if I needed anything. I asked him to get bread, and he wisely asked what kind I wanted (anyone else use different bread for different things 🤣). I could have sworn I said, “I need sandwich bread for the kids' lunches, so please get the honey wheat, SMALL SLICES. I don’t want the BIG SLICES.” We hung up and I thought, I bet he doesn’t get the right bread (and not for the reasons you think – keep reading)! Later that night, I looked at the bread and noticed he got the wrong bread. I immediately started laughing because I had just given a teaching on communication mishaps. Here I was, thinking I had communicated so clearly – SMALL SLICES, not BIG SLICES. But as any good amateur researcher does, I started reflecting on the conversation. I remember wondering if he’d get the right bread, which can't be a good sign. I remember thinking I was distracted when I was talking to him, I could barely remember the conversation which tells me I wasn’t present, and I’m pretty sure I was just rambling to get him off the phone. While I’d like to blame him for not listening, I’m positive there were a couple of factors at play that led to this very minor mishap. However, it got me thinking about the seemingly small moments throughout our days that go wrong (especially as leaders) because of our struggles with communication and how many things could be solved if we spent time becoming better communicators. Do you have any funny stories about communication mishaps—times when you thought you communicated clearly, but something went amiss? I'd love to hear them!

Big thanks to Meg Smit for having us on the Good Neighbor Podcast! For a quick overview of our journey and how RiseHR can support your organization, take a listen! Link in comments.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotion as both of my daughters graduated—one from college and one from high school! 🎓 There were two ceremonies and two epic parties, bringing together friends and family from all walks of life. Watching my daughters surrounded by the people they love, who had come from near and far to celebrate them, was so heartwarming - and an absolute blast! 😍 This experience made me reflect on the importance of celebrating milestones, not just personally but also professionally. As leaders, it's essential to celebrate the team's successes. Celebrating wins, big or small, not only boosts morale but also fosters a sense of unity and camaraderie and. . . it’s FUN! 🥳 Whether it’s a graduation or a team outing, celebrations make us feel connected and remind us of our collective progress and shared goals. 🎉 So, let's pop the confetti, share the high-fives, and make every success a stepping stone to an even stronger, more engaged team! 💪 🥂