When I attend a well-coordinated conference or observe a successful program launch, I want to know what happened behind the scenes and what the organizers did to deliver. The journey is much more interesting to me than the destination.

I also love hearing how people work. So when I saw Sharlyn Lauby, author of HR Bartender, post recently about how she works, I clicked through and read along as she shared a little about her work.

Sharlyn encouraged others to follow suit, so I did. Enjoy!

Location: Central Minnesota

Current Gig: Human Resources Director for the St. Cloud VA Health Care System.

Current mobile device: iPhone 5, iPad

Current computer: DELL Inspirion 660 at home and another DELL of some type at the office. Loving the Windows upgrade or could it be that I disliked Vista so much?

One word that describes how you work: Focused.

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without? Anything that lets me read on the go. With the demise of Google Reader I am running NewsBlur and Feedly side by side on my iPad and have a smattering of other reading apps I check into now and then.

What’s your best time-saving trick? None, because I never seem to have enough time? One thing that works for me is taking 10-15 minutes at the end of each day to organize the most urgent projects for the next day and put them front and center to greet me when I walk in the door. It saves precious start up time in the morning.

What’s your workspace like? It's rather functional. Give me a computer, access and a few pics of the family and I can work from anywhere. Throw in a latte and something sweet and I'm better than good.

What’s your favorite to-do list manager? Outlook to keep my comings and goings organized and pen and paper (regular not legal size and white not yellow) for everything else.

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without? My Mophie because my iPhone5 does not hold a charge and my hotspot because I refuse to purchase data plans for my iPad and the kid's iPod and iPad mini.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else? Keeping a clean desk. I can't work with clutter.

What do you listen to while you work? Nothing more than the hum of the office.

Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert? Introvert – no question about it.

What’s your sleep routine like? Most nights, I’m in bed by 9:00p and up by 4:30a (with an alarm).

Fill in the blank. I’d like to see ____________ answer these same questions. I’d love to see YOU take the challenge and link back in the comments below.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Don't overthink. Just do.

What are you working on right now? Let me pull out my paper task list . . . besides the day to day activity of running an HR department in transition I am working on addressing organizational succession plan challenges and building HRIS capability to translate data into insight.

Tag, you're it!

As second nature as social media is to some, it is still new territory for others.

HR professionals are on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook as individuals and on behalf of their organizations. The job seeking public is developing profiles, joining groups and liking pages in an effort to connect with these HR pros and their companies in the hopes that the two will meet for a mutually beneficial outcome.

When I was asked to comment on proper etiquette for contacting HR professionals through social media, all of my chatter came down to this: be respectful of yourself and others at all times.

Some of the questions and quick-shot answers are below:

Is it acceptable to contact an HR professional through LinkedIn or Twitter? What about Facebook?

Yes. Take a look at their LinkedIn or Twitter profile. If their profile is private or they request not to be contacted, honor that. Many utilize Facebook for their recruitment efforts - others do not. Hot tip: do not weave a tangled web of friends to try to gain access to an HR professional with a private profile.

When contacting HR reps, ensure your state who you are, why you are contacting them and what information you are seeking. Don't underestimate the value of this first impression.

Is it wise to link your personal social media accounts or blogs to LinkedIn?

Importing your blog into LinkedIn is a powerful way to engage a wider audience. Think through the content you are importing into LinkedIn. Do your personal social media accounts present a professional image? Do they support your professional goals? What are your objectives?

I choose not to import the content into LinkedIn profile on a regular basis. Facebook pictures of my daughter swimming 50m fly would be of little professional value to my network.

How should you manage your image on your blog to not offend potential employers

Be accountable for what you say and how you say it. Some employers are looking up candidates on social networking sites and may think twice about hiring someone with something perceived as negative in their profile. Why? Your on-line actions can say alot about how you conduct yourself in real life.

Highlight your skills, your experiences, your ideas and your challenges. Don't be afraid to offer points of view and challenge assumptions - professionally.

What would you add? What words of wisdom would you offer to someone looking to manage their online image to land a great job?

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How I Work - Lisa Rosendahl Edition

Lisa Rosendahl