Natalie worked really hard to get to the VP level in her company. It wasn’t easy and she was so excited and proud of herself that she had finally reached this huge goal. She came to meet with me because although she had done what she had set out to do, she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep it. She felt paralyzed by her fears and wasn’t sure how to move past it. It doesn’t matter what…
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How does it feel to get the job that you have dreamed of for so long? Most people would say to other people that it is amazing and just like I hoped it would be. What they say in their head though, is that I hope I can keep it or what if I make mistakes and they demote me or let me go? Climbing to higher roles in an organization brings a lot of additional responsibility, but it also…
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It isn’t easy to be visible. It is a choice. The choice to do the hard things, instead of the easy ones. The choice to be bold instead of playing it safe. I wanted to choose the easy options so many times. Luckily I had a manager who helped me see that choosing the safe option would have a negative impact on my career. I had to choose to take the risk and be bold. Think about the choices that…
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Many people are taking time off at this time of year so they can be with family and friends and recharge during the holidays. How many are actually not working though? Does it feel like you still have to check in even though you are on vacation? The point of the recharge time is to give yourself space to be away from it and not focus on work. One of my friends felt like the one way she could get…
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I was coaching two different leaders this week about how to manage up to their bosses. Think of managing up as a way to help your boss look good and leverage their help when you need it. If you’re not familiar with the term, let me share a few examples with you: Sharing information with your boss so they are prepared if they are asked for an update from their boss or others in the organization. Give your boss a…
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One of the things that can happen when you are considering a really big decision is that you feel very indecisive. For example, if you are looking at a new job opportunity, it is a big decision because there are so many things that can be impacted. It could impact your family, your financial stability, and whether or not it’s going to be enough money for you, is it the right career move, do you have to go to a…
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People hold themselves back because they fear the unknown. They are afraid to fail and worry that they make look bad in front of others. So they do nothing. Unfortunately, that keeps them right where they are and stuck with no idea how to move ahead and succeed. When a client is in fear, I will ask them what types of things they are saying to themselves. Some common responses are: Will I be able to do this new role?…
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I talked to a leader that has been at his company for a while, but was recently promoted into a much larger role. He called me to talk through a situation that had identified a process gap because a key person who normally participates in the process was out. Others tried to step in to do it instead, but it ended up creating more issues and the work ultimately had to be done again. The leader was frustrated that this situation…
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I was coaching with a leader this morning who was working on how to best prioritize her work. Many people depend on what she does, but she didn’t think that she could say no to anyone. We talked about how to take the time to ask questions of the person who has a request before she immediately responded with a yes. Why is this important? When you immediately say yes to every request then you can’t get your own work…
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One day I walked into the office and found out that my manager had been seriously injured. We found out that he was okay, but his recovery would require months out of the office. When my manager’s boss told me this news he offered his support, but in the next breath said he would have minimal time, as he was working on a global program and would be traveling a lot. I knew that meant I was on my own. …
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