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Susan M Barber Coaching & Consulting, LLC > Blog > Blog

How Can You Use the Right Questions to Change Your Visibility?

I can remember that I had questions in meetings, but I stayed quiet. I can see now that I wanted to avoid judgment, didn’t want to be wrong or waste other people’s time and I made the assumption that the attendees probably already knew the answer and I didn’t. I would hold on to my questions and ask someone after the meeting had ended. I was avoiding visibility.  How often has this type of situation happened to you? What prevents…
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Are You Making the Most of Your Opportunities?

Climbing the corporate ladder isn’t for everyone. There are expectations that that you will do more outside of normal work hours.   Attending conferences, dinners, happy hours, or attending meetings in other time zones are but a few examples. These are some of the sacrifices to your personal time that you may need to do. For example, when co-workers were in town, there would be dinners and happy hours that were planned that I would need to attend. These were…
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An Easy Approach to Ensure Visibility Happens

Creating visibility for yourself is important, but it is equally important for you to do that on behalf of your team. Give them opportunities to show their value and make a name for themselves. It will help them to prepare for future roles and build their confidence. Set an intention that you will do this for them just as much as you do it for yourself.    John, who is one of my clients, wanted to ensure he was giving…
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Are You Willing To Take No For An Answer?

It is about taking the opportunity to use your voice to make a difference and do something that others can’t imagine doing, but you can. Kris put together this great new program for her company. It was well thought out and although it would take a lot of work to implement, it would be a game changer. Kris was viewed as a risk taker, who could think outside of the box and wasn’t afraid to be bold. She had already…
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How Well Do You Deal With Change?

New leaders come into an organization and want to make an impact, which means change. Organizational changes, project changes, acquisitions, divestitures and business changes to stay competitive are a few of the types of changes that a leader in a corporate environment will encounter each day.  All of these changes can be a challenge to navigate. They can create more work and be overwhelming until decisions are made on priorities. This is the time when a leader has a choice…
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Have You Been Promoted, But Fear You Might Not Succeed?

lady in front of a group

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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Do You Play to Win When You Take on a New Role?

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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Are You Making the Best Choice For Your Career?

best choice

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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What Are You Doing With Your Vacation Time?

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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Are You Managing Up To Gain Visibility?

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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