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

Mastering the Art of Personal Branding: Building an Authentic Image

Many of your peers have great experiences, skills and knowledge that might be similar to yours, so what makes you different? How do you add value? What makes you unique? Everyone has to figure out this answer for themselves. Being able to articulate your brand through conversations and actions can make a big difference with people who can have an influence on your career. What is your personal brand? I love to ask clients to describe their personal brand at…
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Managerial Alignment Makes All The Difference For Your Success

I have had several conversations this week on the importance of aligning with managers and stakeholders. It seems like common sense, but in the day to day of getting stuff done, it is something that may be forgotten. When I ask them about it, they usually think that their manager “probably” knows what they are doing, but they aren’t sure. It is important to always consider whether you have done it or need to do it. This is a type…
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Do You Think Boundaries are Bad or Good?

Someone asked me, what are your thoughts about boundaries? Hmm…good question I thought. My initial reaction was that I know that they are a good thing now, but I used to have so much resistance to putting boundaries in place for myself. I didn’t think of them as bad necessarily, but I felt like others might judge me if I said no because they would be disappointed. I was a people pleaser who cared more about other people and their…
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What If You Could Accomplish Multiple Goals at Once?

How do you accomplish your goals? Do you plan everything out or work with your team to do it? I know for me and my team, we would put together a plan for the goals. We would start by determining the outcome that we wanted for each goal, break the goal down into smaller milestones, determine resourcing needs, focus on making progress each month, and ultimately reach the goal. I know that sounds like it is so easy to do,…
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The Visibility Factor Book is One Year Old Today!

One year ago today I launched The Visibility Factor book out into the world! I thought you might like a peek behind the curtain at what that day was like for me! It was like giving birth to a child (without having to go to the hospital, the pain, having a crying infant, and the getting no sleep part) where everyone was excited that this “baby” called The Visibility Factor had been born! It was a celebration that included, phone…
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How Clear Is Your Communication?

Communication is something that most people do without thinking about it. They speak in a way that makes sense to them in meetings and assume that their message is being heard. If they don’t share the information in a clear and concise way then their message may not be getting through and they have no idea. Unclear communication can create a perception among their leadership that they aren’t ready for a higher level role. Why is it so challenging to…
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Are You Playing Big Enough?

When leaders are looking to raise their visibility, I will ask them what their goals are and what types of actions they have already tried. Depending on those answers, I may push them to think bigger. Are they doing enough to reach the goal that they have for themselves? If they aren’t pushing themselves and starting to see results, then they may become frustrated and give up on their visibility plan. That won’t help them reach the success that they…
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Are You a Leader Who Asks or Tells?

Which leader are you? The one who tells their team the answers or the one that asks their team for options and recommendations? I definitely thought that I had to have all the answers in the beginning of my leadership journey. I thought I had to know what to tell my team when they had questions and if I didn’t know, then I felt like an impostor. That thinking was so wrong. You have a team for a reason! They…
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Is Being Nice a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

Is there such a thing as being too nice? When you read that question, was your initial response a yes or a no? My parents taught me to treat others with kindness and encouraged my sister and me to avoid conflict with our friends. As adults in the workplace, it isn’t always possible to avoid conflict. There may be issues between departments, team members who don’t get along or managing the work of outside vendors that can lead to conflict….
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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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