Making Decisions

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

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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Making a Big Impact on Your Team

Have you stopped to consider what type of impact you are making as a leader? There may be big things that you have done to support a team member or on a project, but most of the time it is how you show up in the little moments that count. These are the moments that team members remember forever.  Here are some ways that leaders show up that make a difference:  There are hundreds of examples that I could have…
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Do You Have a Strong Leadership Foundation?

Leadership is a journey that requires a strong foundation to be successful. A leader who starts out with this type of strong foundation has a clear sense of purpose, values, and principles that guide their decisions and actions. This foundation enables them to stay focused, make tough decisions, and lead with integrity. Building this type of foundation wasn’t something I realized that I needed to do when I first became a leader of people and managed large project teams. To…
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Taking Advantage of Opportunities is the Key to Personal and Professional Growth

Are you paying attention to opportunities that you can take advantage of?  Opportunities often come in unexpected ways, and it’s important to be open and adaptable to new experiences. You have to keep your eyes and ears open for potential opportunities, even if they don’t seem immediately relevant to your goals. Sometimes, these opportunities can lead to unexpected and rewarding paths that can benefit your career.  You may be thinking that you don’t have time for anything additional. However, there…
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The Benefits and Impacts of Having Senior Leader Conversations

In the article, How to Have Meaningful Discussions with Leaders Above You, I shared what to do to prepare to have a great conversation with a senior leader and the importance of doing it well. Today is about what the benefits can be for you when you have these types of conversations.  Gain insights: Senior leaders have extensive experience and knowledge in their industry and organization, so talking to them can give you valuable insights about the industry, the company, and…
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How To Increase Trust After It Has Been Broken

I was presenting to a women’s employee resource group the other day about the impact that communication can have on an organization. Things will run smoothly when people have the right information and they can trust that what they have been given is accurate. The challenge is that not all leaders are the same. Some operate with information close to their vest and don’t want to share what they know. Others are very transparent with information to allow their teams…
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What Story Are You Telling Yourself About Being an Introvert?

Are you labeling yourself without realizing it? On a recent podcast, I talked about being an introvert and how I embraced that label. Although it seemed like a good thing at the time, I may have leaned on that label a bit too much.  Assessments   I first learned about being an introvert when I took the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment. My experience with this assessment was quite a few years ago, and at that time, I had no…
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What is Impostor Syndrome?

Are you familiar with the term impostor syndrome and what it means? Do you know how to recognize it in yourself or in others? The term impostor syndrome was first identified in 1978 by Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes, whose research determined that this challenge impacts overachieving women who try to fit in and be perfect. The high achieving women attributed their success to mistakes, luck, or because someone hadn’t yet figured out that they didn’t belong where…
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Have You Tried Slowing Down to Speed Up?

When someone first told me that I should “slow down to speed up,” I couldn’t even process what that would mean for me. There was too much to do and no time to get it all done! If I slowed down, then I would fall behind even further.   What I came to realize though, is that slowing down is what is needed to prepare for what is ahead. Taking the time to reflect, be strategic, plan, create new ideas or…
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Are You Taking Advantage of Opportunities?

Are you letting opportunities pass you by? In every organization, there are processes that are inefficient, people who need training, frustrations about workload, and problems that need to be solved. These are just a few examples and there are many more that exist in a company.   How come no one is trying to solve them? The list of reasons usually sounds like this: lack of time, may not have the skills or expertise, don’t view it as part of their…
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