Does the word networking have a negative connotation for you? For me, it triggered me a bit. It was like that uncomfortable feeling on the first day of school. Do you remember that moment? You walk into the classroom, without knowing anyone yet and you must find ways to make friends. I don’t know if it was any easier back then, but we all figured it out somehow. Networking from a place of scarcity. Connecting with new people was still…
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I met with a Director about the results of a leadership assessment that she recently completed which included direct feedback from her peers, direct reports and management. In that conversation, we also talked about the feedback that her manager had shared with her… she wasn’t communicating or acting like a Director. She was obviously concerned about the feedback and couldn’t understand what she needed to do differently. We talked about what she was focused on and she shared some of…
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We have all grown up with programming and messages from our families, teachers, media, society, culture, etc. that tell us what we are “supposed” to do in our lives. Some of these messages may include: get good grades, go to a good school, get a good job, get married, have children, save for retirement, follow the rules, don’t talk back, respect your elders, etc. You get the gist of the messages that we have all heard and internalized over many years. Those messages…
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I was watching a video by Dr. Benjamin Hardy, who is the author of many books including the one that I am reading now called 10x is Easier Than 2x. His book, that he co-authored with Dan Sullivan, is focused on ways to achieve more by doing less. In the video, he discussed some of the concepts from the book, he shared that, “courage is the starting point of all transformation.” If I look back on my own transformations throughout my career, that…
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If you have been following me for any of amount of time, you know that getting visibility for you and your team is important. However, there is also an opportunity for you to consider creating visibility for projects and programs too. Let me share an example: A client of mine shared the details of a discussion that he had with an executive leader about a project that would be kicking off soon. My client intended to walk through the proposed…
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Change is a constant, especially when it comes to business. Companies and their leaders need to anticipate customer needs, focus on internal business changes, retain employees and grow the company at a rate that is acceptable by their management and shareholders. Navigating through all of this change isn’t easy for leaders today and it isn’t going away. The Current State This quote was shared from an article on hrexecutive.com, “increasingly, employers report that new hires lack the necessary skills for the job….
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Every week I talk to clients who are so busy and have calendars that are filled with meetings. When we talk about meetings that they say they want to have with influencers, they tell me that there is no time. That may be true some days, but I ask them if they can identify one 30 minute slot per week that could be used for networking. Of course they have at least 30 minutes, it just needs to be prioritized….
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There are so many ways to create visibility for yourself, but what if you have a colleague who also wants more visibility? Then you might want to choose the visibility partnership approach! This partnership is created when you and your colleague find opportunities to share wins, results, and accomplishments about each other with key stakeholders, decision makers, influencers, and with your online network. Both of the people in the partnership advocate for the other to gain visibility. Of course, it…
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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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One of my clients, Tom, works on a team and is interested in moving up to a manager role. He said that he wanted to increase his visibility to show his management that he is ready for a promotion. I asked him, “What are you doing now to increase your visibility?” He responded, “I meet with my manager and my peers on a regular basis. I have made some presentations to my leadership team and received positive feedback for them.” I asked, “Have…
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