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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“Is there such a thing as too much visibility?” This is a question that I get in nearly every speaking engagement that I do. When I press them for more information, it is usually a response similar to this one: “I don’t want to be seen as someone who brags or who takes up all the space in the room. I am afraid that I would be seen as that kind of person if I am being visible and I…
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It’s time to check in on the perception of your personal brand. What perception do you think that you have and is it the one that you want? Your personal brand is judged by people each and every day, usually in the first few seconds. As soon as they meet you they are looking at your appearance, listening to what you say and also how you say things. Their brain automatically creates a perception as they measure you against an…
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When is the last time you reviewed the work that you are doing? I have spent time with a few different people this week on the work that they are doing in their groups and exploring if they could accomplish it in a new way. The conversation usually starts with a few questions like, “where are you overloaded or what are you or your team saying yes to instead of saying no?” They can usually come up with a list…
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Lisa wanted to hire another employee to take on additional workload, but her manager wasn’t in favor of it. He agreed that she needed the help, but he didn’t see the need to add to payroll. He asked her to go back and see if someone else could pick up the work. She was disappointed and she brought the situation into our coaching session to discuss. This is a common situation that happens. What could have been handled differently here? Whenever you…
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One of my clients had a difficult situation happen at work yesterday. The simple version of what happened was that decisions about a new program were made a few months ago. He learned new information and wanted to make some changes to the program. Unfortunately, the launch is about to happen right now, so it is too late in the game to be changing things. He was frustrated and upset that the other people in the organization wouldn’t change things for him. I…
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One of the biggest challenges that leaders face is carving out space in their calendars to think, plan, and be strategic. It makes sense that they would feel that way when there they have so much to accomplish and a never-ending to-do list. However, what we talk about in coaching conversations is how they can slow down and focus, which ultimately helps them speed up. It helps them to lead with intention and not just be in reactive mode. This isn’t…
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If you have ever been part of a team working on a project, you know that there is always risk. The team plans for all the possible scenarios and is prepared for what could happen. Risk mitigation is a critical part of making sure that the project team can handle the scenarios that could happen. Proactive planning gives the team time to think about it and create a plan that they are ready to execute as soon as it is…
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Planning and preparation are key activities for a leader to focus on, especially at the beginning of a new role. Understanding the work that your team does, building relationships and delivering against your priorities are a few examples to concentrate on. However, there is one other planning activity that should happen at this time as well. You need to start figuring out how to work yourself out of a job. It seems illogical to do this so early in the…
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