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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
I saw this article from Lolly Daskal, author, and executive coach, called How Can an Executive Coach Make You a Great Leader? It reminded me that there are so many benefits for a leader who has a coach. I wanted to share some of my experience of having a coach and ideas for you to consider should you decide you might want to hire a coach. The Beginning of My Coaching Experience I remember when I hired my first coach in 2012….
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
Let’s be honest, being perfect isn’t worth your time. The extra time that you could take to make something perfect is most likely not going to make much of a difference. If this is you, then you spend time doing the extra work to make others happy, avoid criticism, and because you are trying to meet someone’s unrealistic expectations. What if I gave you a permission slip on the project you are working on and said just do what is…
Read more