How does it feel to get the job that you have dreamed of for so long? Most people would say to other people that it is amazing and just like I hoped it would be. What they say in their head though, is that I hope I can keep it or what if I make mistakes and they demote me or let me go? Climbing to higher roles in an organization brings a lot of additional responsibility, but it also…
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Are you following along with the crowd? Do you do what everyone else does? If you want to stand out, you have to do the opposite of what others are doing instead. What could you do that plays to your strengths and allows your management to see you in a new way? One of my clients was tired of being in the shadows all the time and wanted to find some ways that she could do more to stand out. She…
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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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This is the time of year that many clients are focused on goals in preparation for the new year. It can feel a bit overwhelming for leaders to get started so I will ask my clients to share what their big outcomes are for the next year. They bring rough ideas to the conversation based on the gaps that need to be addressed, opportunity areas or upcoming business plans that they know are coming. The questions that I ask them are intended to…
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Most people think about strategy in a business context. It is important to identify and implement strategies at various levels in a company to move the company forward and accomplish their goals. However, there are also other places where strategy is equally important, but it is about you and not the company. Let me share a client case study of how strategy is involved in a career change. Mary who was a Director at her current company reached out to me…
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Kathy was a mentee of mine who met with me monthly. She would bring various challenges that she faced to our meetings and we talked about how she could handle them. One of those conversations focused on some feedback that she received from her manager who thought she was really good at leading projects, but she needed to be more strategic. She asked me for advice because she wasn’t sure what to do to be more strategic and how to show…
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I sat in the big auditorium back in my corporate job with about 100 people in the room and many others who joined remotely. We were listening to a career panel discussion put on by the employee resource group called Women@Kraft that I led. Some amazing women were up on stage and shared their stories of how they got to their current position. I had what is known as an accidental career. Every time it was time for a new role, a manager…
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The dream manager is the one who gives you opportunities, even when you aren’t sure you are ready for them. I attended a conference with my manager when one of those “opportunities” arrived. We sat in a session to hear someone speak on a new technology that we were implementing. We wanted to see how others used the software and learn lessons from them. As we sat there and listened to this speaker who was an “expert” by all accounts, we realized that we knew way more…
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Client Question: “I have been asked to put together an organizational strategy for my group. Where do I start?” This may feel like an overwhelming assignment if you haven’t done it before. Your organization may have a specific format that they use, so ask some of your peers for examples. Here are some of the main things that I have seen included in strategies: Executive Summary – Explains the reason that the new strategy is needed and what you are…
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