In November 2020, I developed two webinars in a four-part series on career development for the University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education. The first, Maximize Your Career in Your Current Organization, covers what I describe as the three pillars of career management: Managing your career trajectory; managing your manager; and managing yourself. The second webinar, titled How to Network When Your Not Networking, covers what I describe as the career lifecycle and how (and why!) networking fits into that. …
UW Webinar: How to Network When You’re Not Networking
In November 2020, I developed two webinars in a four-part series on career development for the University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education. The first, Maximize Your Career in Your Current Organization, covers what I describe as the three pillars of career management: Managing your career trajectory; managing your manager; and managing yourself. The second webinar, titled How to Network When Your Not Networking, covers what I describe as the career lifecycle and how (and why!) networking fits into that. …
Stop being a pushover!
“I need to stop being such a pushover,” my coaching client said. I looked at the soft-spoken, whip-smart young woman in my office and sighed to myself. I think she’s crazy impressive, and I want her to see that in herself. “Tell me about a time you were a pushover,” I said. She described not challenging the talking heads in meetings, not correcting or contradicting her colleagues when their interpretation of the facts was slightly off. “Do you want to correct people, …
Healthy stress
I wanted to kick the printer. OFFLINE. The printer always just works. Why was it offline on the one afternoon when I really needed it? I was leaving the house in 15 minutes to give a talk in Bellevue, and I needed to print my slides. I could feel my heart beating faster, and a rush of intense irritation. I wanted to take a hammer to the printer. “Of course the printer decides not to work today, right now, when I …
Stop goldplating!
“I need to stop gold plating,” my coaching client told me. I looked at her quizzically. “You know, when you go above and beyond, over and over?” said my client, a senior account manager at an international organization who is responsible for a global brand. “I always make sure my work is beyond excellent, even when it doesn’t really matter.” Not surprisingly, this client reached out to me because she felt tired, burned out and is thinking about doing something …
Not in charge!
“I was talking about you today,” the stranger said as I walked into class. It was only our second improv class, so my heart sank as I imagined what ghastly memorable thing I might have done in the first class. “You said you were taking this class because it was the scariest thing you could think to do,” she reminded me. “You said you took an advanced ski class this winter and afterward resolved to always do scary things.” “I want to always …
Using amplification
Everyone on the drive down from Snoqualmie Pass was angry. Well, everyone except me. My husband was angry at my daughter for a risky skiing decision. My daughter was angry at my husband for shouting at her. My son was angry at my husband for shouting at my daughter. Fun family ski day. I listened to the tumult. While I had been enjoying a quiet beer in the lodge, my kids raced each other down the mountain. My daughter fell …
Base rates of a nightmare city
An executive coaching client was recently offered her dream job: exciting work, inspiring executive management, blue sky growth and development. But there was a problem. “It’s in the Bay Area,” she told me, her voice flat and resigned. “I hate the Bay Area.” This client, a young woman in a technical field, is a rising star in her organization. She is thriving in her current role; it’s just that, well, this new opportunity would be a leap upward. “If this …
The top right quadrant
One of my executive coaching clients is at the top of her field and looking to do something … else? More? “How can I choose between these orthogonal options?” she asked me. “It’s not like I’m choosing between two houses and can just rank attributes. These are apples-to-oranges choices.” I nodded wisely, making a mental note to look up “orthogonal” when I got back to my desk. As she updated me on the the leads she was following, I listened …
Who are your allies?
“The men are outperforming the women,” my executive-coaching client told me in frustration. “We’re all white men in leadership, but I’m not going to be able to promote a woman to director level.” My client is an executive with an international organization, living and leading a team on the other side of the world. (We were video conferencing.) His organization has stated goals of promoting women into leadership. “Do you have any women in mind whom you want to promote?” …
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