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Strategy #10: Listen, Damnit! To be successful in your career – and in life – you need outstanding listening skills. Sounds easy, right? But not quite. Most people do not listen at a deep level. With the pressure and pace of everyday life, our conversations skim along the surface. Instead of listening, we start thinking…

Strategy #7: Prioritize creating good working relationships with your clients and vendors. Misunderstandings and conflicts will happen in business, but if you have a history of working well together, your clients and vendors will be much easier to deal with during difficult times. Your company management and outside consultants will often call your vendors and…

My series on career strategies for women continues. This week, I will cover one of the most critical arenas – relationships! For some of us, this can be daunting or maybe historically challenging. Your ability to navigate relationships with your coworkers is essential to your success and that of your team. I’ll help you identify…

Strategy #1 is to Own Your Career. It is the most important thing that you can do as soon as you start working. As women, we have a history of putting our heads down and working hard in hopes that someone, hopefully, a boss, will take note of the contributions that we are making. Maybe…

Some may be thinking… in the middle of a pandemic? Chances are, you’re working more hours, totally glued to your computer, and quite frankly, you deserve it. But before asking, take a look at your company’s financial situation. Are they cutting budgets? Do they have a hiring freeze, or are they doing layoffs? If the…

Now let’s address the tough one, feedback for your boss. A trick is to apply the same approach to feedback that we just reviewed for employees.  Let’s say your boss has given you a big project, and she has a habit of not doing regular check-ins nor being available for your questions. You could say,…

Here’s my formula for impactful and motivating feedback: Start by identifying something that the employee is doing right and provide positive acknowledgment. Then, move to the area where you want an employee to make a change or behave differently – their area of opportunity. Share what you are seeing and what you expect instead –…

How do you share informal, on-going feedback with a direct report? Before sharing feedback, confirm your employees are ready: Make sure your staff knows your expectations of them. Provide training and on-going direction until they are up to speed. Share with them how you enjoy pointing out their successes and giving encouraging direction when needed.…

If you feel that the feedback is accurate and you understand the requested changes, jump on it! When you next speak with your boss, mention improvements that you are making based on her feedback. For example, “Theresa, I have been working on my attention to detail – you may have seen a difference in the…

You are getting ready to receive feedback from your boss.  How do you prepare?  Stay calm, be confident, and remain open and receptive throughout the conversation. Your goal is to be curious, consider asking for examples of what you do well and what you need to improve. Even if the feedback feels unexpected or off-base,…