How will you invest in your career development in 2018?

A new year is upon us. You may be starting the year off strong with great momentum or you may be exhausted by 2017 and need a boost. Either way, you should constantly have a career development plan in place. You are solely responsible for your own career development. There are a number of support systems available to you (peers, mentors, managers, your company) but the person solely looking out for you, is you. You should absolutely leverage your support systems. They can be a fantastic support for helping develop your plan and even provide resources for you to execute or commit to your plan.

There are two investment resources that you have: time and money.   Here are some thought starters on how your time and your money can contribute to your career development in 2018.

1 – Get Inspired! There are a number of people/accounts on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter you can follow to keep you thinking about your Career Development. (Resource: Time)

2 – Connect! If networking overwhelms you, reframe networking. Think about it as connecting with people. Learn from others, ask their advice. Find some peers at work and commit to encouraging each other. Get a group of friends together for brunch once/month where you celebrate successes. (Resource: Time)

3 – Learn! If your dream job requires certain degrees or certifications, make a commitment to earn those. How will you get your PMP or MBA? What are the budget and time requirements to earn this degree or certification? Create a Commitment Plan to save, explore options with your current company for tuition reimbursement or discounts, and talk to programs to find out what’s right for you.  Also, look at programs like LinkedIn Learning if you don’t want to commit to a full degree. (Resource: Time & Money)

4 – Hire a Coach! A coach can help you build a Commitment Plan to move your career development forward. Working with a coach will give you an opportunity to have an unbiased cheerleader!  As your coach, I’ll ask questions and guide our conversations to help you gain clarity towards the next steps in your career.  If you are interested in learning more about coaching, fill out the form below to schedule a free 15-minute conversation. (Resource: Time & Money)

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Cheers to 2018! I hope it’s full of motivation, inspiration, and action in your career!
Jenn

Top 5 Moments Of 2017

One of the most powerful motivators for moving forward is taking the time to celebrate those little victories.  Seeing how far you’ve come is great motivation to go even further.

2017 was a big year for me and here are the top 5 moments that moved me forward!

1 – Changing my tax status.  In March, I went from Fulltime to Freelance.  There are amazing things about having a full-time job.  I loved having an office space with a co-worker community.  The benefits and consistent paychecks were great too.  While I kept some of my previous communities and built some new ones, I still have to make a constant effort to connect with people and have a community.

2 – Becoming an entrepreneur.  I launched my coaching business, Be Genuine Stay Determined, in April.  When I talk about it, my face lights up, and when people ask me about coaching, I have a hard time shutting up!  It’s an amazing field and helping people work through their goals is incredibly rewarding.  I love hearing about clients working towards an Ideal Job and moving forward.  There are a few things that have made me a bit nervous about taking the leap but I’m so glad I jumped!

3 – Volunteering with Everwise.  In April, I started as a Mentor at Everwise and have mentored two amazing women through their EverwiseWomen program.  I’ve learned so much from the program and the women.  And am thrilled to be part of such a strong organization bringing women together.

4 – Changing my tax status, again.  I was a June bride this year.  It’s been amazing to have a partner in crime (whom in his vows, promised to take the heat if we were caught).  He’s been a great source of motivation, support, and advice.

5 – Landing the career of one of my favorite clients.  As he commences to a life of retirement, it was incredibly rewarding to be a coach and communication strategist for him.  I felt like Hamilton to Washington in “One Last Time.”  He has really helped form some of my leadership principles and strengthened my confidence helping leader define their brands.  I was incredibly fortunate to have a client who is also a mentor.

As I refine my 2018 SMART Goals and keep moving forward, I’m grateful for all the success I had in 2017 and the amazing people that were a part of it.  Thank you to my family, friends, co-workers, mentors, clients, and role models.

Wishing you all a restful holiday and a successful 2018!
Jenn

Communicating Decisions: We Fixed the Glitch

Making decisions can be complex, especially when it involves people. As managers, we put so much thought into the decisions we make that by the time the decision is made, our energy for that situation is spent. The decision-making group walks away and tackles the next situation. Leaders, however, know that if you stop there, you missed the most important piece – the people. Your decision will impact people and it’s essential to carefully craft a communication strategy and plan.

Working through this with a client, I was reminded of a great leadership lesson from Office Space. Don’t just fix the glitch, be a leader.  Here’s the clip.

Managers will execute for the business. They made the decision (Milton won’t work here anymore), they fixed the glitch (he won’t receive a paycheck), and they moved on/avoided potential conflict (“these things just work themselves out”).

Leaders balance the needs of the business with the needs of their people. They make the tough decisions (we are letting Milton go) AND have a communication strategy and plan to accompany major decisions.

Here are a few factors to consider when developing a communication strategy and plan.
1 – Who are the audiences? In this case, it may be:
– Directly Impacted: Milton, his manager, the employees taking on his work
– Indirectly Impacted: his peers, coworkers that sit near him, the office manager
– The Follow-Up: your boss, the management team

2 – What do they need to hear? Go audience by audience and consider: the decision, the why, and the plan forward.

3 – Who, how and when do they need to hear? Will it cascade from manager to manager? Will there be a company-wide or team-wide email? Does the plan happen quickly to reduce chatter and gossip?

4 – Execute. Once you have the plan, execute! If you tend to avoid conflict or don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, remember that it’s not about you. It’s about them and they need to know so they can move forward. Rip it off like a band-aid.

5 – Reflect. Look back at how it went. How are people feeling? Is everyone ready to move forward or do they need more? Did you miss a key message?

In the end, common sense always wins. Be a proactive, transparent leader. Empathize with each audience and think what you would want if you were in their shoes. When you continue to have a track record of transparency and warmth, you’ll develop a trusting culture where the team is set up to succeed.

It’s a Career Path, not a Ladder

Where did the idea of a corporate ladder even come from?  Was it realistic that a college graduate could pick one ladder, one path, and keep climbing in one direction, knowing the exact next step?

I’m grateful that corporate ladders don’t exist and that we get to create our own career paths full of twists and turns, detours and flexibility.  You can take time off for personal reasons (family, sabbaticals, continuing education).  You can jump to new industries.  You can have side hustles.  You can even start over and reinvent yourself completely.

The focus in today’s career path is more about developing skills than climbing a ladder of job titles.  When you can reframe your career journey to prioritize professional development over job titles, you may achieve your dream job faster.  Also, there is something you can do every day for your professional development.  Your professional development is something that you own.

Often times, clients want to know what’s next in their career.  They ask their manager what they need to do to get the next position.  And often time they hear, “We don’t have that position open now but we will consider you when it is.”  Or the guidance to focus on your current role. And yes, focus on mastering the skills of your current role but also focus on developing the future skills you will need for the rest of your career path.

As we approach 2018, identify some skills you want to develop or master in 2018.  Get the support of an accountability partner.  And even work with your manager or HR professional to see if there are professional development opportunities that your company provides or if your company can provide financial support.

Three Planners to Achieve Your 2018 Goals

You have big goals in 2018, and sometimes, need a little kick to make them happen. Here are three journals I’ve used over the years to Get Sh*t Done!

Passion Planner: I loved this journal. The exercises to start the year and each month were great reflective exercises. The color coding was fun and kept me balanced.  Three years after I used the Passion Planner, I went back and reviewed my initial goals and achieved most of them!

Commit30: This planner is great because it makes you live intentionally every day – reflecting on what you’ve accomplished and having a plan to move forward. Also…30 days? Anyone can commit to 30 days! The undated planner is great if you’ve fallen off the horse and want to start anytime that isn’t January 1. And I love their mantra SMALL STEPS = BIG RESULTS.

Bullet Journal: I’ve tried carrying around 5 journals with me (one per project) or online note capturing, and then I found Bullet Journaling. You can buy a Bullet Journal or learn the system and start in your journal now. This system helps me quickly jump from meeting to meeting or project to project in one journal. And allows me to easily find notes connected to each project. Referring back to all my notes on a specific project with the index has been life-changing. And adding in specific goals has kept me moving forward.

You are more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. So pick a system that works for you, hold yourself accountable, and achieve those goals!

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The average American will work 45 years in their lifetime.
Each year it seems like time is moving faster and faster.
The US is currently at a low in unemployment.

I was recently talking to one of my friends who work in HR. She said that one of the most common mistakes she sees people make in their career is staying in a position too long.

When asking yourself “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” consider these questions.
1 – Am I learning?
2 – Am I developing skills that align with my larger career goals?
3 – Do I have a clear plan for what’s next?
4 – Do I believe there is something better out there for me? Am I ready to take the risk?
5 – Is there room for me to grow in my current role?
6 – Are there things I haven’t yet mastered in my current role?
7 – Are there responsibilities/tasks I can take off my manager’s plate?
8 – Do I have more days where I’m happy or unhappy at work?

If you’ve been asking yourself “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” let’s talk through it. Send me a message below.

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Taking Feedback Gracefully

Feedback is a gift but only if we can hear it. Receiving positive feedback is easy and motivating. It’s a great way to learn your strengths, understand where you are effective, and a resource to use during performance reviews. I actually have a folder in my inbox called “Be Awesome Today!” where I save positive feedback emails. I go back to those emails if I need a little pick me up or if I’m prepping for a performance review.

Negative feedback can be difficult to really hear but also gives us great insight into how we can grow.

While receiving feedback, it’s important to stay in the moment and keep listening.  As much as we want to defend ourselves and share our POV for situations where we may not have acted our best, it’s important to listen to what people are saying.  Perspective is reality, especially at work.

Listen and take in all the negative feedback.  Take notes and then walk away.  Think about it for a couple days.  Then make an action plan for going forward.  Feel free to involve your manager as well.  After you have processed the feedback, you can talk to your manager about the negative feedback.  And if you feel there was a specific situation where you acted at your best but are getting negative feedback, walk your manager through that situation and ask advice for how you could have done things differently.  It’s amazing how when we give ourselves space and time, we can respond better.

Finally, always remember your end game!  What’s your ultimate goal: better relationships at work, a promotion, or shaking a reputation you don’t want?  Then what actions can you take that support your ultimate goal?  Control your controllables (how you react at the office, how you react to feedback) and forget about what you can’t (other co-workers focusing on you and not them).

A Note of Gratitude for the Characters in your Career Story

With Thanksgiving approaching, it’s a great time to pause and reflect.  You’ve done some pretty amazing things in your career.  Who are some of the main characters in your career story?  Did you have a teammate that was with you in the trenches when you made that impossible deadline?  Was there a manager that pushed you to the next level?  What about a mentor that pointed out some of those bad habits that were holding you back?  Or a hiring manager that took a risk on you even though you weren’t 100% qualified for that job?

Take some time this Thanksgiving to send your main characters a handwritten note, (or LinkedIn message, text, email, carrier pigeon, an Edible Arrangement, whatever) to share your gratitude for the role they played in your career story.  And be specific.  None of your career highlights happened without other people.  As Dr. Henry Cloud shares, “there is no such thing as a self-made man.”

Thank YOU for reading this blog.  You are a character in my career story as I grow my own business and build new connections.  If you like what you’ve read, you can sign up on my home page to receive each blog via email.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Jenn

The 8-Week Career Goal Challenge Begins this Friday!

Do you have a New Year’s resolution to find a new job, earn that promotion, or develop as a leader?  Let’s spend the next 8 weeks prepping for your New Year’s career resolution!
Every Friday (November 10 – December 29),  I’ll email out a 15-minute challenge for you to complete.
By the end of the year, you’ll have your SMART goals to grow your career in 2018!  This 8-week challenge is completely free, so join and encourage your friends too as well!
Sign up below to participate and let’s go!

 

 

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3 Ways to Get Inspired about your Career Growth without picking up a Book

I’m not much of a reader but I’m always looking for inspiration.  Sometimes we can just put our head down and push through with the daily grind of work.  But if we don’t take some time to get inspired, our career won’t advance!

Here are three sources that I focus on to get inspired.

1 – Podcasts: I spend a lot of time in the car and on planes.  I use this travel time to get some career inspiration through Podcasts.  I tend to start with HBR IdeaCast and then check out specific episodes in other feeds, like an episode on the Gender Pay Gap from Freakonomics Radio.  For an inspirational music break between podcasts, I listen to the Hamilton soundtrack – that’s some really great leadership rap right there!

2 – My Network: I choose to invest in professional relationships that inspire me.  I gravitate towards inspiring leaders and that’s why I became a coach.  Who do you want to be when you grow up into the next stage of your career?  Are you investing in relationships with people who have great habits that you want to have professionally?  Are you building trust with your peers, managers, or that awesome person you met at a networking event so you can ask them advice and watch them in action?

3 – Online Communities: Last week I tuned into an Everwise WebEx about Advancement in Women Leadership.  And I’m inspired to put the 7 strategies into action!  There are a number of fantastic online seminars, YouTube videos, Instagram feeds, and LinkedIn Groups.  The topics are specific and endless.  Google exactly what’s on your mind and you may find something great!

This month make a conscious effort to pick your head up from work and get inspired about where you’ll take your career!