Career Conversations: 5 Questions for Staying Alive in Your Job

Do you have days at work when time stands still? ‘Wondering if you should be doing something different?  Before you jump on the job boards, there are plenty of things to consider to energize yourself in your current work. Consider the following 5 questions from Gallup: What do you know you can do well butContinue reading “Career Conversations: 5 Questions for Staying Alive in Your Job”

Career Conversations without Ageism

How frustrating it is to struggle with a conversation because we see things through our different lenses! We make assumptions based on so many things, but for this blog I’ll focus on a person’s age. Age discrimination is still pervasive when it comes to hiring older workers. And for different reasons, many young workers alsoContinue reading “Career Conversations without Ageism”

Before You Leap – Have a Career Conversation

You’re doing great work, got a good performance review, but you want to be promoted and keep your career moving. Your boss says she needs you to do the job she hired you for. You have to “pay your dues.”  What does that mean?!? So you’re stuck.  Should you look for a new job?’ BeforeContinue reading “Before You Leap – Have a Career Conversation”

Career Conversations with Your New Boss

Whether you are new to organization or you’ve just landed with a new boss in a re-organization, a conversation with your new boss is an excellent time to assess your career trajectory. Using some of the questions in each of these 7 areas will help you chart your course. [selected wisdom from Michael Watkins,  The FirstContinue reading “Career Conversations with Your New Boss”

Career Conversation with My Team?

You have a great team! Routine things work smoothly and challenges are handled. There are occasional blips to manage, but overall, its business as usual. Great! This is not the time to coast.  Its the very best time to build your team’s bench strength. How well do you know each person on your team? DoContinue reading “Career Conversation with My Team?”

Career Conversations – 7 Tips for Managers

By definition, in most organizations managers are expected to develop people as well as get ‘the work’ done. I can hear all the reasons why this is not a priority for you. The most common reason is lack of time; the urgency of the work takes precedent over long-term productivity. Do managers with high turn-overContinue reading “Career Conversations – 7 Tips for Managers”

How do I Become an Expert?

Organizations depend on people who have “deep smarts”—business-critical expertise, built up through years of experience, which helps them make wise, swift decisions about both strategy and tactics. These mavens may be technical wizards, risk managers, top salespeople or operations troubleshooters, but they are all the “go-to” people for a given type of knowledge in theirContinue reading “How do I Become an Expert?”

A Crystal Ball – Skills for Now and the Future

A research report from Apollo Research Institute gives us a crystal ball for looking towards 2020.  “Future Work Skills 2020” I like the way this report takes the major global trends and matches them with the skills workers need to thrive now and going forward. Its very useful for  the many people needing to re-skill,Continue reading “A Crystal Ball – Skills for Now and the Future”

“Future-Proof” Employee

In IBM’s report from interviewing over 1700 CEOs around the world three main themes emerged for the most successful organizations. At the highest level, none are news to us. But going deeper there are some critical nuggets worth exploring. I’m focusing on “Build future-proof employees.” Because emerging capabilities are hard to define, hiring and equippingContinue reading ““Future-Proof” Employee”

Why Didn’t Someone Tell Me?!

I recently met a woman who needed to advance her role in the organization.  She was very technically intelligent; a go-to person for her group. She was checking all the career development boxes and fully expected this to put her on the path to promotion. Yet,  no work opportunities were opening up for her.  SheContinue reading “Why Didn’t Someone Tell Me?!”