In my last post, I expressed the importance of listening to your intuition and going with your gut. You might agree that the flipside of gut-based decision making is analysis paralysis. So, if you are continually dipping your big toe to test the waters and avoiding taking the plunge, take a step back from what appears to be wildly uncertain waters and ask why? Do you ever … [Read more...]
Do You Feel As If You Are Swimming Upstream?
Are we taking advantage of the natural flow of an organization or are we swimming upstream? Below are two critically important topics for Women in Business 1- Are you working on the right things? 2-Do the right people know you are working on the right things? These two topics are important guiding rules for women navigating a career in business- particularly in … [Read more...]
Gut Check — Score One for Intuition
We really are smarter than we allow ourselves to believe. We know what we know. We just need to have the confidence to believe in our own thoughts and feelings. Intuition is a powerful thing. Call it a 6th sense, a vibe, a hunch or even ESP. Whatever term you prefer, we feel it in our bones. Unfortunately, we don't always pay attention to the critical information our bodies … [Read more...]
Advocacy to Shift Culture
Organizations working on raising awareness of inclusiveness and why it is essential for businesses to survive are well served by advocacy programming. This is very true as it relates to organizations that are working to increase gender diversity at the leadership levels. One of the most important differences between men and women at senior levels of organizations is the … [Read more...]
w Can You Make Your Resolution a Reality? It’s all in the Timing
Post by Frances Cole Jones, contributing Women On Business writer “Timing: the alpha and omega of aerialists, jugglers, actors, diplomats, publicists, generals, prize fighters, revolutionists, financiers, dictators, lovers.” Marlene Dietrich didn’t speak often, but in this instance it was worth waiting for. I bring this up today as it is currently the time of year when … [Read more...]
A Guilty Conscience = A Great Hire???
Are you looking to add new individuals to your team in 2011? Studies show that hiring guilt-prone employees is smart business! (Keep in mind, there is a big difference between guilt-prone and guilty) Guilt-ridden people make better employees, tend to work hard, perform better and are less likely to call in sick. All around, they’re dependable. Why? Because they feel bad … [Read more...]
Resolution Solution: Shop Your Soul
If you ever watch the staging or interior re-design shows on HGTV, the designers always suggest “shopping your home” for accessories or furniture to move from one room to create a whole new look or feeling in another room of your home. What they seem to be suggesting is that you don’t have to go shopping beyond the confines of your house for what you need—it was always … [Read more...]
Be an Advocate for Yourself
A recent Catalyst study demonstrates that mentoring does not help career advancement to the degree that sponsorship does. Mentoring is defined as career advice and guidance and sponsorship is advocacy. Usually sponsors have more senior positions than mentors, and it is their responsibility to advocate for an individual and pull them up the ranks to a top level position in … [Read more...]
Is a Corporate Board Seat in Your Future?
This past week I had the opportunity to not only attend the MA Conference for Women, but also to participate in a leadership panel about women and corporate board positions. My role on the panel was to speak about how women can promote themselves and increase their credibility and visibility so they can get a board appointment. It was a wonderful experience and I was … [Read more...]
Ask for a Promotion
According to Donald Asher, author of Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t and Why, “Bosses assume that any employee who doesn’t ask for more is satisfied with his job.” If this is accurate, which I suspect it is, why don’t we ask about opportunities to move up? Our hesitancy to ask for a promotion is more than likely related to our overall fear of self promotion. When we … [Read more...]