by Guest Author | Dec 15, 2014 | Career Development, Coaching Advice, Leadership
What’s the difference between a Manager and a Leader? We are often told it has something to do with what you do (or don’t) that makes you a leader. Mary Schaefer suggests it has more to do with how you treat your employees. Great read for leaders at all levels! – InPower Editors
As an employee, can you relate to any of these scenarios?
- You receive a series of emails from your boss on the XYZ Project. If he would have read through his inbox, he might see that all his questions are eventually answered. He wouldn’t have had to waste the time writing you, and flooding your inbox.
- You tell your supervisor about this whitepaper you’re reading on the future of recruiting. She suggests this would be great for you to present at the upcoming global leaders meeting. You prepare. When the agenda comes out, your presentation is not on it. When you question your boss, she unconvincingly covers that she had been thinking out loud and didn’t mean for you to act on her suggestion.
- Your boss stops in, calls, texts or emails you several times a day, every day, wanting status updates, offering new ideas or asking questions that imply, “have you got my back?”
You might say this behavior is a boss’s prerogative, and employees just need to adjust and go with the flow. Fair enough.
As A Manager, Do You Want To Be “Right” Or Do You Want To Be Effective?
A number of my clients have experienced situations like the ones described above. It makes you wonder what’s going on with the manager. It could be overwhelm, insecurity, lack of discipline or all three.
There are those of you who, as managers, are generally thoughtful. You recognize the need to respect another’s time, to not interrupt their flow, to not waste their time asking little things several times a day, frittering away their productivity, and maybe even their goodwill toward you.
It’s easy to fall into a habit and just call on people casually, while a particular item is on your mind. After all, you don’t want to forget whatever it is. But then you lose track of how many times you’ve interrupted them today.
Do You Want To Be A Manager, Or Do You Want To Be A Leader?
Let’s think about how to break these habits and get a handle on how you are using your time, and impacting those around you. Choose a day to examine your habits. On the appointed day, before you jump with that email or that phone call, consider:
- Why am I making this contact?
- Can I get my need met another way?
- Is this the person I need to contact?
- Will this contact resolve anything?
- Should I save this for a more convenient time?
- What mechanism can I setup to manage these needs this better?
Your employees will thank you. You both will end up being more productive. And a really nice side benefit is that you are modeling to others how to be thoughtful and productive at work.
What do you do, to not be “that” manager?
Originally on: leadchangegroup.com
Take charge of your career development to get the job that supports your work and your life. Check out the tools and resources in the InPower Coaching Career Center.
by Dana Theus | Dec 11, 2014 | Coaching Advice, Personal Mastery, Work-Life Blend
It’s the end of the year! If you’re like us you’re tempted to run around in circles just trying to get it all done. Dana gives us a reminder—and tools—to bring a more intentional close to 2014. —InPower Editors
Think it’s too early to plan 2015? Nope! Now’s the best time. Plan ahead. But don’t jump straight to your new goals. Take some time to review how 2014 went for you. Why should we spend time reviewing the past?
- LEARN from it (What worked? What didn’t? Why?)
- LET IT GO
There’s actually a bit more to it than that, but that’s the essence. When you take old baggage into the future, your future is bogged down before you start. What will you take into 2015 on purpose? What will you let go of?
Let InPower Coaching help. I’ve put 6 exercises into a workbook to help you wrap up your 2015 in the following four key areas of life and work:
- Your Self: Things I do for me, to grow myself, feel good, enjoy lie . . .
- Your Circle: Things that improve my close relationships . . .
- Your Career: Things that help me achieve my professional potential & enjoyment . . .
- Your Impact: Things that I influence or do that help make the world better . . .
by Dana Theus | Dec 3, 2014 | Coaching Advice, Communicating With Confidence, Emotional Intelligence at Work, InPower Women Blog, Leadership, Personal Mastery
Does someone with leadership presence always make a good leader? Can someone without presence lead effectively?
Many career gurus will say leadership presence is essential to becoming a good, and ladder-climbing, leader. In my experience, however, many good leaders get ahead with only a mild ability to be noticed when they enter the room, depending on the company’s leadership culture. In addition, research shows that confidence and presence often help you get ahead even if you don’t deserve it. Leaders who get ahead on confidence alone flame out and fall prey to the Peter Principle before they get to the top.
Bottom Line: There’s more to being a good leader than just confidence and presence.
(more…)
by Guest Author | Dec 3, 2014 | Career Development
The power of your life is yours. Power isn’t in the hands of your largest client, or your boss, or your partner. You have a unique power that you can and must use to create the purposeful and successful life you crave. In this video, Happiness expert, Coach Carin Rockind teaches you how to activate your unique power as a woman. It isn’t about acting like a man . . . but acting from your uniqueness, your brilliance: your strengths, your talents, your passions and wisdom.
Take charge of your career development to get the job that supports your work and your life. Check out the tools and resources in the InPower Coaching Career Center.
by Guest Author | Dec 2, 2014 | Coaching Advice, Personal Mastery
Of all the ways to improve your business, have you considered adding creativity to the mix?
As Bill Moyer says, “Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.” As an artist turned entrepreneur, I know that creativity has helped me find the marvelous, the innovative and the unconventional. I’m intrigued by other creatives in business too. How do they utilize their talent, skills and artistic natures? How does their unique brand of creativity impact their companies and their careers?
I sat down with my friend, fellow business owner and client Sylvie Levine, the force behind the Sylvie Collection of diamond jewelry, to talk about designing a creative business. Sylvie is a jewelry designer and a third generation diamond businessperson. I am a sculptor turned CEO of Globe Runner, an SEO and digital marketing firm. Though our businesses and backgrounds are different, we share five key concepts about creativity that help our companies thrive:
Staying Curious
I believe that creative people are curious people and that curiosity helps us embrace the new and untried. It’s my curiosity that drives me to explore different ways of doing business, like trying out creative contract ideas (performance-based, revenue-sharing, etc.) to find the best fit for my client. Sylvie’s curiosity helps her stay ahead of the design curve. “I never stop learning. Whether it’s a fashion trend or a marketing trend, I am always eager to learn about what’s cutting edge.”
Surrounding Ourselves With Creatives Who Share Our Standards
“Talented staff and companies help me convey my message, “ says Sylvie. “I utilize other people’s strengths to help run the company, which allows me enough time to focus and uphold the integrity of my brand.” She also believes that her staff reflects her work standards. “It’s very important to me that we maintain a high standard of craftsmanship, so it is a big emphasis within the company culture.”
I believe one of the best things you can do for your business is hire great people and encourage them to be creative. When interviewing potential employees, I look for what I think are the hallmarks of creativity: curiosity, which is often reflected in a desire to learn new things, and passion, whether it’s personal or work related.
Balancing Creativity and Business
Creativity can certainly enhance a business. Sylvie is creative in a very detail-oriented sense, which actually helps a lot in the business world. “Both creativity and business are equally important to me. When it comes to artistic direction, I pride myself on my creativity, and I work hard to never cut corners. By staying true to my creative process, I can be confident about what I produce.”
But creatives may also have to make decisions that go against their artistic sensibilities. As artists, we are trained to understand that while not all artwork is good, there is some merit to each effort. We learn to see the good in something or someone, whether it’s actually there or not. I’ve realized there is no space for that idea in business. I have to be able to see what works.
Meeting Challenges With Creativity
Every business leader can learn from their mistakes. Sylvie always tells her staff that “every crisis is a blessing.”
As creatives, we have extra tools that can help us problem solve. When I address a problem, I approach it as I would an art project. I first turn my challenge into a formal problem, so that I know exactly what challenge I am trying to solve or what idea I want to encapsulate. Then I try to eliminate all assumptions. For example, if I can stop assuming that a painting has to be created with paint, I might see that the solution actually involves another medium. If I don’t assume that a customer service issue should be “fixed” with more staff training, I might be able to see that a better solution may be to change the employee-customer interaction process.
Taking Time to Be Creative
Running a business takes time and energy. It can be hard to make space for creativity. “My biggest challenge is finding the time to unwind and give myself a creative break,” says Sylvie. I admit that I too find it tough to take the time to recharge my creative battery. But it’s worth the effort. After all, our creativity is the force behind our successful businesses; the way we can find the marvelous.
About author:
Eric McGehearty is the CEO of Globe Runner, a top-performing, SEO and digital marketing firm. Eric, who received his master’s degree from UNT, is also the founder of BabySafeTravel.com, an advisor to non-profits, an advocate for people with learning disabilities and an award-winning sculptor. Though Eric has achieved success in many fields, the role he cherishes most is that of husband and father to his wife and four children.
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.
Originally posted on The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC)
by Dana Theus | Nov 27, 2014 | Coaching Advice
It’s Thanksgiving in the States. We want to thank all our writers, staff and followers for making InPowerWomen.com a “go-to” site for women’s leadership and empowerment. Take our deep thanks to your day. No go eat! – InPower Editors
by Guest Author | Nov 26, 2014 | InPower Women Blog, Leadership
Everyone struggles with difficult conversations – just a little. Learning to have a tough conversation isn’t just a leadership skill, it’s a life skill. Learn it early and often. Do it with compassion and you help yourself, your business and the people you’re having the tough conversation with along the way. – InPower Editors
Strong leadership takes guts. Don’t let fear of tough conversations bring your startup down.
There are few things more uncomfortable than having the “you’re fired” conversation — except maybe having that conversation when you’re one of the most prominent corporate leaders in America.
Earlier this year, Marissa Mayer attracted a lot of media attention when she fired COO Henrique de Castro — her first major hire as Yahoo’s CEO. Some pundits were outraged by the millions in severance he walked away with, while others began speculating about how much longer Mayer would be at the helm.
For female leaders, it’s imperative that we don’t let the opinions or perceptions of others affect our decisions. Having the confidence for hard conversations is often what builds our platforms for success.
Here are some strategies to help address a few difficult discussions:
Difficult Discussion No. 1: Addressing Opposition From Your Team
As your company grows and adapts to new challenges, you’ll inevitably need to pivot your business strategy. But with change can come opposition.
If your team disagrees with your choices, it means you haven’t effectively communicated your vision. Fortunately, you can set the record straight and regain their confidence with one simple conversation. Instead of arguing or approaching each conversation with a “my way or the highway,” attitude, take the extra time to get your team on board. Paint them the big picture. And remind everyone where and how they fit into that picture. If it’s not clearly painted it’s your fault, not your employees’.
If, however, you’re just leading a team of negative naysayers, you must feel comfortable responding, “This is my vision and we’re sticking to it.” In this case you’ll also need to do some personnel evaluation — it’s important to have the right people on your team.
Difficult Discussion No. 2: Warning Slacking Virtual or Part-Time Employees
Despite the many benefits of working with virtual employees, falling into the trap of “out of sight, out of mind” can make it difficult to manage them effectively.
When employees aren’t accomplishing their tasks, it’s important that you don’t wait for them to self-correct. It’s easy to let too much time go by and suddenly find yourself buried beneath a mountain of issues. Instead, approach each challenge immediately. It will save you months of headaches.
Make sure each employee, virtual or not, has a checklist of her roles and responsibilities. As simple as it sounds, it’s surprising how many business owners and leaders don’t provide this for their team members. To keep everyone on track, schedule regular phone calls, hold Skype meetings and collaborate on Google Docs.
Most importantly, make it clear how much you care about their success as well as the company’s success.
Difficult Discussion No. 3: Telling an Employee and Friend That She’s Slacking
It’s hard to work with family, but it’s just as hard to work with friends. When your employees become your good friends, oftentimes they’ll start to take your requirements or expectations for granted.
Nip this in the bud as soon as it starts to surface. Make sure you set the record straight and tell them, “I know we’re friends, but I still expect you to follow through with your responsibilities to the company, and I just can’t give you any special treatment here.”
Always start these conversations with a friendly but firm declaration. For example:
Jane, even though I consider you a friend, I first have to honor our business relationship. Just because we have a friendly relationship, please don’t misinterpret that to mean that my expectations are going to be any more lenient. In fact, my expectations could be even greater because I have so much respect for you and trust you more.
If she’s a true friend and a good employee, she’ll rise to the challenge.
Unfortunately, there’s no cheat sheet for leaders that outlines the proper way to handle every situation. However, women don’t have to emulate what they’ve seen on TV or act more “like a man” to be taken seriously when these situations occur.
In this new economy — with the rise of social media and utter transparency — people want to be led by a real person, not a robot behind a smiling face. That means you have the freedom to define your own leadership style, follow your instincts, find your voice and stick to your guns. You know what’s right. You just need to have faith in yourself.
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.
Originally posted on The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC).
About author:
Sumi Krishnan is the President and Founder of K4 Solutions, Inc. a $20 million dollar consulting firm located in Greater Washington DC. Her firm works with clients including the Dept. of Defense, Dept. of State and Dept. of Homeland Security on functions including cyber security, records governance and call center management. …
by Guest Author | Nov 25, 2014 | Career Development
Here’s a revolutionary thought: instead of wasting a lot of time wondering whether you can or should “have it all” (family and career), how about realizing that for most women it makes long-term sense to DO IT ALL.
What am I saying, exactly? I’m saying that with few exceptions most women need to (as I say in my blog tagline), “Find the Work that Fits Your Life” at all ages and stages.
It’s a reality that very few people have enough money saved to send multiple children off to college—let alone fund a retirement that could last 30 years or more.
It’s a reality that no jobs have lifetime guarantees—and that many spouses will lose their jobs without a moment’s notice and have a hard time finding another one—or one that offers the same level of pay.
It’s a reality that a significant percentage of marriages end in divorce, too often jolting women back to a workforce that can be harsh about big resume gaps.
It’s a reality that care for aging parents can become both an emotional and unexpected financial burden.
It’s a reality, simply, that women need to always have some way to generate an income–to make even small payments toward the life insurance policy for the “you never knows”.
What I think women get tripped up on is the word “career”, which carries the weight of “life sentence”. Let’s confine that inflexible career word to actors, athletes and others who have a finite amount of time to master and capitalize on one very specific expertise. For the rest of us, let’s just talk about many different kinds of “work” we can do and many different skills we can use to achieve personal fulfillment and financial security over an entire lifetime–freelance or on staff, employee or entrepreneur, at home or in a corporate office, five hours a week or 50—with endless possibilities for every age and stage.
Originally on: LinkedIn
Take charge of your career development to get the job that supports your work and your life. Check out the tools and resources in the InPower Coaching Career Center.
by Téa Blake | Nov 10, 2014 | Gender Research
There are some major changes in the forecast for the workplace. Over the next 10 years it is expected that the majority of baby-boomers will retire reducing the overall workforce numbers by 40%. Many job areas will suffer from this reduction, namely those jobs which rely heavily on workers with on-the-job experience, industry knowledge and soft skills. Many generation-X women are finding that they can do better on their own in a consulting or start-up role. Statistics show that women are often underpaid by roughly 25% in comparison to male colleagues in the same role- one of the major factors in the decisions to break away from the traditional career paths. Minority groups are quickly becoming the majority of consumers, clients and leaders in the workforce. It is expected the minority groups will make up roughly 40% of the civilian labor force by 2020. Temp workers are becoming a popular option for large companies which are not able to pay the healthcare requirements of of full-time employees. Temp workers now make up 19% of all new jobs in the United States.
Originally seen on anneloehr.com
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by Guest Author | Oct 30, 2014 | Coaching Advice, Commentary
Is your life crazy? Do you find yourself reacting and saying things you wish you hadn’t to people you love? Emily has some wise words for you if you said “yes.” And if you didn’t, send them to someone who needs to hear them! – InPower Editors
The other day I was having dinner at a friend’s house.
We’ve known each other for ages but….
…sometimes I swear I could wring her neck.
(Yes, she’s reading.)
The truth is, even though I hate the phrase “having it all” – she really does seem to have it all. A highly accomplished career, good health, wonderful husband, two amazing kids, and a comfortable home.
But that’s not my concern.
My concern is she’s missing it.
In other words, the things that don’t matter are distracting her from the things that do.
I got a peek of this at dinner while I awkwardly poured the wine and – in the space of about a minute – she snapped at her husband, ran her kids out of the kitchen, grumbled about an incoming work email (but answered it anyway), and went on about a leaky roof in the bedroom.
Here comes the disclaimer:
My friend would like you to know that this was a Wednesday evening rife with all the mid-week craziness not usually found on, say, a Sunday afternoon.
And while I promised to include her side in this post, I did not promise to censor my response – so here it is:
Baloney.
Sometimes what we think of as the exception is actually the norm we’ve created but don’t want to admit.
And so we distract ourselves with busy-ness, make no real attempt to change, play victim to the overwhelm of life, and seek comrades willing to exchange a glass of pinot for wallowing in the bunker of neurosis.
My friend knows this already, but I’m not the person to call when misery needs company.
I’m the person to call when complaining no longer serves and it’s time do the real work of making decisions based on what matters most.
Now…I want to be clear that there’s no question my friend loves her kids in the infinite way that only a parent can.
She would take a bullet for her husband.
And, deep down, she knows she has it good.
The problem is she’s taking it for granted.
She’s acting as if the kids will always be running around the kitchen. (They won’t.)
As if the husband is always going to be her punching bag. (He isn’t.)
And that Wednesdays are always crazy for everyone. (They aren’t.)
To be honest, we get along so well because it’s a familiar struggle.
In fact, I remember saying to my husband when my youngest son was 1-ish and STILL not sleeping through the night that I wished I could just “fast forward a year” so we could all get some rest.
At the time, I was 100% serious – but these days I would give anything to go back to when it was just me and that tiny baby, bonding in the rocking chair at 2am.
Now he won’t even let me make his breakfast.
But that’s the inverted gift of getting older, right? It gives us some perspective on days as a finite resource.
Well…at least it would if we stopped running long enough to allow it. And so if you recognize that you’re running too, I’ll tell you what I told my friend:
At some point you’re going to die. Is this how you want to live?
Not to be macabre, but most of us probably have more days behind us than ahead of us – and I think if we truly understood that at a deep, soul level we would spend our time more consciously.
This – right now – is your life.
Don’t miss it.
Originally posted on: emilybennington.com
