I recently had one of those moments that caused me to take myself down a notch. I took one of the personality assessments I’ve used with clients (one designed especially for women on the leadership track) and didn’t like some of the results. When Valerie was coaching me on my results I got grumpy...
People Skills
Live Your Own Fairy Tale by Negotiating Your Own Value
My dirty little secret: I love Disney princess stories. My favorite princess was Aurora of Sleeping Beauty. When I was four, I would convince my uncle to play-act the story with me - from the initial curse to the 16 year-old pricking her finger, falling asleep, and being rescued by the prince. My...
Three Ways to Ask For A Favor and Why You Should Do It
“Umm…I have a favor to ask”. Believe it or not, these are some of the hardest words for me. As much as helping others makes me feel good, I have a hard time asking others for help. Yet I also recognize that being willing to ask people for favors is a key enabler for us to meet our goals. Here are...
Is Cooperation the New Efficiency?
Good leaders are often credited with being good collaborators, but why is this cooperative instinct so valuable? There are lots of reasons, but efficiency is a hidden gem among them. - InPower Editors By: Mary Schaefer Is the ability to gain cooperation an underestimated component of efficiency? I...
The Power of Authentic Emotion
I often hear women say that they can’t show emotion at work or they’ll get ‘killed.’ Historically, it has been risky – even career-ending – for women leaders to show emotion, especially in male-dominated cultures. Somehow it makes them seem less credible, less tough, less … you name it. So for...
Dealing with Difficult People
There is simply no getting around the fact that difficult people will be in your life, but what about when they’re your boss? Or your partner? Or your most talented staff member? That’s when things get sticky for most of us. And by sticky I mean that the level of stress in our live pops the charts...
Infographic: Toxic Employee Showdown
We all know a toxic employee or two, but do we stop to think about the cost of that person to the company or the mission? If you're managing them, you should be! Here's a quick cheat sheet to identify and strategize on how to deal with the most common toxic employee types. Originally on: Get VOIP...
Practicing Compassion: Let’s Cut Each Other a Break
By: Mary Schaefer Sometimes it's tough to give people the benefit of the doubt. But we should do it anyway. - InPower Editors Have you ever had someone accuse you of an offense that you were totally unaware of? Maybe you unknowingly got ahead of them in line at the coffee shop. Or you inched out...
Communicating Powerfully
Have you ever noticed how many leadership development resources emphasize effective communication? How many bosses will mark you down (or up!) for your communication skills? Have you ever thought about why it's so important for your career success to be a good communicator? In ancient times, some...
5 Tips to Strengthen Your Self-Efficacy
Mastering Self-Efficacy Helps Smooth Out the Bumps in Life “Self-efficacy: The belief that one has mastery over the events of one’s life and can meet challenges as they come up” Self-efficacy is the most important part of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) that a Working Mom needs to master. Let me give...