Are you collaborative or competitive? It can be tempting to think of these as mutually exclusive traits, to describe oneself as one or the other and understand that description to apply generally to your approach to a variety of situations. In fact, success in many situations requires strategic, flexible application of both. Career advancement is one such category. No … [Read more...]
My love affair with social media
I’ve been battling a bad cold for the past few days and I could not sit at my computer long enough to send a Tweet - thank goodness for BlackBerries! As you can imagine, I had a lot of time to think between making my next batch of green tea and watching the Olympics in bed (Go Canada!). One question that came to mind was, “what would the world be like without the internet, … [Read more...]
Got Goals?
Have you set job-related goals? Are strategic goals included among the goals you’ve set? These questions came to mind after a recent coaching session with a long-standing client, Jen H. (not her real name). We were discussing goals. It wasn’t our first conversation on the topic. As soon as she accepted the new position, a lateral move after nearly 15 years in a similar post … [Read more...]
How Do You Get Someone’s Attention?
I was in Orlando this past week with some colleagues training a medical device sales force on “purposeful communication”. “Purposeful Communication” is communication that has a goal or desired outcome and when applied to sales presentations, the objective is to create a sales presentation that is well organized around a desired outcome with your target audience. Selling to a … [Read more...]
Tune Up Your Pitch
Have you ever been to a networking event where everyone needs to stand up and introduce themselves? I don’t know about you, but after about 3-4 people stand up and recite their elevator pitches, I can’t remember who does what. Very few of them capture my attention. Even less of them are memorable. They all sound alike because everyone is using the same approach, the same … [Read more...]
4 Tips to Becoming a Superstar Self-Promoter
Guest post by Lisa Moren Bromma (learn more about Lisa at the end of this post) Most people assume that professionals and business owners are all extroverts. That is simply not true. In my own mastermind group many of the business owners that I share ideas with are actually shy people by nature. Being naturally introverted can be a challenge in any profession, but a business … [Read more...]
You’re Driven, But Where Are You Driving?
Most of the professional women I coach, whether entrepreneurs or corporate executives, are driven. I recognize certain characteristics that accompany this drive. Very often these type A personalities are totally focused on the work at hand and tend to be more reactive than proactive. Head down and nose to the grindstone. Does this sound familiar? If this is true for … [Read more...]
The Double Bind Challenge
The common belief that leaders should be competent and assertive (typically traits associated with the male gender) often presents a challenge for women in leadership positions. The double bind challenge is that when in leadership roles, women must not only be competent and assertive, but they must also demonstrate that they are nurturing and selfless. Why? Because they are … [Read more...]
What’s Your Story?
We all have unique stories to tell about our careers and our businesses. I did a presentation last week on self-promotion in Boston to the Downtown Women’s Club and heard many great stories from the attendees and I was reminded again how truly wonderful all our stories are. Each story reveals something personal about us. What is the story behind starting our business? Where … [Read more...]
The “Yes, But” Mentality
As women, we have a lifetime of mixed messages around becoming strong leaders and connecting with our innate talent and personal power. This often results in what I call the “yes, but” mentality. You instinctively know what to do BUT you don’t do it. For example, you know you should do more to get out and promote your business, but you spend more of your time in the office … [Read more...]