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There are different ways to look at achieving goals. Consider trying something new to get to what you want for your career this year. I hope I’ve inspired you to think of your goals/resolutions in a different way.
Confidence is defined as “a feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.” You know there’s something about a confident person. They are individuals who walk with a certain air about them….not arrogance or hubris, but a quiet confidence. They may not know how to do it all, but you wouldn’t know that by seeing them in action. I think of confident leaders I’ve known who were so certain of themselves that I was instantly drawn to them, as were others.
Confident people engage other people.
Well, how do you get there? What is it about confidence? What is that aura that is so engaging and compelling? And how do you develop greater confidence for yourself?
Confidence is a muscle that you can learn to grow and strengthen. Just like progressive resistance exercise which increases weights to build muscle, confidence grows as you use it more and more and in a variety of situations.
It can help you to sell your agenda, whatever it is. Whether trying to persuade your boss, or a hiring manager through an interview, a confident attitude can help you to succeed. Many times, the individuals you are meeting with are looking for that confident attitude in those situations. Demonstrating confidence goes a long way to “close the deal” on your behalf.
Here are a few exercises for that confidence muscle:
1. Think back to a time when you were highly confident and successful. What were you doing in those situations? What made you confident and self-assured? Find a way to bring that experience into your current one. If you could do it then, you can do it now. What would need to be present to feel like that again?
2. Sometimes a lack of confidence can equal fear about a situation. Understand and acknowledge the fear and hesitation. It’s there for a reason. Then (as a wonderful book stated), “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” (Susan Jeffers). That thing you most fear can be something that strengthens your confidence muscle, and becomes a “must do.” Now, if it’s something like public speaking, start small with speaking in front of a few people and work your way up.
3. Find a role model of confidence around you. It could be a leader or a peer or someone who just embodies that bold yet measured self-assurance. Think about how this person would handle the situation where you need more confidence and “channel” that person’s confidence to help you through.
4. Fake it till you make it. I’ve used this one many times in addressing large meetings. As you look out over the crowd, it can be intimidating. But when you take on a persona of confidence, it becomes much easier. It takes some practice, but I can tell you it is doable!
5. Take three deep breathes and lift your arms up in a V. Feel your power all around you. It’s who you are and it will bring you confidence. I suggest this to many of my clients, especially before an interview, taking some time alone and feeling your power. Amy Cuddy writes about power poses and how these can help lift the confidence factor. It’s definitely worth a try!
Confidence is an important skill to learn and build. It takes some practice to build but the benefits can affect every aspect of your life.
ACTION CHALLENGE
Time to express greater confidence in all that you do. Set a goal to move toward a more confident you this week by using some of the techniques here, or on your own.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Are you interested in getting promoted? As a leader, I would often have employees in my office, both within my own division as well as from others, come to me with a similar question…
“What do I need to do to get to the next level up?”
These were usually employees who felt they had been passed over or perhaps that a promo was just overdue. There were also a few who had just gotten advanced and wanted to figure out how to get to the next level even faster. Whatever the reason, there can be a bit of a mystery around the process and it’s important to know how to navigate these waters to ensure that you maximize your opportunities fully.
Consider these options:
1. Find out what the criterion is for promotion in your organization by looking at other promotions. Yes, sometimes promotions happen and they may not seem deserved, but look at several promotions over time…what do they have in common? Try to determine the criteria. What were these individuals engaged in before the promotion? A visible project? Sitting in for their manager in key meetings? You can also talk to your boss or a trusted mentor to find out what criteria really stand out. I once asked my boss what I needed to do for my next promotion. He was a Vice President and I was hoping for promotion to that level. He responded that I needed to deliver something that is a total game-changer. While his answer was vague, it did help me define what would get me to that next level.
2. Know who is in the room making decisions about your promotion. If you’re in a smaller company, it may likely be your boss and his boss. In a larger corporation, succession planning is usually done with your boss, their peers, and the boss’s boss. Ask your boss how decisions are made for promotion and set up a plan to get visible and network with those other leaders. Visibility is key. I’ve been in many succession meetings where peers offered a candidate for promotion, but if none of us knew that person, it was usually a deal-breaker for them.
3. Have a great relationship with your boss. Get to know your boss and allow them to know you. It’s important to have a great relationship with them as they are key to your promotion. Network and keep communication channels open. Consistently outperform your goals and responsibilities. Become indispensable!
4. Learn to promote yourself. Have a strong career brand and ensure that others (boss, peers, etc.) know your work. Your work may be great and you want to be noticed without having to crow about it. But “crowing” about your accomplishments is so important. Whether it’s a monthly status report or some other vehicle, think of ways to ensure others know all that you are doing and contributing.
5. Focus on results. Always. A Field Vice President I worked with loved to say, “Results aren’t everything….they’re the only thing.” Set your goals to deliver results. Have metrics and measurements for the work you do. Work with your boss and others on these metrics and show demonstrated results. Rather than “participating” in something, focus on “delivering” something of value that has an impact.
6. Research where you are in succession planning. For most major corporations, there are processes for managing succession planning and one of these is the 9 Box. It defines a person’s potential in terms of performance, with titles such as “Key Player” or “Rising Star.” It’s important to know where you stand in succession and your boss is the key to this.
7. Find a mentor, coach, and/or sponsor. Mentors are people in senior positions in the organization that can give you valuable feedback. You usually aren’t in their reporting structure (sometimes you might be). Coaches can be internal or external advisors. Finally, Sponsors are those senior individuals who observe your work and decide to take you “under their wing.” They are essential to promotions, especially at higher levels.
Use these tips and techniques to move you closer to that promotion to the next level.
ACTION PLAN
Evaluate each of these and decide which one works best for you. Turn this into an action plan that you can create this week.
Lupe S. Wood, MS, PCC, is a certified Career/Executive Coach. She coaches individuals and leaders to career fulfillment, transition, and advancement. She also consults for results with businesses and solopreneurs. Her background includes 12 years in senior leadership for a Fortune 100 corporation and 7 years as a coach, with a Master’s degree in Organizational Effectiveness and Executive Coaching.
For more information, please visit my website at www.upcoached.com
Do you want more confidence at work and in other social situations? Whether you are a leader or an individual contributor, there is a certain amount of confidence that can help you in your day. People are naturally attracted to confident individuals, so this makes it an essential skill to develop.
Where does confidence come from? Are you born with it or can you develop it over time?
Building confidence requires work from the inside out:
Confidence begins within by knowing who you are, and this learning can be a continuous lifetime endeavor. Within knowing yourself, it’s important to start with strong self-esteem. Confidence is related to how well you think of yourself. A strong foundation of self-awareness can help you determine your self-esteem. Do you have trust in yourself? If not, others won’t either.
Know your beliefs and core values. This is where it can be useful to take assessments such as the Myers Briggs, DISC, Positive Psychology VIA Strengths, or Strengthfinders. These are all available online or in books. Understand your “go-to” style through your natural strengths and focus on these as you build confidence.
Know your strengths and weaknesses. Asking for feedback can be very helpful in this regard, as can 360-degree evaluations. You want to understand how you are perceived…it may be very different from what you think. Now, this one may pose challenges for you as it did for me. I always felt that feedback increased my vulnerability, and that was very uncomfortable. In retrospect, I now see appropriate feedback as the gift that it is and how it could have helped me grow even further in my leadership.
Be willing to admit mistakes. This allows you to take on a more approachable tone with others which is also a sign of confidence.
Understand the difference between confidence and arrogance. Arrogance is usually born out of tremendous self-doubt. It has no relationship to confidence in yourself.
Consider yourself the expert and assume this role without arrogance or excessive hubris. Sometimes you may need to do your research upfront to demonstrate competence as an expert. Once you do your homework, come across as the expert.
Remember the P’s: Presence, Posture, Poise, aPParel. All of these speak to your confidence factor. Develop a strong presence, executive presence if you are in leadership. Ensure you are always exhibiting good posture in sitting and walking. Poise is a gracious self-possessed way of being. Finally, apparel speaks to what you wear. The right clothing can give you a definite air of confidence.
Take a risk. Speak up in that meeting. If you feel the need to disagree, have something else to offer. Confidence builds from risk. If you don’t risk, you don’t strengthen that confidence muscle. You can practice and you can learn and you can study and you can think about it all day, but for the “rubber to meet the road” you have to take a risk. Notice that it is risky and not achievement per se, that builds confidence. What risk are you hesitating to make right now? Will taking that risk to build your confidence?
Be gentle with yourself. Just as when you’re working out to get fit, continue to find ways to work that confidence muscle into greater strength. Consider working with a Career Coach to strengthen your overall confidence in the situations you encounter.
Confidence can help you to avoid stress, work more effectively, positively influence others, and give you a greater sense of self-achievement and efficacy at the end of the day.
Is it time to put your confidence exercise program into place?
ACTION CHALLENGE
Think about a risk you can take. Start small. How can you experiment with risking and learning to build more confidence? Also, if you haven’t taken any of the assessments recommended above, this is a great time to start! Ask for feedback and truly listen to what is said.
Lupe S. Wood, MS, PCC, is a certified Career/Executive Coach. She coaches individuals and leaders to career fulfillment, transition, and advancement. She also consults for results with businesses and solopreneurs. Her background includes 12 years in senior leadership for a Fortune 100 corporation and 7 years as a coach, with a Master’s degree in Organizational Effectiveness and Executive Coaching.
For more information, please visit my website at www.upcoached.com
As a Career Executive Coach, I often work with clients looking for that next promotion. “When and how do I get promoted?” “Why haven’t I been promoted?”
I recall once being asked the question, “How can I get promoted without playing the office politics game?” This actually demonstrates a keen awareness that is, in fact, essential in advancement conversations. There is a political side to success in business, and it’s important to understand as it can contribute to your own career achievement.
A former boss once told me that politics are everywhere…any institution with people is bound to have politics because people are political. I remember not believing him at the time. I now believe what that old boss said so long ago. It really is human nature.
Given that politics are everywhere, it’s important to understand them in context and be savvy about what the political environment is for you.
For advice on office politics, I especially love Dilbert, the comic strip by Scott Adams. In my Corporate IT days, we truly related humorously to Dilbert’s stories and saw ourselves in most of the comic strips.
Here’s some of what Dilbert always knew:
The limitations of the pointy-haired boss: The pointy-haired boss was frequently a challenge to Dilbert’s intelligence and sanity. He often got it wrong and wasn’t a mentor to any of his employees.
What Dilbert could count on from his co-workers…Wally and Alice: He knew Wally wasn’t someone you could count on to get work done. Alice was very interested in upward mobility, yet had a certain bluntness to her communications.
What Dilbert could expect from his profession: As an engineer, he understood the challenges of the business and what implications this had. I remember one series where Dilbert competed against a monkey named Zimbu to keep his job. In fact, there were many monkey roles in Dilbert comics, ironically.
Dilbert shows us that you need to have a great relationship of mutual respect with your boss, as well as understanding the boss’s own political positioning. He also emphasizes that you take the time to know your peers…who can get things done in the organization. Finally, understand your own organization – corporation, startup, and everything in between, as well as your own profession.
Political savvy is knowing when to speak to whom about what. Knowing who can get things done for you and who can’t. A strong understanding of our goals and how those align with the political environment in which we find ourselves is helpful. Understand each personality and come up with strategies to handle.
Find a mentor, Career Coach, or trusted advisor who can help you navigate through the political environment. Where are the land mines and where are the safe spots? How do you get things done?
Take some time to map out the office politics you find yourself in. Look for the humor in the various relationships. Do you have a pointy-haired boss out there? Or maybe work with a Wally who’s just not too interested in doing a day’s work? It’s so important to laugh at ourselves as we navigate through this thing called office politics.
If there’s an office character in your office that is so difficult to get along with remember….if you don’t find ways to deal with them now (negotiation, not taking things personally, confronting), they have a habit of showing up again and again in your career, different names, and faces – same issues. Find a way to resolve them now by addressing the situation.
By the way, you can’t get promoted without office politics. Political savvy is a necessity at higher levels of the organization.
ACTION CHALLENGE
First of all, if you’re not familiar with Dilbert, I highly recommend one of the many books to get up to speed on his amazing world. Secondly, take some time this week to step back and look at the political landscape in your office. What do you need to do to build your political awareness? As a Career Executive Coach, I can help you put a plan together to navigate the sometimes choppy waters of office politics. Contact me.
Lupe S. Wood, MS, PCC, is a certified Career/Executive Coach. She coaches individuals and leaders to career fulfillment, transition, and advancement. She also consults for results with businesses and solopreneurs. Her background includes 12 years in senior leadership for a Fortune 100 corporation and 7 years as a coach, with a Master’s degree in Organizational Effectiveness and Executive Coaching.
For more information, please visit my website at www.upcoached.com
I was in crunch mode, for sure. I had a busy day at a writing workshop and needed to eliminate distractions and other priorities from taking center stage. At the same time, we had family visitors coming in that evening for a weekend visit and there was still much to do. I had to do it….there was no choice…I humbly asked my husband if he could please prepare the guest room. I needed the help, and to my delighted surprise, he agreed to do it.
When was the last time you really needed help but didn’t ask anyone for it?
In our society, many believe that you must go it alone and not ask for assistance. Or, that it would be faster to do it yourself rather than to train someone else to help. You may also consider that asking for help would reveal a sign of weakness or vulnerability. It can be uncomfortable to show that side of yourself. If I ask for help, then it will look like I can’t handle the job or don’t know my stuff, right? At the office, you’re assigned multiple projects or work assignments that aren’t familiar to you, and instead of asking for support, you tough it out. This can increase a lot of unnecessary stress.
Or, have you ever taken on something really big in your personal life…say organizing the holidays or maybe planning a celebration? You realize as you get into it, that you are overdoing but, since you didn’t ask for the help you needed, you find yourself in exhaustion and overwhelm.
Well, as Dr. Phil would ask, “How’s that working for ya?”
Help is not a bad word…you’re just not used to asking for it upfront. Many times, once you’ve exhausted all solutions, then you ask for help. Well, what if you asked for it before you get into the depths of overwhelm?
Here are a few ways to begin looking at how asking for help can really help you.
- Start with an honest and realistic assessment of the areas where you need some assistance. Where are you trying to do too much on your own? You may be surprised, as I was where help can come from if you only ask.
- Learn the art of delegation. Oh, I could write a whole book on this. Delegation is really a gift to others. You allow others to learn something new or take on greater responsibility. Delegation can be a growth or developmental experience for others and it gets more off of your plate as well.
- Asking for help can build greater trust and teamwork. It will mean so much to the person you’re asking that you trusted them to assist.
- Learn to say NO! (Another book I could write). This action can really help free you up to tackle so many other priorities. One of my favorite phrases that I like to share is when you receive a request, say “Probably not, but if I can do it, I’ll get back to you.” That has helped me many times not to take on just one more thing.
- Take a look at learning opportunities for yourself and give yourself some time to travel that learning curve. As a former technical person, I did some of my best work when I could ask colleagues to review my code or help me to see a problem solution differently. This technique always worked. A fresh set of eyes can find things that you just can’t on your own. Collaborative work areas are perfect for this.
- Understand and accept that you are not “Superman/woman” who has to do all of these things on your own. If your boss is overloading you, it’s because you are a person who gets things done but considers at what cost and whether or not it’s time to honestly assess the situation, reprioritize tasks with your boss, and ask for help.
- Consider professionals. Whatever you need, there’s someone out there to help. As a career/executive coach, I work with my clients to find concrete solutions to overwhelm and prioritized.
- At home, if you’re not a handyman/woman, stop trying to be one! There are professionals out there that can help, and yes you do spend money, but consider the time and aggravation you are spending on your own and make the call.
- Find someone to practice with! A trusted friend or family member can be great at giving you feedback as you master asking for help!
ACTION CHALLENGE
Is it time to ask for some help? Take some time this week to consider where you could use some assistance and reach out using one of the techniques above, or your own.
Lupe S. Wood, MS, PCC, is a certified Career/Executive Coach. She coaches individuals and leaders to career fulfillment, transition, and advancement. She also consults for results with businesses and solopreneurs. Her background includes 12 years in senior leadership for a Fortune 100 corporation and 7 years as a coach, with a Master’s degree in Organizational Effectiveness and Executive Coaching.
For more information, please visit my website at www.upcoached.com
Networking outside of your organization is an integral part of building a well-rounded career. This is Part 4 of a 4-part series on assessing and improving your career.
Part 1, was about the importance of self-awareness. Part 2 was about building and cultivating important key relationships in your career. Part 3 highlighted the importance of networking within your organization.
Do you want to be considered an expert in your field?
External networking and visibility are important. Do you want to know and connect with others in key corporations that you may be interested in working for someday? Do you want external connections, like the internal ones, who become a part of your tribe, who you can reach out to for different business purposes?
The answer to all of these questions is in external networking.
How do you effectively network outside of the organization? Conferences are great opportunities for networking. You are there to learn something but also, to meet people in your field. I have met some of my most important contacts, both in corporate life and now as a coach, at conferences.
Networking is always about getting to know others effectively. They want to network with you too, so networking is a reciprocal activity that could lead to mutual benefits in the future. Networking can expand your influence and help you to grow. So many times, clients will come to me and say they don’t have a good network or they don’t really work at it. Don’t wait until you are looking for a job to build your network. Do it now! Get out there and build!
Linked In is really an outstanding tool for networking. I usually challenge my clients to go out to Linked In daily and link to 2 new people or go out and send a note to someone you already know on Linked In, just to keep in touch. Linked In lets you know birthdays, anniversaries, or promotions/job changes. What a great opportunity to reach out to your connections. If you want to go even further, invite connections to coffee or lunch to catch up.
What about networking groups?
Networking groups are an excellent way to join likeminded people. There are groups for every industry and role. You can go out to Linked In and search for groups in your industry or field. There are usually many. Similarly, there are other excellent networking groups such as Business Network International, or Women in Business Network. Some of these do charge a fee but make a determination upfront if the folks in this group would be an asset to your career. Sometimes, you can get your organization to sponsor you in a networking group as well.
Do you have a certification? There’s usually a networking group or association that allows opportunities to network.
Now, there are some cautions here. Take the time to truly understand the purpose of the group before you venture in. As I was trying to build my coaching business, I attended several Business Women’s Networking groups. Although the women were very nice and pleasant, I found myself inundated by requests to buy Tupperware, jewelry, crafts, insurance, and a curious product that guaranteed 24-hour lipstick. Well, OK. Fairly certain that these ladies…most of them retired…were NOT interested in any career/executive coaching. Ha! So choose your networking groups carefully.
The best Networking groups are more of a Mastermind group where everyone has the same idea, business focus, purpose, etc.
Take the time to work on your career, as well as your job requirements. They truly go hand in hand towards ensuring career success.
ACTION CHALLENGE
Can you take 9 minutes per day to work on networking? It really doesn’t take much time to reach out on Linked In or invite someone to coffee. Use those 9 minutes to invite, link in, or keep in touch. The benefits will be tremendous.
Lupe S. Wood, MS, PCC, is a certified Career/Executive Coach. She coaches individuals and leaders to career fulfillment, transition, and advancement. She also consults for results with businesses and solopreneurs. Her background includes 12 years in senior leadership for a Fortune 100 corporation and 7 years as a coach, with a Master’s degree in Organizational Effectiveness and Executive Coaching.
For more information, please visit my website at www.upcoached.com
In assessing your career, the size and quality of your network is a strong indicator of future success. It’s the third element in this series.
In Part 1, I wrote about the importance of self-awareness. It’s only by looking within that we can start to see where we truly are, and what changes we need to make to grow…now and in the future.
Part 2 was about the importance of key relationships in your career…and how to build and cultivate these.
This is Part 3 of a 4-part series on assessing and improving your career. In Parts 3 and 4, I’ll be covering the importance of networking and how to improve your network. A strong network can equate to a successful career and there are various aspects of networking to consider. There is networking within the organization, as well as outside of the organization, including informational interviewing and networking groups.
Networking is an important skill to learn and practice, daily.
The simplest definition is establishing new contacts and keeping in touch with existing contacts, all toward supporting each other now and in the future. Networking is truly an essential way to grow your career, period. It is such an important skill to learn and practice, and you do get better and better with practice.
The skill of networking goes hand in hand with cultivating key relationships in your career. There are people you need to get to know. You need to increase visibility with these individuals. Now, this is not just for promotion, per se, but a network can be very helpful in advancement. Networks can support you with any challenge or new venture you might want to move forward on. Sometimes, a network is just a part of your larger team at work, that you can call on for advice or to bounce something off of.
Most people don’t take the time to build and follow up with their networks until they need them. This may be too late. 85 to 90% of jobs today are found through networking!
How’s your networking within the organization?
Most of us don’t think of internal networking is as important as it is. You may think, “Well, I’m here to work, not socialize.” Networking is not socializing, but some social activity may be a part of it. It’s taking the time to get to know the people in your organization who play a role in your success, which is just about everyone. Get to know other leaders and individuals over lunch or coffee.
A CEO of the Fortune 100 Corporation where I worked, always arrived at the cafeteria for lunch and sat with different individuals unannounced. What a great way for a leader to get in touch with what’s really going on in the organization. That’s one of the benefits of networking.
Are you too busy with outside activities…maybe it’s the team offsite or ballpark for an afternoon? It might even be a game of golf. In Part 1 I discussed a time when I wanted a promotion and just assumed that the leadership knew this. That was a false assumption, and at a chance golf game with a senior leader, I found a willing ear. But this was only after she raised the subject of my next move. If I had cultivated the right relationships beforehand, perhaps I would have had that promotion sooner. In going golfing, I was actually networking very effectively.
Be strategic in your networking endeavors. You don’t need to get to know everyone…that would be a new full-time job in itself! Instead, seek out key individuals in your 360-degree (boss, peers, subordinates) circle. Set a goal for each week…I will have coffee with someone in my circle this week.
In addition, think of people outside your 360-degree net…who else do you want to get to know? In Part 4, I will cover networking outside the organization and joining networking groups, as well as answer the question, “But what if they don’t want to network with me?”
ACTION CHALLENGE
Write down all of the individuals within the organization who you want to network and establish a relationship with. Networking can be as simple as setting up a quick minute to introduce yourself or inviting someone to coffee or lunch. It has to be sincere…most people can spot insincerity in your intent, so be careful. Know why you want to network with someone and reach out!
Lupe S. Wood, MS, PCC, is a certified Career/Executive Coach. She coaches individuals and leaders to career fulfillment, transition, and advancement. She also consults for results with businesses and solopreneurs. Her background includes 12 years in senior leadership for a Fortune 100 corporation and 7 years as a coach, with a Master’s degree in Organizational Effectiveness and Executive Coaching.
For more information, please visit my website at www.upcoached.com