Career Growth Archives - Page 2 of 3

How to Build Your Confidence at Work

July 20, 2021 by Angela Dodd

At its core, confidence is a feeling that you are sure of yourself. It’s that quiet inner knowledge that you’re capable of your abilities. It means you have the courage to show up, without doubt, even in the presence of discomfort. Believing in yourself and knowing your worth is crucial to professional growth and success.

When you lack confidence, you set the bar too low, therefore resulting in weak goals and mediocre results. When you exude confidence, you’re going to have higher expectations, achieve more success, and feel happier at work. But how does one build confidence in the workplace when it feels like there are people in every political corner trying to pull you down? Here are seven tips to get you started.

Fake It ‘til You Make It

You’ve probably heard this before, but that’s because it works. When you act confident, even when you don’t feel like it, your confidence becomes reinforcing. For example, if you walk into a job interview with negative thoughts and low expectations that you’ll get the job, you’ll likely be right. The interviewer will sense your lack of self-worth and may pass on hiring you. But if you walk into an interview with a positive attitude, trusting your abilities, and knowing you’re the best fit for the role, even if you feel a bit like an imposter, your positive thinking translates into positive behaviors and actions that the interviewer is sure to notice.

Always Be Learning

Sometimes lack of confidence comes from simply not knowing. When you think about it, this is the easiest thing to fix because if you don’t know something, you can learn it. Gaining new skills is a sure way to boost your confidence. You can’t let what you don’t know stop you from progressing in your career. With online resources, training, and the wealth of knowledge that lies within the people at your company, there’s no reason that you can’t find the answer you’re looking for. Identify any knowledge gaps, ask a lot of questions, and work on expanding your area of expertise. Keep an open mind and always be willing to learn something new.

Stay Informed

Maybe what you don’t know isn’t a skill that you can easily learn, maybe it’s the information you need to do your job. Do you feel left out from important conversations that are vital for you to perform your best? Do you lack confidence because you don’t know what’s going on at your company? Speak up. Talk to your manager about your concerns. Let them know you’re finding it hard to do your job because you’re left out of the loop. Being aware of your surroundings and company happenings is essential to your success. If your company wants you, and therefore them, to thrive, they’ll make sure you’re a part of the right meetings and email threads.

Think and Talk Positively

Throw that negative self-talk right out the door. It’s all about positivity. Positive self-talk, essentially your internal dialogue, can reduce stress and anxiety and provide encouragement and optimism. When you utilize positive self-talk, you can solve problems and think differently, enabling you to cope more efficiently with challenges. How we speak to ourselves and about ourselves can make all the difference between feeling confident in our abilities and lacking the self-worth to get the job done.

Focus on Your Strengths

Everyone has strengths. You’ve gotten this far in your life and career because you’re good at something. Even if some days you doubt yourself, there is something that you can do better than anyone else. Focus on those strengths and achievements. What are you great at? What compliments have you received in your professional career? What have you done really well? Focusing on the good will give you the courage and confidence to tackle whatever is in front of you. Additionally, practicing gratitude is a powerful tool to promote positive thinking and appreciate what you have to help you get where you’re going.

Build Strong Relationships

Having people in your corner throughout life that can help pick you up when you’re feeling down or provide that tough love when you need it can be just the thing to build your confidence. It can be hard to see our strengths and accomplishments when we’re too close to them. When someone else can provide you with perspective and insight, it can be a game-changer. Find friends, coworkers, mentors, or sponsors and build and nurture relationships with them throughout your professional career for the times when you feel like you can’t do it alone.

Change Your Body Language

When all else fails or when you can’t seem to get your mind right, change your body. Not the way you look (you’re perfect just the way you are), but your stance. Physically change your body language to change your mindset. If you haven’t seen American Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk, stop what you’re doing and go watch it. In it, she suggests that power posing changes our body chemistry and that those people who adopt high-power poses demonstrate an increase in testosterone and a decrease in cortisol. These hormonal effects, therefore, increase our feelings of power. The next time you need a little confidence boost, put your hands on your hips like Wonder Woman and get ready to conquer your day.

Four Ways to Ensure Your Hiring Process is Equitable

October 15, 2021June 30, 2021 by Angela Dodd

Research from Harvard Business Review shows that women feel they need to meet 100% of the criteria when applying for a job, while men apply after only meeting about 60% of the criteria. This statistic is backed up by LinkedIn behavioral data that shows that women apply to 20% fewer jobs than men because they screen themselves out of the conversation before it even has a chance to start.

So, how can you ensure the next time you’re bringing on a new team member that you’re doing your best to be fair and impartial and mitigate the disparity in these statistics.? Here are four ways.

Write an Inclusive Job Description

How a job description is written says a lot about the company and the job seekers that are likely to apply. It’s the candidate’s initial exposure to the position and the company’s culture and values. Writing your job description can be the difference between attracting a diverse pool of candidates and deterring candidates from applying.

Try focusing on what success looks like in the role and company values and beliefs, instead of a list of job requirements. Use inclusive and gender-neutral language and avoid kitschy jargon like rockstar, guru, or ninja.

Recruit a Diverse Pool of Candidates

Think about where your company is recruiting candidates. If you’re using external means to market your position, consider your partnerships with job boards and local organizations. Are they known to attract diverse candidates? Would a woman be just as likely to see the job posting as a man? Would a member of the LGBTQ community be as attracted to the position as a member of the black community? Dig deeper into the tools you’re using to find your candidates to ensure diversity before you hire.

Remove Bias When Reviewing Applications

Unconscious bias is when a person has unsupported judgments for or against something or someone. This implicit bias reinforces stereotypes even when our conscious mind considers the behavior counter to our own values and beliefs. Unconscious bias is common, especially when reviewing job applications. Ageism, racism, and sexism, amongst other things, come into play.

To remove bias from your hiring process, acknowledge it exists, and actively combat it. Avoid selecting candidates based on name, gender, or age. All qualified candidates should be given a chance to interview for the position without forces outside of their control inhibiting them.

Ensure a Fair Interview Process

The interview process is another crucial time to put your implicit biases aside. Give all candidates a fair and equal chance to showcase their abilities and why they’re qualified for the position. If you’re the hiring manager and you had a part in selecting the candidates, this is hopefully a no-brainer. But if you’re interviewing candidates selected by human resources or you’re not the hiring manager, make sure you’re treating all candidates equally.

Ask similar questions to gauge experience and skill set, and allot the same time and style of interview for everyone. If you’re in a position to influence the interview process, make sure there is a diverse selection of employee representatives conducting the interview. This not only shows the candidate the company practices what they preach, but it also provides the company with diverse feedback on the candidate.

Effective Communication in a Digital Age

April 27, 2021 by Angela Dodd

Between email, texting, social media, and good old-fashioned phone calls, we’re constantly connected. Friends are a ping away, you can slide into a celebrity’s DMs, and your boss who lives thousands of miles away can be right at your desk with the help of Zoom.

According to Pew Research Center, 85% of Americans own a smartphone, and 72% of the public uses some type of social media. When they began tracking American’s internet usage, about half of adults were internet users in the early 2000s. Today, that number has skyrocketed to 93%.

We’re constantly connected, and thus, constantly communicating. With Zoom fatigue at an all-time high and employees feeling burnout like they’ve never experienced before, how can we ensure we’re making the best use of the time we spend on technology? It all comes down to communication.

Even at the times where we don’t think we’re saying anything, we’re speaking volumes. When you’re Slack says you’re available, coworkers see that as an opportunity to reach out. When you’re out of office reply is on, you’re letting people know you won’t be responding in a timely manner.

In today’s digital age, communicating is easy, but effective communication in the workplace can be a bit more challenging. Communication is a key skill at work, and it’s even more important for leaders. Relaying timely messages to your team, communicating how to work together, and providing feedback are critical skills. While technology can assist with these communications, it also contributes to the noise, especially this past year when the state of the world forced companies to go digital. So how can we effectively communicate and not get our wires crossed? Here are a few ways.

Give your full attention.

While it’s tempting to pick up your phone and scroll while on a Zoom call or check your email when talking to your partner, don’t, put the phone down and give whoever you’re talking to your full attention. It’s impossible to be present when you have your phone in your hand. If you want to communicate effectively, you need to devote yourself to the conversation at hand. If you have to, try putting your phone in a different room so you won’t be tempted to look at it.

Listen.

Once you give your full attention to the conversation, the most important thing you can do to communicate is listen. It’s easy to misinterpret messages, leading to communication breakdowns and frustration, especially today when the same message can be received via multiple platforms but interrupted differently based on the reader. Listening demonstrates we’re paying attention to thoughts and feelings and is the most crucial component of a productive conversation and relationship.

Listening also demonstrates that you care about the person you’re conversing with, which can then establish trust in the relationship. If there’s ever any confusion about a message, repeating back what you heard to the speaker can help alleviate any possible misunderstandings.

Be intentional.

Zoom fatigue is at an all-time high. But think back to pre-pandemic times, was every meeting a video meeting? Absolutely not. So there’s no reason every meeting has to be face-to-face now. Be intentional about your platform for communication. You’ll never be able to please everyone, but choose the medium that works best for most.

Show up authentically.

Authentic employees and leaders inspire others. Authenticity helps us establish connections with others, and therefore, build trust. When people trust you, they want to communicate with you and listen to you. Bringing your most authentic self to the workplace can ensure effective communication because people won’t hesitate to reach out to you to share good news or fill you in on an upcoming project.

Work at it.

We don’t become effective communicators overnight. It takes time and experience. But the only way to improve is to try. Challenge yourself to bring your full attention to one meeting today. Push everything else out of mind and be present in that moment. Then next week, propose a medium you think would work best for your team meeting. The good thing is we’re constantly communicating, so there’s plenty of time for practice.

The Power of Storytelling in the Workplace

April 27, 2021 by Angela Dodd

We’re 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it’s been wrapped in a story, according to cognitive psychologist, Jerome Bruner. Think about the last spreadsheet you saw in a presentation. When the presenter discussed the data, did they just display it or did they tell a story to give you context? If they simply showed you the spreadsheet, the information likely passed by like a blip in your day. But if the presenter told you why the numbers are the way they are and how your actions impacted them, you may be more likely to remember them after the fact.

This is because stories are memorable. Storytelling connects the reader or listener to the subject and makes them feel. If the numbers in the spreadsheet showed last month’s positive performance but didn’t explain how you got there, while it’s great for the company, it doesn’t connect you to the information. But if your manager were to explain that because of all the diligent work you’ve been putting in on your current project, you were able to increase revenue by 5% to drive the company’s bottom line, that’s going to mean a lot more.

Hearing a story evokes emotion, and whether you realize it or not, we tell and listen to stories all the time in our personal lives and at work. Most storytelling is brief and involves examples, but it’s still an immersive experience for the audience. The combination of facts and story satisfies both the creativity of our right brain and the analytical thinking of our left brain. Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to increase performance, drive engagement, and improve your workplace culture. Here’s why.

Storytelling evokes emotion.

Stories make people feel, which also means they can make people feel different. Telling a story can help reframe an idea by adding human consequence and emotion. Connecting people to the subject matter elevates your message and increases the likelihood that it’ll be remembered.

How you can evoke emotion through storytelling today: The next time you’re explaining something to someone, instead of just telling them the facts, tell them how they impacted them. Rather than just sharing positive feedback from customers, explain how their excellent customer service led a customer to leave a glowing review.

Storytelling changes the frame of mind.

When an employee is connected to their work and company, they behave differently. They become motivated and inspired instead of stagnant. If you can change an employee’s frame of mind, you can change how they feel about their work.

How you can change a frame of mind today: People want to know what’s in it for them. That’s not to say all people are selfish, but when presented with information, it’s first nature to assess it personally. When explaining a task to an employee or making an ask of your boss, keep in mind to share with them what they’re getting out of it. This minor detail could mean the difference between them prioritizing your task or not.

Storytelling makes you human.

Not to state the obvious, but we’re all human. We all make mistakes, we all accomplish success, and we all experience failure. Storytelling brings empathy into the workplace and provides you with the opportunity to give others a glimpse into your authentic self.

How you can bring your authenticity to work today: Nobody’s perfect. We all have our doubts and failures. Our human experiences are what make us unique. Relate these experiences to your work when sharing with others. Talking about a positive experience can boost spirits, and sharing a mistake you made can help get someone through a hard time.

What To Do When Your Performance Review Doesn’t Go As Expected

April 19, 2021 by Angela Dodd

You’re excelling in your role and your performance has been top-notch. At least that’s what you thought until you sat down for your performance review and your boss highlights examples where they believe you dropped the ball. The only thing is, you disagree with their feedback.

How do you respond when your boss gives you feedback that, in your opinion, is unfair or untrue? What do you do knowing their input is documented on your permanent company record forever and it could hinder your career progression?

It’s our expectation as an employee that our bosses and leaders will provide us with objective feedback. As two people whose goal is to support your company, it’s in everyone’s best interest to do great work. But sometimes emotions and opinions get in the way.

Managers may develop biases that lead to inaccurate feedback on performance. Uninformed bosses may associate giving feedback with the need to report something negative about your work, instead of constructive advice that serves as an opportunity to better your performance in the future. While you can’t control what they say, you can control how you react to it.

The next time your performance review doesn’t go as expected, try these five steps.

Listen

Easier said than done. When you’re in a meeting and your work is being criticized, it’s hard not to let your emotions get in the way. We tend to get defensive and act without thinking. The next time you find anger and frustration bubbling up, stop it in its tracks. Take a moment to breathe, and then listen. Hear them out. Your boss is providing you with the feedback they believe you need to hear. Regardless of whether it’s true, let them say what they need to say and take a mental note of their observations. Reacting without thinking could worsen the situation.

State the Facts

Once your manager has said their piece, it’s time to state the facts. The best thing you can bring to your performance review is evidence. Facts and figures that support your progress and successes are hard to dispute. Throughout the year, keep a record of your work, so come performance review time, you’re prepared. Save that email or document that conversation that highlights your achievements. When your boss hits you with a claim that you haven’t accomplished a goal or made progress on a project, you can state your case and have the facts to back them up.

Create an Action Plan

If your manager points out something they believe you did wrong or think you can do better without offering insight on how to improve, ask them. Together with your manager, create a plan to remediate the areas of improvement they pointed out. Having the conversation and documenting an action plan gives you a benchmark to come back to. You’re allowed to disagree with their feedback. Remember, you can’t change their opinion, but you can have the receipts to back up everything you do, so the next time they have something negative to say, it’s indisputable.

Hold Your Boss Accountable

You had a conversation with your boss and created an action plan, and now it’s up to you to hold them to their word. Whether their opinion carries weight or not, you can make sure the next time it comes to discussing your performance, you have done everything asked of you. They won’t be able to speak poorly of your work when you show them exactly how you met their requests and expectations.

Talk It Out

Receiving feedback is challenging. As much as we’d like to think we have thick skins, sometimes you need to let your emotions out. Talk to a friend, family member, or coworker who is willing to lend an ear. Explain your side of the story, what happened at your performance review, and ask for their advice and input. If you feel your manager handled the situation poorly and unjustly, set up a meeting with human resources or a manager you trust. Seeking an unbiased opinion can help put things into perspective and shed light on the situation.

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Get Politically Savvy at Work Using These Three Tips

April 19, 2021 by Angela Dodd

When you think of office politics, what comes to mind? Maybe you think they’re dirty and unfair, and you’d rather keep out of them, or you get frustrated when you see people use office politics to advance their careers. But what if we told you that learning to navigate office politics is precisely the skill you need to master to score your next promotion?

It’s called being politically savvy. It’s a concept author, executive coach, and international speaker Bonnie Marcus discusses in her book “The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead.” Bonnie has a passion for helping professional women gain the visibility and credibility they need to have a fulfilling career, and her teachings will help you do just that: get ahead.

In her book, Bonnie explains the importance of becoming politically savvy. If that sounds intimidating, don’t worry. It’s not a natural trait that you are born with; it’s a skill to be learned. And the good news is that you don’t have to feel manipulative or evil when you’re using and honing your craft.

So, what does it mean to be politically savvy? It means you have a deep understanding of the dynamics of your office, from who has influence beyond their official job responsibilities to being aware of what other people need. At its core, it means you know the office politics in your workplace, and you can navigate them like a pro.

If you think that it’s easier said than done, think again. The most important thing you have to do is simple: pay attention. You have to be aware of how your company operates and what’s going on in your organization, within your job responsibilities and beyond.

If you’re looking to move up in your organization, you have to understand that you can’t do it alone. You need to build relationships with key players and influencers that will advocate for you and your abilities. Work with your eyes and ears open.

According to Bonnie Marcus, if you want to be politically savvy, you need to pay attention to these three things.

The Rules

When you think of office politics, this is likely what comes to mind. It’s not so much the written rules, like what’s in the employee handbook, but the unwritten rules. Understanding the unwritten rules of your team and company will provide you invaluable information.

For example, what your company’s expectations are for answering emails outside of working hours could differ from what your boss actually expects. Were you told not to worry about checking your email on the weekends, but come Monday, you find out that you missed out on an entire email exchange about an important project. These are essential nuggets of information because the first time you miss that email, it may not be a big deal. But if this continues to happen, you may be positioning yourself as less valuable than your coworkers simply because you’re not responsive.

Power and Influence

Think about who has power and influence in your organization. Who’s responsible for making key decisions? Keep in mind that title doesn’t always correlate with power. Those with lesser job titles may have more influence than a top-level manager. Find the people within your company that your coworkers turn to for advice and who influence key decisions, like promotions. It may be your boss or your boss’s boss or someone in a completely different department. Also, this sphere of influence will likely shift throughout your time at a company—just another important reason to always stay observant and aware.

Once you know who the key players are, get in front of them. Network. Network. Network. Building and nurturing relationships with people that understand your value and will advocate for you and your career progression will pay dividends when it comes to annual review time.

The Culture

Pay close attention to the culture of your organization. What are the workplace values? Is there gender bias in your company or industry? Do women receive the same opportunities and support as men? Is the company conservative, liberal, innovative, or archaic? Having a grasp on the ethos of an organization will serve to your advantage when you’re trying to figure out how to handle a situation.

When you keep these three areas of your organization front of mind, you can develop strategies to navigate the political climate of your company while building a strong network of advocates. Understanding office politics is essential to your career and your career success. Once you accept that they are a natural part of the professional world, you’ll be able to master them and become politically savvy.

For more tips on how to navigate office politics to level up your career, we highly recommend checking out Bonnie Marcus’ book “The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead.” It takes a deep dive into the political dynamics of an organization, and it provides clear instructions for women who want to utilize relationships with influential people in their company to get that next promotion. Get your copy at Amazon.

7 Things to Do in Your First 90 Days as a New Manager

April 12, 2021 by Danielle Doolen

What to Do in the First 90 Days on a New Job

Any time you step into a new role or start at a new company, you want to put your best foot forward. This is especially true when you get promoted from an individual contributor to manager. Those first 90 days are a chance to prove yourself and show the company they made the right decision selecting you for the job.

The first 90 days in a new role are a time of learning and growth. Some people are natural-born leaders, but for others, it may not come as naturally. If you want to set yourself up for success in your new role, here are seven things to do in your first 90 days as a manager.

Get to know your team.

Whether you’re a brand new manager at the company or you’ve been promoted after years of hard work, get to know your new team. Your team’s success is a direct reflection of you and your leadership, so it’s essential to spend time learning about them. How do they work best? What are their career goals? What’s important to them outside of work? Set up one-on-ones to get acquainted with each team member.

In addition to forming a relationship with individuals, it’s also essential to establish a team bond. Unless you’re tasked with building your team, chances are they’ve been working together for years and have an established culture. How can your team work together to achieve the company’s goals? Spend time learning about your team dynamics. Schedule a team meeting for a more formal approach or have a team lunch (in person or virtually) if you want to keep it more casual.

Build your network.

Networking internally is just as important, if not more important, than networking externally. As a new manager, you’ll need people to lean on for advice and support as you get acquainted with your new responsibilities. Plus, there’s a good chance you’ll need to collaborate with other departments to accomplish your team’s and company’s goals. Make it a point to reconnect with existing colleagues and reach out to unfamiliar colleagues to establish a connection in your first 90 days.

Understand what’s working and what’s not.

To be effective in your role, you need to understand what’s working well and what needs improvement. From a team perspective and a process perspective, take the time to evaluate how you can improve in your new role. As a leader, you have the opportunity to impact how your team works, what gets accomplished, and how your team adds value to the organization.

Communicate expectations.

Now more than ever, you have the responsibility to grow and develop team members, achieve goals, and show how valuable your expertise is to your company. As a manager, you’ll have personal goals and team goals, and to accomplish these goals, you must communicate your expectations for achieving them. Set up time with your team to lay the groundwork and meet with your manager to understand what they expect from you.

Set realistic goals.

Think about how you can immediately add value and what you can accomplish once you get acclimated to your new responsibilities. Align your goals with your company’s company goals and their expectations for you. We all want to change the world, but what can you actually accomplish both in your first 90 days and beyond. Setting unrealistic goals will set you up for failure, so set realistic goals to keep you motivated.

Delegate.

A major difference between your previous role and your new role as a manager is you now have the ability to delegate. You don’t have to do it all yourself, and most likely, you won’t have the time to do it all yourself. Consider what tasks and projects you can offload. This not only frees up your time for new responsibilities but it gives team members the opportunity to expand their expertise. Being a leader is as much about developing your team as it is about achieving your goals, and delegating can help you do both.

Allow yourself to be new.

You are a new manager, so allow yourself to be new. You’re not expected to have all the answers or get everything 100% right. It’s human nature to make mistakes and stumble from time to time. Try to relax and be comfortable in the uncomfortable. Be kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned and know when to ask for help. Your new role will get easier over time as you gain more confidence in your managing abilities. Until then, give yourself grace because, well, you’re new at this.

45 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

April 5, 2021 by Angela Dodd

Hiring is a big decision. It impacts your team dynamic, effectiveness, and ability to achieve your goals. Make the wrong choice, and you’ve lost time and money. It can be daunting. So before you bring in a candidate or make a final decision, it’s helpful to reflect on what you want and need. Taking time to ask the important questions before you hire can be the difference between finding the right person vs. the right for now person you’ll second guess later.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Hire

Self-reflection before hiring a new teammate is a great place to start. Take five to ten minutes before posting a job description or interviewing a potential candidate to ask yourself what you’re really looking for in a new team member. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

What will make your life easier?

What are you looking for in an ideal candidate?

What problems keep you up at night, and how can this person alleviate them?

What do you value most: experience or education?

What would make you not hire someone?

What are your deal breakers?

What is a must-have skill that is non-negotiable?

What is your budget, and are you willing to be flexible for the right person?

What would make this person successful in their first 30, 60, 90 days on the job?

Is there anyone you know of that would be a good fit for the role?

Questions to Ask Your Team Before You Hire

Making a hiring decision impacts not only you but your team as well. Your team will benefit from thinking and talking through how a new hire will change how your team operates and socializes. Consider the following:

What are you looking for in a coworker?

What do you think is missing from our team?

How do you work best with others?

What skills and expertise will elevate our team?

Do you know anyone in your network that would be a good fit for this role?

Questions to Ask Your Network Before You Hire

Seeking input from others and how they’ve approached hiring can influence your decisions for the better. Ask for guidance from your network to know what mistakes to avoid and what helpful insight they can offer.

What’s the biggest hiring mistake you’ve made?

What do you look for in your ideal candidate?

What kind of talent do you think would benefit our company?

Where do you seek your talent?

What does your interview process look like?

Do you know anyone who would be interested in this opportunity?

Questions to Ask Your Candidate Before You Hire

Arguably the most important questions you ask in the hiring process are the ones you ask your candidate. In addition to the tried and true questions like what your strengths and what are your weaknesses, try a few of these.

What value can you add to our team?

What are you passionate about outside of work?

What’s something you can tell me about yourself that’s not on your resume?

What’s a project you’ve worked on that’s challenged you?

What’s a project you’ve worked on that you absolutely crushed?

Why do you want to work here?

What would your current manager say about you?

How would your colleagues describe you?

What are you looking for in a team?

How do you do your best work?

What skills can you bring to our team that are an immediate asset?

How do you respond under pressure?

What makes you an indispensable team member?

If you were given a task or project and you did not know what to do, how would you proceed?

What do you believe this position would offer that your current employer does not?

How do you define success?

What are you learning right now?

What are you excited about?

What are you looking for in a manager?

Do you have experience working remotely?

What’s something you’re learning right now?

What’s important to you in a company’s culture?

What’s the best job you’ve ever had?

What’s an achievement, personal or professional, that you’re most proud of?

How to Align Your Life With Your Purpose

March 15, 2021 by Angela Dodd

The new year is right around the corner, and so is the opportunity for a fresh start. For some, 2021 may look like finding better balance between their beliefs and how they live their life every day. Aligning your life with your purpose can result in greater satisfaction at work and home because you’re focusing on the things in life you believe to be most important.

Living your life with a clear objective may feel like a daunting task, especially if your purpose is currently undefined. If you’re unsure of your life calling, ask yourself these questions to begin to uncover it.

What interests you?
What skills are you good at that come naturally to you?
What were you passionate about as a child?
If money wasn’t an object, what would you do for a living?
What activities do you do that make you forget the world around you?

Once you have a clear vision of your purpose or have, at the very least, begun to uncover it, the work can start to align your life with it. The important thing to remember is that the process of alignment is continuous. You’ll have to be intentional with your actions and work each day to get a little closer to that thing that fills you up.

Aligning your life with your purpose requires authenticity and vulnerability, but there is tremendous fulfillment in feeling like your actions and contributions add value to a greater cause. If you have a defined purpose but are struggling to live with it at the forefront of your life, start with these action items.

Reflect on the Past and Present

To begin living your life intentionally, start by taking stock of where you are, where you’ve been, and where you want to go in both your personal life and at work. This will help to evaluate where things are working well, where your actions and values are misaligned, and where there are opportunities to improve. Some questions to mull over as you reflect on your past and present include:

What are my favorite and least favorite things about the work I do and why?
Where do I see myself in five years and are my actions today helping me get there?
Does the work I do excite me?
Do I feel like my work has value?
If I could change anything about my job, what would it be?

Plan for the Future

Once you’ve taken the time to reflect on your past and present experiences, it’s time to look towards the future. Since you’ve already identified your purpose, you should have a good idea of where you’re going. But if you want to clarify further, think about the answers to these questions:

Where do you see yourself in five years, ten years, and beyond?
What one thing can you do today to move one step closer to your goals?
What can you accomplish this year that will set you on the path to where you want to be?

With a clear purpose in mind, the objective is to set actionable goals to establish a clear path between where you are and where you see yourself in the future. Do this by identifying three SMART goals (i.e., Specific, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) that will help you get there. Write down your purpose and these goals on paper and keep them where you’ll see every day as a reminder of your destination.

Pivot as Needed

Alignment is a process. You can set yourself up for success by reflecting and setting goals, but there’s guaranteed to be ebbs and flows. It’s likely that along the way you’ll need to pivot because your purpose can change as you move through different seasons of life. Adjustments will need to be made to accommodate for events like moving, starting a new job, getting married, and having children, among other things. You may always be driven by one central motivating factor like empowering women, for example, but the means of how you do that may change. Be OK revising and renewing your purpose as you evolve and grow.

Practice Gratitude

Since the journey may be a long one, take time to be thankful along the way. There are numerous benefits of practicing gratitude, including reduced stress, increased happiness, better relationships, and improved health. Start by writing one thing you’re grateful for today. Recognize the growth you’ve made, no matter how big or small, to get you closer to living your life in alignment with your purpose.

How to Think Like an Entrepreneur (and Encourage Your Team to Do the Same)

March 1, 2021 by Angela Dodd

New start up business concept. Portrait of confident woman.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, aspire to be one, or want to act like an entrepreneur while working for someone else, there’s a lot of value to thinking like an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are innovative, creative, motivated, and self-starters, all qualities that are beneficial to have no matter what your line of work. So how can we begin to think like an entrepreneur and reap the benefits without taking on the risk of starting a business?

It’s all about mindset.

The first step toward thinking like an entrepreneur is to shift your thoughts to an entrepreneurial mindset. An entrepreneurial mindset enables you to be adaptable, overcome challenges, and learn from your mistakes. It minimizes the significance of failure and rejection and focuses on continuous improvement so you can succeed.

For those working for a company or organization, thinking like an entrepreneur allows you to become an intrepreneur. An intreprenuer possesses all the qualities of an entrepreneur without owning their own business but is seen as an innovator in their field. Shifting your mindset takes intentionality every day. Here’s how you can start making that shift.

Identify your value proposition.

Everyone has a unique contribution. What’s yours? Identify your value proposition, meaning why someone would choose you for a particular job or service. Get really good at providing that value to others. By acting with purpose and intention, you’ll begin to think about how you can continuously improve your value to serve others.

Solve problems and drive solutions.

Entrepreneurs solve problems and provide solutions. They try new things and succeed, but they also try new things and fail. The key difference between them and everyone else is they get something out of every failure. They’re always learning and innovating. Thinking strategically will shift your mindset to a growth mindset.

Be determined but flexible.

The ability to adapt is a big reason why entrepreneurs are successful. They are determined to reach their goal and persistent to achieve results even when faced with setbacks. Meaning that while motivated, they also need to be open to change and grow. So be open-minded. Focus on your objective, but be receptive to feedback and change.

Commit.

Many people have big ambitions. They want to start a company, get a promotion, or gain new skills to advance their careers. What sets entrepreneurs apart from everyone else is their commitment. They stick to “it”, whatever “it” is. It’s not a short-term journey; they’re in it for the long haul and work to be their best every day. Commit to your role, your organization, your idea, even when it’s hard, and that consistency will pay off.

Lead by example.

The best way to teach your team or coworkers how to adapt an entrepreneurial mindset is by showing them how. Remember the old saying actions speak louder than words? It’s true. Think about the kind of leader you needed when you were starting out in your career. Be that leader. And yes, you can be a leader in your organization even if you’re not a manager. Be adaptable, growth-oriented, and committed. Leading by example encourages others to do the same.