What do you accomplish when you put a group of professional women together in a room? a valid question and now a controversial topic of discussion. Professional women's networks have recently come under fire for perpetuating the ideology that women need to be "fixed" in order to be successful in the workplace. These professional groups were for the most part originally … [Read more...]
Coaching as an Asset to your Business Development
How does your business make a difference in the world? In 2006 I began an intensive coaching process with Rob Seidenspinner of Sage Circle Coaching. Rob is a personal and professional coach and I was looking for specific insights into how my personal "story" was influencing my business outcomes. The benefits I’ve seen are as follows. Not all of these are directly … [Read more...]
Taking on the Work of Others
Let’s face it. Women are often busy doing the grunt work while men spend more time building their careers. We have a problem with taking on too much responsibility and it limits us from doing what needs to be done to advance our own careers and take care of ourselves. No only do we do our own work, but we also take on the work of others. We have difficulty saying “no”. As a … [Read more...]
Women and Men: Is Partnership Really Possible?
This is such an exciting time of pattern busting. By that I mean the old ways are falling fast and furious. We are no longer willing to shove bad behavior under the rug. We are questioning old ways and questing for new ways. I believe the most fascinating and long overdue microscope is now being put more strongly on male-female relationships in a way that is neither … [Read more...]
The Benefits of Assertive Communication
Assertive communication is speaking up appropriately for oneself while considering the needs, wants, and rights of others. The verbal characteristics of assertive communication are clear, direct, and honest statements of feelings and the use of “I” statements. We feel good about ourselves when we communicate assertively, but also, we must feel self-confident and good about … [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...]
What Does Your Body Language Say About You?
Did you know that it takes only four minutes to make a first impression and that body language accounts for 55% of that impression; 38% from tone of voice; the remaining 7% from our actual words? In other words, competence is only one factor in career mobility. Those women who are competent AND look and sound like a professional are the ones most likely to be … [Read more...]
Authentic Leadership
I was recently at the Pa. Governor’s Conference for Women with the theme of “rethink, resolve, renew”. It was a mighty meeting. There is nothing like thousands of women who are claiming their power to partner with their male counterparts in the world of work. One of the sessions was of exceptional interest to me. The theme was about enabling authentic leadership. That word, … [Read more...]
Green Coaching
I recently returned from our home in Santa Fe where the Green Movement can be seen everywhere. There are classes on sustainability, a wonderful farmers’ market with organic everything, throw-away containers that are biodegradable. I started thinking about what makes the green movement so powerful. It is all about how systems operate and cooperate with the laws of nature. So … [Read more...]
The 80/20 Way to Make a Living… and a Life
Have you ever found yourself working long hours, skipping lunch, and swapping personal time for late-night rendezvous with clients? Many of us make the mistake of believing we can achieve more by doubling our work efforts. So, we take on multiple projects and sacrifice personal time and our social lives to get ahead. And even though we accomplish everything on our list, we may … [Read more...]