Photo 1: In the studio; Photo 2: With Angela Davis I was recently a guest on MPR’s Angela Davis show discussing introversion in the workplace. Behaviors that are highly regarded in professional settings are often challenging for introverts, such as speaking up in meetings, being outgoing, and socializing at happy hours. Another guest, Sequoia Holmes, elaborated on an article she wrote, Black Women Aren’t Allowed To Be Introverts, in which she discusses the particular challenges
Read More“In school you get the lesson and then take the test… In life you take the test and then get the lesson.” Source unknown A client in his early 30s told me: “I got school. I knew what was expected of me. I chose to study or not study, and then got a grade that usually reflected what I put in. But I keep ending up in jobs that don’t excite me and don’t challenge
Read MorePart 1 of this blog encouraged readers to ponder: How are messages from your parents playing out in your career today? Part 2 of this blog focuses on: Why is career choice so hard, and why do parents want to help? Like the parents in the scandal, I have some clients whose parents felt they were simply doing what was best for their child. In reality, they either were: Protecting children they felt couldn’t make
Read MoreHow your career challenges may tie back to your family — No question: the scandal of parents paying into the millions for their children to attend a prestigious college crosses a whole new line of inappropriate when it comes to parental involvement. While I haven’t seen my clients’ parents overstep with such disregard for what’s fair and just, my clients’ parents have had a profound impact on their careers, both intentional and unintentional. Through our work together:
Read MoreWhat would “successful” career change look like for you? Think it means throwing away everything familiar and starting all over in a whole new area? Not necessarily! That could be one path to getting there, but there are other paths, too. My clients are often relieved to hear this because a huge overhaul feels too overwhelming given the complexity of their lives. And a much smaller tweak may be all that’s needed for them to
Read MoreTop 10 Reasons to Make a Job or Career Change: How do you know when it’s time to go? When the StarTribune interviewed me for the article below, the first question was: how do people decide when it’s time to make a switch? I answered: reasons vary, but many of my clients share one thing in common – They were unhappy with their work (or lack, thereof) for a long time before they contacted me. Here
Read MoreThought you might be interested in this Fast Company article that quoted me. The article was about how to plan for getting a promotion. Here’s a link to the article: Fast Company: Your five-month guide to getting a promotion And here’s a pdf in case the article link is no longer live: PDF of Fast Company article If you have your own questions on how to get what you want professionally – whether it’s a
Read MorePassion is a loaded word when it comes to career. There’s a myth that if we just harness our passions, our careers will take off. I don’t buy it! Passions don’t automatically turn into careers, and Passion is just too slippery. What if we don’t know what our passion is? The truth is: most of us don’t – myself included! I have several things I like, but what’s the magical point on the continuum when an interest becomes a
Read MoreIt’s back-to-school time. If you think this is going to be a blog about the joys and wonders of starting a new school year, think again! I never liked school, and even though I’m now a full–fledged adult, and I’ve raised a child who is now an adult, I still find myself experiencing minor waves of anxiety this time of year. What does this have to do with coaching? Our past school lives have unexpected connections
Read MoreStephen Colbert’s Results Are In: The MBTI Gets a Thumbs-up for Understanding Yourself and Your Career. Watch Stephen Colbert take the MBTI on air (YouTube video follows) — complete with his irreverent humor, a professional MBTI interpretation, and a striking imitation of a tyrannosaurus rex.
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