The Lead Your Career Podcast

Treat Receiving Feedback as a Skill

I often hear feedback that elicits a negative response called "constructive feedback". That's a hopeful name. We hope that we'll be constructive with this feedback and not just be negative about it. But even the most well trained feedback receiver still feels that initial burst of negative feelings to the feedback. It's ok. It's not self hate. I mean it could be for some, but often it's a smaller negative feeling. Maybe you feel you let someone down, maybe you're hearing a known strength is letting you down, or maybe it's something you thought you overcame. In her 2015 TedTalk, Sheila Heen recommends treating feedback as a skill, and the majority of this article ties back to her core beliefs on the topic. Treating feedback as a skill allows you to be less dependent on the giver of feedback and puts the onus of transitioning from "negative" to "constructive" feedback then "constructive" to "actionable" feedback on you, the listener.

What‘s Your Managing Philosophy?

Managers can easily get stuck between a rock and a hard place when they need to enforce boundaries with their team, making people accountable for not meeting expectations but to do so in way that shows emotional responsiveness to their situation. Accountability … paired with empathy… How we approach situations, or deal with conflict on our teams or even in our personal life must incorporate both dimensions. In this week's article "What's our managing philosophy" I dive into the risk of engaging your team without incorporating both of those dimensions, while giving some examples of how to get yourself back on track!

Getting Out of a Rut

I feel like I can't see a rut coming on and I'm not sure what triggers them. When I realize it, it's similar to jumping in on the third season of a Netflix series. I know something is going on, I just don't know what. I used to think it was linked to complacency and that somehow my comfort level evolved into apathy. I'm still not convinced I have it pegged, and I'll continue to wrap my brain around a cause for the foreseeable future. In the mean time, my "rut game" is pretty on point as I usually don't stay down for too long. I'm not impervious to the effects of the lull in motivation, but I feel I manage them well. This episode digs into a few approaches to get yourself out of that rut you're in!

Untapped Potential: Making The Most Out of The Today Version of You

Everyone loves a fresh start. A fresh start forgets about all of your unkept promises, your well intentioned to-do list, and offers hope that this time can be different. This time you will make the most out of the opportunity before you. For few, that is exactly what a fresh start is. For most, me included, it often serves as a temporary reset. Too often, our suppressed character flaws, bad habits and ungratefulness resurface even after our most well intentioned attempt to embrace the reset. I believe this has more to say about our approach to our current opportunities and our commitment to the TODAY version of ourselves, than it does about the "available" roles, responsibilities and opportunities that are out there.

Building a Stronger Team

There are a few things that bind teams beyond dictated structure or the pursuit of a common goal. Two of the most powerful binding agents I've been part of are shared experiences and simply getting to know your team beyond the day to day grind of work.

Owning The Mentoring Relationship: Proactive Protégé

You can ask anyone who has been fortunate enough to have a great mentoring relationship, "why was it great?", and you'll find common themes. "They listened and cared", "they gave advice", "they were honest", "they were dependable", and "they were respectful". Often the protégé doesn't speak on behalf of the time and effort they themselves put in to make it work. It could be because they were fortunate enough to have a Mindful Mentor leading the relationship, or they're just too humble to take credit for the success of the relationship. The problem is, this is deceiving to the outside viewer who craves the benefits of a strong mentor. It can lead them to believe that "luck" instead of intentional effort is what breeds a strong mentoring relationship, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Coming from a "lead your career" mindset which assumes you have untapped and unfettered potential to shape and influence your own career, we'll examine how to create a successful mentoring relationship.

Achieving The Goals You Set

Whether it's a new year's resolution, a work goal, or a personal mission, the new year often brings with it, hope and a chance to do something better or new. So why are we so damn bad at the follow through? Studies show that less than 1 in 10 people actually complete their new year's resolution. As a mater of fact only 1 in 4 are still going strong after only 30 days past the new year. Why are we all so miserable at achieving what we want to achieve? We're the ones setting the vision and defining success and so many of us still come up short. This episode addresses some tricks and tips on how to accomplish those goals!

Changing of The Guard: Supporting New Leader

As a country we're currently undergoing a changing of the guard in our nations highest office. The eyes of the world are on the United States as we transition leaders. There is plenty on the line, so I understand the attention it warrants. There is far less fan fare when our leadership in the workplace changes, however the effects on your day to day life are arguably more impacted by those leaders, and the way we approach supporting them has even more of an impact.

Holiday Gatherings: A Slice of Humble Pie

For many of us, it's holiday time! The time of the year you get around your cousins and you're the same little kids that were mixing pop like you were a bunch of little Brian Flanigan's (80's reference…but a solid one) and sneaking treats to go with. It doesn't matter what college you ended up going to, how many promotions you have or haven't received, or if you're waiting tables at the local restaurant. Family is that equalizer. The much needed and perfect dose of humility via that imperfectly cut slice of humble pie.

The Importance of Having a Number 2

Are you feeling stagnant in your career? Are the "next level" opportunities looking more and more out of reach each day? Are you unsure what you can even do to position yourself for an opportunity if and when it arises? Here's a crash course in what's need to progress your career:

1. Be sure to do your current job SUPER well and work to build your reputation as such.
2. Train someone else on how to do your current job better than you.
3. Learn the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed at the next level. Maybe become someone else's number 2.
4. Work to create a need for those knowledge, skills and abilities at the next level and fill the gap in the minds of  leadership long before any "official posting/opening" goes out.

All four of  these things need to happen to advance your career. Miss one, and you're hard pressed on moving on. Today, I’m focusing on the second one: the importance of having a number 2 and how NOT having a number 2 is detrimental to your career growth.