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A current client of mine is in a very uncomfortable situation in her career. She just received her performance review and it wasn’t what she was expecting. Not at all. She’d been at the company for over two years and had had stellar reviews from her past two managers. And she thought her performance, this time, was at the same level. And the self-assessment she wrote up for her manager was equivalent to the ones she had submitted to her first two managers.
Yet the outcome was entirely different. And the review, though reflective of the work she did, put emphasis on what she considers the small areas of challenges that she faces yet some of her most important accomplishments were missing or given passing notice.
1) Define Your Strengths: It’s important to take some time to identify your key strengths, skills and accomplishments. Especially if you were laid off, it is vital that you recognize that the parting of ways from your last employer is only one small piece of your career history. Take time to enumerate at least three key areas of strength and for each one, write out an anecdote complete with specifics to make it come alive and become memorable. Practice discussing those capabilities. Feel free contact me for a complimentary career tool called CONFIDENCE CARDS, a powerful card-set where you write out your strengths and supporting information and they can be used to articulate, affirm and practice winning and unique positioning. Contact me at [email protected] for a complimentary phone consultation including the CONFIDENCE CARDS.
Here are eight ways to increase your power and standing as a woman in the workplace:
1. Have your emotional expression match your content.
When you are delivering serious, factual information state it with authority, not with a smile. You are not delivering a happy birthday cake; you are delivering serious business information. No need to soften the message. Yes, you can use your smile socially for meeting and greeting in the business environment, and for delivering positive news, but don’t use the smile as a nervous gesture or a fallback expression of subordination.
2. React thoughtfully, not emotionally.
Slower reactors are perceived as more powerful and more in-control. Be aware and conscious of when a comment triggers your emotions. Practice pausing. Think, reflect and choose to respond. Or choose to respond later. Most situations do not require an immediate reaction. Whenever you feel anger or hurt rising inside, take a break—separate from the emotion, especially in business settings. Reactive types are viewed as weak.
One-on-One Executive Coaching for Career Empowerment
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Call Joan today for your free 20-minute career assessment.