Happy New Year! First, some news:
I’ve begun working on a top-secret, woman-centered project that will launch in July. I want to create a powerful, game-changing experience for women, so I’m asking for your feedback via this anonymous 5-minute survey. Thanks so much for your time, I appreciate it!
In 2022 my blog project was all about resilience. This year my theme is breakthroughs. I’m going to share some amazing ones that I’ve witnessed in my clients, and also in the lives of women I’ve known in my life.
Speaking of breakthroughs, if you are a woman age 40 or older, my next group training “Vitality!” on February 18th is for you. There are only 12 tickets available, so grab yours HERE.
Here’s my first post of the year. Please put your questions in the comments, or reach out to my directly at the links below.
-Alicia
Nan’s “Game of Thrones” Breakthrough
My client Nan* is a talented programmer in her early 30s, with wild raven hair and bright pink makeup. She works for an aeronautics company that employs a relatively small number of women, but many of them are in senior leadership positions that Nan aspired to achieve for herself. Nan came to see me to work on her Power Voice specifically so she could be confident enough to engage with her new mentor, a Global VP that she deeply admired and respected. This woman had a powerful presence that seemed to radiate authority, and Nan noticed that whenever she spoke her team would fly into action, an expression of their complete trust in her. The VP was able to accomplish many challenging goals that had won her wide respect throughout the company.
Among other Power Voice skills I coached Nan on the Power Pyramid communication style, so she could communicate her ideas in a compelling way. I also taught her some Power Answers to high-pressure questions, so she could show the VP that she could handle being in the spotlight. As her relationship with her mentor grew, she felt comfortable asking for advice about her own career strategy. In one recent meeting, her mentor told her that in order to rise up in the company, Nan should “make it so that others couldn’t live without her.”
This scared Nan a lot, and she came to me for help. She was concerned that the VP was referring to office politics, the toxic “Game of Thrones” paradigm that is common in many highly-competitive workplaces. If you’ve ever experienced that dynamic on your own career path, you know how terrible it is to go to work every day feeling like you have to fight for your life, alone and without any allies you can trust. Nan had no desire to engage in that kind of situation. She was willing to work hard, but not at the expense of her wellbeing and sanity. She didn’t want to burn out just when her career was taking off!
I understood Nan’s concerns, but I wasn’t convinced that her interpretation of the VP’s counsel was correct. The VP herself was well-liked and universally trusted, which didn’t indicate a toxic work culture, in fact just the opposite! I encouraged Nan to go back to the VP and ask her to expand on her words.
At our next session Nan’s face was relaxed and smiling, and her cheeks were flushed with relief. She told me that the VP had indeed corrected her interpretation of their previous conversation. Rather than telling Nan to engage in toxic office politics, she had been encouraging her to focus on the quality of her work, so that others would recognize how indispensable it was, and promote Nan accordingly.
This made complete sense to Nan, and she immediately began to schedule her work days for greater productivity. At the same time, she also scheduled dedicated time off each week, where she could close her laptop and enjoy being with her friends. She also planned a 2-week summer vacation to Greece, so she could work toward a big reward that would leave her feeling refreshed when she returned.
Nan’s breakthrough was about three big things:
Recognizing what she was and wasn’t willing to do for her own career (by drawing a firm line against toxic workplace culture)
Pushing past her fears and not allowing them to dictate her actions (by asking her mentor for more clarity, instead of assuming the worst)
Prioritizing a balanced approach to her new goals (by making sure to schedule time to rest, and by taking all her vacation days)
If you need a big breakthrough of your own, finding your Power Voice can help you get there. Contact me directly for rates and availability.