Management

Career Success Requires You to Keep Moving Forward

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“We look externally for reasons why we are unsuccessful or unhappy in our jobs. Instead, look inside ourselves, get into forward action, and play a bigger game.” Jeannette Seibly

Too often today, many people (including bosses and leaders) lament wanting to do something bigger, different, and more meaningful than they are currently doing. “I hate my job,” “I’d be happier if I made more money,” or “I’m destined for something greater” are common excuses.

They play small games to keep them on the payroll. They struggle to determine why they are dissatisfied with their job or career. They spend time gazing into a false future (“if only it wasn’t this way”), ignoring getting assignments done on time, doing sloppy work, or blowing off customer promises as unimportant.

Being resistant or resentful will keep you stuck because the same issues reappear as life lessons – even if you move on to the next job, career, or job opportunity. Remember, wherever you go, there you are (“The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” 1984)

When you want to shuck it all (and there are times everyone does), stop. The same amount of time you spend hoping for different results would be better spent taking focused actions that move you forward to play a bigger game (e.g., upskilling, resolving failures and mistakes, and working out differences with difficult people).

And remember, hope is not a strategy.

Career Success Requires You to Stop Playing Small

Get your brag on!  When you experience feelings of being unworthy, lack confidence, or are overlooked for a well-deserved promotion, take the time to complete the five simple exercises in “Get Your Brag On!” This will build your self-confidence and provide guidance. Now — move forward by talking with your boss or the hiring manager who told you “No.” Playing a bigger game requires listening and then taking focused forward action by upskilling those technical, communication, and people skills.

Know thyself. You may believe you know yourself yet are unaware (or in denial) of your blind spots. Being inauthentic makes it difficult for others to work with you. You cannot transform a lie. Work with an experienced executive coach and use a job fit assessment to clarify who you are, not how you want to be seen. Playing a bigger game requires the process of getting real and using these newfound strengths appropriately.

Create real goals.  Real goals are simple and not camouflaged in a lot of words. (Remember, words matter.) Questions to ask yourself: “What lights me up?” and “What do I really really really want to achieve?” Remember, your goals are personal – stop trying to be someone other than who you are. Start today by taking focused actions to move forward. Playing a bigger game can be scary at first, but it gets easier the further forward you go.

Take consistent action. Yes, practice does create mastery. Take consistent actions daily by making the time instead of waiting until the time feels right. Playing to win requires creating new habits that work for you and your team.

Engage in critical thinking. CBS Sunday Morning (9/29/2024) featured students in Finland learning how to separate fake news (aka fiction) from facts. Remember, opinions do not equal facts! Critical thinking begins by telling the truth about the facts before deep diving into the core issue. Creating a bigger game requires working with the team to brainstorm solutions and discern what will work within budget, team, and people constraints.

Pull together a great team. Stop the do-it-yourself modality, “I can do it better,” and “I don’t have the time.” Your ego keeps you playing small. Hiring the right team members can and will make a big difference – often, they will do it better than you can while achieving the intended results. When you play a bigger game, you cannot do it yourself.

Develop good communication skills. You may believe you have good interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. When you criticize others, blame them, or ignore their ideas, understand these are indicators you need help! Spend time hiring the right coach and finding the right mentor to ensure your communication skills and any blind spots (e.g., microaggressions, misinterpretations, and lack of honesty) are addressed in real time. Playing a bigger game requires improved communication and interpersonal skills.

Practice acknowledgment. It takes courage to move forward – remember, you can do it! Acknowledge your successes and appreciate your team members each and every day! This is critical when playing a bigger game and producing intended results.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: We all experience times when we want to run away from our careers and falsely believe doing so will erase any unhappiness or job dissatisfaction. When you are unhappy, it’s a signal you are on track but need to play a bigger game (e.g., upskill your awareness, communication, and goals) to move forward. Yes, it takes courage to move forward – remember, you can do it! Need guidance? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Need a speaker for a company retreat or workshop? Want your audience to be energized and participating? Contact me!

Want to Be a Great Leader? Stop Focusing on Your Weaknesses

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“We can all be good-to-great leaders if we’re willing to focus on our true strengths.” Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders can be their own worst critic and give reasons as to why (e.g., bad boss, wrong employees, unreasonable customers, etc. etc.)!

But focusing on weaknesses only makes the weakness more of a problem!

It doesn’t serve you, your employees, or your customers!

Being a good-to-great boss/leader requires getting real about who you are and getting the coaching necessary to develop you and your team members.

How to Focus on Improving Your Leadership

Know Thyself … Not by how you want to be seen because people can see through a fake. Instead, use a leadership report from a qualified job fit assessment to clarify traits that are strengths and how those same strengths can also be considered weaknesses. For example, a sales manager who loves meeting people may have poor listening skills.

Knowing yourself is critical to developing the real skills required to be a great boss/leader.

Hire an Executive Coach. Ninety-nine percent of good-to-great bosses/leaders have an executive coach. The right coach provides a sounding board and someone to guide you through sticky situations and political factions at work.

Complete What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? Use this exercise when you are experiencing a project or team failure. Or, as a way to complete the day/week/month. Don’t forget to include the human side of your job and projects, too.

Stay focused on your strengths and what matters most in building your company, employees, and customers.

Get Frequent Feedback. Use an objective 360-degree feedback assessment — using formal ones provide needed confidentiality and compare you with the working population. Too often, internally developed feedback assessments nitpick at things that don’t matter and reflect the opinions of a few employees. It doesn’t mean you overlook these types of concerns. However, the results from the formal assessment provide objective insight that is needed before having conversations individually with team members and making any adjustments to your leadership style.

Network to Stay in Touch. Reach out on a consistent basis to a select few leaders to talk through company or industry issues.

Develop People Leadership Skills. This is key to being a great leader! While you may have charisma or technical/financial skills, you may lack good interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills. Take workshops every year to develop your emotional intelligence, communication, diversity awareness, and team development skills.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: You can become the leader you’ve always wanted to be and visualize yourself to be. First, you need to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses, then do the work to improve on your strengths on a consistent daily basis. Need guidance on developing your leadership from good to great? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

The Secret to Creating Goals that ARE Achievable

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“Teamwork requires working together to achieve better results while not ignoring issues.” Jeannette Seibly

We all have goals, dreams, and wishes for our careers and life. But too often, we fail to achieve them. We blame the economy, our bosses, and our family. We wait (and keep on waiting) until it’s no longer a viable goal.

What’s missing? Taking responsibility for how we create our goals. We allow our thoughts, ideas, and feelings to camouflage what we really really really want to accomplish.

7 Strategies for Achieving Your Real Goals

1. Ensure the Goal is Real. There are many guidelines for writing goals. Google them – Achievable, Measurable, Realistic, and With a By-When Date. Use this information to get you started.

2. Here’s the hard part: Goals should be ten words or less! I know, it seems impossible, but it isn’t. When you use too many words, the true goal will be camouflaged in vocabulary and will sabotage taking real actions. Shorten the goal to 10 words or less to be crystal clear and flat as a pancake.

3. Keep It Simple. When you become too wordy, you make the goal, dream, wish, or intention impossible to accomplish. We were all trained to be wordy (think of school when stating the simple fact wasn’t good enough … we had to write a paragraph or one-pager to get a good grade). Ask yourself, “What do I really really really want to accomplish?” For example, I want to get a job making six figures. However, the job must be remote, cannot require working more than 30 hours a week, and provide three weeks of vacation. This is no longer an actual goal. 

Instead, ask yourself what do you really really really want? The new goal: “Get a job making $125,000 annually by 12-31-2024.” This has become simple and doable.

4. Clarity and Discernment. Ensure your idea will work as designed by reviewing the numbers realistically. Will you break even, operate at a loss, or be profitable? It requires more than “feeling it” and “believing it.” For example, flipping homes involves knowledge about buying the home, the cost of repairs and labor, closing costs, and the length of time it’ll take to sell (aka flip). Goal: Sell a home for a 30 percent profit in 6 months.

5. Listen to Feedback! Before launching your idea, talk with a knowledgeable person. Ask open-ended questions. You are listening for: What is missing in my plan or idea? When ideas are not working, sometimes, it only takes a simple tweak, and they will work.

The biggest challenge? Your emotional attachment to your way of doing something can get in the way. Especially if you’ve been thinking and rethinking and overthinking the idea. Feedback will guide you through it if you listen.

6. Then, Review the Goal. Fine-tune. While you don’t want naysayers to upend your goal, reviewing and considering their input before moving forward is important. Example: I had someone tell me it would take 2 years before I could get the funding required to launch a program. I listened, asked questions, and made slight adjustments to my plan. Then, moved forward. I launched the program in 13 weeks, and it was profitable. Here was my goal: Launch a regional event for career advisors by xxx.

7. Remember, when you’ve hit a wall, or someone is blocking you, it’s time to hire a coach. We all have blind spots that get in the way. By working with an executive coach and taking a qualified job fit assessment, you can obtain real insight into what is getting in your way. (Note: qualified job fit assessments have incredibly high accuracy and reflect who we are – they are not focused on how we want to be seen – which often gets in the way of achieving our goals).

Examples:

  1. Wanting to be a salesperson without the willingness and ability to close a sale on a consistent basis will limit your tenure as a sales rep. Instead, if you want to be in sales and be successful, get honest about your abilities – get the training required – now seek a job in sales that fits you!

OR,

  1. You want to be a boss. But on truthful reflection, the real goal is making more money. Since you are unwilling to do the actual work required to be an effective boss/leader, find a position that accomplishes your financial desires.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: We all have goals, desires, and dreams we wish to accomplish. What gets in our way is that we camouflage our goals with too many words to describe them. This makes it impossible to achieve them. This week’s article focuses on simplifying and clarifying your goal to achieve the intended results. Want help discovering and fine-tuning your actual goal?  Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Is Your Team Not Hitting the Results Required?

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“Teamwork requires working together to achieve better results while not ignoring issues.” Jeannette Seibly

While only 10 percent of teams produce the intended results, it doesn’t mean you, and your team needs to be in the 90 percent range!

As an effective boss/leader, you must be able to diagnose team issues and communicate the changes effectively as soon as possible. Allowing problems to linger, or ignoring or denying them will sabotage your results now and in the future.

Secrets to Achieving the Required Results

Ensure the Goal is a Real One. Goals should be ten words or less! If it is longer, the true goal may be camouflaged in vocabulary and sabotaging actions. Shorten the goal to be crystal clear and flat as a pancake without add-ons. Now, review the milestones and actions being taken. Do they support fulfilling the goal?

Manage People for Results, Not Their Personalities. The foundation for successful results is bring the right people onto the team by using objective job fit data and assessments. If they later decide to leave, let them. Focusing on the work that needs to be done and the best people willing to make it happen is critical. Manage team conflict and different personalities to ensure everyone’s opinions are heard, and everyone is valued. Do not allow name-calling or blaming — since those actions are not easily forgotten nor forgiven.

Complete What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? When done correctly, this exercise will provide insights into progress made and what stopped the team/project from moving forward. Have everyone complete this exercise individually since collectively are less likely to skim over critical details that initially seemed meaningless. Now, review all the results together as a team.

Address Miscalculations, Bad Data, or Other Critical Thinking Issues. Ask one or two experts from outside the team for input when this happens. It doesn’t mean you do it the way they recommend, but it does require incorporating their insights appropriately.

Brainstorm. Focus on the top three issues. Address one problem at a time while knowing one can impact other concerns and current non-issues. For example, reworking the budget can impact money already spent. Ask open-ended questions and ensure complete work is being done.

Go Round Robin. Encourage everyone to speak. While this may seem like it takes longer to resolve the issue, it doesn’t. If someone withholds information (e.g., not being asked for their opinion), the person may end up withholding important information delaying a resolution later in the process.

Alignment Not Consensus. Waiting to reach a consensus will limit the speed of moving forward since factions have agendas. Doing complete work upfront makes decision-making easier. Address everyone’s issues and aim for alignment (for the details click the link).

Inspect Results. By reviewing the numbers, did you achieve the intended outcome?  What is the impact on others and their thoughts? Address further actions to be taken. Don’t forget to acknowledge each and every team member for their work.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette:  Only 10 percent of teams achieve intended results. How do you intervene when your team is failing to achieve the target? Communication is one of the keys to improving results! Need guidance in transforming your team efforts? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are You Doing Complete Work?

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“What we say we will do and actually do matters!” Jeannette Seibly

One of the most difficult challenges for bosses/leaders today is ensuring they’re doing what they say and doing “complete” work.

What does “doing complete work” mean?

  • Taking action to research and present all data needed to approve new ideas or solutions.
  • Providing all necessary information for bosses, employees, and customers to make good, well-informed decisions.
  • Completing duties to the highest standards.

Due to busyness, fear, lack of motivation, or poor communication skills, many bosses/leaders today fail to ensure they and their teams are doing complete work. When shortcuts are taken, quality and customer and job satisfaction are negatively impacted, and challenge the bottom line.

Do you …

  • Ignore resolving team conflicts by agreeing there is an issue/conflict but fail to resolve it?
  • Have great policies but fail to enforce them?
  • Have well-designed systems but fail to coach, train, and manage others to use them effectively?
  • Complete part of the job and hope others will “clean up” after you?
  • Wait to feel motivated to do the complete work – and then, just keep on waiting?
  • Fail to focus (e.g., mind wandering) or allow yourself to multi-task?

It’s essential to be the type of boss/leader who gets the job done by doing complete work.

How to Do Complete Work

Hire for Job Fit. Use objective job fit data to select, coach, and manage team members for better results. Many surveys show that outcomes can be spectacular when people fit their job responsibilities and are given opportunities to learn and grow. The outcome … retention, revenues, and results increase!

Communicate Clearly. It starts with you providing transparent and effective communication. Be clear about expectations and goals, and provide the training required to achieve them. Remember, word choice matters. Be open to hearing honest communication from your employees.

Delegate and Empower. Believing in yourself and your team members is critical. Giving them opportunities to excel and expand their skills makes for a positive work experience. It shows up in the quality of the work completed and their willingness to admit mistakes, be coachable, and enjoy learning.

Provide Resources. Ensure you’re providing appropriate tools and training — it makes a visible difference.

Share Feedback in Real Time. Don’t wait until performance appraisal time since waiting allows minor incidents to expand into upsets and conflicts. Use the direct or sandwich approach to share feedback, which must occur now to make a positive difference.

Monitor Results. Without micromanaging, use digital tracking to ensure tasks are on track. Make the scoreboard available for all to see. Check for progress daily or weekly so there are no surprises or issues occurring that can sabotage results. Remind teams frequently about the purpose of the project or job and the value they provide.

Be Accountable. Accountability starts with you! It means taking responsibility for showing up, asking for help, and accomplishing the results you said you’d produce. Hire an executive coach to discover your blind spots that get in the way. For example, overcoming the fear of talking to team members about mistakes without being heard as critical. Don’t forget to face head-on the obstacles that get in the way (e.g., factions, silos, difficult team members, etc.).

Encourage a Culture of Excellence. This isn’t about perfectionism. It’s about doing quality work that elicits favorable responses from others. Don’t forget to reward and acknowledge each and every person for their efforts – it encourages more of the same complete work.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette:  What does doing complete work mean? Many bosses/leaders today are incredibly busy. They do just enough to get by and hope someone else will take care of the rest. The problem? Failure to do complete work impacts everyone!  Want to better understand this required work practice? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are You Experiencing a Crisis in Confidence? Want to Come Back Stronger?

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“Losing confidence in yourself means it’s time to review, re-engage, and come back stronger than before.” Jeannette Seibly

All bosses/leaders have experienced or will experience a crisis in confidence, self-doubt, or fear when working towards achieving a goal – the more significant and innovative the intended result – the more likely this will occur.

How can you tell if you’re experiencing a crisis in confidence?

You are:

  • Unable to make decisions
  • Making poor decisions by ignoring the facts
  • Concerned or fearful of what others will think, say, or do
  • Unable to sleep or fail to take good care of yourself
  • Not feeling comfortable with the changes being made
  • Unwilling to admit a mistake and take responsibility
  • Changing the goal (or intended result) to reflect current progress

When you face a challenging moment or experience doubt or uncertainty, it’s time to regain and revitalize your confidence. Remember, every boss/leader experiences these moments; it does not define your abilities or worth.

How to Regain Your Confidence

Acknowledge Your Feelings: Feeling uncertain or questioning yourself is okay. Recognize and accept these feelings instead of ignoring them. Contact your executive coach, industry mentor, or confidantes if it persists.

Reflect on Your Achievements: Take some time to review what you’ve accomplished in the past by completing the five easy exercises in “It’s Time to Brag!” A positive reflection on past successes reminds you of your capabilities.

Learn and Adapt: Learning from mistakes or setbacks is crucial. Complete “What Worked? / What Didn’t Work?” Then, with insight and renewed confidence, acknowledge the overlooked tasks and milestones or errors made when completing them.

Seek Advice and Support: Asking for help and talking with your executive coach, mentor, or one or two business professionals is wise. An outside perspective is often constructive and offers encouragement when you listen with an open mind and positive expectations and ask open-ended questions. Remember, the conversation will go faster, and your confidence will return quicker if you remain emotionally unattached to your point of view on how it “should” work.

Set Small, Achievable Tasks to Regain Momentum:

  • Adapt your strategies and approach based on what you’ve learned from the exercises and conversations listed above.
  • Create a “It’s Done List” (aka To-Do list).
  • Break the tasks into smaller, quickly accomplishable steps (e.g., getting a bank loan requires a P&L that is clean and up-to-date).
  • Schedule the completion of all of these items and take at least one focused action step now.

The natural confidence this process creates is priceless. But stay and keep in action – you’re not done until the intended result is accomplished.

Practice Self-Care: Ensure you care for your physical and mental health. Exercise, proper nutrition, and relaxation can all contribute to a more positive mindset while rebuilding confidence. Include journaling your brags and what you’re grateful for as part of a healthful ritual.

Stay Persistent: Confidence grows by experiencing and overcoming setbacks, frustrations, and failures. Keep moving forward, even if progress feels slow. Remember, the tortoise, not the racing rabbit, won the race!

When you embrace these steps and take the actions to overcome a crisis in confidence, you will return stronger than before. Don’t forget to acknowledge yourself for this achievement — and update your brags.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette:  Are you experiencing a crisis in confidence? Do you want to come back stronger? This week’s article is a must-read for bosses and leaders wishing to work through these inevitable crises and come out stronger than ever before. Need an objective perspective? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Transform Stress into Resilience

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“Embrace stress as an opportunity for your resilience to shine through.” Jeannette Seibly

While many believe summer is a time to slow down and relax, the truth is, it’s been a hectic time … political rhetoric, economic uncertainty, workplace changes, and confusion about AI. Family and friend time can create additional frustrations. Your business projects, profitability (or lack thereof), clients, and teams have caused stress. Transforming your stress into resilience is required more than ever.

7 Ways to Transform Stress into Resilience

  1. Yes, it’s a #1 stress reducer. Breathe in for a count of 10, pause, then exhale for a count of 10. Do this at least three times. You’ll be amazed at how fast this works while creating resilience and improving results.
  2. Honor your inner leader. Too often, we attempt to ignore our inner wisdom to slow down. It’s time to listen, learn, and discuss it with your executive coach, mentor, and/or therapist. (Yes, mental health concerns are at an all-time high – there is no shame in reaching out for help – especially when doing so reduces stress, creates resilience, and produces better results.)
  3. Know thyself. Many times, especially today, people are in jobs where they do not fit their work responsibilities. In addition, the challenges of working with factions, sticky workplace issues, and complicated working relationships can make achieving the required results highly stressful. Take an objective qualified job fit assessment and work with your executive coach to determine your natural leadership skills and blind spots. The objective awareness of strengths and intrinsic weaknesses will develop resilience to issues you cannot control.
  4. Get the facts. Clarify the actual issue. Too often, we latch on to the smallest bits of information and run with it. This almost always creates a more significant problem (s). Talk out the facts with one or two trusted advisors and your executive coach. With a clearer perspective, get into action and resolve the issue now.
  5. Have the tough conversations you’ve been avoiding. Stress occurs when someone’s choice of words, discussion points, tone of voice, hand gestures, or facial expressions offend you. BREATHE. Remember, when stressed, you will overreact and misinterpret. Instead, have a conversation to learn the truth. If you don’t resolve it now, an irrevocable point will occur, preventing you from resolving the situation and saving the relationship.
  6. Keep a private journal. Use journaling as a way to create a positive future. Write down “brags” about what has been working. Include “I am grateful for …” Write about your future and goals. Take action on one of your goals – remember the smallest steps can create resilience, and the momentum will keep you moving forward.
  7. Be present with people. People know when you’re not listening. That creates stress for everyone. Then, to make it worse, you lie about it. It becomes a stress-filled interaction when others must repeat themselves. They become resentful. Instead, learn mindful resilience. I promise, listening will reduce stress and increase resilience, and your results will improve, too!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019-2024

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: It’s the end of summer, and you’re surprised by the amount of stress you’re feeling. You’re not alone. Here are some tips to alleviate it and develop resilience to move forward.  Contact me for help with addressing that nagging issue that won’t disappear.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are You the Leader You Want to Be?

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“Are you the leader you want to be? Or are you hoping someday things will change so you can be?” Jeannette Seibly

Some of you would say, “Yes!” While others would say, “I’m working on it.”

The next question is, “Are you making the right moves and building on these skills? Or are you allowing distractions to take precedence in developing your management and leadership skills?” (Hint: These are also known as excuses.)

Yes, I know. Everyone is busy. But being busy and developing your skills go hand-in-hand. They happen simultaneously, not independently of one another. (Yes, read that again.)

Your Keys to Your Leadership Success

Know Thyself. Not from “how you want to be seen,” but from “who you really are.” Authenticity makes a big difference in being an influencer, results producer, and great leader. Addressing leadership blind spots is critical. Use a qualified job fit assessment that provides objective clarity, insights, and leadership coaching for best results.

Be Aware of Your Impact on Others. All leaders impact others and influence their job satisfaction. Ask yourself, “Is it positive? Inspiring? Do others wish to be included on my teams?” If not, it’s time to address what is getting in the way now (e.g., failure to develop others, resolve team conflict, address factions, improve poor quality).

Practice Great Communication Skills. Your most significant impact on others is your ability to listen, talk, and write meaningfully. While you may believe you are a great communicator, your employees, business associates, boss, board, and clients may disagree. Get into their world or listen from their perspective to better understand this invaluable skill. Also, keep improving on it! Use a 360-degree feedback assessment to get to the truth.

Have an Executive Coach. Do-it-yourself leadership development usually fails to produce the required results. Why? Your leadership blind spots will always sabotage you without objective review. All great leaders have an executive coach. They also have an industry mentor. Make sure the people you’ve selected are helping you grow and do not simply agree with your perspective when addressing sticky situations or political workplace relationships.

Develop Resilience, Flexibility, and EI. All of these traits become good or bad habits. If you make a mistake or experience a failure, do you have the flexibility to shake it off and use your emotional intelligence (EI) to move forward? Languishing in the hurt or upset is not a good leadership trait. (Hint: We all experience frustrations – how well you recognize them and move forward builds your leadership savvy.)

Grow Retention, Revenues, and Results. Yes, all three are critical indicators of your success as a leader, regardless of why you’ve not achieved one or more of them. How you hire, coach, and manage makes a profound difference in the quality of your team, their responsiveness to challenges, and their ability to deliver on time and within budget in a quality manner!

Practice Self Care! Taking care of your mental, physical, and spiritual health is essential to being the leader you want to be. Set up a consistent schedule to keep you healthy.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Here are great questions to ask yourself: Am I being the leader I want to be? Am I inspiring and developing others? Do others want to be included on my team? It’s time to address your skills and blind spots to become the leader you know you can be. Contact me for help in becoming a great leader that makes a positive impact.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Want to Accelerate Career Options? Make a Lateral Move

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“Want to accelerate your career options? Prepare for and make a lateral move within your company.” Jeannette Seibly

I remember talking with a woman who had been unemployed for a while. When I suggested she ‘stretch’ from finance into operations by making a lateral move, she looked at me like I’d grown another head.

“Oh no! I’m very committed to staying in my profession.” She exclaimed.

I replied, “It doesn’t mean you will not return to finance. However, gaining operational experience in running a department or team can greatly boost your business acumen. Lateral moves can provide you a diverse skill set, increased visibility, and credibility as a future leader.”

What are lateral career moves? (Indeed)

  • Switching to a job at the same level and similar pay within the same company or between different employers.
  • Typically involves different duties or responsibilities.
  • May not result in a significant increase in salary or title.
  • Can be beneficial for learning new skills or securing your future.
  • Not recommended if you make too many of them or face a career setback.

Making a lateral move doesn’t mean you were not qualified in your current profession or previous position. A “stretch position” can accelerate your career growth and options because it provides broader exposure to business challenges, making you a better boss/leader, decision-making, and business professional.

How to Prepare for a Lateral Move

Job Fit Assessment. Be clear about your strengths and weaknesses before making a job transition. Use an objective job fit assessment that provides a “job fit pattern” for the lateral position. This helps you (and your new boss) understand where to focus when coaching and managing you for success.

Get Your Brag On! Complete the five easy steps outlined in the book for the results you’ve already achieved. Sharing these during networking meetings and interviews for the lateral position will make a difference. Remember, there will be “cross-over” skills, and you must emphasize them (e.g., communication, finance, technology) since you will not have the job titles, professional experiences, and job responsibilities they normally seek.

Networking Works. Do your homework — go out for coffee or lunch, or Zoom with several people already working in the profession. What do they enjoy about it? What are the challenges? How can you, with your current experiences, make a difference? Use open-ended questions to learn more.

Prepare for the Interview. You will be ready for the interview after following the first three recommendations above. Be sure to conduct your due diligence during all interviews for the lateral position about expectations, goals, and any challenges in the position. It is important to address any reluctance of the company, team, or hiring boss upfront without being defensive.

Key for Success: Learn the basics, listen more than talk, and have a positive can-do attitude. Hire an executive coach to discuss the inevitable sticky situations and political work relationships. Also, take the time now to develop essential leadership skills in emotional intelligence, communication, critical thinking, and project management. These are valued “cross-over skills” in any position.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Have you considered making a lateral move? If you’re bored, unemployed, or looking to expand your business growth, using a “stretch position” is a great way to accelerate your career options. Always start with a job fit assessment to ensure you’re clear about your strengths and weaknesses in the new position. Contact me for additional coaching recommendations to ensure a smooth job transition!

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are you using your talents and abilities effectively? Many of us are not! Click Here for a Free Download on how to use your talents and enjoy a rewarding career!

Do You Want to Be a Great Leader? Start the Transition Process Now

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“Great leaders prepare their successors to transition into their new roles ready for the challenge.” Jeannette Seibly

Learning to be a boss/leader is a process, not an event, and requires preparation! So does preparing your successor and preparing them for a smooth transition!

One of the lessons all bosses/leaders need to learn is when to step aside.

Too often, they wait too long. They allow their egos to get in the way and won’t let go. By the time they are experiencing mental health issues, physical disability, or death, it’s too late to have a prepared successor ready to take over.

The other challenge facing today’s leaders is that many potential future leaders are uncertain if they wish to become bosses/leaders. I suggest it’s due to a lack of preparation: training, development, coaching, and being given opportunities now to excel.

What Can You Do to Prepare?

Create Your Own Future. Too often, if you are hanging on too long, you don’t have a “What’s Next” planned. You will continue to talk about it, make excuses, create issues, and not take the focused action required to move on. Hire an executive coach and make a plan. Now, implement the plan.

Assess Who’s Next. When you have a key employee(s) designated to step up, they may not have the skills and talents to do so. Or they have been a great #2 person but are not the right person to become the #1 leader to move a business or team forward. While they may say they are interested, now’s the time to discover the truth. Create an individualized succession plan and use an objective job fit and leadership assessment. This is critical in determining job fit in the new role. Use the assessment to guide your conversations and listen for consistency in their responses. Ensure they are given the tools, resources, and coaching required to win.

Hire an Executive Coach Now. Hire an executive coach to guide the future successor.  Using an outside coach ensures any growth and development issues that might limit the future leader remain confidential. Remember, we all have our challenges. These should not restrict their ability to move forward if the person has done the work, is ready, and there are no ethical or other integrity issues in the way.

Select an Internal Mentor Now. The mentor’s role is to guide the future leader through industry, company, and professional changes. Many mentors don’t make great coaches due to the time required. The other consideration is confidentiality. Having a mentor as a coach can limit job transition or promotion opportunities due to the future leader going through a challenging work situation or difficult period in life. Again, if the person does the work, is ready, and has no ethical or other integrity issues, continue to move forward!

Invest in Training and Development. Have them attend programs to develop their interpersonal, emotional intelligence, managerial, and leadership skills. Ensure, along with their coach and mentor, these new skills and awareness are being used appropriately and effectively. Remember, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, learning to be a leader is a process, not an event – it takes time, being held accountable, and practicing the right skills.

Provide the Opportunities. Now is an excellent time to get them involved in company teams, critical client challenges, trade and professional associations, and other leadership opportunities. Remember, while you know you can do it faster (and better), you may have forgotten that it’s due to your long-time experience. Allow your successor to develop those experiences while you can provide the benefits of your knowledge and guidance.

What Do You Do When the Person Changes Their Mind? This is a great question that is often ignored. Have a conversation to learn why. Do not spend a lot of time attempting to talk the person into changing their mind. This rarely works out well for anyone.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: As a boss/leader, do you have a successor? Great bosses/leaders spend time ensuring a smooth transition for when they are ready to move on due to promotion, job transition, or retirement. What is the best way to prepare a successor? How can you ensure a potential successor is ready? Why is it essential to create “What’s Next?” for yourself? Contact me for a confidential conversation!

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are you using your talents and abilities effectively? Many of us are not! Click Here for a Free Download on how to use your talents and enjoy a rewarding career!