One Bold Move A Day

We’ve talked before about the importance of mentoring and career sponsorship. If you’re looking for tips on developing this for yourself, listen to Episodes 17 and 31. What’s on my mind today is how you can help serve others through your network and increase access. Over the last few years, I’ve read about what’s called the network gap. We know that most people get their jobs through their network...

When did you last negotiate your salary in a way that made you feel proud of yourself? I messed up so many salary negotiations earlier in my career and I spent many years catching up to the salary I should’ve been making. My fear reflex had an economic cost. And I’m not alone: Research shows that women are less likely to negotiate. I never wanted to be in the position again of making less than I d...

Perfectionism is so common for women and it limits our success and happiness. This episode provides tips on what you can start doing today to reduce your need to be perfect. Your One Bold Move: Maybe your one bold move is to send an imperfect email. Maybe you’ll let go of that mess in the kitchen. Maybe you’ll give yourself grace for that thing that didn’t go as planned. Maybe you’ll try something...

Have you ever talked with someone who made you feel truly heard? The likelihood is the person was really good at asking thoughtful questions and often followed up with more questions to learn more. They’re likely naturally curious, but even if this doesn’t come as naturally to you, you can develop this skill. This leadership style is often referred to as coaching. It is especially valuable when yo...

So much is happening right now. You might feel overwhelmed from all the things. When you’re stressed, it’s a natural response to see everything as zero sum. You can get caught up in either/or, which limits you. Find the AND. In research, this is called a paradox mindset, which means accepting the both/and of the situation. This is the reality of life: Things may feel competing or in tension, but y...

If you want to help your team understand who you are and how you approach your work, so you can build trust faster and learn how to best support them, I have a resource for this: my About Me template. Whether you are new to your role or organization or have been there for many years, you can use this document. It’s an opportunity to clarify who you are as a leader and how others can work successfu...

How do you feel about delegating? Pro tip: Your job is not to be the superstar anymore. One of the ways you can extend your strengths as a leader is learning how to delegate well. Though it may seem counterintuitive, you need to become less involved in the day-to-day work. This episode provides tips on how to identify projects or tasks to delegate and what to keep in mind when giving these assignm...

How did you sleep last night? Several friends have recently confided in me they've had trouble sleeping or relaxing. It’s become a frequent refrain when speaking with friends and co-workers over the last few months. I’ve heard stories about women who fall asleep fine, but then are awake for hours in the middle of the night or have this uneasy feeling during their daily activities that they just ca...

Success at work and success at home should not have to be an either/or. Right now working parents are making difficult choices about how to do all the things. This will only be heightened with the anticipation of school and childcare adjustments for the fall. We need working parents in the workforce and I’m especially keen to help support working mothers to achieve their goals and believe this is...

What if we all spent a little time thanking someone for how they are awesome or for something they did? I want to inspire you to bring this joy to your life and someone else’s. Think about who you’ll send this to. Write it down if you can, so you commit to following through. All it takes is two minutes to write a note of thanks to someone else. Research shows you become happier on day one of this...

Have you ever presented a new concept to your team in a meeting and watched everyone stare back at you without saying much or nod along to everything you’re saying without offering any other feedback? It’s up to the leader to encourage the group to offer their insights—including when team members don’t agree. This takes proactive effort. This episode provides tips on how to infuse the “What’s miss...

Someone else’s success does not diminish yours in any way. Be the woman who cheers on other women, because this makes us all stronger. It is your responsibility to create the world for others that you might have hoped for yourself. Your One Bold Move: Keep putting yourself out there for significant opportunities. Do this because you believe in your heart you’re meant for something bigger and you u...

What brings you joy? Today marks the 50th episode and it seems like as good a time as any to remind ourselves of the value of joy and achieving what we didn’t know was possible. This episode provides tips on finding joy even in challenge. Your One Bold Move: Seek joy. Find joy. Share joy. Tag me on social so I can cheer you on! #oneboldmove For more from Shanna: Website: https://www.shannaahocking...

Sometimes you choose change, such as taking a new job or moving to a new city. Other times, changes happen in your environment and require your response. Whether your change is moving for your partner’s career, getting a new manager, or dealing with an unexpected challenge, it can be so hard to understand the value of change when it doesn’t align with what you have in mind. Then, of course, there’...

A marriage is more than two people with two distinct careers and purposes: Create your life together. Today my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. I’ll share reflections on three things that have worked for us throughout our 23 years of being together, including through moves across the country, two demanding careers, raising a family, and chasing our big dreams. Your One Bold Move: F...

You’ve heard it all before, “It’s business, not personal” or “Don’t take that personally”. These statements have always ranked high in the business jargon pet peeve list for meIt’s basically the business version of “No offense.” When you invest in your work, and yourself, it’s personal. This episode shares why I take my work personally and here’s why you should consider doing the same thing, if yo...

Many years ago, I took a leadership development course that incorporated improv into our training. It was fascinating to learn how an acting technique could improve working relationships and my leadership style, and yet it makes so much sense. Managers have to learn to navigate through unexpected challenges and make decisions to move the company forward, while engaging others in the process and vi...

Personal branding is generally defined as marketing yourself and your career as a brand. You have a brand, whether you like it or not. If this makes you uncomfortable or you think this only applies to senior executives in your organization, I want to show you why your brand matters and that sharing your brand is your chance to serve others. Whether you’re on the job search, looking for new clients...

There is no playbook for how to lead through COVID-19. (And some days I really really wish there was.) You’re making choices every day to do things the best you can. And if you’re a leader, you are making choices that will affect others. I’ve never managed during COVID, but I have lived through difficult moments—and so have you. I’ve learned over the years about how to lead with compassion, consis...

Have you ever thought of having an accountability partner? The only requirement is that the person is committed to your success and their own. This episode provides tips on how to find and structure an accountability partner relationship to help you achieve your goals. Your One Bold Move: Explore getting an accountability partner to help keep you motivated and accountable for your Bold Move. If yo...

Informational interviews are one of the best ways you can learn about an industry, company, or role that interests you. Once a month I’ll introduce you to someone who has influenced my work and life to share their one bold move with you. This month’s One Bold Move is Lauren McGoodwin, Founder and CEO of Career Contessa and Author of Power Moves. This episode provides tips on how informational inte...

Effective feedback has to be built on trust and a culture of learning. This isn’t the kind of thing you just use in performance evaluations. It has to be a value of your team that everyone commits to year round. This episode provides tips on how to get more comfortable with giving feedback. Your One Bold Move: Practice giving feedback to your team members, because you believe in their potential an...

At work it is important to celebrate the big and small wins. Things move so quickly that people don’t often slow down enough to acknowledge what they have done. It’s also doesn’t always feel comfortable sharing our awesomeness with other people. I introduced the concept of Win of the Day (WOTD) to my team to encourage us to share wins with each other. This is something my leadership team and I do...

You don’t have to meet all of the qualifications to apply for a job. The experiences you have already and the strengths you would bring to a new role are often more than enough to apply. Thoughtfully consider how your skills align with the role you are interested in, but don’t look for a 100% match. After all, a new job should bring opportunities to learn new things. If you wait until you’re fully...

So many of our work interactions right now are via video calls. It’s still possible to meaningfully connect with the other person you’re talking to. This episode provides tips to make a positive impression, whether it’s your first or four thousandth meeting with someone. Your One Bold Move: Make a great first impression in your meeting. Video seems to be how we’ll be engaging with others for the f...