Sooner or later, most of us will want or need support from others to pursue a goal or bring about change. Perhaps it’s asking for a pay rise. Or talking to your partner about a career move that will significantly impact your free time, finances or location. Whatever your goal, here are some tips to help you succeed in high-stakes conversations.

1. Prepare. Just like you would for an important meeting or presentation, prepare for the conversation.
2. Be clear about your intentions. Think about your aims for the conversation and the impact you want to have. Write these down.
3. Stand in the shoes of the other. The better you can understand their point of view and perspective, the more you’ll be able to create the opportunity to influence. Ask yourself “what’s in it for them”? How might they benefit from helping or supporting you? What do you want them to think, feel, and do after speaking to you? Write it down.
4. Take care of yourself. If nerves are a factor (which is normal, by the way), take the time to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally and physically. Get enough rest and nutrition, and slow down your breathing. And by all means pick a “good” day – but don’t let it be an excuse to delay the chat indefinitely.
5. Break it up if you need to. A conversation doesn’t need to have its beginning, middle and end in one sitting. Better to pause and regroup, rather than go too far or off the rails. It’s very reasonable to say: “let’s pause this for now, give us both a chance to think a bit more and revisit tomorrow or next week”.
6. Pick a suitable setting. Sitting in the park might be better than making a phone call while you’re on the bus. Going out for coffee might be better than sitting across a desk.
7. Listen actively. Make sure the other person is and feels heard, even if, or particularly if, you aren’t in agreement with them. Show that you are listening – build on their ideas, repeat back what they say (check your understanding), let them finish their sentences, keep eye contact, and be warm if appropriate.

If you are feeling stuck or just want support to prepare for a career conversation, don’t hesitate to reach out to coach@careergrow.coach. We’d love to help.  

[This post is an adaptation of our original blog published 4 July 2017.]

While an organisation’s vision and goals describe ‘what’ gets done, its culture dictates the all-important ‘how’. Beyond cool perks and offices, culture encompasses an organisation’s shared values and encouraged behaviours. A good cultural fit has the potential to bring out your best, so it’s worth considering. 

Start with your own work preferences – the tangible and intangible factors that contribute to your happiness and satisfaction on the job. Among others, consider the values you care about and what leadership, communication and decision-making styles you favour. Is flexibility important? What about teamwork or individuality? And do you like flatter hierarchies where decision-making may be more participative? Or are tiered chains of command better for you? What pace lets you shine – fast and agile (prizing efficiency) or methodical and considered (prioritising quality)?

Then do your homework on the organisation. Their website, social media and Glassdoor reviews (or similar) may provide clues about what’s important to them and what behaviours they expect and reward in their employees. What do they say they stand for (their values)? How do they showcase or speak about their people? Do they talk about career development? And so on.

If you can, visit the office and take in the space (workspaces, common areas) and people’s demeanour. Look up LinkedIn contacts. Or ask to speak with a team member. Why do they love working here? Do they feel valued and heard? What’s one thing they’d change about the place? What kind of person thrives here?

Ultimately, you want to understand if an organisation “practices what it preaches” and can provide you with an environment in which to flourish, to their infinite benefit and yours.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun” – Albert Einstein.

According to LinkedIn, Creativity is now considered chief among the soft skills that employers value most. It’s important for innovation and problem solving, and it’s a skill that everyone can develop.

In its broadest sense, creativity is about generating ideas or possibilities that are novel and valuable. There are countless ways to boost your creativity, including exploring creative pursuits. (And no, you don’t need to be an artist.) Not only liberating, creative pursuits are also mindfulness activities because you focus on the sensory detail and not the stresses in your mind.

Tips for unleashing creativity

Whether it’s to help generate ideas for a career change or to introduce more creativity into your work or life, here are some tips and resources that we think may help unleash your creative side. (As with most things, start with a growth mindset – creativity can’t flourish under criticism.)

1. Try collage. Create a picture of your dream career or future life and use it for motivation or planning. Or just do it for beauty or fun.
2. Try colouring in. There are loads of colouring-in books for grownups. Google it.
3. Join a choir.
4. Can’t draw? But you can probably doodle lines and shapes, which Harvard Health suggests has “thinking” benefits too.
5. Cook for enjoyment or take a cookery class.
6. Create a pin board of ideas and inspirations – check out Pinterest.
7. Go to a gallery, if you don’t usually. Or if you regularly attend, check out a different one.
8. Listen to music or play an instrument. (Can’t get to an instrument? There’s an app for that.)
9. Go for a walk in nature and take photos – experiment with filters and camera settings.
10. Ever considered handicrafts? The options are endless – from woodwork to paper, sculpture to mixed materials. Get inspired on Etsy or other handmade platform sites.

Top Books
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (2015)
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (2002)
A Whack on the Side of the Head by Ron Von Oech (2001)

Top Sites
Skillshare: find loads of inexpensive creative online courses.
Ted Talks: watch creative and inspirational talks.
Pinterest: discover and save creative ideas.

How are you giving light to your creativity at home or work?

Career development involves doing your job well while deliberately growing your skills and experience base. At its best, it’s being conscious of how what you’re doing today is helping to build your resume for tomorrow. After all, continuous learning is the new job security. But what does that mean in daily practice?

Build your resume

Building your resume means thinking about how your tasks and progress are adding value for you and your organisation. Every day. It requires curiosity, initiative, generosity, awareness and courage – not to mention some artful delegation (also known as new opportunities for others). If you go to work thinking “This is good, I’m learning x or y”, then you’re likely on the right track. 

Track your progress in a work journal

To help you stay mindful of your career goals (more on these in a future blog) and therefore where to focus your efforts, try keeping a work journal. Set aside an hour each month to record and reflect on what you’re consciously doing to deepen or broaden your skills and experience. Ask yourself:

What have I done in the last month that shows I’m reaching my goals?
What am I good at?
What can I do more of?
What have I done that shows I’m ready for another challenge or role?

And before you think ‘who has the time to journal?’, consider the potential return on investment. Aside from sharpening your goal focus, you’ll be identifying and gathering concrete examples of how you’re consciously growing – which will help you get ahead of that next performance review, interview or pay rise conversation.

What deliberate action could you take today to help you build your resume?

Even if you think you already know what you do well, it is worth giving this some structured thought. This will build your confidence and readiness to articulate it to others.

Try this exercise

You will need to block out some time and perhaps even try a neutral setting such as a park or café. The aim is to list as many answers as you can under the following headings:

• All the achievements that you are proud of in your career to date.
• All the times when someone has given you positive feedback.
• All the achievements away from work about which you feel proud.

Think behaviours – it’s not just what you did but how you went about it.

Keep adding to the list over the next few weeks. You may be surprised by how it continues to grow.

What does this mean for you – both for yourself and as a leader of others?

In other words, don’t let best be the enemy of good.

Sometimes in our career we need to take a transition step, one that gets us back into the game so that we can plan and prime for our next step. Often, people know they don’t want to stay with their current field of work, but they choose to do so because it’s easier. The important thing is to keep up the research, networking, brainstorming, and learning. That way, you are well placed to take the subsequent step when the time is right.

If you have perfectionist tendencies…

Perfectionists can either achieve loads but run themselves and/or others ragged, or, conversely, they can achieve next to nothing because no one solution is deemed ‘right’. Do either of these resonate with you? If so, we would recommend finding a sensible friend, mentor or coach to support you.

What does this mean for you – both for yourself and as a leader of others?

The signs are all around. You’re ready for that next step. And you’re pretty sure you want to change jobs. But does that always mean heading straight for the door?

No! At least not without first considering your home advantages. You are already known within your current company. You know the culture, the players, and the possibilities. And quite often, moving “up” before moving “on” puts you in a stronger position.

So, before you reach for that door or a recruiter, why not look for internal opportunities to grow and boost your resume? Doing so could be a real win-win for you and your employer.

First, figure out what opportunities you want or need.

Be crystal clear about the type of role you want next and the skills and experience needed. In other words, clarify your stretch goals.

One way to do this is to pretend you’re preparing for the interview – what skills and experiences will you want to have under your belt? List them, research them, look for ones you already have but are perhaps in a different guise. Avoid falling into ‘role trap’ – break your experience down into its component parts rather than just listing roles (like “lawyer” or “mechanic”). And remember, you don’t need to find opportunities to fill every gap. Almost any new experience in and of itself will enhance your resume!

Think broadly about growth opportunities.

Look around your organisation. What IS available? Think in concentric circles: your own team; the broader department; other departments? You might find your organisation has stretch opportunities galore!

Are there group projects you could volunteer for ? What about a team priority that never seems to get off the ground? Offer to crack that nut, especially if it aligns with your stretch goals. What about someone going on leave – sabbatical, parental or even annual leave?  Can you babysit someone’s work?

Don’t forget about formal learning. Seminars, conferences, even courses – attend everything that is offered at your company.

Prepare your approach.

Ideally, your first approach would be to your manager, if they are supportive of people seeking new opportunities. (Otherwise, talk with your People and Culture team.) Who are your mentors and champions? How might they help you plan your approach?

Do your homework too. Ace that important conversation with your manager by preparing properly. Rather than saying “I’m getting ready to leave”, ask what projects might be coming up. Or offer to take something on.

If you’ve already identified an opportunity you want, present a clear business case outlining what’s in it for your manager and the company. And be prepared to illustrate how you’re going to do the extra work or re-distribute your other tasks. Who knows: perhaps your work could even be a stretch project for someone else? (The trifecta!).