If you are like me – stuck halfway up the career ladder, far enough that you can see the light of leadership and authority to come, but not too far up that you don’t still relate to the newbies – then you are what we call a “mid-level” or “mid-career” professional. Many of my colleagues and close friends are also at the mid-level point in their careers and we talk about that a … [Read more...]
The Interagency Tango: How to Do It Right
Nobody works in a vacuum, especially when you work for the government. We may all have our specific lanes but, ultimately, we are working towards the same objectives and the same larger, overarching goals. The trick is finding a way to communicate with counterparts who may not “speak the same language” you do or whose approach to things may seem diametrically opposed to your or … [Read more...]
UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS: HOW TO NAVIGATE THEM
I have been privy to many conversations with colleagues at work and friends working in other sectors recently about having difficult and uncomfortable conversations with people when they say something or do something inappropriate at work. Sadly, many of my female colleagues feel as though they can’t speak up when someone makes a rude or inappropriate comment, especially … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Sharpen Your Professional Skills
We are all professionals and we all have jobs to do, but do you ever feel like you are getting stale or that your skills “ain’t what they used to be”? Do you find yourself in a professional rut or do you feel like you don’t have the requisite skill set to change positions or move up in your job should you want to? If you feel this way or even if you don’t and just want a … [Read more...]
A User’s Guide for the First Time Manager
So you are in your first job and managing people for the first time. This isn’t like your last internship where you organized brown bags for the other interns and didn’t have any real managerial responsibility. Now you are in a management position and accountable to those that you supervise, to yourself, and to your employer. Here is a quick “user’s guide” and advice for new … [Read more...]