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  • How to be Irreplaceable at Work

    How to be Irreplaceable at Work

    3 Powerful Strategies to Become Irreplaceable at Work

    How to be irreplaceable at work | 3 powerful strategies to become irreplaceable

    Are you irreplaceable at work? Well, the short answer is no, you are not. You are actually very replaceable, but we do want you to set yourself apart to the degree that you stand out as exceptional to those around you, especially decision makers. And, I’ve found that using these three strategies really makes a difference, especially if you want to stand out in your job. 

    In this video, we talk about three strategies that you can implement right away to position yourself as valuable, memorable, and yes … irreplaceable. 

    Strategy #1 – Understand your brand in order to get known

    If you want to be irreplaceable, you have to be memorable. How are you going to do that? Well, in order to make an impression you first need to understand who you are, and especially, who you want to be as you relate to others. This is first about understanding how you’re showing up at work, and then also understanding how you have an impact on the people around you.

    Let’s start with the first point. How are you showing up at work? If you’ve never really thought about the kind of impression you make when you get to work, this is a good opportunity to start defining who you want to be. It’s a great exercise, and it helps inform who you are as a brand. Words like dependable, trustworthy, detail-oriented, or even fun, entertaining, sharp-witted, can help you fit into the kind of person you want others to see you as. And, it’s okay if you want to be the fun person. You may have a naturally outgoing and optimistic outlook when you’re at work. I know someone who always made jokes during meetings, but it wasn’t overbearing and you could tell, it was his way of disarming people, especially if the meeting was tense. It’s all good, as long as you’re able to play toward your strengths. 

    If, for example, you’re naturally introverted, but you want very badly to be like that outgoing person who tells jokes (because maybe you think that’s what it will take to get promoted), ask yourself how you can do that while staying true to yourself. It’s possible, but don’t try to be like someone else. My point here is not to force it, otherwise you’ll struggle with staying consistently inside a definition of yourself that’s too aspirational. Show up the way you want to, but do it inside your natural personality so it doesn’t come across as forced. Remember, to be memorable, you have to start by being natural, then add layers over those strengths, which becomes your brand. 

    And once you have that figured out, move into the next point, which is about understanding the impact you have on others. How do other people perceive you? Do you get the sense some people see you as annoying? Do you ask too many questions, or too many redundant questions? Do you go off topic or ramble during meetings? Um, I do. Do you come across as very professional and no-nonsense? Most importantly, how are you contributing to the bigger picture for the business? To get known around decision-makers and stakeholders, you need to make sure you’re making those connections, getting in front of those people (through projects or meetings), and then contributing in a way that leaves an impression (but not an annoying one). Be strategic here. Who do you need to know (around you and above you) in order to be seen as a valuable contributor? Once you know who to get in front of, how are you going to behave so that they remember you? Not in an extreme way, but in an impressive way. 

    Strategy #2 – Work on your reputation in order to build respect

    This is where you get to flex your leadership muscle, so I’m going to start with this reminder. The people around you don’t have to like you, but they should respect who you are and the choices you make. This is the beginning of establishing your credibility and your integrity. What does that mean?

    Here’s an example. At some point in your career you will fail. You will go out there and work really hard at trying to accomplish something big and whatever you’re trying to do, it just won’t work. And it’s going to suck. Really suck. When it happens to you, forgive yourself, regroup, and review the lessons learned. Having accountability means you’re not afraid to face the truth the next day. You have the courage to follow through on a difficult conversation and develop a plan to move forward without hurting the people involved. 

    At the same time, being able to stand up for what you believe in, stand up for the people who work with you, and take credit for something that didn’t work out just as much as something that did work. It all contributes to building your integrity. Focus your time and energy on determining what kind of leader you want to be and keep the following in mind. 

    Number 1 – Respond to challenges from other people by getting clarity around how you want to be seen. As you flex your leadership muscle, there will be people who push back. The more you can respond rather than react to a challenging situation, the more likely you will build a strong reputation based on clear thinking. 

    Number 2 – Becoming a more strategic thinker adds to your leadership skills. What’s your strategy for getting ahead? Do you know where you’re going and why you want to go there? Do you know what steps you need to take next, which people you need to know (or impress) and what it will take to get there? Do you have a plan? If not, start mapping it out. The more you see it in front of you, the easier it will be to keep that clarity when things get tough. 

    Number 3 – Change your mindset to reach your goals. Your best strength comes from being the best you you can be. So who are you? It’s easy to slip into the thought that things are happening to you and that others are out to do you harm. For the most part, however, it has to do with your attitude about what’s happening around you. Changing your mindset is powerful. In a sense, it’s the act of unthinking that makes it significant. Take away the negative, the assumptions, the suspicions and the anger. Replace it with an impartial perspective and look for ways to benefit from the current situation.

    Strategy Number 3 – Learn how to deliver results in order to earn trust. 

    There are three parts to this strategy. Building trust with your peers and colleagues. Building trust with your boss, stakeholders, and leadership team. And, building trust with your subordinates — the people who work for you. 

    Now, when I’m working with a client, one of the first things we talk about is their relationships with the people around them. And one of the first things we set out to do is figure out how that client can start establishing trust right away. It’s especially important for anyone who is a new manager or director of a department of people that they do not know very well. If you want to be irreplaceable, if you want to be memorable, if you want to be impactful, then you want to establish trust with the most important people in your orbit — your boss, stakeholders, and your team.  These people are going to advocate for you in return, so you want to be able to use your personal brand (the kind of leader you are) and your reputation (based on integrity and credibility) to establish a mutual trust. 

    What’s the best way to do that? Many times, it can come down to asking this question: What can I do to help you succeed? It’s a powerful question and it works on many levels. If a colleague is complaining and you want to move the conversation forward. If your boss is frustrated and having a hard time with a specific problem. If you’re working on a project, and the project lead is unloading on everything that’s going wrong. This question helps you position yourself as a problem solver. It also helps the other person get out of complaining mode, and into solution mode, and it helps your team members realize that as their boss, you’re also there to help them succeed. It’s a really powerful statement that helps remind people of your purpose and how you can be valuable. 

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • What to do After Being Laid Off

    What to do After Being Laid Off

    What to do after being laid off | how to move forward after a layoff

    Today we’re going to talk about what to do after being laid off. I know this has been a big topic lately and I wanted to add to the conversation, especially since I’ve also been laid off. In addition, I find it to be a grim reality that every year around this time, I have calls with my clients who are worried about being laid off around the holidays. It feels like this is a heavy feeling over the past several years that’s just persistent. And this year, there’s talk of layoffs, cutting back, reduction in promotions and raises, and speculations about a recession in 2023. So, today let’s talk about what it means to face a layoff and how to prepare if it happens to you. 

    I was laid off from my job in 2001. They were massive layoffs at the company and it happened two months before September 11, 2001. So, a lot was changing for me, and a lot was changing around me at that time. A year later, in 2002, we did enter a recession. So, it definitely feels like a lot of the same downsizing vibes are in the air these days. There are two things that I’m finding particularly evident. One, companies are coming up with creative ways to fire people so they don’t have to admit to stockholders that they need to dramatically cut headcount because of poor strategic planning. This is a huge emotional burden on the managers and directors I work with. They are struggling with the impact of the methods that are on the table. I’ll go into some of that later. Two, the manner in which people are being laid off (I’m looking at you, Twitter) is quite disruptive and pretty insulting to the employees on the receiving end of it. I’ll go into that as well, because I was also laid off in a crappy way. With that, here are four things you need to do right away once you’ve been unceremoniously laid off from your job. 

    Number 1 — Understand your options

    So, I was laid off and here’s what happened to me and to my colleagues. I’m sharing this to highlight that there are a few creative ways to deal with the blow if it happens to you, but in the end, if you’ve officially been laid off, you should read EVERYTHING they give you and you should immediately take advantage of any resources they offer you. In the US, that would include a health insurance plan, if it’s applicable to you. 

    So, I was in the middle of transferring from one department to another and my potentially new boss came in the office one day to meet with me. So, I thought I was being let go. She went home and no-one said anything to me. A week later, I could not get on my computer and I was having problems using email but I chalked it up to the servers not working that day. At 4pm, my friend called me and said she saw that my name was on the list of people whose employment had been terminated earlier in the week, and I was stunned, because I was physically in the office. I walked over to my HR rep’s desk and he knew. He said that they were working on getting my headcount transferred over but there was a problem and he had been watching the lists (that’s how many people were being laid off, there were daily lists of names). So, I’ve said this before, my response was not typical because it was horribly obvious that I had worked at the company, the security desk let me in, and I was working that day where I was no longer employed. So, I was mad and all I said in response was, “You better figure this out, and you owe me compensation.” And his response was, “We’ll do what it takes to get this resolved in your favor.” They knew they were in the wrong. 

    And that’s the point, they offered me a contract the next day to pay me for the work and continue the work relationship because I still had value to them and they wanted to continue working with me. That contract lasted for years and was very lucrative for me. Here’s another example. My friend was also laid off from the same company. She had worked there about 20 years. Her boss knew she was going to be laid off so he put in paperwork to give her the next level position. A promotion to manager. When the layoff happened, she was given a manager’s severance package. They took care of her because she was well liked. 

    Here’s my point. If there is even a small window of opportunity, ask where you have options. They may be very limited and dependent on how much the leadership likes you, but if you can think creatively, you might be able to squeeze out a better deal for yourself. 

    Number 2 — Update your resume and LinkedIn status

    Within days of being laid off, you need to assess your resume, rewrite it for a new job opportunity, and update your LinkedIn profile. You can add as much information in LinkedIn as you like. Elaborate on the role, add your wins, explain how you add value. Figure out the keywords that will catch the algorithm. LinkedIn can be a valuable asset. Also, if you have a severance package that includes resources for a placement agency, read all of that material and make a call to the agency to see what resources are available to you. They may have a coaching program, a resume writing program, or a real placement agency that will make calls on your behalf. Whatever it is, take a look at it, figure out how long you will have that resource, and see what you can use as you start your search for something else. 

    Number 3 — Take stock of your network

    This was a tough one for me. I took stock of my network and found that it wasn’t as strong as I thought it was. On the other hand, I have a friend from college who recently told me that the company where he works is merging with another company in a buyout. He thinks his position is going to be eliminated by the end of the year. Fair enough. I asked him what he’s going to do. He said, well I have a friend who has referred me for jobs in the past. I reached out to him and he told me to let him know when I’m available. He said, “No problem. I have at least three companies I can think of who would love to hire you.” Wow. Is your network that strong? If not, ask yourself who you know who would advocate for you at that level. If you don’t have at least one connection like this, start working on building your power network.  

    Number 4 — Give yourself a timeline and be aggressive

    Here’s what I mean by this. I get people who want to talk to me all the time about how to find a new job. I always ask them what their process is. When I was looking for a new job, I was actively spending a specific number of hours per day doing outreach, sending letters or emails, cold calling, having meetings, and going on interviews. Yes, it took months. Yes, it was deflating and frustrating. Yes, I wanted to give up, especially when the companies I really wanted to work with didn’t want to interview me. It took seven months for me to find a really good job that made me feel like I was finally on the path to building a career for myself. Give yourself a timeline. If you need a part time job in between, then get one. Decide how many hours you’re going to dedicate to it every day. Never say no to an interview, even if it’s with a company you would never work for (it’s the interview experience that’s the key here). Use all the resources available on LinkedIn and work that network, as well. Practice your interview answers. Lean into the fact that you were laid off and not fired. Make sure you use the correct terminology. Focus on your successes at the company and talk about what you liked about that job, even though it might be hard. 

    Also, give yourself time to grieve the loss. You’ll feel bad. You’ll ask yourself why you were let go. Moments like this have a big impact on people’s lives. Like the many people I talk to, you’ll start strong, feel deflated, and then take a break. Do everything you can to avoid taking a break. Every action leads to momentum. 

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and career strategist. She has been named the #1 Executive Coach in Chicago by Influence Digest. She helps executives grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • How to Work Smarter Not Harder

    How to Work Smarter Not Harder

    Recently, a client came to me and told me that someone from his leadership team was working excessive hours only to find herself exhausted and unable to delegate the busy work she relied on to make herself look valuable. What happened? He asked her to contribute to the bigger discussion and take some of the busy work off her plate —- and she quit. 

    If you’re facing overwhelm or believe that you’re contributing in a meaningful way, but haven’t received recognition for that work, you may be focusing in the wrong area. Here are three ways you can move out of working harder and longer, so that you can focus on working smarter.  

    ✅ Are you thinking strategically about how you contribute to the organization and develop your skills?

    ✅ Do you know what your priorities are and how they align with the skills you’re trying to develop to get ahead?

    ✅ What kind of plan have you created for your career development, and how does that plan allow you to build on your strengths for the kind of wins that will get you noticed? 

    Make sure to catch the video to learn more.  

    If you’ve found that you’ve been working towards a promotion or some kind of recognition, only to find that others are getting promoted around you, you might want to ask yourself what value looks like to you and how you can redefine your efforts to find alignment with what the business wants in a leader.  

     

     

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • Are You a Transactional or Informative Communicator?

    Are You a Transactional or Informative Communicator?

     

    Are you a transactional or informative communicator?

    Understanding your communication style will go a long way to up leveling your leadership potential. This will help you start the new year strong. I’m going to share more insights of how to up level your leadership style as we head into the end of the year.  So tell me, are you a transactional communicator or an informative communicator? Each one gives great insight into the amount of commitment you show to the situations around you. And it all depends on how you use each one of these styles.

    A Transactional Communicator is Passive

    As a transactional communicator, you have a willingness to share a certain level of information to get the work done. You may be working on a specific project for a supervisor or client. You’re fully aware that your responsibility is to just share information as it comes through to you. A transactional communicator knows their role and is perfectly fine with sharing the information requested. This is a form of passive communication.

    An Informative Communicator is Active

    If you are an informative communicator, then you will share the information requested. You are also willing to share additional insights that you feel might be valuable to make an informed decision. An informative communicator knows that their role is to collect information, interpret it, and share the best advice for finding an effective way forward. This person interprets information and gives valuable insights that could be helpful. This is a form of active communication.

    To determine which communicator you are, ask yourself the following questions:

    • Why did the client hire you for this specific project?
    • Do they just need you to share data and statistics?
    • Do they need you to interpret this data and give your professional opinion on how to move forward?

    An Effective Communication Style

    There’s nothing wrong with filling either role. You will find that the more you work towards up leveling your leadership style, the more you will transition towards being an informative communicator. If a supervisor or client asks you to show more leadership as you communicate, this is the first area you’ll want to adjust. Redefine what it means to add value. Then figure out a way to communicate that value at every opportunity.

    Sharing your opinion and point of view can be intimidating if you’re not used to it. For more information on how to up level your communication style and illustrate how you add value as a leader, make sure to watch my YouTube video that goes deeper into the specifics of stepping into an informative communication style.

    • Has a client or supervisor asked you to improve your communication skills if you want to be taken more seriously?
    • Does this feedback leave you confused about how you show up as a professional?

    In this video we’ll discuss the best way to level up and show your leadership skills simply by making one small change. I talk about the differences between being a transactional (passive) communicator and being an informative (active) communicator.

     

     

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • Successfully Influence Others at Work

    Successfully Influence Others at Work

    Successfully Influence Others at Work | Thoughtful Persuasion

    Do you often find yourself trying to convince others that your ideas and solutions are valid? This is a presentation I recently prepared for a few webinars, and I’m sharing the whole presentation for you here. You’ll learn how to take Robert Cialdini’s groundbreaking work in Influence, and use it in a thoughtful way to gain trust, build authority, and win people over to your point of view. I also discuss the different ways people think, and how simple persuasion techniques can help them see your point of view.

    Successfully Influence Others at Work

    Influence is both a science and an art. As a science, certain principles apply that make it more effective. As an art, influence still requires us to have a certain finesse for reading other people, thinking creatively, and responding spontaneously to concerns. In this video, we’ll discuss the many ways influence campaigns impact our lives, and how to create awareness around using influence to your advantage professionally.

    What to Expect:

    • Understand what it means to influence others to think, speak, act, and feel differently.
    • Learn the six key principles of influence as outlined by Robert Cialdini
    • Identify the most effective methods for using influence to engage and align your team, and achieve your goals.
    • Interaction and conversation with peers. 

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

    How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

    “SettingPhoto credit: Carl Richards

    We all have an imposter syndrome story.

    Here’s my imposter syndrome story.

    Very early in my career, I had been trained on how to manage projects using a Project Management Plan (PMP) model. For years, we used this model to get projects done. It was effective and efficient. Everyone in our department knew how to use this model.

    Years later, I decided to transfer to another department. I wanted to work in Marketing, but when I got there, absolutely no one knew how to run a project. It was chaos. They didn’t track progress; didn’t assign roles and responsibilities; they didn’t know their budgets or how much certain initiatives would cost; and they didn’t recognize milestones or small wins.

    So, I taught them how to do this. I helped them create workplans, allocate resources, estimate costs, track deliverables, and stay on budget.

    It was simple … and I made it look easy.

    What happened?

    I decided to work as a consultant, and they started paying me more and more money to keep showing them how to do this. They asked for my feedback; put me on the biggest marketing campaigns; asked me to reorganize their teams and find better efficiencies. And they made it clear that I had something of value to give them and they were willing to pay plenty of money for me to keep them running smoothly. And this went on for years.

    What did I think?

    – This has to be a joke.
    – They can’t possibly find this valuable.
    – They’ll eventually figure out that anybody can do this.
    – I can’t believe they’re paying me for this.

    Unfortunately, this mindset also went on for years. It was an uncomfortable reality for me. I worked very hard and I had many credible accomplishments. Top executives respected my point of view and asked for my opinion and feedback.

    But I discounted most of it … if it’s easy, then it’s not really work, is it?

    Imposter syndrome is a very real state of mind and if it goes unchecked, it can create much more stress than necessary, especially at work. For some people, they may feel this way temporarily until they get their bearings in a new job or position. For others, this could be a chronic state of mind that will require constant attention and shifts in mindset.

    To learn more about how to overcome feelings of imposter syndrome, read on for five articles on overcoming imposter syndrome, including the different types of imposter syndrome you may experience during any given situation.

    1. Learning to deal with the imposter syndrome.

    Like Carl Richards says, “It’s at the moment when you’re most vulnerable that all your doubts come crashing in around you.” He further explains that what becomes naturally easy for us can lead us to discount its value to the world.This article is a short but powerful essay he wrote for The New York Times that gets to the heart of how to deal with these feelings — invite them in and see what happens.

    2. The five different types of imposter syndrome. 

    This article from The Muse provides a great framework for understanding the different types of imposter syndrome. The framework came from Dr. Valerie Young, who outlines these types in her book. She identifies them as the Perfectionist, the Superwoman/man, the Natural Genius, the Soloist, or the Expert. The article also provides great coaching questions to get you to understand each type and where you may identify with one over the others.

    3. The 10-step process to change IS thinking.

    Did you know there is actually a website called impostersyndrome.com? Valerie Young runs the site. As a writer, speaker, and educator on imposter syndrome, she has some great insight. This article on her blog outlines the 10 steps that she uses with clients to help them out of this mindset. She also shares a link to her TED talk on the same subject.

    4. Five ways to overcome imposter syndrome in the workplace.

    This Business Insider article looks at imposter syndrome from the other perspective. As a leader, what are you observing about your team? This article explores the types of workplace cultures that help foster feelings of imposter syndrome. It also gives examples of behaviors from employees who are struggling, and it gives ideas and solutions for moving a team forward.

    5. How to reduce the negative effects of IS.

    There are some common thoughts and feelings that surface when we’re facing imposter syndrome. This article by Harvard Business Review digs into the internal dialogue that happens, as well as strategies that help limit the impact of these feelings in stressful situations.

    On a final note, imposter syndrome is a very complicated emotional state. For some people, they may feel this way temporarily until they get their bearings in a new job or position. For others, this could be a chronic state of mind that will require constant attention and shifts in mindset.

    If you’ve ever experienced imposter syndrome yourself, drop me a note and let me know how you dealt with it. For me, I needed to acknowledge that different people come with different skills, and I just happened to be able to help a group of people work more efficiently. That is my talent.

    Christina Holloway was recently named the #1 Executive Coach in Chicago by Influence Digest. She is an executive coach and business strategist helping executives and entrepreneurs find success. You can find Christina’s thought leadership in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success, and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • Are You Aggressive or Assertive?

    Are You Aggressive or Assertive?

     

    It’s fair to say we’ve all been there. We’re being assertive in a heated conversation, or giving tough feedback, or pushing back on someone who has crossed the line. Then the conversation takes a turns. And then you hear it, “Why are you being so aggressive right now?”

    A statement like this is intended to do two things: 1) cause a distraction and 2) change the subject. For this reason, when someone tells you this, it’s never about you or your behavior. Here’s why:

    • An aggressive person uses name-calling and bully tactics to dominate.
    • An assertive person uses boundaries and mutual respect to engage in conversation or debate.
    • A passive-aggressive person doesn’t know how to express himself or herself and will resort to deflection to relieve an uncomfortable conversation. This statement is 100% passive-aggressive.

    If you struggle with knowing whether your behavior is actually aggressive, I’ve pulled together five articles to help you dig deeper into what it means to be assertive, aggressive or passive-aggressive. Please keep in mind that if you find your behavior is, in fact, aggressive, it’s time to consider better ways to communicate.

    1. Aggressive vs. assertive: the secret behind effective leaders.

    This article from the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness (CMOE) gives a great breakdown into what it means to be either aggressive or assertive. It also provides a great framework for how to start using an assertive communication model to start communicating in a more effective way. It also goes into what it means to use non-verbal cues to make your point.

    2. Passive vs. aggressive vs. assertive. 

    This article from Better and Betterer gives a great overview of the differences between the three methods of communication. It also provides a link to a more detailed article on passive-aggressive behavior. The reality of the workforce today is that passive-aggressive behavior is prevalent these days. We will continue to learn what’s acceptable behavior these days. It’s worth knowing how to identify passive-aggressive behavior, and how to deal with it.

    3. How to be assertive without losing yourself.

    This article by Harvard Business Review focuses specifically on how to step into the skills of being assertive without losing the elements that make you uniquely you. It also provides commentary from Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, and a link to her book, How Women Mean Business. If this is an area where you struggle (many women do), you might find value in her book.

    4. Three key differences between being assertive and being aggressive.

    Here are two articles by Meet Mindful and Life Made Conscious that provide simple lists of traits that distinguish aggressive and assertive behavior. They also provide great context on what it means to assume an assertive personality. These articles outline the shift to self-care, self-worth, and self-confidence that makes an assertive personality attractive to others.

    5. What to do when someone accuses you of being aggressive.

    Because this topic can go deep, I thought it would be helpful to create a YouTube video to go along with this newsletter. The goal here is to give you some examples of responses you can use if you find yourself in this situation. In this video, I talk about ways to create boundaries around someone who has accused you of being aggressive when it’s clear you are not.

    And, if you’re interested in reading more about what I wrote about dealing with aggression in the workplace, check out my article on whether your colleagues miss you when you’re gone, and this article on bullying in the workplace, and even this article on setting boundaries at work.

    On a final note, I hope you find the video interesting and useful. I’ve been experimenting with new ways to share information on developing a leadership brand. My goal is to create communication toolkits to help you step into your authority without sacrificing what makes you unique.

    If you have any comments or feedback I’d love to know … but, please be kind. I know I’m just getting started here and I’m excited to see how it evolves.

     

     

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • Self-Confidence: Are You Failing or Just Struggling with Success?

    Self-Confidence: Are You Failing or Just Struggling with Success?

    Have you discovered anything new about your confidence over the past few months?

    Since 2020 has been the “perfect storm” for dealing with the unexpected, I thought it would be a great time to review. So far, we’ve been stepping into uncomfortable situations, and having conversations with people we’d really rather avoid. As such, this seems like a good time to explore what it means to tap into a confident mindset.

    A recent conversation with one of my clients focused specifically on listening to her tell me that she perceived herself as critical and self-critical. She couldn’t understand why she had these “flaws” and asked for help to stop thinking this way. In reality, I couldn’t stop wondering why she considered her ability to have high standards such a liability in her professional growth.

    Was she really failing, or was she struggling with understanding that her ability to accept nothing less than professionalism was leading her down a path to future success?

    Here are five articles that deal with the topic of self-confidence.

    1. What is self-confidence?

    This is a great article from Positive Psychology that defines the differences between self-efficacy, self-confidence, and self-esteem. The article goes on to talk about self-esteem education, how it can back-fire, and nine lessons for practicing self-confidence. Hint: part of our confidence comes from our physicality.

    2. 25 killer actions to boost your self-confidence.

    This is a great list from Zen Habits of simple steps to take to shift the way you show up every day. Incorporating even one or two of these actions can lead to a major shift in mindset. That’s what we’re looking for here. Small changes that add up to big shifts.

    3. Preparing yourself for success.

    This article from Mind Tools talks about the what it means to behave in a self-confident way, as opposed to behaving in a way that projects low self-confidence. There’s a wonderful chart in the middle of the article that explains what self sabotaging behavior looks like. This is helpful if you’re wondering if someone around you struggles with low self-esteem. In addition, the article features a quiz that assesses your current level of confidence.

    4. 10 things you can do to boost self-confidence.

    Here’s a great list from Entrepreneur Magazine that includes 10 simple things you can do to boost your self-esteem. What makes this article interesting is that it focuses on understanding emotion. It’s an interesting perspective that plays a large part in how confident you are in specific situations.

    5. Is the confidence gap between men and women a myth?

    I’m including this article from Harvard Business Review because my conversation today was with a woman executive who felt she needed to change her behavior in order to feel like she would be a better leader. She never indicated that someone told her to change, and that’s what makes it interesting. She just believed that her behavior would hold her back. The concluding paragraph makes an important point, “Although no single study can provide a definitive understanding of gender biases at work, our results highlight the importance for organizations to monitor how high performing men and women are perceived — by their peers and especially by their supervisors — and how they progress in their careers.”

    And if you’d like to hear more about my takeaways from my coaching call today, please take a look at my Instagram account. I’m now going to post more video insights from the topics I share with you. If you have any questions or situations you’d like me to address, please feel free to respond and forward them to me. I’d love to cover more topics in the coming weeks.

     

     

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • Thinking about Starting a Business?

    Thinking about Starting a Business?

    “Setting

     

    As we bring the first half of 2020 to a close, are you thinking more about starting your own business?

    If so, I don’t blame you.

    Typically, we would begin the discuss of what you’ve accomplished so far this year.

    • Which goals have you crushed?
    • Which goals have you redefined?
    • Where did you decide to walk away?
    • Where did you decide to step up?
    • How will you make the rest of the year shine?

    For many of us, however, we had to throw out the playbook we created six months ago. The current events have asked us to slow down, reevaluate where we’re headed, and make some tough decisions.

    When I started my business in 2001 after being laid off, I did it a month before 9/11 and the following recession. I managed to stay afloat, even in 2008 and the subsequent economic downturn. Many businesses are born from challenging events that force us to see things differently.

    If you have found, through this tough year, that you might like to strike out on your own, here are five articles on how to start a business, how to build a start-up, and how to build revenue online.

    1. 10-steps to start a small business.

    There are plenty of articles out there on the x-step process for starting a business. Here are three from ForbesThe Balance, and Entrepreneur. The most important part in each of these articles is to make sure you can fill a need. If you have a talent and others seek you out for help in that area, that’s a good place to start. Know your solution and know your audience. If you have that nailed down, you can fill in the rest.

    2. Three must-have traits to start a business.

    Like the article says — it no longer matters who has the most experience; what matters is who can gain the knowledge the fastest. There’s no question that those who position themselves as authorities in their given field will come across as knowledgeable, trustworthy, and competent. Become eager to learn, maintain humility, and leverage your resourcefulness.

    3. Your startup should be a camel, not a unicorn.

    Entrepreneurship, creating a tech start-up, and seeking venture capital may sound exciting to you, and there is no shortage of VC funds eager to finance an innovative idea that disrupts the marketplace. If that’s your game, this article from Entrepreneur discusses why creating a start-up as a camel has a better chance at success, sustainability, and longevity.

    4. Trending online business ideas to start this year.

    Online businesses are gaining ground, especially in light of quarantines and WFH policies this year. If you’d like to experiment with creating passive income streams, take a look at these articles from digital.comThe Balance, and Business News Daily. Even if some of these ideas are a little far out, this should give you an idea of what’s possible, especially in the online space.

    5. An entrepreneur’s start up guide.

    No business guide would be complete without a template for a startup business plan. This template from Hubspot is simple, well organized, and easy to understand. I would argue that a full business plan may not be a great use of your time at the very beginning. Going through the process of completing all or part of a business plan, however, allows you to organize your thoughts and get a clear understanding of your business idea and its chances for success.

    As I mentioned, the most important part of starting a business, or going out on your own, is making sure that there is a need and that you can fill that need. From there, you can start pulling in clients through referrals, online optimization, and content that positions you as an authority in your field.

     

     

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • Empowering Others to Succeed

    Empowering Others to Succeed

    “Setting

     

    In light of recent events in the US, I’m focusing this email on diversity and inclusion.

    My hope is that the articles on diversity and inclusion included below will help us understand what it means to stop and listen. What it means to ask meaningful questions and understand what the people around us are going through. To use the “stop, ask, listen” framework is to provide a level of presence we may have forgotten these days. In our efforts to debate and challenge someone else’s point of view — or to defend our own thoughts and opinions — we’ve stayed in reaction mode to what we’ve seen play out in recent days.

    Here are five articles on diversity and inclusion, including how the two work together to create a healthy culture, and how to talk about it with grace, compassion, and professionalism.

    1. What is diversity and inclusion?

    This article from Ideal provides great information on what it each term means, and what it means to correctly intersect diversity with inclusion. It also provides great advice on implementing D&I strategies, as well as success metrics for businesses that do it right.

    2. Eight best practices for changing your culture.

    This article from CIO says it all, “companies with more diverse teams outperform those with a more homogenous workforce.” Some of the more important practices from this article are hard truths — a top-down approach isn’t enough, quotas don’t automate inclusion, and inclusion is not just one-off training.

    3. Three requirements for a diverse and inclusive culture.

    According to Gallup, there are three main requirements for a diverse and inclusive culture. This article explains the differences between diversity and inclusion, and how they intersect. It also provides three important elements that will make a D&I program successful: 1) employees are treated with respect, 2) employees are valued for their strengths, and 3) leaders do what is right.

    4. Getting over your fear of talking about diversity.

    Many of us these days are finding that discussions over the events of the last few weeks are making their way into our professional lives. People are hurting. This Harvard Business Review article provides a great framework on how to have conversations on diversity and inclusion, as well as examples on how to ask better questions. This article also features the “stop, ask, listen” framework.

    5. Color blind or color brave?

    Mellody Hobson is one of only three black women in the US to reach an executive position in finance. In this TED talk, Mellody discusses how speaking openly about race and diversity in hiring makes for better businesses and a better society. This TED talk is also featured in a collection of TED talks on racism, which is quite educational.

    On a final note, I believe that black lives matter, just as much as I believe that my life matters. As you may know, I support a domestic abuse shelter on the west side of Chicago. At that shelter, 98 percent of the people seeking safety are black and brown women and children. I volunteer my time at that shelter. I volunteer my knowledge and expertise as a member of their board. I donate every year and I consider the people who work at that shelter my friends.

    I have a deep belief that when we replace violence and economic hardship with education and opportunity, we can change society for the better. I’m very happy to have a business that gives back and my hope is that every small effort I make continues to foster positive change.

     

     

    Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

Christina Holloway