Christina Holloway

Category: Personal Brand

  • 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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success 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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success 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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success, 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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success 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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success 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 Forbes, The 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.com, The 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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success 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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • The Benefits of Being an Introvert

    The Benefits of Being an Introvert

    “Setting

     

    I am not an introvert.

    There isn’t anyone in my circle of friends, family, or colleagues who would describe me as an introvert. I talk (a lot). And if you were to work with me for any amount of time, you’d find that I can be loud, outgoing, gregarious, and bold. I can navigate large events and networking with ease, and feel refreshed after meeting new people. And if you hired me as a speaker for an event, you’d definitely get your money’s worth.

    At the same time, events and situations that are unknown to me can be exhausting. I need a lot of time to think, especially in unknown circumstances. I’m not always the first to speak up in meetings and prefer to read the room. I spend a good deal of my time observing people and situations to absorb information and context. And in order to think clearly, I have to write it down.

    I am definitely an ambivert, but I lean much more toward being an extrovert.

    The overwhelming majority of my coaching work involves understanding how to work effectively with the people around us. To do that successfully, it helps to understand exactly how you work best and how that approach can either compliment or counteract your interaction with others.

    Here are five articles on what it means to be an introvert, including how to work effectively with an introvert, why being an introvert is not the same as being shy, and the differences between being an introvert, an extrovert, and an ambivert.

    1. What does it mean to be an ambivert?

    This article from Fast Company goes into exactly what it means to identify as an extrovert, an introvert, or an ambivert. As the article illustrates, we all fall on a scale. Determining where you fall on that scale is going to help you understand how you respond in certain situations and how you interact with the people around you.

    2. How to work for an introvert.

    If you’re struggling with how to connect to a supervisor who isn’t giving you much, no matter how hard you try to impress, it might be because this person works differently. These articles from Medium and Inc. give great advice on how to strengthen your professional relationship, especially if each of you is coming from a very different approach to getting things done.

    3. Why introverts make the best leaders.

    This article from Forbes outlines five key characteristics that help introverted leaders build on their quiet strength and success. In addition, traits like being able to stay calm in the moment, taking time to think things through, and delving deep into issues can give introverts an edge during difficult times.

    4. How managers can help their introverts network.

    The concept of networking to build a strong presence among peers is well founded. You have the ability to meet people in new industries, get in front of new opportunities, and even connect with someone who could bring you closer to your dream job or dream client. And while networking isn’t only about showing up to big events, it can still be overwhelming to just reach out to strangers, even on LinkedIn. As this Harvard Business Review article explains, introverts prefer to connect deeply. They may grow their network slower, but it will also include more meaningful connections.

    5. The power to think deeper.

    Let’s finish strong with this TED talk by Susan Cain. It’s a powerful reminder that people who think and process information in a different way are not broken or flawed. Their ability to think on a deeper, more receptive level brings balance to those who are more outgoing. The more we can recognize and respect someone who processes information and situations different from our own approach, the more we can create a balanced solution.

    If you find that you struggle with working effectively with the people around you these days, take some time to reflect. Are the changing conditions of today’s work environment bringing these introvert, extrovert, or ambivert tendencies to the surface? Is that happening to me, as well as others around me? If so, take some time to think about how you can lean into your strengths to adjust the work dynamic.

     

     

    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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

  • Time Management Tips for Challenging Times

    Time Management Tips for Challenging Times

    “Setting

     

    As we begin to adjust to the reality that remote work and virtual connections are the new normal, we’re also being asked to adjust the way we manage time.

    It’s safe to say that our expectations on what it means to be productive may have become unrealistic.

    Have we been filling our calendars to prove that we could stay productive while everything around us came to a grinding halt?

    Well, there’s some truth to that.

    Being able to slow down and eventually accept the current situation allows us to slowly navigate a new reality with success. In order to do that effectively, it helps to revisit some wisdom on time management.

    Here are five articles related to time management, including frameworks to help us work smarter, reminders to lead from a state of mindfulness, and new methodologies that will shift our understanding of how time management works.

    1. Start with this easy 7-step plan to give you more time each day.

    At the heart of this article is a framework for building a new habit. Like the article says, the actions and choices you make today have a compounding impact on how much time you have in the future. In other words, poor time management today could lead to a back-log of work later. The framework borrows from the concept of money management and makes some great observations about treating the time in your day like an investment.

    2. How to be a super achiever instead of an over achiever.

    This is a simple read from Addicted2Success, but this type of article always serves as a great reminder of some powerful truths. Over achievers have something to prove to others. Super achieves only have something to prove to themselves. To be a super achiever, figure out who you want to be, and then work to make that a reality. Equally important is the need to nurture yourself when you hit your limitations. This is about finding balance along the way.

    3. 25 ways to simplify your life.

    This article by Frank Sonnenberg discusses the idea that our lives are as complicated as we make them. That’s a hard pill to swallow in today’s world. We have been hit hard with a changing environment that’s been asking a lot from us. And while we navigate today’s new world, let’s also remember that we can allow ourselves to let some things go to find balance and relief. And that’s just one of the 25 ways to simplify your life that Frank outlines in this article.

    4. 15 time management tips for achieving your goals. 

    This article from Entrepreneur provides a basic list of great tips. The one I gravitated to, however, is #6 – install keystone habits. This is a reference to Charles Duhig’s book titled, The Power of Habit. He coined the term “keystone habit” to identify those habits we develop that set the foundation for who we want to be and how we show up. This helps us to create effective habits, while also letting go of ineffective habits that may hold us back.

    5. Time management is about more than life hacks.

    Granted, this article from Harvard Business Review appeared in January, before productivity in the workplace really shifted, but the underlying message here is especially relevant in today’s environment. It’s important to remember that time management is a decision-making process requiring us to adjust as environmental conditions around us change. The author goes deep into his three-pronged approach: awareness, arrangement, and adaptation. It’s good stuff.

    On a final note, if we take the time to stop and reflect after a full day, what we want to assess is this:

    • Am I still on the right path?
    • Have I chosen a career that’s taking me where I want to go?
    • Am I living my most authentic life?
    • Are the things I’m spending time on today helping me answer these questions?

    If you’re struggling with these questions and finding there’s a disconnect, then find the moments in these articles that help you find balance with your time. The first step is to practice saying no until you feel comfortable with it. Then, practice filling the time you’ve reserved for yourself with something that puts you back on your path. Start slow and try to feel comfortable in what’s uncomfortable.

    That’s how we move forward.

     

    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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success 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 Create a Crisis Management Plan

    How to Create a Crisis Management Plan

    “Setting

     

    This week we’re talking about crisis management. Sure, this may seem like a good time to talk about it … we’re in the middle of a crisis these days, after all.

    But most people would tell you that the best time to talk about crisis management is BEFORE the crisis.

    And I agree with them, but that’s not always realistic.

    Why? Because a crisis can take many forms, including an illness, an accident, or a natural disaster. In that case, it’s not easy to predict every situation that could happen to you, or your business, or the company where you work. So, to get started, you just need to ask yourself these two questions:

    1. How will my business (or department) continue if the crisis happens to me?
    2. How will I lead if the crisis happens to my business (or department)? 

    These are the two situations that will impact you the greatest. The more you think and prepare for either of these situations, the more likely you are to ride the crisis with some level of success.

    So, to get you started, here are five articles about crisis management, including plans, templates, research, email campaigns, and tips & techniques for effective crisis leadership.

    1. The ultimate guide to crisis management.

    This article by Hubspot provides free downloadable crisis communication templates, a full outline of what a crisis management plan looks like, and a step-by-step process for creating your own crisis management plan. It’s a thoroughly informative reference that takes you through the many ways a crisis can impact your business and your employees, or teams.

    2. Five leadership skills to best manage a crisis.

    The Management Training Institute focuses on helping its audience build the strong management skills needed to bring projects to completion and vision to life. In this post, they share five simple leadership skills that will help diffuse any panic among employees during uncertain times.

    3. Seven critical steps to crisis management.

    Here’s a throwback article from Inc. that talks about the importance for leaders of having a clear communication plan when navigating a crisis. How big of a throwback is this article? Well it’s from 2014 and refers to the BP gulf oil spill and the Ebola crisis. This article also highlights the importance of having a succession plan. A succession plan is especially important if the crisis involves your inability to lead.

    4. All about crisis management. 

    If you’re one of those people who really likes to dive into research, then I have you covered.  The Institute for Public Relations and the Free Management Library each have extensive online resources on how to define a crisis, how to prepare for a comprehensive crisis response, and how to repair a damaged reputation. There are links here to many more articles, reports, and research to help you understand how a crisis can impact a company.

    5. The psychology behind effective crisis leadership.

    This article by Harvard Business Review goes deep into the impact your actions (or inactions) have on the people around you. As a person in a position of authority, people will look to you for direction and hope. This article discusses the importance of not only having a vision for the future, but also of being able to hold your team emotionally while they navigate uncertainty. It’s this skill that, when used effectively, builds trust among employees who are worried.

     

    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 Forbes, The Huffington Post, Addicted2Success 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