The Success Talk Show

Do you know what your top five passions are? Understanding your passions is a key part of the process of making decisions to improve your life and your work. On today's episode, I will talk about the value of discovering your passions and realizing the impact it can have on your life and your work. Listen in to hear how to avoid mistakes that people make when thinking about their passions and to learn five key questions that will help you gain clarity on what your top five passions are.

Avoid these common mistakes when seeking to discover your passions

What comes to mind when you hear someone tell you to "follow your passion?" Should passion be the driver behind the decisions you make? On this episode, I identify five common mistakes that people make in the process of finding their passion. Listen in to gain insights that will help you avoid mistakes, get free of judgments and "shoulds," clearly identify your passions, and take action toward using your passions to improve your life and your work.

Discovering your passion is a powerful way to be proactive in navigating choices

The value in discovering your passion is that it's a powerful way to be proactive in how you want to spend your time and navigate choices. On this episode, I identify five different ways that understanding your passions can help you. Do you want more energy? Or the ability to make more deliberate choices about how you are living your life? Listen in to learn how discovering your passion can give you confidence and clarity in your decision making, improve your ability to manage stress, and even accentuate your personal brand.

Use these five questions to help you clarify your passions

How clearly can you identify your top passions in life? What role do your passions play in the decisions you make and the steps that you take on your journey? On today's podcast, I'll give you five questions that will help you to clarify your passions and take action to build them into your life and work. Your top five passions are an important element for your success. Listen to this episode to learn how to effectively identify them and use them to improve your life.

Keep your passions visible so you don't fall back into taking the path of least resistance

Once you have identified your top five passions, it is essential to keep them visible. It is so easy to do the work and get excited about it, but then tuck it into a drawer and go back to doing things the old way and taking the path of least resistance. On this episode, I talk with you about how to keep your passions visible so that you are reminded to take steps to incorporate them into your life and to allow them to influence the decisions that you make. Listen in to learn how to keep your passions in front of you so that you will actually use them to improve your life and work.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:33] Introduction to today's episode on the value of discovering your passion.
• [1:07] The advice to "follow your passion" completely misses other important parts of the puzzle.
• [4:21] Avoid automatically deferring to the "shoulds".
• [5:29] Avoid judging your passions.
• [6:24] Don't make it about money itself instead of what money can buy.
• [7:09] Avoid falling back into the path of least resistance.
• [8:37] Knowing your passion will help you make deliberate choices to live your days more fully.
• [9:55] Living in your areas of passion increases your energy.
• [10:55] Knowing your passion helps you improve your ability to manage stress.
• [12;29] Your passions become part of your personal brand.
• [15:13] Your passions can clarify decision making.
• [19:27] Acclimate to Accelerate: Part of the program is to help you clarify your passions.
• [20:05] Question #1 What are your passions? Brainstorm and then narrow it down to five.
• [21:29] Question #2 - How satisfied are you that today you are fully living these passions?
• [22:23] Question #3 - What is the observable or measurable evidence that you are fully living your passion?
• [23:41] Question #4 - What choices can you make today to increase your satisfaction?
• [25:51] Question #5 - How can you keep these passions visible as a reminder?
• [26:22] You may need to re-work your list if it isn't quite right or if things have changed.
• [27:34] Your top 5 passions are an important element for your success.
• [28:22] Think of how you can work your passions into your current work life.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Episode #15 Emotional Intelligence: Managing stress effectively
• Acclimate to Accelerate program

There are many reasons you may want to map out your path to move forward in your career. On this episode, I'll explore those reasons and help you learn how to get clarity on a number of important elements that contribute to the decisions you will make for your career. Do you know what's important to you, and what you want to be known for? Do you have a clear personal plan? To be the best leader you can be, you first need to be energized, feeling satisfied and on the right path so that you can lead others. Listen to this episode for seven tips on how to choose the right path for your career.

A FREE four-minute Assessment could change your life

If you want to move forward on your career path, there are several key elements that you need to have clarity on as a foundation for the decisions that you will make. On this episode, I'll tell you about a four-minute assessment you can take that will help you understand these elements and know which ones you are solid on and which need more consideration and clarity. Listen to today's podcast for tips to help you start the journey, and then take this quick assessment so you can begin to move forward.

What do you love to do? Make a list so you can start moving forward

A great starting point for moving forward is to make a list of what you love to do and to be specific. Be really honest about how you want to spend your time. On today's episode, I'll talk about how to get this list started, and how you can add to it by looking at past assessments and performance reviews for clues as to what your strengths are. Writing a list of your strengths and what you love to do may not just come naturally. Listen to this episode for insights on how to determine what it is that you love and what you are good at.

How do the roles you are considering compare with your strengths and what you enjoy doing?

As you think about moving forward in your career, make a list of all the roles that you are considering. Then research and delve more deeply into those roles to gain an understanding of what they look like on a day to day basis. On this episode, I'll give you ideas for how to do your research and discover whether or not a role is right for you. Listen to today's podcast to learn how to determine if the roles you are considering align with what you are good at and what you enjoy doing.

When you know what you want, take action to move forward in your career

When you want to make a change in your career, it is not enough to think about it and make lists that help you determine what you really want. You need to take action. On this episode, I'll encourage you to take steps in the direction you want to go. Every step forward, even a baby step, will lead to more awareness, understanding, progress, learning, and experience that you can use to make a course correction. Listen in to get started on choosing the right path to move forward in your career.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:36] Welcome to today's episode. Seven tips for moving forward in your career.
• [1:03] Reasons you might want to map out your next career move.
• [2:05] To be the best leader you can be, you need to know that you're on the right path.
• [3:31] My personal story of the pivotal moment that led to a significant career change.
• [6:38] What does success look like for you?
• [7:43] Tip #1 - A 4-minute assessment that could change your life.
• [11:59] Tip #2 - Make a list of what you love to do, and be specific.
• [14:15] Tip #3 - Look at any past assessments or performance reviews for clues.
• [16:31] Tip #4 - Make a list of all the roles you're considering right now.
• [17:57] Tip #5 - Compare what you love to do with the roles you're considering.
• [19:13] Tip #6 - Write down your definition of success.
• [21:29] Tip #7 - Take action. Every step forward allows you to make progress.
• [22:35] Any path that you take is not a waste of time. Here's why.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Book: A Life at Work by Thomas Moore
• FREE Online Assessment
• Acclimate to Accelerate Program

The ability to articulate a vision is a much sought-after skill. But what exactly is a vision, and why does it matter? On this episode, I describe how a vision can energize and inspire others and give purpose to their tasks while also raising the bar for excellence. I give you five specific steps you can take to become a more visionary leader. Listen to this podcast to begin working on these steps and develop your skill for articulating and carrying out a vision.

To become a visionary leader, create your own vision for you, your life, and your career

The first step to becoming a more visionary leader is to create your own vision for you, your life, and your career. Imagine what you want your life to look like. On this episode, I explain how to go about creating this vision. The second step will provide a foundation for developing your strategy. Using the StrengthsFinder assessment will help you become more aware of your strengths and how they fit into your vision. Listen to this episode to learn how to use these tools to begin the process of becoming a more visionary leader.

To become a visionary leader, practice backwards visioning

Backwards visioning is a thought process that helps you create a vision that will engage and motivate people. Write the vision for a specific project as if it has already happened. On this episode, I explain how to do this and how it helps your team get creative and motivated in the vision writing process. Listen in to learn how backwards visioning can jumpstart your vision for the future. Practice it to help you become a more visionary leader.

To become a visionary leader, look for opportunities to create a new vision

Where in your organization is there a need for a new vision? The clues are all around you. On this episode, I will describe some of the clues to look for and encourage you to find opportunities to practice and strengthen your visioning skills. Listen to this podcast and then continue observing the people in your organization. As you actively look for opportunities and step into them to create new vision, you will strengthen your skills as a visionary leader.

To become a visionary leader, practice sharing the vision

The ability to articulate a vision is one of the most sought-after leadership abilities. After you create the vision, breathe life into it. On this episode, I will explain how to bring the vision into conversations and decisions within your organization so that it will begin to permeate and become the focus of your team. Listen in to find out how to share the vision so that others buy in and own the vision as well.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:35] The ability to articulate a vision is a sought-after leadership skill.
• [1:17] What is a vision and why does it matter?
• [5:28] Five steps to help you become a visionary leader and incorporate some new habits.
• [5:42] Step #1 - Create your own vision for you, your life, your career.
• [8:15] Step #2 - Do the StrengthsFinder assessment to determine what your strengths are.
• [11:49] Step #3 - Practice backwards visioning.
• [14:49] Step #4 - Look for opportunities in the organization where there might be a need for a new vision.
• [16:53] Step #5 - Practice sharing the vision.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Video: Learn to Create a Vision
• Episode #3 (The Most Sought-After Leadership Skills)
• Visionary Leadership by Burt Nanus
• Episode #1 (more info on StrengthsFinder assessment)
• StrengthsFinder

 

How does a leader find the right people for the right roles to create a high-performance team? Lisa Reinhold, Vice President of Customer and Network Success at Tracelink, Inc., has developed highly successful strategies for recruiting. On today's episode, Lisa shares her approach and the strategies she has used effectively in multiple settings. You will learn why recruiting is a leader's number one priority, why and how you need to demonstrate a sense of urgency in your hiring process, and how you can know whether or not a person is a good fit. Listen in to get the tools that you need to be an effective recruiter and build a high-performance team.

First steps for creating a high-performance team

Lisa Reinhold has developed an approach that has worked very well for her when going into a new situation to develop a team. She first focuses on the people, then the organizational structure, and then the systems and processes. On this episode, Lisa shares key questions that she asks in each of those areas, and how the answers to those questions help determine her recruiting strategy. Listen in and learn how to ask the questions that will lay a solid foundation for creating a high-performance team.

Hiring is Managers' Job Number One

Bringing in the right people is not as daunting as you might think. But the first thing a manager needs to do is to embrace recruiting as their job number one. Always be looking for top talent, even when you do not have openings. Own your candidate pipeline, not leaving it up to HR. On this episode, Lisa Reinhold and I discuss the importance of making recruiting your highest priority and how that mindset enables you to hire the right person for the right role at the right time. Listen to learn how to make recruiting your priority so that you can avoid pressure to hire an "okay" person instead of the right person for the role.

To get the best candidates in a recruiting process, demonstrate a sense of urgency

Today's environment is so fast-paced that you can lose a good candidate by not aggressively scheduling interviews. On today's episode, Lisa Reinhold describes how to demonstrate a sense of urgency that makes your candidates feel valued and leaves them with a good feeling about the company, even if they do not receive an offer. Listen in to find out how this mindset change can help you create a high-performance team by getting the right person in the right role at the right time.

How to know if your candidate is a good fit for your team

Hiring the right person for the right role is essential to the creation of a high-performance team. But how do you know if your candidate is a good fit? On this episode, Lisa Reinhold describes the process that she uses to determine a candidate's fit. She includes details about the different people in the company who should do interviews and how to create a structure so that those who conduct interviews are looking for the same things. She also describes how you can integrate activities into the interview process to help you see a candidate in action to get a better feel for how they fit. Listen in to improve your own abilities to hire the right person for the right role on your team.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:34] Introducing Lisa Reinhold, VP of customer and network success at Tracelink
• [1:53] First steps and key questions for creating a high-performance team.
• [4:45] Bringing in the right people is not as daunting as you might think. Make it job #1
• [7:05] Internal marketing vs finding candidates outside.
• [9:11] How the frontline people become the pipeline for the rest of the company.
• [11:57] Own your candidate pipeline and develop a sense of urgency.
• [16:27] Tap into the network of your team to find the best people.
• [18:23] Treating interviews very urgently makes candidates feel valued.
• [20:22] Why the interview process is a two-way street.
• [21:52] How to integrate activities into the interview process to see a candidate in action.
• [25:26] How do you know a candidate is a good fit?
• [30:48] Lessons that stand out in Lisa Reinhold's career.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Contact Lisa Reinhold on LinkedIn
• TraceLink
• Entrepreneur Magazine article on Creating a Thriving Team

"Executive presence is the qualities of a leader that engage, inspire, align, and move people to act" (Suzanne Bates). How important is it to you to personally have those qualities? On today's episode, I share what I have learned about what executive presence is and why it matters. I also give specific tips for how you can strengthen your own. Listen in and prepare to choose one or two things that you can work on in your pursuit of authentic executive presence.

What is executive presence and why does it matter?

Most of us have experienced the stark contrast between a leader who has strong executive presence and one who does not. The leader who is relaxed, charismatic, articulate, highly engaging, and strategic is one we feel confident learning from and working with. On this episode, I will define executive presence and discuss the impact that it can have on your working relationships and on your future with your organization. Listen in if you would like to become an inspiring, engaging leader.

Seven emotional intelligence skills that also develop your executive presence

Have you been working to increase your EQ (emotional intelligence)? If so, you are well on your way to developing executive presence as well. While all fifteen EQ skills can be related to executive presence, there are seven which have a strong correlation, and I highlight those seven on this episode. I also mention prior podcasts which go into more depth on each of the seven, so that you can follow up with more training on the ones that resonate with you. Listen in to identify specific skills that you can develop to build authentic executive presence.

Reflection and feedback can help you formulate an action plan for developing executive presence

If you want to develop authentic executive presence, there are specific steps that you can take. On this episode, I encourage you to reflect on the emotional intelligence qualities that I describe to see which ones resonate with you and where you might want to improve. Another important step is to get feedback from people around you, and I give you some tips on who to ask and how to get the richest information back. You can use all of the data you collect to formulate your goals and action plan. Listen to this episode to learn how to set your strategy for growing toward a strong executive presence.

Personal appearance and the role models you choose impact your development of executive presence

Many people feel that the way they look and dress shouldn't matter. But appearance does matter. It does have an impact. On this episode, I explain why one of my six steps for developing executive presence has to do with personal appearance. I also talk about the value of identifying a person you admire for their executive presence and observing that person as a role model for what you want to develop. Listen to this podcast to hear all six steps as well as the emotional intelligence skills you need for developing strong executive presence.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:34] Introduction to this episode about using executive presence to increase your impact.
• [0:57] What is executive presence?
• [3:53] How important is it to you personally to have the qualities that enable you to an inspiring, engaging leader?
• [5:02] Executive presence behaviors tend also to be emotional intelligence skills.
• [5:58] Emotional Self-awareness and emotional expression help you come across as calm and reasonable.
• [7:27] Assertiveness, rather than passivity or aggression, contributes to a commanding presence.
• [8:16] Stress tolerance enables you to stay in control
• [9:05] Self-Regard enables you to speak and act with confidence.
• [10:05] Reality Testing enables you to be objective.
• [11:00] Empathy allows you to be open to others.
• [12:04] Steps to build your own executive presence: #1 - Reflect.
• [12:25] #2 Ask for feedback.
• [13:27] #3 Use formal 360 feedback assessments.
• [14:07] #4 Use the data you have collected to formulate a set of goals with an action plan.
• [14:55] #5 Consider your appearance.
• [16:43] #6 Identify a role model.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Book: All the Leader You Can Be: The Science of Achieving Extraordinary Executive Presence by Suzanne Bates
• 360 Feedback Assessment (Scroll down on the page to access a sample report and get info about how to contact me for the assessment info)
• Episode #8 - Self-Awareness
• Episode #11 - Assertiveness
• Episode #15 - Stress Tolerance
• Episode #7 - Self-Regard
• Episode #13 - Reality Testing
• Episode #12 - Empathy

Every organization experiences change. There is a wide range of possible changes in an organization, and each change comes with its own challenges for implementation. On this episode, I will walk through seven tips for leading change that can be applied in almost any situation. If you follow these tips, they will help you lead with confidence, while getting greater buy-in and building trust.

To lead change with confidence, clarify stakeholders' expectations and your own role

The first thing to do when you are implementing change is to do an in-depth interview with key stakeholders, and clarify what is motivating them to make the change and what they hope to accomplish. Then you need to clarify exactly what your own role will be and what strengths you bring to the table. On this episode, I describe what this foundational process looks like and why it is so important. By listening, you will strengthen your ability to lead change with confidence.

To lead change with confidence, create and collaborate with a well-rounded team

Effective organizational change is best accomplished with a team. On this episode, I explain how to choose team members whose strengths complement each other as well as some specific strengths you should look for when choosing your team. I also describe how to collaborate with your team to provide a detailed description of what the change will look like once it is implemented and why this clear description is so important. Listen in and be equipped to create a team who will be effective in helping you lead change.

To lead change with confidence, communicate creatively and get feedback

Communication is essential for any organizational change. Work together with your team to create a written communication plan that includes communicating at different times and in different ways. On today's podcast, I list some potential forms of communication to get you started, and remind you of the key elements that need to be included. We'll also talk about building feedback mechanisms into your plan so that you can keep your finger on the pulse of how the change is going. Listen in to learn how to effectively communicate and increase the respect and buy-in of the people in your organization.

To lead change with confidence, celebrate as goals are accomplished

When you have implemented a change, be sure to share the results with everyone and celebrate. Because you communicate expectations at the beginning of the process, you can share the results and celebrate accomplishments along the way and especially at the end of the process. On this episode, I share why celebration matters and provide some ideas about how to track your success so that you can share it. Following this and the other tips from today's podcast will enable you to confidently lead change.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:35] Intro to this episode on tips for how to lead change with confidence.
• [1:22] Tip #1 Clarify the expectations of your key stakeholders.
• [3:39] Tip #2 Clarify exactly what your role will be for this change.
• [5:19] Tip #3 Create a team.
• [7:05] Tip #4 Collaborate with your team on a detailed description of what the change will look like once it's implemented.
• [8:15] Thumbnail sketch of the change process based on William Bridges' book, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change
• [13:13] Tip #5 - Have a written communication plan.
• [15:52] Tip #6 - Build feedback mechanisms into your plan.
• [18:19] Tip #7 - When you have implemented the change, share the actual results with everyone and celebrate.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Episode #1 - Acclimate to Accelerate Leadership Growth (for info on identifying your strengths)
• YouTube video: How to Lead the Perfect Brainstorming Session.

• Book: Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by William Bridges

• Success Compass Academy

Allison Perkel, Senior Director of Engineering at Carbon Black, is passionate about creating an environment for her team to thrive. As she says on her LinkedIn page, she wants to deliver product, have fun, and change the world. On today's episode, Allison details some of the strategies she uses to accomplish this. If you want to learn how to build a culture of trust, deal with the challenges that come up in the process, take action with those who are not pulling their weight, and find some creative ways to keep things positive on your team, then this podcast is for you.

How to create an environment of trust

When you want to create an environment for your team to thrive, the first step is to create an environment of trust. Your team needs to know first of all that they can trust you. On this episode, my guest, Allison Perkel, describes her strategies for building trust. Listening is always the first step. Sharing on praise to upper management, genuinely helping people learn from their mistakes, and responding quickly to challenges are just a few of the strategies that Allison walks through in this interview. Listen in for the insights you need to begin building trust within your team.

What to do when you are in a negative, blame-shifting environment

Working in a negative environment where everyone is looking for who to blame is not an experience that any of us appreciates. But what can we do to help turn around a negative work culture? In this interview, Allison Perkel lists important questions to ask when you are facing a negative environment, and provides suggestions for how to follow through to address issues with those whose behavior is not reinforcing the desired culture. Join us to learn how to take action that will enable you to create an environment for your team to thrive.

Having the right person in the right role is important to the team environment

When you have someone on your team who is not pulling their weight, stop and ask some key questions before casting blame. In today's interview, Allison Perkel explains what questions to ask and how asking them can help you provide the support that a team member needs. In the process, you will likely find the team member is not in the right role and needs to be moved to a role where they can be more successful and confident. Listen in and learn how to effectively respond to a person who is not pulling their weight on your team.

Never underestimate your own inability to get a point across

Allison Perkel has a master's degree in artificial intelligence. One principle she has carried over from her experience with AI is that "you should never underestimate your own inability to get a point across." There are many ways for words to be misinterpreted. On this episode, Allison shares the value and the need for thinking about how you communicate with your team members. Restating problems and asking questions for clarification are valuable parts of the communication process. Join us for this important conversation and take some steps forward toward communicating more clearly.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:34] Introducing Allison Perkel, Senior Director for the Engineering at Carbon Black, the leading provider of next generation endpoint security
• [1:39] How to create an environment of trust.
• [3:12] How to overcome the challenges in creating an environment of trust.
• [6:32] What to do when you are in a negative, blame-shifting environment.
• [11:00] How to respond to skeptics along the way.
• [15:05] What do you do when someone on the team is not pulling their weight?
• [18:51] Technically brilliant people may not always be the best for a management role.
• [21:46] Never underestimate your own inability to get a point across.
• [24:32] Allison's favorite team-building activities.
• [28:55] The lesson Allison wishes she learned earlier in her career.

Resources & People Mentioned

• BodaBorg in Malden, MA (Boston area)
• Connect with Allison Perkel:
• • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

 

Do you want to increase your confidence and be seen as a confident leader? On this episode, I describe what confidence looks like and lay out five strategies that you can use to build your confidence. Get started by thinking about the specific circumstances when you feel the most confident and when you feel the least confident. These are clues that may point you to specific areas that you can work on. Then listen to this episode and begin to apply the five strategies so that you can strengthen your confidence.

Why you need to know your strengths and weaknesses

What percentage of your work is made up of activities that play to your strengths? That percentage has a direct correlation to your sense of confidence. Being clear about what you're good at and what you're not, and owning it, is the foundation for being a confident leader. On this episode, I encourage you to get clear on your strengths and weaknesses and to navigate your choices so that you are doing more of what you are really good at.

How reality testing can help you be a confident leader

Do you have a tendency to get derailed by negative self-talk? Reality testing can help you overcome those negative thoughts. On this episode, I explain how looking at the reality of your past experiences and successes can reinforce your confidence and help you know what you can do in a specific situation. You will learn how to use data and evidence from your past track record to strengthen your confidence.

Improving EQ skills is essential for a confident leader

Improving your EQ (Emotional Intelligence) skills will help you develop your confidence as a leader. On this episode, I encourage you to choose to work on one EQ skill that correlates with the area where you need to focus. For more details, you can go back and listen to a past episode about the skill that you choose. Listen to today's podcast to hear why working on these skills is essential for building your confidence.

Why you need to have a learning mindset and embrace feedback

When you resist learning, you come across as being afraid of failure, afraid of trying new things, or weak. On this episode, I explain how curiosity, listening, trying new things and a willingness to learn all strengthen your confidence and enable you to serve as a role model for your team. Listen to discover how investing in learning, being approachable, listening to others and respecting what they have to say are all part of being a confident leader.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:35] What does confidence look like?
• [1:21] Zero in on when you feel confident and when you don't.
• [4:11] Strategy #1: Know your strengths and weaknesses.
• [8:17] Strategy #2:: Adopt the habit of reality testing.
• [11:01] Strategy #3 - Practice improving your emotional intelligence skills.
• [13:17] Strategy #4 - Have a learning mindset. [16:24] Strategy #5 - Embrace feedback. Create a culture of candor.
• [18:11] Re-cap of 5 strategies

Resources & People Mentioned

• Episode #7 on Self-regard
• The Culture of Candor, Harvard Business Review

An emotional intelligence skill that will bring a huge positive impact on your life is stress management. Not only does it make your life more enjoyable, it's also instrumental in making you more effective in your work and in the relationships you are part of. On this episode of The Success Talk Show, I explain some practical tips, mindsets, and approaches you can use to improve your ability to manage the inevitable stresses of life and work so that you can move to a place of confidence and empowerment. If you take the time to listen, you could find the help you've been looking for.

When you resist change it tells others you are inflexible and outdated.

One of the reasons we experience stress is because we get stuck in our own sense of comfort with the status quo. We cling to what is familiar or safe and as a result, the level of stress we feel escalates as things around us change. That's a recipe for disaster in a fast-paced, changing world. What can you do to equip yourself to be more flexible and innovative rather than entrenched in what has been normal to this point? You can find great tips to help you become a more flexible person who is willing and able to adapt to the times, on this episode.

Want to manage stress better? Practice noticing when you are resisting new ideas.

It's interesting to notice that much of the stress we feel in life is of our own making. Stress often manifests itself because WE are resistant to change and the inevitable pace of life. But what could happen if you started to notice when you are in a resistant mode? What would happen if you could pay attention to your own resistance with a view toward softening, relaxing, and intentionally becoming open to the possibility that change is not only good but could yield incredible opportunities and results? Find out how to become aware of your own resistance to new ideas and make changes for the better, on this episode of The Success Talk Show.

Planning by the week, not the day, can greatly reduce your stress levels. Here's why.

When you live day by day you have to deal with things in ways that don't allow for a great deal of preparation or foresight. As a result, you can find yourself emotionally and mentally strained all the time simply because you haven't had time to get yourself prepared. On this episode, I suggest that you modify the way you plan your life and career to a weekly approach instead of a daily approach. What you'll find is that your ability to manage the stress in your life will increase greatly simply because you can take the time necessary to prepare yourself for the stressful events that are part of your life. Don't miss this practical tip.

Stress tolerance is a skill to develop, not a personality trait to envy.

When you see a person who seems calm, cool, and confident during times of stress, what do you feel? Do you point the finger at yourself in criticism? Do you find yourself envying the person because they seem to be so naturally gifted in those ways? While it's true that some people are more naturally inclined to be calm or confident during stressful situations, it's equally true that anyone can develop the ability to better tolerate and even thrive in stressful situations. It's a skill that you can develop, and on this episode about the issue of stress management, I'm going to explain how.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:39] Why managing stress effectively is vital.
• [2:17] Why flexibility is important when it comes to managing stress.
• [8:12] How you can strengthen your reality testing muscle.
• [11:32] Optimism is a huge part of managing stress.
• [16:27] Developing your stress tolerance.
• [21:49] Learn to plan week at a time instead of day at a time.

Resources & People Mentioned

• www.SuccessCompassStrategies.com/emotional-intelligence
• Episode 13: Decision Making Skills (and reality testing)
• Episode 5: Interview with time management expert Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking

 

The experience your customers have with your company is in some ways more important than the actual services you do for them - because it's their experience with you that they will remember, not the exact processes or technological pieces that made the experience possible. To help us understand the importance of improving customer experience I invited Kathy Edmons on the show. Kathy is Senior Cloud Program Director at Teradata Corporation and her career path has given her ample opportunity to learn how to foster and improve the customer experience. On this episode, she shares why customer experience is more than reacting to events that occur, why you shouldn't assume that you already know what to do to improve your customer's experience of your company, and more. You'll gain a lot of great insight from what Kathy has to share, so I hope you listen.

Improving customer experience is more than reacting to events.

When many people think about improving their customer's experience they automatically think of solving problems and bringing a quick resolution to troubles their customers may have. But there's far more to it than that. On this episode, Kathy Edmons explains why the mindset we have about customer experience has to be broader than simply reacting to events if we are going to give our customers the experience that keeps them loyal and happy over the long haul. She's got great insights to share about being proactive when it comes to providing customer experience, so make sure you listen.

Why you shouldn't assume you know what to do to improve customer experience.

When it comes to giving your customers the very best experience with your company possible, you may know some of the ways you can do that. But don't assume too much. Your perspective will automatically be a bit skewed simply because you do not sit in the customer's seat. You need to be able to know the facts about their experience with your company - from their perspective - in order to make decisions based on what is really happening, not what you think is happening. Kathy Edmons illustrates this point beautifully on this episode of The Success Talk Show, so set aside some time to learn from her experience.

Your work doesn't speak for itself; you need to speak for your work.

Many people who want to have a positive impact on the customer experience their company provides don't have a customer-facing role, so it's hard for them to get a seat at the table when decisions that impact customers are being made. How can that person get a seat at the table? They have to be willing to step forward, to represent their work within the company and the way it impacts the customer's experience - because contrary to popular belief - work doesn't speak. Find out how Kathy Edmons discovered this powerful truth early in her career and how it applies to YOUR ability to get a seat at the table, on this episode.

Addressing work-life balance issues effectively by deciding what is important to you.

Every person pursuing a career struggles with achieving work-life balance. It's a given. Kathy Edmons says that successfully handling those issues begins by deciding what is important to you - in both your career and in your family. Once you have a clear picture of your priorities you are able to make better decisions about what is required to make them a reality in your life, and you're also able to push away the sense of urgency of work-related tasks when you've made a higher-priority decision. Kathleen provides very practical tips about work-life balance on this episode, so find out how they can help you make the right decisions in your life

Outline of This Episode

• [0:42] My introduction of Kathy Edmons, from Teradata Corporation.
• [1:25] How Kathy gets a seat at the table to have influence over customer experience.
• [6:15] Advice for those who want to get more hands-on connection with customers.
• [9:12] The common challenges to learning about your customers.
• [10:40] Tips for dealing with self-doubt and lack of confidence.
• [15:49] The things Kathy wishes she'd known earlier in her career.
• [17:30] The things that have allowed Kathy to zig-zag on her career path.
• [20:05] The best way you can connect with Kathy.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Kathleen Edmons on LinkedIn
• Episode 4 with Suzy Welch
• Episode 5 with Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking
• Donna's YouTube Channel