by Solange Lopes | Aug 25, 2014 | Career |
morning routine – Photo credit: elev8.com
Happy Monday! Yes, it’s Monday morning, again…
And if you’ve just had a frazzled, running after the clock (and the kids), “where did I put my keys” (or my head) kinda morning, you may want to continue reading… (and if you haven’t, you can always get a good laugh)…
I happen to be a certified, family-accredited, professional specialist of frazzled mornings. If it ain’t frazzled, it ain’t right…
After all, doesn’t it make more sense to maximize sleep, hit the “snooze” button as many times as we can afford, skip breakfast and shuttle sleepy-eyed kids to school solely on adrenaline? Why honor our mornings and use them to get mentally, spiritually and physically ready for the day? Why not just treat our mornings as we treat everything else these days, as an “instant fix”?
According to researchers at the University of Nottingham and the National Institute of Education in Singapore, willpower is highest in the morning.The further into the day we get, the less motivated we are to accomplish important tasks. So much for that training you’ve been planning to take, or the career blog you’ve been dreaming of writing (ahem)! Besides, as much as we may want to think we can magically catch up on all our to-do’s, “wish-I-had-done’s”, and “will-do-someday’s”, truth remains the one proven way to jump-start our days is to treat our mornings with the respect they deserve…
1. Get fueled spiritually! My pastor always asks us as a congregation how we can afford to get prepared in all ways to face the day, except mentally and spiritually. No wonder so many of us start the day in a grouchy mood, speed on the highway, and use colorful language in the morning…Whatever your faith or spiritual practice, carve out some time in the morning to get still, replenish your spiritual reserves before stepping into this crazy world (or traffic)…
2. Do one thing you love! I do my best writing in the morning hours. That’s also when I enjoy it the most…With two toddlers, a packed schedule and big dreams, putting myself first requires quite some dexterity. Choose the beginning of your day to put yourself first and take care of your own internal engine. Whether it’s exercising, meditating, reading or writing, make the time to treat yourself first! Selfish? Nope, it’s called self-preservation.
3. Start BIG! I believe in tackling big tasks first. One, because that’s when the caffeine rush first hits my system. Second, because getting one big thing done by lunch time gives me permission to treat myself to some form of chocolate-filled snack. Alright, there are other healthier (and more logical) incentives, but my point is, the bigger you start, the saner you might end up after 8 hours or more….Just sayin’…
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 15, 2014 | Career |
Dealing with machismo abroad – Photo credit: madamenoire.com
Happy Friday! TGIF!
One of my mentors once told me over lunch about some of her disastrous (albeit funny) experiences abroad as a business manager. I almost swallowed sideways as she mentioned how she would be referred to as “the girl” in company meetings. And if you know my mentor, the last thing you’d want to refer to her as is a “girl”…
Having traveled and worked abroad for brief periods of time, I knew exactly what she meant. In many other global regions outside of the U.S, machismo towards working women is not only acceptable, it’s actually considered a pretty good idea. Islamic, Latin, African and many Asian cultures do not allow for females in business, unless it is in limited, non-challenging ways. And when U.S. women work overseas, the limitations in these male-dominated cultures can seem really daunting.
Yet, faced with an ever-expanding economy and a heated debate about gender parity and women leaning in to better opportunities at work, it is hard for today’s professional women to avoid working abroad. Actually, it is recommended to complete overseas work assignments to bring one’s career to the next level.
1. Research the culture of the country! Whether you’ve been assigned to work in Saudi Arabia, or beautiful Rio de Janeiro, your first step should be to research the customs of the place. In some conservative Muslim countries, men do not make eye contact with women, while the latter should have their heads covered in public. Be aware of the settings you’re going into!
2. Show respect! While some of us may find some of the local customs to be at polar opposites from what we’re accustomed to, it is still important to show respect. Establishing a good business connection starts with respecting each other’s differences. And this is all the more prevalent as you may be representing an entire company.
3. Speak softly and carry a big stick! I’ve always found Theodore Roosevelt’s quote to be fitting to conducting business abroad, especially as a woman. Aggressiveness on the part of women is often negatively perceived in male-dominated cultures and are likely to impair productive business. A non-aggressive, yet assertive personality, will get the job done more effectively.
4. Expect blocks in the road! There will be blocks in the road, and probably some flared tempers along the way. It’s all part of the process, and will have to be managed effectively. Whether you have to use your own authority or resort to having higher management intervene, expect there to be challenges and obstacles. And thankfully so, how else would we grow?
What is your experience as a woman working overseas in male-dominated cultures?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 12, 2014 | Career
keep-calm-and-use-commas- Photo credit: translation-boutique.com
My good friend S., who also happens to be a kick ass manager, once confided in me that her worst pet peeve at work is punctuation. Terrible punctuation, that is. And I really hope she doesn’t read this post, because I’ll never hear the end of it. S. loves punctuation, and has a particular fondness for commas…and for the employees she manages who also respect the sanctity of correct punctuation. Just as she happens to have a serious pet peeve for misplaced commas and lost periods.
As much as we may all strive to perform well at work, be sociable and politically correct, some seemingly “small” and mundane things sometimes appear to stand in our way. And while these may not necessarily make it to our performance review write-up, they do make an impact on how others, especially managers and higher-ups, perceive us.
From an unkempt appearance to sloppy work presentation, your boss’s pet peeves may seem annoying at first, but in reality they may be actual hindrances to your career. By learning to perceive and constructively manage these, you may also be giving yourself quite a competitive advantage at work:
1. Notice the signs! Does your manager repeatedly give you review notes on a particular aspect of your work? Does s/he make comments about some things you could improve? Did you catch a disapproving look or expression in their face? Part of knowing your work environment is learning to know the personalities you work with, especially your higher-ups. Learn to read the signs and build yourself a constructive list of work habits your manager is adverse to.
2. Do sweat the small stuff! Manager adverse to poor grammar? Does the VP prefer reports submitted on company letterhead? Are statistics and graphs important to the Director? When it comes to your career, the “small” stuff does matter. All it takes is a detail to downgrade your best work from excellent to barely average. So do sweat the small stuff, and choose to go above and beyond..
3. When in doubt, ask! It can be hard to decipher someone’s likes and dislikes, especially in the workplace. If and when in doubt about an average performance review, lukewarm evaluation or straight up negative reaction, don’t be afraid to ask what you can do better! Showing concern over perfecting your work and meeting expectations goes a long way!
Does your boss have interesting, even funny pet peeves? How do you manage these?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 1, 2014 | Career |
Coach – abcnews4.com
Happy Friday!
I have this girlfriend called Keisha. Really, she’s more like the frenemy you can’t seem to get rid of…ever! You know, the girl who’s a lot like you but seems bent on criticizing everything you do! “Girl, doesn’t look like you’re getting this promotion!” “Girl, you said that during the departmental meeting, ouch!” Girl this, girl that! And it’s not like you can ignore her calls, or block her on Facebook, for the simple reason that she’s right there…in your head!
We all have our own Keishas, the nagging voice in our heads, especially as corporate sisters, that tells us we’re not qualified enough, not vocal enough, not smart enough, or that we don’t exactly look the par. Keisha is our very own personal inner critic, the sister who tries to make us feel justified, safe and comfortable. Yet, what Keisha really does, is sabotage our efforts, impede our progress, and stand in our way to success, professional or otherwise.
Ever thought you didn’t really deserve that promotion, and thus failed to ask for it? Ever wanted to volunteer for that pilot project at work but refrained to for fear you’d fail at it? Every time you’ve shrunk back in the face of challenges, chances are you were wrestling with your inner critic, your own Keisha. And it may be high time to break up this unhealthy, failing relationship:
1. Check out the competition! If you don’t really know what you’re up against, chances are you won’t know how to fight it. What your innermost thoughts? What patterns of negativity and self-doubt do you give in to? What triggers your negative self-talk? Analyze the voice in your head, and learn to recognize the negative signs before they occur.
2. Stop Thinking, start acting! Overthinking may at times keep you away from opportunities of growth and success. If you’d like to volunteer for this project, go ahead and do it! Thinking you deserve a promotion? Stop thinking, schedule some time with your boss and speak your mind! Just do it!
3. Practice tunnel vision! When it comes to success, focusing on what really matters and eliminating distractions is key! Re-focus on your goals and objectives, and let go of the dead weight and negative voices. It may seem simplistic, yet by calibrating your focus, you can succeed in silencing the self-doubt and minimizing the obstacles in your way.
So yeah, Keisha, it’s been real but time to move on! Girl, bye!
Nene Leakes - pinterest.cM
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 31, 2014 | Career
Wunderlist app – thatcareergirl.com
I wrote this morning about why we should all have a “stop doing” list. Well, we should still keep our to-do lists though, and speaking of to-do lists, one of my most favorite to-do apps is Wunderlist. Basically, Wunderlist is a desktop and mobile to-do list manager, with apps available for Android, iOs, Windows, OS X, and Linux. Well, apart from the technical lingo (which obviously did not come from me, thanks Lifehacker), it’s simple enough (enough for me), supports to-do’s, reminders, and even the possibility to star important tasks.
Well, it has now been enhanced to include real-time sync, public lists, and even a new interface! Among the improvements are easier to create lists, better navigation, perks like being able to add comments or voice notes to your tasks. And if you cringe at the thought of your sister-in-law having access to your account, you can share tasks using the Public Lists feature.
Got Wunderlist?
The Corporate Sis.
