Podcast

Looking for a new job or want to move up in your company? Lesa teaches you the tools and strategies you need to land your dream job, increase your promotability, and successfully navigate your career.

Job Search, Career Management Lesa Edwards Job Search, Career Management Lesa Edwards

341: Focusing on the Gap vs. Focusing on Your Progress

Subtitle: “Beating Yourself Up for What Didn’t Get Done vs. Celebrating What Did Get Done.”

When you don’t meet your goal - be it for your job search, your job, or your personal life - what do you make it mean?

In this episode, I cover the thinking and the doing part of regrouping without blame when things don’t go as planned.

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Career Management Lesa Edwards Career Management Lesa Edwards

321: Overcoming Setbacks and Obstacles in Your Career Path

EVERYONE has setbacks and obstacles in their career. NO ONE has a perfectly linear journey, where they leave each job at the height of achievement, only to land in an even better job – no gaps in employment, no difficult bosses or coworkers, no layoffs or RIFs, no personal or family issues requiring extended time off work. The question becomes: What do you do when the inevitable happens? I want to break this down into actions you can take, and the mindset you’ll need to navigate.

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Career Transitions, Career Management Lesa Edwards Career Transitions, Career Management Lesa Edwards

309: Set Yourself up for Success in a New Role - at Any Experience Level

As most of you know, the first 90 days in a new job are critical for your long-term success - not only in that role, but for your future with the organization. Here are key steps to take in the first 90 days to set yourself up for success - at the Individual Contributor, New Manager, New Director/Senior Manager, and VP/C-Suite levels.

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Career Management, Salary Negotiations Lesa Edwards Career Management, Salary Negotiations Lesa Edwards

308: What is a “Dry Promotion” - and Should You Accept it?

First, a confession: When I started seeing articles and comments about “dry promotions,” I didn’t know what that was.

In case some of you are in that same boat, here’s a definition:

“A promotion without a salary increase.”

As American businesses seek innovative ways to cut costs in a tightening economy, employers may be enticed to promote employees but withhold a salary increase.

In this episode, I cover reasons why employers offer dry promotions and the upsides and downsides of accepting one. I also provide negotiation tips for getting something, if not pay.

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Leadership, Career Management Lesa Edwards Leadership, Career Management Lesa Edwards

282: Project Management 101: What it is, what skills it requires, and how to become one (with Ahmed Wasfy)

Today, I am speaking with Ahmed Wasfy, an engineering manager with such giants as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. In addition to his day job, he provides coaching services to help managers become effective leaders through his company, the Thriving EM. Ahmed explains the purpose of a project manager, the skills and qualities needed to be an effective project manager, and how to break into the field. We also discuss the PMP – Project Management Professional – designation, and whether that credential is necessary to enter into project management work.

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272: According to a Harvard Expert, This is the #1 Most Desirable Trait Employers Look For

I found this article from Heidi K. Gardner, Ph.D., who has discovered through more than a decade of teaching and research at Harvard’s business and law schools that people who figured out how to collaborate across teams gained a major competitive edge over those who did not. Dr. Gardner also discovered just how rare collaboration skills are. Today, we’re going to break down exactly what collaboration is, why it’s so important in today’s workforce, and outline the five aspects of being an exceptional collaborator.

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Life Coaching, Career Management Lesa Edwards Life Coaching, Career Management Lesa Edwards

271: How to Focus on the Right Things at Work

This week, I want to talk about how to focus on the right things at work, using Stephen Covey’s Four Quadrants. Let’s think about the Four Quadrants as a tool to manage our ACTIVITIES better — so we are focusing on the right things to get the results we are held accountable for achieving. My challenge for you in this area is this: After listening to this episode, decide to make a small — but significant shift — in one of the quadrants. A shift that will yield substantial results in terms of your productivity.

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Work Issues, Career Management Lesa Edwards Work Issues, Career Management Lesa Edwards

270: The Signs Your Company is Likely to Do a Reduction in Force (RIF) - and How to Be Prepared

I talked in episode #268 about leading through a reduction in force — today I want to talk about the signs that your company might be about to do a RIF — and how to be prepared. We’ll discuss ARFO, some signs to look out for, and the red flags that tell you to look somewhere else immediately.

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Leadership, Career Management Lesa Edwards Leadership, Career Management Lesa Edwards

267: Transitioning from Managing Yourself to Managing Others

Transitioning from managing yourself to managing others — is this the route for you?

For those becoming first-time managers, there is a learning curve, with the biggest change being a shift to begin thinking about others. Let’s talk about the differences when moving from an individual contributor to a manager, issues that can arise and what to do to help, and how to set yourself up for success.

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