Executive Presence Rules are confusing! No kidding! We’ve read a lot recently about executive presence and the hype associated with those indefinable characteristics  style, substance and character or charisma, communication and appearance.  A veritable industry has been spawned to define and navigate this amorphous concept which apparently is perceived to contribute by 26% to successful career progression. So is there…

Career disruption comes in many forms:  mergers, takeovers, bad bosses, new bosses, downsizing, up-scaling,  marriage, parenthood, re-location, health issues, transfers,  job loss to name some. As a career coach, who is a strong advocate for both men and women to create strategic plans for their careers, I listened attentively to Whitney Johnson. Author of Dare, Dream Do  at a recent 3Plus Mini-Coaching session Whitney shared her tips from…

What is executive presence? Do you have it? What are the intangibles, the “je ne sais quoi” or X Factors that make the difference between being the person who stands out and commands a room, or who disappears and becomes invisible in the crowd?  How is a person able to inspire confidence and trust of those around him or her, to become a respected…

I see many people in transition who struggle to advance in their careers  internally within their own organisations, in almost the same way as if they were involved in an external job search. Today,  many companies have very rigorous internal promotion processes which can be as daunting as looking for a position outside a current organisation. However,  there are…

Do you have a career plan? The likelihood of most of us sitting down every year with a professional career coach to create an annual career strategy is about as great as chocolate cream cake becoming a zero calorie dessert any time soon.  No one would think of having a medical with an unqualified doctor or getting their cars serviced at an…

The Peter Drucker phrase “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” has been around in management training manuals for decades. With some dissenting views, it is widely accepted if not as a business truism, certainly as a useful guideline and management tool. In career management what is also gaining credibility is the line “If you can’t…

This is yet another illustration of the power of social media with an introduction from long time Twitter connection @CareerSherpa  Hannah Morgan to   Mary van de Wiel, Brand Anthropologist,  creator of NY Brand Lab & Brand Audits and  of Zing Your Brand.  . As CEO, Brand Anthropologist at The NY Brand Lab and ZingYourBrand.com, a NY-based consultancy, workspace &…

A tale of two ostriches is about two people who confused personal development with ambition. Time to get your head out of the sand! Esther Esther is 45. She has worked for the same company for 15 years. She enjoys her job as a middle management customer service supervisor which is varied and demanding.  Her family is…

So you think that change will fly by and leave your career plans untouched? You do? Then I suggest you watch this video! Do you have career insurance or a career management strategy? One of the greatest challenges is planning a career strategy in a job market that is changing faster than we are.   All the goal posts…

Suzannah works in investment banking. She is on track for a senior role and intends to have a high 6 figure salary (at least) by the time she is 40. Her goal is to break through the glass ceiling in this male dominated sector which has less than 10%  women at board level. Sacrifice culture A 70 hour week…