I was asked to "shadow coach" a junior program manager in his new role. His first big challenge was assessing the skills of a team who had been together for months, but who were behind schedule in launching their product.This new PM was now responsible for figuring out who would remain with the team and who would be replaced. My role was to walk him through the process of asking the required questions and reviewing the resu...

In an ever-changing marketplace, innovating your way to career success means keeping your "innovation potential" at peak performance. You risk a career setback by accepting a position that doesn't excite you or working with a company incapable of keeping your innovation threshold humming at a higher level.As a talented professional, much of your success depends upon the partners you select and how you collaborate and innova...

Everyone has a unique negotiating style that when effectively used becomes your calling card in building healthy relationships. So often in business, professionals focus on their weak areas and less about the value they bring to the deal.How does this apply to you when interviewing for a new position inside your organization or outside the company?Interviewing for a new position provides you with an opportunity to connect t...

When was the last time you assessed your preference for working outside your comfort zone? Although a no one-size-fits-all risk taking style exists given the different criteria that can influence how you approach workplace situations, generally you can assess your comfort zone when dealing with unknown outcomes.Your Personal Risk taking StyleYou can begin by taking this self-assessment and answering the fourteen statements...

It begins with assuming responsibility for managing your career life cycle in front of your personal and professional inflection points. But in order to do this, you'll first need to get clear about what you consider to be outside your comfort zone.Begin with a review of 2009 and identify the peaks and valleys of your personal and professional life. You could do this "low tech" by placing twelve self-adhesive poster-sized s...

In the new world of work it's about differentiating yourself both in the workplace and in the marketplace. One quick way to do this, particularly in today's fearful environment, is to put more "skin in the game"--in other words, take responsible risks that can help you stand out in the crowd.Responsible risks are the ones you're prepared to take without putting your personal life or your career in jeopardy.Managing Your Car...

Seven key characteristics in the new world of work will define career success for workplace leaders and knowledge professionals in 2010 and beyond.1. Career lifecycle - managing change in front of your inflection curve.Successfully managing your personal inflection points requires that you first understand your own patterns and rhythm associated with your preferred cycle of change. Everyone has a pattern associated with the...

It's the end of another year and we would all agree a rather tough one at that. You're ready to brush off 2009. But not so fast.Before you can move forward, you'll want to acknowledge the baggage that you're still dragging along or it could wind up cluttering your life and any shiny new plans you have in 2010.No matter how out of shape you think you are most of us can do one set of ten reps. So, I've come up with ten things...

Our decisions put us in the driver's seat and over time define who we become. So, why do people so often allow others to make decisions for them by choosing to do nothing? Of course, it is easier to blame someone else for not doing right by us, instead of accepting the consequences of an imperfect decision. But when we give others permission to make choices for us, we still risk an imperfect outcome when the decision mad...

Last week I spent a nice evening with Engage Her Silicon Valley Circle members describing what goes into a personal or professional reinvention. One of the questions I often get asked is when do you know you're ready to reinvent yourself? Well, it depends on what track you're on when you ask the question. Track 1: Professionals who are learning the process for the first time. Track 2: Professionals who understand the rei...