Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

I recently spoke on a webcast hosted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) where I spoke on the topic of leadership and management. I believe it’s important to remember that the two are not the same thing. The functions of management include planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence others. Because the definition of leadership includes influence, it’s important to understand workplace power. 

Power is defined as “a person or thing that possesses or exercises authority or influence”. In essence, when we use power, we’re utilizing our influence to get something. This means that everyone has power. Yes, everyone. And that’s not a bad thing. The real question becomes what kind of power a person has and how someone uses that power. Here are the seven most common types of workplace power and how they might be used.

1. Coercive power is associated with people who are able to punish others. People fear the consequences of not doing what has been asked of them. Coercive power could be used by a manager as in “Do this or I’ll write you up.” But it could also be used by the scheduling department to give someone an unfavorable work shift. 

2. Connection power is based upon who you know. This person knows and has the ear of other powerful people within the organization. An example would be the administrative assistant who has a positive working relationship with their boss. If the assistant doesn’t like you…well, that could get passed along to the executive. And vice versa. 

3. Expert power comes from a person’s expertise (obviously). This is commonly a person with an acclaimed skill or accomplishment. Don’t assume that expertise always comes in the form of being a vice president or having a Ph.D. An expert could be the person who is able to fix things around the office. 

4. A person who has access to valuable or important information possesses informational power. I think of informational workplace power in two ways. First, it’s the person who always seems to be “in the know” about what’s happening in the company. You know who I’m taking about. But also, those individuals who can curate good information in today’s digital world. 

5. Legitimate power comes from the position a person holds. This is related to a person’s title and job responsibilities. You might also hear this referred to as positional power. When I was an in-house HR director, I had the ability to request a manual paycheck for an employee. That authority was given to me based on my job title. No one else was able to make that request. 

6. People who are well-liked and respected can have referent power. People like to do things with and for people they like. It’s the premise of the best-selling book by Tim Sanders, “The Likeability Factor”. This doesn’t mean being weak or a pushover. It also doesn’t mean that likeable people never deliver tough messages. But it does mean that they invest time in building relationships. 

7. Reward power is based upon a person’s ability to bestow rewards. Those rewards might come in the form of job assignments, schedules, pay or benefits. This could be perceived as the opposite of coercive power. Managers might use reward power. For example, “Do this project and then take the rest of the day off.” 

Please don’t be modest and say to yourself, “I don’t have any power.” As you can see, there are lots of different ways workplace power can manifest itself. And for that reason, it’s important to realize that power exists in everyone. It’s also possible that you have different kinds of power with different groups or situations. The two biggest mistakes I see with people using power revolve around (1) trying to use power they don’t have and (2) using the wrong kind of power to achieve specific results.

To help you better understand and identify your “power”, take a moment and think about how you try to influence the actions of others. You could use the descriptions above as a pseudo self-assessment. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 in each of the different kinds of power. With 1 being not at all characteristic of you and 5 being quite characteristic.

This can be a powerful exercise (sorry for the pun). If you’re honest with yourself, I hope you will find the results helpful. Not only for the way that you tend to use power, but in the ways that others use power with you.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Orlando, FL

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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

I mentioned a few months ago that I received a trial membership to MasterClass as part of changing my cellular phone plan. During the trial, I was able to listen to Neil Gaiman, Malala Yousafzai, Neil deGrasse Tyson, RuPaul, Bill Nye, and Dr. Terence Tao. And while I didn’t plan it this way, the last session I listened to about determining a personal brand really brought them all together. 

Roxanne Gay is a writer and podcaster. She is the author of the bestseller “Bad Feminist” and an opinion writer for The New York Times. She is also the author of “World of Wakanda” for Marvel. While Roxanne’s MasterClass was focused on writing for social change, what I walked away with was more about being your unapologetically authentic self in both your personal and professional lives. 

It reminded me of an interview I did a long time ago with Amanda Hite and Dan Schawbel about personal branding. We all have a brand, and we need to be comfortable with it. And if we’re not, it could be valuable to do some self-reflection. Roxanne Gay’s MasterClass talked about six areas that might be helpful to consider as part of a self-reflection exercise.

Make appointments with yourself for the things that matter. I wanted to share this takeaway first because I think it sets the stage for the others. You can call it self-care or me time or whatever. It’s okay to block time off on your calendar for you. Because you are worth it. Identify what’s important to you and make time for it. 

Have a personal code of ethics. In season three of The HR Bartender Show, we talked about ethics mostly in the context of organizational ethics. It’s a good reminder that our personal ethics are important. Many people use the New Year as an opportunity for self-reflection. Maybe it makes sense to add time to think about personal ethics and how it relates to your organization’s ethical standard and personal brand. 

Read and listen to diverse sources. This kinda relates to the first two takeaways. One of the activities that can help us identify what matters is reading and listening to a diverse selection of people. Please note: I did not say that you have to believe or embrace every word they say. I must admit that sometimes the people who frustrate me the most are often ones that help me learn something. There is value in leaving the echo chamber. 

Learn how to research. The definition of research is “the creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”. It builds on the last takeaway about diverse sources. When I read and listen to things, I often do research to confirm that they are true. Several of the MasterClass sessions I’ve listen to mentioned misinformation and disinformation. We need to learn how to research and identify knowledgeable sources to figure out the truth. 

Find your process. One of my most popular training programs is related to the concept of self-management. In the session, we talk about identifying what makes you productive. If you haven’t asked yourself the question lately, I’d suggest you ask “What makes me my most productive self?” Conversely, also ask, “What makes me my least productive self?” Be prepared to discuss this with your manager and maybe even your family. 

Support your community when you can. I would like to add to this takeaway “with what you can”. It’s not always possible to support our community all the time. Sometimes other things must take priority. But when you can show support for your community – do it. And do it a level that you’re comfortable and capable of.  

Roxanne Gay’s MasterClass was a great reminder that one of the keys to our success is self-awareness. If we want to change or improve an area of our lives, it starts with evaluating where we are right now and where we’d like to be in the future. The world we live in is full of information. Sometimes conflicting information. Knowing ourselves and what we stand for becomes essential in figuring out our personal brand.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV

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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

As we approach the New Year, the topic of careers is often on everyone’s mind. From an organizational perspective, management is thinking about their staffing plans and where they are going to fill positions. Will we have to hire people from the outside? Or do we have internal talent that are ready to take on new roles? 

Meanwhile, employees are thinking about their careers. What do I want to focus on in the year ahead – improving skills, building relationships, or maybe identifying new opportunities? Those things don’t happen overnight, and employees have to plan how they will accomplish their goals. 

Ideally, both the organization and the employee are working together on career management. This allows the organization to accomplish its goal of finding and retaining the best talent. And it allows employees to accomplish their goals of finding rewarding work. 

This year, we’ve published several articles talking about both the organization’s and the employee’s roles in career management. 

Career Planning: The Organization’s Role in Creating Employee Success

Career planning is the process of matching an employee’s career goals with their capabilities. Simply put, it’s about connecting what people do well with what they want to do. Ideally, we want employees to enjoy their chosen career. If they do, it can translate to higher employee engagement, which ultimately has a positive impact on productivity and the bottom line. 

Servant Leadership: Excellent Leaders Focus on People and Profits

There is no clear path to being a good leader. If there was, we’d all have an index card with the steps to be a good leader and the conversation would be over. Leadership takes time and practice. But if there was one thing that we could all focus on to improve our leadership skills, maybe first serving the people around us is a good place to start.

Should Managers Be Coaches or Is There a Better Option

What if the organization said, “Asking managers to manage and be coaches is too much. Let’s hire some coaches to supplement what the manager is doing.” Remember the functions of management include planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. It is very possible that managers just have too much on their plate. And to do employee coaching well, the organization might want to consider having dedicated coaches.

Encourage Employees to Manage Their Career

While organizations need to encourage employees to manage their career, employees also need to take an active role in their careers. They need to learn how to evaluate their own performance and identify things they want to learn. Then they should set goals for themselves and monitor their progress. 

Career Planning: The Employee’s Role in Driving Their Success

Employees are an equal partner in their own career planning. Remember the definition of career planning is “the process of matching career goals with capabilities”. That can’t happen without employee involvement. Then it becomes the employee’s responsibility to communicate those goals to management. Ultimately, that’s how managers can support the employee and their future plans.

How to Find a Mentor

Deciding to have a mentor(s) is a great thing. But it takes some planning. Decide what you’re hoping to accomplish. Think about who might be able to help and determine their qualifications. Be prepared to talk about these things when you ask someone to take on a mentoring role. Oh, and consider whether your mentoring relationship needs to be in-person or could it be virtual. This could impact who you ask to be a mentor. 

5 Qualities Found in Excellent Mentors

According to the site MentorCliq, 92% of all U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 100% of the top 50 U.S. Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs . Mentoring is an incredibly popular activity because it works. It feels great to share your experience and knowledge with others, and you can also learn a lot along the way. But that will only happen if the mentoring relationship is built on the right foundation. That’s why it’s worth the time to learn how to do it well.

While we’re not talking about quiet quitting and loud leaving anymore (thank goodness!), this doesn’t mean that employees are completely content in their careers. Employees want to know that the organization values them and will make investments in their career success. In an article on the American Psychological Association site, 91% of respondents said it’s important to have a job where they can consistently learn. But only 47% say their employer offers that. 

As organizations and individuals are setting goals for the year, discuss where career management falls in those goals. Put a plan in place. Allocate resources to make it happen. Not only will it make employees more engaged, but it will help the business thrive.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Washington, DC

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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

(Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to you by our friends at UKG – Ultimate Kronos Group, a leading provider of HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions. The NelsonHall NEAT report recently named UKG a leader in the next generation HCM technology market. Congrats to them and enjoy the article!)

Mark your calendars! The UKG HR & Payroll eSymposium is scheduled for Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 10a to 4p Eastern. The theme for this event is “change the conversation”. 

I can definitely see how the “change the conversation” theme is relevant to today’s workplaces. I believe organizations and individuals have been looking for an opportunity to do a reset. Organizations are still trying to find that exact right mix of onsite, hybrid, and remote work. They’re also trying to balance the needs of customers, shareholders, and employees. Meanwhile, employees are trying to find their own sense of balance in terms of their personal and professional goals. 

This eSymposium has several sessions designed to help individuals and organizations examine their current strategies and invent some new ones. You can check out the full agenda, speaker profiles, and register by visiting the UKG eSymposium website but, here are a few sessions that immediately caught my attention.

Hot Topics in Employment Law 2024

The pace of workplace change is rapid. Struggling with the uncertainty of recent Supreme Court decisions and the changing dynamics of union labor and strikes, employers also face a tidal wave of federal and state changes affecting the workplace. HR leaders must stay informed of the latest developments to avoid often-unseen legal issues or penalties. Employment law experts Christopher Olmsted and Brittany Brantley, from Ogletree Deakins, will share detailed insights on these breaking topics, including best practices for building alliances with your legal team.

Understanding, Identifying, and Leveraging Your Key Stakeholders

The solution to making an impact in the workplace is delivering quality and relevant work. Achieving this goal requires that you know your strengths, your areas of opportunity, and your business.  Leveraging all those elements and knowing your key stakeholders not only changes the conversation, but it can also change relationships in the workplace. Coretha Rushing, former CHRO for Equifax, will discuss how to identify the most crucial stakeholders impacting your workplace goals and how to forge stronger connections with them.

More Time, More Impact: How Generative AI Gives HR Pros Superpowers

How many of us in our daily work get to do those things that drew us into our profession in the first place? If we’re honest, we often spend too much time on busywork, repetitive tasks, and other activities that don’t bring out our best abilities and passions. In this session, Ben Eubanks, chief research officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, will share how generative artificial intelligence can help you tackle your “to do” list and refocus your efforts and attention on creating better relationships and impact. 

Strategy Activation: A Proven Gameplan

This session delivers a walk through on how you can bring organizational change to life with proven, easy to follow methodology while feeling good about the work you’re doing. Participants will be able to translate business priorities into tangible actions. UKG experts Regent Cornell, principal organizational development specialist, and Nick Jordan, lead talent development consultant, will lead the conversation on overcoming resistance to change and using strategy activation tactics with intention.

I hope you’ll agree with me that the agenda for the UKG eSymposium looks very interesting and relevant to what’s taking place right now in the workplace. Like many of you, I’m always on the lookout for FREE professional development events that really deliver on providing quality information. I’ve been participating in the UKG eSymposiums for several years and consistently find them to be a high-quality learning opportunity.

Taking Time for Our Professional Development is Important

I have to remind myself that taking time out for my own professional development is important. Now is the time to take some of our own advice. If a manager or employee came to us about not having time for learning, we’d tell them that “developing our knowledge and skills makes us better at our jobs.”. And it’s true. Here are a few reminders about the benefits of attending this event.

It’s FREE. Sometimes free things are good and sometimes … well, they’re not. The UKG HR & Payroll eSymposium is one of those good, free events. As much as we might want to travel to an event right now, the cost of travel is (still) very inflated. So, when we can identify a good, free event, we need to take full advantage. 

The content is relevant and high-quality. Let me say it again. One of the things that I always enjoy about this event is that the information is relevant. I also like that the eSymposium brings together HR and payroll. I’ve been responsible for both functions a few times in my career, and this is one of the few events that has topics which are relevant to both. Since the event is free, your organization can have multiple people attend, and then maybe set up a meeting to discuss takeaways from the sessions. It’s a great way for HR and payroll to learn from each other.

You can earn recertification credits. The educational sessions have been pre-approved for recertification credits with several HR and payroll professional groups (listed below). UKG will be providing a certificate of participation for your files.

• American Payroll Association (APA)
• Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Saskatchewan (CPHR-SK)
• Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI)
• Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)
• National Payroll Institute (NPI)
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

The sessions will be recorded. While this is a virtual event and being able to attend the live sessions is always beneficial, if you’re not able to, no worries. Most sessions will be made available on-demand. That way if you’re torn between two sessions then you can listen to one live and the other on demand. Honestly, I will admit I sometimes rewatch sessions again to catch some tidbits I may have missed, especially if I’m trying to use the information in a budget proposal. 

The UKG HR & Payroll eSymposium is designed to deliver education on the topics we face every day and could potentially face in the future. It has the ingredients many of us look for in professional development opportunities: 1) high-quality content, 2) no cost to attend, and 3) pre-approved for recertification. We all know this doesn’t happen very often. 

HR and payroll professionals are focused on a lot of things, like recruiting and retention. There are days when we say to ourselves that we can’t possibly think about taking time off to attend a professional development program. But we just have to find the best way to build in our own professional development. It’s important. Sign up for the UKG HR & Payroll eSymposium. Here are the registration details:

UKG HR & Payroll eSymposium: Change the Conversation

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

10a to 4p Eastern

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

I know that some people hate math. But I hope even if you’re not into math that you’ll stick with me on today’s article. 

I’ve been listening to some MasterClass sessions and stumbled onto one by Dr. Terence Tao, who has been nicknamed “The Mozart of Mathematics”. He is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles and has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field. I must admit, I had never heard of Dr. Tao, but I like math, so I decided to listen to his class … and I’m very glad I did.

Dr. Tao talked about how math makes things more connected. I thought this was a great business takeaway. In business, we often talk about math in the context of data and analytics. It’s possible that some people might say organizations talk about the numbers too much. Maybe instead of thinking about data and analytics as being cold and objective, it’s time to think of them as a way to connect the organization. And view them as a language to help us make those connections and communicate better. 

Keeping that in mind, Dr. Tao’s MasterClass was focused on how we can use math and problem solving to better make connections for ourselves and around the organization. I believe we can apply these takeaways to the way we use data and analytics.   

Getting stuck is normal. It’s okay to not know everything. Dr. Tao discussed how being a mathematician was challenging because everyone always expected him to have the answer and sometimes, he didn’t. It’s possible that we need to do more research to get insights which will help us get unstuck. Sometimes we just need to let problems go until they’re ready to be solved. There was one other thing he mentioned when talking about getting stuck and not knowing answers that really resonated with me. He said that if you never get stuck maybe you need to ask yourself if you’re challenging yourself enough. 

Have a mentor. Be a mentor. This also came up in RuPaul’s MasterClass. Mentoring is a valuable activity for our personal and professional lives. Mentors could be useful in helping us frame problems and solutions. They could be helpful in reminding us that getting stuck is normal and it’s okay not to know everything (see above).    

Learn how to identify problems. Dr. Tao talked about how organizations often set themselves up for frustration and possibly failure because they don’t correctly identify the problem. Three things to note: 1) If you have a big problem, it might be necessary to break it down into smaller more manageable parts. 2) Have a good problem-solving process and make sure people know how to use it. And 3) Become comfortable with being a part of a bigger process. We might need help from others to solve a problem. 

Disrupt your thought process to change your thinking. This ties into the first bullet about getting stuck. Sometimes we might get stuck because we feel that we must solve a problem a certain way, meaning that we feel we have to arrive at a specific outcome. It could make sense to do a “reset”, whether that’s individually or as a team. I’m not saying abandon your process but is there a way to look at the data differently to gain better insights.

Show your “outtakes”. Do you ever watch the bloopers from your favorite TV show or movie? I’m reminded of a scene in the Apple TV show Ted Lasso where the team loses badly. Of course, part of the coaching process is to review the game so the team can learn from the loss. But Ted shows the game on fast forward to the theme music from the “Benny Hill” show. It allows the team a light moment before discussing the seriousness of the loss. Often our flubs or first attempts can be very helpful and a learning moment. But we do have to get comfortable with facing mistakes. 

Failure is okay. Speaking of mistakes, it’s possible you will not achieve your original goal but that’s okay because you learned something along the way. Learning from that mistake could help you eventually solve the problem. Or possibly help the organization reframe the problem. Or even help us reset our thinking. The point being that we’re not perfect and we are going to make mistakes. 

One of the reasons that I liked Dr. Tao’s MasterClass is because of his authenticity and honesty in talking about data and analytics. He is a very smart and accomplished professional. Many of us are too. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t moments where we might feel pressure to have all the answers or be afraid to admit our mistakes. 

From an organizational standpoint, I sometimes see this in managers. Once a person is promoted to manager, they feel they need to know everything. That employees won’t respect them if they say that they don’t know something. Or they’re concerned about telling their boss that they made a mistake. Yes, we need to have well-defined processes and follow-them. But instead of punishing people for not being perfect, let’s help them turn the moment into a way to strengthen organizational connections. 

The post Use Data and Analytics to Make the Organization More Connected appeared first on hr bartender.

According to a 2020 survey published on Psychology Today, about 1 in 6 people are active journalers. Journaling can have a positive impact on our overall wellbeing. I’ve written in the past about how journaling can be helpful in your career development. 

I’ve journaled a handful of times in my life: when I was recovering from my car accident, my first year as a consultant, and most recently during the pandemic. I found the practice very useful. But then I saw an article on Austin Kleon’s blog titled “The Importance of Revisiting Notebooks” and it made me wonder. Because I never went back and revisited those journals. 

I don’t want to imply that anyone might be doing journaling wrong if they don’t go back and revisit their old journals. The article did make me wonder though if I wasn’t getting the full benefit. This started a project for me about how to make the most out of journaling. Which is how I discovered commonplace books.

A commonplace book is a way to compile knowledge. They date back to the 19^th Century. People like Leonardo da Vinci, Henry David Thoreau, and Virginia Woolf have been known to keep commonplace books. 

This article in The New York Times Magazine did a great job of summing up a commonplace book. They’re like a diary without the risk of annoying yourself. Commonplace books are a place to keep quotes, lines from books and songs, or pictures that just speak to you. Austin Kleon, who started me down this rabbit hole in the first place, had a nice read titled “Inside my commonplace diary”. 

The best way for me to describe the difference between journals and commonplace books is that journals contain our thoughts and commonplace books contain external stimuli. That’s when it hit me. Maybe what my journaling practice was missing was the outside world. So, in an act of rebellion, I decided to merge my journaling with a commonplace book. Here are two things I learned. 

It’s very easy (and relatively inexpensive) to start. I didn’t buy a fancy journal or book to start this project. You know all those free notebooks we get at conferences? I grabbed one of those. I figured if I really get into it, then I can decide later if I want something more.

When I want to journal, I do. And when I want to remember something that I’ve seen or heard, I make note of that too. Sometimes they are related. I might see a quote that I want to remember and make a note of why I want to remember it.    

I’ve been using this combination journal / commonplace book approach for a few months, and I must say I’m enjoying it. I also find myself occasionally revisiting what I’ve written … which is what prompted this project in the first place. 

If you’re looking for a way to add something new to your journaling practice, I hope you find this helpful. And if you were trying to figure out if journaling is for you … maybe researching commonplace books makes sense. There are no rules. Ultimately, it’s about finding the right combination of things for you. Because when it works for you … then it works. And that’s what is important. 

Image from Sharlyn Lauby’s latest graphic t-shirt from TeePublic 

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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

One of the activities we don’t spend enough time proactively thinking about is our careers. We get busy and career planning kinda moves down on the priority list. Then when things aren’t going great, we find ourselves reacting to the environment around us. Which isn’t great when it comes to making career decisions. 

So, I’m hoping today’s roundup of articles is a good reminder to schedule some time for yourself to think about your career and what you hope to accomplish in the months to come. 

Career Planning: The Employee’s Role in Driving Their Success

While organizations are very involved in the process of career planning, that doesn’t mean they can drive all of the outcomes. Employees need to understand themselves and decide what they want their career to look like – both short- and long-term. It’s also the employee’s responsibility to communicate those goals to management. Ultimately, that’s how managers can support the employee and their future plans.

How To Be More Curious

One of the qualities that employers want in an employee is curiosity. It’s defined as a “strong desire to know or learn something”. Curiosity can be incredibly helpful to employees and organizations. Especially when organizations want a lean operation. Think about how you can find your own answers – successfully. 

Improve Your Business Acumen with These 10 Activities

I’ve come to realize that business acumen isn’t something you learn once and you’re done. Business acumen is changing all the time. Yes, it’s true that terms like profit and EBDITA haven’t changed. But now we have new terms like mattering, toggling tax, and productivity paranoia. If you want to be a contributor and effective business partner, then you must know how to continuously gain exposure to new business concepts and ideas. 

You Must Define Your Own Work Life Balance 

Work life balance is important, and it contributes to a person’s wellbeing. Unfortunately, I’ve seen people be less than honest with themselves about their work life balance and end up being stressed out and burned out. 

Sometimes part of our career planning includes making a change. If you’re thinking that it’s time to start a career transition – whether that’s an internal move or an external one – here are a few articles that might help. 

Quitting Is Not a Sign of Failure

There are lots of inspirational quotes and sayings that want us to believe that quitting is bad or wrong or a sign of failure. It’s not. Sometimes quitting is the absolutely right thing to do. Ideally, it’s good to quit with a plan, so we can learn from the experience. That’s why quitting isn’t a sign of failure. Because we learned something along the way. 

Make Creating Change a Part of Your Professional Life

Anyone can be a change maker. Influencing change isn’t an “old person” thing or a “young person” thing. Give what you can when you can. That’s how change happens. That’s how we can make an impact in both our personal and professional lives.

The Benefits of Volunteerism

If you’re looking for a new way to learn and contribute, volunteerism is a valuable experience both personally and professionally. But finding the right volunteer opportunity can take some time. That initial investment in research can offer huge benefits and lifetime rewards.

Keep Your LinkedIn Profile Current

Regardless of your opinions about social media, it’s still a part of our personal and professional lives. And when it comes to business, LinkedIn is still tops. That means managing your profile matters. There are lots of resources to help us create and maintain a positive social media presence.

How to Create a Quitting Plan (and Yes, You Should)

If we think about it, quitting is simply a form of change. And change is okay. We can use our skills in problem solving, decision making, change management, and goal setting to help us successfully quit and restart. This doesn’t mean quitting isn’t hard. All change is hard. Even the changes we plan for. But creating a plan can help us think about the steps we need to take and when we’d like to take them. Sometimes having that kind of control can make quitting and changing a lot easier.

We spend a huge amount of time working which is why we owe it to ourselves to give our professional lives the time and energy it deserves. Schedule some time to think about your career and what you want to accomplish. List your goals and be able to articulate them. I’m not saying that everything will happen exactly the way we want it to, but taking the time to have a career plan keeps us focused on the things that matter.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring Walt Disney World, FL

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