When things go south, organizations and individuals swirl and twirl. Perhaps you have a team that not only can’t “shoot straight,” they are engaged in target practice. Tempers flare. Good people get caught in the crossfire. Or even worse, other people begin to tattle. Work can begin to resemble a pre-school sandbox more than a professional environment.
In my line of work, strategic initiatives and planning are the foundation of growth and success. Once that strategy is in effect, we must continually analyze and assess its position, perspective, and potential to increase gains and profit. The same is true for career advancement. We are each individual brands seeking growth. Much like the businesses I formulate strategies for, we as professionals will make some mistakes along the way that deter us from our full career potential. When I look back at my journey and my brand there are three outstanding mistakes that come to mind that I've found to be common among all professionals.
I barely met this person an hour ago, briefly judged him, and hadn't even heard of the program he mentioned. He instructed me how I can apply for him to be my official mentor and to email him the following week. From then on, we met every day once a month for coffee. Never once was he late, never once did he not have a notebook and pen prepared for our meeting, and never once did he not begin our conversation with, "Are you taking care of your mental health?"
New parents re-entering the workforce are often juggling the tangible realities of daycare logistics, sleep deprivation, and a cascade of overwhelming work. No matter how parents build their family, they often struggle with the guilt of being split between home and work and not feeling exceptionally successful in either place.