Don’t let uncertainty paralyze you.

It’s a fact of life. Sometime, somewhere and somehow, you are going to run into uncertainty and the unknown. Now, I realize it’s never comfortable to have to deal with uncertainty, but I’ve found there are five steps you can take to make the unknown more palatable.

Step 1: Identify the Unknown

Sometimes this is easy. It might be that you aren’t sure if your boss liked your proposal. Other times, it could take a while to pinpoint exactly what it is that you’re uncertain about. Maybe you’re uncertain about the career path you’ve chosen or maybe you aren’t sure you’re ready to start a family.

Step 2: Create a Roadmap

Now that you’ve pinpointed what you’re uncertain about, it’s time to create a mental roadmap. Try and imagine all of the possible twists and turns that different choices could take you on. One decision may take you in a completely different direction than other, but by visualizing different paths, you are lessening the chance that uncertainty will catch you completely off guard.

Step 3: Identify Potential Pitfalls

From those potential paths that you’ve imagined, do you see any problems that might arise? I would be surprised if you didn’t run into some problems along the way since no path is ever perfect. Try and predict what some of the problems of various directions might be.

Step 4: Overcome Obstacles with Creative Thinking

Since you have started coming up with possible problems, now it’s time to brainstorm some solutions! This is the part I love because it involves delving into your creative side. Some solutions might be simple and others will involve you relying on your intuition, but all of them will have you thinking of creative solutions.

Step 5: Consider Uncertainty Managed!

Look at that! Suddenly, that uncertainty doesn’t seem all that uncertain does it? When you take the time to problem solve through unknowns, you come out on the other side with clarity and feel empowered for having solved a problem.

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Shatter all the stereotypes of the working woman and break out of your glass office

It’s a topic that’s decades old in the corporate world: the glass ceiling. That barrier to success what so many women in the business world face. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s still easier to be a man in today’s corporate culture. Sure, some industries are more old boy clubs than others, but it still takes a lot more for a woman to succeed than a man. I started thinking about the glass ceiling a little more the other day and it struck me that there isn’t just one barrier to success, there are many! As a woman, we battle more than just a glass ceiling, we fight against glass walls as well. So what do I think are the four walls that keep women from succeeding like they should?

Pay: Let’s be honest, a big part of knowing that you’ve achieved success is a bigger paycheck and our paychecks have statistically been proven to be lower for women than they are for men in the positions.

How to shatter this glass wall: It’s simple really. Do your research. When you go into your boss’s office for an annual review or raise, have the data there in front of you. Know what people in your position are being paid and don’t accept anything less.

Promotion: For some reason, many women have to work harder than men do in order to get the same types of promotions in their field. Whether this is because women are more team oriented than men or whether men are more vocal about their leadership and opinions, I cannot say.

How to shatter this glass wall: Don’t let yourself get lost in the group. Be sure to point out your successes and show off the work that you’ve accomplished. Be vocal and don’t back down.

Family: There’s a stereotype out there that women who are working mothers or who took time to start a family simply aren’t cut out for c-level management. This, of course, is bologna since mothers learn better than almost anyone how to best manage their time and multitask.

How to shatter this glass wall: Take what people perceive as negatives and turn them into positives. As a mother, you have a different insight that you can bring to the board. Your schedule is more fine-tuned than anyone else’s and your multitasking abilities are well honed.

Communication: It’s a fact. Men and women communicate in very different ways. Women talk to solve problems and men talk to be heard or appear dominant.

How to shatter this glass wall: Learn how to effectively communicate your opinions and solutions to a male audience. I know it’s not fair that you have to tailor your communication to them, but for now, you have to learn to play their way. I have no doubt that soon enough, they’ll be playing the game our way.

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There are a variety of ways to network. Use them all to your advantage

Networking has always been important, even back in the days of the two martini lunch, but in an increasingly digital business environment, it’s even more important to network and to stand out among the crowd. I’m sure you understand, in theory, why networking is important, but how should you go about it in each forum or situation and what is the value of networking both online and off?

Facebook

Good for:

•          Reconnecting with old friends
•          Connecting with new friends
•          Keeping up to date with friends’ lives

Bad for:

•          Making new friends
•          Generating new business contacts

How can you network on Facebook?

•          Make private inquiries to friends about job opportunities in their company
•          Ask for recommendations or referrals

What’s the networking value?

It would take several large happy hour networking events to have the list of contacts that you probably have in Facebook. Your friends are connections and will almost always help you with a referral or recommendation if you ask for it.

Twitter

Good for:

•          Making new, tech savvy friends
•          Staying current on trends
•          Connecting with acquaintances
•          Building yourself as a brand

Bad for:

•          Private conversations
•          In depth discussions

How can you network on Twitter?

•          Follow as many people as you want
•          Use the “Who to Follow” recommendations
•          Follow people your friends or acquaintances follow

What’s the networking value?

Twitter is great for developing a large networking group. While you may not be as close as you are to everyone on your Facebook timeline, many of the people on Twitter are very adept at networking and getting useful information disseminated.  

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LinkedIn

Good for:

•          Finding business connections
•          Getting job electronic job recommendations

Bad for:

•          Fostering new friendships
•          Keeping up with your friends’ lives

How can you network on LinkedIn?

•          Fill out your profile completely and keep it up to date
•          Request business connections when you see them
•          Ask for recommendations from clients or former colleagues

What’s the networking value?

As a site that’s designed to help people network online, LinkedIn is a great place to keep it professional and host all of your professional information. It’s a great place to send potential employers and a good place to make career connections.

Face-to-Face

Good for:

•          Meeting new people
•          Fostering new business opportunities
•          Maintaining existing friendships

Bad for:

•          People who feel uncomfortable in social situations

How can you network face-to-face?

•          Over dinner
•          During a happy hour
•          While eating lunch

What’s the networking value?

Let’s be honest, meeting people and talking to them face-to-face will always beat anything that happens online. Making real, physical connections and being able to interact on more than just an interface makes networking in real life the best way to gain a great connection.

Healthy Relationships Begin with Authenticity and Energy

Interacting with peers is part of your job. Heck, it’s part of life! The connections that we make while we’re at work, at a social gathering or just spending some time with family are the connections that allow us to win friends. Or maybe not. You see, if you’re not interacting with a little bit extra energy the first time you meet someone, you may not make a great first impression. I’m not saying you have to be a ball of energy 100% of the time, but it pays to be perky on your initial interaction with someone. To prove my point, here are a couple situations and two options for response. You choose which one you think would create the type of healthy, positive relationship that you would want to have in the future. 

You’re at a work happy hour and a new manager, your peer, comes up to introduce themself to you. Do you: 

•          Politely shake their hand and then wait for them to initiate any type of conversation. You remain talking to the new manager, but never fully engage them in the conversation and only give answers to their questions.
•          Warmly shakes their hand and immediately ask them how they like the company and if they have any questions you can answer for them. Listen to their response and begin a two-sided conversation that involves both answering and asking questions. 

While at a friend’s birthday party, you find yourself seated next to someone you’ve never met before. Do you: 

•          Turn to them and introduce yourself saying, “Obviously we both have great taste in friends, how do you know the birthday boy/girl?”
•          Ignore the person you don’t know and scan the area for someone you do know and begin to talk to them, even if it means talking over or around the person you have not met.

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You’re on a blind date and, while you aren’t feeling a romantic spark, this person is someone you may want to work with or use as a contact in the future. Do you:

•          Flat out tell them, “Listen, I’m not really feeling this, let’s call it a night.” Then find them on LinkedIn the next morning to make a business connection.
•          Be honest and say, “You know, I’m having a really fun time with you, but I don’t know if I see this headed in a romantic direction. Maybe sometime we could grab a bite to eat during the week. I’d love to talk to you more about your work.” 

You see, there are ways that you can manage your interactions that results in a positive association with you and your personality. Remember, first impressions are incredibly important for creating meaningful, influential relationships.

Staying authentic is so important to having a fulfilling career.

When you think of a successful career woman, what do you think of? Do you think of the stereotypical ice queen depicted on so many television shows? The woman with the tight bun, frozen features and impeccable wardrobe who doesn’t know how to function outside of the boardroom. It’s a pervasive stereotype, to be sure, but just because that’s the way you’ve been told by society that you have to behave in order to get ahead, doesn’t mean that’s how it has to be.

In fact, successful women in the corporate world are just as diverse as any other cross section of the population. Here’s why keeping it real at work will only be a positive asset in your career.

•          Facades crack, foundations stay strong. Who you are at your core is your foundation and if you build upon that, you will be a more solid, well-rounded individual. Conversely, if you build upon something that isn’t your true self, then at some point, it will all come crumbling down. 
•        You have to be real to be fulfilled. It’s impossible for your fake self to ever really feel like they are achieving what they want with their life. Sure, you might have goals that you achieve, but you aren’t doing the kind of work that your true self would find rewarding, so after time, you become less and less motivated to continue to perform. When you are truly fulfilled, you never run out of steam and passion for your work. 
•          People respond to authenticity. They may not know exactly that you aren’t portraying your true self, but people tend to feel more comfortable around people who are happy in their own skin and if you aren’t being authentic, then you likely won’t give off that happy, comfortable, confident vibe. When you remain true to yourself, you exude confidence, which people gravitate towards naturally.                       
•           Your intuition only works when you are being real. I spend so much time talking about listening to your intuition and listening to that gut reaction and what your heart is telling you only works if you’re being real. In order to follow your instincts, you have to remain authentic to yourself and everyone around you. 
•          Authentic relationships can always be trusted. When you’re keeping it real, you’re going to attract people that are in similar frames of mind. People who respond to your authenticity because they live their lives the same way. Because of this, you will form much more meaningful bonds with these people and they can always be trusted because they have no ulterior motives.

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Balance is the key to being a successful working single mother.

Single mothers, I salute you.

I understand where you are coming from, because I was a single mother for 10 years.

Not every woman is faced with the challenge of raising children with no partner while also being the sole income provider for the household and many of the single career mothers that I have met through the years are some of the biggest inspirations for, I think, just about any woman trying to find balance in her life. Of course, I’m sure at some point, they’ve experienced work or family overload and crashed, but they’ve recovered and found a balance that I think some women never achieve.

What are your priorities?
As with many single mothers (and mothers in general), their children will always be their top priority and no corner office or vacation home can compete with them. So, it’s important to set your next tier of priorities, whether it is career advancement or stability. These are the goals that are still very important, but will never trump family.

Sacrifice? NEVER!
When you give a little on your priorities, it becomes easier to give a little more and then a little more, until you’ve sacrificed your priorities for a job that isn’t at all what you wanted in the first place. Whether you’re sacrificing ethics or opportunities, it’s never a good time to start.

Oh, yes – we love compromise.
How can I say this when I just said never sacrifice? Simple. Compromise is not the same as sacrifice. Sacrificing something means giving it up. Compromise means meeting someone else halfway. I think any mother has experienced bargaining with her children to meet them halfway. It’s no different in the corporate world. Being able to meet someone halfway always keeps doors open.

Repeat after me: My calendar is sacred!
If you don’t already, start keeping a schedule on your calendar. Single mothers have to juggle so much in a given day that syncing with iCal or google calendars is a necessity and, honestly, it should be for everyone. Don’t simply rely on that “steel trap” to remember every detail of your day. 

Always leave room for flexibility. If you can’t “go with the flow” as a single mom, you’re likely to have a nervous breakdown very quickly. Life is good at throwing curveballs your way, whether it’s your job or work, and you have to be able to work with them.

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How can you avoid the power struggle of dating within the workplace?

I hope that, for many of you, you have found the love that you deserve and are blissfully happy with your partner. For those of you still looking, I realize it can be tough balancing the pursuit of success in your career and personal love life. For some people, romance buds in the workplace, whether they expect it or not. Now, I have to state here that many companies have strict dating policies about coworkers and employees. Some outright forbid it; others will ask you disclose the relationship once it becomes serious. While all companies have their reasons for these policies, the only suggestion I will make is that bosses should not date their employees. It creates far too much of an ethical dilemma and will likely result in termination of both parties. So what do you do if you and a coworker feel sparks, would like to date, but want to avoid any ethical issues resulting from the partnership?

Be honest and up front.

For the love of Pete, don’t keep your budding romance a secret! It might seem exiting and dangerous at the time, but there is no faster way to get in hot water than to keep an office romance a secret. Let your superiors know the minute things become serious and try and keep them in the loop.

Keep the relationship at home.

Your office is not a place to have a quick make out session. Physical romance should stop the minute you two walk into the building. Sure, you can go have a nice lunch together some days, but try to keep PDA to a minimum, since it sparks a wildfire of gossip.

Find a way to “table” arguments while at work.

When you’re having a heated argument with your lover, it can be hard to “drop it” for a while, but you have to find a way to make that happen when you go to work. The company’s productivity should not be affected in the slightest because of your inability to work together due to a personal spat.

Make sure that you do not have any influence over your partner in the office.

It’s a good idea to make sure that you have no way to influence the position of power that your significant other has in the office. This might mean that one of you transfers to a new department or takes on a new project. No matter how hard to your try to keep things equal, there will always be coworkers that accuse you of favoritism, so it’s best not to give them the opportunity.

What about you? Have you ever had an office romance? What are some of your pieces of advice for our corporate Romeos and Juliets?

Making change requires quick thinking and a keen intuition.

When it comes to staying on top of your career and ahead of the pack, it’s a jungle out there! There are people with connections, who have more years’ experience than you do or that have been at the company longer. So how on earth do you stand out among the crowd? The answer is simple: use your intuition. We’re hard wired to do what’s best for us in most situations; all you need to do is learn to follow your gut. Animals do it day in and day out and it works fairly well for them. They do what comes naturally and typically they do more than stay alive; they thrive!

What can we learn from members of the animal kingdom to hone our “killer instincts?”

Cheetah: In the corporate world, you’ve got to be fast! One minute an opportunity is there, the next, it’s gone. Take a lesson from the cheetah handbook and don’t hesitate to hit the ground running at full speed in order to get the promotion you want. Trust your gut when it tells you to strike.

Elephant: The saying goes, “An elephant never forgets” and neither should you. Your memory can be the key to success along with your intuition. If we attempt to remember the lessons we learn along our career path, we likely won’t make the same mistakes again, simply because our instincts remind us what happened last time.

Salmon: In order to spawn, the salmon face an arduous trek upstream, against currents, waterfalls and all odds in order to meet their goal of breeding. Obviously, your goals are probably different than a salmon’s at this point, but you need that sort of tenacity in order succeed in business. Don’t take no for an answer and just keep pushing against the current until you’ve made progress.

Hummingbird: These little birds keep busy and flit from flower to flower looking for the sweetest nectar. You should always be able to flit from office to office and get along with your superiors as well as your colleagues. Keeping yourself busy on many projects will help you to stand out from the rest of the herd.

Brown Bear: Boy, it sure sounds like hard work being a part of the concrete jungle, doesn’t it? That’s why you need to take a cue from the brown bear, and take some time to relax and “hibernate” from the hustle and bustle of the business world. Now, I don’t recommend an entire winter, but try to take weekends off and find small moments for yourself to regroup and relax.

What about you? How do you adapt your behavior?

Don’t just crack the glass ceiling, shatter it!

For decades now, there have been reports going back and for on whether the glass ceiling (the invisible limit for promotion that women frequently see in business) has been shattered or whether it still exists in a big way. I’ll posit that, while in general the glass ceiling exists in the workplace, I think that should never stop women from trying to get ahead at work. Here, I thought I would identify some of the excuses that women face from their male counterparts that are trying to explain why most women shouldn’t be in management. Then we can one by one dismantle and discard every single one of them and throw them right where they belong: in the trash!

Women are too emotional. It’s true. As women, we’re more in touch with our emotions and express them more freely then most men, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t able to balance our emotions (and great intuition) with logic and the facts at hand. I say there should always be some feeling in business. Without some emotions, you won’t be able to fully express your passion for the company.

Women get too caught up in their family life. Fair enough, many women do make the decision to have a family, but that should not mean sacrificing one dream for another. There is a balance between work and family life and many women find it naturally over time. To automatically assume that a mother won’t be able to handle the workload and a child is just sexist.

Women can’t make split second decisions. There seems to be this stereotype that exists that says that women really need to weigh the pros and cons of a situation before they make a decision and I’ll just say outright that it is a bunch of hooey! Listening to our intuition is one of the best qualities that we, as women have and management should use it to their advantage any chance they get.

Women get bogged down in the details. How does the saying go? “God is in the details.” Yes, we look at the smaller pieces of the puzzles, but learning to look at the big picture isn’t necessarily a skill that’s difficult to learn. If your excuse is that we’ll spend too much time focusing on small things, maybe you should give us a change to handle a big project and see for yourself what we’re capable of before you judge us.

Women don’t know how to delegate. As women, we’re hardwired to multitask better than men are. So sue us. Don’t hate us because we can handle more responsibilities than men and don’t jump to the conclusion that, just because we can juggle more than two tasks, that we aren’t delegating. We know when to say when and not take on all of the responsibilities.

There you are, ladies and gentlemen, I think that successfully handles many of the prominent excuses men use for not promoting women like they should. Can you think of any other stereotypes that exist that you would like to shatter?

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It’s no Mission: Impossible, but knowing your competition will always give you an advantage.

WARNING: This blog will self-destruct in 60 seconds!

OK, not really, but when I talk about doing recon work and getting to know the competition, I bet you start playing the Mission: Impossible theme song in your head. No, sadly there won’t be any night vision goggles involved when you’re researching your competition (unless you really want to wear them), but it’s important that you take the time to get to know what others in your industry or even company are doing in order to be better aware of the conditions around you and find success at work. Now, let’s get to work finding out more about our competitors, super spy style!

Suit up! Just like any good spy always has a special, slim fitted advanced polymer suit, you should always dress for success. Whether you’re doing a little research on your lunch break or holding a meeting with your peers on what your competition is up to, you can be assured that your coworkers that are vying for the same advancement as you are will be dressing to impress as well. Management always has their eye on the up and comers.

Pack your tools. A super sleuth packs a strong length of rope, a quality knife and a flashlight. You might not need those exact tools, but it always pays to keep a pen and paper handy in case you find out some information that you would like to research a little more when you’re in front of your computer. Speaking of computers, recon wouldn’t be possible without the internet, so make sure you use it to check up on your competition from time to time.

Slowly lower yourself into the vault. Generally speaking, most of the information you find out about your competition will be through research done on the internet or perhaps even mutual clients. However, you should always keep your ears open for more information. Quietly listening to conversations can sometimes be the best way to find out new, unpublished information about your competitors.

Quietly search through the computer database to find the encrypted files. Of course, anything you hear third hand is merely conjecture unless you can back it up, so do a little digging on the internet if you feel that the information is worth it. Remember, you aren’t a world class spy and you aren’t above the law, so do keep it all legal and ethical.

Create a diversionary tactic in order to leave unnoticed. There is a time and place to talk about your competition, especially if they work for the same company, so if someone tries to corner you into talking about what you know, politely excuse yourself or make an excuse to leave the conversation. Office gossip has no place in the world of a successful businesswoman.

Reap the rewards. Spies get the intel and sometimes the gal (or guy), you’ll get the promotion and respect of your management team. When you pay attention not only to yourself and your projects and also pay attention to the competition around you, then you’ll be able to find success in your career.

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Do the math and find your influence factor.

I get asked quite a bit what the secret to success is and, to be honest, there is no hard and fast rule, but I find that the more successful women in the workplace generally have quite a bit of influence over their employees, their peers and even upper management. Of course, there are a lot of factors that contribute to the amount of influence that they have, so I decided to sit down and take some time to develop a formula to determine what amount of influence you might have at work. Here is the formula for discovering your influence factor:

(Current Position + Relationship with Management) x (Listening to Your Intuition)^Communication Skills

Now I’ll explain my reasons for using the variables that I did when determining how to solve for your influence factor.

Current Position: As much as it pains me to admit it, a manager typically has more influence in a company than, say, an administrative assistant. What you currently do in the company matters and affects how much influence you have.

Relationship with Management: However, the bonds that you have with your superiors in also very important. You might be a manager, but if one or two of the people that work higher up the food chain don’t respect or trust you, then your current position isn’t quite as valuable. Conversely, if you are well-liked and find someone in management willing to give you a chance, then your influence can be increased.

Listening to Your Intuition: I have written over and over about the importance of paying attention to your heart and if you are following your instincts, they will generally lead to good decisions, thus, more influence.

Communication Skills: The ability to clearly communicate your thoughts and ideas to members in upper management is paramount. If you have great relationships and even if you have fantastic ideas, if you can’t properly communicate them, then your influence factor falls flat.

When you combine all of these factors together, then you should be able to figure out how much influence you actually have in your office. For example, say you’re still a junior exec, but you develop a mentor relationship with one of the members of senior management. You have a knack for listening to your heart and knowing when it’s right to follow it. However, you aren’t as confident as you need to be and your communication of ideas falls flat.

You might be able to influence a few close peers, but the likelihood that your influence will reach into the upper levels is highly unlikely.

What do you think? Are there any other variables you would add to this equation?

Are you overwhelmed with all the talk about influence?
What’s the source of REAL influence?

Are you finding that nobody is saying anything that fits for you?

Then you’ll be interested to know that I have developed a special 3-part mini-series

designed specifically for women who want more than just the “doing” aspect of influence.

No, there is another way – that’s what you’ll learn in this mini-series.

Find out how you can get it here.

Smart women know when to admit they’re in a healthy relationship.

All over America, it’s happening. Smart, successful women are waking up in the morning, looking at themselves in the mirror and realizing, “My goodness, I’m in a happy, healthy, fulfilling relationship. What’s happened to me!?” It’s going to be alright. There are many women just like you and you don’t need to feel alone. In fact, you probably don’t feel alone since your partner supports you and offers you daily affirmation. If you aren’t certain whether you’ve ended up in a healthy relationship, below is a list of some of the telltale signs that you have developed a partnership with a loving person.

Constant smiling. Do you find yourself smiling for no apparent reason? Maybe you’re in your office alone or maybe it’s while you’re showering in the morning. If you find yourself inexplicably happy, you’ve probably ended up in a fulfilling relationship.

Overwhelming need to express gratitude. Are you finding that you want to tell the universe “thank you” for the blessings of happiness and joy that your partner has brought into your life? I hate to tell you this, but I think you’ve managed to get yourself into a healthy relationship.

Difficulty hiding satisfaction. Do people approach you at work or when you’re out and ask what’s different or what your secret is to looking happy all the time? Watch out, because chances are, your romantic life might have something to do with it.

Fulfillment in other areas of life. Are you finding that other areas of your life are somehow “easier” because you have the support of a great partner? Keep your eye on this, since it likely means that you’ll continue to run into more open doors.

Desire to return home in the evening. When the clock strikes five, do you start counting the minutes until you get to see your partner at home? Have you discovered that work, no matter how much you love it, doesn’t seem to be the end all be all that you once thought it was? My friend, I believe you’re in a healthy relationship.

Fits of unexplained daydreaming. Do you find your mind wandering during moments alone or times when your mind is otherwise unoccupied? Does it wander to thoughts of your partner and the happiness they bring you? I think you know what this means.

Unconditional love and support. Are you overwhelmed with the way that your partner offers you the care and motivational words that you need in order to face your day or take a brave new step forward? Do you know that you can count on your partner, no matter what? Well, friends, I must say, that you’ve found yourself in quite the healthy relationship.

And may I also add that congratulations are in order to you for staying true to yourself and finding a partner that loves you for who you are and getting what you asked for.

Are you overwhelmed with all the talk about influence?
What’s the source of REAL influence?

Are you finding that nobody is saying anything that fits for you?

Then you’ll be interested to know that I have developed a special 3-part mini-series

designed specifically for women who want more than just the “doing” aspect of influence.

No, there is another way – that’s what you’ll learn in this mini-series.

Find out how you can get it here.

Find balance between work and home without feeling guilty.

When you return to work after you’ve been “out of the game” for a while, you’re naturally going to struggle for a bit rediscovering that balance between home and work, but don’t feel guilty about it. If you have made the decision to go back to work, whether to earn extra income for your family or to challenge yourself again, it was your decision and you should own it. Regardless, there is an adjustment period, but there are things you can do to lower your stress levels when you return to work.

First off, you have got to acknowledge that your life is different than it was the last time you were working. You have other, fairly large responsibilities now and you cannot be expected to sacrifice all of your new responsibilities for the sake of a new job. You need to let both sides know what to expect while you find balance between your work life and your home life.

If you have a significant other, you need to make it clear to them that they are going to have to chip in and help out around the house. Let your boss know that, while you are going to work your hardest, your children will need you from time to time. Don’t worry, you’ll find the right balance. We all do, but it’s going to take some time and some clear communication.

Next, don’t pull a “superwoman!” You can only handle so many things at once and, honestly, if you try to do everything, honey, you are going to crash and burn. That’s something you do not want to have happen when you are just starting a new job. It’s tempting (and exciting) to just dive right into your new work and just come up occasionally for air, but you have to hold yourself back a bit until you find your balance.

So, rather than taking everything on for yourself, ask for help! You know, it’s OK to ask for help, right? Trust me, I know it’s hard to tame your inner control freak, but you’re going to have to trust your coworkers and ask them for help if you are feeling overwhelmed or you think you’re falling behind. If you are doing your part and contributing, chances are, they won’t mind chipping in a bit from time to time to help you as you find the balance you need between your home life and your work life.

I would like to hear from you. If you’ve recently come back to work after spending time off to start a family, what are some of the challenges you’ve faced and the advice you would give to other women that are returning to work after some time away?

I’m excited to say our 3-part mini-series, ,“Designed For Influence”, will be one of the most exciting, skill defining events for the beginning of 2012! Therefore, I decided to gift to the first 33 women who register before January 13 a FREE signed copy of my book “Stepping Stones to Success” delivered right to your door! Just send an email to info@Karen-Keller.com with the word SUCCESS in the subject line. It’s that easy! So get your seat NOW because space is limited. It all begins January 17, 2012 – so start your New Year off by making yourself a priority!

Keep that ego in check when you earn more power.

When you’re a player in the corporate game, you learn quickly that one of the most important ways to get ahead in business is to get into a position of power. With power comes the opportunity to get your ideas and opinions heard and advance further in the company. However, many times we fall into one of the biggest dangers that comes with an increase in power and that is getting a big head and becoming arrogant. Arrogance can actually do a lot of damage to your career, so you want to avoid it at all costs. How can you gain more power at work without becoming overly cocky?

•          Keep yourself grounded. Don’t let your power take over your mind and carry you straight out of reality. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and you stand a greater likelihood of avoiding arrogance.
•          Remain connected to your employees. You are only as good as your team and if you stay connected to your employees, they’ll help to empower you without feeding your ego.
•          Have your friends keep you in check. Your true friends will let you know when you start getting too big for your britches. Always rely on them to keep you honest and grounded.
•          Check in with your gut. Your intuition knows when you aren’t acting like yourself. When you are acting arrogant or letting power corrupt you, there will still likely be that little voice in the back of your head telling you to straighten up.
•          Gauge your confidence. We all know confidence is key when it comes to promotion and gaining power, but make sure you don’t make the switch from confident to arrogant. Keep your confidence in check with reality!
•          Use your power for good. It’s one of the most cliché lines from children’s television shows, that if power falls into the wrong hands, it’s extremely dangerous, but it’s true. When you use the influence you have to affect changes for the better, then you’ll rarely have your power corrupt you.

I’m excited to say our 3-part mini-series, ,“Designed For Influence”, will be one of the most exciting, skill defining events for the beginning of 2012! Therefore, I decided to gift to the first 33 women who register before January 13 a FREE signed copy of my book “Stepping Stones to Success” delivered right to your door! Just send an email to info@Karen-Keller.com with the word SUCCESS in the subject line. It’s that easy! So get your seat NOW because space is limited. It all begins January 17, 2012 – so start your New Year off by making yourself a priority!

How can you communicate to others what you gut is telling you?

I write frequently on this blog about following your intuition and why it’s ever so important to follow it, both in your personal and professional life. Of course, when you’re accountable to no one, it’s very easy to simply follow what your gut is telling you, but it’s a whole other situation when you have to explain your intuition to your employees or your bosses. So how can you explain to other what you “just know” is the right decision to make?

Write it out.

When you have a feeling something is right or wrong, based on your intuition, it probably doesn’t feel very concrete. You can change that by writing out what you feel and why you feel that way. It might take a little time, but in order to properly communicate your intuitive thoughts and feelings, you need to get them down on paper.

Back it up.

If the decision is a big one and you need to convince leadership that they need to take a certain action, you MUST have some sort of data or reasoning to back up your intuition. I’m sure that many of the women in high leadership positions have gotten there in part due to their intuition, but many likely know how to convince others that their gut is right using facts and figures.

Put it out there.

Of course, if you don’t tell anyone about your gut feelings, then they won’t take you anywhere. Have the courage to put yourself, your intuition and your intelligent reasoning out there for all to see.

Because women are looking for a deeper understanding of how they can become influential, I developed a 3-part mini-series where I will share the true meaning of influence, where it starts, what women do naturally, and how they can own their influence. This 3-part mini-series, “Designed For Influence”, is where women will find the 3 most powerful tools to bring forth their influence – in any situation. I am inviting you to get your seat before the room fills up – space is limited.  It all begins January 2012 so start your New Year off on a serious note – make yourself a priority!