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Mature workers and aging. What not to do in employment.
Twice in the last few weeks the world has reminded me of my chronological progression. At a local store, a clerk asked if I qualified for the senior discount, and flying home from Minneapolis, the TSA agent told me to keep my shoes on as a courtesy to their more mature flyers. And yes, as of yesterday, I do qualify for benefits for anyone 55 or over. Aging is concern for more mature workers, and now that I’ve officially joined that category, I’m asking myself, as objectively as possible, are these worries valid? I do find myself a bit slower when it comes to decision making lately. I’m not...
read moreLearning to negotiate. Insightful tips that will help you make a difference in your career.
Last week I led a discussion about negotiation with a group of 40 female employees at the City of Fort Collins. The topic was how to negotiate more effectively. It was an intriguing, inspiring conversation. We started with a quick survey of how many in the room knew what they specifically wanted to negotiate for–different responsibilities, higher pay, a step up–and fewer than ten felt they had a clear idea. This, it turns out, is pretty typical. On average, about 70 percent of professionals have a difficult time articulating what they want to do next in their careers. Often...
read moreThe one skill women lack that undermines our success. What it is and how to get it!
The next time you’ve got a huge goal you want to achieve, aim for an A- effort, rather than A+. This, according to Colorado State University talent management expert Alexis Kanda-Olmstead, will get you farther faster than aiming for perfection. She also advises taking brave baby steps, rather than courageous leaps, especially if you’re a woman. Why? It turns out that in a national study conducted by CSU, women outshine men in every category for leadership effectiveness except one, and that weakness frequently undermines our successes. Our Achilles heel is confidence, and the lack of it...
read moreAn exciting new chapter for CSG!
Nearly 10 years ago, my husband and I took the dive and bought a property to house my business: 430 Stover Street, a small house built in 1905 that had been converted to an office a few years earlier. The warmth and charm of the place was nearly too much to resist, and a small inheritance from my grandfather took care of the down payment. Plus, I figured, with the increased visibility of the office’s location at the corner of Mulberry and Stover, sales would grow enough to cover the mortgage. There was a huge snowstorm the day we closed on the property. Being the new owners, it was our...
read moreCreating a Habit. Start this week with Bike to Work Day.
This coming Wednesday, Fort Collins celebrates one of my favorite days of the year: Bike to Work day. Been thinking about adding this to your life? Habit expert Christine Whelan offers these tips, to which I’ve added bike-to-work strategies: Start small and specific, such as riding to work on Mondays and Wednesdays. Determine what you’ll need to add and subtract to make room for this change. For instance, it will likely take you more time to bike than to drive. Over 50% of workers live within 10 miles of their workplace, a commute that will take an average of 40 minutes, as compared to 20...
read moreOrganizational behavior. Taking responsibility.
Someone in the chain of production made a mistake, and a customer received a sub-par product. Quickly, team members started pointing fingers about who was possibly to blame. Time was wasted, morale was deflated, and hours later the problem was no closer to being fixed. Sound familiar? This is common behavior in many organizations. Imagine, though, if the first person who learned of the error instead said, “Am I willing to take full responsibility for this situation?”, and then took action to resolve it? Leadership development expert Nancy Kepner with Crafted Leadership explains that would...
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