Newberry Solutions in the News

In case you missed it, I’ve recently been featured in several top media outlets about pressing workplace issues, and we have published a new white paper. Read on for a roundup of our recent publications.

Fast Company: Starting a New Job

Are you one of the many people who have changed jobs during the Great Resignation? I wrote the article “6 simple but crucial things you must do in your first 3 months on the job” for Fast Company to help you hit the ground running in your new role. The article covers topics including building your brand as a leader, defining success and building relationships.

Forbes: Burnout, Conflict and Micromanaging

In addition to my collaboration with Fast Company, I’m excited to be a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. As part of the council, I’ve been featured with other inspiring coaches to provide strategies to address challenges that leaders are facing:

• Feeling Burned Out At Work? 13 Ways To Diagnose And Address It

• 16 Tips To Help Leaders Facilitate Virtual Conflict Resolution

• 16 Ways For New Leaders To Avoid Micromanaging Their Teams

Wall Street Journal: Asking for a Raise

What are the most important things to remember when you are asking for a raise? In the Wall Street Journal’s Women In newsletter, I shared the tactics that work for my coaching clients when they seek a pay increase. 

White Paper: Leadership Development for a Changing World

Over the past couple of years, Newberry Solutions has helped organizations develop their leaders in a business environment that’s full of upheaval and uncertainty. Through it all, we’ve seen how leadership development must evolve to keep up with these challenges. We distilled everything we learned into the white paper “Leadership Development for a Changing World.” In this free download, we explore today’s rapid changes, how they affect your organization’s leaders, and how to provide the training that your leaders need now.

I hope that these resources will support your own work as a leader. I’d love to hear your feedback and questions, and I invite you to join the conversation on LinkedIn.

4 Ways to Lead More Strategically

Have you spent the past couple of years with your head down, focused only on the latest problem to solve?

Many of us have been operating this way out of necessity during this period of constant change. But it’s time to lift your head up. No, the change isn’t stopping. However, thinking only in the short term will cause you to miss valuable opportunities. If you’re out of practice in looking beyond immediate concerns, here are a few ways to get back in the habit of taking a wider perspective and being more strategic.

Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash

1. Adjust Your Calendar

Focusing on the right work is the most powerful thing you can do for the long-term health of both your organization and your career. So take a quick pause right now to jot down the three critical areas where you make the biggest impact on the business. Have your “big three” changed over the past couple of years? And does your calendar reflect what your strategic priorities need to be right now? If not, how can you make more room in your schedule for your most important work? For example, maybe there’s a task you can delegate to someone on your team to both free up capacity for you and help your team member develop a new skill. Or perhaps you can change a weekly meeting to biweekly. While you’re working with your calendar, schedule some regular time for strategic reflection. Even 10-15 minutes per week can help you course correct if you get distracted from the big picture.

2. Think Beyond Your Role

Silos are a big problem in many organizations. And in times when resources are scarce, it’s even easier to become territorial and think only in terms of your team or department. But you’ll be a more effective leader, and more likely to get promoted, if you become known as someone who considers the good of the entire organization, not just your own area. Think about relationships you’d like to build across departments. Who are the colleagues in other areas who can help you get things done — or whom you would simply like to learn from? Also think about how often you present ideas that go beyond your current role. What insights or suggestions could you share that would benefit the organization as a whole?

3. Look for the Deeper Issue

Does it feel like you keep putting out the same fires over and over again? Then use some of the reflection time we talked about above to try to identify the root cause of these crises — and how you can stop them from repeating. For example, maybe you’ve just lost yet another team member during the Great Resignation. The short-term solution is finding someone to replace them. The longer-term solution is determining why people keep leaving and making changes to help retain them.

4. Remember to ‘Connect the Dots’

Leading strategically is only part of the equation. You also have to communicate to others that you are focused on the big picture. For example, it may seem obvious to you how your suggestion that benefits your department also helps the organization as a whole. But others may not see that unless you “connect the dots” for them. Even just using the words “strategy” and “strategic” more in your communications can help others understand your motivations.

Which one of these ideas can you use this week to better balance short-term problems with long-term priorities? Remember, we have a wealth of tools you can draw on, no matter what leadership challenges you are facing. You may be especially interested in our new white paper, “Leadership Development for a Changing World,” which explores the demands that leaders face now and the development opportunities they need to succeed in today’s hectic work environment.

Leadership Development for a Changing World

It’s been only a couple of years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. But it feels like we’ve all gone through at least a couple of decades’ worth of change since then.

Through our work with some of the world’s top companies, we at Newberry Solutions have seen firsthand the effect of this upheaval and uncertainty on organizations and the leaders who drive their success.

What we are all experiencing is nothing less than a transformation in how we work and what organizations are asking of their leaders. As our work environment dramatically changes, so, too, must leadership development.

That’s why we’re excited to share with you our response to these new challenges. “Leadership Development for a Changing World” is a white paper that explains why and how your leadership development efforts must evolve.

We’re eager to hear your feedback and questions after you read the report. Please feel free to tag me in your LinkedIn posts about this report or contact us directly at info@newlensleadership.com. At the heart of all we do is our passionate belief that leaders can change the world when we cultivate their full potential. And that’s what we hope this white paper empowers you to do. Start reading now at https://www.newberrysolutions.com/white-paper.

Flexible Work Schedules: The Unwritten Rules — 2022 Update

I first published this article about how to lead successfully when you have a flexible work schedule almost three years ago. Of course, a lot has changed since then! The pandemic dramatically accelerated the trend toward flexible scheduling. What hasn’t changed are the “unwritten rules” for sending the right messages about your leadership when you are working a flexible schedule. Today, I want to update my strategies on how you can do that in our dramatically reshaped work environment.

Demands for Flexibility Grow

When I originally wrote this article, it was already becoming clear that flexible scheduling was on the rise and that it was especially important to women. One study found that having flexible hours reduced the wage gap between working moms and women who don't have children. We were also starting to see how flexible schedules support women's ambitions. At companies with flexible work arrangements, more high-potential women aspire to the senior executive/CEO level compared with firms without such arrangements.

Since the pandemic, professionals, especially women, have been loud and clear in voicing their desire for flexible work schedules. One survey found that two-thirds of employees would consider changing jobs if they had to go back to the office full time. Harvard Business Review calls flexibility the “key to retaining women.”

But while women want flexibility at work, we also can feel hesitancy about taking advantage of it. Many women worry that nontraditional working arrangements will keep them from getting promoted.

So how can we balance the benefits of flexible work schedules with being an effective leader?

Managing Assumptions and Expectations

Working fully or partially from home and working unconventional hours have become more common and more accepted during the pandemic. But that doesn’t mean everyone is on board.

You may still run into others' perceptions of what a typical workday should look like and what it says about you when you're doing something different.

During my last executive role at Deloitte, I incorporated some informal flexibility into my schedule. Some of my team members were in different time zones, and I had a 2-year-old son at home. So, it made sense for me to leave the office a little earlier in the afternoon, go home to spend some time with my son and then do some more work after he went to bed.

This was great for managing both my personal and professional priorities. But because of my after-hours emails, some of my team members, especially those in other cities, thought I worked nonstop and all the time. Even worse, they thought I expected them to keep similar long hours, which just wasn't the case.

The Hidden Messages in After-Hours Emails

As I discovered, when people get an email from you that has a time stamp that is outside regular business hours, it raises questions. I remember discussing this with a couple of clients, one who often works a few hours late at night and the other who starts before her small children wake up, often sending her first emails before 7 a.m.

Neither of these clients feels overworked or overwhelmed. In fact, they are well in control of their schedules and are far from burnout. But the optics of their email habits convey a different message to people who don’t understand their schedules. Their team members may assume (as my former colleagues did) that they:

• Are constantly checking email

• Expect their teams to work well beyond regular business hours

• Are approaching burnout and are up at all hours working

• Can’t effectively manage their workload, delegate or ask for help

If you put yourself in others’ shoes for a minute and reflect about your own behavior, what might it say to people about you?

Communicate Clearly About Your Schedule

Especially as we continue to experience an unpredictable work environment, don't leave it to others to draw their own conclusions about your capabilities or your stress level. Consider proactively sharing how the strategies you’ve implemented increase your productivity and effectiveness as a leader. Remember that most people have difficulty working in a way that is sustainable and sharing your approach may give them permission to start making changes.

That's what I did with my colleagues at Deloitte. When I realized that they thought I never unplugged, I knew that I needed to explain my approach and “connect the dots” for them. I told them that I wasn't always working — and that I didn't expect them to, either. I also encouraged them to adapt their schedules to fit their own needs (as long as business needs were also met).

But sometimes you may have to tweak your approach to better fit the culture. For example, if you frequently send emails outside of normal business hours, you may inadvertently set an expectation that others have to change the hours they work to accommodate you. So, unless it’s urgent, I suggest that you save your draft emails to send during business hours. This will reinforce your commitment to everyone working in a way that honors their personal and professional priorities. With burnout on the rise, that’s something your team really needs.

I want to challenge you to take 5-10 minutes to identify the assumptions people may be making about you, based on how you work. Are they taking away the right messages about your leadership? 

If you’re looking for ways that your organization can develop and support leaders as they navigate the challenges of hybrid work, I invite you to schedule a demo of my New Lens app. Unlike traditional approaches, New Lens makes learning digestible through bite-sized lessons that employees can access whenever and wherever they work.

3 Ways to Build Your Personal Leadership Brand

A couple of years ago, many of us were adapting to remote work. Now we’re experiencing another period of transition. Some organizations are bringing employees back to the office full or part time. Others are making remote-work arrangements permanent. Whether you are working at the office, at home or some combination of the two, now is a good time to notice the messages you are sending other people about your personal leadership brand. 

Photo by Rebrand Cities

We tend to overlook that while we know everything we’re saying or doing at work, others don't have a full picture of what our performance looks like. They just see little snapshots of us here and there. Today, I want you to think about the snapshots that you're showing other people and how you can be more strategic about them.

1. Pay Attention to Your Body Language

Effective leaders know that body language is key to executive presence. What are you saying without speaking a word?

Working at the office: If you’ve been working remotely, you may not think much about your body language outside of video calls. But now that you are back in the office, remember that leaders are always in the “invisible spotlight.” People pay attention even when you think they are not. 

If, for example, you’re sitting in a meeting with an intense expression and arms folded, others might think you are closed off and unreceptive.  Or if you’re always rushing around the office, others could assume that you can’t handle what’s on your plate. 

As you return to the office, pay special attention to your body language and whether it conveys the messages you want to send about your personal leadership brand. This might take some extra effort at first, but should soon become second nature again.

Working from home: Your body language sends messages even through video calls. Have you fallen into any bad habits, like scheduling back-to-back Zoom meetings that leave you feeling drained? Take some time this week to focus on what your energy level looks like (slouching, yawning, difficulty focusing) and how that impacts the perception of your engagement and confidence. 

Having the right chair, desk and computer setup in your home office makes it easier to manage physical fatigue from sitting and will help you maintain a polished and professional posture on video calls. Take time to evaluate what you need.

2. Focus on Eye Contact

Eye contact is an aspect of nonverbal communication that deserves special attention. We automatically look at others’ eyes to figure out what they’re thinking and feeling and whether we can trust them.

Working at the office: If you frequently look at your phone when talking to others, it could convey a lack of interest and respect. Looking down or away can imply low confidence. On the other hand, holding direct eye contact for too long can feel intimidating.

So, what’s the right amount of eye contact to enhance your personal leadership brand? Researchers from Michigan State University recommend maintaining eye contact 50% of the time when you are speaking and 70% of the time when you are listening.

Working from home: It’s easy to forget about the importance of eye contact when you’re interacting with others on video calls instead of in person. But it still makes a big difference in how others perceive you.

Look into your webcam when speaking. When you’re listening, it’s more obvious than you might think when you sneak a peek at another screen. If the other screen is brighter, the lighting changes on your face. And if you wear glasses, they may even see the reflection of the other screen and know that you’re not paying full attention to the meeting. If you do need to look at another screen (for example, to find an email that’s relevant to the conversation), you can let others know what you’re doing so that they don’t assume you’re multitasking.

3. Be Intentional About Your Appearance

Think about the people you know who always look put together. That becomes part of their leadership brand and something that distinguishes them. How are you leveraging your appearance?

Working at the office: Are you getting used to waking up earlier and commuting again? It can be a tough transition. Give yourself enough time in the morning to get ready. Showing up at the office half-baked won’t exactly inspire confidence in your abilities.

As you head back to the office, you may also discover that your work clothes from a couple of years ago don’t fit as well or look dated. You can use this as an opportunity to evaluate your business wardrobe and align it with your personal brand as a leader. Do you want to show others that you’re creative, innovative, or ready for a promotion? You can reinforce these qualities in how you dress, accessorize, or style your hair.

Working at home: Part of presenting yourself professionally is understanding the norms of your organization, which may be different for video meetings vs. in-person work.  Look to your managers for clues about the new “dress code.” For example, perhaps you and your colleagues previously wore suits at the office. But now your managers wear polos or button-down shirts or blouses for video meetings, but not T-shirts. Use that information to guide your choices.

You can also look more professional during video calls by improving your home-office setup. Quality lighting helps you look more awake and energized. The distance you sit from your camera can also affect how you look.

Like it or not, the way you present yourself plays a big role in how others perceive your personal leadership brand. But it's also one of the easiest areas to make positive changes – and you can have fun with it. What is one step you will take this week to be more deliberate about the snapshots that you show other people?

Want more strategies like these? This article was adapted from our New Lens app for leadership development. New Lens delivers bite-size lessons and immediately useful action steps so that you can make learning a part of even the busiest workdays. Schedule your demo now.

New Lens Video Series: A Quick Way to Reduce Frustration

Are you carrying around resentment and frustration right now? Maybe someone has angered or disappointed you and you just can’t seem to let it go. Or perhaps there’s a situation that comes up again and again — draining your energy every time it does. In today’s video, I share the words that help me take a new perspective when I feel stuck in frustration. They’re simple, but transformative. And they’ll help you open the door to more creative thinking and problem solving.

If you’re enjoying this video series, you’ll also like our New Lens app. Like my videos, the New Lens app is about seeing yourself, helping others see you, and leading through a new lens. And, just as my videos do, my app will give you quick strategies that you can start using immediately to become an even more effective leader. 

3 Questions to Help You Shape Your Legacy

It's Women's History Month 2020, a time to celebrate the legacies of women who have shaped our country. It's also a valuable opportunity to think about what you want your own legacy to be.

With our days so busy, we rarely get a chance to think about big-picture questions like this one. But considering what you will leave behind is one of the most motivating things you can do. These three questions can be a starting point to thinking about what you want your legacy to be.

1. What three things would you want someone to say about you over the long-term?

Think about this question in terms of both what you do and how you do it. Your answers will probably overlap with your desired brand and your "Big 3": the areas where you can have the biggest impact at work.

If you aren't sure how to answer this question, think about the ripple effect you could start right now — in your company, family or community. What kinds of activities get you excited? What is one thing you can do to put your passion and strengths to work?

Here are some possible answers that might spark ideas for you:

• Seeing the potential in others: The best thing anyone could say about me is that I recognize the power of helping people see and tap into who they really are, and I consistently stretch and challenge them to realize their potential.

• Mentorship: I want to be known as a mentor, someone who always makes it a priority to help the next generation of leaders navigate challenges in their careers. I am not afraid to share tough feedback, because it’s a gift – to increase their self-awareness and help them be successful.

• Servant leadership: I'd like to be recognized as someone who sees the power of one person making a difference. In particular, others would say that I consistently provide support to family, friends, and colleagues and invest time in my community by serving on nonprofit boards.

2. How aligned are your time and energy with your desired legacy?

Track your time for two to three weeks at a high level, paying particular attention to how much time you dedicate to what you want to be part of your legacy. If you're like most of us, your schedule won’t fully align with your priorities. 

Notice the difference between your time and effort and its overall impact. How you can shift the balance toward the things that matter? Identify one or two strategies to help you. What can you delegate? How else can you ask for help? Researchers have found we spent more than 40% of our days on low-value tasks we could easily hand off.

This exercise to think about your legacy may also inspire you to manage your time more effectively. We all get lured away by the various demands on our time. To stop from getting sidetracked, check out my tips to minimize distraction.

3. What one action will you take this week toward the legacy you want to leave?

The word "legacy" can be intimidating. Remember, though, that no one creates their legacy overnight. Everything starts with one small step. What one small step can you take to start moving you closer to the impact you want to have? Here are a few ideas:

• Say “no” to something that doesn’t fit.

• Provide words of encouragement to someone else.

• Make just one different everyday choice.

• Notice a mindset that has been holding you back, and replace that negative talk-track with something more positive.

• Meet with someone who can advise you on that idea you've always wanted to pursue.

Whatever you want your legacy to be, visit my website to learn more about how we can help you get there with corporate programs and apps, executive coaching, self-paced tools or free resources from Newberry Executive Solutions.

New Lens Video Series: When It All Feels Too Much

Over the past couple of years, we’ve all faced some big challenges. If you’re in the middle of a challenge or problem right now, and you’re not sure how to even start tackling it, today’s video is for you. In it, I share with you some familiar words that I recently saw through a new lens — right when I needed to take their message to heart.

I’d love to hear what insights this topic inspires for you. And if you’re enjoying this video series, you may also want to check out our New Lens app. Like my videos, the New Lens app is all about helping you see yourself, helping others see you and leading through a new lens. And, just as my videos do, my app will give you quick strategies that you can start using immediately to become an even more effective leader. 

Celebrating International Women’s Day — and You

Today is International Women’s Day. This event is a “global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.”

International Women’s Day reminds us that we can do so much more to make our workplaces equitable for women. According to McKinsey & Company:

• For every 100 men who receive a promotion to manager, only 86 women do.

• More than 40% of women surveyed say they often or almost always feel burned out. 

• Women are more likely to experience microaggressions than men are.

But, as we work for parity, let’s also remember to honor and appreciate what women are accomplishing every day. We’ve taken on so much over the past couple of years. We’ve worked hard for our teams, our families and for causes we care about. Sometimes that work feels invisible and thankless.

Today, let’s change that. How can you express gratitude to the creative, resilient and caring women in your world? Don’t forget to include yourself! Honor all you have accomplished, even in the face of great odds, and all that you do.

Get the Support You Need

But don’t stop there. What’s one thing you can do to support the women you know as these uncertain times continue? Again, this includes supporting yourself, too. 

Sometimes the best support is just connecting with someone else. We’re all working so hard that it’s easy to put relationships on the back burner. And that means a lot of us are feeling lonely right now. So, it’s a good time to reach out and make some plans with the women in your network. Even better, make some recurring plans. Taking a walk with a friend this weekend might lift your spirits. But then if you immediately fall back out of touch again, you’re right back where you started. Making your weekend walk a regular date ensures that you can give each other ongoing support.

It’s also important to allow others to help you. This can make you feel vulnerable, but it’s so worth it. As I’ve talked about before, you can even get very specific about how others can best help you in times of stress. For example, tell a friend, “If you see that I am doing X, it would really help me if you say Y.”

Before you dive back into your day, take a moment to check in with yourself: Are you getting the support you need? What kind of support could you really use in your life right now? And what is one thing you could do to start moving things in that direction?

When you think about your sources of support, please remember that I am always in your corner. You can follow me on social media for more content about Women’s History Month, consider executive coaching with me or explore my self-paced tools, including the award-winning New Lens app.

New Lens Video Series: Women’s History Month

Today is March 1, which means it’s time to start celebrating Women’s History Month. The theme of this year’s observance is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” As the National Women’s History Alliance explains, this month is a chance to honor all the women who “listen, ease suffering, restore dignity, and make decisions for our general as well as our personal welfare.” And I know that includes a lot of you!

In my latest New Lens video, I share one small action you can take today for Women’s History Month that will have a powerful impact. Stay tuned to Newberry Executive Solutions for more Women’s History Month content throughout March.

New Lens Video Series: Popcorn and Perspective

Today I’m kicking off a new feature, the New Lens Video Series. Like my New Lens app, this video series is all about helping you see yourself, helping others see you and leading through a new lens. And, just as the New Lens app does, these videos will give you quick strategies that you can start using immediately to become an even more effective leader. 

The insight I’m sharing with you today has what might seem like an unlikely inspiration: a bag of burnt popcorn. So what does popcorn have to do with leadership? Watch the video to find out.

Bring Your 2022 Theme to Life

At the beginning of this year, I wrote in a LinkedIn post that I had chosen “ease” as my theme word for 2022. That sparked a great discussion about your theme words for the coming year. I loved the thoughtfulness behind what you chose, so I wanted to share some of the themes here along with resources to support each one.

Photo by Tj Holowaychuk on Unsplash

Peace

As I wrote recently, the leaders who stand out now are the ones who can show up in a calm and centered way. To do this, cultivate your own sense of inner peace. If your inner monologue of negative self-talk has you agitated, try these strategies for stopping the loop.

Pause

If you’re a regular reader, you already know that I am a big believer in the power of “the pause.” In today’s work environment, giving yourself some breathing room matters more than ever. Having trouble allowing yourself to slow down? Even a small break to notice what’s going on for you physically and mentally can help you course-correct and be more productive.

Simplify

The beauty of “simplify” as a theme word is that it can apply to so many situations. For example, reducing your physical and mental clutter can give you an energy boost while simplifying the way you communicate can build your executive presence.

Fairness 

This is a word we should all take to heart in 2022. The most recent Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey & Company and Lean In pointed out areas of inequity for women, especially women of color. Think about some ways you could make a difference for women at work. For example, help raise the visibility of qualified women who should be considered for opportunities.

Purposeful

As a coach who helps leaders get results through purpose, presence and power, “purposeful” gets me excited. To be more purposeful, take a moment to clarify what really matters most. Then redirect your time to making the highest and best use of your talents and skills in those critical areas.

If you have a theme word for 2022, I invite you to share it on my LinkedIn page. Looking for additional support to grow as a leader this year? Consider executive coaching with me or explore my self-paced tools, including the award-winning New Lens app.

Add Some Zen to Your Leadership Style

These days, it might feel like the only certain thing in our lives is uncertainty. In this atmosphere, how you show up as a leader can make all the difference for your team.  

I’m coaching a couple of leaders who excel in showing up in a calm, positive way. Very Zen indeed. Their presence works wonders to help ground and center others. I’ve seen it in action, and it’s powerful. It not only benefits their organizations, but also differentiates them as leaders.

Image by Schäferle from Pixabay

So, I want to do my part to help you notice how you are showing up. Your presence as a leader matters even more right now in the midst of work environments full of stress and change.

Take a quick look at the list below and rate yourself from 1 (for things you never or almost never do) to 10 (for the things you always or almost always do).

_____ My tone of voice reflects positive energy.

_____ The pace of my speech is evenly paced and calm.

_____ I take a moment to personally connect with others before discussing the topic at hand.

_____ I let others finish speaking without interrupting.

_____ When I respond, my response reflects that I heard what the other person said.

_____ I am fully engaged and present during in-person or virtual meetings; I don’t multi-task.

_____ I notice the stress level of others around me and adjust my style accordingly.

_____ I thank others and recognize them for their contributions.

Now that you’ve assessed how you’re doing, identify one area to prioritize for the next week. For example, to minimize distractions during meetings you might turn off email and instant message notifications. If you need to look at something urgent on your device during a meeting, consider letting other attendees know. (“It looks like Greg just emailed me the report we were waiting for, so I have to take a quick look.”)

To help you address any root causes that keep you from feeling grounded and centered, take a look at some of my past blog articles below. After all, it’s a lot easier to exude calm and Zen when you feel calm yourself!

• How to Stop the Loop of Negative Self-Talk

• Maintaining Focus in the Midst of Chaos

• Crazy Day? Here’s How to Get Centered

• How to Overcome Negative Feelings

• 4 Ways to Keep Your Busy Life from Taking Over

And if you’re ready to take the next steps in building your leadership presence, I invite you to consider executive coaching with me or explore my self-paced tools, including the award-winning New Lens app.

How to Focus on Your Well-Being in 2022

Before your schedule fills back up again after the holidays, it’s a good time to check in on your well-being. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’ve always taught that the quality of your leadership (i.e., how you “show up”) depends on your physical and mental well-being.  In demanding times like these, that’s even more true. 

In the current environment, self-care is a critical strategy rather than something to get to when you have a spare moment. You and I both know that those spare moments may never come. So how can you start the year with a focus on you and your well-being?

3 Questions to Ask Yourself

First, let’s get a sense of how you’re doing right now. Life often gets so busy that we lose sight of this. This is why it helps to reflect before you take action.

1. How would you rate your energy level on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is high)?

2. What one or two derailing behaviors do you want to eliminate from your daily routine? 

3. What are one or two simple changes you can make right now to support your well-being in 2022? Keep in mind the strategies that energize you and have already proven effective.

How I’m Making Shifts

To help you think about these questions, I want to share what answering them brought up for me.

I know from experience that I’m happier and more productive when I go to bed on time and exercise or meditate first thing in the morning. Leading up to the holidays, I had let this personal best practice fall by the wayside. I had gotten into the habit of working too late and then staying up even later doing something to decompress, like watching TV. Instead of jumping out of bed well-rested, I started hitting the snooze button each morning. This put a damper on my energy level. On top of that, I got drawn into reading the depressing news notifications on my phone when I finally woke up.

As I start off this year, I’m being much more intentional about my sleeping and waking habits. I have set more realistic expectations for myself, especially when I know I’ll be really busy, and have let go of all-or-nothing thinking. If I can’t do a full workout in the morning, a 10-minute walk or run still has benefits. I’ve adjusted the notifications on my phone and read the news when it’s less likely to affect my mindset. 

Another way I support my well-being is by proactively managing my calendar. This is a work-in-progress. I’ve been experimenting with blocking out time on my calendar for different kinds of work and then evaluating whether I used those blocks as planned. Over the past six months, I’ve tweaked my system three times to align with when I have the most energy, my clients’ needs, and the work I actually need to get done. 

What Steps Can You Commit to?

As you think about how to better support your own well-being, remember that it’s not about perfection or having everything all figured out before you take action. It is a process of continuous improvement. Commit to just one or two small changes right now and then see how they affect your energy and well-being. Use what you learn to help you continue to refine your approach. And remember that small steps lead to big results.

If you’re looking for even more actionable strategies to start your year on the right foot, check out my award-winning New Lens app. It features bite-size lessons like the ones in this article that you can quickly absorb and apply.

4 Questions to Take You Into 2022

Annually on this blog, I share a series of questions that can have a profound effect on how you move forward into the new year. Consistently, I hear from both my coaching clients and my readers that this simple exercise yields big insights with just a brief time investment. Whether you answer these questions each year with me, or if this is your first time reading them, I hope that they’ll create “aha” moments and positive momentum as we head into 2022. All you need are a few distraction-free minutes (as little as 10 should do the job) and a pen and paper. (Yes, you can use your computer if you want, but you'll get the most out of this exercise if you write your answers out by hand.)

Image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay

1. What Did You Learn About Your Leadership in 2021?

If there’s one thing we can say about the past couple of years, it’s that they’ve put us to the test. What have you observed about yourself amid the challenges of 2021?

2. What Did You Learn from Other Leaders?

You can learn a lot about the kind of leader you want to be — and the kind you don’t want to be — from the other leaders around you.

3. What Do You Want to Take Forward Into 2022?

Want to know a surprisingly common mistake that many high-performing leaders make? They don’t pause often enough to notice the results they’re creating and how they create those results. When you understand how you accomplish what you do, you can put your own personal best practices into play more deliberately — and help others leverage them. What were your wins in 2021? How did you make them happen? And how can you use those same strategies to achieve your 2022 goals?

4. What Do You Want to Leave Behind?

The end of the year is a good time to think about any setbacks, mistakes, conflicts or big changes that you find yourself dwelling on. Sometimes we can stay stuck in frustration even as we push ourselves to move forward and be more resilient. But resilience doesn’t mean simply powering through. Instead, it requires delving into our thoughts and feelings and taking a look at successes and failures – so we can learn from them and make different choices. My article “Why Can’t I Get Over This?” has some strategies you can use to get past any stumbling blocks you want to leave in 2021.

Planning for Next Year?

As the year winds down, arm yourself and your team with easy-to-use, high impact tools. If you haven’t already, check out the New Lens® app to start getting results immediately without breaking the budget.

This is my last blog article of 2021, and I want to thank all of you for reading this year. I’ll be back in the new year with more resources to help you accomplish what’s important to you.

Retain Women Amid ‘the Great Resignation’

I’ve written before about “the Great Resignation” — the record number of people who have been leaving their jobs this year. Now we’re seeing more and more headlines that women are driving this phenomenon.

Photo by Alexander Suhorucov from Pexels

The Women in the Workplace 2021 report from McKinsey & Company and Lean In highlighted the growing crisis:

One in three women says that they have considered downshifting their career or leaving the workforce this year, compared with one in four who said this a few months into the pandemic. Additionally, four in ten women have considered leaving their company or switching jobs—and high employee turnover in recent months suggests that many of them are following through. … The risk to women, and to the companies that depend on their contributions, remains very real.

As we look toward the new year, I wanted to share some ideas about how organizations can turn this situation around in 2022. Hopefully, you’ll find at least one strategy on this list that you can bring to your own workplace.

Offer More Flexibility

Remote work and flexible schedules skyrocketed during the pandemic. Now some companies, including tech giants, are making those changes permanent. For example, Microsoft now allows employees to work from anywhere for half of their work week, and even 100% remotely with manager approval.

Flexibility is especially important to women. That makes sense, considering that women make up 75% of caregivers. However, simply offering remote or hybrid work options is not a cure-all when it comes to retaining women. Such changes must be implemented thoughtfully to ensure that women who are working remotely are not penalized for being less visible at the office

Promote Mentorship and Sponsorship

Understandably, women are leaving their jobs when they don’t see opportunities for advancement. And one reason that women don’t move up the ladder at the same rate as men do is that men are sponsored more often. 

What’s the difference between a mentor and a sponsor? While both provide valuable career advice, sponsors also connect you to opportunities and advocate for you.

A program that connects women to mentors and sponsors sends a powerful message. That’s what companies like HERE Technologies have found.

Emphasize Wellbeing

During the pandemic, more organizations began to embrace the idea that employee wellbeing isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s essential for sustainable success. Because women are more stressed and burned out than men are, wellbeing initiatives are a powerful tool for retaining women employees. 

Your company can support employees by offering wellness subsidies, as Deloitte and DocuSign do. Or you could help employees access mental health services, as Starbucks and Target do.

Resources You Can Use

At Newberry Executive Solutions, our focus is providing resources that organizations can use to engage and retain the women leaders that are so crucial to their future. As your company makes plans for 2022, I invite you to explore our programs, books, New Lens app and other offerings that can help you invest in women.

Leadership Advice on the Go

This time of year, you might be spending more time traveling, whether for errands around town or holiday visits across the country. As you do, I wanted to share some of my interviews and presentations on leadership that you can take along with you. Just follow the links to listen.

Image by Markus Winkler from Pixabay

‘Beyond Barriers’

I recently joined Monica Marquez on the “Beyond Barriers” podcast. We discussed how to gain clarity on your career path and make decisions with confidence in the midst of uncertainty, risk-taking strategies, codifying your unique value proposition, and promoting your value without bragging. 

‘Be a Wave Maker’

2020 was epic with lessons of a lifetime from my unexpected battle with cancer (I won), navigating through a pandemic and running a business. Don’t underestimate the power of one step at a time or any of the simple but powerful resilience strategies I mention here. They will lead you to big results. I talk more about "Building a Change Mindset" with Patti Johnson on the "Be a Wave Maker: Conversations on Change" podcast.  

‘The STaR Coach Show’

With tight schedules and budgets, how can you get the coaching that you need or provide coaching to your team? Our New Lens app gives you access to what has helped over 75% of our clients get promoted. Learn about it in this episode of “The STaR Coach Show” podcast with Meg Rentschler.

TWU Commencement Speech

In May 2019, I gave the commencement speech for the College of Business at Texas Woman's University. As a big fan of TWU and an inaugural advisory council member of its Institute for Women's Leadership, this opportunity meant a lot to me. Listen for a powerful, timeless message about how to achieve your goals in tough circumstances. I hope will give you a little inspiration and remind you of what is possible.

More Leadership Development Resources

Ready to hear more? My WOW! Program℠ is for high-performing women who want to elevate their careers and leadership skills, in a way that works for them. It contains six audio modules designed to take you from gaining insight to taking action. And you can access the information when, where, and as often as you like.

Tap Into the Power of Gratitude

With packed schedules at work and at home, it’s easy to lose sight of the whole point of this season of gratitude. Thinking about the things you are thankful for might even feel like just one more thing you’re supposed to do — not that you want to do.

Image by hudsoncrafted from Pixabay

However, expressing gratitude and appreciation has some pretty powerful benefits, both for others and ourselves:

• Feeling stressed? Even just thinking about the people you are grateful for can help.

• Gratitude can short-circuit negative emotions like envy, resentment and regret. 

• Positive psychology researcher Martin Seligman found that when people shared letters of gratitude with someone they had never properly thanked for their kindness, they immediately became happier — and stayed happier for the next month!

Whether your year so far has been awesome, so-so or difficult, think about who has helped you get through it all. Who are the people who brought that positive energy and helped you be more resilient? And who supported you through the toughest moments?

Your list might include the boss who always thinks about opportunities for you even when they have a lot on their plate. Or you may feel grateful for team members who have really stepped up this year or peers who have helped you juggle work and life. And then there are the family members and friends who have cheered you on toward your goals or shared wisdom and advice. You can even feel grateful for the people who push your buttons – like a micromanaging boss or a gossipy colleague. After all, these people are showing you a lot about who you don’t want to be and surfacing your core values.

In my own life, I am grateful this year for: 

• My amazing team who constantly backs me up, especially when I went through my cancer treatment. 

• The executives that I coach who had the courage to show vulnerability as we partnered to navigate through major challenges in the current environment.  

• The opportunity to partner with other executives in the community to lift others up, raise money for those in need, and drive social change. It reminds me how much difference a single person or idea can make.

How about you? Who is on your personal gratitude list as Thanksgiving gets closer? And how will you express your appreciation?

The Great Resignation: How Leaders Can Respond

The headlines just keep coming about a phenomenon that’s being called “the Great Resignation.” A record number of Americans have been quitting their jobs. In August alone, the number was 4.3 million. With this trend showing no signs of reversing anytime soon, what can you do as a leader to retain employees in your organization?

Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels

Why Are So Many People Quitting?

First, it’s important to understand what’s driving this wave of resignations. The reasons vary across different fields. But there are a few common themes among professionals:

• Necessity. Childcare has long been expensive and, in some regions, scarce. But now the field is experiencing its own labor shortage, which makes it even harder for families to find workable options. As a result, some moms are forced out of the job market.

• Burnout. According to the Women in the Workplace 2021 report from McKinsey & Company and Lean In, 42% of women often or almost always feel burned out. 

• Flexibility. Many of us got used to working from home and having more autonomy to control our own schedules during the pandemic. Now some professionals would rather quit than return to the office full time.

• Changing values. The pandemic has made us take a new look at what’s really important to us. That’s led some people to shift their focus away from work and seek new careers that offer them more balance and meaning.

How to Improve Retention

So what should leaders do to retain employees amid these rapid changes in the work environment?

• Adapt and evolve. We aren’t going “back to normal.” The pandemic-driven changes in how we work are here to stay. To retain employees (and recruit new ones), organizations must embrace this new reality and update their policies on things like flexible schedules and working from home. 

• Focus on results. As a leader, as much as you have autonomy to, emphasize outcomes instead of processes. In other words, evaluate your team members on what they accomplish vs. when or where they do their work.

• Prioritize well-being. This was one of the three key recommendations from the Women in the Workplace report. Promoting well-being goes beyond offering flexible schedules. It also involves understanding what else employees really need to honor both their professional and personal priorities, whether that’s a childcare stipend or quarterly mental health days.

• Collaborate, align and adjust. The solutions that will most improve retention are those that you develop with your employees to address both their needs and your organization’s. This isn’t a situation you can address once and then consider everything solved for good. Instead, check in with your team members regularly to see what’s changed for them and how their work arrangements need to change in response.

As you lead during these challenging times, products and services from Newberry Executive Solutions are a great way to support yourself and others. You can learn how to bring out the best in your team and stay centered yourself, even amid constant change.

Share Your Ideas

“One in three women says that they have considered downshifting their career or leaving the workforce this year, compared with one in four who said this a few months into the pandemic. Additionally, four in ten women have considered leaving their company or switching jobs—and high employee turnover in recent months suggests that many of them are following through. … The risk to women, and to the companies that depend on their contributions, remains very real.”

-Women in the Workplace 2021

How can companies hold on to their female employees? In an upcoming article, I’ll be sharing examples of strategies that work. And I’d love to hear from you about what’s happening at your organization. Drop by my LinkedIn page to share your ideas and join the discussion.

5 Eye-Opening Findings on Women at Work

The Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey & Company and Lean In is always an important look at what women are experiencing at work and the barriers we face to our success. With the coronavirus pandemic driving women out of the workforce, it’s even more vital to be aware of these challenges and what we can do to address them. That’s why I wanted to share with you a few of the most striking findings from this year’s report, as well as some ideas for taking action.

1. Women Are Promoted to Manager Less Often Than Men Are

According to the report, for every 100 men who receive a promotion to manager, only 86 women do. This disparity hurts women’s representation all the way to the top levels of leadership. After all, women can’t “climb the ladder” when the bottom rung is broken. The report urges companies to take concrete steps to make promotions more equitable.

If you’re aiming for a promotion yourself, you can increase your odds by honing your communication style and making sure others are aware of your value, even if you’re working remotely.

2. There’s an ‘Allyship Gap’

While this year’s report found that women are champions of diversity, equity and inclusion, it also identified areas for improvement. For example, 25% of women of color said that mentoring or sponsoring is one of the actions that most conveys meaningful allyship. That compares with 16% of white women.

In my article “Do You Have Mentors or Sponsors?” you can learn about the difference between the two — and why you need both. Want to create more opportunities for others? Check out my list of ways you can help them grow.

3. Burnout Is a Big Problem

Of the women surveyed this year, 42% say they often or almost always feel burned out. For women who manage teams, the crisis is even worse. More than half of women leaders report experiencing burnout.

Again, the report urges companies to do more to support their employees’ well-being amid the added stresses of today’s work environment. If you’re experiencing symptoms of burnout, here are a few ideas for getting out of crisis mode and asking for help. 

4. Flexible Schedules Have a Downside

Over the past couple of years, many of us have gained more flexibility in when and where we do our jobs. This can be a real boon for work-life balance, but it can also create its own set of anxieties. According to McKinsey and Lean In: “More than a third of employees feel like they need to be available for work 24/7, and almost half believe they need to work long hours to get ahead.”

If you feel that you must be “always on,” it’s time to re-examine your mindset and boundaries around work. It’s also important to help others understand your schedule.

5. Microaggressions Have a Big Impact

Microaggressions are defined as “the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups.” Examples of microaggressions that people experience at work include getting interrupted more often than others do or overhearing insults about their culture or people like them.

The report found that all women are more likely to experience microaggressions than men are. But Black women, LGBTQ+ women and women with disabilities experience even more microaggressions than women overall do. Those experiences take a toll. Microaggressions are one way that women experience silencing, which can derail their whole careers.

Investing in Women Pays Off

As the Women in the Workplace 2021 report says, companies “need to create a culture that fully leverages the benefits of diversity—one in which women, and all employees, feel comfortable bringing their unique ideas, perspectives, and experiences to the table. When women are respected and their contributions are valued, they are more likely to be happy in their jobs and to feel connected to their coworkers.”

If your organization is seeking ways to cultivate your women leaders, Newberry Executive Solutions has a full range of products and services that can help, from executive coaching to an award-winning app to books.