
Articles
Client Spotlight: From losing my sparkle at work to feeling aligned and valued
Today we’re hearing from Alice Cable, a participant in last fall’s cohort of the Career Collaborative Accelerator. Alice was kind enough to give us a behind-the-scenes look into her decision to invest in herself through group coaching, what the coaching process looked like for her, and what’s changed in her life as a result.
Taking an Intermission
All athletes know that rest days are essential to our ability to push harder and increase our strength, skills, and endurance over the long-run. Without the rest days, our bodies would fight back and fail us, resulting in chronic pain and serious injuries. This is true not only for formal athletes, but anyone who maintains a regular workout schedule–we’re athletes too!
The same is true for the white space in all types of art—it’s the unseen but crucial component that helps create the beauty we experience, whether it’s in the form of visual art, music, dance, film, theater, or literature.
So why is it so difficult for us to apply the same “white space” to our lives?
On Bravery, Bedtime Stories, And Being The Best
My five year old daughter burst into tears as we were reading her bedtime story.
She was due to start kindergarten in the fall, and the book she chose, Countdown to Kindergarten, brought up a tender worry: "Mommy", she said, "what if I’m not the best in kindergarten?"
As a girl, I was taught to try to be the best at everything so that I could get the best grades, open up the best opportunities, and go to the best college. As a first generation college student, I can understand why my parents instilled this mindset within me.
But as a woman who has had to do a lot of un-learning about perfection over the years, I was alarmed to hear this worry coming up for Avery at such a young age.
Professional Detours: Driven by a desire to wonder, not wander
This week, we're hearing from Penney Leadership Strategic Career Coach Jessica Crowley. When Jessica joined our team, I was fascinated by the winding road that has brought her career to where it is today—and how her diverse experience is one of her greatest strengths, not a weakness. Here, she tells the story of what that journey has felt like for her. - Carole Ann
Assessing Company Culture for the Right Fit
This week, a client who is interviewing for a new position asked me how to assess whether the company culture is the right fit.
"Culture" is a big concept that can mean a lot of different things. To some, it means a company's "vibe" or "personality." To others, it means the values and practices shared by employees. I've even heard it described as "a company's soul."
You Never Know.
Late last summer, I received one of the most lovely emails I've ever gotten—and it was from someone I didn't even know. Jessica didn't expect a reply. But she wrote so wholeheartedly that I knew I needed to meet her. Now, I'm so proud and excited to introduce you to her as the newest member of the Penney Leadership team. That's right—Penney Leadership is shifting from a "me" to a "we"—a coaching practice with two Certified Professional Coaches.
Six Creative Ways to Develop Your Professional Skills
A client recently scheduled a session to strategize on how they can develop their skills at work.
At the beginning of the conversation, they were thinking small—constrained by working within the limited funds available for professional development at their organization.
Unfortunately, a lot of organizations offer limited (if any) financial support for professional development. But don't let that be the deciding factor on how or if you grow.
There are more resources and opportunities for professional development than ever before.
Get in the driver's seat of your own professional growth by exploring these creative ways to develop your skills (many of which cost $0)…
#CareerDiaries: Quitting Doesn't Make You a Quitter
In this edition of #CareerDiaries, we'll hear from a 30 year-old nonprofit professional who, after seven years with her organization, is talking herself through the roller-coaster of putting in her notice and launching her own business.
#CareerDiaries: Managing the mental ping-pong of a career pivot
One thing that all of my career coaching clients have in common: Whirlwind minds.
Everyday, they're playing a game of mental ping-pong, trying to figure out what the heck they want, how or if they can make it happen, and whether they deserve it.
One day, a possibility sounds promising. The next, they're...not so sure.
Navigating career questions is confusing and lonely. You can't be open with everyone around you about your dreams, doubts, and desires.
When you do share your dreams with others, you get advice and guidance that is often well-meaning but misguided.
Even within your own mind, it's a constant dialogue of tamping down the self-doubt.
It can make you feel like you're out of your mind…
Why the best job I've ever had isn't on my resume
Four years ago, I quit my job as the associate director of a statewide nonprofit to work at the front desk of a massage therapy studio. It made no sense. You won't see it on my resume. But it's the most meaningful career move I've made. Here’s why.
How to Write Your Mission-Driven Professional Summary
“Let’s start with some introductions,” he says, getting the meeting going.
Cue the cold sweat. My mind starts racing.
Instead of listening to everyone else share their backgrounds, I'm internally panicking about how I'm going to communicate who I am as a professional.
Does this happen to you?
I hear it from my clients all the time—they're not really sure how to articulate who they are professionally.
Our default is to blurt out our job title and company, but we're so much more than that…
Get in the Driver's Seat of Your Career
One of my clients was laid off from a job she loved last summer. She was constantly on the lookout for new roles, but few postings felt like the right fit for her—and the ones that did weren't leading anywhere.
In one of our coaching sessions, she said: “I think I need to Good Will Hunting this whole thing.”
I laughed. “What does that mean?”
She explained: “Write my own role and cast myself.”
I groaned, because I felt such a visceral YESSSS bubble up from my core.
The Key to Navigating Career Decision Making with Confidence
When I found myself at a career crossroads two years ago, I polled about 85 people for their opinions on what I should do. I had been climbing the ladder in my organization for seven years—through five job titles—and had reached the point where something needed to shift. The problem was, I wasn’t sure what to shift: Do I scale back my hours? Advocate to reshape my role? Find another role in a larger nonprofit? Finally launch my own business?
I asked friend after mentor after trusted colleague for their guidance. Since I was feeling so wobbly about the decision within myself, I was stuck in a spin of wanting someone to tell me exactly what to do. But after the 85th conversation, I realized: no one could make this decision except for me. And I had no idea of how to do that.
Decision-making is central to the modern career landscape. That means that we’re in the driver’s seat; we are the decider of where we’re going. That gives us a lot of freedom to explore, follow our interests and talents, and grow in exciting ways. But it’s also a huge responsibility to be in control of our own paths. It means that we’re making more decisions than ever before—and we need to get better at making those choices. Here’s how.
Connect the Dots of Your Custom Career Path
Single-track careers are a thing of the past. In the modern job economy, we want our work to be an expression of who we are and our purpose in the world. And since we contain multitudes, there is no single job that will allow us to fully express ourselves.
In today's career landscape, this is the safer path—rather than putting all of your eggs in one basket (a single role or industry), you're highly adaptable with a variety of skills to draw upon professionally...
To Find Your Meaningful Work, Look Under Your Umbrella
It might seem a little foggy at first, but with a little attention and intention soon you'll see your meaningful work clearly.
To Find Your Career Sweet Spot, Ask: What Can't You Help But Do?
A few weekends ago, I facilitated a staff retreat for a team of scientists and engineers from an innovative medical device startup. As we got to know each other over dinner, the CEO asked me: "So Carole Ann, how did you come to coaching?"
The answer is simple: It all started with a red chair.
Read more about how asking yourself "Where are the red chairs in my life?" is the key to finding your sweet spot and discovering your "thing."
Three Questions to Frame Your Purpose-Driven Job Search
One of my clients, Kelly, is on the hunt for her next position. She’s looking to pivot into something new—diving into policy in the public sector—after several years in corporate finance and operations.
Here’s the challenge: looking through job postings is like trying to drink water out of a firehose.
Culling through Indeed, sorting out job alerts, and finding the right opportunities has left Kelly feeling drained, especially on top of the full-time job that she is so ready to move on from. She’s having trouble staying motivated and positive as she looks to the future.
When embarking on a job search, we usually start with two obvious questions:
What is the title of the role I want to step into?
What industry do I want to work in?
We use the answers to these questions to create the framework of the search. For Kelly, that’s becoming a Policy Analyst in state government.
But here’s a different approach to a job search—one that goes far deeper than the job title and industry to bring a more purposeful lens to your search.
Client Spotlight: Alex Lehning
Like so many leaders this year, Alex has been through the wringer. He’s the director of a small museum in northern Vermont, and even before the COVID crisis led to the closures of cultural heritage organizations, he was charged with inspiring a small team to do more with less.
When he joined a Leadership Lab session back in March, he shared some of the challenges he was facing, as well as how pandemic added layer upon layer of complexity and urgency to an already stretched role. Through his little Zoom box on the screen, I could see the heaviness of this charge weighing on his shoulders.
In that session, Alex realized: “I was ignoring the classic signs of burnout. I knew that my exhaustion ran deeper than simply shifting my schedule or delegating a project. I needed to look at my own priorities, to set new boundaries, and to redefine my purpose in order to serve my career and my community.”
As mission-driven leaders, we are taught to be martyrs to the mission—to put ourselves last, to give and give and give. But what happens when you give everything you have to the cause? You are all used up.
If we shift how we relate to our work, we can show up with energy that naturally refuels itself. We can cultivate sustainable leadership practices.
A Partial Taxonomy of Job Types
So many of us think about finding a job as one thing: the all-in-one, full-time position where you use your skills and get your full pay.
Here's the truth: There are many different types of jobs for many different types of situations—and they are all legitimate choices.
I started sketching out job types, and created a taxonomy here…