"Christmas Carrels?" - From where I sit, managing my work and managing my people is an immersive experience. Literally. I always choose to place my desk in the middle of our workspace, the better to both be accessible and to communicate to my staff and my colleagues that we are all in this together. In my view, leadership by example works best when those I lead can see my example every day as they walk past my desk. It is also a reality check, and humbling, to see the dedication of all those around me. It is all to easy to underestimate the amount of time and effort required to deliver on a project. Hard work is its own reward and by being in the center of all the action ensures I work (and can be seen to work) as long and hard as any of my direct reports. Whilst I do enjoy the "open office" design concept and believe it is important to be available for all the little questions, not just the big ones, there is a “cost”. A significant cost. And that is the cost of being constantly pulled in many different directions, and having to flex quickly between my many different roles as subject matter expert, communicator, decision maker, firefighter, manager, peer, and subordinate. It is very easy to feel out of control, and it is all too easy to succumb to being over overwhelmed, especially when taking on a new role, such as a manager or project leader. Don’t panic – there are simple ways to regain control and increase your effectiveness (and your enjoyment!).
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Topics:
Events,
STEM,
Women,
Career,
Communication,
Community,
Cambridge,
Women in STEM,
Networking,
Upcoming Events,
Management,
Delegation
In today's business world, it's rare that a team is physically located in the same space. Remote work is becoming increasingly popular and easier with advancements in technology. Business are also more global than ever before as it's easier to expand abroad. As it becomes easier for businesses to physically expand, it also becomes more difficult to collaborate and communicate. Between different time zones, cultural communication styles and varying priorities it's hard to stay aligned as a business. This creates challenges as we try and execute on a strategy. It's important that we double down on visibility into collaborative work and leverage tools that help us stay aligned.
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Topics:
Events,
STEM,
Women,
Career,
Communication,
Community,
Cambridge,
Women in STEM,
Networking,
Upcoming Events,
Excellence,
Operational,
Business,
Collaboration,
Digital,
IT,
Tools
Often conflicts arise, either at work or in our personal lives. At these times we have a choice to make between having a challenging conversation and remaining silent.
As leaders, learning when and how to have challenging conversations in a kind and effective way can resolve conflicts and encourage growth in the organization.
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Topics:
Events,
Leadership,
Communication,
Cambridge,
Success,
Women in STEM,
Workshop
As Warren Buffet says “You can improve your value by 50 percent just by learning communication skills and public speaking." And yet he was terrified of it.
Speaking in public whether we are speaking to a small meeting or a packed conference is daunting. Your presence and delivery are key to your success but you do not have to be a ‘performer’ to deliver a strong, authentic message. These skills can be learned and must be practiced, and practiced and practiced.
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Topics:
Events,
Leadership,
Communication,
Cambridge,
Success,
Presentation
You never listen! How many times have you found yourself angrily whispering this statement under your breath to your partner? Or to your kids? If you are like me, there are multiple times a month when it just feels like you have been talking to a brick wall. And it is not just at home. There are even some days at work when I have the same sort of despairing feeling. Like when I have made valuable contributions to the discussion at meetings, only to have one of my colleagues repeat my words and then receive all the accolades for the brilliant suggestions. Or other days when I am trying to engage with my team to solicit input on an important change in project direction, only to see blank stares reflected back at me, accompanied by the deafening sound of silence. Ugh. Frustrating.
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Topics:
Events,
Leadership,
Women,
Communication,
Cambridge,
Success
In today’s world, technology has made it increasingly easy to expand and do business internationally. With video advancements such as Google Hangouts, Facetime, Skype and Zoom, you can virtually spin up an in person meeting with almost anyone anywhere in the world. Businesses are embracing these technologies to expand their customer base and build teams globally to accelerate their success.
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Topics:
Events,
Leadership,
Women,
Tech,
Science,
Communication,
Success,
Global,
Culture
We are all pulled in many different, often conflicting directions, both professionally and personally and feel the obligation to perform to relentless standards as judged by others. This can leave us feeling frustrated, exhausted and even inadequate. This can lead us to underperform as we continuously strive to over perform.
International Women’s Day is an important time to reflect on the impact these demands are making on the different and important facets of our lives. A moment to examine our own priorities and criteria that define our success and bring us happiness. Come and celebrate the day by joining our workshop on March 8 lead by Debra Woog. Debra will share her formula for articulating your own unique definition of success bringing more prosperity, ease and joy into your busy, multifaceted lives.
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Topics:
Events,
Career,
Communication,
Work Life Balance,
Success
