by Solange Lopes | Apr 22, 2015 | Career |
My very good friend Jessie runs marathons. That’s her thing, don’t ask me, my body and my mind are still trying to get in agreement with the very concept of running or exercise for that matter. Every year, her goal is to run a greater distance than the year before. Most of the marathons she runs are to benefit charities, and when they aren’t, they’re just practice for the next.
Last time we met in New York, she was trying to enlist the rest of the girls and I to join her for her next race. Which I graciously declined while in the process of stuffing myself with bread and butter (my all-time food favorite, don’t judge me). That’s just who Jessie is, she goes all the way, stretching and challenging herself just to see how far, and how much, she can give of herself. She’s “elastic”, as my friend Deguene would say. If you want to know Jessie, watch her run, watch her pursue her goal of finishing a marathon.
While Jessie’s a pretty phenomenal example, if you think about it, it’s pretty much the same with any goals. The kind you pick, the way you pursue and reach them, and what you do with the results, pretty much define who you are, at work and in life.
From using the right strategies to avoid setting ineffective goals, to picking goals that are compatible with who you are and what you want out of your career, goal-setting, and goal-reaching, can tell a lot about how you perceive yourself, and how others perceive you in a professional setting. As a result, it says quite a bit about whether you are setting yourself for success, or whether you’re headed in the opposite direction, ahem, you know, the not-so-good one…
1. Your goals represent you! Don’t just set goals because it’s yet another box to check on your performance review checklist! Keep in mind the type of goals you select, the breadth and width of the associated objectives, speak of who you are as a person. Pick goals that are in alignment with who you are, yet goals that stretch, expand and let you blossom into who you really are.
2. How you pursue your goals differentiates you! Remember the guy who’d call you at the last minute for an impromptu date, show up late and take you to some dingy bar in the middle of nowhere? Now think of the one who’s been wooing you for weeks, made reservations at a great spot weeks in advance, and even sent you flowers with a sweet reminder of your upcoming date! They both had the same goal on the surface, but how they went about it told you clearly the type of person they were.
It’s the same with goals! Are you the type who consistently adds small steps towards reaching your goals, treating the process just as well as you do the results? Or do you botch the process, trying to get to the end result too hastily? Lucky for me, I married the second guy…
3. Who are your goals serving? Are you setting goals for your own benefit or do your goals serve your team, a charity, other professionals? The “who” component of your goals indicate your character and team playing skills.
Don’t just set goals for yourself! Stretch and expand your goals to grow others, and as a result, grow yourself. Mentoring, team building, charity and organization-sponsoring are great engagement goals that say a lot more about who you are than all the degrees on your resume.
What do your goals say about you?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 20, 2015 | Career
Photo credit: saksfifthavenue.com
Saks is having its Friends & Family sale, and lots of items are 30% off. I’m personally loving the cheery pink hue on this Salvador Contour Dress, accented with a contoured cutout at one shoulder. The long sleeves are perfect to transition from winter to Spring, and it can go from the boardroom to an evening out in a hot pink minute. This beauty is on sale for $178!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 20, 2015 | Career
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by Solange Lopes | Apr 19, 2015 | Career |
All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change. – Octavia Butler
I have to admit, I’m a creature of habit. I like my routines, my hot cup of coffee, two teaspoons of sugar, one of cream, and my time to meditate and think in the morning. I like a tight schedule, maybe with a few surprises here and there, but nothing too major to make me trade my mid-heel pumps for high-speed sneakers. That’s what I like, and if you’ve lived long enough, you’ve probably realized the more comfortable you get with your routines, the more the Universe adds unexpected stuff to your daily menu. And that unexpected stuff, the stuff that rocks the boat, makes us take another look at ourselves and move trajectories in life, it’s called Change, the big, scary C-word that makes us shake in our stilettos, put more money in the bank, and shop for the best life insurance rates around.
It’s the stuff everybody talks about at the beginning of every year, every new job, every relationship. “I’m gonna change for the better, I’m going to do this right”. “Things are going to change around here”. There’s a need for Change that’s intrinsic to our nature, a yearning for development, for “more”, “better”, “higher”. It knocks at the door of our souls and reminds us we’re not made to last forever in the same place, we’ve got to go further, help more people, leave more of a legacy. Then why is Change so hard, if after all, it’s a natural part of us?
Why Is Change So Hard When It’s A Natural Part of Us?
From resistance to change in ourselves, to the reluctance of even the best organizations out there to promote, create and implement Change, stepping into new grounds has most of us losing our cool. Yet without it, we also feel we’re slipping into the destructive complacency of the ordinary. We start doubting the truth that anything is possible, and getting in the way of our own minds expanding, leaping into groundbreaking fields and areas. Even when we are content, there’s still that still small voice that keeps bugging us, calling us into all we can be.
Have you been resisting Change lately? Have you been pretending not to hear the still small voice bugging you to apply for that job, try this new field, or follow your calling? Have you shot down your dreams of entrepreneurship, or convinced yourself your ideas are not good enough to build the business of your dreams? Or have you stopped trying at work and resigned yourself to doing the same work day in and day out? I mean, when was the last time you tried taking a new way to work, adding more sugar to your coffee, or experimenting with a new shade of lipstick?
What have you changed lately? (If you have to think too long about it, it may be time for a new espresso flavor).
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 19, 2015 | Career
Happy happy Sunday! Hope everyone is having a great week-end, we sure are on this side of the blogosphere! The weather has been summer-like, and everyone’s been lounging like lizards in the sun. Like right now, as I’m sipping my coffee on the patio, purposefully ignoring the little people shrieking and running in the background (it’s an art, believe me)…And if you are relaxing(or researching the best earplugs on the market ), here are the news that made our week (some more than others, you can blame it on the coffee):
- Last Tuesday was #EqualPayDay (and it was also the hubby’s birthday, for which we received a full spiel on wage equality as one of his gifts, don’t judge me), and the Huffington Post shows us this map of America that reveals our pay failures (and it’s not pretty, despite the pink background);
- Speaking of wage equality, you may want to consider moving to New York, as the Washington Post reveals it has the smallest wage gap (apparently, Louisiana has the widest), and AAUW reveals the gender gap is much worse for women of color;
- In other big news this week, women’s media networks Sheknows and BlogHer (which is now a subsidiary of Sheknows), hosted a town hall with President Obama to discuss women’s salary, women in tech, early childhood, etc. The New York Business Journal tells us more about it;
- Speaking of salaries, Fortune shows millenials how they can play salary catch-up, while Fast Company offers a few tips on how to negotiate the salary and benefits we deserve;
- Is school on your mind (but not necessarily in your budget)? Business Insider lists the best business that offer the most financial aid;
- In tech news this week, Huff Post Tech introduces us to the Google Handwriting Input (and it could save you from embarrassing typos);
- Got travel on your mind? Madame Noire Biz tells us about the tales of 6 women working overseas;
- Daily Worth offers us a few hilarious, but on point, tips on handling a bad boss;
- If you’re on the fence about working corporate, The Change Blog had this amazing post about “when working corporate serves your purpose”;
- Federal workers beware! There’s a new federal-worforce guidance on social media out there, and the Washington Post advises you to think before you post;
- As you’re chilling out this week-end, Inc. shows us a few gadgets that are changing the way you relax ( who needs natural relaxation after all?);
- Last but not least, Fast Company had me rolling with this funny video on how your lies sound when you try to sneak out of the office for an interview (see below):
Happy Sunday 🙂
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 17, 2015 | Career
7th Avenue Suiting Collection – Photo credit: nyandcompany.com
It’s Friday!!! I love the look of a nice polished jacket on week-ends to bring a nice touch to an otherwise casual outfit. My week-end pick is this bright 7th Avenue suiting collection jacket from NY&Co. The sunny yellow hue is perfect for Spring, and the fitted look with a notch collar is extremely flattering! This jacket is also on sale for $37.47!
I’d pair it with these cool curvy straight leg jeans from LOFT, for a relaxed but chic look!
Enjoy your week-end!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 16, 2015 | Career
Photo credit: https://40percentandrising.com
On the heels of Equal Pay Day this week, SheKnows Media hosted an important conversation with no other than President Obama himself around women’s issues, such as wage equality, women in tech, student loans and early childhood care. However, as much as most of us are talking the talk when it comes to equal pay at work, can we really talk about it at work? I mean, in between two sips of your morning coffee, can you just hit your boss up with a quick gender wage gap statistic, and ask how that applies to your office? Or casually take up a bet with your co-worker about how much more he makes than you, doing exactly the same job (except when he has to leave early for the department’s basketball team practice, oh wait, is that still considered work?)? Really, can you even utter the words “Equal Pay” further than your keyboard as you’re reading the announcement the co-worker you trained for months got your promotion?
My $0.05: We’ve come a long way when it comes to equal pay, and there are many ways you can help make it a reality. Yet, discussing it in direct terms with your boss or at the water cooler station may not be one of them (at least not if you want to keep your job). It’s like talking about politics, race, or how hard it is to be a woman working full-time and raising kids. It’s all true, relevant, and important, but no one (or at least very few) seem to believe it even exists.
What you can do though, is join women’s groups at your workplace, or your community, and talk about your own experiences with equal pay. It’s easier to come up with a plan of action as a group than fighting the status quo alone, well, unless you’re Superwoman…(which you kinda are…)
What do you think? Should you keep quiet about equal pay at work?
The Corporate Sis.
