This wintry (read:yucky) weather has me overhauling the “utilitarian” side of my wardrobe (which for all intents and purposes, happens to be minimal). Nothing like an ill-fitted pair of shoes to freeze your toes, ruin a perfect leather vintage pair of boots, all the while looking totally disheveled (and unhappy) as you enter your office building with no other than your department’s VP. Hence my (painful) decision to invest in some stylish useful rain boots, in a humanitarian effort to save my toes, my vintage leather boots, and my VP’s opinion of the latter. Today’s pick is this pair of Aigle Aiglentine faux fur lined boots from Shopbop.
Loving the lug soles and faux fur lining of these boots, not to mention the classic, simple look of these. Plus these are as stylish as they are warm. Here’s to toasty toes and a classic look that will go with pretty much anything in your wardrobe. Now you can say hi to your department’s VP without bolting for the next exit!
For more options on cute rain boots that could even pass for office shoes, check out this post from Refinery 29!
People get married, kids are born, traffic gets crazy, more kids are born, alarm clocks break, parents get older, cars break down, life happens, period. And more often than not, it’s not orderly, scheduled, or planned, but instead messy, all over the place, and downright crazy at times. In the midst of all this, we still have to go to work, be productive, and manage to smash the glass ceiling all while striving for perfect work-life balance…
Considering your messy desk can ruin your career, how much more can your messy life, including your spouse, kids, and even your hectic week-ends! Truth is, most life events have the potential of distracting us and taking us off course, and having a potentially negative effect on our careers.
Yet, as has been proven over and over again, clearly separating life from work is next to impossible. The whole concept of work-life balance produces more theories than results, as many of us are slowly starting to understand it’s more about integration than a precarious balancing act. Even when life is at its craziest, here are a few lessons learned on keeping your professional self together:
1. Relinquish control! Life is going to happen, your kid will pee his pants right as you’re heading out the door, you will leave the keys in the car (while the engine is still on), and you’ll spend half of the departmental meeting wondering if you’ve unplugged the iron this morning. Let go of the need to control it all, and notice your chronic headache go away, and your good ol’ productivity start kicking ass again…
2. Be Present! When you’re at work, be at work, fully! I know it’s easier said than done, and believe me, there were so many times my body was sitting at my desk while my mind was at the supermarket getting a new carton of milk. I have a Post It note on my screen that simply says “Are you here?”, so I can remind myself to be present and do the best I can…right here!
3. Ask and you shall receive (or you shall be told no, and get over it): Everyone’s got issues and needs, it’s part of life. What differentiates those who surmount them and come back even stronger, and those whose entire existence caves in, is the ability to seek and accept help. Seek the help you need, whether it’s a cleaning lady once a week, a staff member helping you with the administrative stuff, or a day off in the middle of the week. The worst you can be told is no…
How do you maintain your professionalism in the midst of life’s craziness?
It’s performance review time, and bonus time is right around the corner as well. You’ve written and sent out your self performance review, the process is in motion, and you are…worried sick! What if you get a bad review? What if your bonus (and resulting shopping bandwidth) suffers? What if you risk losing your job? What if? What if? And how do you cope with the anxiety and stress associated with an upcoming performance review?
My $0.05: Performance reviews are part of everyone’s career. They’re like calories, they sneak around in yummy desserts, yet show up every single time on the scale, but I digress…My point is, reviews happen, and bad bad reviews happen to good employees, so do outstanding ones happen to not-so-good people. If your upcoming performance review is stressing you out, have a talk with your manager as to what you should expect. This should help ease the uncertainty part. Remember every job is temporary, your career is not over because of a bad performance review. Take a deep breath, keep on striving, and always keep yourself up-to-date as to other employment options! It’s going to be alright…
Are you worried about an upcoming performance review?
We’re in the dead of winter here in the Northeast. Temperatures are dipping low, snow banks are piling up, and between the cold, wind, and puddles, it’s hard to keep our style up…So today’s Work It fashion pick is one that combines utility and style in this fabulously warm Laundry by Shelli Segal belted down puffer coat from Macy’s.
Loving the belted, slimming silhouette on this very well reviewed puffer coat. It’s $149.99 at Macy’s!
I remember sitting in front of the computer screen, mind blank, fingers stuck in the air, wondering what in the world to write in my self performance review. Especially for those who don’t particularly enjoy talking, or writing, about themselves, it can be challenging. Yet writing your self performance review is an integral part of your career; not only is there no way to escape it, it’s actually a golden opportunity for you to improve your performance and foster a positive dialogue with your managers and colleagues.
Self performance reviews allow employees to analyze their own strengths, and maybe most importantly, be honest about their weaknesses. It’s also an outlet to discuss new training taken, skills acquired, projects completed. While many think this process is nothing but a large bragging scheme, it turns out to be one of the most missed improvement opportunities for managers and employees alike. Here’s what to keep in mind when navigating the professionally perilous waters of self reviews:
1. Prepare for It! You can’t bull… your way out of a self performance review, unless you want it to reflect badly on you! In order to showcase your accomplishments, analyze your strengths and weaknesses, and present a compelling review, you must prepare! I keep a spreadsheet listing all the projects I’ve worked on, as well as their respective outcomes, and any strengths or weaknesses I’ve noted of myself as related to these. When review time comes around, it’s just a matter of retrieving all this information, massaging it and voila!
2. It’s not personal, it’s business! It’s important to remove the personal aspect in self performance reviews. It’s really about business and performance. Whether you like your manager or find your peers are hindering your progress, this is not the forum for it. Be as objective as possible, cite specific projects and details, avoid personal feelings, which brings me to my next point…
3. Showcase your accomplishments! Many, especially women, find it difficult to emphasize their success without sounding like they’re bragging. Well, at the expense of feeling slightly uncomfortable in your modest skin, do not be afraid of recognizing your successes. One way to not sound like you’re bragging is to be clear and detailed about your contributions. The more specific, the more objective-sounding.
4. Recognize weaknesses! If your self review has zero weaknesses or opportunities for improvement, you’re in trouble! No one’s perfect, and neither are you. Acknowledge your mistakes, but be careful not to give your manager ammunition to downgrade his review of your work. Put a positive spin on your weaknesses, focusing on what you can improve as opposed to what you totally sucked at. Your review should reflect that you’re a (good) work in progress, not a lost cause…
5. Ask about growth opportunities! A self review is also a great place to ask for what you need. If you’re lacking resources, adequate training, or additional support, mention it in a constructive way, without criticizing the current state of things. Be proactive!
If you watched the Superbowl yesterday, you noticed not only the fabulous Patriots win (#Pats Nation baby), but also the fact that this year’s Superbowl definitely had more of a feminist appeal, which I absolutely loved! First of all, the much-anticipated ads featured the first-ever feminine care brand to advertise during the Superbowl, Always. And if we add to it Mindy Kaling’s funny, but not so funny, statement about women of color being invisible (and why it has to stop, like NOW), this year’s Superbowl clearly intended to include women in the big sports conversation, and we appreciate it!
So today, both the social and more human water coolers at work will probably feature more women talking about the Superbowl, instead of just witnessing the obnoxious high-fives of male colleagues across the office. We are no longer invisible, and if the NFL can finally come to its (gender) senses, so can the rest of the world…Check it out for yourself below, with the ad featuring Mindy Kaling:
Did you find the Superbowl ads more feminist this year? How do you feel about it?
This gathered seam dress is an early taste of Spring (and oh boy, do we need it right now in New England), yet is appropriate for lower temperatures. Loving the ecru/green pattern of this dress, and the practical, longer sleeves and silhouette. The colors are seriously mood-lifting, and the fit looks extremely comfortable (and forgiving). It’s $79.90 at Zara!
I would jazz up this dress with these Isabel color block leather pumps from Ann Taylor on a more formal day. For a more winter-ready look, I’d switch the pumps up for this LaCanadienne pair of black suede wedge boots.
