by Solange Lopes | Aug 26, 2016 | Career
Our Corporate Catwalk feature selects a piece of clothing or an accessory that complements any corporate sister’s wardrobe.
Today’s Corporate Catwalk pick is a funky, stylish one, which also happens to be one of the upcoming trends this Fall. This Capri mule from Nordstrom is as elegant as it is comfortable. Perfect for a casual day at the office, paired with easy slacks or even trouser jeans on casual Friday, it has a sophisticated vintage feel that makes it stand out. It’s $119.95 at Nordstrom!
Would you sport these to work?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis
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by Solange Lopes | Aug 26, 2016 | Career
As the summer’s coming to an end, and you may have returned (or are returning) to work after vacation, you may want to pause and ask yourself what you’ve learnt from taking some time off. While your first inclination may be to reminisce fun days at the beach and yummy margaritas, there are other elements of your vacation which may actually apply to your…career.
There’s something about physically and mentally distancing yourself from a project or activity that allows you to see and understand things you may not have grasped before, simply because you were too close to the subject at hand. Kind of what happens when you step away from a piece of writing, or a work project, and come back to it after a day or so.You get a new, fresher perspective you’d have never had, had you remained close to it.
That’s also what happened after I returned from a two-week vacation in the islands. While I did enjoy disconnecting from work and taking some “real” time off, actually being away from the daily grind did allow me to perceive some aspects of my career I hadn’t been able to understand until then.
Here are some career lessons I’ve learnt, away from my email inbox, daily work routine and plumping Maybelline mascara:
It’s quality over quantity
Taking time off allows you to value quality over quantity when it comes to how you spend your time, on and off the job. Being able to slow down and enjoy some time outside of the rat race makes you realize just how much your frenzied, crazier pace makes you less, instead of more, productive.
It also makes you understand how time, and not so much money, is really our most precious commodity. Every time we allow ourselves to slow down and reflect on how we spend our time, we get a new lease on our schedules, and ultimately our lives.
As I come back from vacation, my priority is to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to my schedule and career. Minimize waste, maximize efficiency and enjoyment, and focus on the ways I can be create more time.
It’s about working well, not more
I was so burnt out I couldn’t wait to get out of work on the day our vacation flight was scheduled to leave. And I wasn’t the only one…About 83% of American workers are stressed out about their jobs, of which 50% say this stress interferes with their sleep and general well-being. Interestingly enough, we also note that 55% of American workers don’t take all their paid vacation.
I even felt guilty taking a whole two weeks to get away. In work time, it may seem like an eternity you could never catch up on. In reality, the work still gets done somehow, some way.
With the distance and perspective, it becomes obvious that a lot of the time we spend at work is not necessarily time well-spent. We work a lot, but are we really working well? If we were, maybe we’d do more and feel less burnt out after all.
Get out more!
As dear hubby and I have family overseas, most of our vacation is spent visiting our close relatives in other countries. As we spend some time away in Senegal, France and the Cape-Verde islands, we get to be immersed in other cultures for some time, and observe how others work.
In Cape Verde for instance, most workers take a two-hour lunch break to go home, eat and rest in between morning and afternoon work hours. In France, most employees take the whole month of August off for family vacation. In Senegal, the many national holidays and allowed vacation give workers much-deserved breaks all throughout the year.
Being able to see different ways of working and various career perspectives enlarges how you look at your own career. You start thinking more about building a life that includes your career, instead of just building a life around your career. You also get to re-assess the way you approach your work, and re-calibrate for better impact.
Keep growing!
Along with gaining a more enlarged perspective from traveling and taking a break, you also get the thirst to keep growing. Doing the same thing over and over again, whether at work or in life, keeps us stale, outdated, and frankly bored.
Every time I go on vacation, or take some time off, it gives me enough distance to want to keep growing. To want to do more things, be more balanced, and enjoy life and work more.
Overall, I found taking the time to get away from work paradoxically lets me learn more about it. That without time off, time on is of a lesser quality, and enjoyed so much less. And that every vacation, every ounce of time spent away from the daily grind is an invaluable opportunity to re-focus, re-calibrate and re-position ourselves to build the careers we truly enjoy.
What career lessons have you learnt from your vacation?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Aug 25, 2016 | Career
Our Corporate Catwalk feature selects a piece of clothing or an accessory that complements any corporate sister’s wardrobe.
Looking for a more feminine, updated take on the traditional tee? You may just have found it in this flattering scallop frill tee from Shopbop. The elegant scalloped edges add a fun and chic touch to this otherwise classic tee, that you can now pair with any bottom, from a pencil skirt to your favorite pair of jeans. And the bonus? A very affordable price of $25!
Other fun alternatives to the traditional tee include this also affordable scallop-edge lace tee, as well as this funky ruffle washed number.
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Aug 16, 2016 | Career |
If you’re looking for a classic, chic sheath dress, this ponte knit sheath dress from Brooks Brothers is an amazing choice. The split neck, cap sleeves and flattering top stitch details are all great details of this dress that can easily be taken from the office to after-hours. It’s $198 at brooks Brothers.
It also comes in this beautiful teal color, also at Brooks Brothers.
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Aug 16, 2016 | Career
If you have a tendency to take things personally, you know it can wreak havoc in your career. I mean, spending upwards of eight hours in an office environment, stuck with a myriad of personalities you may (or may not) be attracted to, and often subject to constant requests to perform, can end up constituting the perfect everyday storm for you. From dealing with attitudes changing as fast as the weather, to being under pressure to compete (albeit in a “healthy” way) for advancement, while juggling the rest of your busy life, how can you not take things personally at work?
While some may argue that you should take things personally in your career, as a sign that you’re fully engaged and committed to your career. I happen to have a slightly different opinion, mostly based on experience.
After years of taking things personally at work, I realized how much of an emotional and mental toll it had been taking on me. I came in to work day in and day out with so many expectations as to how I should be received, what I should be getting in terms of credit and opportunity, and how other should behave towards me, that I would set myself up for failure every single time. Every.single.time.
If someone didn’t quite acknowledge my contribution to this or that project, I took it personally. If they didn’t invite me to a key meeting, I took it personally. If they didn’t include me in some project emails, I took it personally. And yes, there certainly were instances when I should have been involved in those key meetings and important emails. Yet, as “right” as I may have been about some of these situations, taking each and every one of these circumstances personally didn’t help me be a better team member or leader.
Yes, I was engaged in my work. I was committed to my success. Hence the reason why I felt so slighted in the first place. But this side of engagement and commitment to my career brought out character traits that weren’t necessarily the best.
There ‘s something about taking things personally that attributes others’ actions and reactions to us. It’s as if we’re telling the world: “All of this is happening because of me.” Which also means we’re negating a gazillion other reasons, personal motivations and human factors in the process, all the while engulfing ourselves in an abyss of self-inflicted doubt, anger and grief.
The more I’d take things personally, the more difficult it would be to objectively assess the various situations I’d encounter at work. And the more challenging it would be to build authentic, fruitful professional relationships. The lines between the personal and the professional, although intertwined in the day-to-day work life, now became so blurred it was literally impossible to work through them.
As much as our careers are part of our lives, and vice-versa, having a healthy separation between the two helps enrich each one, instead of putting too much weight on each.I learnt to let work be work, and my personal life be my personal life. Of course, there are times when they intersect. Yet, in the midst of the confusion , challenges and victories of life and work, tracing a clear line of demarcation between the moments we experience is key to our sanity, and ultimately to our success:
Put yourself on time out before reacting.
When TV personality Kelly Ripa got blindsided at work as her co-anchor abruptly left the show, she took a week off to clear her head. While she was largely criticized for it, it allowed her to come back with a clearer head, and more perspective as she addressed the situation at hand.
In the same way, that some time out when facing a situation you risk to take personally at work. Whether it’s a day off, or even a few minutes locked in the bathroom stall, hold off on reacting at first. Instead, step away, take a breather, and evaluate the situation.
Ask yourself what the situation really means to you.
What does this annoying co-worker really mean to you? Or the promotion that was just given to someone else? Or even the bad review you just received?
Evaluate what that means to you, and if you should put so much mental and emotional energy into it. If it won’t matter to you next year, then why take it personally?
When you’re ready, gain clarification first then respond.
After taking time out and asking yourself what the situation at hand really means to you, seek to clarify it first. Ask your co-worker, team or boss the necessary questions to clarify what’s happening. Once you get enough information, then you can decide on the course of action to follow.
Do you take things personally at work?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Aug 12, 2016 | Career
This is our weekly career and lifestyle news update, where we round up exciting news of the last week and we let you have it…ahem, news-wise that is…
Think of it as your career gossiping section on steroids…
And while you’re at it, follow us on Facebook, Twitter,IG, and Pinterest!
Here we go…
- In exciting news this week, Simone Manuel makes olympic swimming history in Rio by becoming the first African-American woman to win individual swimming gold;
- Another huge first was accomplished by gymnast Simone Biles, who won the all-around gold in Rio as well;
- In the midst of all these exciting firsts, is it any wonder that over 73% of American workers are planning to skip work to watch the Olympics;
- Arianna Huffington’s teaching us an important lesson about productivity, as she’s stepping down from the HuffPost to embark fully on her new venture. Business Insider tells us more about it;
- Tired of sending out resumes? Forbes tips you off on how to skip the interview yet still land the job;
- Feeling like it’s difficult to communicate at work? Ellevate Network offers great tips on how to communicate with intention;
- Speaking of communication, do you think bosses and employees can be friends? The Lindsey Pollack blog explores the topic;
- We’ve all used a swear word at work at least once (ok, most of us), and lo and behold, it’s actually good for us;
- Do you really want to have it all, or would you rather have a choice? This Ellevate Network article has an interesting take on it;
- To help us get over the fact that Fall is right around the corner (which also means Summer’s almost over), WhoWhatWear gives us a glimpse of what the cool girls will be wearing this Fall;
- We just clocked about 7 hours of flight with both babies, and I should’ve read this NY Times article about flying with shrieking children first;
- Last but not least, I hope my post on staying positive through your career ups and downs will keep you motivated!
Happy Friday!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
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by Solange Lopes | Aug 11, 2016 | Career
It all seemed so unfair to Sarah. She had worked so hard on that particular project, for the credit to be given to her colleague, Jordan. She had only been in this role for a year, but she had tried as much as she could to do her best. Being proactive about opportunities, bravely challenging her introvert nature and striving to speak up. Yet it seemed no matter what she did, she wasn’t given full credit. That there was always something that’d be criticized….To top it all off, her opportunity to lead another project had just been taken away from her.
Sarah’s career hurdles are not uncommon. The same obstacles are faced by countless women (and men) in Big Corporate. Missed opportunities, foregone chances, and this despite all the hard work and perseverance. It’s no wonder so many women (and men) are disillusioned by the corporate world, and have lost their passion and engagement on the job…
How do you deal with missed opportunities and apparent unfairness in your career, and still manage to keep positive?
Disappointments in your career are inevitable. However, if you’re intent on building a successful, engaged work path, facing them in a smart way is a necessity. That’s what I realized a bit later in my career, after leaving many an unfulfilling job because of said disappointments.
But let me finish Sara’s story first…
After she lost the project she had been scheduled to lead for another one of her colleagues, she found herself filling in for ad hoc assignments here and there. One of these ad hoc assignments involved helping the CFO with the quarter’s financial deliverables, which she did with her usual excellence. While everyone else in her team was busy with a project of their own, she went on to assist the CFO with this particular task. Long story short, she delivered a top notch product, was noticed by high-level executives, and was offered a double promotion in less than six months.
All of this from a missed opportunity…
How many of us fail to leverage our missed opportunities by positively keeping on keepin’ on? How many of us, too impatient for the next thing, run from job to job and department to department, only to be faced with the same hurdles and obstacles?
Don’t get me wrong, there are times when you must move. Like when getting out of bed in the morning becomes physically painful. Or when it’s clear you’ll get a better chance somewhere else. Yet, there are also times when remaining positive and sticking it out, in spite of the difficulties, pays off quite handsomely.
In our society of instant gratification and automatic money withdrawals, we’ve become so accustomed to getting what we want when we want it, that we no longer know to let go of the good for the better. So we run from place to place, only to end up jaded and bitter.
In life as in your career, there are no other outcomes than the ones we decide for ourselves. We can either believe the obstacles are bigger than us, or we are bigger than them. We can either look at the muddy middle of our careers, questioning the end. Or we can keep showing up, hands open, ready to grab any opportunity that comes our way…
Because sometimes, if’s when you think you’ve missed your opportunity, that you’ve actually made room for a better one…
As for Sarah, she’s found the success she’s been looking for her entire career, albeit in a very different place than what she thought. And as for me, I’ve learnt a lot of interesting things happen when you stick it out, keep your hands open, and settle for better outcomes, even the ones you can’t quite see coming…
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
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