This is a hidden gem! A great video that shows a simple strategy to develop inner confidence. I would love to hear how you get on.
Enjoy!
Carrie Green – The Confident Mindset
What is it about:
In this video Carrie Green the founder and owner of the Female Entrepreneur Association gives an energetic talk on achievement. Broadly, from Carrie’s point of view, success is achieved by design, by (re)programming your mind.
How is this different?
Carrie is an inspiring and award winning Entrepreneur that offers lessons from her own life. She started her first successful businesses at 19 and went on to found the Female Entrepreneur Association. So she has walked the talk. As Carrie describes her entrepreneurial journey, we get some insight into the challenges she faced. Important for us, Carrie also talks about the strategies she used to achieve her own success, on her own terms.
How it can help
There are some great every day tips for ‘getting out of your own way’ in this video. In this talk Carries takes you through what I would call as self mastery or self leadership strategies. To use Carrie’s own words, you will lean about the ‘power of your mind’ to empower you to achieve your goals. Her top tips are:
• The importance of getting clear about what you want. Crystal clear.
• Challenge your self limiting beliefs as they happen.
• Daily positive visualisation
For more info check out her website here: www.femaleentrepreneurassociation.com
Enjoy!
Women in Tech: Lessons from Silicon Valley- a leadership event and reflections on serendipity
What is it:
This last post of 2014 is about the power of serendipity. I went to an event in November titled Women in Tech: Lessons from Silicon Valley. The event brings together a range of executives to the UK to talk about their experiences in the work place. The speakers were:
• Megan Smith, U.S. Chief Technology Officer and Assistant to the President
• Margaret Gould-Stewart, Director of Product Design, Facebook
• Angela Lin, Head of YouTube Education, Google
• Catherine Mohr, VP of Medical Research, Intuitive Surgical
• Crystal Hutter, Founder & CEO, Edmodo
• Liz Dickinson, Founder & CEO, MIO
How is it different?:
It was an inspiring event, as it gave you access to people you don’t normally get to meet every day. All on the panel were very candid. The panel spoke about insights they had learnt on their career journey, their lessons as well as advice they wish they had known early on.
How can it help?:
I said this post was about the power of serendipity and I’m going to tell you about that now. When I went to the talk the speakers on the panel shared lots of interesting lessons and even more so in the after drinks session where you could talk to them one on one. For instance one of the speakers recommended a book on the growth mind-set (I did a review here). This isn’t a book I had come across before and I have done a lot of reading on the topics of personal development! Even though these individuals may feel superhuman, through power of networking, I myself learnt lots of new ideas. Very helpful. Even powerful. Its an endorsement of placing networking high on your to do list for 2015.
Enjoy networking and serendipity in 2015!
The Women in Tech: Lessons from Silicon Valley, was a Leadership event. The talk was part of a series called Silicon Valley comes to the UK. More details can be found here.
Workforce trends of 2030
What is this about
In this video we zoom out to look at the macro level: global workforce trends. The speaker is a Human Resources specialist called Rainer Strack. Rainer’s speciality is to help business to think about emerging trends.
How is this different
I have chosen this video because we often think about work at the individual level. We focus on CVs, our appraisals and job hunting skills. We often forget about larger scale developments, so much so it could be called a blind spot. While these big trends may feel invisible, they have a real and lasting impact on what happens in our day to day work. They are worth considering in more depth.
How it can help
Rainer is talking from a HR perspective and therefore looks at what business can do to attract employees, but there is plenty of insight for employees themselves. Rainer helps us as employees to keep an eye on workforce trends as we are developing our one, three, five or even ten year plan. As we are thinking about where we want to be, Rainer helps us to see how trends may impact positively or negatively on our ability to achieve these goals. What I see as Reiner’s top trends are highlighted below. Draw your own conclusions.
1. Labour shortages in specific sectors
2. Labour surpluses in specific sectors
3. Distribution of shortages/surpluses across countries
4. Skills missmatch -especially for high skilled workers
5. Impact of automation- replacing and creating jobs
Enjoy!
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? How to drive your career and create a remarkable future by Seth Godin
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What is it
This is a book about work in the modern age by Seth Godin. Seth is a prolific writer and blogger who talks about how the workplace has changed. He sees the industrial model of a job for life, producing the same thing over and over on the factory line as over. Seth calls us to action, to adapt to succeed. To do this we need to care, to give and to produce gifts at work. To be a linchpin.
How is different
This isn’t a book about doing less or downsizing. His hypothesis is: coasting is risky. If your not giving your best you will be left behind. It’s an interesting notion as we ponder the New Year ahead.
How it can help
Seth asks us to accept that coasting is a waist of our time.Seth doesn’t just set a challenge, but sets out an alternative, a road map to be a linchpin, to produce art and succeed. A constitution of ideas if you like. What I took away as his top 5 cornerstone ideas are set out below. What are your thoughts?
1. Be different and create something that matters to you and the company- give emotional labour.
2. Create and ship. Beat the resistance.
3. There is no map, or people to tell you what to do. Make your own map. Lead.
4. Always give more than was asked, give gifts
5. Make mistakes, learn from them and keep giving.
Enjoy!
Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential by Carol Dweck
What is it?
This is a book about success. Written by Carol Dweck a Stanford Professor.
The author looks at achievement in an unusual way. Based on years of scientific study the author describes what she calls two world views. First , is the fixed mind-set and the second, the growth mind-set. One sees ability as set at birth. The other views aptitude as a response to effort . Success therefore is our ability to learn. To make mistakes. To reflect. To adapt. To continuously improve.
How is this different
This book is based on 16 years of research but refreshingly, is written in a down to earth style. Carol gets a nice blend between scientific research and human interest stories. It’s a real pleasure to read. Insightful and well written.
How it can help
I don’t want to give too much away. I want you to experience these insights first hand. What I will share with you is this: This is a wonderful book as 2014 draws to a close and, we start to reflect on our progress over the year. This book will not ask you to reflect on you’re levels of perfection. But on the strategies that got you places and the strategies that didn’t. It will challenge you to understand the real and often hidden drivers of your success- personal tactics. This should be a very inspiring messages as we going in 2015. The power is in your hands- your ability to learn.
Enjoy!
P. S- Carol did a recent ted talk video, check it out here: The power of believing that you can improve
Join the Strengths Revolution
What is this video about?
This is a Tedx WhitehallWomen talk by Andy Woodfeild, a partner at PWC . In his this video, Andy takes us through his career journey to illustrate the power of working with your strengths.
How is this different?
Andy explores the tensions between fitting in and being yourself and how this can lead to performance anxiety. He challenges the notion that a focus on your weakness is the best way to go, to be a success in your job.
How this can help?
Andy walks us through the benefits of focusing on your strengths and strengths of others. First, people are happier at work. Second, evidence shows it mutes unconscious biases such as those relation to gender ethnicity for example. Third, by exploring strengths, this helps people to tackle their weaknesses more productively.
If you want to join the strengths revolution Andy advises:
• Let yourself believe that you have unique strengths
• Ask people for strengths based feedback -when they saw you at your best
• Give people strengths based feedback
• Create more spaces to discuss strengths and shut down spaces that are conversations solely focused on what is wrong with people
How to get the most out of high stakes situations
What is this about?
This is the final contribution to the theme of productivity this October. We will look at a book that helps you get the most out of high stakes situations. The book is called Gravitas by Caroline Goyder. In short Caroline will help you own the room in a variety of anxiety inducing social situations.
How is this different?
I really like the non prescriptive style of the author. Caroline sets out a range of tools and, encourages you to pick out the ones that fit best. This relaxed approach helps you get the best from yourself.
How it can help
This is a mini voice coach in your pocket. Its practical and easy to read. The book will talk you through the features of Gravitas step by step. As a bonus, Caroline provides situation specific tips such as interviews, presentations and talking on TV. A real gem.
Caroline recently did a talk at Ted X Brixton. Check her out here when the video goes up.
You can also get her book on amazon.
Enjoy!
How to streamline your wardrobe and boost your productivity this Autumn
What is this about?
Under this months productivity banner, I want to introduce you to Jess Lively. Jess has an amazing blog about ‘living with intention’. She has a specific post called ‘makeunder my wardrobe’- a step by step guide to achieving the style you’ve always dreamed of . Why is this post under the productivity theme? Well, the reason is simple. I find that by streamlining my wardrobe and being happy with every piece in there, it cuts down on my prep time by half. My productivity is boosted!
How is this different?
Jess talks from the heart and her own lived experience. Not one bit of talking down to you. This is really refreshing for a style post.
How it can help?
As Jess has gone through this process herself, she has developed a really down to earth’s process. In four fabulous steps you can get the your best ever wardrobe yet. Jess talks you through getting a style that reflects the true you, by helping you to:
- Create a vision
- Exfoliate your stuff
- Identify intensions
- Reflect and evolve
Check her blog out here.
Enjoy!
Remembering- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
What is ist?
This book is classic and sets out what the author, Stephen Covey, sees as the basis of successes. In the book he will walk you step by step through his 7 habits of effectiveness.
How is this different?
As I mentioned, this is a classic. and was first published in 1989. This is one of the books that has effectively stood the test time. I can honestly say that, because I have been listening to it on audiobook recently. I have picked up some real gems, ideas and strategies that I can use now, in my day day life. I love the section on prioritising based on values for example.
How can it help?
As we go into autumn and have more nights in, this book is perfect.
This is a book with a lot of depth and scope and I find the the holistic approach in tune with my modern life. This isn’t just about the c suit, but about your family life, your well-being and your sprit, alongside your job. The seven habits are:
1-Be Proactive
2 – Begin with the End in Mind
3 – Put First Things First
4 – Think Win-Win
5 – Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
6 – Synergize
7-Sharpen the Saw
I would suggest reading this with a a friend would be helpful so you can discuss ideas and tips -its pretty meaty and this will help with working through all the info.
Sharleene May Bibbings's Blog 