Libby Gill's Blog, page 6
January 19, 2021
The Right Way to Find a Mentor
Libby is joined by Lisa Fain to discuss all things mentorship. Lisa began her career as an attorney before entering the world of diversity, inclusion and mentoring. She has conducted mentoring training programs for corporate, government and educational institutions. Lisa coaches mentors, mentees, and program administrators on how to achieve mentoring excellence and create the right environment for achievement of career and personal goals. She is highly regarded for her special combination of expertise, humor and no-nonsense approach.
Lisa discusses the following with Libby:
Four phases of effective mentoringThree functions of a mentoring relationshipQuestions to ask yourself when looking for a mentorSetting expectations and checking assumptions when you find a mentorFormal versus informal mentorshipStructuring the mentor/mentee relationshipThe benefits of mentoring for the mentorCommon misconceptions about mentorshipLisa holds a B.S. in Social Policy from Northwestern University and a JD degree from Northwestern University School of Law. She is a life coach and has completed her certification from the International Coach Academy. A native of Syracuse, NY, Lisa spent 17 years in Chicago and moved to Seattle, WA in 2014 with her husband and two daughters. She now spends as much time as she can hiking and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Connect with Lisa:
Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring by Lisa Z. Fain & Dr. Lois J. Zachary
Why You Need to Go “Hard Human or Hard Tech”
Founder of WorkMarket (acquired by ADP), Jeff Wald joins the Leadership Lab to talk about the future of the workplace and his book, The End of Jobs. WorkMarket is an enterprise software platform that enables companies to manage freelancers. Jeff also founded Spinback, a social sharing platform (purchased by salesforce.com). Jeff began his career in finance, serving as managing director at activist investment firm Barington Capital Group, vice president at private equity investment firm GlenRock, and various roles in the M&A Group at JP Morgan.
Jeff shares:
Why life-longing learning and adaptability are critical to our successWhat data and history tells us about the future of workThe importance of a fluid, team-based, ‘always on’ job mentalityWhy you must be either “hard human or hard tech”Why you shouldn’t let anyone outwork youThe silver-lining of the COVID workplace and how working women will ultimately benefitTips on creating self-serving routines and hacks that lead to productivity and happinessJeff is an active angel investor and startup advisor, as well as serving on numerous public and private boards. He formerly served as an officer in the Auxiliary Unit of the New York Police Department. Jeff is the author of The Birthday Rules and the Amazon Bestseller The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations. Jeff frequently speaks at conferences and in the media on startups and labor issues.
Connect with Jeff:
The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations by Jeff Wald
The Elusive Art of Influence: What You Need to Know
Libby is joined by Divya Parekh. Divya has over 20 years of rich and varied experience, including roles as a business positioning coach, influence advisor, speaker, and author. Her professional career includes positions as a university associate professor, scientist, biotechnology professional, and as a global business relationship and leadership coach. She merges her biopharmaceutical career with her extensive experience as a coach, author, consultant, and speaker. Her passion for coaching and the sincere desire to make a positive impact on people has led her to develop effective evidence-based leadership and partnership programs:
Divya shares:
What a great leadership truly isRelevant takeaways regarding influence from working with clients Her book, Expert to InfluencerDifferences in communication and leadership stylesWhy leaders live by exampleHow body language plays a role in influencingUnderstanding how you’re showing up in different situationsActionable steps to becoming the person you want to be and a leader/ influencerConnect with Divya:
Expert To Influencer: How To Position Yourself For Meaningful Impact by Divya Parekh
December 31, 2020
Forget New Year’s Resolutions – Try This Instead!
Depending on which of the many research studies you read, between 8 and 19% of people who set New Year’s resolutions actually stick to them. No doubt, you figured this out years ago when you bought that January 1st gym membership.
Yet, 2020 was such a heartbreaking year, it’s important that we go into the New Year with a hopeful vision of the future and some new tools at our disposal. Which is why I want share the following strategies for 2021, gleaned from a podcast I started mid-lockdown to connect with more people in our virtual world.
In each week’s episode of Libby’s Leadership Lab, I ask the experts to share one mini-challenge that listeners can experiment with after the episode. Here are a few of my favorites from past and upcoming episodes for you. Choose one or do them all like I am. Feel free to choose one or try them all like I am doing. It’s been great fun to refresh, refocus, and move into 2021 powered by action.
Connie St. John – Communications expert (and friend for 30+ years), Connie suggests that we write out five things we plan to accomplish in the next five years. Swap your list with a trusted friend or family member (someone who’ll be around), put your list away, and make a date to check in with each other in five years to see all the amazing achievements you’ve ticked off the list. My list is in the mail, Connie.
Meredith Elliott Powell – Sales and marketing guru MEP says to think less about marketing to people and more about connecting with them. Her elegantly simple suggestion is to reach out to two people you haven’t spoken to in a while every single day – just to touch base. Great advice for anyone (like me) who finds sales a little scary. Loving the outreach.
Perry Marshall – Consultant to companies including Infusionsoft and FanDuel (that’s the one that’s turned me into a fantasy football widow), Perry gave us the awesome recommendation to spend a few minutes in meditation (prayer, silence, deep-breathing, whatever) before—and this is the important part—tuning into the outside world. This means reflection time before screen time. This one tip has upped my productivity 10-fold.
Jason Cutter – Author of Authentic Persuasion, sales consultant Jason tells us that one of the most important elements of building your business or career is to make authentic connections with others by sharing who you really are. I never expected this closing-the-sale guru to suggest that everyone read The Five Love Languages. Reading it right now.
Chiquita Jones – Last but not least, systems and process specialist Chiquita says to take some chill time, not just for the holidays, but regularly. Snuggle up and read a book, watch a movie, or take a nap. And refuse, absolutely refuse, to feel guilty about it. Ahhh, deep breath…
Want to lead your team into 2021 with a hope-driven vision of the future? Bring Libby in for a virtual presentation to share stories, strategies, and the science of hope theory!
December 28, 2020
Help for the Holidaze!
Systems specialist for Chiquita Jones joins the lab to discuss how to make the “holidaze” peaceful and enjoyable, instead of a crazed rush to get everything at work and home done to perfection. Chiquita shares what she’s learned working in human resources, training and development, sales operations, and as an entrepreneur over the years. An expert on building sustainable systems, she starts with advice on how to put the right people in the right seats.
Chiquita and Libby talk all about alleviating holiday stress, including:
How we can feel comforted throughout the holidays, even if we’re unable to be with familyWhy women, especially, need to be mindful of delegating both at work and home Ways to bring joy back to the holidays, despite a very tough yearDropping stress and overwhelm during a season of celebrationFavorite holiday movies and books to read (See Libby’s Fiction List below)The importance of adding “reflection” to your evening routine
Chiquita loves the travels of life, with music (her passion) as her soundtrack. Sometimes those travels take her abroad (another passion), sometimes they are the journey of personal growth and service. All of which bring her joy.
Connect with Chiquita:
https://www.chiquitajonesvirtual.com/
chiquita@chiquitajonesvirtual.com
Libby’s Book List:
All Adults Here – Emma Straub
American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins
Dear Edward – Ann Napolitan
Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell (my fav of the year!)
La Rose – Louise Erdrich
Monogamy – Sue Miller
Night Tiger – Yangzee Choo
Nothing to See Here – Kevin Wilson
Such a Fun Age – Kiley Reid
The Assistants – Camille Perri
The Glass Hotel – Emily St. John Mandel
The Henna Artist – Alka Joshi
The Pull of the Stars – Emma Donoghue
The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett
The World We Knew – Alice Hoffman
Thriving in Uncertainty
Meridith Elliott Powell joins the leadership lab to talk thriving in uncertainty. Meridith Elliott Powell is an award-winning author, keynote speaker and business strategist. With a background in corporate sales and leadership, her career expands over several industries including banking, healthcare and finance. She is Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by less than twelve percent of professional speakers, and a member of the prestigious Forbes Coaching Council. Meredith shares her favorite stories of thriving in uncertainty and how you can take the steps to thrive yourself.
We discuss:
The interesting story of Procter & Gamble from branding to staying relevant and listening to your customersHow Jim Beam survived prohibition and staying firm and confident in his visionHolding relentless vision, conditioning for change, and decision making in an uncertain marketplaceKnowing & Understanding Core ValuesTurning uncertainty into opportunitySteps you can take today to start thriving in business
High energy and highly interactive, Meridith’s keynote helps leaders and business owners learn the new rules of success today. Meridith shows her audiences how to attract more business, retain top talent, and leap into position to win in this new economy. No walking on coals, no breaking boards, just real-life strategies you can put into place first thing Monday morning.
Connect with Meredith:
https://www.facebook.com/MeridithElliotPowell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/meridithelliottpowell/
https://www.youtube.com/user/meridithepowell
December 14, 2020
What You Need to Know About the Changing Workplace
Libby hits the leadership lab with Tresha Moreland, a 30-year HR expert and futurist. Tresha keeps one foot in the corporate world while the other is in the entrepreneurial space as she works with business leaders to develop workplace strategies that achieve best-in-class results.
She has held key human resource leadership roles in multiple industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and healthcare and is the founder and principal consultant of HR C-Suite, LLC. HR C-Suite is a results-based HR strategy resource dedicated to connecting HR with business results.
Tresha & Libby discuss:
How to recruit and retain talentVirtual recruiting and making sure your virtual presence is up to parBurnout in healthcare and how it’s even more emergent nowTresha’s upcoming book; Navigating the Healthcare Workforce ShortageCulture shapingThe opportunity that employees currently have to reinvent themselvesThe call of the NOWHow and Why Tresha created HR C-Suite
Tresha has a master’s degree in both human resource management (MS) and business administration (MBA). She has also earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) Certification and is recognized as a Fellow with the American College Healthcare Executives with a FACHE designation.
Connect with Tresha:
December 2, 2020
Persuading with Authenticity with Jason Cutter
In the Leadership Lab, Libby is joined by Jason Cutter. Jason is the founder and CEO of Cutter Consulting Group which brings a refined consultative sales formula that leads to a high conversion percentage, raving fan clients, and a steady stream of referrals to B2C clients. Cutter Consulting Group works as a resource to help companies optimize where available, develop what’s needed, and build a playbook that can be used in a single office or multiple locations.
Jason shares all about:
His career history: from a degree in Marine Biology to working in Tech before starting his own companyHow he figured out what he DIDN’T want to do in lifeThe best leadership and career advice he’s ever received (hint: The 5 Year Rule)What authentic persuasion is and his new book, Selling with Authentic PersuasionHow the Five Love Languages can help us in making salesWhy women can actually have a little bit of a leg up on men when it comes to sellingAnd some other great nuggets of wisdom!
Jason’s analytical mind is always looking for ways to solve problems or make situations better. He is all about taking action, not just talking about theoretical plans. Those who have worked with him describe him as passionate, intense, and driven and his philosophy can best be summed up in this quote from Zig Ziglar, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
Action Step from Jason: Don’t treat everyone like you want to be treated but like THEY want to be treated and they will follow you wherever you go. In other words, don’t speak to everyone the same way but try to understand them and serve them in the way they prefer to be served. And read The Five Love Languages.
Connect with Jason:
Little Moments of Magic with Catherine Carr
Catherine Carr joins Libby in the Leadership Lab to share her story of how a seemingly average Saturday afternoon led to an interview with Doctors Without Borders and ultimately led her to pack up her 20 years of professional experience, her MBA and HR certifications, and leave her old life in a storage unit.
Catherine & Libby discuss:
How and why Catherine decided to apply for Doctors Without BordersThe lengthy interview processHow women often self-select themselves out of moving up the organizational growth chart due to the assumption they aren’t fit, capable, or worthy How much Catherine has gained by offering herself in service to othersCrossing not only borders but also cultures, traditions, and paradigms while working and living with multi-cultural teamsNavigating the line between work and humanity, balancing expectations with compassion, and managing the rift between productivity and burnout.And much more
Over the years Catherine has learned: Morning tea solves afternoon problems. Helping one another is an instinctive response around the world. To fully engage, our walls must fall. The importance of never losing sight of normal. And sometimes, communication means saying nothing at all.
Prior to working in the field, Catherine held a variety of positions, all of which prepared her for the range of responsibilities she would hold as a humanitarian. Dance instructor, administrator, temp worker, recruiter, bartender, start-up, freelancer, recruiter, and human resources professional.
Catherine’s Action Step: Make an effort to get uncomfortable – try a different restaurant, take a different route home, it doesn’t have to be major but taking these small seemingly uncomfortable baby steps will set you up for larger tasks that will cross your path that may be uncomfortable. Secondly, take a break and take notice in the little moments of joy because those are the things that matter.
Connect with Catherine:
November 24, 2020
Finding Your Sanctuary
I once heard a Muslim woman describe what it was like to wear a burqa, the garment that covers a woman’s body except for the veiled eyeholes, which allow her to see out but no one else to see in. I’d assumed the garment would be somewhat cumbersome or uncomfortable and was surprised to hear her say that she felt quite safe inside her burqa, like she had her own personal sanctuary that provided a bit of distance from the harshness of the world.
Lately, I’ve thought we all could use an emotional burqa to shelter us from the realities of the world, as well as the COVID-related weariness that has settled in our bones. Now that we’ve moved from the acute to the chronic and back to the acute again, most of us have hit our stress thresholds. Even though we can’t drop everything and head off to a luxury resort or mountaintop retreat right now, there are other ways to experience the serenity of a healing sanctuary.
Right now, take a moment to visualize a specific place that brings you a sense of calm. It could be a familiar location you visit often like a favorite family vacation spot. Or it might be a remote destination you’ve seen only in films or travel books, but to which you feel a special connection. Or it could simply be a place that exists in your imagination like a beautiful beachfront home. Whatever you choose for your emotional sanctuary, its calming powers are at their most effective when you visit it often.
Dr. Herbert Benson is the author of the classic, “The Relaxation Response,” a groundbreaking book when it was published in 1975 and still a go-to reference for patients who need de-stressing techniques. Dr. Benson says, “The idea is to develop a routine, a time to bring forth the relaxation response that is as much a part of the day as brushing your teeth.” You certainly wouldn’t skip a day of brushing your teeth, would you? So how can you make relaxation so habitual that skipping a day is just as unthinkable?
One way is to solidify the time and place you visit your emotional sanctuary. Whether that’s first thing in the morning (my favorite time) or before you go to bed at night, make it part of your daily routine. Even if you barely have room for the kids, dog, or extended family members who’ve joined your bubble, with some creativity and a little selfishness, you can claim your sanctuary.
Identify a spot in your home that calms and comforts you. It can be a bedroom, a home office, or even a comfy chair that speaks to you.
Add something special to your sanctuary that feels personal and makes it your own. It could be a cherished book, a vase of fresh flowers, or a family photo.
Negotiate some alone time that you can spend in your newly claimed sanctuary in total peace, if only for five minutes a day. If necessary, send the kids or spouse grocery shopping or out to walk the dog.
Settle into your sanctuary and breathe deeply with gratitude for all you have.
