The Language of Power
August 1, 2010 · Posted in Communication, Self Promotion, Success, Women in Business, assertive communication · Comment
In her book, No Ceilings, No Walls, author Susan Colantuono says:
As essential as it is to understand the business of business, it is necessary but insufficient. You not only have to have business strategic and financial acumen, you must also be able to demonstrate it by using the language of power.
Susan talks about the language of power being the language of outcomes and the importance of stating… Continue reading
The Invisible Promotion
Harvard Business Review published an interesting article recently, "Are You The Victim of An Invisible Promotion?" by Ron Ashkenas. The post poses some direct questions to the reader about whether or not your role has changed significantly in the past six months and whether you have been given new responsibilities with no formal promotion or pay raise. Ashkenas reminds us that the… Continue readingDitch the Pitch: A Presentation for Professional Coaches
Here is my presentation for BusinessforCoaches, a UK organization that supports professional coaches worldwide with professional development activities. Ditch the Pitch Presentation for CoachesIf You Don’t Raise Your Hand, You Won’t Be Called On
June 20, 2010 · Posted in Self Promotion, Success, Women in Business, assertive communication · 4 Comments
If you don’t raise your hand, you won’t be called on and maybe that’s a good thing; a good thing, that is, if you want to remain invisible and safe. After all, when you raise your hand, you are risking public failure. When you raise your hand, you are sending a signal to everyone that you have the confidence to publicly state your opinion, volunteer for something, or ask a… Continue reading | 4 Comments
Do You Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur?
The Harvard Business Review posted a test this week, “Should You Be an Entrepreneur?” The test of 20 questions was created by the author of the article, Daniel Isenberg, who is a professor of management practice at Babson College. I thought it would be fun to pose these questions to those of you who are entrepreneurs, like myself, or to those of you who… Continue reading | 4 CommentsCreate a Great Elevator Pitch
Have you ever been to a networking event where everyone needs to stand up and introduce themselves? I don't know about you, but after about 3-4 people stand up and recite their elevator pitches, I can't remember who does what. Very few of them capture my attention. Even less of them are memorable. They all sound alike because everyone is using the same approach, the same boring approach. How then can… Continue reading | 2 CommentsYou’ll Never Know Until You Ask
Is No really NO or is it an opportunity? Women are much more likely than men to take a "no" as a personal rejection and final answer. In fact, the fear of rejection will often keep us from asking for things we rightly deserve. Let's look at the situation of a salary negotiation or performance review. Perhaps we were expecting a large raise and only received a small one. How often will… Continue readingThe Importance of Defining Your Personal Brand
I recently did a radio interview with Lois Frankel, PhD, author of Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office and Nice Girls Don't Get Rich and our discussion included some valuable tips from Lois on the importance of developing a personal brand for career success. Here is an excerpt from my interview with Lois on personal branding. "This is probably one of the most important things I think right now. As the… Continue readingThe Double Bind Challenge: Bitch or Bimbo
The common belief that leaders should be competent and assertive (typically traits associated with the male gender) often presents a challenge for women in leadership positions. The double bind challenge is that when in leadership roles, women must not only be competent and assertive, but they must also demonstrate that they are nurturing and selfless. Why? Because they are women. On the one hand, if women are assertive, they are considered… Continue reading | 2 CommentsWhat’s Your Story?
October 18, 2009 · Posted in Entrepreneurs, Self Promotion, Women in Business, networking · 1 Comment
We all have unique stories to tell about our careers and our businesses. I did a presentation last week on self-promotion in Boston to the Downtown Women's Club and heard many great stories from the attendees and I was reminded again how truly wonderful all our stories are. Each story reveals something personal about us.
What is the story behind starting our business? Where did the idea come from? Why did… Continue reading | 1 Comment

