Keep Your Energy Flowing in an On-the-Go World

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Life is busy. Between trying to excel at work, keep up with household chores, spend quality time with our loved ones, and enjoy hobbies, we are all striving to balance our commitments on different fronts. The modern world is fast-paced and it can be exhausting trying to keep up if you aren’t taking proper care of yourself. Remember that your body and mind are your vessels, and they need maintenance to operate to their full potential.

Cultivating Good Physical Health

Physical energy is fully reliant on how you treat your body. Eating well and including proper nutrition is critical. Just like a car, if you put bad fuel into your body, it will run poorly. If you do not get enough rest, you will not have the focus or energy the next day to be at your best. Exercise is also an important part of good health. It not only builds stamina (which will lead to more energy) but it makes your body strong and gets out any excess jitters.

Taking good care of your physical self directly impacts your quality of life and happiness—when we don’t feel well, we don’t enjoy or make the most of each day. Of course, we all know how important it is to eat properly, hydrate, rest, and exercise (our doctors certainly make that clear), but those fundamental elements of self care are the first to go out the window when we get busy. We get involved in a project and work through lunch. We drink sugary lattes and soda to get through the afternoon. We crash on the couch, exhausted, after dinner. We stay up too late to watch just one more episode of our favorite show. All the things we know we shouldn’t do, and yet we do them anyway. These habits all add up to having less energy to attend to the things we care about in our lives.

Exploring Mental Wellbeing

Your mental state impacts your energy and motivation just as much as your physical health. If you are anxious, sad, or overwhelmed, it can be difficult to overcome those emotions to accomplish the day’s tasks. While you cannot always block out your feelings, especially when difficult things are happening in your life, you can explore your mental health in a way that allows you to productively experience and harness your emotions, rather than letting them take control of you.

Meditation is an excellent practice in clearing your mind and grounding yourself. Not only will you enjoy a quiet and peaceful moment to yourself, but you will feel refreshed and focused. You can use guided meditation from a video or podcast, or simply meditate on your own. Yoga is also beneficial to both the mind and body and allows you to reconnect with yourself spiritually and physically.

If meditation isn’t your forte, try to check in with yourself in the morning and throughout the day. How are you feeling? Are you relaxed and focused, or tense and anxious? By occasionally taking the time to acknowledge how you are doing, you can address your mental state as it comes. Similarly, practice deep breathing at different intervals. Sit back from your desk, take your hand off your mouse, relax your muscles, and take a moment to inhale and exhale. Assess how your day going and what you can do to maintain or change that.

There are many other ways to promote good mental health. Some people enjoy journaling, others consciously set intentions each morning, and those who are religious may take solace in their holy book. TED Talks or an inspiring podcast might also be uplifting for you and bring your energy level up to excitement. Experiment with different methods and find out what helps you the most; this may change over time, but you can always reassess.

Remember, it’s ok to have an off day. Sometimes no matter what you do, your energy simply is low. You are human and it happens. Be kind to yourself, do the best you can that day, and resolve to do better tomorrow. However, keeping up with mental and physical practices consistently will generate overall good health and energy and keep the bad days to a minimum.

Belinda MJ Brown shares her own healthy practices here.

How do you keep your energy up during your busy days? Let us know in the comments section!

 

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Creating Common Goals with Your Team Cultivates Personal and Organizational Success

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How to Set Common Goals

In a business, it goes without saying that the vision for the company should dictate goals for its employees. Whether this is in the form of a business plan, mission statement, or value proposition, having aspirational forethought keeps everyone in the organization working for the same outcomes. However, success will not look the same in different departments, given their different functions. This makes it critical for teams and departments to create their own common goals that support the overall mission of the company, but also helps employees explore and grow individually. Here’s how you can set common goals with your team to set each other up for success.

 

Have a Discussion

 

The first step to setting common goals is to get everyone together to discuss what their own goals are, both in the personal and professional realms. Everyone needs to be involved. This is a crucial meeting of the minds for any team; by stating what we want out loud we are acknowledging our hopes, committing to pursuing those goals, and giving coworkers an opportunity to support each other. This is also a great time to help those unsure members articulate what it is they hope to accomplish.

 

Goals may be directly job-related, like increasing sales or improving customer service, or may involve learning a specific skill that can be integrated into the workplace, such as video editing or photography. The doors should be open for all employees to take initiative within their roles and evolve in a way that fits them personally.

 

Figure Out How It All Fits Together

 

Once everyone has laid out their own goals, the team can then discuss how to help everyone meet them, and also how everyone’s aspirations can take on a symbiotic relationship. The types of goals may be very different from one another, but they can all exist together.

 

If one team member is interested in podcasts, and another wants to expand revenue-generating activities, that is a project they can take on together. A podcast for the company can be created with the hope of earning sponsors or paid advertising, and is a great vehicle for establishing the company’s brand.

 

Be careful not to compare the merits of each goal because you run the risk of creating hurt feelings or accidentally belittling someone’s dreams; this will not result in a productive conversation. For example, making more money and contributing to the greater good do not have to be mutually exclusive. It is not amoral to hope to bring in a larger paycheck as long as it is done honestly. Contributing to the greater good doesn’t have to be a drain on resources and might not be able to be the focus of every project. Both of these objectives can occur together with planning.

 

Once goals are established and mapped out, it is time to circle back and ensure that they all support the overall vision of the company. This is not as challenging or intimidating as it may sound. If the mission statement is well-laid out, most intentions can be explored and honed to fit fairly easily.

 

Setting milestones is a great way to keep the team on track both with their own aspirations, as well as with their contributions to the business. It offers each member a road map so they can identify where they are, where they need to be, and how they can get there. These milestones must simultaneously stretch and challenge workers while still being achievable. If the checkpoints are not reasonably attainable, workers will grow frustrated and lose interest in the process. Striking a balance between encouraging growth and promoting achievement is key.

 

To keep everyone on the same page, hold regularly-scheduled goal tracking meetings. This is a great time for everyone to catch up and analyze how things are going. Some important questions to ask are:

  • How is this working?
  • How engaged are we as a team?
  • Are we meeting goals? If not, why not?
  • Do we need to recalibrate?
  • Who needs more support?

 

Setting common goals is important to keep employees focused not just on just results, but also on the process. We can meet the vision for the organization by letting each individual pursue their own goals while simultaneously acting for the good of the company.

 

We often forget to have this conversation with our employees, because the general mindset is company before self. However, everyone can get to where they want to be together, without compromising the organization’s mission. It’s all about finding ways to make it work through common goals. Our teams will be more engaged if they feel they have the autonomy to explore the boundaries of their roles and pursue company-related projects that excite them.

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The Kim Kardashian West Conversion

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A polarizing public figure and reality star, Kim Kardashian West is one of those celebrities you either love or hate. She is often slammed for being vain, vapid, and fame-obsessed, among other things. Now, she is being criticized for wanting to pursue a career in law, following in the footsteps of her father Robert Kardashian.

 

While her method to becoming a lawyer seems unconventional (you can read more about it here), it is both legitimate and legal. She is putting in her time through independent study and apprenticeship, and yet that is not enough for the critics, who feel she should “stay in her lane.”

 

Kardashian West has been extremely successful in building her brand and becoming an accomplished businesswoman, which is often overlooked as “less than” because she is a reality star, social media figure, and fashion guru, therefore she hasn’t done anything “important.” She is often viewed by the public as someone who is shallow and incapable of contributing to society. Needless to say, the public has had trouble taking seriously the revelation that Kardashian West wants to be a lawyer.

 

However, let’s examine the flip side for a minute. Kardashian West has built an empire and a fan base of people who pay attention to her just because of who she is. That is power. It is an incredible use of that power for Kardashian West to better herself through the study of law in the hopes of making an impact as a lawyer. She is in a position to draw attention to the important issues, and will likely inspire her fans to pursue their dream careers and make a difference in their own way. She deserves respect for moving forward with her education in a way that works for her, regardless of the criticism and taunting she receives.

 

We, and women especially, can learn two things from Kardashian West. Regardless of where you are now and what you are doing, you can always branch out in a new direction, pursue a new dream, and try things that are seemingly opposite of your current path. It doesn’t and shouldn’t matter, and it is definitely never too late. There is a time and place to “stay in your own lane,” but the process of chasing your dreams and goals should never be one of them. Secondly, you cannot pay attention to the haters. Kardashian West (and many others in history) would never have gotten to the level of success they have achieved if they had taken personally the comments of even one doubter. When you do something that is unexpected, for some reason others may have a hard time coping with that—and it’s not your problem. Your story is about you, and your life should be lived for the things that fulfill you. Everything else is just background noise.

 

Whether you are a big fan of the Kardashian clan or not, it is admirable for Kardashian West to take a risk and challenge herself. It will be interesting to see what she does with this new chapter of her life.

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Women Don’t Have to Own Inequality

There has been significant media coverage of women in the workplace,
especially as Women’s History Month comes to a close. We are so often
hearing stories about our sisters not being treated equally, or not being
recognized for their outstanding work. It can be draining to be inundated
with everything that is wrong with society and feeling at a loss for how to
correct things that are bigger than just us. However, we have to take a
stand against constant negative images we are shown about how women
fare in their careers.

It’s easy to be influenced by the bad press the workplace gets surrounding
women. Women don’t make as much money as men, especially if they are
women of color; they are overlooked; they are objectified in the office; etc.
Don’t get me wrong, all of these things tend to be true, and it is important
that we change them. However, we must also take care not to internalize
these messages. If we as women, go into a work situation and expect to be
marginalized, overlooked, and underpaid, we are creating and manifesting a
self-fulfilling prophecy. If you act as though the cards are stacked against
you, they almost certainly will be. The goal is not to erase the experiences of
women in the workplace, but to rise above them and not get stuck in one
place.

Instead, you must act as though you will always be treated as well as men.
You will not be overlooked because you will make yourself visible. You will be
considered competent, because you are. Your mindset affects how you
present yourself, and often, if you are feeling at a disadvantage, the persona
you present will match that, even if it isn’t true to who you are. If you apply
the mentality of “women struggle to be successful in the workplace” to
yourself, then you are writing your own outcome. Words and thoughts are
powerful. You can acknowledge the problems and the struggle without
dwelling on them.

So today, when a coworker presents your idea as their own, take credit for
your work. If you feel underappreciated and overlooked, find a way to let
your superiors know how important your contributions are (yes, you must
self-promote). Ask for the raise you’ve been wanting. Improvements for
women in the workplace start with each of us owning our greatness,
wherever we are. Don’t forget where we’ve all been, but move forward
unencumbered into the full potential that you have inside of you.

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Time Management for Women Trying to Have It All

In today’s busy world, between work and family commitments, plus any other hobbies or passions, you might feel like you need to be Superwoman to get it all done! There are ways to make the most of the hours you have in a day so that you can get maximum impact with some semblance of a work-life balance.

Get Control of Your Inbox!

Trying to keep up with your email can be a huge time commitment. Answering questions and attending to the needs of others is of course, part of most jobs, but it does detract from the other tasks you need to complete. You can get this time spent answering emails back in two ways. The first is setting designated times throughout the day that you check your email—and then let coworkers and clients know. This way, they know when to expect a response from you and you do not have to feel “on-call” while you are trying to be productive. If anyone has an urgent matter that requires immediate attention, they can call or come talk you in person if they are able. Secondly, remove all email notifications from your phone or computer. This will prevent you from being tempted to check your inbox as emails come in and will keep you from being distracted. Both of these methods will help you stop feeling tethered to your email and free to get your work done. An added bonus is that you will not feel you have to check your email at home when you are off the clock, so you can dedicate your evenings and weekends to your family, friends, and hobbies.

Think Ahead: Choose Where Your Energy Goes

Many tasks and opportunities vie for our attention every day; however, the ones that are urgent and need to be handled immediately tend to absorb most of our energy. However, this means we don’t have time to attend to the important (but not urgent) agenda items, which later become “fires” that we have to put out. It is important that we work proactively, as well as reactively, to prevent any crises from flaring up down the road. Your goals shouldn’t just reflect an outcome, but also practical steps to achieve that result, which will put you ahead of the game.

In order to free up more time, you need to choose what gets your attention and energy. Putting away your cell phone and avoiding social media will absolutely give you more time in your day and help you be more present in your work because you will not be constantly checking notifications, returning texts, or tweeting a random thought. Studies show that it can take up to ten minutes to get refocused after an interruption; by eliminating some of these distractions you will be able to focus and put your best foot forward. Choosing to direct your energy towards your work, rather than the outside world will ensure that you accomplish tasks that get you ahead in your career, rather than surrendering to the modern technologies that eat up your precious time. Similarly, being conscious about distractions and focusing your energy will help you to be more present when you spend quality time with loved ones.

Evaluate Your Energy Levels Throughout the Day

In order to make the most of your day, you need to understand the times and situations you work best in. When do you have the most energy and focus? When do you begin to feel tired and sluggish? This is different for everyone. Take the time to notice how you feel during your day. Do you like to jump right into your day and start to get tired after lunch? Or do you need a few hours in the morning to wake up before you hit your stride? Once you learn your body’s internal clock, you can plan the best ways to use those peaks and valleys of energy. Strategizing and complex projects should be reserved for when you are feeling your best, whereas the simple, mindless tasks can be done when you are feeling low-energy.

Of course, in many jobs you do not always have the luxury of planning out your day in the way that you would like. At those times, a nutritious snack or some coffee can help you summon some energy and motivation.

Women often try to do it all, to varying degrees of success. However, by reclaiming your time, removing distractions, and listening to your body, you can unlock extra pockets of time that have previously been used inefficiently. You’ll be surprised by the balance and productivity you will achieve simply by managing the demands on you in new ways.

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Rebranding Your Mindset for Women: How to Get the Results You Want in Your Life and Career

The corporate ladder isn’t necessarily a straight, upward climb, especially if you’re female. Many women are sometimes pushed to move down a rung to make room for others, or feel like they are at a complete standstill in their careers. Consider these questions:

Do you feel stuck in your career and your life?

Have you been passed over for a new job or promote despite being qualified?

Was your last raise not what you deserve?

It is extremely common for the answer to be “yes” for all three of these questions. Women consistently struggle to be recognized and valued in companies, regardless of the quality of their work. Know that you are not alone in this. However, there is room for everyone to succeed—you do not need to make room for others; the world is abundant with opportunities. You may have done everything right in the past, but now is the time to change your strategy and operate differently to get the results you want. These tips will help you rebrand yourself and rewire your mindset to help make you unstoppable!

Identify and Break Out of Self Limitations

Its time to do a mental check-in with yourself to identify your potential blind spots. What assumptions are you making about yourself? What stories are you telling yourself? How are you limiting yourself based on your assumptions and insecurities? Once you recognize how you hold yourself back, you can work to empower yourself. You absolutely must perceive yourself differently in order to move forward. Your mindset affects how you show up each day and it matters.

Recognize and Use Your Feminine Powers

It’s true—women are magical in every facet of their lives. And yes, I mean you. You just have to learn to tap into those special feminine powers rather than be afraid of them. Chiefly among these are your emotions. Women often want to avoid being called emotional, so they block out their feelings. Firstly, this isn’t good for your mental health. Secondly, emotions are an important signal that your values and expectations are not being met—listen to them. Your internal compass is trying to get in touch with you and you can use that to your advantage. Learning mastery of emotions is critical. Notice that I didn’t say control your emotions. We all want to have control over everything, but we are only human. But by mastering our emotions, we can channel them to reach our goals and have a unique edge.

Define Success On Your Own Terms

We all fall into this trap; thinking we aren’t successful if we don’t do x, y, and z, because everyone else does that. But we all come from and exist within different circumstances. We have different strengths and weakness, and our own hopes and dreams. We work so hard to live according to others’ expectations, but so often it makes none of us happy. We need to throw the conventional blueprint out the window and do things our own way. Rather than accepting the roles society gives us, we need to figure out what is fulfilling to us and what that looks like. That way you avoid guilt and disempowering emotions that exhaust you and you can truly focus on your own path and making it work for you. No more wasting time and energy on things that don’t matter to us.

These tips require a bit of soul searching; be honest with yourself in the process. You can only change what you acknowledge, and by getting rid of the thoughts and circumstances you don’t want, you have the mental energy to embrace the good in your life and create more abundance in your career. You will show up for life more confidently, more assertively, and more authentically, and that will benefit you in the long run.

 

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Helping yourself inside out: Hacking Anxiety attacks

Anxiety Attacks: Hypnosis and Coaching to attack the panic!

 by Yasmine Verberckt, hypnotherapist and Reiki Healing level 1 & 2 practitioner in Southern California.

Sadly anxiety has become the number one Mental Health issue in North America.  It is estimated that one third of the American adult population experiences anxiety in their life – National Institute of Mental Health. To put this in perspective: these numbers are similar to the obesity statistics of 2011-2012.  So what is anxiety really, why has it become such a big issue and more importantly what can be done about it?

We all experience anxiety in our lives at one point or another. Occasional anxiety is quite acceptable and a normal part of life.  We may be anxious when interviewing for a job, while awaiting test results, when in a life threatening situation or having to make an important decision.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease typically about an event in the past or the future.  Feelings and the degree of worry can vary quite a bit depending on the individual can’t they?  I am sure you can think of at least one person in your life that is overwhelmed, stressed out, nervous or shall we say anxious?  On the other hand very likely you also know of a different kind of person, you know the one I am referring to; the one that seems to handle it all, juggling a career, school, kids, … and is just a ball of life and energy no matter what happens.  How can that be? They both have eyes, a nose, lungs, a heart and a mind.

AAAHHH the mind.  Even though the anatomy is similar, the way it is used may be different.  We are on to something here, can you sense it?

Most of us have this notion that the mind can be divided into the conscious and subconscious part.  Most of us are also aware that the subconscious part is the biggest engine of the two.  The one that drives your behavior,thoughts and therefore feelings.  Compare it to your computer’s programming.  This program of yours has a very simple yet effective mechanism in place.  We use different words for it, some of them may be familiar, they all are referring to the same: the fight-flight response, sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system or our basic instinct for survival.

Join Yasmine and Belinda for a FREE webinar. Click below to register
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What does this have to do with anxiety?

Thank you for asking, we are getting to the nitty gritty here.

Play a game with Yasmine

What happens to your body and your emotions when you find yourself in a situation that is uncomfortable, makes you nervous or let’s go big: life threatening.  Perhaps a speech you’re about to give, the boss called you in her/his office, the doctor really wanted to speak with you, a partner that couldn’t talk to you on the phone but had to see you in person?

– sweaty palms                                                             – panic

– queasy stomach                                                       – expecting the worst

– heart starts beating faster                                    – feeling worried

– breathing shifts                                                         – muscle tension

– worse case scenario’s seem to always win     – feeling drained

– ….

Let’s keep playing; what are some of the symptoms associated with anxiety?  What are some of the bodily reactions when we feel threatened or in danger?  YES!! similar to the above.  This means we can conclude that non life threatening situations are also activating our basic instinct for survival.  See our mind doesn’t know the difference between reality and fantasy.  Movies aren’t real, they are a projection of images, yet we respond to them with our emotions, we laugh, cry, get scared or if it’s a bad movie we may yawn. The movies we decide to play in our head, based on a past or future event, trigger the same program.  WOW! so it IS all about the mind.

Now what?

Read more on Yasmine’s blog!!

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Executive Coaching Social Community

At Equanimity Executive we believe in the opportunity to engage with our prospects, followers, and clients around life coaching, leadership development and executive coaching topics. Our goal is to educate, develop and assist individuals and organizations reaching their goals.

Since the beginning of May, our team decided to design contests and activities which will support learning and personal growth at no cost, simply by following us. Those activities are a great way to deepen the connection we have with you as well. Many of you, newsletter subscribers (over 3500 in 2015) have been reading our content for years. Today, we have a chance to engage even more with you, our loyal and curious leaders and self-leaders.

Gabriela, our new Client Success & Awareness Specialist is dedicated to bring you fun and practical activities through coaching games and tools, reflective work and so forth.

We are excited to connect with you soon on social media and hope to help you reach some of your goals and raise your level of awareness.

Upcoming activities and events include followers and fans generated content as well such as a photo or video contest to get to know you better as well. This tap into the human drive to compete and learn on a more interactive way. We feel there is a need for connection to be able to apply everything that we share. You will never see the results you want, unless, you work on them and start playing in achieving them.

As a company we established a set of goals and concepts that we want to achieve. Belinda is constantly innovating and is looking to have fun doing it! Her purpose is to share life skills, help you build resiliency and become a true leader.

Our concept in a more detailed way is based on:  social media activities that connect with our fan based and engage with like minded people.

Join us on Social Media for our next adventures including

Weekly or bi-weekly activities

Free Information and Education about leadership, work life balance, stress management and more

Rewards in form of coaching services, spa gift cards and more

Opportunities to belong to Equanimity Executive (EQX) community

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Why men and women should be worried about our professionalism and not our high heels

Tenue professionnelleComme vous le savez peut-être, je suis française. Né, élevé et vécu en France depuis plus de 30 ans. La tenue professionnelle fait partie de notre culture et elle a une signification différente. On s’attend toujours à ce qu’une femme professionnelle porte des talons hauts, un costume ou une robe ajustée, car le look professionnel compte pour votre carrière. Les cheveux et les mains doivent être impeccables.

J’ai remarqué que travailler un emploi professionnel signifie un certain nombre de choses, y compris s’habiller pour impressionner dans de nombreuses organisations aux États-Unis. Surtout pour les femmes qui veulent un rôle de direction. Une volonté de regarder la pièce et d’agir, elle s’applique aux deux sexes. Cependant, une connotation sexiste persiste encore à ce jour sur les femmes qui travaillent dans des bureaux partout dans le monde.

Une perception cruelle?

D’une manière ou d’une autre, les femmes sont jugées sur leur apparence. Les femmes vêtues de jupes crayon moulantes et de talons hauts sont considérées comme excellentes pour l’image de l’entreprise, mais pas pour des rôles stratégiques, tandis que les femmes vêtues de pantalons amples ne sont souvent pas considérées comme des leaders potentiels. Même pour tenter d’équilibrer leurs tenues, les femmes du bureau reçoivent des commentaires sarcastiques et un jugement cruel de la part des deux sexes.

Certains peuvent penser que la solution claire à ce problème est que les femmes s’habillent de manière plus professionnelle – pas de décolleté, pas de jupes courtes, des talons de chat minou uniquement, etc. Le plus conservateur, mieux c’est. Le seul problème avec cela est la censure flagrante qui l’accompagne. Les femmes, tout comme les hommes, ont le droit de s’habiller comme elles le souhaitent, dans des limites raisonnables.

Valorisez le professionnel de chacun que vous rencontrez, quelle que soit son apparence

La vraie solution à ce problème est simple: chacun doit s’occuper de ses propres affaires. Se concentrer sur la tenue d’une femme, certes, ce n’est pas extrêmement révélateur, plutôt que sur la façon dont elle se conduit en tant que femme de carrière professionnelle est imparfait et faux. Ce n’est pas sa tenue!

Au bureau ou en dehors, la valeur d’une femme n’est pas basée sur les vêtements qu’elle se sent suffisamment à l’aise pour porter sur son corps. Tout vêtement qu’une femme se sent assez bien pour porter en public est une étape importante de son développement personnel et doit être traité comme tel. Un jugement et une dépréciation persistants sont dégradants et amènent une femme à moins penser à elle-même; cela fait également que les autres la considèrent comme «moins que». Une conversation ouverte sur la tenue professionnelle peut être nécessaire pour répondre à l’apparence et à la convivialité de l’organisation, mais ne doit pas gêner ou limiter les individus dans leur «ÊTRE».

La seule chose importante dont les gens devraient s’inquiéter au bureau est de savoir si tout est fait et bien fait. Cela ne se reflète pas dans ce que les gens portent, hommes ou femmes. Distraire ses collègues avec des commentaires est bien plus distrayant que les tenues que les femmes portent.

Nos conseils pour contester la perception que les autres ont de vous:

1-Demandez des commentaires constructifs sur votre tenue vestimentaire pour évaluer quels sont les principaux attributs ou défis que les gens perçoivent à propos de votre façon de vous habiller
Ne vous sentez pas offensé par ce que les gens pensent, utilisez cette information comme une opportunité de relever ouvertement tout défi et de rediriger les gens vers vos forces et vos qualifications

2-Soyez propriétaire de votre style et respectez l’apparence des autres
. La meilleure façon de perfectionner cette compétence est de se concentrer sur ce qui est dit et non sur ce que vous percevez. Ne vous laissez pas distraire par une tenue ou une apparence de quelqu’un.

3-Soyez attentif
Dans un même bureau, les individus viennent de différents milieux et de cultures différentes. Soyez simplement conscient de la façon dont votre tenue vestimentaire peut déclencher inconsciemment quelqu’un en raison de sa foi, de son système de croyances ou de son éducation dans une autre partie du monde. Ce qui est acceptable pour vous, peut ne pas l’être pour eux et vice-versa. Soyez curieux au lieu de porter un jugement et vous pourriez apprendre quelque chose sur une autre culture que vous ne connaissiez pas.

Coaching exécutif pour les femmes

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The biggest myths about workplace equality

Égalité au travailL’une des plus grandes erreurs que nous commettons aujourd’hui en tant que main-d’œuvre est de croire que l’égalité en milieu de travail n’est pas encore atteinte. Beaucoup liront cet article comme un déni de ce que vivent les femmes au travail. La discrimination de genre existe toujours comme le racisme ou toute autre discrimination, mais ce n’est pas l’état d’esprit le plus courant dans nos organisations occidentales.

Le défi est que le comportement ne correspond pas encore à l’état d’esprit et que les comportements inconscients biaisés ont un impact sur les femmes au travail.

Men and women are guilty of cultivating those behaviors. A client recently told me she could not trust any other women in the organization because they were competition to her. This limiting and unconscious behavior was leading her to discriminate other women by ensuring they would not get too close to reach her level.

In reality women in leadership positions still struggle to break the glass ceiling and assert themselves in a male-dominated professional environment due to lack of self-awareness and self-empowerment. On the men side, biases persist by habits and the solution as well is to focus on self-awareness combined with widespread education. A woman shared with me a story that reflect an unconscious behavior. While she was visiting a client with a male manager, she, a director, was discarded by the client for the entire first part of the meeting. During a break, the male manager leaves which left the client with the female director. The client realized its unconscious biased behavior and apologized. Gender biases are engrained in our culture and it will take conscious efforts from both women and men to create new beliefs and behaviors that support true equality.

Until then, the place to start is in debunking a few of the more persistent myths that hold women back in the workplace. Take a look and see if any of the following apply to you.

Myth 1: hard work and patience will get women promoted

While certainly a good foundation for workplace advancement, any woman looking to land that big promotion needs to do more than keep their head down in the back office. Making oneself more visible and open to new connections is key, and the most direct route to advancement. Think about it – if your boss barely knows your name, how likely do you think you are to gain recognition? The truth is that women need to become comfortable with sharing their talent and successes. Last year, I met with a couple of female attorneys and they mentioned it was very uncomfortable for them to be recognized in public for only doing their job. They feel visibility is too much about “bragging” about their accomplishments, but when men do, they realized they are totally fine with it!

Myth 2: workplace equality is just a women’s issue

It’s true that respecting women’s independence and personal development is paramount, but the reality is that gender equality will only be achieved by a combined effort from all sides. Drawing on men and women from different industries and bodies of government will be necessary to affect widespread change. The fight might not be the best course of action though. A collective effort to support education and reflection instead of blaming men for their unconscious behavior should be the most favorable action to take. It only makes sense—since the benefits gained from a more cohesive and balanced workplace help everybody by creating more diverse teams with a broader range of skill sets and perspectives.

Myth 3: we should leave the problem-solving to our superiors

Appealing to our higher-ups is a great strategy to take charge of our situation and make change happen. However, it is too easy to forget some of the smaller, more close at hand strategies that can promote workplace equality. Maintaining a confident executive presence will show coworkers your strength and capability as a leader. Finding ways to problem-solve directly with coworkers will help build connections and foster mutual respect.

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