Recently, I was asked, “I’ve been in my company for 13 years, and feel I deserve a raise for that. How do I approach my boss?”Over the course of my career, I’ve been on both sides of the desk regarding salary increases. So, I thought I’d share my perspective along with 5 tips to help you become more confident and successful in asking for—and getting—what you want throughout your career.Behold the Raise Rules, beginning with...

I am often asked: “Of all the habits you can develop in your career, what are the top ones for success?”Focus is, without doubt, in the top 4.In this high-pressured, rapidly changing world, many people think multitasking is the answer to increased productivity. However, what you may not know is that it can take up to 15 minutes to reorient yourself each time you switch gears and move from task to task.Add this time up over...

If you’re like me, and commute from the suburbs to the city, you’ve logged some serious hours of travel time: on the LIRR, the subway, and bus. Then, there’s the seemingly endless waiting time: in lines and at appointments. It’s enough to make you feel like you’re wasting (and waiting) your life away and it can create more stress than necessary.That’s why, as an experienced lady-in-waiting, I’ve come up with a few ways to c...

Good Leadership = vision + strategy + peopleGreat Leadership = vision + strategy + people + process + executionMany leaders have great vision: they see where they want to take their companies in the coming years, and map out their strategies accordingly.But, what’s often missing is skill and confidence in execution.Many people say that execution is not part of a leader’s role. I couldn’t disagree more. Execution needs to be...

“You think, ‘Why would anyone want to see me again in a movie?’ And I don’t know how to act anyway, so why am I doing this?”—Meryl Streep “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’” —Maya Angelou“I still doubt myself every single day. What people believe is my self-confidence is actually my reaction to fear.”—Will...

So, you thought this would be about love in the workplace? Not really, except that the happy-ever-after in your career depends only on one relationship: the one you have with yourself. You need to play the field in your career, and not tie yourself—or your confidence--to one title or company.Case in point:I recently spoke with a college graduate who is beginning her job search. She wants to get a job in a prime-time newsroo...

How to Choose the Right Path to Success Life is filled with change. It is also filled with choice. Success is largely based on the choices we make when facing change.Many of the changes we face are not welcome and quite challenging, such as getting laid off; going through a restructuring; and doing more with less at work. And, many of us believe that if we worry enough, we can control the outcome.Well, we can’t. No one ca...

One of the largest confidence killers I’ve ever seen is when people confuse net worth with self worth.Net Worth = The value of your financial assets, minus your liabilities. Determined by the market, it is your external worth. It is an asset that fluctuates over time. It is fluid and quite vulnerable.Self Worth = Respect for yourself. Your value as determined by you. It’s your internal worth, and the most important componen...

I recently sat in on a staff meeting, and, afterwards, one of the team’s former colleagues dropped by to say hello. This colleague had moved on to a new company, and was very unhappy with her choice. She kept voicing her negative opinion loudly, which included warning everyone to avoid her current employer at all costs.No matter what you think, this type of behavior is never a good idea. Yes—even though it’s no longer a wor...

There are many ways you give your power away in your career, often without you even knowing it.Here are six that leap to mind, along with solutions for avoiding the power drain:#1: You spend too much time and energy trying to change others.We all do this. We want to change our boss, our co-worker, our husband — you name it. At one time, I felt as though I spent a lifetime trying to change a few people on my team.Here's the...