Want to ‘ace’ that appraisal? Here are some top tips for making it happen

Want to ‘ace’ that appraisal? Here are some top tips for making it happen

Yes, it’s that appraisal time of year again and rather than feel worried, view it as the perfect opportunity to reflect on your career, plan for your next move and set the wheels in motion to be the person you want to be.

If you prepare correctly, your appraisal will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your achievements, show how you’ve consciously engaged with the role, the business or your team, and convey how you would like your role to evolve in the future. Here are some top tips for ‘acing’ that appraisal:

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PREPARE YOUR EVIDENCE – make a note of all that great stuff you’ve been doing throughout the year and back it up with testimonials, data to support your achievements, feedback from colleagues or quotes from members of the management team. Ask your colleagues for their thoughts on your performance; the things you’ve excelled at, and how.

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DEVELOPMENT GOALS – this is the perfect opportunity to discuss your career goals (often a natural progression from your last appraisal) and agree realistic targets and expectations; have a clear idea of where you want to be, and how you’re going to get there. Remember that your boss is not a mind reader! Explain what you want, but be prepared to give something in return (an appraisal is a two-way street, after all) and don’t forget to show how your future role, or promotion, will benefit the company.

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ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS – it’s important to ask the right questions as these will help you, and your boss, define your objectives for the year ahead. Ask about your personal development but also remember to ask about your wider development within the business. Questions you could ask:

  • What steps do I need to take to reach the next level?
  • What should I be doing to help with the company objectives or team priorities?
  • Which courses and training should I consider and will my employer support me (financially or otherwise) with this training?
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ONE LAST THING – talking through your career goals, and aspirations, with friends and family will help you feel more confident, but to give you a clearer understanding of the path you need to follow, download my FREE Appraisal Planner.

Don’t forget, this is your opportunity to be the person you want to be so, go out and ‘ace’ that appraisal!


Nicola Lyle is the Managing Director of Fired Up Careers and an Executive Coach & Leadership Trainer. She started her career in the drinks industry where she worked for over 15 years in sales and customer marketing. She has been a qualified and practicing coach since 2005, was a trainer for the Ministry of Defence for 3 years in Germany and currently works as a leadership and management trainer working with Executives in a wide range of industries.

Nicola is hugely passionate about helping people to have the career that fulfils and empowers them to live their best life. She offers Executive coaching, group coaching programmes and occasional retreats. Just drop her a line, she’d love to help you get your career on track.

You can contact her at Nicola@firedupcoaching.org or find Fired Up Careers on Instagram or take a look at www.firedupcareers.org

Fall in love with your career again

Fall in love with your career again

Being in love is amazing! Everything seems bright, breezy and super easy; you can’t stop talking about the one you love, you think about them all the time and can’t wait until you see them again. Well, the first few months in a job can feel exactly the same – if you’re in the right place….

Then, one morning, you wake up and think ‘I love what I do but I’m not In Love with my job anymore‘. The honeymoon period is over so now what? Never fear, it is possible to rekindle the love affair with your job, you just have to fall in love with the idea of working at it. Here are some tried and tested tips to get the passion going again:

GET CLEAR ON WHAT YOU WANT – We all know what we want when it comes to the choice of partner, preferred holiday destination or favourite ice cream flavour so, work out what it is you like about work, and then you’ll have an idea of where to find it. Many people assume that their bosses know what they want, but they are not mind-readers. Ask for what you want; If you want more money or a flexible schedule, ask for that too. If your alternative is to quit, what do you have to lose?

TRY NEW THINGS – Say ‘yes’ to the company social, the ‘team building’ drinks after work; forging new office friendships and collaborations might be just what you need. Why not volunteer to lead company projects or maybe suggest new ways of doing business that puts your skill set to the fore. Propose your dream project or ask to be put in charge of something.

 

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE – Take a long, hard look at your work surroundings and, if it’s possible, change your office. The chances are if you’ve worked in the same office environment, eight hours a day, for years it will be driving you nuts! If it’s in your power, repaint. If not, make other subtle improvements like adding pictures, plants or moving furniture. For a different perspective try working from a different place; another desk in an open office or a favourite coffee shop rather than home.

GET TO KNOW THE BUSINESS – Talk to people you don’t ordinarily talk to, invite different people to lunch and take the time to get to know them, and what they do. Change your own attitude. Smile. Thank people. Refuse to give difficult people power over your emotions. Consciously list one awesome thing that happened every day – sometimes it’s easy to let the day to day frustrations cloud the bigger purpose of why we took the job in the first place. Try to look at the big picture of what your company’s doing and the part you play. Chances are, your position is far more critical than you realize.

 

SHOW THE LOVE – Bring in some goodies to share with the team occasionally or offer to get the morning coffees. It will make you feel good, and your workmates valued.

KEEP THINGS FRESH – Continue to improve yourself with professional development; ask to be put on those training courses, networking events or company seminars.

SHOW YOUR COMMITMENT – Find ways to develop your role, team, the business. Be interested…why not volunteer as a mentor to one of your junior colleagues? Offering a helping hand or support to someone else feels good and will remind you why you fell in love with what you do.

 

WE ALL LOVE A CHALLENGE –  Set yourself some key goals to work towards: the next promotion; achieving your bonus; targets for the team.

CELEBRATE THE SMALL THINGS – Everyday, look for something (however small) that went well for you, or your team, and celebrate.

 

SEE THE LIGHTER SIDE – It might sound silly, but making time to laugh at work is hugely important. Smiles and laughter release feel-good chemicals in the brain and will automatically lift your spirits. Seeing the lighter side is important, especially in pressured environments. It allows you to develop emotional resilience to draw on when things go wrong and gives you a sense of perspective.

WE ALL NEED A BREAK – Take a lunch break, go outside and get some fresh air and sunlight (Vitamin D is an important mood-enhancer), walk briskly or take an exercise class. Book yourself a holiday to look forward to as a reward for all your hard work. Making time for leisure interests and socializing is also hugely important for recharging the batteries and freeing up some head-space for creativity and problem solving, leading to a happier, and more motivated, you. Having broader interests, outside of work, can also give you a valuable secondary perspective that can add so much to your working life.

 

REMEMBER, LOVE IS A TWO-WAY STREET – We all need to feel the love; it’s the same in any relationship so why should it be any different at work? If you don’t feel valued, trusted or there’s a lack of commitment or connection, talk to your boss to understand what’s going on and if it can’t be fixed, then maybe it’s time to move on.

 


Nicola Lyle is the Managing Director of Fired Up Careers and an Executive Coach & Leadership Trainer. She started her career in the drinks industry where she worked for over 15 years in sales and customer marketing. She has been a qualified and practicing coach since 2005, was a trainer for the Ministry of Defence for 3 years in Germany and currently works as a leadership and management trainer working with Executives in a wide range of industries.

Nicola is hugely passionate about helping people to have the career that fulfils and empowers them to live their best life. She offers Executive coaching, group coaching programmes and occasional retreats. Just drop her a line, she’d love to help you get your career on track.

You can contact her at Nicola@firedupcoaching.org or find Fired Up Careers on Instagram or take a look at www.firedupcareers.org

5 Simple Steps to Reclaiming Your Mojo

5 Simple Steps to Reclaiming Your Mojo

According to Gallup and their ‘State of the Global Workplace’ report, 85% of employees are not engaged, or are actively disengaged, at work. SAD (Seasonal affective disorder) particularly affects people at this time of the year (with 1 in 15 people affected between September to April*).

Whatever the reasons, feeling disengaged at work (losing your mojo) brings with it feelings of lethargy, and a ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude to work. In fact, all you want to do is stay at home in bed, with the duvet pulled over your head, or throw a sickie.

So, when it feels like everyday is a slog and the world is getting you down, here are some simple steps to getting yourself back on track, and to Reclaiming Your Mojo’:

1)     Make a list of the things you like/love to do outside of workWe all need things to look forward to, so make sure you fill your diary with plenty of ‘twinkly’ moments; a weekend break away every 3 months, tickets to the theatre or a night out at your favourite restaurant.

2)     Make a playlist of songs you love to sing or can’t help but dance toResearch shows that the fastest way to change our emotional state is by listening to music that puts you in a good ‘space’ so, put some on, turn it up loud and dance like no one is watching!


3)     
Create a vision boardGet a load of magazines, put your playlist on, grab a glass of veg juice/prosecco (whichever you prefer) and create a vision of what you would love in your life right now, however wild. Pull out gorgeous images and uplifting, inspirational words, put them on your vision board then place the board somewhere you will see it (and be inspired by it) every day.

4)     Connect. Put your phone/iPad down, turn the TV off and be around peopleAs human beings we are meant to connect with others, not be alone or isolated in our own world all of the time. It is important to talk to others, to interact, to laugh, to enjoy being in the company of friends or family. After all, they can be a great source of inspiration and motivation when we’re feeling less than radiant.


5)     
Exercise – I always thought you needed to feel energetic in order to do exercise. Turns out it’s the other way around!Aerobic exercise (a fast walk, running, cycling, dancing, sport) is brilliant for destressing and clearing the mind. Serotonin floods the body with ‘happy hormones’, cheering you up and giving you the energy to get your Mojo back.


Here’s a 6th one just because I like to give added value…think about the vision you have for your career (maybe you have one maybe you don’t)
Have a bit of fun and write (with no limitations!) a 5 year plan. Then work it back to a 3 year plan, then to one year. Can you see this being a possibility, where you are currently? Make a list of things that need to happen to reach your one year plan, and see how your current environment shapes up – if it doesn’t then it’s time to make some changes.

*Source www.mentalhealth.org.uk


Nicola Lyle is the Managing Director of Fired Up Careers and an Executive Coach & Leadership Trainer. She started her career in the drinks industry where she worked for over 15 years in sales and customer marketing. She has been a qualified and practicing coach since 2005, was a trainer for the Ministry of Defence for 3 years in Germany and currently works as a leadership and management trainer working with Executives in a wide range of industries.

Nicola is hugely passionate about helping people to have the career that fulfils and empowers them to live their best life. She offers Executive coaching, group coaching programmes and occasional retreats. Just drop her a line, she’d love to help you get your career on track.

You can contact her at Nicola@firedupcoaching.org or find Fired Up Careers on Instagram or take a look at www.firedupcareers.org

13 Reasons To Work Out The Right Career For You

13 Reasons To Work Out The Right Career For You

Deciding on a career change is a big decision and it takes time too as these things don’t happen overnight, especially if you want to do it properly. Getting support to ensure you’re making the right move might seem a bit indulgent and you might find yourself thinking ‘I can do this myself, how difficult can it be?’. Well yes you can do it on your own, though you might find yourself making a move now and then another and another, because you still don’t feel you’ve hit on the right career for you. So here are 13 reasons I believe you should work out the right career for you, with me.

1.You’ll Have A Map

Rather than drifting from one career to another, willy nilly, you’ll know why you are where you are, and how it does or doesn’t fit into your career plan.

2. You’ll Feel Aligned

The role you’re doing will feel right. You’ll get up in the morning, go to work and feel like you’re in the right place for you.

3. You’ll Know Yourself So Much Better

How often do we take the time to think about what we like, what we don’t like, what lights us up and what we want in our future? Defining your dream career will give you the time and space to think about this.

4. Your Confidence Will Sky Rocket

Simply by taking the time to get to know yourself better and what you want, your confidence will soar, especially as you start taking action and doing what you are committed to do.

5. You’ll Have A Renewed Vigour For Life

Don’t ask me why or how, this just happens when people take the course and get clear on what they want in life and where they’re going. They start getting Fired Up in all areas of their life!

6. You’ll Be More Organised

With a plan to work to you know what you have to do and when, and even better you’re motivated to actually do it! By the end of the programme you will be raring to go.

7. You Become Uber Focussed

All other distractions simply fade away. No more pursueing 2/3/4 potential ideas. You know what matters and what you need to focus on, everything else is just noise.

8. You Might Feel A Teensy Bit Smug

You’ve done the work, you know what you’re doing and where you’re going, this suddenly makes you very aware of how scattered others are around you, or how they’re just drifting…..

9. You Feel Fulfilled

This feels great, finally you’re working towards doing a job you have set out to do, one you know hits all the right points for you (location, type of work, environment, even what you want to wear to work!) and it feels good.

10. You Feel Your Career Is Going Somewhere

At last. No more feelings of drifting or just going through the motions in a job you hate. You have a purpose and a plan, and you’re on the right track.

11. You Might Feel Annoyed With Yourself

Sometimes clients Define Their Dream Career and the career that comes up for them is the one they were dreaming of 10 years ago. Does this mean the programme was wrong? No. It means you’ve wasted a lot of time. Realising this can be annoying and frustrating.

12. You Have Support

This isn’t you at home, alone, trawling through the job ads, desperately looking for something, anything, to inspire you. You have me, your coach, supporting and guiding you through the process. I’ve got your back and I’m going to do my best to help you find the career to light you up.

13. It’s Fun

Yes, honestly. You really will enjoy Defining Your Dream Career. Whether you go through the programme 1-1 or in a group you will enjoy the process and look forward to your next session, everyone does.

If you would like to know when the next Define Your Dream Career Programme is taking place you can email Nicola@firedupcoaching.org


Nicola Lyle is an Executive Coach & Career Strategist. She started her career in the drinks industry where she worked for over 15 years in sales and customer marketing. She has been a qualified and practicing coach since 2005, was a trainer for the Ministry of Defence for 3 years in Germany and currently works as a leadership and management trainer working with Executives in a wide range of industries.

Nicola is hugely passionate about helping people to have the career that fulfils and empowers them to live their best life. She offers Executive coaching, group coaching programmes and occasional retreats. Just drop her a line, she’d love to help you get your career on track.

You can contact her at Nicola@firedupcoaching.org, find her on Instagram as firedupcoaching or take a look at www.firedupcoaching.org

How do you stand out in the marketplace?

How do you stand out in the marketplace?

It’s a given that every business needs to have a strong brand in order to be recognised and identified as quickly as possible, wherever they may be seen around the world. But did you realise it’s just as important for you to have a strong personal brand too in your own right?

Why?

  1. To help you stand out in the crowd – does anyone want to be that person whose name other people can’t remember? If you want to stand out professionally people need to bring you to mind easily, for whatever reason that may be (more on that below)
  2. To build your network – having a strong brand will help you to develop both a professional and personal network
  3. To give colleagues a deeper insight into you personally and professionally

So how do you go about creating your own brand?

First things first, you have to actually think of yourself as a brand and consider if you are a brand, what message do you want to send out today and any other day? Is it professional, creative, relaxed, for people to think of you as an expert in your field or is it for how you dress (Lady Gaga…)?

Try googling yourself and see what comes up. Is it pictures of you on Facebook out with your friends on Saturday night? And if so are you happy for people to see you in this way? Remember, whatever you put on social media can be accessed by anyone, anywhere.

Just as you may want to be known for being an expert in a particular area, think about what value you provide for others. What can you give your colleagues that is unique to you? It might be as simple as delivering reports a day earlier than agreed; always giving more on delivery of projects or even the smile you greet everyone with. This isn’t about being too helpful, it’s about giving others more than they expect from you and becoming known for this.

Think about what you say and how you say it – it all matters and is noted by others.

Did you know who you spend time with impacts on how people perceive you? Jim Rohn said ‘You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with’. Think about that. Who do you spend your time with and what impression might that give other people of you, and more importantly does that tie in with the brand you want to portray?

And finally, what’s your story? Everyone has a story and a strong story equals a strong brand (think Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey), what does your story say about you?

Let’s go back to the beginning, if you want to stand out in a crowd you need to be known for being you, so grab yourself a piece of paper and start writing down your vision of how you want others to see you…. then take it from there.

 

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