Bossed Up

What would change if you decentered your career from your identity? Decentering your work from your identity might seem a counterintuitive topic for a podcast about career development, but burnout and disillusionment are running rampant these days, so it’s not too surprising this concept is getting a lot of airtime. Our work should be important and provide us with purpose, but it shouldn’t become the only important and purposeful part of who we are. Taking the spotlight off the career part of your identity gives you space and permission to respect the role of work in your life without requiring you to relinquish every part of yourself to your job. In this episode, I outline three considerations to help you realize this shift.Consider a more balanced alternative to living for your job:How community involvement contributes to who you are and will be;Why passive rest and renewal don’t cut it, and what to try instead;Why you need to get real about the divide between your work identity and the rest of your life.Re

How can you support the young adult in your life as they embark on the first steps of their career? Gen Z is coming of age in a strange new world, and that can make it tricky to figure out how to help them. My guest on this episode, Beth Hendler-Grunt, founded Next Great Step to help ease this transition. Using approaches grounded in psychology and her own background in sales, Beth and her team support thousands of young adults (and their parents!) to gain confidence in their skills and land their first jobs out of school.Uncover tools to help the young adult in your life through the modern job search process, including:How to understand the unique challenges this generation faces in today’s job market;Modulate your expectations to balance patience, support, and trust;Understand the inextricable link between sales and the job search;And how to support a young adult whose career goals seem bound to fail.Related Links:Learn more about Beth’s work - https://nextgreatstep.com/Connect with Beth on LinkedIn - https

How do you deal with a mistake or criticism at work? If you find yourself starting to spiral into anxiety, overthinking everything you’ve ever done that might have caused the current situation, you’re far from alone. We’re all human, and, unfortunately, that means when we screw up or receive less than glowing feedback at work, we have a tendency to take it personally. In this episode, I explore how we can move away from shame in these situations and shore up our self-worth so that we can resiliently and proactively deal with our mistakes in ways that empower positive change and set us up to be stronger in the future—both in and beyond our careers.Try these tricks for taking the personal out of professional missteps:How to make sure you’re telling yourself the actual, objective story;Why it’s essential to name, rather than negate, whatever you’re feeling;How to use that unfortunate situation to plan your confident comeback.Related Links:Episode 323, How To Lead With Emotional Intelligence - https://www.bossedu

Do you struggle with imposter syndrome, limiting beliefs, or self-sabotage? How can you rewire your subconscious to start seeing actual progress on your goals? Thais Gibson is a PhD-holding counselor, researcher, and the founder of the Personal Development School. She has answers to why so many of us find that our resolutions prove ineffective and our goals remain unmet despite our best efforts. This leading expert in attachment therapy shares her deep knowledge of how our brains form connections and pathways and how understanding why we self-sabotage can help us stop.Thais delves deep into the neuroscience behind why we struggle to achieve our goals:How the conscious and subconscious minds interact and who’s in charge;The scientific explanation behind self-sabotage;The interplay between identity, beliefs, and our conscious goals;Your action plan for creating new neural pathways that will help you thrive.Related Links:Thais’s website - https://university.personaldevelopmentschool.com/Watch Thais’s daily YouTu

Where do you draw the line between work and play when it comes to office friendships? It’s hard to make friends as adults, so it’s no wonder we get excited when we discover a coworker we genuinely click with. Lots of research supports the benefits of workplace friendships. These relationships are key to job success, and employees with work friends are more likely to get engaged and innovate, be more productive, and genuinely enjoy their time. Most of us know that making friends at work also comes with unique challenges, and keeping those potential pitfalls in mind can help you build deeper friendships that last while also keeping your career on track. In this episode, I cover some issues that could crop up and explore how we can navigate them as we nurture those cherished office friendships.Check out these helpful tips for making the most of your workplace friendships:Two tips to keep your work friendships working;The research on the shifting power dynamics of being friends with your boss;How to maintain your

How do you ensure you get what you need when you’re called to work in the nonprofit sector? Working for a nonprofit differs in many ways from the corporate world, but there’s no reason your passion and your dream career trajectory can’t go hand in hand. In this episode, I share my conversation with Jenny Mitchell, the chief visionary officer of Chavender, an organization that coaches mid-level to senior executives—particularly women who work in nonprofits—to help them build leadership skills. Find out what women need to know to navigate the nonprofit sector with ease:The differences between the nonprofit and corporate worlds;Why the likeability factor can be even trickier to navigate for women leaders in this area;How to balance the martyr mindset to set a good example and prevent burnout as a manager;Why celebrating achievements is a vital step in staying focused and hopeful in the nonprofit realm.Related Links:Jenny’s book, Embracing Ambition: Empowering Women to Step Out, Be Seen, & Lead - https://www.

How do you motivate yourself to start your job search? There are a lot of Bossed Up episodes about the job search process, but they all assume that you’ve already gotten started—and that can be the hardest part!When your current job no longer fulfills you, the first step is always to turn your analysis paralysis into forward momentum. In this episode, I share some tips to spark that motivation and get your job search rolling full steam ahead.Explore these strategies when you’ve put off getting started in your job search:Why you need to get clear on your vision and values first;How to create a realistic and attainable action plan;How to build your own unstoppable inertia.Related Links:Episode 2, When is it time to quit? - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode02Episode 453, Prioritizing Your Job Search While Holding Down a Full-Time Job - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode453Episode 455, How to Create a Sustainable Job Search Schedule When You’re Unemployed - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode455

How do you create a practical plan for taking a career break? We talk a lot on this podcast about high achievers, burnout, and work/life balance because we’re driven professionals striving to live our most fulfilling lives while also leveling up our careers. Chances are, the thought of taking a lengthy break from work has crossed your mind, but you might have been as skeptical as I was until I spoke with Laura Nguyen.The author of Career Break Compass, Laura is an executive coach who transitioned from a high-performance, high-stress marketing career to guiding high-achievers like herself in planning and pursuing career breaks that let them come back better than ever. She shares what brought her to this field and her four-step framework for making the most of your time off.Uncover her strategic process for making a career break a reality, including:How to strike a balance between career advancement and rest;The time off options available to American workers;Building a logical framework to guide your career bre

Caregivers: when’s the last time you didn’t feel stressed out? In August, the U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory, titled “Parents Under Pressure,” that identified parental mental health as an urgent public health issue. Nearly half of parent participants in the surveys confirm that “their stress is completely overwhelming.” The wellbeing of these adults is worrisome on its own, and research also shows a strong correlation between poor mental health in parents and poor physical and mental health in children. In other words: this public health issue impacts multiple generations and, by extension, our entire country. In this episode, I take a closer look at the advisory and what workplaces should be doing to mitigate this national crisis.Discover what the research says and what your workplace should be doing about it:Seven unavoidable causes of parental stress;The overt connection between parental mental health and talent retention;Specific steps organizations can take to help improve the wellbeing of emp

How can managers navigate the ever-changing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging landscape? While most people grasp the overall intention of DEIB—fair and equitable treatment for all workers—the specifics are nuanced and easily misunderstood, and they can be difficult to implement, especially in the face of recent pushback.Alida Miranda-Wolff is a DEIB practitioner, author, and podcast host driven by a deep passion for cultivating belonging. In 2019, she launched Ethos Talent, a full-service DEIB and employee advocacy firm that serves companies all around the world. In this episode, she leverages her decade of expertise to explain how support for this field has fluctuated over the years and what leaders—and first-time managers in particular—can do to facilitate the day-to-day integration of these practices, which are deeply intertwined with basic human rights.Elevate DEIB in your own leadership practice with these takeaways:How managers can be inclusive and equitable in their day-to-day leadership;How

How will the various abortion bans across the U.S. affect HR policies? When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, federal protections on abortion ceased, and states were suddenly free to make independent decisions about this essential healthcare issue. The new laws range from full allowance to complete bans and criminal charges for those who circumvent them. So how are employers and HR teams navigating the impacts of this change, and how are employees across the country reacting when it comes to travel and job change considerations?The consequences of how these new laws impact women and their careers—both in states with bans and those without—can’t be overstated. In this episode, I examine some of the policies being discussed in regard to women’s rights and safety and how these laws are impacting both organizations and employees.Find out how abortion ban HR policies are affecting our career decisions:Why announcing abortion travel accommodations is a questionable corporate decision;How companies might begin to

Men comprise over 90% of the CEOs in the U.S.—so how do we help them become allies in the vital pursuit of workplace equality? Rather than dismissing the defensiveness that sometimes arises in men who believe promoting more women to power means taking theirs away, Wendy Wallbridge uses her platform to change the narrative. She teaches tech companies how to create cultures of belonging and strategies for workplace equality, with a focus on equipping men as allies. Her strategies show next-generation business leaders that the right approach to equality lifts everyone up: the employee, the executive, and the company.Discover how both men and women leaders can pursue gender equality in the workplace, including:The very real benefits of gender equality for men in positions of power;Why emotional intelligence is the leadership skill of the future;The three biggest challenges facing women and non-binary people in the workplace;How to use micro-interventions to improve inequality in the corporate world.Related Links:

Earlier this year, the FTC put forth a ruling that would ban non-compete agreements nationwide. But last month, a Texas federal court blocked this endeavor, leaving workers in limbo while the Supreme Court considers taking up the issue next. In today’s episode, I explore what’s going on and why there is still hope for a new path forward to defeat non-compete agreements for good.Get the latest details on this recent workers’ rights development:Why the lack of a federal ban isn’t the end of the story;Where the power to prevent harmful non-competes lies now;What we as citizens can do to foster fair policies for workers.Related Links:Episode 459, Why Non-Compete Agreements Can No Longer Derail Your Career - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode459Economic Innovation Group’s State Non-Compete Law Tracker - https://eig.org/state-noncompete-map/Axios: The Future Of The Noncompete Ban Isn't Totally Bleak - https://www.axios.com/2024/08/23/noncompete-ban-statesTAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/t

Growth mindset is a hot topic these days. We hear a lot about how important it is to approach life and work open to learning, changing, and growing. This concept is often focused on the individual, but my guest today centers her research on how to build a workplace culture that fosters a growth mindset for all.Mary C. Murphy is a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University and a protege of mindset scholar Carol Dweck. During her PhD, she began to explore the potential for cultures of growth to create learning organizations. Mary and I explore the research and practice behind how employees and leaders alike can start transforming their organizations with growth in mind.Discover how cultures of growth build better businesses for all, including:How to identify the current mindset culture of your workplace;The difference between cultures of growth and cultures of genius;How to circumvent mindset triggers with mindful feedback;The huge impact of cultures of growth on diversity and equity.Re

What do you think of when you hear the term “glass cliff”? I have been pondering this concept for a while, especially in light of the upcoming election. In today’s episode, I share my thoughts on the problems, and potential opportunities, inherent in the social construct that so often presents women with their opportunity to lead only when the ship is sinking. If you have ever sought or been offered a promotion that seems a bit doomed to fail, this episode is for you.Consider the glass cliff on your way through the glass ceiling as we explore:The origin of this term and the research that backs it up;The potential dangers of accepting a leadership role in a crumbling company;The potential opportunity waiting within this gender-biased blind spot.Related Links:Episode 465, What Kamala’s Candidacy Means for Women Leaders - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode465New York Times, When That Promotion is Really a ‘Glass Cliff’ - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/12/business/glass-cliff-effect.htmlHarvard Business Re

What individual, organizational, and policy changes will help us transform the daily grind into the good life? The conversation around work-life balance and women in the workplace can feel stalled. You might speak out and speak up about the problems and inequity you see every day, yet insufficient individual solutions remain the most common recommendations. This lack of progress highlights a widespread systemic problem.Brigid Schulte has quite literally written the book on what’s up with our ongoing struggle to balance a good life with a sustainable career. Her latest book, Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life, is available today! Brigid joins me to discuss what her research has revealed about our continuing struggle to make work actually work for us.Learn what needs to happen to transform our hustle culture into something healthier, including:The declining of the American Dream;Why we need to look beyond paid labor when we talk about “work”;The importance of good middle mana

How do you handle the sting of being passed over for a promotion? Unfortunately, for ambitious women, this frustrating experience tends to be part of the package deal. We’re always pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones—so, of course we won’t get every opportunity we go after. In this episode, I share how to manage the emotional aftermath of this normal but distressing experience without losing your drive.Tackle these three tips for coming out on top after a promotion pass-over:Why you need to let yourself feel all the feelings;How to get clear on what your career future looks like now;When it’s time to think about moving on.Related Links:Episode 323, How To Lead With Emotional Intelligence - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode323Episode 295, How to Make Career Progress in the New Year - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode295The Progress Principle, Harvard Business Review - https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=40692Permission To Feel: The Power Of Emotional Intelligence To Achieve We

How do you navigate grief in the workplace in an empathic and supportive way? We all experience loss, and we might default to assuming the only place for grief is in the home. The truth is that a loss permeates every aspect of our lives, sometimes for years or even decades, and it certainly crosses into the workplace. Krista St-Germain experienced a devastating loss in 2016 when her husband was killed by an impaired driver. That trauma propelled her into grief, then therapy, then research. Today, she is the founder of the Mom Goes On group coaching program and the host of the Widowed Mom podcast. She shares her hard-won wisdom on what we need to know about grief and how to navigate it in the workplace, both for ourselves and in support of others.Question your assumptions about grief and learn to better support yourself or others who are navigating it, including:How we’ve come to misunderstand the grieving process;The role time plays when we are healing from a loss;How to navigate interactions with grieving co

Deloitte recently released their 2024 Women @ Work report, which surveyed 5,000 women across 10 countries. In this episode, I highlight three unexpected trends that warrant further discussion and that I plan to explore in upcoming episodes of this podcast. Explore the state of work for women around the world:What does the study have to say about women’s rights overall?How does new intel about burnout reflect a change in workplace mental health programs?How are issues impacting older women at work finally getting long-overdue attention?Related Links:Read the Deloitte Women @ Work 2024 report - https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-shared/docs/collections/2024/deloitte-women-at-work-2024-a-global-outlook.pdfTake Action with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeactionBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our colle

How do you balance caring for your aging parents and your career without burning out? We organize so much in our lives, from our workdays to our childcare. The care of our aging parents or other loved ones, however, can blindside the best of us. When this responsibility suddenly falls into your lap while you’re in the thick of leveling up your career, staying on top of daily expectations, and maybe even raising young children, what do you do?Liz O’Donnell was faced with this situation, and after more than a decade in the field, she is a recognized expert on working while caregiving. She is the founder of Working Daughters, which supports women balancing elder care on top of their careers and all the other demands of adult life, and the author of Working Daughter: A Guide to Care for Your Aging Parents While Making a Living. In this episode, she shares her wealth of knowledge about navigating elder care without losing yourself.Discover what to expect if you find yourself caring for an aging loved one, includin