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Articles from Judith & Jim Sherven & Sniechowski | Selfgrowth.com
- The Number One Mistake Managers Make - by Submitted on May 16, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiWe enter this world as children and to stay alive and thriving we ingest, more like absorb the environment of our birth. Whatever we experience is all there is and we take it in without conditions. And that’s our first experience of authority, an authority that knows how to keep us alive because ...
Views: 1247 - Career Promotions: A Mysterious Unknown or Clear and Logical Roadmap? - by Submitted on May 16, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiAll too often, at different types of companies, we hear from our clients that the promotional process is a big mystery. People don’t know why they received their recent promotion, nor do they know what is required to achieve the next career level up. These are not uneducated people nor are ...
Views: 1241 - How Winning Can Make You More Than Just Number One - by Submitted on May 09, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: Winning is incredibly important. When you win you’re supposed to gain recognition, status, material goods, perhaps even wealth. Winning is supposed to supply pride and self-esteem so that when you look into a mirror the person staring back at you is someone you can be proud of, ...
Views: 1143 - Motivating Senior Employees To Help Newcomers - by Submitted on May 09, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Judith: How do you help develop the right kind of motivation for your senior employees to help welcome and train newcomers—especially if you have a fast growing company? Since it is crucial for the integrity of a fast growing company that management makes sure to advance the elements ...
Views: 1133 - The Trouble With Hanging On To Workplace Misfits - by Submitted on May 02, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Judith: It would be ideal if recruiting worked perfectly and all new hires were perfect assets to your specific workplace culture. But that’s not ever going to be the case. We humans are a widely varied bunch and every process — recruiting, onboarding, and management — is dictated by the ...
Views: 1154 - Manage Expectations, Yours and Others, Because They Create Reality - by Submitted on May 02, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: Expectations are central to an individual’s well-organized, functional, and fulfilling life. They are even more critical to an organization of multiple individuals because expectations vary among the members of a team or department. Why? Because expectations that are strong and ...
Views: 1056 - Why Many People Go Through “Growth Shudders” After Big Wins - by Submitted on May 02, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Judith: The Fear of Being Fabulous can show up in countless ways, but one that deserves extra attention is what we call "Growth Shudders." It happens in response to a big win, a recent promotion, and/or more money than ever believed possible. There are countless other scenarios that ...
Views: 1073 - Is Hillary REALLY Too Old To Be President? - by Submitted on Apr 25, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Judith: As the United States approaches the 2016 presidential elections, adversaries of Hillary Clinton are already starting to throw out ageist propaganda. Citing the fact that if elected Hillary, who was born October 26, 1947, will turn 70 while in office. Curious that they seem to ...
Views: 1122 - In a Conflict Clinging to Innocence Is a Deadly Trap - by Submitted on Apr 25, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: Most people avoid conflict situations because conflicts hurt and very few people know what to do when a conflict erupts. I am not talking about a major conflict, a war or a terrorist attack, but the conflicts that happen every day: a surprising argument with your friend; a fight ...
Views: 1182 - Does Gaining Knowledge or Insight Really Change Anything? - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: For the former, not really. For the latter, absolutely. There is a profound difference between knowledge and insight. Knowledge is data that already exists so knowledge is an arrow pointing to the past. Insight opens the way to the future. Someone had to discover, comprehend, ...
Views: 1284 - Keys To Using Disruptive Change To Your Advantage - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Judith: You’re moving along in your current position and succeeding quite well. Then, all of a sudden, with no input from you, no warning from above, you are informed that your position has been discontinued, or your team has been reassigned, or you’ve been moved to a different ...
Views: 1059 - Sure-Fire Strategy to Win Your Next Job Interview - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiEven though you may have relationships that can connect you with your potential next job, it’s ultimately your interview with one or more of the players at the new company that will make or break the possibility of your being hired. So it’s essential to have a well thought out strategy that will ...
Views: 1073 - How Can You Be Sure About Your Career Direction? - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiLet’s say that you want to reach the level of Director, or V.P. or maybe even get to a C-Level chair. As much as you say you want to follow this trajectory you have doubts. You question whether or not this is the right path and you look for evidence to prove, to yourself, you know what you want. ...
Views: 1058 - Who Are The Career Cheaters And What You Can Do About It - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiOver our many years of executive coaching, it’s been clear that many people are unable to give themselves fully to creating a robustly successful career. There are many underlying reasons for this pattern, most of them caused by unconscious beliefs that were developed very early on and now ...
Views: 1056 - A Different Point Of View About The Peter Principle - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiIn 1969 Lawrence J Peter and Lawrence Hull published their humorous work, The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong. As Wikipedia describes it, "They suggest that people will tend to be promoted until they reach their ‘position of maximum incompetence’". And since that time, most people ...
Views: 1180 - Why You Need to Know the Difference between Context and Agenda - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiI’m sure you’ve heard people say things like “I was taken out of context,” “They took her statement out of context” or “You can’t take people out of context” because if you do you will distort their message and misunderstand what they are saying. And then blame them for whatever you don’t like ...
Views: 1036 - Key Reasons Delegating Is SO Difficult and What To Do About It - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiAs men and women alike climb the ladder of success, they too often suffer from the inability to delegate well. Isn’t one of the payoffs expected from achieving leadership status the freedom to no longer have to do the "daily grind" work, the "menial" work, the "frustrating calendaring and ...
Views: 1050 - How to Stop Blocking Your Excellence - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiThere’s a huge difference between externally imposed limits, like not enough resources or too small a budget, and self-imposed limitations like self-doubt, or lack of confidence, or inaccurate beliefs that create blocks which appear to be coming at you from out there when in fact thy are arising ...
Views: 1006 - Enjoy Your Work and Change Your DNA the Positive Way - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiUntil recently it’s been understood that we come into this world with pre-set DNA and we’re stuck with it. In fact, most people - if their genetic markers contain positive predispositions for things like heart disease, cancer, or early death - have felt like victims of their DNA. But recent ...
Views: 1000 - Do You Believe It When You See It or See It When You Believe It? - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: In 1960, when I was 19, an abscess developed at the back of my upper left jaw such that I had to have three teeth pulled. The dentist administered Lidocaine numbing my jaw and with pliers and some effort extracted all three teeth during that one visit. As he finished he warned me ...
Views: 971 - What To Look For From An Executive Coach - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Judith: A recent review and analysis "Coaching: A Global Study of Successful Practices - Current Trends and Future Possibilities 2008-2018" commissioned by the American Management Association demonstrated an expanding interest in and use of executive coaching worldwide, primarily aimed ...
Views: 999 - Emotional Leveraging: It’s Really Not Manipulation? - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: “Leverage” has become a significant if not dominant concept in the corporate lexicon and it’s now a buzzword used every day in many ways. Here are examples of how I’ve heard “leverage” used: “He carries a lot of leverage” and “You’re not exercising the right leverage” and “How do we ...
Views: 1189 - Urgent or Important — Which? - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: Knowing the difference between what is urgent and what is important can make or break your day, can make or break your career, can produce a lifestyle, at work and at home, that is effective, productive, and rewarding---or not. The difference between “urgent” and “important” can ...
Views: 1094 - Saved from Being Saved: A Major Step on Your Promotion Track - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: It may seem strange to start with the story of Cinderella but the story’s millennial popularity sets the ground for the idea of “saved from being saved.” The stories of Cinderella and Aladdin, her male counterpart, focus on the main character who possesses excellent qualities and ...
Views: 989 - Why People Are So Afraid to Own Their Careers - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiMy husband Jim Sniechowski, PhD and I just completed a series of interviews dedicated to discovering what makes career management so difficult for most people. And the majority of the answers we repeatedly received fell into these three categories: * I shouldn’t have to toot my own horn. My ...
Views: 916 - Your Expectations: Their Power and Their Promise - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiNumerous studies have been conducted exploring and testing the power and promise of expectations. And it’s been proven that many people make their decisions and understand themselves in the light of what others expect of them. When we know someone expects something from us---our attitude, how we ...
Views: 951 - Receiving Praise Doesn’t Make You “Big-Headed” - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiHear Yea! Hear Yea! Let it be known across the land: Receiving Praise and Compliments for Your Excellence Does NOT Make You Big-headed! Yet, in a recent workshop "Overcoming the Fear of Being Fabulous: It’s Time To Shatter Your Inner Glass Ceiling" (which my husband Jim Sniechowski, PhD ...
Views: 974 - Make Your Communication Irresistible - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiThat’s a rather audacious claim, right? But it’s true. You can make your communications compelling. How? By understanding the difference between “features” and “benefits.” A simple way to understand the difference is: features are about you and benefits are about the other person. When you ...
Views: 1001 - How To Recognize Your Internal Glass Ceiling - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiForget the idea that a "glass ceiling" only applies to women crashing into and getting slapped down by the "boy’s-only-club of top corporate leadership." That’s not the issue here. What’s far more serious, and gender neutral, are the internal glass ceilings that hold back both women and ...
Views: 1144 - How To Be A Really Really Good Listener - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiI’m sure you’ve heard it said that to be a good listener you should "walk a mile in the other person’s shoes." Okay. But exactly how do you do that? And how can you know that you are walking in another person’s shoes? How can you be sure that your perception is not mistaken or maybe it’s just ...
Views: 982 - Are You Guilty of Taking Your Excellence For Granted? - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiPerhaps... - You did well in school with practically no effort. - You’ve always been well-liked, even in grammar school. - You’ve aced every employment interview you’ve ever had. - Your people skills feel like second nature and people have always come to you for help. - You ...
Views: 986 - Envisioning the Conscious Workplace of Tomorrow - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiWe’ve come a long way since office employees in the 1800s were expected to fill lamps, clean chimneys, wash windows, bring in coal and water supplies, make their own pens, and work 13 hours a day. However, during the recent fast-food workers strike it came to glaring light that while James A ...
Views: 1149 - Reach Out and Manage Yourself Upwards - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Judith: It’s easy enough to say that everyone should "own their own career"—but how do you do that? Assuming you desire upward advancement, here’s a get-started checklist: * Ask your manager or Human Resources for the criteria for promotion to the next level * Determine the ...
Views: 1076 - Your Reputation Is Not Within Your Control: So What Can You Do? - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: Have you ever thought about or tried to create your own reputation? That doesn’t make sense, does it? Reputation isn’t created. It’s attributed to you by the people who know and associate with you. That’s the whole point of a reputation: it’s based externally and arises from people ...
Views: 961 - Identity & Self-Branding - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: What’s the difference between your identity and how you are known in your profession, in other words your professional brand? Ideally they align across all aspects of your personality. Nevertheless your identity and your professional brand, no matter how closely aligned they are, ...
Views: 1011 - Chocolate-Like Success Tips - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiSlightly sweet, sometimes bitter...my favorite and most satisfying treat and energizer is 72% organic free trade dark chocolate. Why give such a specific description? Because each element can be translated into some of "the stuff" that can set you up for greater success. This may sound like a ...
Views: 988 - Do You Find It Difficult to Claim Your Authority? - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiWhat’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about "authority"? Is it a great writer you admire, your boss, your doctor, your parents? Or is it you? Chances are pretty good that you were NOT first on your list. Why not? After all you are an authority about all kinds of things. You ...
Views: 1072 - Perfecting Your Personal Pitch: A Case of Self-Branding - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom Jim: What’s your immediate response when you hear the phrase —You Need to Create a Pitch? Most people cringe in one way or another because the word “pitch’ when used in a business context smacks of hard sell. Someone wants to get into your wallet. They say they care about you. They have ...
Views: 1153 - Overcoming the Fear of Being Fabulous is Vital - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiJudith here. Do you or your friends and/or work colleagues struggle with frustration? Anxiety? Insecurity? Breaking promises? Missed deadlines? Puzzling, even maddening behaviors? What’s going on? My husband Jim Sniechowski and I call it The Fear of Being Fabulous™ and it’s the result of ...
Views: 1371 - Identify the Problem and Get 50% of the Solution - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiJim here. Have you ever walked into your house or apartment and smelled something that caught your attention—an odor that was striking but you couldn’t immediately identify it? Was it the remnant aromas from dinner the night before? Could it be the sweat drenched running shoes from that ...
Views: 1231 - Career or Will a Job Do? - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiJudith here. Recently I was speaking with a young woman in her mid-twenties who had just been let go from her position at a start up in the UK. She was disappointed and not sure where to turn. The clear problem she was facing was that she had never looked at her work as a milestone in a career, ...
Views: 1029 - Inspiration: What Is It and What Inspires Me? - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiJim here, as I set down to write this post I asked the question—“What inspires me?” I then listed a number of options. Soon I realized that the items on the list weren’t real. They were just concepts. More precisely they were just my attempt to make a list and I hoped something on the list would ...
Views: 1077 - Praise Doesn’t Make You “Big-Headed” - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiFrom: Judith Hear Yea! Hear Yea! Let it be known across the land: Receiving Praise and Compliments for Your Excellence Does NOT Make You Big-headed! Yet, in a recent workshop “Overcoming the Fear of Being Fabulous: It’s Time To Shatter Your Inner Glass Ceiling” (which my husband Jim ...
Views: 987 - The Reasons Why Great Success Can Bring You Down - by Submitted on Feb 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiChronic insecurity? Drug and/or alcohol abuse? Procrastination? Those are just a few of the symptoms that can haunt your life and your career when The Fear of Being Fabulous threatens to undermine your newly acquired success. Mind you, those are only the symptoms—not the cause! To expand your ...
Views: 1160 - Pay Attention: Your Unconscious May Be Overruling Your Conscious Choices - by Submitted on Feb 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiWe’d all like to think that we are good at being rational and that we conduct our lives with deliberate awareness. And why wouldn’t we? That’s what the professional world rewards---conscious, well thought through, efficient, predictable results. If we can’t predict we can’t control. If we can’t ...
Views: 1249 - Anxiety? Insecurity? Caught in the Doom Loop? Sounds Like The Fear Of Being Fabulous - by Submitted on Feb 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiHave you ever had the experience of achieving a substantial goal, receiving applause, high-fives, and maybe even a bonus — but you didn’t feel any joy or even happiness? You looked forward to giving that training for a major conference. You worked hard on it. It was even a pleasure to create. ...
Views: 1108 - Compassionate Collaboration: Letting Your Heart and Head Dance Together - by Submitted on Feb 07, 2014 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiHow can compassionate collaboration lead to higher productivity and more effective results? The answer is housed in the words "compassion" and "collaboration." The dictionary.com defines compassion as: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, ...
Views: 1130 - Disloyalty or Even Betrayal: Necessary To Overcoming Unconscious Hold Backs - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2013 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiThe key to understanding how we all end up being limited by Unconscious Allegiances and Forbiddances—that result in what we call The Fear of Being Fabulous—is rooted in every child’s earliest beginnings and driven by the environment that child grows up in. That is a psychological and ...
Views: 1604 - Understanding The Anxiety-Depression Swing – Thank You Alice Miller! - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2013 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiWhen I was early on in my private practice as a clinical psychologist some 30 years ago, I kept noticing how so many of my clients suffered from a pattern of anxiety as they pursued a goal that they desired (their frustration with not achieving the goal was usually the reason they had come to me ...
Views: 1470 - Expand Your Creativity - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2013 from Judith & Jim Sherven & SniechowskiJim here, a favorite cartoon of mine shows two lab-coated scientists standing before a white board filled with scientific notation. Between the first part of the notation and its conclusion there is a space filled with the words “And then a miracle occurs.” One of the scientists, pointing at the ...
Views: 1163