Your Time as a Caterpillar has Expired - Your Wings are Ready For Collection

 

Your Time as a Caterpillar has Expired - Your Wings are Ready for Collection by Sue Courtney

I couldn't resist that title.
It is the beginning of a Brand New Year - 2014.
What will you do with it?
You have a 365 page book in front of you - and you are the author - you decide what goes in it!
What an awesome thought - THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!!

So, with that thought in mind, a little planning might be in order.
Begin by deciding what you want to achieve in all areas of your life by the end of 2014 - include work/career, finance, family/relationships, and what ever else is important to you.
Then work out a realistic schedule of journey goals that will enable you to end the year where you want and make a quarterly plan for each area of your life.
 

• What do you need or intend to achieve from January to March?
• April to June?
• July to September?
• October to December?

Now sub-divide into journey goals or achievements for each month.
My advice - don't plan too much into each month. Be realistic - life is busy - it was hectic and busy last year, why would the new year be any different?

So be realistic, but challenging. Make your journey goals few but impactful.

Then schedule them into your diary, get yourself an "accountability buddy" or coach and make 2014 your very best year yet.

Please let me know what some of your goals are and how you are doing. Tell me how you plan to achieve them - I love hearing your stories and maybe I might be able to offer encouragement and advice.

To your amazing success in 2014 - I know you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
I believe in you.

I'm currently doing exactly what I advise my clients to do right now - after taking a well deserved break I am remembering all that contributed to making 2013 a fabulous year and I am planning how to build on that to make 2014 the best year ever. I began the planning process while "enjoying" a rather grand adventure courtesy of the effects of the weather on the UK transport system. In other words, while stuck on a train going nowhere because of a flooded line, I used the time to plan for success in 2014. I then enjoyed the adventure that was the magical mystery tour  that eventually got me home. Great fun.



My first seminar of 2014 will be on Saturday 15th February 2014, in Southampton. (UK)
I will take you through my unique 3 step MAP system for career success which includes a styling section on dressing for your shape.
In 2013 I had a job specification written specially for me!
If you would like to be in that enviable position I can show you how on Saturday 15th February 2014 in Southampton (UK)
If you are serious about getting ahead in your career this year then you need this information as soon as possible.
More information in my next newsletter - remember to keep this date free to meet me in Southampton and kick start your career success.




It's an idea I saw on Facebook. Take 1 large jar and, beginning on January 1st, fill it with little notes about all the amazing things that happen to you - surprise gifts, goals achieved, memories worth saving, daily blessings, moments that make you laugh out loud, special events ....... whatever is special to you. On December 31st 2014 you empty it out and realise how blessed you were over the year. I have bought one for each of my family as well as myself and I can't wait to begin using it. (Actually, my son has cheated a bit. He got a new guitar on 31st December and has put that in the jar - a day early! No matter, I love his enthusiasm).
Try it - it will focus your mind on all that is good in your life, which will ensure you get more of the good stuff!
Let me know how it goes.



These days it is more important than ever to create the right first impression - positive, professional and authentic - if you want to achieve career success. So often women are overlooked for promotions and it is my mission to stop all that.

I work with ambitious, professional career women just like yourself, to achieve the success you want. You should be able to climb as high up the career ladder as you wish and enjoy the same opportunities as your male colleagues.

To achieve this I have developed my unique 3 step MAP system and I deliver it in a variety of ways - as a
  

• One day and two-day seminars where you access my complete MAP system and start your journey to career success.
• Special, intensive, luxury weekend where you access the whole of my MAP system in luxurious surroundings, so you can return to work next day and start implementing what you have learnt, with the added bonus of 60 days support from me to ensure you take action
• My personalised Promotion Programme where I work 1 to 1 with you to achieve your career goals and support you for the first 90 days in post.

The programme deals with developing a powerful mindset, taking actions that will give you the edge over your competition and then restyling to present the right image for success.
Best wishes

Sue Courtney
Personal Rebranding for Career Success

Golden Rules for Getting Ahead by Sue Courtney

I have been proactively working on a set of Golden Rules that, if you conscientiously apply them, will increase your chances of being offered that job of your dreams or that much sought-after promotion. They are the result of personal experience and research and I offer them to you in the hope that they enable you to achieve your desired results.

Basically, for career success, all you need to do is Stand Out From The Crowd.

It is that simple – but not necessarily easy. You need to be totally committed to achieving your career goal and willing to ‘go the extra mile’ in order to be noticed. That having been said, in my experience it doesn’t take a massive amount of extra effort to get noticed.

Read on and I will explain my five rules to enable you to  Stand Out From The Crowd for career success.

Rule#1 Look the part.

 I know I repeat this often – but only because it is vitally important. The first impression people make of you will be visual. If you dress the same as all the others doing your job you will just blend in to the background – and that is not a good thing. Your aim is to be noticed. Your aim is also to be associated in the minds of management as a promotion prospect as soon as they see you each day. My Wardrobe De-Tox sessions are perfect for this. Go to www.successandimagecoach.co.uk/wardrobe-de-tox/   

I remember when I was a supply teac her some years ago. I had been teaching for a few consecutive days and had arrived at work quite early. As I strode purposefully into school I passed a parent of a child from another class who asked me if I was the new head teacher. I explained that I was, in fact, a supply teacher based mainly in year one. She apologised for her  mistake but explained that she had assumed this because I looked so “invincible”! I always dressed smartly in suit or dress and jacket rather than the more casual attire of the permanent staff and so I looked as if I should have been in charge. I had to smile.

Rule #2 Arrive early and leave late.

Try to arrive earlier than the managers several times each week and be sure they realise you have beaten them in – there is no point in arriving early and putting in extra time if nobody notices. And don’t waste your time while you are there – be productive and proactive, getting little and big jobs done, getting organised for the day and looking useful.

Don’t clock watch. Finish off the job you are doing before you even consider leaving and then see if there is something else you could usefully do that would make the following day a little easier – for yourself or a colleague.

Rule #3  Look for ways to add value and help out.

Offer to take on a task to help a colleague out. Make suggestions that might make a task more efficient or quicker to complete.

Spread the love – help others whenever you can, whatever their role in the company. Could you do some small thing to make the cleaner’s job a little quicker, easier or more pleasant? Do you know what interests the top manager so you could pop an article on the subject on his/her desk occasionally?

 

Rule #4  Be cheerful and upbeat

That means no moaning and no gossiping. Look for the good in all people and situations – no matter what there will always be something.

Greet everyone with a smile and a cheery “hello” even if you aren’t feeling cheery. You will be surprised how something this small can change the mood of a section.

Being relentlessly cheerful and positive is a habit that can really make a difference – try it for yourself and see.

Rule #5  Volunteer

Put yourself forward for courses that will enable you to add more value to the company and do your job better – actually ask to be included on them, explaining that it would enable you to do a better job for the company. Constantly upgrade your skills so you can offer more to the company than you currently do – even if it has to be done in your own time and at your own expense, look on it as an investment. If you are serious about getting ahead it will be worth it as you will recoup the expense many times over when you are paid more. I offer seminars and courses based on my unique 3 step MAP system – go to www.successandimagecoach.co.uk for details or email me at sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk to ask about seminars and courses coming up in the next few months.

GET NOTICED as an exemplary employee. If your colleagues are unhappy about your behaviour – well done, you must be doing something right. It shows you are worrying them because you are making them aware of what they should be doing and aren’t. Redouble your efforts and keep striving for your goal. Remember that successful people do what others won’t.

 

The underlying truth of the matter is this – if you are willing to do more than you are currently paid to do, you will eventually be paid to do more than you currently do.

It really does work – I have proved it and so have many of my clients over the years. So get out there and do your thing with style. And please let me know how you get on.

Copyright ©2013, Sue Courtney – Success and Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

Female Quotas - The Way To Go or To Be Avoided At All Costs? by Sue Courtney

I have been watching with interest the debate on whether setting quotas for the number of women sitting on company boards is the way forward or pure folly. There are compelling cases for each viewpoint – so what do you think?

From my research it seems that the main issue preventing many women from reaching the top – and by that I mean executive committees as well as corporate boards – is motherhood. I must admit that I was astounded when I realised it was such a basic issue, which could be so easily addressed, if there was a will to do so.

It seems that the proposed EU quota would only address the issue of women on the board. Now, beneficial as it would be to have more women on the board of directors of the big corporate companies, I think their worth would depend on their direction of appointment.

To ‘parachute’ women in to the board seems a pointless act – a mere gesture to demonstrate (unconvincingly) that the company is addressing the issue and treating women equally. Far more effective is to promote up to the board from within the company on merit and ability. Currently women are falling out of the promotion pipeline at an alarming rate because they are electing to have children.

In financial terms alone, it is an unsustainable policy and very short sighted. Mixed gender teams and committees have been proven to be more creative and give the company a competitive edge. To lose half of the talent that a company had developed in this way is pure madness. It makes no financial sense whatsoever.

The government has made a small step in the right direction by introducing new maternity/paternity leave guidelines recently. This may result in childcare being shared more evenly between parents and could eventually eradicate the issue. However, I’m not holding my breath while I wait for this to happen.

Ultimately it is the responsibility of companies to decide for themselves how important their employees are and – with convincing evidence demonstrating the having a 50/50 gender balance at every level of a company makes sound economic sense – taking robust action to ensure that every member of staff is supported to achieve their full potential. If this means introducing flexible working for those who want it, workplace childcare or other measures then there is nothing to stop them forging ahead – both in terms of staff management and profitability.

The sad fact is that many, many women find themselves electing to work for far less than they are capable of in order to create a work/life balance once they have children. It is a waste of talent that companies and the country cannot continue to support. I absolutely realise that not every woman wants promotion. But those that do want to reach the top and have the talent to support that ambition should be encouraged to do so in the same way that their male colleagues are.

What do you think?

How is it in where you work?

What challenges or obstacles have you found in reaching for promotion?

I would love to hear from you. Please send me your stories of success and challenge, good and bad companies, achievement and disappointment. I would love to be able to share stories of supportive companies and success. It is always inspiring to know that there are beacons of good practice out there, so please let me know.

 

Copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

How To Get To The Top Part 2 by Sue Courtney

Since it has been demonstrated that mixed gender departments produce more profits for companies, exactly what is stopping women getting to the top? And what can be done about it?

 

Succession planning in some companies is woefully inadequate. Grooming the most appropriate candidate for an up-coming position would, automatically include a number of women, so this is a place to start. It will work as long as women are encouraged and supported. So often they are not.

 

Too often the feedback I receive from women is that men often feel threatened by successful or ambitious women and so do what they can to hold them back. Disappointingly, the “old boy’s network” is alive and still thriving at the higher levels of many companies in this country.

 

In Norway businesses have benefitted from the implementation of a quota system. All companies are required to have women holding at least 40% of all boardroom positions. Richard Branson reports that the figure is now “an encouraging 44%”. However, this doesn’t translate into CEO status, where the figure is around 2%. This system brings a balance of experience and viewpoints and since the population is made up of both men and women it makes sense to have both equally represented at decision-making level in companies. This may soon become the law in the UK, as the EU is considering implementing it as law for the whole of Europe. Watch this space to see how it works.

 

Richard Branson also points out, in his article “Why We Need More Women in the Boardroom”, that since 70% of household purchasing decisions are made by women – from the brand of shampoo to the house, car and holiday– and since, often, 50% of the employees in a company are women, surely it makes sense to have them equally represented at the decision-making end of the company.

 

He goes on to suggest that companies might begin by considering the opportunities available for women to advance their career in the company – beginning with asking the female employees themselves for their experiences and advice. Such wise words.

 

However, this won’t address the most pressing reasons for the lack of female applicants for top jobs, which are

·         Lack of affordable childcare – the biggest issue for mothers wishing to return to work after birth.

·         Lack of shared parental leave after childbirth

·         Lack of long parental leave entitlement by fathers – mothers have long leave options, fathers are usually lucky if they have a couple of weeks.

·         The impact maternity leave can have on small companies.

·         The reluctance of some companies to promote women because they are unwilling to address the changes that this would require.

 

Not all companies can offer subsidised childcare for their staff, I accept that. But something has to be done to stem the loss of top talent in business.

 

Flexible working is an option. In the examples I have seen it rather looks and feels like being a small business owner, working from home. It allows employees to work out their own schedules and fit work round school runs and other meetings. This works as well for fathers as mothers and is something I read about many years ago, when it was seen as the future of business in the UK. Hmm. That prediction didn’t quite work out, did it?

 

There are many who are against quotas, preferring targets instead. There is currently a target to have 25% women board members by 2015, and certainly there is evidence that this would have a beneficial effect on society and business in the future.

 

 

So what are the answers?

As many and varied as there are companies I suspect.

 

 

I firmly believe that it has to be possible to “have it all”. That, if they so wish, women should be able to pursue a career, reach the top and also bring up a family – but it needs enormous determination on the part of both women and companies to achieve this.

 

However, I stress, “If they so wish”. Not every woman has to want to reach the top – any more than every man has to. It is time we got honest about what we really want, worked out what it will cost not just in financial terms, but also in terms of lifestyle, happiness and peace of mind. It should be as acceptable in the UK as it is in Norway, for men to stay at home and bring up the children – if that is their choice.

 

It also helps to have supportive family and to have the luxury of deciding when the right moment for career advancement is. It may be from the moment of birth or it may be once the children are older. Equally it may be to not have children at all. Again, no right answer – just a personal choice.

 

So, from my research, the main factors affecting the number of women reaching the top of their career ladder are

·         The attitude of the largely male-dominated upper echelons of major companies

·         The lack of affordable childcare

·         A lack of confidence in their ability to fulfil a role – especially if the job specification is worded in ‘male’ language

·         Women’s own doubt about the effort to reward ratio being worth the potential sacrifices.

 

My solutions?

·         Re-write job advertisements and job specifications to use more female friendly language. It would be great if companies would use more neutral language, but failing that, do it yourself and see the difference in your confidence.

·         Do the maths. Actually work out the financial benefits to pursuing your career against the cost of childcare. Then factor in your happiness, which is priceless. Do what feels right for you – otherwise you will be resentful, whichever choice you make.

·         Childcare not an issue? Great. Develop a plan – a detailed plan of all you will need to do, get a coach or mentor and get to work on achieving your goal. Be relentless in your pursuit of success – and be open to changing companies, sectors or career if that is what it takes.

 

I am able to provide a tailor made solution in the form of my unique 3 step MAP system for career success. This is available as

·         Option 1 - a series of 12 webinars with manual, over 6 months for those wanting an affordable option.

( sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk )

·         Option 2 - A luxury, intensive weekend event, where clients use the whole of my MAP system to begin to develop their individual strategy for success. This works well for those who are impatient and want to get their career moving quickly. ( sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk )

·         Option 3 - my bespoke promotion programme, providing individual support whilst using my MAP system. This is for those who want an individual programme and one to one support throughout the process. ( sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk )

 

 

I am very happy to offer a complimentary strategy call to discuss options and whether any of the above would be suitable for your needs.

 

Whatever you decide to do – make it your conscious, positive decision, develop a plan and do something towards achieving your goal every day.

 

I would love to hear about your experiences of this issue – both positive and negative, so please email me with your thoughts at

sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

 

 

copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.