Carol Dougherty Coaching

Make time on Sunday to set your week up for success.

💥 Relax
💥 Coordinate the schedule for the week, particularly if you have kids
💥 Take a few minutes to identify your most important tasks / goals - both for home and work
💥 Plan your clothes and meals as much as possible to simplify daily routines
💥 Have some fun!!!

Have a great day and get ready for a fantastic week!

We are starting a long weekend here in the US.

Make the time to enjoy your time off....

🌻 Spend time with family & friends
🌻 Get outside to connect with nature
🌻 Rest, relax, and renew your energy

Have a great weekend!

Sometimes my clients know, without a doubt, that they are ready for a change and yet they don't have a clear picture of what they want to move towards.

This is what happened with Charity. She knew she was ready for a change and had several different positions that she was exploring. As we defined what she wanted and developed questions for her to ask, she was better able to "interview" the prospective companies to find the role that fit her vision.

This is one of my favorite stories about how my clients are able to find the right role for them by working with me.

If you'd like to learn more about how I help women take charge of their career DM me and I'll share a free resource to get you started.

I can say from personal experience that staying where you don't belong is more painful than any change you may make.

My first job was a weird mix for me.

I had a great boss and my team was amazing. They supported me as I learned how to get things done as a young engineer, fresh out of college.

Then there was the people who I supported. Too many were bullies, disrespectful, and seemed to enjoy making my life miserable, even when I was going out of my way to help them.

My health suffered. I developed chronic fatigue in addition to digestive issues that flared whenever I was stressed, which was most days. I cried many days driving home. I didn't want to do anything and my relationships suffered from my stress.

After about 2.5 years I had a chance to make a change, that was going to pay less and was outside of engineering so I quit. Taking a pay cut, having a longer commute and doing a job that was so far out of my comfort zone was painful, and yet being in a better environment made my life overall better.

Over the next 6 months I was able to regain my confidence and jumped back into engineering.

Was all of this hard and painful. ABSOLUTELY! And I would make those moves again if I had to do it all over again. Staying at the first job would have been much worse than the difficulties associated with the changes.

If you are feeling stuck in a role that isn't working for you, contact me for a FREE strategy session to help you figure out what is the right move for YOU!

✨ Ready to Take Charge of Your Career? ✨

Are you a driven professional woman who's tired of letting others decide your career path? Maybe you've been passed over for promotions, or you've recently been laid off, and you're determined to make the next move YOUR best move.

I’m looking for 3 motivated women who are ready to take the reins and create a career that truly works for them. Together, we'll:
1. Create a clear vision for your career.
2. Own your strengths and leverage them to your advantage.
3. Tackle the roadblocks that have been holding you back.
4. Develop an actionable plan to take the best next step forward.

Let’s work together to ensure your next chapter is one where YOU are in control! 🚀

🎯 Ready to get started? Contact me today to schedule your FREE strategy session and begin your journey to a fulfilling career.

🌟 Don't wait—your career is too important to leave to chance! 🌟

This is a truth that isn't talked about enough.

Working hard, getting results, going the extra mile, will get you more work, not promotions.

This is particularly true for women.

The reason this is simple..... If you focus only on the work, you don't get recognized, so there are no promotions.

Here's how to get the recognition you deserve:
💥 Share your career goals - ask for feedback on achieving them
💥 Stop minimizing your efforts - ditch the phrase "It was nothing"
💥 Talk about what you've done - in a matter of fact way
💥 Learn to say no to things that won't help you
💥 Keep record of compliments and achievements - share them during reviews

The reality is people don't remember what happened in the past which means we have to get good at sharing what we have done and what we want in a matter of fact way.

You don't have to brag or put others down or diminish other people's achievements. It's all about owning what YOU have done and helping others see how your skills can be applied to new and different roles.

If you don't believe in yourself, who will?

Start advocating for your career.

DM me for more tips on how to advance your career, on your terms.

Success is a journey not a destination.

Think about a small child, first they learn to crawl, then to walk with help, then walk on their own, then learn to run and climb. The success was that they become mobile, and their success was a series of achievements, it didn't end when they started crawling.

Similarly your career is a journey, not a destination.

You may have a career goal of reaching the C-suite in a specific industry. That's fantastic!! Go for it!

Now let's talk about that journey:
💡 What stops (roles) are your going to make along the way?
💡 What is your timeline?
💡 What happens when you reach that dream job? What's next for you?
💡 What happens if new technology captures your interest and pulls you in a new direction?
💡 What if your family or health requires you to take a break or shift directions?
💡 What if your ideal industry has changed radically and it no feels right to you?

It's fantastic to have a goal for your career, and yet it's equally important to take advantage of the experiences you gain along the way.

So many women that I talk to are following a career path they didn't even know was possible when they first started out. Their experiences opened them up to new ideas, new areas, and new opportunities that they chose to explore.

As your career progresses look for the experiences that excite you and create new paths to success.

If you'd like to explore how to build a career path that works for you, your life and your interests, DM me for tips on how to create that path to success.

Being laid off is the worst feeling. Your confidence take a major hit, even when you KNOW it was a business decision.

You start asking yourself:
❓ Why me?
❓ What could I have done differently to not be let go?
❓ Will anyone want to hire me?
❓ Why would anyone believe I'm capable since I was laid off?

These are normal feelings, I was there myself in 2019.

Tejal is one of the clients I've had who was laid off for no reason other than a business decision related to an acquisition.

She felt like 22 years of successes were thrown away and didn't know how to move forward. We worked together on rebuilding her confidence and creating a plan to find the right role for her. Now she is in a new role, growing, achieving new things, and appreciated for what she brings to the table.

I love hearing my clients' success stories!

If you'd like to know more about how a career coach can help you make the right move in your career, comment "CAREER" and I'll reach out to discuss a strategy unique to your situation.

Your career is unique to you....

Since you are unique, your career will not be exactly like anyone else's, which is perfect!

Why you want your career to be unique:
💥 Where do your interests and skills best fit?
💥 Your family needs are unique, so what works for you?
💥 How do the work demands impact your whole life, hobbies, friends, family?
💥 What do you have to give at this time?

Our lives outside of work are complex, family demands (kids, elders, spouses, siblings), hobbies, friends, faith, and health. It's important to have your career work WITH your life, not overwhelm it.

The reality is that where you are right now needs to work for you, all of you and your life.

Comparing where you are to others, is an exercise in frustration. You will be ahead of some and behind others, including some you don't think are as good as you, so it's easy to think you are failing some how.

Instead, look at where you are, how it fits your life, where you want to go and how far you've come.

You may not be where you imagined you would be at this point, so take time to evaluate whether or not where you are is working for you right now. That's what matters.

If you'd like help evaluating your career path, where you are and where you can go next, DM me and we'll schedule a FREE strategy call to make sure your career is working for you.

Do you ever feel like you don't know who you are or where you are supposed to go in your career?

I know I have at times. Other women I've talked to have said the same thing.

As I explored why this was the case some interesting things came to light:
💡 A lack of self-confidence, often due to negative feedback
💡 Persistent self-doubt causes women to look for outside validation and direction
💡 Falling into the trap of allowing a boss / company to create career path
💡 Trusting that leadership is concerned about your career

When self-doubt takes over it erodes confidence and we start to believe the negative comments that surface. If we don't believe in ourselves it's easy to let other's tell us where we should go next. We start to coast along to wherever we are sent.

This is giving up control over our careers. The person who cares the most about our success, is ourselves.

If you are coasting and something feels off, it's time to take charge of your own career.

It's not always easy, and yet it is the most rewarding move you can make.

To get started:
1. Take time to create a vision for where you want to be in 2 - 5 years. What will you be doing? Where will you be working? How do you feel about your job?
2. Write down the vision and why this matters so much to you. The "why" is the key to your motivation.
3. Make notes on what your strengths are that will get you there and on what may be getting in your way.
4. Create a plan to get there. Who can help? What do you need to learn? What's your first step?

Knowing yourself and your career goals will help you find the right path for you. It will lead you to a career that works for you and your life, one where you can thrive.

DM me for a free tool to help you get started on building your unique career path.

While talking to a client recently, it was clear that she was excited about a new opportunity and stressed about talking to her boss about pursuing it.

She kept bouncing back and forth on whether to chase the new role or stay where she was because the team's workload will get heavier if she leaves.

She didn't want to let her team and her boss down and yet, the new role was one of her career goals. Self-doubt kept creeping in and making her wonder why she thought she could make the change successfully.

We talked through her thoughts, feelings, doubts and goals. As she gained clarity on what she wants, it was easier to focus on how this is a move forward for her.

Shifting her focus to moving forward instead of what could go wrong or who could be disappointed in her move has helped her believe in herself and how this move can work for her.

Focus shows up in the quiet voice you hear in the back of your mind.
Are you questioning everything?
Are you looking at all the possibilities?
Do you dwell on all your shortcomings and mistakes?
Do you appreciate what's helped get you to this point?

When you increase your focus on your goals and skills you start believing in yourself, your confidence grows, and great things follow.

If you'd like to learn more about how to shift your focus to build success, DM "Focus" and I'll send you information to get you started.

My second boss after college told me I was "brutally blunt". 😂

He wasn't wrong, and yet this feedback wasn't helpful, at that time.....

It took me years to understand what he was telling me. I finally learned that being direct doesn't have to be brutal and I could deliver the same message in different ways.

As I grew and learned more about communicating effectively it became clear that being assertive was the best approach and using these four steps increases the likelihood of success.

1. Start with Intent: Define your goals before engaging.

2. Active Listening: Focus on the speaker without thinking about your response.

3. Choose Words Carefully: Find words that will convey your message appropriately.

4. Follow Up: Check in to make sure your message was received as intended.

When we are facing difficult or emotional situations or conversations do a bit of planning to make sure that your communication is successful.

Getting better at communicating builds your confidence and the respect other's have of you, particularly if you are a woman working in male dominated roles.

If you'd like to learn more about how to communicate successfully, DM me and I'll send you tips to communicate assertively.