This Is Not The Career I Ordered™ Blog
Savvy Professional Career Wisdom by Caroline Dowd-Higgins
This is Not the Career I Ordered is read by thousands of careerists around the globe. With savvy tools, inspiration, and resources, this timeless book empowers you to enjoy your career, and love your life!
Hone Your Leadership Curation Skills
Curation is a term often linked to social media content. The concept has gained popularity for leaders who bring together people, ideas, expertise and resources to reach outcomes by collaborating. We can all benefit from a curator’s mindset, since no single leader can master every domain. I read a great piece in Fast Company that […]
Imposter Syndrome Isn’t a Disease
I get it, we all have moments of self-doubt that are daunting. It’s a normal response when we set very high standards. Imposter Syndrome isn’t a condition or an affliction. It’s simply a thought, a feeling of uncertainty that will pass. Consider it an Imposter Experience. Doubting yourself doesn’t mean you will fail – it […]
A More Inclusive Kind of Brainstorming
As an extravert and someone who loves to ideate, I’m in my happy place with an opportunity to brainstorm. As a former executive leader in organizations, and now as a speaker, executive coach and talent development consultant I am fully aware that brainstorming is not ideal for everyone. When teams or groups meet to brainstorm, […]
Sorry? Not Sorry!
We all know people who over-apologize. Research tells us that women tend to over-apologize more than men. As comedian Amy Poehler puts it, “It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for.” Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. wrote about why people over-apologize in a Psychology Today article. “It may […]
Savvy Leaders Celebrate Curiosity
Curiosity encourages questioning the status quo and seeking alternative approaches. By fostering a curious mindset, leaders inspire their teams to think critically, challenge assumptions, and uncover innovative solutions. Curiosity is a driving force that fuels exploration, innovation, and personal growth. Creativity wanes when we fail to celebrate curiosity. We reward people for getting the right […]
Don’t Get Stuck in the “It will Get Better When” Mindset
Life is precious and we often delay our sense of gratification, celebration, or contentment because we are focusing on what might happen someday. If you find yourself in the someday trap: It will get better when…I land the new role. It will get better when…my toxic boss moves on. It will get better when…the kids […]
Break Away from Meeting Palooza
Nobody enjoys endless meetings that suck the oxygen out of day and eliminate white space on the calendar to reflect, think creatively, and do the work. Savvy companies like Google have “no meeting weeks” and Slack’s “Maker Weeks” where people can turn notifications off and relish in meeting-free time to do focused work. You can […]
How The Future Works
This month marks the 5-year anniversary of the pandemic shelter-in-place order, which turned the traditional workday on its head out of necessity. The multi-year global case study in remote/hybrid work has irrevocably changed how many people want to work moving forward. With the Worker’s Market driving change, savvy organizations are rethinking the way we work […]
Don’t be a Career Loser – Take All Your Paid Time Off
As a recovering workaholic, I strive regularly to integrate life and career to honor my personal relationships and my professional ambition. My life often resembles a roller coaster with ups and downs of activity and never a consistent steady balance – and that’s OK. This reality check has allowed me to navigate the ultra-busy career […]
Leverage Executive Presence to Project How You Want Others to Perceive You
Executive presence used to harken images of expensively attired corporate employees who walked the walk and talked the talk to inspire confidence and yield influence for success in lavish offices and board rooms. The world has de-stigmatized remote work and the hybrid work model will be the new norm for much of the global workforce. […]
The VUCA World of Work is Back with a Vengeance
If you haven’t heard the trending business buzzword: VUCA, it stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. The term originated at the US Army War College in 1980 to describe the global landscape after the Cold War and quickly found traction in the business world. The complexities of an interconnected global marketplace are VUCA and […]
Start by Loving Yourself This Valentine’s Day
It’s the time of year for cards with red hearts, chocolates, and flowers as Valentine’s Day is celebrated in February. It causes anxiety for some who are seeking affection, and bliss for others who are celebrating their love with someone special. This Valentine’s Day I encourage you to see it through a different lens. Celebrate […]
Maybe It’s Time to Step Up Your Game
I’m delighted to share this guest post written by Alicia Webb. Could your style be impacting your career trajectory? As companies continue to implement return to office policies, employee dress codes seem to be an afterthought—leading to a very casually dressed workforce. Maybe, it is time to consider stepping up your professional attire. According to […]
Don’t Wait to Be 100% Ready – Just Do it!
As a speaker, consultant and executive coach, I work with many individuals who are focused on making changes to their lives and careers to better align their values and strengths. But for some, their best plans often get stalled in analysis paralysis, which results in stagnation and a hard stop to forward momentum. Perfection is […]
