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!
Savor Your Success
We live in a world where achieving success is a moving target. Whether your organization is focused on sales goals, fundraising targets, billable hours, placements, or some other measurement to quantify success – it’s rare to celebrate hitting the goal before the bar is quickly raised to a new and higher level. I get the […]
Meaningful Recognition Ideas for Colleagues
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this an opportune time to consider how you can recognize people in your workplace for their service to your organization. The research indicates that when people feel valued and appreciated on the job it enhances their satisfaction, productivity, and organizational morale. According to Annamarie Mann and Nate Dvorak from Gallup […]
Savor Your Success
We live in a world where achieving success is a moving target. Whether your organization is focused on sales goals, fundraising targets, billable hours, placements, or some other measurement to quantify success – it’s rare to celebrate hitting the goal before the bar is quickly raised to a new and higher level. I get the […]
Future-Focused Leadership
Leadership has evolved over the decades and savvy, future-focused leaders empower others to do great work. The shift from command-and-control management, to leading with empathy, humility, and vulnerability is essential to attract and retain top talent. If this leadership style is new to you – it can be learned. Let’s take a closer look at […]
2023: Let’s Do This!
As we begin a new year, the time is ripe to start fresh and consider what you need and want to be happy, healthy, and gratified in your life and career. The pressure to pick a new year’s resolution can be stressful. Instead of a singular resolution that is likely to wane in a few […]
Career Pearls of Wisdom from 2022
As the countdown to the new year approaches, I have been reflecting on the many things I learned in 2022 on my career journey. I have been stretched and challenged to consider new ideas. My goal is to honor the values that support my life and career to provide me with meaning, purpose, and gratification. […]
What Might Happen if We Banished Our Obsession with “Busy”?
This is a guest blog post from my dear friend, Kris Taylor. She is the founder of Evergreen Leadership, an extraordinary coach, trainer, and speaker. Kris has taught me so much and graciously agreed to share her recent blog post about busyness. I’m confident you will learn from her as well. Enjoy! I admit it. […]
Leverage The Final Weeks of This Year
The countdown is on until 2022 is in the rear-view mirror of your career. While many organizations slow down during the final days of December, consider how you can use this time to leverage your influence and set your career stage for the new year. Make Connections Beyond Your Team Capitalize on the holiday party […]
Gratitude with Specificity
With the holiday season in full swing, we are reminded about the beauty of gratitude and how showing appreciation can be a powerful experience for the giver and the receiver. I am making a conscious effort to be more grateful on a regular basis, to acknowledge people authentically, and to show how much I value […]
Turn a Lay-Off into an Opportunity
With a flurry of companies laying off significant portions of their workforce as we finish out the calendar year, the holiday season may be career stressful for many. Whether you are part of the highly publicized Amazon, Twitter, or Meta lay-offs, or you are from a smaller company trying to make financial ends meet – […]
Mental Health Must Be a Top Priority in the Workplace
The U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. released a report providing a framework for Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing. Dedicated to all the workers who lost their lives during the pandemic and their families, the report is a call to action to lift the voices of all workers, particularly those most vulnerable, and […]
Older, Wiser, and Career Dynamic
I have executive coaching clients in their fifth and sixth decade of life who are navigating a career change due to lay-offs, or company mergers beyond their control. Others are career transitioning by choice. My clients expressed worry about ageism as they consider what’s next on their professional journey and seek employment that honors their […]
Hire the Least Likely Candidates and Win with The Underdogs
I am so fortunate to meet and work with incredible thought leaders who are changing the world and Gil Winch, a guest on my Your Working Life podcast is no exception. When Gil learned that he had terminal cancer and a shortened expected lifespan, he decided to take on the challenge of changing the world regarding […]
What Are You Waiting For?
This was a big week for me. I left a senior leadership role in a large organization to pursue my executive coaching, speaking, and consulting practice full-time. My side-hustle entrepreneurial days are over – bring on the full-hustle! This was not an overnight decision. I have been pursuing my business on evenings, weekends, and precious […]
