If you’ve been working awhile, it can be deeply unsettling to recognize that you’ve come to a point where you don’t know what your steps forward might be. If that’s where you find yourself, I invite you to take a deep breath and let go of any thoughts of self-judgment you may have been carrying.
Author Archives: Amy Kay Watson
15
Jul
Jul
Listen as a podcast Melissa is a hard-working leader in her organization who found herself entangled in a vicious cycle of self-criticism. She received feedback about the need to hone her listening skills and adapt her approach to be more audience-focused. Despite her efforts, she grappled with quietening her mind during conversations and presentations. Her
02
Jul
Jul
Listen as a podcast As managers, it is important to be aware of the potential impact of tragic events on our employees, especially in the aftermath of recent shootings, natural disasters, or other tragic events. These events can flood our news feeds and can have a significant effect on the mental and emotional well-being of
04
Jun
Jun
Just two years into my first dream job, I got fired. Like many new managers, I had been promoted because I was ambitious and good at the front-line work. But as soon as I was promoted I started using my authority to boss people around. I assumed I was right and they were wrong, and
31
May
May
In the current landscape of leadership, there is a pervasive myth that effective recognition requires high-voltage energy. We look at pop-culture archetypes like Ted Lasso, managers who lead with infectious, vocal enthusiasm, and assume that is the gold standard. I recently worked with an IT Manager at a non-profit who fell into this trap. He
15
May
May
My client, a construction manager, was working on three buildings simultaneously. He was juggling three different architects and three separate contractor teams. If that wasn’t enough, he and his wife were renovating a rowhouse in anticipation of their first child. He said he wanted to talk about time management and prioritization. Soon, he opened up
12
Mar
Mar
I sat across from my colleague Brenda with a growing sense of discomfort. I had accepted an assignment from the boss, but I heard from my colleague an undercurrent of doubt—or so it seemed. It was so subtle that I couldn’t quite tell what was going on. Did Brenda not believe I could do it?
13
Feb
Feb
Listen as a podcast When something goes wrong, it’s easy to look for someone to blame. Accountability doesn’t always have to be reactive (see here for my thoughts on proactively managing accountability). But simply pointing fingers doesn’t solve the problem. The FORD Method helps us dig deeper to find out why things went wrong, and
13
Feb
Feb
In high-pressure environments, we often view resilience as the ability to endure pain. We treat our energy like a credit card with no limit, spending wildly on crises and ignoring the mounting interest rates. But biologically, resilience is not about endurance; it is about recovery. As a coach for senior leaders, I see brilliant professionals
10
Feb
Feb
If you are in coaching, you should definitely have a notebook handy whenever you attend a session, whether you’re using a paper notebook or something on your computer (if it’s an online session). When you’re done with the session, then, it can be helpful to take notes on a variety of categories, including: These notes
