Learning to negotiate. Insightful tips that will help you make a difference in your career.

Last week I led a discussion about negotiation with a group of 40 female employees at the City of Fort Collins. The topic was how to negotiate more effectively. It was an intriguing, inspiring conversation. We started with a quick survey of how many in the room knew what they specifically wanted to negotiate for–different responsibilities, higher pay, a step up–and fewer than ten felt they had a clear idea. This, it turns out, is pretty typical. On average, about 70 percent of professionals have a difficult time articulating what they want to do next in their careers. Often...

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Driving around town after our recent spring snowstorm, I noticed that areas west of College Avenue seemed much harder hit than those east of it—more fallen branches and remaining drifts. I mentioned it to my husband. “That’s the difference one degree can make,” he explained. Closer to the foothills the slightly-colder weather caused more snow to freeze on branches, resulting in more weight and breakage. Just a single degree created that much difference. It got me thinking, how many one-degree shifts were driving positive…and negative…shifts in my own life? “Shift” has been my theme for...

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The Power To Explore Career Growth

Recently I interviewed two professionals working at Colorado State University about their strategies for maintaining thriving careers. They’ve both worked at the institution for over 10 years, and while they like the stability an organization like CSU can offer, they’re also driven to keep their work interesting and expanding. This ties to the concept of wanting a level of certainty in our lives, such as having a predictable source of income and knowing our jobs well enough to do them successfully, while also desiring an element of uncertainty around, “What can I do next?” Achieving a...

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Using creative sources for research and support.

Coming off of a whirlwind travel weekend, Monday then hit me with the challenge of coming up with a theme for this week’s column. The few ideas I had in reserve didn’t inspire me. So I did what I often do lately when looking for help: I asked my friends on Facebook. My post, calling for any interesting career-growth related topic, yielded 27 submissions in four hours. Suggestions ranged from when to give up on a passion career and just take a job, to when to give up on a job to shift to a passion career. What to do to get noted for a promotion, to what not to do at the company holiday party...

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EAP services for a better you!

November was Mental Health Awareness month, but I was a little too overwhelmed to be on top of that, so this column is a few days into December. My recent discombobulation is as a result of some changes in my business. Then, when I noticed my stress spilling over into my personal life, I contacted my Employee Assistance Program and lined up some sessions with a counselor. For more than two decades, I’ve been quick to run to a therapist when my mental balances get out of whack. Seems as though I’m not alone in this behavior. According to a West Virginia University report, approximately 20% of...

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