Category: Career

Articulating Your Vision for Corporate Board Service: Corporate Board Series, Part 1

Corporate Board Series, Part 1 - Vision - AnneMarieSegal.com.jpg

Is corporate board service a top goal for you today?

What about in two years from now?

As the average search for a corporate board role takes one to two years – barring the occasional “right place at right time” serendipitous match – if corporate board service is in your sights within the next 18 to 24 months, you may want to start taking overt steps to prepare yourself now. In addition, learning to “think like a board member” can help you take a top-down view of your current employer and the greater playing field.

To be clear, corporate board membership is not the goal of every senior or mid-level executive, even if there were enough boards to accommodate everyone looking for a role. (Clearly there are not!) Nonetheless, the competition is quite high, so if board membership is one of your priorities, there are many aspects of your candidacy you will want to shore up as you pave a path to the boardroom.

Is board membership right for you? Is it worth the effort?

And what can you offer in return?

You will need understand your goals and direction for board service and get a handle on what board service actually entails. 

As you create your vision for corporate board service, here’s where you can start:

Understand your motivation.

Why do you want to serve on a corporate board?

You may have a range of goals, such as:

  1. Making a difference
  2. Engaging in intellectual rigor
  3. Being part of a high-impact team
  4. Increasing your earnings
  5. Diversifying your income
  6. Expanding your expertise
  7. Leveling-up your network
  8. Learning more about an adjacent industry
  9. Growing your leadership capacity
  10. Moving up within your current firm

Being part of a board is a singular experience that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere. If you understand your goals and priorities, it will help you craft your vision for the types of boards you should target. At the same time, consider whether a board role is the best means to achieve your objectives and be aware you will need to craft a pitch about your board interest (that does not sound self-serving) as and when you are actually vetted for the role.

Identify the types of companies that could be a fit.

To state the obvious, taking on a board role in a direct competitor to your current employer is generally not a good idea. Yet beyond that, do you know what you are looking for in a target company? If you want some prompts, try browsing a list of open director positions, such as this one.

Think about “fit” as you contemplate which board roles you want to pursue. Fit implies a match on both ends and is based both on what you want and which boards will be best for (and want) you.

What is the profile of an ideal company for you?

What size, markets, domestic or global reach, mission, prevailing view and corporate direction would fit your interests and expertise?

With which companies do feel an aligned sense of mission and shared values?

Think about all the ways you can define for yourself what fit might mean, including the stage of the company, size and composition of the board, geographic location and other factors.

Is a tech-driven company the right fit?

Do you have experience in a heavily regulated industry and an interest in translating that experience a board?

Is there an adjacent industry to yours that would be a natural fit?

Finally (and for some of you this may be obvious), boards can differ greatly based on the stage and size of the company,  current board composition (including whether private equity or other investors hold roles on or control the board) and many other factors. 

Consider where you may have an “in” or find support.

As you think further about your vision and target company parameters, also consider (1) where you may have or could make connections or an edge and (2) those roles your current employer would most likely support (because what you gain from the experience will be helpful to your current company, among other reasons).

On a similar note, if you are thinking seriously about landing your first board role, you should start talking to your current company’s board, CEO and/or direct manager as applicable to secure their blessing (avoiding potential conflicts or misunderstandings later) and garner support. They may even be asked to serve on a board that is not a match and put up your name instead, but they can only do that if they know you are looking.

On the other hand, if you happen to work for an organization that does not support outside board membership, consider whether a job change may be in order depending on your priorities and other factors that could play into a decision.

Explore what value you can offer to boards.

It is never too early to start thinking about the value you offer to a corporate board. Not only will knowing your value boost your board candidacy, but it will also build your confidence (as you come to own that value) and help you discern the best board(s) for you to join.

Vision and Leadership Skills

Think about the vision, leadership and other soft skills you can offer a board. 

  • Boards value members who can both work collaboratively as a team and challenge the status quo when needed.
  • Directors should exhibit high integrity, exude executive presence and hold sufficient caché, as they are the face of the organization to its customers, vendors, suppliers, competitors, regulators and the public.
  • Boards also want members who can build key relationships and are excellent communicators.

Substantive Expertise

They are also searching for candidates with substantive expertise in their industry and areas of business (technology, manufacturing, healthcare, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, supply chain management, etc.) as well as most or all of the following, in varying orders:

  • leadership
  • global business
  • financial strategy
  • P&L
  • investor engagement
  • organizational planning
  • diversification
  • CEO succession planning
  • talent acquisition/HR
  • entrepreneurship
  • M&A and/or IPOs
  • regulatory compliance
  • product launch
  • marketing
  • operations
  • intellectual property
  • enterprise risk management
  • litigation and disputes
  • change management
  • crisis management
  • corporate reorganization
  • investment oversight
  • corporate governance and/or ESG
  • QFE and/or audit committee
  • sustainability
  • data privacy
  • cybersecurity
  • insurance and regulatory matters
  • executive compensation
  • government affairs
  • health and safety

Interests (such as a love of news, fashion, the environment, sports or technology), specialized training and language skills can also give you an edge with (1) companies that are seeking that skill, passion or input and (2) board members who share similar interests and skills.

Diversity

Diversity is also playing a greater role in board recruitment among some companies, from diversity of gender, race and ethnicity to diversity of thought and approach (based on life experience, education, interests, background, age and other factors). Yet not all companies are considering board composition as a criteria for new board member recruitment, and not all categories of diverse candidates are making significant strides.

If you are a diverse candidate, you can raise your candidacy by being able to clearly articulate how your perspective adds value to the team. For example, it may help the company understand and connect with its target audience’ needs, values and demographics or provide a different perspective to problem-solving. All things being equal, you may also wish to target those companies that value your diversity rather than making the hard sell to those that don’t, at least for your first board role.

Build board-ready attributes.

A track record of taking risks, initiating solutions, raising new ideas and taking the lead on multiple projects are key attributes that will accelerate your path to board of directors positions.

While CEOs and CFOs of established corporations are clearly in demand, they are not the only sought-after candidates.

  • Having experience on or frequent involvement with a corporate board, board committee (e.g., enterprise risk, acquisitions, nominating, compliance or audit) or executive committee will provide you exposure that increases your board readiness.
  • Starting your own business (or nonprofit) and chairing or serving on its board is another path to serving on a corporate board.
  • Non-profit boards and advisory board roles can also provide great experience and help you understand how boards and organizations function well (and when they don’t).

If you take a volunteer board position for a non-profit organization and wish to build on that experience to land a corporate board role, make sure that you are (1) aligned with the mission of the non-profit and not merely using it as a springboard, (2) gaining experience that rounds you out as a candidate (e.g., working with financial statements, if that’s a gap in your current expertise) and (3) joining a governing board, not a working board with cross-over executive responsibilities, so you can greater appreciate the distinction between board oversight and senior management’s hands-on involvement with an organization.

Further, you can increase board-readiness by keeping apprised of the issues currently facing boards.

Know what you are signing up for.

The major responsibilities of a corporate board of directors span the following:

  1. CEO: Select, evaluate, oversee, retain (or not) and approve appropriate compensation for the company’s chief executive officer.
  2. Strategic Direction: In many cases in collaboration with the CEO, (1) provide the mission, goals and strategy for the organization, (2) determine whether to approve major corporate decisions, such as mergers and acquisitions, (3) address enterprise-level major issues that arise.
  3. Governance: Determine enterprise resource allocation, risk tolerances and rules that govern the organization, in accordance with law and best practices.
  4. Financial Management: Oversee and collaborate with the auditors and approve the company’s financials.

In all cases, the board also is accountable to protect shareholder value, which comes with a formal set of fiduciary duties. It also can require a serious time commitment, both in terms of hours and (failing any change in your own or company circumstances) expected years of service.

Boards of directors can also (and in some cases are required to) have committees that consist of a portion of the larger board with special responsibilities, most often the Nominating & Governance Committee, Compensation Committee and Audit Committee and sometimes additional specialized committees (see, e.g., page 10 of the Stanford Business Corporate Governance Research Initiative). For more about the Board’s role in a corporation, take a further look at the Stanford presentation from the previous link or the Principles of Corporate Governance posted by the Business Roundtable on the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance site.

Conclusion

Take a range of approaches to craft your board vision, so that you are prepared for the experience, more likely to be chosen for a board role that is right for you and can get the most out of your board service.

If you have comments on something covered here or that you would like to see in future articles, feel free to send them to me or add them below. Thanks!

Copyright 2020 Anne Marie Segal. All rights reserved.

 

Anne Marie Segal Post Banner

Anne Marie Segal is an executive coach, resume writer and author of two well-received books on interviewing and career development. She served as a corporate attorney for 15 years, including roles at White & Case LLP and a prominent hedge and private equity fund manager, before launching her coaching practice. 

Based in Connecticut not far from New York City, Anne Marie partners with clients internationally on executive presence, impactful communications, graceful transitions and other aspects of professional and personal development. 

To join her mailing list, click here.

 

Yoga Mantra for January 2020: Set an Intention for the New Year

Welcome to a new decade and my first article in a monthly series, Off the Mat: Yoga Mantras for the Modern Career.

Through this new series, I am creating a space in which I can support clients and readers who are interested in and receptive to furthering their yogic wisdom by providing a means to translate yoga principles to their careers.

This month’s mantra is fitting for the New Year and often incorporated into yoga classes during the first few days of the year (and other times): set an intention.

Yoga Mantras for the Modern Career

Welcome to a new decade and my first article in a short series, Off the Mat: Yoga Mantras for the Modern Career.

WHY I AM WRITING THIS SERIES

When I work with clients, I often incorporate wisdom accessed from my yoga training – I became a certified yoga teacher in 2012 – and ongoing practice.

I am not always explicit about yoga as the source of such wisdom, however, because not everyone finds yoga accessible or personally meaningful to their own lives.

Through this new series, I am creating a space in which I can support clients and readers – among those who are interested in and receptive to furthering their yoga wisdom – by providing a means to translate yoga principles to their careers.

Essentially, in this series I bring yoga to the foreground. Yet these aren’t yoga lessons in the traditional sense. I won’t teach half moon pose, alternate nostril breathing or how to flip your dog. In Yoga Mantras for the Modern Career, we are explicitly taking our yoga off the mat.

How can a (new or existing) yoga practice enlighten your career? How can you integrate what you learn on the mat into your personal or professional life?

This series is my gift to you. In the spirit of yoga, take what serves you and leave the rest.

YOGA MANTRAS

There are traditional yoga mantras straight from the Upanishads, such as Lokah samastah sukinoh bhavantu (translation: may all beings everywhere be happy and free), and more contemporary mantras based on yoga principles.

In Yoga Mantras for the Modern Career, I am building on the idea that every action in our lives can be a meditation and every instruction in a yoga class, however small, can become a mantra.

More specifically, since this site is about leadership, professional development and related areas, the mantras in this series will be in support of your life and career. 

THIS MONTH’S YOGA MANTRA:
SETTING AN INTENTION

This month’s mantra is fitting for the New Year and often incorporated into yoga classes during the first few days of the year (and other times): set an intention.

When we set an intention in yoga practice, we do it in present tense, such as:

I live in the present moment.

The goal is not simply to have your intention on the mat (while practicing yoga) but to take it with you as you move off the mat (into the rest of your life). In the context of your personal and professional life, you might set another intention that serves you:

I have a great career.

I speak fluent Spanish.

I live in New York City.

An intention is stated in present tense, even if it is not your current state. By wording it in the present, you can see yourself as if you have already achieved – and thereby activate the power of – your intention.

Once articulated, your vision is transformed into action through:

  1. continuing to bring your awareness back to the intention,
  2. maintaining a commitment to the intention (for yogis, this is the tapas or fiery discipline of the Niyamas),
  3. holding a confident belief you can achieve it, and
  4. taking active steps to realize your intention.

When clients come to me seeking a career change, promotion or new job, for example, we work (explicitly or implicitly) on some or all aspects of the above.

First, I help them clarify, articulate and prioritize their intention.

On a very granular level, what does it mean to you to have a great career? (This is a version of the classic coaching question, “What does success look like for you?”) 

What is working in your professional life, what needs to change and what specifically would that change look like?

What are the obvious and not so obvious things that would need to shift?

What would you be doing on a day-to-day level (which type of projects, what type of team or individual work, what working environment, how much oversight, etc.)?

The more you can clarify your intention, the more effectively you can keep it on the front burner and take concrete steps to realize it. You may also find that a more specific career or other intention will not only enable a richer and more robust visualization but also increase your ability to keep your awareness on the intention rather than giving way to the inevitable distractions that each moment presents.

Second, we work on increasing their confidence. 

You may have confidence across many aspects of your life, but to achieve your intention you need to have the confidence that you can actually bring it to fruition and maintain that confidence through the process of creating the reality your intention represents.

Third, we devise active, effective steps to realize their intention.

This third aspect works in tandem with the second one, as your confidence will increase as you outline and begin to take active steps to put your intention into action. This may include, for example, moving out of your comfort zone, acquiring new skills or meeting people who can help you realize your goal.

Since the steps to creating a great career may be very specific to your individual case, let’s take a look at the implementation plan for a more universal intention, like foreign language acquisition. If your intention is to be fluent in Spanish, you may decide to take some or all of the following steps:

  • launch a weekly “Spanish table”  lunch group or other gatherings among friends or colleagues,
  • find and listen to Spanish-language podcasts or songs during your morning commute, 
  • engage in community service that exposes you to native Spanish speakers,
  • make a list of and watch top or classic movies or TV shows in Spanish (with or without English subtitles), from an Almodovar classic to Roma or even Jane the Virgin (which is partially in Spanish),
  • hire (or barter English lessons with) a Spanish tutor,
  • get and use magnets and/or flashcards with words and pictures in Spanish,
  • keep a diary in Spanish,
  • read books or magazines in Spanish,
  • do yoga in Spanish (hint: you can get your perro hacia abajo (down dog) going with a plethora of YouTube videos for every range of fitness level and special interest), and/or
  • prepare for and take one or more trips to Spain or Latin America during the year.

The overarching theme is to come at the same intention from a variety of perspectives – in this case, to create an immersion in the Spanish language – which is the same advice I would give for your career or any other aspect of your life.

Remember that part of the wisdom of putting your intention in the present tense is to recognize that you may not need to start from scratch or make a 180-degree turn to realize your goal. If your intention is to have a great career, you may start with recognizing what is already “great” about the current state of your professional life. Do you hold a leadership role? Have a great team? Relish the intellectual challenge? Make a lasting contribution to a cause you support?

If your intention is to be fluent in Spanish, build on what you already do and cherish in your life. So if you are an avid cook, you can start to follow recipes from cookbooks written in Spanish or talk yourself through the steps of your cooking in Spanish and explore any words you are missing. For example, in the phrase “ahora, voy a poner el agua a hervir….” if you don’t know the word for boil (hervir) or always forget that water (agua) uses the article “el” rather than “la,” you can remember both in the context of the sentence.

Although I spend a lot of time above giving examples of steps to illustrate the importance of putting your intention into action, the execution process is not more important than the setting of the intention in the first place. (It simply has more steps, as an intention by its nature is short and sweet.)

You can have the best implementation plan in the world, but if you don’t keep your intention alive and continue to bring your awareness back to it, outlining the steps will get you nowhere. We will meet here again month after month, New Year after New Year, and you will ask me why you have not (sufficiently) progressed. I am certain that is not what you seek!

Instead, post your intention at the top of your mat or on your bathroom mirror – literally, with a sticker or sticky note – and return to it every day.

MY OWN INTENTION FOR 2020

My own intention for the New Year is the first one written above:

I live in the present moment.

Carter at the Beach for New Year's

At Compo Beach for New Year's

Yesterday, on January 1, I took my dog (Carter) to Compo Beach for the first time. It was windy and cold but lovely nonetheless. Carter was ecstatic, and I had lot of fun keeping pace as he raced and frolicked across the beach.

Today is a new day and another chance to reset or refine my intention. 

Happy New Year! What’s your intention?


Anne Marie Segal is an executive coach, resume writer and author of two well-received books on interviewing and career development. She served as a corporate attorney for 15 years, including roles at White & Case LLP and a prominent hedge and private equity fund manager, before launching her coaching practice. In addition to her career coach and resume writer certifications, she is a certified yoga teacher. 

Based in Connecticut not far from New York City, Anne Marie partners with clients internationally on executive presence, impactful communications, graceful transitions and other aspects of professional and personal development. 

Second and third images above copyright 2020 Anne Marie Segal. All rights reserved.

2019 Annual Recap @ AnneMarieSegal.com

2019 Annual Recap @ AnneMarieSegal.com.png

April 2020, a few short months away, will mark my fifth anniversary as an executive coach. It is a similar milestone in my writing career, as my writing interests and output shifted dramatically as I moved from being a practicing lawyer to serving as a partner to attorneys and other professionals.

In honor of the New Year and my upcoming anniversary,

I am raising my game (again).

In 2020, I will continue to offer a thoughtful take on the topics that have generated 1,200+ loyal followers on this site and 900+ monthly newsletter recipients. I will also be launching some new series – on the modern career, executive presence, corporate board service, mindset reframing and other topics – which I am excited to share with you in the coming weeks and months!

 

amsegal-0153

 


My first step in envisioning topics for the upcoming series was to review what I have published to date. As I went through the articles on this site and others, I started to compose a list by topic. Here’s a link to some of my in-depth and most popular articles (click here or on image below):

Areas of Interest @ AnneMarieSegal.com

 


It certainly helps you look at your work in a whole new light when you conduct your own mid-career retrospective. Here are some highlights among that words that have accompanied my professional trajectory to date:

GENERAL COUNSEL / ATTORNEYS

Eight Core Qualities of Successful General Counsel and How to Achieve Them

Young Women Lawyers: Get Respect

CAREER CHANGE / NEW MINDSET

Optimizing Your Transition Into a New Role: The 30/60/90 Day Plan

The Ultimate Holiday Dilemma (Or, Practical Strategies for Better Decisionmaking)

Successful Career Transition, Stage 1: Start with a Creative Mindset

RESUMES / LINKEDIN

Three Types of Resumes that People Don’t Want to Read

Avoiding Resume Failure: Four Things Resumes Need to Do

“Good” LinkedIn Profile Pictures: What Do They Actually Look Like?

JOB SEARCH / INTERVIEW PREP

Getting It Together: Organizing Your Job Search Leads

What Your Interviewer Really Wants to Know

Interview Prep: Finding an Authentic Answer to the Weaknesses Question

For more articles, click here!

Looking back over what you have accomplished over a period of years, and what is yet undone, is both rewarding and humbling. It also helps you chart your course, as you see what you can build upon and what was simply an interesting experiment.

 


What about you?

What interesting experiments have you made in your career?

What can you build upon?

Feel free to leave a question or comment below.


Segal Coaching LLC will be closed until January 2, 2020.

See you back here in January! Until then, HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone!

 

Anne Marie Segal Post Banner

Anne Marie Segal is an executive coach, resume writer and author of two well-received books on interviewing and career development. She served as a corporate attorney for 15 years, including roles at White & Case LLP and a prominent hedge and private equity fund manager, before launching her coaching practice. Based in Connecticut not far from New York City, Anne Marie partners with clients internationally on executive presence, impactful communications, graceful transitions and other aspects of professional and personal development. She also hosts an online learning site at Segal247.com.

To join her monthly email list, click here.

Second image above: Copyright 2017 Candace Smith. All rights reserved.

Accelerating Your Job Search as a Junior Law Firm Associates Targeting an In-House Counsel Role

Handsome businessman smiling outside the office building

A client and friend of mine, who is a relatively recent law graduate (let’s call him Jamie), feels like he is running out of steam and options. He has now worked at two mid-sized law firms and encountered the same issues at both of them:

(1) lack of real training or diversified work,

(2) disinterest by the partnership in developing his (or others’) careers,

(3) false deadlines,

(4) extremely high stress,

(5) misrepresentations about the number of hours expected, and

(6) compensation that does not keep pace with the above demands.

Jamie has now set his sights on an in-house job, given the above as well as some personal health issues, which make the stress and hours even less bearable.

The common wisdom is that attorneys, once they are already at a firm, try to build up (and out) their experience until they hit the four or five-year mark. That way, they come into an in-house role ready to add value, hopefully possessing some business skills, an expertise in an area of demand and/or solid corporate generalist skills. In other words, they have more to offer an employer and less need to be trained from the ground up.

But sometimes, the common wisdom fails.

For Jamie and others who are not getting the benefit of the law firm bargain, they may feel like they have little incentive to stay. They will not be significantly more prepared after two, three or four more years with a firm. They may handle very little work that is relevant to a future in-house role. Further, their commitment to practicing law, self-image and physical health can erode very quickly in the macho, every-lawyer-for-themselves environment that embodies many current law firms.

Here’s my job search advice for Jamie and other junior lawyers in this situation:

(1) Meet in-house lawyers, in-house recruiters and business people. Broaden and leverage your network, and invest your networking time in individuals who can and are motivated to make connections for you. Start with people you already know and ask them who else they know. Keep this priority going and find a way to organize yourself around the effort so you can use your time efficiently.

If, like Jamie, you face both health concerns and limited free time, see if there is a way to make these connections in a recreational setting, if those connections have similar interests and goals. Meet for rock climbing instead of drinks, for example, all things being equal. Or choose a scenic city walk over a sedentary coffee. If you are connecting by phone, consider standing or walking in place (if you can keep your concentration going) to get some blood flowing.

(2) Figure out what skills your need to land the right jobs and find a way to get them. Job descriptions are the first step informationally in that regard, but also look to online articles, company websites, conferences and the information you can glean from your network. (See #1 above.)

Your skill-acquisition may well include specialized skills that are highly relevant to in-house roles, such as privacy and cybersecurity. This could be through a formal certification program (such as CIPP) or simply by taking a seminar in, for example, GDPR. Other legal skills, such as contracts, employment law, litigation and compliance are always helpful. If you can round out your skills, it will serve you well in most in-house legal departments.

(3) Find ways to take on leadership roles. Find internal and/or external opportunities to grow your leadership capacity, a key competency for any in-house attorney. Whether you follow the in-house road up to General Counsel or take a detour, consider what organizations value in their GCs and set your compass accordingly. Roles in non-profit or professional organizations, such as the ACC or a bar association, can provide valuable opportunities to grow both your network and your leadership skills. So can smaller commitments, such as helping organize an event or CLE. Over time, these organizations may also offer the chance to build out your public speaking or writing skills, which can double as thought leadership and help distinguish you from other junior lawyers.

(4) Launch a job search and personal branding campaign. As you are retooling your skills and redirecting your value proposition toward your new audience, take a look at your LinkedIn profile and resume to make sure they (a) reflect what you can offer to future employers, (2) include your certifications and special skills and (3) align with what you will say about yourself in an interview. If you reasonably confident that it won’t have a negative impact on your current role, consider turning on Open Candidates and populating it to match your targets.

(5) Opportunistically consider alternate options. Even if transitioning to a role as in-house counsel is your main target, consider other opportunities if they arise or could be easily pursued (without overtaxing your available time) and they represent areas in which you would enjoy growing your career. For some, this may mean being open to non-profit or government positions. For others, a hybrid business-law role might make more sense, if it fits their interests and strengths and they happen to have (or can create) the right connections.

(6) Get “smart” about what an in-house role is like, especially at your target organizations. Through online research, try to develop a composite picture of the range and scope in-house roles. For example, if you are a litigator, which organizations could make special use of your skills and how can you position yourself to get in front of them? Where can you get information about specific questions, such as compensation? How can you learn what it’s really like to work in a specific industry or company? Even if some of the insights you find are not geared toward lawyers, they can help you understand the mindset of your interviewers.

This inside knowledge will help you size up the move and calm your nerves. It also can help you avoid mistakes in the interview process by not making assumptions about in-house practice that do not match up to reality. Having some “street cred” – i.e., savvy about the environment you wish to enter – gives you a clear advantage over the competition and will ease your transition as well.

(7) Use job boards sparingly. A few job boards, such as the ACC’s In-House Jobline Listings, are geared directly toward in-house roles. LinkedIn, as well as other sites, also offers the opportunity to set a specialized search and let company recruiters know you are interested. (Start by setting up a job alert and then follow the prompts.) Yet even these specialized tools have their limitations and can be a large time investment for little reward, as hundreds if not thousands of candidates may apply for every role.

(8) Reach out directly to organizations that interest you and follow up any prior leads. As you are building out your networking connections, find ways to get to know people within organizations that interest you, so you can better understand the culture and business model (or mission, as the case may be) and be on the short list of candidates who are informed first when a role opens up. Have your pitches about “why you” and “why them” (i.e., what interests you about, and what value you can add to, this particular organization) ready to go for a cover letter, elevator pitch and/or interview. You never know when the call may come, so it pays to be ready when it does!

Feel free to make a comment, post a question or “like” this post below. Thanks!

Anne Marie Segal Post Banner

Anne Marie Segal is an executive coach, resume writer and author of two well-received books on interviewing and career development. She served as a corporate attorney for 15 years, including roles at White & Case LLP and a prominent hedge and private equity fund manager, before launching her coaching practice. Based in Connecticut not far from New York City, Anne Marie partners with clients internationally on executive presence, impactful communications, graceful transitions and other aspects of professional and personal development. 

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn Pulse here.

You may also like:

Eight Core Qualities of Successful General Counsel and How to Achieve Them

Get It Together: Organizing Your Job Search

Successful Career Transition, Stage 1: Start with a Creative Mindset

 

 

Old Dog, New Tricks: What Can You Change Before Year End?

Happy businesswoman jumps in the airport

Most of us, thankfully, do not need to learn a new form of martial arts to effectuate the change we want to see in our lives. It could always help, yes, but it’s not the natural next step.

Yet we do have something eluding us. A piece of the puzzle we have not yet fit, and we cannot reach the next goal (even one we have been desperately seeking) without finding and placing that piece.

But human beings are stubborn. I know I am. And yes, I’ll say it, some of my clients are stubborn too.

Too often, we know what will serve us – what we need to do, so we can do what we want to do – but we make excuses. We are like old dogs who refuse to learn new tricks.

AdobeStock_217290201 (old dog).jpg

So here’s what you do to change that:

(1) Take some time to chill. (Relax, settle in and create some emotional space.)

(2) Review what you wish to bring into your life, and articulate your top goal between now and year end. If your goal may not (or cannot) be completed by year end, choose a manageable goal that is a piece of a larger goal, and repeat these steps in the New Year. For example, rather than “get a new job,” your goal may be to take certain concrete steps toward that end. Focus on what you can change, without attachment to outcomes.

(3) Embrace the vulnerability that you need to move out of your comfort zone. Be prepared to fail, but also be prepared to succeed. In fact, redefine success as a series of steps, not only as an end point.

(4) Embrace the power that you can call forth, from the depths of your being, to reach your goal.

(5) Envision all of the ways you (yes, you) and your family, friends, team, community and/or others. will be better off when you have reached your goal.

(6) Build a support network for your change, even if it’s only one person. Ask them to hold you accountable at each step.

(7) Be curious about what you need to reach your goal, and take the time to explore the most efficient path for you to get there. 

(8) Focus on the present. Not what you could have done last summer, last year or five years ago. What can you do now to achieve your goal? Keeping yourself in the present keeps your emotional energy available for solutions rather than stressing.

(9) Create a realistic action plan and work your plan. Reverse engineer your possible investments and divisions of time and energy to prioritize this goal among other obligations.

(10) Be your own best fan. Cheer yourself on, and celebrate your wins in a way that is meaningful to you.

AdobeStock_248045295 (joy).jpg

Focus on what you can change, without attachment to outcomes.

In the career context, your goal may be to build something, such as:

  • Resilience
  • A Calmer Demeanor
  • Relevant Skills or Expertise
  • A Stronger Professional Network
  • Gravitas and/or Greater Recognition in Your Field

Choose the goal that’s most pressing for you, and stop giving yourself excuses! Feel free to drop me a line telling me what you have been able to achieve.

Anne Marie Segal is an executive coach, resume writer and author of two well-received books on interviewing and career development. She served as a corporate attorney for 15 years, including roles at White & Case LLP and a prominent hedge and private equity fund manager, before launching her coaching practice. Based in Connecticut not far from New York City, Anne Marie partners with clients internationally on executive presence, impactful communications, graceful transitions and other aspects of professional and personal development. She also offers online instruction at www.segal247.com.

Image credits: Adobe Stock.

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile: Free Resources on Strategy, Headshots and Thought Leadership

Banner - Segal Online 24:7

Optimizing LinkedIn® is surprising complex. It’s hard enough to consider, understand and address:

  • YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
  • YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION

If you would like help with that effort, you can always take a look at the worksheets I have posted on this site.

After you have a full grasp of these key points, the next challenge is to craft a compelling narrative that draws people in, while understanding how clients, recruiters and/or other potential viewers might use LinkedIn to find and vet you as a candidate.

For your LinkedIn summary and other sections of your profile, there is a delicate balance of including the keywords that will attract your target audience while creating a robust and polished profile rather than a disjointed list of bullet points.

Your next hurdle might be to create an inviting profile photo, for which you can either hire a professional photographer (and even that is not always foolproof, see the checklist below) or learn the principles of portraiture for the LinkedIn format on your own and enlist friends or family to join in your efforts.

A further step is to combine the above strategies with the technical features of the platform, including other artificial intelligence features that drive LinkedIn searches (in addition to keywords) and privacy settings that keep your personal information protected. You could literally spend weeks or months trying to create and implement your strategy and the tactical means to achieve your goals.

You can consider the above a roadmap and take steps each week or month to improve one aspect of your LinkedIn profile. 

If you are taking full stock of your profile and would like some guidance, here are links to some free resources from my Powerful LinkedIn Profiles for Executives and Attorneys course on my online learning site, Segal Online 24/7:

Your LinkedIn Strategy

On Thought Leadership

Working with a Professional Photographer: The Checklist

If you would like to maximize your downtime during the upcoming holiday season and sign up for the full course, keep reading below!

I have a limited number of 20% off coupons available for readers of this blog, if you would like to enroll in Powerful LinkedIn Profiles for Executives and Attorneys.

The coupon code is SAVE20, and you can enter here (while they last). To learn more about the course, including a full brochure, click here.

Anne Marie Segal is an executive coach, resume writer and author of two well-received books on interviewing and career development. She served as a corporate attorney for 15 years before launching her coaching practice, including roles at White & Case LLP and a hedge and private equity fund manager. Anne Marie is based in Stamford, CT and serves an international clientele. 

Image above copyright 2019 Alejandro Barragan IV. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

Thought Leadership Presentation Skills: Compressing Pictures to Reduce File Size in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word

In my work with executives, attorneys and others, I am called upon to act as a coach and help clients reach deeper, expand their vision of their own professional value and capacity and increase their emotional intelligence, versatility, resilience and other key qualities.

I also act as a technical advisor, so to speak, by sharing pro tips that save time (sometimes many hours of time), reduce stress and demonstrate proficiencies that put my clients ahead of the pack. On a recent webinar, I mentioned one of these tips to colleagues in the National Résumé Writers Association, and I have been asked to share it more widely.

So here it is.

If your thought leadership includes public speaking and PowerPoint® presentations, as many of ours does, you may have stumbled upon the common problem of large file sizes that are blocked by corporate and other email addresses.

I ran into this problem myself for a presentation I gave to a group at Wells Fargo, and I am embarrassed to admit that we spent days trying to find creative ways for me to send a large file to them. (They loved the first two slides I sent and were eager for the full presentation.) We tried home emails, SlideShare and other means. I ended up creating an abridged version, but it was still to large (over 20MB), so I had to abridge it even further.

Hours of work to create a visually compelling presentation went down the drain.

We all have had times like these in our professional lives, and we can feel at our wits end. Unfortunately, too often they arise exactly when we are very busy working on other important projects, and we end up not with an optimum solution but a hasty compromise that leaves us feeling stressed and out of sorts. Not the best look when you are the presenter, of course!

I resolved to solve this problem for myself and am sharing it here to give you the benefit of my mistakes. The solution is embarrassingly simple, in fact, and I reduced my file size by more than 20x without creating an appreciable reduction in picture quality.

Click on the video below to learn more.

[Note: I do realize there are enterprise solutions to solve this and other common business and technical problems, but I am often of the view that less is more. How many such solutions can a small business entertain, afford and maintain, let alone an individual? In this case, you don’t need a special service or subscription, as no coding or fancy skills are needed to achieve the result of a smaller file. You just need to know the the trick!]

 

Anne Marie Segal is an executive coach, resume writer and author of two well-received books on interviewing and career development. She served as a corporate attorney for 15 years before launching her coaching practice, including roles at White & Case LLP and a hedge and private equity fund manager. Anne Marie is based in Stamford, CT and serves an international clientele. Her online learning platform is accessible here.

Video copyright 2019 Anne Marie Segal. All rights reserved.