One day is not enough… Friday, March 8th, marked International Women’s Day. Great that so many companies payed attention to this day. However, I think one day a year is not enough. For example, the scene of this cartoon still happens frequently. You’ve probably also seen the video of a man trying to explain golf to a female golf pro . If not, check it out here. Research, which includes an analysis of 95 studies and over a hundred thousand people, indicates that men tend to overestimate their leadership skills, while women tend to underestimate theirs. Therefore, it’s important for women t ..read more

3 tips to get the right things done in these busy months I’m firefighting the whole day and don’t find any time for that strategic project for next year. I feel like I’m on a hamster wheel and at the end of the day my to-do list isn’t any shorter. I haven’t been to my pottery class for a couple of weeks now. Just a few quotes from my clients this week. Q4 is often a super busy period for many of us. If you don’t pay attention to managing your time wisely, you may fall in the urgency trap and get nothing done that is important to you. Here are 3 tips to get the right things done in these bus ..read more

A new transition This is a story about transition. It’s a story about failing and celebrating. And although there have been quite some big transitions in my life – going to university, becoming a mum, moving abroad – this is the story about the transition of me as a coach. It all started in 2018. We had just moved from Austria to the UK and I knew I wanted to do more with the theme of gender equality. Coaching was the way forward and I started my coaching journey with the Co-Active Training Institute. 5 trainings of 3 days with an amazing group of international people in London. I loved it ..read more

Yes to women’s networking events! Informal networks are a precious resource for (aspiring) leaders. Especially for women as they face cultural and political hurdles that men typically do not. But unfortunately, differences in men’s and women’s organizational roles, along with their proclivity to interact with others of the same gender, often result in weaker internal networks for women. Powerful Research shows that women conferences can be powerful in terms of women’s finances (promotions, pay rise) and wellbeing (feeling optimistic about the future and feeling more connected to others). Th ..read more

Why career development is a business priority In the last couple of years, the labour market has been tilted in employees’ favour. Companies deal with recruitment struggles and use incentives like employee referral bonusses. For the short term it’s a great way to recruit new people, because it enlarges the candidate pool, reduces the cost-per-hire and the time to fill the position. Win the war for talent But to win the ‘war for talent’ in the long term, companies need to invest in the professional development of their people. What are they looking for and what are opportunities you can offe ..read more

What would you like more of in 2023? For many of us December is a month of reflection which often includes a year-end review at work. Although I’m not a big fan of reviews at the end of the year, as I think everyone should have a couple of career conversations throughout that period, I do think it’s also a great opportunity for appreciation. Both by your manager and for yourself: What skills have I levelled up? Which of my strengths contributed to the success of the team / the project? Where did my presence make a difference in the process? Which connections have helped me gro ..read more

How to retain talented women in your organization One of the women I work with was bored in her job. Although she loved her colleagues she knew she had more potential and felt ready for a next step. She wanted to figure out what the best career move would be and work on her confidence to make it happen. During our sessions she was asked to apply for a job in a completely different department. She worked in client services and the vacancy was in sales. Despite that she didn’t have any experience in that area, she did the interview and got the job. She is challenged again, is learning new ski ..read more

How transferable skills can help you in your career development Have you ever heard that women only apply for a job if they think they meet 100% of the job criteria, while men apply if they meet about 60% of the requirements? This outcome is often used as evidence that women should work on their confidence. But, research shows that when women didn’t apply, their barrier wasn’t a lack of confidence about the job itself: “The women believed they needed the qualifications to be hired in the first place. They didn’t see the hiring process as one wher ..read more

How to fix ‘the broken rung’ and improve gender diversity in your organisation Missing the first managerial step (‘the broken rung’) is a big obstacle women face on their path to higher levels in an organisation. Did you know that women are 14% less often promoted to manager than men [1]? This has a long-term impact on the pipeline and is a risk in getting to a minimum of 40% women in senior levels and being able to create a real gender inclusive culture. The age when employees take their first step up to manager (30-39)[2] is the same age at which women often become mothers. Therefore, su ..read more

10 ways to stay committed to your 2022 career goal(s)  It’s February already! You probably set yourself a career goal or focus theme for 2022 and have started working on it in January with positive energy. Well done! Remember that growth or change isn’t a linear process. There will be ups and downs on your journey and that’s totally okay. Important is to stay committed and keep going in the right direction. Here are 10 ways to help you with that, so you won’t get caught in all the other important things you need to do on a weekly basis. 1. Set SMART goals Number one is setting smaller ..read more