Often I find myself in my office guiding a client through a major life transition. Many of these transitions are negotiations in their career. As a leader in the workplace, even the most successful and confident of influential people, have changes that they encounter in their lives that require guidance through these transitions. The last blog I wrote was addressing the potential workforce changes in 2023. I thought a great follow up to that topic would be for us to touch on how you can prepare yourself for a change that may come at you whether it’s expected or unexpected.
Start with who you are and then who you aspire to be. How are you showing up for the people around you? What is a word that they would use to describe you and why? Ask the five people closest to you that last question. I did this exercise when I was getting ready to launch Forethought. Change-maker, confident, caring, driven, connector and reliable were a few of the words that people used to describe me. These helped me in a couple of ways:
1) I realized I really was showing up the way I wanted to!
2) I had the words I needed to start building a brand. These were drivers behind how I decided to show up as a mom, wife, and leader. As I became genuine and connected to who I was, it allowed me to truly decide who were the TRUE people I needed in my corner.
Perception is a reality.
How are you showing up in the places you spend time?
Your personal brand is the energy you give off to those around you. Essentially, how you are perceived. So, now you have the words those important individuals gave you. You have an idea of their perception of you.
Why is this even remotely important to your financial life? Well, have you ever had to apply for a job, ask for a raise, interview, post content to recruit folks to your team, drive and motivate a team to develop results; all things that usually impact your income.
How are you showing up in the workplace; virtually and in person and in your community or other roles you might carry? People usually want to help other people achieve success. Therefore, you want them to think of you when an opportunity arises or a connection can be made.
How are you communicating what you are looking for or need? People also are not mind readers. As you are excelling in your career, show up genuine, articulate your desires, and ask for feedback. This is how you will evolve your brand and who you are to others – hence being able to see room for opportunities to connect you with — people, jobs, clients, etc.
Meet me at the table.
Let’s talk about when you are at the negotiating table — salary, compensation, time, and benefits all sit before you in an offer. Do you have folks in your corner who allow you to understand how to maximize your worth? I was recently having a conversation around salary negotiation – the individual I was speaking with thought the mid-six figure number they threw out for sure was going to get an eye-roll response and a “No.” Come to find out – no, that number was low and they could have increased it by $50k. How are you digging deep with the connections that you have to find out more? Often, financials and negotiating are the last things we are really talking about. I am incredibly passionate about women, especially, having these open conversations about salary, bonus structure, executive compensation, and other benefits. If we want to close the income gap, we have to talk about the numbers. Be able to do the research. Show up to the table and ASK.
You are the people closest to you.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “You are the people you surround yourself with”? Well, I find that to be true for myself and the executive leaders I interact with on a daily basis. Our close circle of friends and colleagues have the tendency to influence our decisions. Do you have certain goals that you want to attain? Are the people in your life understanding of those goals? Have you communicated with them what you are working towards? Perhaps, you are wanting to pivot in your career or seeking a promotion at your current role. What will it take for you to move into that space? Your mindset and ability to know you possess the skills is important. Do you have a group around you that is cheering you on or nay-sayers who don’t understand why you have the goals you do? You will likely reach closer to those goals more confidently if you have people in your corner who are there cheering you on.
Build community + connection.
Are you looking for a like-minded community? Well, I have heard this so often throughout my connections with clients and other contacts. In true brand fashion, the change-maker and connector, I developed the vision for our Wealth Circles community. Once a month, join us to create connections, learn more about a wealth management topic, have time to personally reflect, and set an action item for yourself to work toward your vision of thriving. Our first Wealth Circle will be held Thursday, January 26th from 5:30-8:30pm at our offices in Minneapolis. For more information visit our page on Wealth Circles and sign up to get first dibs when tickets are released.
We aren’t your traditional advisor team. It’s time for you to align with a team of modern financial planners that will truly put you at the center of your plan. Feel free to schedule an appointment to our complimentary 30 min Wealth Assessment session to learn more about how we incorporate these strategies and others to assist you through the financial planning process.
Securities offered through LPL Financial, a member of FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Forethought Planning, a SEC registered investment advisor. The views expressed here are those of the participants, and not those of Forethought Planning or LPL Financial. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. LPL Financial and Forethought Planning do not offer legal services. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) / Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investing has certain risks based on the fact that the criteria excludes securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons and, therefore, investors may forgo some market opportunities and the universe of investments available will be smaller.,
