 In a recent virtual event hosted by FromWithin Coaching, Leadership Coaches, Lu Setnicka and Augusta Good shared invaluable insights on navigating 'hard' communications within organizations. The event, attended by leaders of all levels of experience, from a global organization with diverse backgrounds, delved into the intricacies of addressing challenging topics with employees.
Key Takeaways: Cultivating Empathy: The coaches emphasized the importance of approaching hard conversations with empathy and courage. Understanding the perspectives and emotions of employees lays the foundation for constructive dialogue. Clear Communication Strategies: FromWithin Coaching advocates for clear and transparent communication. Setting expectations, providing context, and being explicit in conveying messages can mitigate misunderstandings. Psychological Safety: Lu Setnicka and Augusta Good highlighted the significance of ensuring that psychological safety is in place to ensure success during tough conversations. Creating a space where employees feel heard and safe contributes to building trust and fostering open communication. Constructive Feedback: The event explored techniques for delivering constructive feedback effectively. The coaches shared practical tips on framing feedback in a way that promotes growth rather than demoralization. Attendees of the large virtual event praised the practicality of the advice shared by Lu and Augusta. Many expressed newfound confidence in approaching difficult conversations, armed with the tools provided during the session. We are grateful for the organization opening up their event to us and we look forward to continuing the learning with them! As organizations evolve, effective communication remains a cornerstone of success, and FromWithin Coaching stands at the forefront, empowering leaders to communicate with empathy, clarity, and confidence. As the owner of FromWithin Coaching, I am in constant awe of the work that organizations are willing to do, and for my Coaches who help them navigate the change they seek! What are you ready for? -Amy Magyar, PCC  As an Executive/Leadership/Career Coach at FromWithin Coaching, I enjoy collaborating with my clients on a variety of topics. A recent exchange caused me to think about how to best support a client moving from a tactical, managerial role to a strategic, leadership role; what's the difference and what will she face?
In doing some research, I came across a 2001 HBR article written by renowned Harvard Business School professor John Kotter, "What Leaders Really Do (see link below)." Here's what jumped out for me: "Management is about coping with complexity." "Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change." So true. For any of you who have been in either role, you are no doubt nodding your head in agreement. If you're struggling with being a manager or a leader, or moving from one to the other, consider setting up an Exploratory Session with me (30 minutes - Free!) and we'll have a chance to dive deeper: https://lnkd.in/gyhfvGGA To learn more from Dr. Kotter, here's a link to the article I reference above: https://lnkd.in/gGdJhC8v Remember, we're all leaders , even if we don't have that specific word in our job description - always show up as your best self! -Lu Setnicka Our in-house resume writer, C. Jane Taylor was a Strengths doubter. Now that she embraces her Strengths, she’s happier and more fulfilled. You can be, too!
Join her and Coach Mary McClements for a two-hour Strengths workshop tailored to Women Over 50, September 27 starting at 12pm EST. https://fromwithincoaching.com/womenover50cliftonstrengthsevent.html.   As women, we often feel pressure to conform to certain expectations and roles. Society tells us how we should behave, what we should be interested in, and what we should strive for. But in reality, every woman is unique, with her own set of strengths, passions, and goals.
That's where the CliftonStrengths assessment comes in. Developed by the Gallup organization, Clifton Strengths, also known as StrengthsFinder, is a tool designed to help individuals identify their unique strengths and talents. By understanding our strengths, we can better understand how we are naturally wired and how we can use our strengths to excel in our personal and professional lives. So why is this especially important for women? By understanding and leveraging our strengths, we can focus on what we are naturally good at and pursue opportunities that align with them. This can lead to increased job satisfaction and career success, as we are more likely to feel energized and engaged in work that utilizes our strengths. Identifying our strengths can also help us communicate more effectively with others and build stronger relationships. When we know what we are naturally good at, we can more easily delegate tasks and collaborate with others. This can be especially helpful in the workplace, where understanding our strengths can help us navigate office politics and build strong, productive teams. But the benefits of understanding our strengths go beyond the workplace. By focusing on our unique abilities and passions, we can lead more fulfilling and meaningful lives. We can pursue hobbies and activities that bring us joy and use our strengths to make a positive impact on the world. So if you're a woman looking to thrive in your personal and professional life, consider taking the CliftonStrengths assessment. Understanding and leveraging your unique abilities can lead to a more fulfilling and successful life. Embrace your strengths and let them guide you on your journey to greatness! And if you are a Woman over 50, consider joining us May 23rd for a chance to learn about your Strengths in a community setting: https://fromwithincoaching.com/may23.html And make sure you sign up for our emails to learn about upcoming Strengths Events coming to FromWithin Coaching by emailing us at welcome@fromwithincoaching.com! - Coach Megan Flanagan  "To Know Thyself is the Beginning of All Wisdom." -Socrates The journey inward to find one’s true self is one of life’s most rewarding undertakings. As a Self-Leadership coach for FromWithin Coaching’s Women Over 50 What’s Next Program, I am passionate about supporting women as they begin this journey of self-discovery and for many of us, the return to self. In my early 50’s, I was at a very uncomfortable crossroad in my life. I was stuck. I find many of my clients come to me also stuck and:
If you are a 50 something woman and this sounds like you, know that you are not alone. When we focus on our Strengths, our doubts take a back seat. The team at FromWithin Coaching is here to help you take a step into developing the self-awareness necessary to boldly take aligned and meaningful action in this next chapter of life. And put those doubts where they belong...in the back seat. On November 10, 2022 we are hosting a Clifton Strengths live Zoom event for Women Over 50. Research indicates that finding and understanding your Strengths has been proven to increase self-awareness, self-confidence and self-trust. We are able to tap into our inherent creativity and make better decisions that are more in line with our true needs and talents. Understanding our Strengths helps us increase communication skills and form better relationships. Come join us our community of like-minded women as we share this time together. There will be opportunities for laser coaching and for a follow up coaching session if you choose. Details are below! I hope to see you there, Coach Augusta Good WOMEN OVER 50: WHAT’S NEXT?
CliftonStrengths 2-hour Zoom Event November 10, 2022 12 pm EST/9 am PST  About 5 years ago, I got tired of trying to fit myself into a box that I created. It looked something like the photo above... Though this fella looks fairly comfortable, I was not. I was cranky and tired and angry and overweight. I was short-tempered with my kids and even though I wanted to take care of myself on weekends and go for hikes, do fun things, and create art, I was utterly drained by my work week and unable to enjoy myself or my kids. The box I created was partially made of the need to prove to my father that I was a valuable human in this world by doing what he approved of (yup, even in my late 40s!) rather than what I wanted, and fear. I had built a massive fear box. You see, like many humans, we have strengths and interests that bring us an enormous amount of joy, but these strengths often get tampered down by society or by our families who generally have the best of intentions, but their fear gets in the way and is what encourages them to tell us what we ‘should’ do in our lives….and we sometimes believe it. I was a joyful child of dreams, ideas, and creativity. I was always thinking up new games and creating secret forts in the woods which of course were all wrapped into a giant web of stories of protecting the land from made-up enemies. I was always starting a new project and I always had a pencil in my hand designing my future homes….er uhhhh….castles and dreaming up plans and businesses for my life. At one point I was going to become a dolphin trainer and bring inner city kids to experience their gentle beauty (no idea how…I didn’t live by the ocean….I mean I was only 9). Some called me flighty, a space cadet, or in the clouds. I went to art school and then got a master’s in education taking me closer and closer to the ‘should’. Life took some unplanned and traumatic turns, and I made choices so that I could feed my children as a single mom while slowly building my fear box. AND THEN….AND THEN….I took the CliftonStrengths Assessment and the world opened up to me! My strengths validated me and the ways that I thought and went about my days. I realized why it was so easy for me to see patterns and connect the dots in ways that many others couldn’t. Finally, I knew in my core that it was ok to be dreamy, full of ideas, positive, and always ready to try something new because my top CliftonStrengths are: 1. Ideation 2. Positivity 3. Strategic (seeing patterns and connecting dots) 4. Futuristic 5. Adaptability Once I took a deep dive into what my strengths meant and what happens when you’re not using them (cranky and tired and angry and drained), my life changed. I am not joking. I got out of a soul-sucking work situation, that paid well but was killing me, knowing that I’d land on my feet because I always had I just was unable to see that because I had built my fear box out of bricks. Understanding that my different interests, dreams, and strengths changed from something I was ashamed of to my superpower. I became a career and trauma coach, refurbished my garage into my art studio, and with the energy I had from doing what I truly wanted and not doing what I didn’t want to do in the first place, I started hiking, running, and playing sports again. My kids were happier because I was happier. Yep, I still am always thinking of what’s next, creating proverbial forts wound up in storylines, being creative in my studio and in the world of podcasting, and I invite all women over 50 to allow their strengths to change their lives if they want, or to simply feel the stunning validation that CliftonStrengths can offer you to get you out of your brick box. - Coach Mary  WOMEN OVER 50: WHAT’S NEXT?
CliftonStrengths 2-hour Zoom Event November 10, 2022 12 pm EST/9 am PST  Are you familiar with the phrase, “hitting your stride?” What does that mean to you? For many women, they are just hitting their respective strides, both personally and professionally, when they are also just hitting their 50’s, 60’s, and on into their 70’s. Unfortunately, for some, that stride, described by the dictionary as “to walk with long steps, as with vigor…,” is tentative, unsure, and maybe more like a slow, plodding cadence. Certainly not vigorous, maybe more like going through the motions. At FromWithin Coaching, we want all Women Over 50 to stride boldly and with confidence. To help make that happen, we’re offering a special 2-hour event on November 10 th : “Women Over 50: What’s Next?” Because we know there’s a “next;” and we want any woman over 50 to fully embrace that “next” with energy, knowledge, and awareness of their talents…their Strengths. By using the CliftonStrengths assessment, participants will learn more about what they excel at and how they can leverage that information to enliven their pace and embrace the future. Life is too short to go through the world without ever experiencing hitting your stride. Join us for two hours to invigorate your trajectory and blast you off into your optimal future, whatever that may be. Wherever you’re headed, with your Strengths in your pocket, you’ll be striding boldly forward, embracing the decades ahead. The link listed below has information about the event, how to register, and the cost (very reasonable!) -Coach Lu Setnicka WOMEN OVER 50: WHAT’S NEXT?
CliftonStrengths 2-hour Zoom Event November 10, 2022 12 pm EST/9 am PST  I am a woman over 50. I do not like to be labeled, unless of course that label is biker chick or awesome mom. Labels like extroversion, sensing, thinking, etc. feel so superficial to me. And don’t even get me started with the acronyms. ISTJ, ESTP, ENFP?
I mean WTF? But five years ago, I acquiesced to take the Clifton Strengths Assessment mainly because it did not have acronyms. Upon completing the test, I promptly put my results in a manila folder on the shelf for two years. There is no way in hell a behemoth like Clifton owned by Gallop (and aren’t they all about TV ratings anyway?) could tell me who I am. I was so very wrong. Clifton labeled me Positivity, Connectedness, Learner, Intellection, Empathy. B-I-N-G-O. Once I learned my strengths, my life got easier. This light of understanding made my path so much more comprehensible and straightforward. I understood why I suck at some things and accel at others. I felt and still feel a little bit like Harry Potter in the Triwizard Tournament. His coach and mentor Mad-eye Moody counseled him to “play to your strengths, Potter.” Harry is a wizard who is an ace broom flyer. When he finally understood what Moody was telling him to do, he flew like the brilliant wizard he is and slayed the evil dragon. My strengths have helped me slay my own dragons. As a woman my age, there seem to be more dragons out there than there were even just a decade ago. Knowing my strengths, I am better equipped in all aspects of my career and my life, which is why I am thrilled that my colleagues at FromWithin Coaching are offering an online Clifton Strengths Worship this fall just for women. November 10th, 2022 12pm EST/10am MTN/9am PST Join us for 2-hour live discussion that will help you engage your strengths for a more fulfilling life beyond 50. See you there! - Jane Taylor, former CliftonStrengths Doubter, Current Believer  A friend asked me yesterday, “What all goes into writing a good resume?” This is such a huge question, I had to laugh. It’s like asking Serena how to play tennis or asking Billie Eilish, “How can I sing like that?” I don’t know tennis and I only sing in the shower, but I do know what goes into a good resume—especially for women over 50 who are in transition. The short answer is that the resume portrays what it is like to work with you. And more than a history of past work experiences, I think of the resume as a roadmap to the future that opens the door to what is possible. I do this by presenting not just accomplishments but the skills, qualities, and characteristics that made the accomplishments possible. My resume writing process is deeply introspective. I ask clients to complete an in-depth questionnaire about what they’ve done, why it makes a difference, and how it’s relevant to their life goals and dreams. The resume-as-roadmap factor is why I like to recommend that people keep their resume current. If you are looking for change and growth or wondering what it is you’re actually doing in your career, maybe it’s time for a look under the hood? Why are you so good at what you do? What accomplishments are you most proud of? Why? How did you get to where you are today? What makes you You? How do you want potential employers/colleagues to perceive you? How do you want to perceive yourself? Answering such probing questions can either reassure you that you’re in the right job or start to inform your path to the right job.   A neighbor invited me to the backyard for a bonfire and a sip of wine to toast the return of spring. My two neighbors (both women of a certain age) and I (also a woman of a certain age) stood around the smokey fire talking about crones and hags. In folklore and Disney movies, a crone is a scary old woman. She is disagreeable, angry, even sinister. Think of the witch who gave Sleeping Beauty that poison apple and you’ve got the right idea. We have been taught—largely by men—to fear the crone. It makes sense. The fellas have drawn a scary-ass picture. But back before those instructive men cold even hold a crayon, the crone of matriarchal societies was revered as a wise elder, a shepherdess of future generations. The Crone was the postmenopausal woman recognized and admired for her wisdom and leadership. “The literature describes the crone archetype as a pre-existent form in the collective unconscious that embodies instinctive ways of channeling wisdom, inner knowing, and intuition, guiding us through the transition of life, and going inward to bring forth the light for transformation. When women resonate or activate the crone archetypal image they tap into the psyche, to reclaim primordial images and receive the power within them that honor older women.” [1] In Irish and Scottish folklore, the Hag is represented as a divine deity of creation and weather. Her name is Cailleach, a direct translation of “old woman, hag.” There is a movement afoot to reclaim the name and elevated status of the crone archetype. We women of a certain age want to unveil her power by being ourselves. Think Whoopi Goldberg, Patti Smith, Alice Walker, Joni Mitchell, Jane Goodall, and the late, great Maya Angelou. These women are painting a new picture of aging in power. Back at the campfire, my neighbor (the one with grey hair she calls silver) said, “I feel invisible sometimes.” “Hooray for invisibility! Think of all the fun we can have while no one can see us,” I responded. (My hair is mostly grey, too, though I still have streaks of brown and gold.) Harry Potter fans will remember that when he donned the Invisibility Cloak, he learned great things that connected him to his past and his strengths. Invisibility was a gateway to discovery and growth. And invisible, he furthered the cause of good versus evil. As I step into my own cloak of invisibility (I had my 58th birthday earlier this week), I am ready to discover and grow. I encourage the same in the women of a certain age I write resumes, bios, and LinkedIn profiles for. We are at the height of our intellectual powers, it’s time we acknowledge our value, wisdom, and direction! -Jane Taylor  |
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