Purpose isn’t fluff—it’s your game plan. When you align your actions with your values and dreams, you make sharper decisions and create the future you truly want. And, you’ve got to do the work. Reflection isn’t just staring out a window with a latte—it’s where the magic happens. It’s about dreaming bigger, reconnecting with joy, and releasing what no longer serves you.

Here are some prompts to get you started:

• Values Check: When was the last time you revisited your top five values? These are your non-negotiables, your internal GPS. Values can evolve—make sure yours still align with the life you want to lead.
• Natural Talents: What comes effortlessly to you? What would you refuse to give up, even for $2 million? Are you using your talents fully? If not, why?
• Stops: What drained you in 2024? Identify what no longer serves you and let it go.
• Dreams Do Come True: Dream boldly. Imagine outrageous possibilities. What could make 2025 unforgettable?
• Purpose Reset: What is 2025 going to mean for you? Define it. Own it. Live it.
• Broadcast Your Vision: Share your goals with someone who will hold you accountable—and do the same for them.

As the saying goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Don’t wander aimlessly—chart your path with purpose and intention. Let’s step into 2025 ready, strong, and focused.

Dream it. Define it. Live it.

With the Keep It Real Leadership Program, you’ll be equipped with the right tools to turn your 2025 ambitions into reality. Contact us today to discuss how we can empower you along your journey!

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Reflect, Reset, Recharge: Stepping into 2025 with Purpose appeared first on PeopleThink.

According to LinkedIn, the benefits of self-reflection for leaders are:

• Strategic thinking
• Self-awareness
• Nurturing empathy and relationships
• Learning and growth
• Enhanced decision-making

But what exactly does self-reflection look like?

Making time for self-reflection may seem awkward at first (especially if you are an extrovert), but it’s worth it to take the time. Here’s how that might look.

Let’s use the example of the behavior “impatience.” You’ve gotten feedback from others that you tend to be impatient with people who don’t think and speak at the same pace as you. You know this about yourself and even, on occasion, cut someone off by saying, “just get to the bottom line.”

Next, you have to take the time to look inside and ask yourself why you react that way, how it impacts those around you, and what you can do to change the behavior. Self-reflection means being vulnerable, being willing to admit the behaviors that are working against you, and clarifying a plan to move beyond the behavior.

Self-reflection is also a way to ensure that you are living and working according to your values and what you want to achieve. It’s a way to level set if you’ve gotten off course.

Here are 10 questions as a starting point for self-reflection:

• Am I using my time wisely?
• Am I taking anything for granted?
• Am I employing a healthy perspective?
• Am I living true to myself?
• Am I waking up in the morning ready to take on the day?
• Am I thinking negative thoughts before I fall asleep?
• Am I putting enough effort into my relationships?
• Am I taking care of myself physically?
• Am I letting matters that are out of my control stress me out?
• Am I achieving the goals that I’ve set for myself?

Sometime this week, grab your favorite beverage and set aside some time to reflect on a behavior you want to change or to just do a general reset. Take a pause that refreshes you.

With the Keep It Real Leadership program, you could get the right coaching to help you through your self-reflection process! Keep It Real Leadership is a human-centered program that nurtures leaders to become more self-aware, embrace their strengths, and deliver in their business leaders. Together we can take your leadership journey to the next level!

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post The Art of Self-Reflection appeared first on PeopleThink.

Many researchers have identified a correlation between an employee’s personal and professional development, and an organization’s growth as a whole.

Increased job satisfaction, higher employee engagement, improved retention, enhanced productivity, and a more skilled and adaptable workforce are some of the benefits of employee development.

Companies that invest in their employees’ development demonstrate a commitment to their growth, which can lead to a positive organizational culture and a competitive edge in the market.

If you want to keep your people and grow your business, you must provide opportunities for your team to learn and grow. The best way to do that is by creating and implementing effective employee development programs.

Here’s How.

Ensure roles and responsibilities are well-defined.
Roles often morph over time as responsibilities expand or business needs change. This can be frustrating to the individual in the role – and detrimental to the team/organization – if training around new skill requirements and responsibilities isn’t included with the change. It’s also difficult to hire for, train for or promote someone into that role if you haven’t updated the current skills and responsibilities for the role.

Create career path outlines.
Employees want to know what growth opportunities are available in the organization. Create career path outlines for each job family to help employees build personal development plans.

Make performance management an ongoing process.
The annual performance review – dreaded by managers and hated by employees – typically focuses on weaknesses and rarely includes a development component. How inspiring is that? Effective performance management is a continuous process (not an event) and consists of a development component that builds on strengths and develops areas that are not strengths.

Develop for future needs.
Development plans should consider organizational goals and the skills and behaviors employees will need to contribute to achieving those goals. They should also take into account the skills and behaviors employees will need in the future to succeed (yes, even if it’s not in your organization). Make a list of top skills required and design training programs to help them acquire those skills.

Consider employee goals and interests.
It’s also essential that individual employee career goals and personal interests be considered. All too often, employees have skills and talents that are under-utilized. Take the time to identify, develop, and leverage those hidden talents and unspoken interests. Employees want to use their strengths and feel that they’re contributing to the organization in a meaningful way.

Implementing and supporting leadership development and training programs for your employees will help them grow and develop their style and prepare them to lead their teams in the future.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Employee Development: Building a CULTURE of Learning! appeared first on PeopleThink.

If this applies to you, I highly recommend that before you start your search for a new opportunity you set aside some time to TAKE INVENTORY.

This means getting clear about who you are and what you want so YOU control your career rather than it controlling you. Think about what you bring to the table, what you like and don’t like, and what would be a fulfilling “next step.” Here are some areas to consider:

Skills. What are the skills and competencies that have helped you succeed in your career so far? Which of them are transferable skills that will help you contribute regardless of industry or position? Write them all down.

Values. What are the things you MUST have in a company, a position, a leader to be happy and do your best? What motivates you?

Natural talents. What are those innate abilities that keep coming up in compliments and performance reviews? “You’re a natural at…” Fill in the blank.

Interests. What do you like to do? Think large on this one. You never know when an interest you haven’t really focused on so far may lead to a new opportunity…

Job Satisfiers. Or, as I like to call them, “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” What are the factors that have made your past work situations rewarding (the good), boring or frustrating (the bad) or something you never want to repeat (the ugly)?

Barriers. Here’s where you really need to keep it real. What are those internal blocks that have kept you from being all you want to be? Write ‘em down. Recognizing them is the first step in eliminating them.

Key accomplishments. Think back over your career and other areas of your life. What have you done that made a difference for your team, your department, your company, your community?

Salary requirements. In today’s job market, this is often one of the first questions asked, so it’s good to start thinking about this early. Consider what your basic expectations are and then, when you’ve determined your target market, do some research to validate your expectations.

Completing these inventories will take some time.  However, you will be amazed at how much you’ll learn about yourself, and how the resulting personal career snapshot will guide you to “what’s next.”

And make sure that what you’ve learned in this process comes through in your personal marketing (aka resume) and serves as a lens as you evaluate opportunities.

If you are thinking “what’s next” for you is a leadership role, check out our Keep it Real Leadership resources and interviews.

Whatever you do, don’t stop believin’.

Till next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Looking for a New Opportunity? Start Here! appeared first on PeopleThink.

It amazes me that despite this research, organizations (and individuals) still tend to focus on developing hard skills. In 2010, employers spent $171.5 billion on employee training and only 27.6% of those training dollars went toward soft skills, according to the Association for Talent Development (ATD).

It’s time to put more of our dollars and development efforts where they really count. In our increasingly global, dynamic and service-oriented way of working, organizations need leaders, teams and individual contributors who have the personal behaviors and interpersonal skills that will help them grow and thrive.

So what are those skills?  In my work with organizations to create leadership and employee development initiatives, these are the 10 soft skills/behaviors (in alpha order) that leaders most often tell me they need in their people.

Collaboration – the ability to meld ideas and share credit with others.

Creativity – initiating new approaches to projects, solving problems, etc.

Effective communication – clear and concise speaking and writing paired with active listening.

Emotional intelligence – self-aware and sensitive to others, empathetic.

Flexibility – adaptable to change.

Growth mindset – recognizing they don’t know it all. Being willing to learn.

Leadership – the ability to lead, even without the title.

Reliability – do what you say you’re going to do by when you say you’re going to do it.

Resilience – the ability to continue pursuing the goal despite roadblocks and challenges.

Teamwork – sharing the work and supporting others toward a common goal.

Organizations who want to remain competitive and individuals who want to increase their marketability would do well to put more emphasis on identifying gaps in these skills and then creating a comprehensive development plan to close those gaps.

One of the best ways to identify gaps is through a behavioral assessment. The one I use with leaders, teams and individuals is Lumina Spark.  Lumina Spark is a state-of-the-art psychometric assessment that provides a framework to help people achieve better self-awareness and learn how to improve their working relationships with others.

Check out the Lumina Spark fact sheet and then contact me to learn how PeopleThink can help your organization build its people capability.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Soft Skills Win in the Race for Job Success! appeared first on PeopleThink.

In my last blog on this topic I talked about tips for women entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses. This time I’d like to share some tips for women who want to grow their careers in the corporate environment. (Men, these tips will work for you, too!)

First of all, it’s important to understand that you are in charge of your own destiny.  You need to keep an open mind, be curious, and get really clear about what YOU want for your life and career, and stop listening to those voices telling what you “should want.” Remember the old saying, “if you don’t know where you’re going any road will get you there.”

Assess where you are. When you’ve decided what you want, take inventory. What skills do you have, what skills do you need? How will you attain those skills? What are your values and interests? What are some internal blocks or other obstacles that have held you back so far in your career?

Understand trends. Bersin by Deloitte recently published a research report about HR and talent in 2017. Here are a few of their predictions based on trends they saw.

-Organizational design will be challenged everywhere. Organizations have to be able to “focus on customer-centric learning, experimentation, and time to market.” Functional groups should be organized into teams that are “smaller, flatter, and more empowered. Leaders should focus more on hands-on leadership, and less on leadership from behind a desk.”

-Culture and engagement will remain top priorities. Deloitte research shows that “86% of business leaders rate “culture” as one of the more urgent talent issues, yet only 14% understand what the right culture is.”

-Human performance and well-being will become a critical part of HR, talent and leadership. Employee engagement levels have not improved in the past 10 years, productivity is down, and U.S. workers take 4 to 5 fewer vacation days today than they did in 1998.

What opportunities do you see in these predictions based on your skills, experience and competencies?

Assemble your supporters. Carla Harris, Vice Chairman, Wealth Management, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, talks about 3 important people you need to cultivate to help advance your career: an advisor, a mentor, and a sponsor. Their roles are different.

Your advisor is there to help you understand who’s who in the organization, provide context about the way things are done, and answer the “dumb questions” you think you should already know the answer to. Your mentor is the one you share your hopes and dreams with. Maybe they’re already doing what you want to do and can share how they got there. Or maybe they’re in a different organization, but know you well and can give you honest feedback and advice. You can tell your mentor both the good and the bad stuff. The sponsor plays a different role altogether. This is the person – maybe someone on the senior management team – who advocates for you when you are not in the room. This is the person you share only the good stuff with.

Learn continuously. Not just to attain the skills to achieve your current goal, but also so that you are always ready for the next opportunity. As we all know, the world changes at a rapid pace. The job or skill “de jour” may not be needed in a year or two. Keep up to date on technology, pursue new interests, read, network, stay informed about what’s going on in the world around you. Many have watched their careers go adrift because they failed to do this.

Give back.  As you move ahead in your career, never forget how you got there. Be willing to be a mentor or advocate for those in whom you see potential. Give honest productive feedback. Help others avoid the bumps you had along the road. Be willing to give informational interviews.

And, of course, don’t stop believin’.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Women Supporting Women – Getting Real About Your Career appeared first on PeopleThink.

Now that you’ve done all that (you have, haven’t you!?) let’s talk about putting your plan into action.

First of all – get out there! Most people spend 80% of their job search time on the computer and only 20% (or less) networking and meeting people. It should be the opposite. Those rumors you heard about the Internet being a job-search “black hole” are true. Think about where you can go to make professional contacts. Where are other people in your industry going? Find professional organizations in your field and become an active part of them. Volunteer. Seek opportunities to meet new people and reconnect with old friends and colleagues. There are a number of job search networking groups in the Bay Area. Their meetings often include panel discussions with corporate HR representatives who can give you the latest information on who’s hiring.

Maintain an online presence. This doesn’t mean posting your resume on every job site. It means being active on social networking sites, in particular, LinkedIn. Develop a strong LinkedIn summary and be sure your work experience is up-to-date and achievement oriented. Make sure you have at least three recommendations that speak to your abilities. Build your credibility and presence by posting articles and commenting on topics related to your areas of expertise. And, of course, join online groups in your field.

Be open and flexible. You have your career ideas in play. With that said, be sure you are listening to ideas and expertise from others as well. Don’t be a “yes, but…” person, be a “yes, and…” person.

Always be thinking “what’s next?” When you land an opportunity, don’t allow yourself to become complacent. What additional skills and competencies do you need to grow in that position and to prepare for the one after that? Stay current!

Most of all, be certain you are living a full life. Career is obviously important, and…it is not everything. What are you doing to have fun? Are you healthy? Are you in a good place with your significant other, family and friends? Are you really living your life based on what success looks like for you?

Don’t stop believin’!

Till next time,

Karen

The post Putting Your Job Search Plan Into Action appeared first on PeopleThink.

Yes, looking for work takes time and effort. Start by getting focused and developing a plan. Take that first step. Keep a journal of your research notes, your thoughts and feelings and your personal roadmap to career success. Whatever you do, stay positive. Your positive energy will show as you network and interview and will bring you more positive results. Be kind to yourself. Every single day.

Tip #1 Make a Plan and Commit to It
What is your timeframe for landing a new opportunity? Be realistic about your expectations. Everything takes longer than you think. Be patient and stay focused on your goals. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself (remember what I said about being kind?) How many hours per week are you going to spend looking for work?  Based on that number, make a weekly plan. Be as specific as possible.

Tip #2 Take Inventory to Remind Yourself about You
What are your skills? Really think about this. Don’t sell yourself short. What are your values? What is most important to you personally and professionally? What are your barriers (things that have stopped you in the past from being where you want to be)? What accomplishments are you most proud of? Where have you had the most success and why?

Tip #3 Create and Practice a Personal “Infomercial”
Practice communicating your unique professional identity clearly and concisely. What makes you special? What type of work are you looking for? Tell people what you want. “Help them help you.” What does success look like for you? If, based on your inventory, there might be multiple job options available to you, create a clear message for each.

Tip #4 Keep Your Resume Up to Date
When was the last time you updated your resume? Without an up-to-date resume, you may miss a golden opportunity! Review your resume at least every 6 months. Keep a “kudos” file with complimentary emails, project successes, and other accomplishments so you don’t have to strain your brain trying to remember what you’ve done. Make sure your resume is focused, concise, achievement-oriented and error free.

Tip #5 – Tell Everyone You Know What You’re Looking For
Most people who land new opportunities do so through people they know. Make a list of everyone you know – colleagues, friends, relatives, fellow members of professional organizations, people you used to work with, vendors, etc. – and then contact them to let them know you’re looking, and exactly what you’re looking for. You never know who might know someone who is looking for someone like you!!

OK. That should get you started. Next time I’ll have some more tips for putting your plan into action.

Till then,

Karen

The post 5 Tips to Jump Start Your Job Search appeared first on PeopleThink.

1. 1. 1. Women – stop with the cleavage already. I don’t care what your age, I don’t care what type of job you are interviewing for, do not show cleavage. It is as simple as that.  Cover up!
      2. Gentlemen – is it really necessary to unbutton that third button? Really? No, the interviewer does not need to see your hairy chest.
      3. Be careful of your aroma. Go easy on the deodorant, cologne, perfume, hair spray, make-up.
      4. Don’t eat before your interview. You don’t want bad breath or something stuck between your teeth. Now THAT would be a distraction.
      5. Do NOT wear blue jeans to the interview. It does not matter how casual the environment. Dress smart. You can show you have style and will fit into the environment wearing something other than blue jeans. Wait until you have the job, then knock your socks off. (And oh by the way, even if you do have the nicest loafers in town and are into the preppy look, DO wear socks!)
      6. Do not check your phone while waiting in the lobby. What could possibly be as important as making a good first impression? What you need to do is pay attention to the employees walking through the lobby and try to get a feel for the culture of the organization.The last thing you need is to have someone walk up to you while you are engrossed in texting. And don’t forget to turn your phone off! Can you imagine having to dig through your purse or pocket to find it, and then shut it off with all the associated apologies and distractions?
      7. Do not slouch, slump back in the chair, or lean on the interviewer’s desk. No one hires a wet noodle. Sit up straight, smile, and make good eye contact.
      8. Do not show up with scuffed shoes. As cool and hip as you might think it is to have scuffed shoes – polish them before your interview. It is a small detail that an interviewer might notice. If you don’t notice that your shoes need polishing, what other detail might you overlook?
      9. Do not ask questions that are answered by the company’s website. Yes, be prepared with questions and be certain they are smart questions.
      10. Do not under any circumstances badmouth your previous boss, your horrible last company, your nightmare teammate. Rise above it. Find something nice to say, or, as my Dad used to say “if you don’t have something nice to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.”

Yes, these are actually hysterical. Yes, they happen. Startling, I know.

While on your interview, be yourself, stay positive, smile, say good things, be smart and think before you speak.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Preparing for an Interview? Avoid These “No-No’s” appeared first on PeopleThink.

Take inventory. Ask yourself: Who am I today? What do I stand for, and how do I show up in the world? Think about your values and really pay attention to where you are with them today. Are your career and your life aligned with your values? Take stock of your natural talents. Those are the innate skills that evoke such comments as “you make that look so easy,” or “you’re a natural.” Once you combine your values with your natural talents and recognize who you are right now, you can begin dreaming about the possibilities for what’s next. It’s no longer about what you “should” do, it’s about what you “want” to do. It’s about having a clear sense of self. Dare to create a life without asking for anyone’s approval.

Create YOU. You are a different person today than you were 5, 10, 20 years ago. Bask in your journey so far, and continue to think about the road ahead. When describing yourself and dreaming about the future, rework how you portray yourself. Start speaking in the future tone of “I want…” Keep the possibilities ahead of you. Don’t allow “no” to creep into your vocabulary. Keep the naysayers away!

Design Your Future. Write down all the possibilities. Keep a Dream Journal and continue to add to it. What are the things you want to do and accomplish? Rank them. Take the Number 1 dream and begin to imagine it coming true. Make a list of ways to attain it. Keep adding to it. Keep imagining it. It’s essential to have clarity and focus, and to stay on target. Don’t lose sight of your dream.

Tell Everyone. Don’t be shy. Share your dream with people who will support you in your quest to attain it. Imagine it…picture it…draw it…feel it. The more you talk about and visualize your dream, the more likely it will become a reality. Start a Dream Club. Meet once a month to share and encourage each other to strive and move toward your respective dreams. There is power and momentum in having a support structure.

Don’t Stop Now. Think about how fantastic it is to be creating the life that is right for who you are today – not yesterday, today. You need to believe that your dream can truly become a reality. Continue to add to your Dream Journal. Be bold, and you will discover your own genius.

Remember…if you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will. Dream about YOUR possibilities and then take action to make them a reality.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Dare to Dream – About YOUR Possibilities! appeared first on PeopleThink.

So how do you recognize when you’re under too much stress? It starts by being self-aware.  When you start to feel overwhelmed, pay attention to how you respond to your work and the people around you. Under stress, our positive qualities often get overextended causing negative impact. For example, someone who is detail-focused and analytical may exhibit “analysis paralysis” under stress.  Someone who is typically creative and social may become impulsive and overly emotional under extreme stress. And the “people person” who brings harmony to every meeting may suddenly become stubborn and resistant.  When Mr. Peabody becomes Attila the Hun it’s time to get a handle on stress.

“Oh, right,” you say. “There’s work to be done and we’re down two people….I don’t want to lose my job…I just need to get through this month and then I’ll (fill in the blank): get back to my family, get back to my workouts, get back to my life.”

OK, people. Listen up. Part, not all, but PART of the reason we’re in this environment is that we allowed it to happen. Just like Lucy and Ethel in that famous bit in the chocolate factory, the more we demonstrated a willingness to work more, work faster, sacrifice life balance for the sake of a pay raise or out of fear for our job, the faster the conveyor belt went. The 40-hour work week turned into 50, then 60. Vacations? Who has time? Off hours? What are those? Welcome to our 24 x 7 world of work.

So what to do? I say, let’s take back our lives. Let’s stop the insanity and lean out for a change. Here’s how.

1. 1. Set boundaries.  Establish a time after which you don’t take work phone calls or respond to work emails, texts, smoke signals, whatever. Manage expectations about your “work hours.”
   2. Be willing to say “no.” When asked to do something with a clearly unreasonable deadline or without appropriate resources, explain the impact it will have on your current work. Offer alternative dates, suggest alternative resources.
   3. Stop and pause. Do a personal check-in. Adjust priorities, if needed. Take a break.
   4. Breathe. Deeply and often.
   5. Laugh. Find something to laugh about every day. It’s good medicine.

“If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.”
-George Burns (who lived to be 100)

The post Stress at Work – 5 Tips for Managing It appeared first on PeopleThink.

Taking some time to think through whether you’re on the right path – one that is fulfilling for you – will help you assess whether you need to make changes. It will also provide you with the opportunity to look differently at where you are. Maybe it’s the best place for you – for now. Maybe not. Either way, unless you pause and reflect, you’re not gonna know! So…grab a blank piece of paper and some colorful markers. Find a quiet place and give yourself the gift of some time to think through these questions.

How do my values map to the organization I’m working for? Of course, you need to know what your values are for this step. Think about your top 5 values. Write them down. Then think about the values demonstrated by your leader and by your organization. Do they align with yours? Or is there a major disconnect that may be contributing to your discomfort or dissatisfaction?

Why did I choose my current role, and why do I stay? Many of us end up in jobs based on opportunity or need rather than by career design.  This may go on for years until we wake up one day and realize how far off we are from our desired track. This is your WAKE UP CALL!!

How is what I’m doing moving me toward my ultimate career goal? Now that you’re awake and thinking about all of this – take it deeper. What IS your ultimate career goal? What skills, knowledge or experience in your current role will help you get there? If nothing, then it might be time to give some serious thought to making a change.

Reflecting on these questions (and, of course, doing something about the answers!) will help you identify what’s important to you, and ensure that you are coloring 2014 in a way that is going to be meaningful and fulfilling for YOU.

Till next time,

Karen

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The post Color Your Year Fulfilling: 3 Key Career Questions for 2014 appeared first on PeopleThink.