We’re a women-owned business. And proud of it. As part of our work, we focus on developing, training, and investing in young women and girls around the world through corporations, non-profits, and education systems.When we look at issues for young women today, bullying comes to the top of the list. We are not neutral about how to solve for this. We believe that children and young adults need to learn the skills to navigate their lives - with advocates and adversaries to their success.So what does our staff want to share with young women today? Fellow Fierceling, Ashley Wolf, has interviewed some of our staff about advice they have for young women, and two major themes arose.Speak Your Truth. At Fierce, speaking your truth is about being authentic. With media and many other influences pushing against them, it is especially important for young women today to learn to be comfortable in their own skin. This starts with important conversations with yourself.We aren’t just talking any conversations - you need to make them fierce. In fact, the definition of a Fierce Conversation is one in which you come out from behind yourself into the conversation and make it real. Whenever you notice yourself being less real, take a moment and ask yourself why. When you recognize why you do certain things, it is easier to make changes. Empower Change. If it is to be, it is up to me is a core concept in our Fierce Accountability work. It is about taking a responsible approach to make needed changes. When it comes to bullying or other issues, it can feel extremely dangerous to do anything about it. And yet, change requires your actions.Don’t make excuses or point fingers to create change. You are capable of making the changes needed - whether it is acting differently yourself or having a critical conversation.Start by giving your child room to discover their own voice. The next time your child comes to you with a problem, don’t jump to solving it for them. Encourage them to explore all aspects of the issue and let them come up with their own course of action. Then help them put their plan into motion. What advice do you have for young women?The post Advice to Young Women appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and explores why it is so difficult for people to negotiate on their own behalf.As a leader in your organization, you spend countless hours negotiating contracts with clients, wrangling outside vendors, and advocating for your department. But when was the last time you capitalized on an opportunity for yourself?Advocating for your own needs is just as important as closing a big deal. It not only drives career fulfillment, but also has the potential to spark positive organizational change.Regardless of how strongly we feel about an opportunity, negotiating on our own behalf feels much less comfortable than negotiating on behalf of an organization. Be Your Own Best Advocate recommends building a strategy for everyday negotiations that focuses on four steps: recognize, prepare, initiate, and navigate.How do you recognize negotiation opportunities?"The issue should be important to you, but your desired outcome should not only benefit you personally but also benefit your organization, as a result of your increased productivity and commitment and new cultural norms that allow colleagues to achieve the same. The decision to negotiate should be made with a sense of the end in mind."Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: Be Your Own Best Advocate appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

When people first hear the word fierce, there are varying reactions. Some think that fierce means scary. Others think brutal or harsh. For some, they think of Beyoncé…as in "Sasha Fierce".To help explain what we mean in our workshop, we ask: What do you think about the word fierce when someone is fiercely dedicated to you? When I first facilitated that question with a group, I loved the "ah ha’s" in the room. Let’s be honest. We all crave having and being associated with fierce dedication. It infers depth and devotion. Those two things can be hard to come by in this ever-changing, moving world.So I ask: What are you fiercely dedicated to? Your partner? Your parents? A cause?Can you say that you are fiercely dedicated to your work? I hope so. You deserve to love what you do.Whenever I think about dedication, I think about Steve Jobs from Apple. During a Fortune interview almost ten years ago, he said "We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and everyone should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it."This week’s tip is to become more dedicated in an area of your life that matters most to you. Set specific goals for the rest of 2015. Decide whether you will spend more time, resources, or mental energy towards it.Where do you want to show fierce dedication? The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Don’t Hesitate - Become Fiercely Dedicated Now appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

I have always admired the rituals and connection that people in the United States military share. I had a unique experience as a child, because my father was in the military and my birthday is Veterans Day (and no, that wasn’t planned). That means most birthdays I spent at Veterans Day ceremonies and taking pictures with fighter jets and submarines. Despite those glitzy elements, hearing the Veterans’ stories was my favorite part. Every time I asked Veterans about their service, despite the hardships and sacrifices, their eyes often lit up. They would tell stories about their purpose, and their comrades, and their experiences. I’ve reflected a lot on that over the years - especially going into the human capital/people strategy field.So I have to ask: How many of your employees’ eyes would light up talking about being on your team? Are your employees connected to the purpose? Are they emotionally moved by what you stand for? Do they feel connected with each other?We all crave connection - whether we admit it or not. For many, we get this outside of the office. We ride Harleys, or religiously follow an NFL team, or compete in Ironman Triathlons. In all three of those outlets, I have seen full-grown men and women cry. Cried from disappointment, cried from joy, and were deeply moved by their chosen tribes. They talk about their purpose, and the group, and what they learn.More than ever we want to feel moved in our workplace. This isn’t Kumbaya or spiritual circle kind of stuff. In fact, research shows that job seekers increasingly care about their connection to the purpose and impact of their organization. A 2015 Deloitte survey found that six in ten millennials shared that a "sense of purpose is part of the reason they chose their current employer." Yes, in this current "war for talent", it has everything to do with your bottom line.This Veterans Day, I encourage you to better your team’s connection with its purpose. Here are three simple places to start:Hold one-on-one’s with your team members. Create a curious space where you ask how connected your team members feel to the purpose of the job and the team. Don’t get defensive. Ask them about their ideas. What would make them feel more connected? Is there something that needs to be talked about that is getting in the way? Where can they contribute?Write a Stump Speech with your team. The questions are in this blog. The Stump Speech is a great exercise to take your team through. It sets groundwork for the future by exploring internal and external requirements. It is simple and to the point. Once completed, you can go back to the document and discuss as a team what has changed over time.Find your own connection with the purpose. It is so important to tap into your own connection. When people question misalignment with your team’s purpose, they will pay close attention to how you react. Susan Scott, Fierce Founder, says, "There is no trivial comment as a leader." And I would add, there is no trivial reaction. People are watching, and they will spot integrity outages from miles away. That’s where your internal job comes in. Are you where you need to be?The post Three Tips to Connect Your Team with Purpose appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Following recent concerns about security and travel, within Europe and especially in cities, The Performance Solution has expanded our Skype coaching, mentoring and coach supervision service. Our professionally qualified coaches are now available for Skype appointments and these are being offered at preferential rates to take account of reduced travel time and costs.   Several clients have chosen to continue their development with one hour Skype slots and to use these more frequently  to clarify strategies and goals, settle into the first hundred days in a new role, gain support for first management roles, cope with high demands and stress and a myriad of other topics. We are currently Skype coaching people in Australia, UAE (Dubai), France, Germany, UK and USA - so no need to give up on your own development if your travel has been restricted.   In addition to business coaching we also have qualified specialists available for coach supervision, and life coaching interventions including NLP, Bach flower and content free coaching.     The post TPS’s Skype coaching, mentoring and coach supervision service appeared first on The Performance Solution.

The ending of a mentoring relationship is an opportunity for celebration and taking stock.  Devon discusses how to make the most out of concluding a mentoring relationship.

It’s not always easy to fit everything we need to say on our website. Sometimes there are additional conversations that we need to post. More later…

We believe that authentic career satisfaction and success comes from a crystal clear view of the individual; their talents, gifts, and yes, foibles and vulnerabilities. Organizations are increasingly complex to navigate and lead. Thriving in a workplace of constant change requires organizational savvy like never before. Therefore, personal branding - how to be yourself with skill - has come to the forefront as a deliberate strategy for managing your reputation within your organization. A personal brand is how you define and differentiate yourself. Your personal brand is what it takes to prosper and stand out in the midst of ongoing workplace challenges. Just like an organization, every individual has a brand…whether you like it or not. Your challenge is to learn what your brand is, emphasize your strengths, and position yourself to communicate the heck out of it. What makes you better, different, or more special? What differentiates you and your team from others? How does your collective brand align with the organization’s mission, vision and values?

Here at The Learning Café, we are passionate and expert about learning. One of the key drivers of productive learning is pointed curiosity — the beautiful art of asking the right questions. Curious clients and colleagues often ask us to elaborate on the heartbeat of TLC. Here is our answer, in a video that gives you a glimpse inside the uniqueness and spirit of The Learning Café.

We believe that authentic career satisfaction and success comes from a crystal clear view of the individual; their talents, gifts, and yes, foibles and vulnerabilities. Organizations are increasingly complex to navigate and lead. Thriving in a workplace of constant change requires organizational savvy like never before. Therefore, personal branding - how to be yourself with skill - has come to the forefront as a deliberate strategy for managing your reputation within your organization. A personal brand is how you define and differentiate yourself. Your personal brand is what it takes to prosper and stand out in the midst of ongoing workplace challenges. Just like an organization, every individual has a brand…whether you like it or not. Your challenge is to learn what your brand is, emphasize your strengths, and position yourself to communicate the heck out of it. What makes you better, different, or more special? What differentiates you and your team from others? How does your collective brand align with the organization’s mission, vision and values? Here is a short clip on Building Your Personal Brand. For more information check out thelearningcafe.net