Playing a little mind trick on yourself can work wonders, says Lori Scherwin of Strategize That, a career coaching service. “We’re often better at helping others than ourselves,” she notes. “Make the situation more objective and less personal to you. For example, consider if it were anyone else in the situation (like your best friend, partner or colleague). How would you see the same ‘problem?’ What advice might you give them to get out of it?” she asks. This will help you shift from being super hard on yourself to more objective, and most likely, more positive.
How to Stop Busywork from Holding Your Career Progress Back →
Always tie your work and tasks to clear business priorities, says Lori Scherwin, founder of the career-consulting firm Strategize That. "When other work pops up, ask yourself how it fits into producing one of those goals," she says. "If it doesn't, it likely falls into the category of busywork and gives you a reasonable basis to push back on doing it," she says.
11 Ways To Recover After A Really Bad Day →
Focus On What You Can Learn:
While it may be annoying in the moment, figuring out what you can learn from your bad day can be mighty helpful in moving past it. As certified professional coach Lori Scherwin says, "Literally ask yourself 'What good is coming out of this?' or 'What will I do differently next time?'" It'll also help you gain some much-needed perspective.
Link to full Bustle.com article
How to Handle 5 Tricky Situations with Coworkers
Many of us see our coworkers more often than we do our significant others, and when you spend that much time with anyone, the occasional uncomfortable scenario is inevitable. “It's common for tricky situations to emerge in the workplace,” says Lori Scherwin, founder of career firm Strategize That. “In all situations, you have the ability to choose how you interpret it."
"Attitude matters, so keep a positive one,” Scherwin says. And take a moment to get your feelings in check before responding—you'll want to make sure you respond to the situation objectively and not emotionally. Then, follow this expert advice to handle the unpleasantness gracefully.
Performance-Management Mistakes You Need to Stop Making →
“Often, scores are given arbitrarily, with managers varying in how tough they are at ranking team members,” says Lori Scherwin, founder of Strategize That. “Some are fair, some are easy [in order to promote] goodwill; and others are harsh, to generate higher productivity.”
Without an agreed-upon rubric, performance rankings have no value, for both managers and employees. “[Random scoring] leads to mistrust and a lack of belief in the system,” Scherwin points out. “Ultimately, when performance management is unfair -- or even seems unfair -- you lose the engagement of your team, which can cause negative feelings and turnover.”
Scherwin suggests that instead of ranking employees, it’s best to have a balanced approach to performance management. Rather than identifying and focusing on the negative, managers should be encouraged to discuss the positive as well, so employees know their strengths and are rewarded for positive behaviors.
17 Happy, Healthy Choices You Should Make In 2017 →
From February, 2017 edition of Redbook:
Stick up for yourself: You don't have to be a fifth-grader to know a bully, and one study found that dishing hostility back to a grown-up one, like a mean boss, can make you feel better. But is that what you'd tell your 10-year-old to do? Lori Scherwin, founder of the consulting firm Strategize That, says the better solution (and one that'll keep you employed) is to advocate for yourself, not lob accusations. "Instead of saying, 'I hate that you don't give me credit for my work,' try instead, 'I love the work I'm doing. I'd like to get more credit for it. How can we make that happen?'" advises Scherwin.
When and How to Complain to Your Boss →
When should you complain? “You should feel comfortable raising concerns to your boss if you are not growing and developing or something is getting in the way of your success--the reality is is that this could also impact the company's success. A happy team is a productive team and your boss likely wants everything running smoothly,” says career coach Lori Scherwin.
What should you complain about? “Don't complain just because you feel tired or overworked. Whining isn't an option. But if you can isolate the driver or root problem and suggest alternatives, you can still dig your way out with their help,” advises Scherwin. “For example, don't simply say ‘I've got too much to do and that sucks.' Say ‘we are working on four important projects at the same time. I want them all to go well--can you help me prioritize and or allocate additional resources?’"
There is a way to complain. “Be solutions oriented. Help them help you. Never come with problems only. The agenda should be problem and a suggested solution. You are much more likely to get help if you provide first thoughts on an optimal outcome,” says Scherwin.
9 Signs You’re in the Wrong Career—and How to Find Work You Love →
A sign you need a career change is if you've plateaued, stopped growing, and see no future growth opportunity in your current role or industry. "If you are bored and lack passion, it's probably time to shake things up," says Lori Scherwin, an executive coach and the founder of the NYC-based Strategize That, a firm that works with professionals to build winning strategies for their careers. "Growth is critical for your ongoing success—take the initiative to find it."
Link to Reader's Digest article
Read more9 ways to inspire your team to bring their A-game every day →
As the boss, it’s your job to lead your team to greatness. This doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a day-by-day process, which can wear down even the most enterprising employees. (Hey, it’s not called “the grind” for nothing.) So how do you keep your team motivated to consistently perform at peak level.
Monster asked nine career coaches for ways to keep your employees fired up to perform like champions every day. (Note: This will make you look awesome, too.)
Get out of the way
“Leave employees alone. That might sound counterintuitive, but backing off is a great—and underutilized—way of motivating your team. Top performers want space to be their best, all the while feeling a real sense of trust from above.” —Lori Scherwin, founder of Strategize That in New York City
Why Summer Is a Great Time for a Job Search →
Summer is a great time to slow down and reevaluate your career goals, Scherwin says. “Hopefully there is a lull in your workflow, which gives you an opportunity to take a step back and think about where you are, where you’ve been and where you want to go,” she says. It’s halfway between this year’s New Year’s resolutions and next year’s. Is your career progressing like you wanted?
19 Signs Your Work Environment Is Toxic & Affecting You Negatively
"A toxic work environment is any that makes you feel uncomfortable, unappreciated, or undervalued. This can range from all out bullying, screaming and talked down to, to more subtle forms of poor communication, setting people up for failure, mismanagement and an air of hostility. It can come from your boss, your peers, your juniors and even your clients. No one should ever have to work in an environment that causes your stomach to go in quivers but the unfortunate reality is it's more normal than we'd prefer. Often professionals 'accept it' as is, which can do more harm for you in the long-run, both professionally and also personally," says Certified Professional Coach Lori Scherwin to Bustle.
Your Boss Has Been Fired! Now What? →
Oh no! Your boss has been fired. Should you dust off your resume ASAP? First, take a deep breath. Second, examine the situation. “It can feel nerve-wracking when your direct manager is let go. But, take a step back before panicking. It could be indicative of a broader reorg but it could also be a function of their performance or fit - which could even benefit you near and or longer-term. If it's performance related, that may or may not have implications for you,” explains professional coach Lori Scherwin, founder of Strategize That.
Read more5 Things To Do This Weekend To Make Monday The Most Productive Day Of The Week →
"One of the best ways to actually be primed for a great week ahead is to take the time to recharge," says Lori Scherwin, founder of the management and productivity consulting firm Strategize That. "When we enjoy our weekends, we go back to work refreshed, focused, and feeling more balanced and less resentful." "It may sound counter-intuitive, but it works so well—tune out of work so that you ultimately tune in better."
Off to the fair: How to choose job fairs to attend →
Plan out your day. Rather than gallivanting around a room waiting for something to catch your eye, proactively determine where you’d like to focus your efforts, says certified professional coach Lori Scherwin, also founder of Strategize That in New York.
“If available, find out who from each company will be attending and research their role and background to foster even greater conversation,” she adds.
Focus, focus, focus. Instead of trying to speak with the greatest number of people, focus on developing a rapport with a select number of recruiters from companies where you want to work. Scherwin says that’s the best way to make you memorable.
Your goal should be to articulate clearly and concisely who you are, what you are looking for and how you could best contribute to their firm, she adds.
How to Win Friends On the Job →
Adds professional coach Lori Scherwin, founder of Strategize That, “Relationships can make or break your career. As you grow in your role and get more senior, aptitude/doing the tasks of your job well, is just the ante. Right or wrong, there is a lot of subjectivity in any office dynamic. Impact and influence are critical success drivers and having allies in your court at the office--at all levels senior, junior and peer--will help you progress (and make the job a whole lot more enjoyable, too).”
Going it alone on the job can backlash. “If you aren't likable in the office, chances are you aren't happy either. Attitude gets in the way of performance and can cloud otherwise good work. If you don't like where you are and you don't like your colleagues, it’s time to find a new path. We spend too much of our lives working to not enjoy it,” Scherwin points out.
Share insight. What you do in your role will likely help others do their job better too. Sharing isn't bragging - the more colleagues cooperate and communicate, the better it is for everyone involved,” suggests Scherwin.
Link to article
Advice for mid-career professionals
“You benefit by managing your career, in addition to simply doing your daily work projects. Take stock of what you are good at, what is important to you and what you enjoy, and maximize your time accordingly. As part of this, it is critically important to advocate for yourself—speak up, share your accomplishments, communicate what you want and find sponsors both within and outside of your company.” —Lori Scherwin, founder of Strategize That in New York City
Link to full article
Tips to find a C-level position
“Be clear about your unique value proposition. Know what you do, what problems you solve and who you help better than anyone. Reframe your career trajectory from skills and accomplishments to value provided. Your interviews will be more compelling as a result, maximizing the odds of the perfect fit.” —Lori Scherwin, founder of Strategize That in New York City
Read moreHow to answer the interview question: ‘What will you miss about your last job?’ →
Interviewers ask this question to learn about your professionalism, your attitude and to get a sense of whether you will be a cultural fit for the job, says Lori Scherwin, founder of the New York City-based career coaching business Strategize That.
Mention skills that will transfer easily
When discussing what you’ll miss about your last job, try to incorporate skills or challenges that you can apply to the position you’re interviewing for, Scherwin says. Choose something that you learned that will help you in a new role. Say you’ll miss applying the specific management training and experience you got at your prior job. Then mention that you look forward to carrying that skill set over in your new position, she suggests.
“Hard as it may be if the wounds are fresh from a job you couldn’t stand, try to recall what first excited you about that role and talk to that experience,” Scherwin says. “If you simply cannot recall anything positive about working there, consider what you learned about the experience of hating your job and reframe it into a positive, i.e. ‘My role at ABC company gave me a lot of opportunity to balance challenges and taught me about problem solving.’”
The right way to quit
Make sure the reason you quit comes from a “desire for change, rather than fear,” advises Lori Scherwin, a certified personal coach and the founder of Strategize That, a professional and personal coaching firm. Don’t let your fear of success or potential for failure change your course.
The right time to quit a job is when your “circumstances have changed and you are unhappy with no future path, are blatantly disrespected and undervalued and have already tried various solutions to make things better.”
Scherwin also says to choose a “run-to vs. run-from situation.” It’s better if you know where you want to go for your next move rather than simply “escaping the current.” Otherwise you risk finding yourself feeling equally discontent somewhere else.
How to Advance In Your Career Without Becoming A Workaholic
No, your career advancement is not only about you. Lori Sherwin, certified professional coach and founder of New York City-based firm Strategize That, says relationships are the single most important factor for success as you advance in your career. "Growing in your career takes more than aptitude; attitude and relationships matter," she says. Read on for more.
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