I am in the process of onboarding a part-time executive assistant service and in support of that, this week I read a book by Michael Hyatt titled Your World-Class Assistant (Hiring, Training, and Leveraging an Executive Assistant). Each of us has key accountabilities that drive our success. These are our highest level priorities. And yet, we are buried in a wide array of work and personal tasks. It isn’t always clear which directly supports these priorities and which don’t.

More Time. More Impact…

Career Growth. There Is No Perfect Path

One of the major roadblocks to career growth, is operating on the assumption or belief that there is a perfect career, one magic job or profession that someone should be in, and that if it could be identified, would be the solution to everything. Or, it's the dream job at a Google or Tesla, so far from where they are currently as to be like a Mount Everest to their basic hiking capabilities.

So, in the absence of finding the perfect career (aka right answer)…

There's more to career growth than aspirations and goals. These four key career growth questions provide a grounded foundation for pursuing those professional goals. I had an excellent intake meeting this week with a Career Growth Program member, someone fully embedded in one company and his leadership role. He had enrolled in the program not because he intends to move jobs but rather with a view to having more influence over what happens in his 50's and beyond. The thought process of our intake…

Professional Gratitude

It can be very easy to get lost in the dark side of what’s not going well. What could you be grateful for right now in your professional life? For me, I’m feeling grateful on a variety of fronts and excited and energized by the work that I get to do. The Career Growth Program now has customers going through their first month with great feedback and there are more about to start. I’m working with some talented and interesting clients and I’m grateful for the trust they besto…

Lessons in How to Manage Your Career & Personal Impact from My Dad

My Dad, David Christie, passed away peacefully on Sunday after a long but dignified journey with Alzheimer’s. Reflecting on his life and career, four themes occur to me that serve as valuable reminders for our professional and personal lives. My Dad started his career with the Royal Bank 3 days after completing high school and retired with the bank 43 years later. Here’s what comes to mind as being key lessons from his life.

Old Fa…

Understand Your Strengths

I can’t sing. I’d like to, but I am hopelessly off key. In the company of more musically gifted friends, it is glaringly obvious to them, and the more musical they are, the more uncomfortable it is for them to listen to me. They hear, or see something that I don’t.

What do I mean by “seeing”? 

We all have the ability to see things that not everyone else does. Patterns, ideas, problems, structure, systems. They are subtle, near invisible things, obvious only to those who ha…