Reading Your Boss: Figuring Out What They Actually Need from You
My first boss was an 18-year-old manager at a shop called Suzy Shier. Shawna was smart, observant, and a great coach. But most importantly, she was a master communicator. I always knew exactly what was expected of me and she didn’t hesitate to give praise or performance improvement suggestions. Fifteen-year-old me had no idea how good I had it. Since then, I've had a succession of astoundingly poor communicators. One said "no" to anything slightly risky, but without an explan
Judy Sims
7 min read
How to Disconnect on Vacation and Actually Come Back Recharged
Do you suck at truly disconnecting while on vacation? Yeah, me too. Does this sound familiar? You've finally booked the time off, the flights are paid for, and the out-of-office is on. But somewhere in the back of your mind, a quieter plan is already running: how many times a day you'll "just quickly check" your inbox from a beach chair, a hotel lobby, a rental car. Maybe you'll leave the Slack notifications on, just in case something comes up. Oh, and that meeting your boss
Judy Sims
5 min read
You're Getting Things Done. That's Exactly the Problem.
My client Amanda delivers. Something's about to blow up? Amanda will handle it. And she'll do it without complaint. Her team runs smoothly. Her stakeholders not only trust her, but flat out couldn't live without her. She gets results. She steps up. She solves problems. All with an unflappability that makes it look like she was born to do her job. And that's the problem. She's too good at her job. And it's costing her. This is the Capable Executor profile. It's one of the most
Judy Sims
6 min read
The Competence Assumption: Stop Proving Yourself Over and Over
I have blonde hair, big eyes, and big boobs. There’s a lot of privilege that comes with being a WASPy woman, but there’s also a considerable downside. When people first meet me, they often assume I’m stupid. It’s happened since I first stepped into a corporate office as a 25-year-old marketing analyst. Of course, the man who started the same week as me didn’t start at the same place as me. He was at “seems sharp, let’s see what he does.” He got the benefit of the doubt before
Judy Sims
5 min read
The Story Being Told About You Is Wrong (And You're Letting It Happen)
Stop treating your reputation as something that simply happens to you and start treating it as something you actively manage.
Judy Sims
8 min read
How to Fight for Your Team Without Being Called "Difficult"
For the past two years, my client Vivian has been trying to get two new hires approved for her search marketing team. Her team is stretched waaaaay too thin. Their work is relentless, highly specialized, meticulous, and let’s face it, not all that glamorous (which means they don't get a lot of recognition in the organization). In short, they are highly effective invisible workhorses who are currently running on fumes. A few weeks ago, I received an emergency call from Vivian
Judy Sims
6 min read
Before You Quit: Ask Yourself These 5 Questions
My client Tracy has been in her role for 4 years. She’s great at her job and everyone knows it. She’s a classic capable executor. But the last two times a senior position opened up, it was filled by someone brought in from outside. HR has lots of advice for her about “continued development opportunities”. Her boss tells her to “keep doing what you’re doing”. Tracy has a colleague who did finally get promoted after 6 years in her role. But the pay increase wasn’t what she expe
Judy Sims
10 min read
Protecting Your Team from Organizational Chaos
I once had a job where in a span of two years, I had 6 different bosses. Three of those bosses overlapped, as in I had three bosses at the same time because someone decided a matrix structure was a good idea. It wasn’t. Two of the bosses were aligned against the third. Opposing priorities, conflicting personalities, power battles and turf wars became a part of my daily life. Both sides demanded my loyalty. To be honest, neither side deserved it. I walked the line between the
Judy Sims
7 min read