The Meeting After the Meeting: Navigating Informal Power Structures
Miriam is a Director of Marketing at a mid-size tech company. After weeks of preparation, she presented a campaign proposal to the leadership team. It was well-researched, well-scoped, and the room respond well. Her VP gives it a verbal green light at the end of the meeting. Miriam leaves feeling good. The next morning, she gets a two-line email. The initiative is on hold pending "further budget review." What happened? The Head of Finance (who was in that meeting, said nothin
Judy Sims
6 min read
When Senior Leadership Gets It Wrong: Speaking Truth to Power
When I was 27 years old, I was a junior member of the marketing team at a large newspaper company. The VP of Marketing wanted to promote reading our Sunday paper as a “slow, relaxing, weekend experience.” He was in his 50s. So was the head of the boutique advertising firm he hired to create the ad campaign. They were golfing buddies or something. The campaign slogan was “Spread Out Sunday”. It featured people with the newspaper dissected into its multiple sections, spread out
Judy Sims
8 min read
The Strategic Visibility Plan: Getting Credit for Your Work
More than two decades ago, I was at a young employee’s bridal shower when her mother pulled me aside. She wanted to tell me about how when Katie was a teenager, she’d come home from school every afternoon and just… do things. The kitchen floor would be mopped. The bath towels magically washed and folded. There was never any announcement or ask for credit. Katie simply saw what needed doing and did it. For a working mom holding everything together, it was invaluable. Katie’s
Judy Sims
7 min read
6 Reasons Women Get Stuck at the Director Level
You know it and I know it: you are good at your job. You have the track record. You have the results. You’ve probably been told — more than once — that you’re “ready.” And yet, here you are. Still at Director. Still watching colleagues get promoted past you. Still getting vague feedback that doesn’t tell you a damn thing about what’s actually in your way. Here’s what I need you to hear: you are not the problem. What’s happening to you has a shape. It has patterns. And once yo
Judy Sims
5 min read
6 Types of Difficult Bosses (and how to manage them)
Not too long ago, a new friend and I came to the hilarious realization that we had both worked for the same difficult boss at some point in our careers. We laughed and laughed as we compared and contrasted: How did you handle him when he... Did he ever tell you to... How did you survive????? It was a funny moment. But neither of us found it remotely funny when we were working for him. You know the situation. Your boss is disorganized, conflict-avoidant, takes credit for your
Judy Sims
11 min read
The Sponsorship Gap: Why you need more than a mentor
I had quite a few mentors early in my career. They were lovely people who saw something in me and were willing to spend time guiding and advising whenever I asked. I was even a part of a mentorship group where a few of us women met once per month to talk about our careers. I will always value the effort they made and the kindness they showed. The thing is though, none of those mentors had the power to actually get me promoted. Who did? My sponsors. Those were the people in se
Judy Sims
5 min read
How to Decode Office Politics Without Losing Your Soul
I remember the first time I saw office politics in action. I was 25 years old and in my first real job as a marketing analyst at a newspaper company. I was thrilled to be invited to a meeting where senior leaders were discussing how to position the paper for the 21 st century (yes, I’m that old). The advertising department had their view, the newsroom had their view, the circulation department had their view, and there was a lot of fascinating conversation. Then the publish
Judy Sims
7 min read
The Art of Saying No Without Saying 'Sorry'
I bet you've been in this situation. You've been in back-to-back meetings all morning when your phone buzzes. It's a colleague (who you actually really like) asking if you can "jump on a quick call" to review something or other. Your calendar is already packed and you're up against a 3:30 PM deadline. Your fingers hover over the keyboard, and you catch yourself typing: "I'm so sorry, but..." Stop. Right. There. Why "Sorry" Undermines Your Professional Boundaries When you apol
Judy Sims
5 min read