Executive Impressions - Kara Ronin

Hello everyone. As you've probably noticed, I haven't posted on this page in a really long time. I'm more active on Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. So I've decided to not post updates on this page in the future. If you'd like to see my future posts, please find me on any of the three social media platforms I mentioned above. I hope to see you there!

If you're great at your job and blitz past all of your targets 😇, why would your boss NOT promote you?

This is a great question.

Some of you may be asking yourself this right now (although, I hope not because I do hope 🙏 you get promoted).

But the reality is, promotions are not always fair.

Unfortunately, some people who are FAR from competent, often lazy or really difficult to work with somehow get promoted.

While you're still doing all of the work!😁

How does this happen?

Well, listen up, because I'm going to drop some truth bombs 💡 here. Here we go...

🔥 You're not getting promoted because of these reasons (there are more, but let's make this simple):

💡 1. You're TOO GOOD at your job.
Meaning you do your job so well 😇, if your boss promotes you, they'll have to function without you. Either they'll do your work themselves or they'll be forced to look for a replacement and spend time training them up. It's easier to keep you in your job, no?

💡 2. You act like an EMPLOYEE.
Meaning, you stick to the tasks you're assigned and you don't take initiative for "moving out of the pack" as Jack Welch puts it. You don't showcase your skill to work on higher-level projects. And you never put your hand up for them because it's outside of your job description 🤔. Playing small keeps you small.

💡 3. You act ENTITLED.
Meaning, you feel that because you've spent a certain number of years in your current role, you're entitled to be promoted - regardless of whether you've elevated your skill, or not 🙄. Promotions based on tenure are rare (of course, exceptions exist). Show your competence instead.

💡 4. You don't take FEEDBACK well.
Meaning, when your boss gives you feedback, you shrug it off and don't put in any effort to improve. You act defensive and complain 🤢 to your coworkers how unfair your boss is. Take feedback with an open mind. Maybe they have a valid point?

👇 Would you add anything else? 👇




P.S. If you want to hear more about what I have to say on this topic, check out last week's YouTube video in BIO 🌟, "Why You Did NOT Get Promoted (and what to do about it) https://youtu.be/_wxSHGI8Cm8

What is going on in your personal life will have an impact on your performance as a leader 💯

Even if it's just temporary.

We're all human at the end of the day. If we have problems or difficulties going on with our family and loved ones, it's going to take some part of your attention 😵‍💫 and focus away from your job.

This is normal.

I'm not sure if there is a heart-entered leader out there who can turn off their feelings.

🔆 Here are some strategies that you might find helpful if you resonate with this.

1. Allow yourself to FEEL 🔆
Sometimes we try to block off our feelings and continue on with the job. Recognise what's going on. If you block and try to avoid feeling, the stress will build up.

2. Take time to RESET 🔆
Even if it's a 5-10 minute break on your own to think about what's happening and map out how you're going to deal with it. Getting a strategy in your mind will help relieve some of the stress and prevent it from building up.

3. Talk to someone you TRUST 🔆
If you have a mentor or close colleague at the same level as you, talk to them about what you're going through. You don't have to discuss ALL the details of your personal life, but focus the conversation more on how you can still lead and deal with what's going on. They may have been through a similar situation and can give you some valuable guidance.

4. Talk to your TEAM 🔆
If the problem is going to be mid-long term and you know it's going to impact your focus and time spent at work, talk to your team and let them know what's going on with you. As much as you try to hide it, people are bound to know something's up. You don't want people to start making up their own minds. Keep your team informed and communicate openly with them.

👇 Do you have any additional tips on how to deal with stressful home/family situations and still lead? 👇

One of the complaints I heard a lot about online learning is that it's too passive. There's not enough opportunity to put into practice what you learn.🤔

👉 My opinion on this: it depends on how the course is designed.

If the course is designed badly and doesn't have the entire "learning experience" in mind, yes, it will be a very passive course.

But if the course is designed in a way that forces the student to retain knowledge they've learned AND put it into practice, then the course is far from passive. It's actually very ACTIVE!

And in that sense, it's a very affordable and effective way of learning.

In that spirit, I've recently 🎉 updated two of my courses on Udemy to give students an opportunity to put into practice what they learn. This in effect helps them develop new skills.

I've used one of the practice activity learning features that Udemy enables for its instructors...

Assignments ✍️

Yes, you heard me right, ASSIGNMENTS!

But don't worry, I don't ask learners to write a 2,000 word essay.

The assignments I've developed present learners with a situation they need to respond to (using what they've learned in the course).

► For example, for the 🔆 Assertive Communication Skills Masterclass, I ask learners to tell me how they would respond to various situations in an assertive way.

► And in the 🔆 Business Etiquette 101: Social Skills for Success course, I ask learners to create their own executive outfit, describe the outfit (or upload a photo) and decipher "why" this outfit suits their industry and helps them communicate their values.

These assignments have only been live for one week, and already I've received well over 🙏 100 responses! I'm still going through them all.

If you'd like to check out these courses and the NEW assignments, find them on Udemy (go to my BIO for my Instructor Page).

(P.S. You're catching these courses in the middle of the Black Friday Sale so they're at a significant discount!)

DM me if you have any questions.

Kara

For the next 5 days, I've significantly discounted my professional development video courses for the Black Friday Sale!

🔆 Sale Period: Tuesday 22nd November - Saturday 26th November (AWST) 🔆

I'm talking between $9.99 and $14.99 depending on the course you want (*prices in USD).

I only do this sale once a year.

It's really your best chance to try out one of my courses or to purchase another if you're already a student.

BTW, you're welcome to buy more than one!

👉 What courses do I have?

► Business Etiquette 101: Social Skills for Success (Bestseller with 20K+ students) https://www.udemy.com/course/business-etiquette-101-social-skills-for-success/?couponCode=BLACKSALE

► Assertive Communication Skills Masterclass (Bestseller with 20K+ students) https://www.udemy.com/course/assertive-communication-skills-masterclass/?couponCode=BLACKSALE

► Powerful, Confident Body Language (1,000+ students) https://www.udemy.com/course/powerful-confident-body-language-for-women/?couponCode=BLACKSALE

► Leadership Presence 30 Day Challenge (200+ students) https://www.udemy.com/course/leadership-presence-30-day-challenge/?couponCode=BLACKSALE

👉 How can you access the discounts?

1) Click on the link and the discounted price will immediately be applied, or
2) Go to www.udemy.com, find the course you want, click the "Apply Coupon" button, and type in BLACKSALE.

I recommend you read through the reviews before you buy. This is the best way to know if the course is the right fit for you. You can also watch some preview videos too!

If you're already a student of mine on Udemy - Thank you so much for all of your support this year ❤️. You've invested in your own professional and personal development by purchasing my courses.

And to everyone reading this post, I'm here to help you continue to succeed whether it's through my video courses, YouTube, podcast or social media posts!

Here's to an amazing end of 2022 for an even better 2023!

Kara

Around this time of year, managers and leaders around the world are getting ready to conduct their performance reviews.

Some of you will be nervous about it (yes, mangers get nervous for performance reviews too).

Others will approach it with confidence but might miss the mark in achieving its true purpose.

You see performance reviews are meant to help you (as a manager or leader) to understand and improve an employee's performance, motivation and goals.

In doing that, you can develop each individual in your team to their greatest potential, AND you can drive your entire team to achieve the team’s goals.

Performance reviews are a critical part of your management & leadership journey.

You need to know how to conduct them well!

There are three stages you need to think about:

1. Prepare (compile notes & prepare and agenda)
2. Conduct (set the stage & ask questions)
3. Follow up (create a summary and email it)

Each stage involves a different process and requires a different skill set from you.

I delve much deeper into each stage in this YouTube video https://youtu.be/ADlzje4l1BM. Watch it here or save it to your "Watch Later" list on YouTube.

Here are the timestamps ✍️
00:21 What is the purpose of a performance review?
1:01 How to prepare for a performance review?
1:20 Notes you need to prepare.
02:01 You need to ask your employee to do this.
02:58 Create an agenda for the performance review.
03:54 How to conduct a performance review.
04:17 Two really important points.
05:22 These are the 7 talking points for a performance review
12:05 How to follow up after a performance review
13:05 Questions to ask in a performance review

This is THE video you need to watch right now if you're about to conduct a performance review!

👉 What is your best tip to share with other managers and leaders for conducting performance reviews?

I know a lot of you reading this will be preparing for a performance review with your boss this month. Let’s look at how you can get it right and approach it with clarity and confidence.

✍️ 1. Highlight Your Achievements
Highlighting your achievements in the performance review will give you an opportunity to start the conversation off on a positive note.

Think about:
► Tasks you’ve enjoyed
► Activities you've received positive feedback about
► Challenges you’ve overcome

And when communicating your achievements, I encourage you to use the 🌟 PCOR method which I outline in this blog post: https://www.executive-impressions.com/blog/performancereview

✍️ 2. Talk About How You've Progressed
Talking about how you’ve progressed since your last performance review helps your boss understand how you’ve grown. What you’ve learned. How you’ve improved. This is something they might (unintentionally) overlook. They’re busy and might not always see the progress you've made. It’s your responsibility to bring this to their attention!

✍️ 3. Talk About Areas You Want to Improve On
Put your ego aside and avoid being the person who thinks they’re great at everything and doesn’t need to learn anything. You’ll get reputation of being egotistical. Instead, recognise and understand there are areas you need to work on.

Before you performance review:
► Think of 1-2 areas you need to improve on
► Look at the projects you’ve worked on. Where did your weakness lie?
► Consider role-related skills and soft skills

Use the 🌟 structure in the above/below blog post to communicate the areas you need to improve on.

✍️ 4. Ask About Future Plans
This helps you show interest in big picture. And it helps you understand how you are linked to the big picture. It’s a great conversation point for aspiring leaders or anyone who wants to advance in their career.

✍️ 5. Ask About Future Expectations
This shows you are proactive and it emphasises your willingness to learn and improve. Employers respond really well to this. They want to know the people they’ve hired are invested in their own growth and success.

👉 If you want to delve deeper into any of these tips and get 😀 examples on how to communicate each of these points, I recommend you read the 🌟 blog post I mentioned above.

Again, here is the link https://www.executive-impressions.com/blog/performancereview (P.S. Link to helpful YouTube video included in blog post)

Was this post helpful for you?

When you're a passive communicator, it can seem like an impossible feat to become assertive.

► To be able to say exactly what you think and feel.

► To be able to say "no" to people's unreasonable (or reasonable) requests.

► To set boundaries when you need to.

Yet, this is the kind of win that Benedick (and many others btw) have experienced in my Assertive Communication Skills Masterclass on Udemy. She says:

"I'm a passive communicator and thanks to this course, I believe I'm now equipped with the right knowledge on how to be an assertive one. Thank you!"

This is a big win 🎉 for Benedick and all those passive communicators out there!

There are certain myths about leadership that prevent people from thinking that leadership is possible for them. One of those myths is that if you're introverted, you can't be a leader.😂

If we look at the traditional image of a leader, for example that image that was portrayed in 1990s movies and prior to that (think Wall Street, Secrets of My Success or Pretty Woman), it's easy to think that you must be strong, bold and powerful to be a successful leader.

But we've moved on from that time. Thank goodness! Because not everybody has those personality traits. Many of us are quiet, reserved or even shy. Many of us are on the introverted personality spectrum, not the extroverted spectrum. Is leadership still within our reach?🤔

One book that comes to mind to support the theory that introverts CAN be leaders is "Quiet", by Susan Cain. In her research she has found that there are many qualities introverts possess that are incredibly important in leadership.

👉 Listening skills.
👉 Taking the time to fully understand problems.
👉 Ability to come up with the most thought-out solutions.
👉 Acknowledgement of other people's accomplishments.

If you have these skills and if you use them in your workplace interactions, then you are already using important leadership skills 🎉

There are a number of other myths that hold people back for example, thinking a title makes you a leader and leaders cannot show vulnerabilities. I go through these other myths in this month's podcast episode.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/882046/11593923-5-myths-about-leadership-that-are-holding-you-back

I started teaching on Udemy in 2016. I was living in France at the time, running my business, Executive Impressions, doing mostly online coaching. But I wanted to find a way to reach more students around the world 🌏

With my international background, I knew I didn't want to be pigeon-holed into a specific place/country. I wanted to reach people from different countries, cultures, and languages.

When I first launched my course on Udemy, I started to see new students from a few different countries enrol.

Then I launched more courses.

And more students were coming in from more and more countries.

Today, I teach people in 158 countries and 58 languages! 🔥

Would this have been possible with in-person or even online training?

I doubt it.🤔

I'm grateful 🙏 to each and every of the students who have enrolled in my course/s. I'm honoured I can be a part of your career journey.

I'm also grateful 🙏 to Udemy for putting together a great platform!

I was surprised to learn about these 10 common email phrases that are considered to be the most passive-aggressive (see below for Fast Company article).👇

The phrases are:
► Please advise
► Noted
► Friendly reminder
► Will do
► Thanks in advance
► Per out last conversation
► Circling back
► As per my last email
► As promised
► As discussed

I have to admit, I'm guilty of using *some* of these phrases 😇. I think for most of us, they're a part of our professional lexicon.

But for others, I'm finding it hard to understand "why" they're considered to be passive-aggressive.

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Passive-aggressive behaviour is a pattern of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them" 💡

I don't know about you, but when I hear "As promised", it doesn't sound like that person is trying to be indirect, or passive-aggressive. For example, "As promised, here is the xyz report I said I would send to you". It's truthful and honest.

Let's take another one, "Noted". To me, this is just a direct and quick way of saying you've understood a piece of information.

The phrase I can ✍️ see as passive aggressive is "Thanks in advance". Because here, you're indirectly communicating you expect that person to comply with your email request and you're passive-aggressively thanking them in advance.

Also, "friendly reminder" could be seen as passive-aggressive if the reminder was about something that was not friendly at all, such as you haven't yet submitted your quarterly report so you better hurry up!⏱

At the end of the day, I think we need to look at the overall message we write in our emails. If the overall message can be interpreted as passive-aggressive, then we should change it to something more assertive and polite.

But maybe you think about this differently. Do any of the above phrases strike you as passive-aggressive? Why? 👇

Link to Fast Company article is here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90796933/these-are-the-top-10-most-passive-aggressive-phrases-youre-probably-using-in-email?utm_source=newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FastCompanyCompass-Oct%2021,%202022&leadId=481077&mkt_tok=NjEwLUxFRS04NzIAAAGHnqXgDkMs0BKyAxXAwqx0XblkwRqfBclL32sgN-o-WNB-jhCmg5Lly6FVpIPIBLDXyjdCjs_yVqLNaG1GZYhiRZyFkGQTH37ZRHVQpQ

Confidence at work is key for success.

It helps people believe in you and trust you.

It convinces your manager that you're capable of high-level projects.

And it can even help you secure a promotion or pay rise (which is the season we're coming up to btw 😉).

In addition to that, according to Indeed, "94% of workers say they are happier when they feel confident at work". And we all know that happier employees means more engaged employees, and more engaged employees means more productive employees 💯.

Since confidence is such an integral part of our career success and the success of the company we work for, isn't it wise to learn how to build and nurture this incredibly important soft skill?

🤔

For me, it feels like it's been my life-long mission to learn how to build and project confidence. I detected from a young age (about 10 years) that confidence was something I lacked.

(It kind of helps when you have people around you telling you that you need to be more confident!🙄)

And throughout this journey, what I've learned is that it's actually not that hard to build confidence.

But it does take focused energy.

And knowing where to put that focused energy helps you get there faster.

This is how I came up with my confidence formula which I talk about in my next newsletter which will go out the week starting October 24th (link is here https://linktr.ee/kararonin).

If you're a smart leader and you're curious about building confidence to get the career opportunities you want, then I encourage you to join the list using the link above. You will also get access to a YouTube video where you can learn 5 steps to feel more confident at work.

Now over to you: Are you like the 94% of respondents who say they feel happier when they feel confident at work? 👇