Diversity Woman Magazine

FALL 2014

Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds

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them, 'What are your core values?' some can't tell you, or they wouldn't be able to tell you why those are their core values, or how they're living their core values in their personal and professional life. So we start there. I go through 150 values with them, and we assess. Once we get them down to fve, they might say, 'Okay, where I am right now is not working for me. Tis runs counter to what my values are.' And it's like plug and play. Once you know what your values are, it's easier to make decisions about where to go next." Tat was certainly the case with Blake. Lin guided her through a core values as- sessment that shed light on why she was eager for a change. "We discovered that my core values were freedom and creativ- ity, and my current position wasn't going to meet those needs," Blake says. But she had a career idea that did get her motor revving: she wanted to open a waxing and skin-care salon. Being an entrepreneur would give her the freedom and creativity she craved, and the salon she envisioned would allow her to live her values. "I'm passionate about natural skin care, so I wanted to introduce sugaring, a natural form of hair removal that's perva- sive in the Middle East," Blake says. "One of my other passions is working with and empowering women. In the beauty busi- ness, there's a lot of turnover. Women jump from one salon to the next because they're unable to build up their clientele. Sometimes they don't have the business skills to make a decent living, and some have children." Her salon would train em- ployees well and help them thrive. Clearing the Hurdles Even when you're excited about your goals, taking the first steps forward can be difficult. "Change is hard be- cause we're not programmed that way," Lin says. "When I do a workshop, I ask everyone, 'Given a choice between uncertainty and unhappiness, what would you choose? Raise your hand if you'd choose uncertainty.' And pretty much everybody raises their hand. Ten I'll say, 'Lower your hand if you've ever stayed at a job longer than you wanted to.' A bunch of hands will go down. And then, 'Lower your hand if you've ever stayed in a relationship longer than you wanted to.' By this time, everybody's hand is down. So we choose unhappi- ness all the time, because uncertainty is so scary." But once you're ready to make a change, a coach can help you do it. "Te type of person who will come to me—or who will hire any coach, for that matter—is some- body for whom the pain of being where they are has gotten too much, and fear of the unknown is no longer as painful as where they are right now," says Lee. As she embarked on her new endeavor, Blake admits that she had some con- cerns—especially when she learned that she was pregnant. She worried about failing. She worried about not having enough money or enough resources. "Jenn helped me manage those fears that We Mean Business > Follow these tips to get the best benefits from your relation- ship with a career coach. HAVE AN AGENDA Be clear about what you want to achieve so your coach can create a road map, pinpoint any potential roadblocks, work with you to fnd solutions, and help you be ac- countable. INTERVIEW CANDIDATES Meet with at least three career coaches to explore whether there's a good ft. Many coaches offer a free trial session. Ask yourself, Do I feel comfortable with this person? Will her style and approach work for me? Getting the Most from Your Coach ASK FOR REFERENCES Feel free to ask prospective coaches for references. BE PREPARED TO WORK Make sure you understand how the process will work, how often you'll meet—and for how long—and what your responsibilities will be. SWITCH IF NEEDED If at any point you realize that you and your coach are a mis- match, fnd someone who is a better ft. ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE, IT'S EASIER TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO GO NEXT. d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m Fa l l 2 0 1 4 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 33 THINKSTOCKPHOTOS

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