At the heart of "The Great Resignation" employees across the country are realizing they have agency in their careers.

They’re saying…

I will no longer tolerate this toxic culture.

I want to learn something new.

I want to be inspired by my leadership team.

One response to this agency, for some, has been to go out and find that next role that is truly on their terms.

And yet there also is another option.

When I polled my LinkedIn audience about what type of professional development they were seeking from their companies, far and away, the most popular response was 1:1 Coaching.

Coaching is not only a tool to figure out your next step. It’s also incredibly powerful in helping you understand the leader you are now and the one you want to be.

It’s a way to help you work through the impostor syndrome before the big presentation.

Garner the courage to have the tough conversation with your team.

Take on the bigger role after you’ve been tapped on the shoulder.

If the leadership at your organization is working hard to keep you - especially if your colleagues are leaving the organization - leverage this moment to claim your agency and ask for the support you want.

And if you’re a leader looking to retain employees on your team, give them the support that will help them feel seen and appreciated - even if it means looking outside of your organization for support.

This could look like group facilitated training or seminars, mentorship, team-focused professional development, drop in coaching sessions with an accredited coach (like me!) or good, old fashioned one-on-one individualized coaching.

Get in touch if you'd like to workshop how to go about asking for or instigating this type of support for yourself or your team!

This past weekend my ten year old daughter got her first Covid Vax and I began to breathe out a little.

I’ll be gathering with a small group of family again for Thanksgiving and collectively the 14 of us will have had 33 shots. Throw in a couple of rapid tests for the littles and I’m feeling pretty good about our odds.

Life is starting to feel hopeful again. And yes, I know...we’ve been here before. Remember the joy of June? We’ve turned so many corners at this point, we’re working with an unrecognizable shape of things.

On the career-front, for my clients, the landscape is exciting and optimistic and way outside the boxes they built for themselves prior to our work together.

One client applied to three jobs and got three offers.

Another was negotiating her dream job and the employer requested they make the role a level more senior to match her qualifications.

And still others are asking for sizable bumps in salary from their previous roles--and getting them.

If you are still thinking about making a move in 2021 or after the holidays, now is your time to strike.

To get out there, share your compelling story, state your terms and stand in your power to get what you want. To quote one of my favorite movies, Almost Famous, that I watched with my family this weekend, “It’s all happening.”

I would love to support you in making your shift!

Check out my three 1:1 Coaching Options

Sign up for a 30-minute Complimentary Call if you want to learn more about these options.

PS. Reminding you that holiday time is THE BEST TIME for networking. More on that soon...in the meantime, here's what clients are saying about 1:1 Private Coaching!

I had the pleasure of working with Rachel as my 1:1 coach during my career transition. When I started working with Rachel, I had left a job that was frustrating and wanted to take some intentional time off to figure out the next chapter of my career. I was doing quite a bit of networking and exploration but I was feeling a bit lost about my path forward and needed some guidance and a champion to push me through the process. Through Rachel's career transitioning framework, I was able to follow a step by step process without feeling completely overwhelmed and asking myself questions around my core values and the non-negotiables I wanted in my next job. Having clarity on this has helped with being more focused on what I want and know that I don't need to compromise; that I can craft the path I want. She has also helped me build confidence to steer the conversation and ask for what I want, and know that if things don't work out as planned, it's OK, that there are other options to explore.

Rachel was also fundamental in helping me navigate through my interview processes. Having someone with whom I could bounce off ideas and go into each conversation with confidence about what I wanted to accomplish in each step was very valuable. Having worked with her, I feel I have the tools and resources to reflect back and figure a way forward whenever I am feeling stuck about my career. For anyone looking to go through a career transition and needs a champion in the process, I highly recommend Rachel. -- Maki K

We discussed mindset shifting tools in my group coaching program this week. I like to dive into this topic early in the process because it’s often mental blocks that are keeping us stuck, rather than more tactical things like resumes and interview skills.

One of my favorites in this set of tools is forgiveness.

Identifying areas where you may be holding shame and offering up acknowledgment and compassion and forgiveness.

I often talk about how this shame showed up for me when I knew I wanted to make a change while in my marketing roles, but felt like I should stay in a safe, flexible role because I had two small children. I stayed in an “it’s fine” career for too long, even while I hungered for a change.

The truth is that this feeling of career shame wasn't new to me. I felt it even before I had a career.

College was not an easy time for me. I struggled to find my way. I transferred after two years, switched my major FIVE times and nearly took time off after my junior year. Finally, I decided to identify my easiest path to graduation and took it--rather than spending the time expanding my mind, learning, growing and challenging myself to think in new ways about what was possible for my future.

I held onto tremendous shame about this period of my life for many years.

Feeling like I squandered an opportunity.

Like I wasn’t smart enough or built for grad school.

Like I learned in pockets here and there, but don’t remember much.

After some deep work thinking about that kid I used to describe as flailing…

I now see her as a human who was grieving.

As you may remember, my parents died in a car accident when I was nearly 12 and while college came several years after this loss, I see now with adult eyes--I was in acute grief, untethered and in survival mode.

I did the best I could. So did all of the grownups surrounding me who were also grieving.

Would I do things differently with my own kids? Absolutely. I would love them where they are. I would advocate for their mental health needs knowing that achievement and credentials can wait. And that’s how I continue to re-parent that part of me.

I acknowledge her struggle. I show her forgiveness and compassion and love. I cheer her on for trying new things where she’s not an immediate expert. I remind her that lifelong learning is what keeps my mind active and alive. I can both fill in some of the gaps of what I may have missed and learn new skills that weren’t even invented at that time.

I can also be grateful that she/I prioritized putting one foot in front of the other in that tough moment. That I got the support I needed. That I was optimistic more would open up for me after graduation. And it did.

What shame are you holding onto in your career and in your life?
Where can you show that younger you some acceptance of her humanity? Some love? She’s ready and willing and very curious about what may come next.