Getting to know FlexCoach Kathryn Donaldson

Getting to know FlexCoach Kathryn Donaldson FlexCareers is passionate about supporting our employer partners and our community to be the best that they can be.  We offer a range of training and coaching services in areas such as career transition and outplacement, parental leave, return to work, managing flexibly, interview skills, leadership and management, positive psychology, and diversity inclusion â€" to name a few. In this series, we introduce you to our panel of FlexCoaches, each who offer a complimentary 30-minute chemistry session to our community. 1. Tell us about your career history. Originally from the UK, I spent 10 years at US Investment Bank Morgan Stanley, initially as a consultant before being promoted at eight months pregnant to Vice President leading the Technology Training Team. I subsequently led the Graduate Development Program and New Employee Learning Development. Whilst leading the Technology Training Team, it was a proud moment when the team won a First Choice Award for excellence in client service. After returning to work after my third child, I decided to study an Executive Coaching Diploma that paved the way for me to begin coaching and develop a portfolio career affording flexibility around my young family. I consulted for Barclays Corporate, first as Interim Head of Learning Development, then as a Consultant Project Manager for the Chief Operating Officer. At the same time, I began working as a Career Coach for leading UK Consultants Position Ignition. I relocated to Brisbane with my family in 2013 and subsequently became one of Australia’s first Gallup Certified Strengths Coaches. In 2015 I launched Growing Talent, and I now enjoy partnering with clients to help them realize their career and life goals.   I am a member of the ICF (International Coach Federation) and contribute as part of the Queensland ICF Leadership Team.   I also enjoy guest lecturing and tutoring at the University of Queensland Business School. 2. What was your motivation to become a coach? I’ve always had a fascination with performance, and how individuality impacts drive and the ability to achieve goals. As a child, I experienced success as an athlete under the guidance of an inspirational coach who has unfortunately since passed away. He was skilled at understanding what motivated me, and his coaching helped me to build confidence and a belief that winning was possible. As I look back I realize what a difference his coaching made not only to me but also to many others. This experience helped me to appreciate the impact of a good coach and piqued my interest in personal development. 3. Do you have any  particular areas of coaching expertise? As a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, I adopt a Strengths development approach in much of my work. What I love about strengths coaching is that it focuses on developing our innate talents rather than our weaknesses. It’s such a positive approach to development and works on developing what is right with people not what is wrong. Research shows that our greatest opportunity for growth, engagement and performance improvement is through a strengths development approach. I work with individuals at all levels of their career to cultivate self-awareness and build the confidence, and capability to take the steps needed to define and achieve success. 4. What do you love  most about coaching? I just love helping, it’s a real privilege to partner with my clients. Every person is unique, I might be guiding a client to define and set a plan to achieve goals, or simply pose a question that sparks a light bulb moment! These are magical moments that can potentially lead to a lifetime of positive change. It’s wonderful to be able to contribute in this way. 5. How do you define success? I think success is personal and means something different to each of us. For  me, success means living a life with passion and purpose and making a positive difference in the lives of those around me my family, my friends and of course my clients. One of my core values is growth, so I feel successful when I am pushing the boundaries to continually learn and grow through life’s experiences.   It’s important for everyone to take the time to reflect on what success means to them personally, only then can you put in place an actionable plan to achieve it. 6. What is your  vision for women in the workplace? I would like every woman to have the opportunity to achieve her career potential. I believe many women compromise and feel frustration and wonder about what they could achieve if only the workplace was better able to cater to working parents. There are some model examples of smart companies who get it and realise the value of untapped female talent. Often the only thing holding women back is the flexibility to work around family because for many of us that’s a non-negotiable.   My hope is that companies move to a model where employees are measured on outcomes rather than face time, and be given the opportunity to deliver those outcomes in a way that works for them. 7. What does flexibility mean to you? Flexibility is a two-way street, it needs to come from employers and employees.   Flexibility is about being able to deliver what’s expected in a way that works for you and your family as well as your employer.   It doesn’t necessarily mean doing fewer hours, rather having flexibility around how and where the work is ‘done’.   It also means having the flexibility to be present with family when needed and being able to flex to an employer’s needs when important issues arise. About Kathryn Kathryn is a learning and development consultant, career coach and the founder of Growing Talent. With a wealth of experience gained through a rewarding career consulting and leading teams in global organisations, she now enjoys helping individuals and teams to maximise their potential in order to achieve career and life goals. Her areas of expertise include Career and executive coaching;  Career transition guidance and  Strengths-based development. Kathryn makes a difference through her coaching and development programs. She helps individuals and teams to cultivate an awareness and appreciation of their strengths, what they need to be at their best, and how to activate their unique strengths to achieve both individual and team goals. She is an ICF accredited executive coach and a Gallup-certified strengths coach.

How To Get The Most Out Of Networking Groups

The most effective method to Get The Most Out Of Networking Groups The most effective method to Get The Most Out Of Networking Groups While it's far-fetched that you'll get a proposition for employment at a systems administration occasion, going to these occasions is a significant piece of the pursuit of employment process. In all actuality individuals like to work with individuals they know and like. This way of thinking stretches out with regards to filling open positions. It's one reason that organizations have worker referral programs. It's likewise one reason you ought to go to systems administration occasions. In any case, setting off to your industry's month to month supper meeting isn't sufficient, you must be dynamic and locked in. Industry Events In case you're searching for another open door industry occasions are the most ideal approach to meet your companions. Going to industry meetings is an extraordinary method to meet individuals at different levels in various pieces of the nation. Numerous associations have neighborhood sections which hold month to month gatherings, by and large with lunch, or supper, and a speaker. This offers you a chance to blend with partners and keep up on industry patterns. Not exclusively will you get the hang of, continuous expert improvement is something that potential bosses like to see on your resume and LinkedIn profile. To capitalize on industry associations join a council or serve on the board. A spot on the enrollment advisory group where you'll be working the work area implies you'll meet every individual who strolls in the entryway. Occupation Seeker Groups Numerous people group have organizing bunches explicitly for work searchers. Try not to limit these gatherings in light of the fact that the vast majority of the participants will be jobless. Employment searcher gatherings can be an incredible asset. To start with, there are now and again first class speakers extending to significant employment opportunity search exhortation. While a few moderators center more around selling their administrations than giving data, many spotlight on teaching their crowd. Second, you will meet bunches of others who are searching for work. Regardless of whether you are looking for comparable jobs (for instance you are both in promoting), the person you're sitting close to is most likely not your immediate rivalry. What's almost certain is the participants you meet at work searchers gathering can become individuals you exchange work leads with. So when a selection representative gets in touch with you about a bookkeeping position that is not a solid match you will have another person to allude. Great karma all around. Systems administration Organizations There numerous national and nearby associations shaped to assist individuals with making associations. A portion of these are administration associations, similar to the Rotary, others, similar to the Polka Dot Powerhouse, are devoted to helping explicit socioeconomics gatherings. There are likewise bunches that, as MENG and FENG, fall on the periphery. For instance, MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group) is explicitly for promoting experts. Cry Dine is a casual gathering for HR experts. Likewise with industry associations chipping in with one of these gatherings is an extraordinary method to meet more individuals. Perhaps the best thing I've even done was serve on the leading group of a ladies' organizing bunch for a long time. I have a few dear companions I met during my multi year spell. Maybe the greatest key to fruitful systems administration is to follow the give before you get reasoning. Concentrate on how you can help the individuals you meet as opposed to how they can support you. Furthermore, make those associations before you need them. Nothing says urgent more than moving hysterically around a room, shaking hands and passing out business cards to everybody you meet. That isn't what systems administration is about. Everybody needs to have a system set up to get them when they unexpectedly end up out of an occupation. However, having a gathering of individuals anxious to help you doesn't occur without any forethought. Start helping other people, building connections today, so individuals will be there for you tomorrow.

Strengths Based Resume Writing

<h1>Strengths Based Resume Writing</h1><p>Many individuals battle with qualities based resume composing, in actuality this is perhaps the hardest thing for new authors to do. There are two sorts of qualities: vocation arranged and work situated. Vocations situated are a lot harder to compose, as the very idea of the activity implies that you must have the option to communicate your capacities in a reasonable and expert manner.</p><p></p><p>The first territory of shortcoming is solid focuses in the activity, the activity advert or introductory letter could be loaded up with these focuses. For example, the previous boss has an energy for golf, so give some progressively pertinent and intriguing experience and connections that may identify with the activity. It might sound negative, yet recollect this is the means by which you will be seen by your expected business, so pick your words carefully!</p><p></p><p>New journalis ts regularly experience issues with the initial segment of this area. They might be making this segment excessively long and hoping to make it look considerably more expert and detail orientated. Your point should be to establish a connection of your aptitudes and experience. So while you do need to ensure that you have solid focuses, downplay them and make your composing understood and straight forward.</p><p></p><p>If there is a past manager at that point give the reasons why they appear to function admirably together. Consider what they share for all intents and purpose and furthermore incorporate any great characteristics and not simply awful ones. In the event that you are picking a specific activity, ensure that you expound on what makes it the correct activity for you.</p><p></p><p>You may likewise need to research and spotlight on the objective market that you are focusing on. The key here is to see whether your present busines s comprehends what you are going to offer them. The web is an incredible asset for this. Look into what their clients and past workers think about their services.</p><p></p><p>Next you have to discover what will make them click with you, and how you can separate yourself from your present place of employment and target showcase. When you have settled on this choice, at that point you can begin making your qualities based resume composing. This will incorporate a rundown of your past occupations, portraying what you have done.</p><p></p><p>There are different zones that are qualities situated, for example, planting and sports. Nonetheless, on the off chance that you don't have this one as solid, at that point you should remember it for your qualities and check whether it tends to be utilized in an expert way. A few people use it as an inspiration device, however others simply use it to give instances of how they can improve them at what they do.</p>

Defining Luck - Copeland Coaching

Defining Luck My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Defining Luck.” With St. Patricks Day just around the corner, I found myself in a long discussion with a friend about what it means to be lucky. Some people seem to have all the luck. From the outside, they appear to get every promotion, make more money, drive a nicer car and live in a nicer house. It’s like they are surrounded by a ray of sunshine all day. This seems especially true of celebrities, company heads and professional athletes. How do they get so lucky, and when will my luck change? I would argue that luck isn’t really luck at all. As Roman philosopher Seneca said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Those we perceive as lucky are often working very hard behind the scenes to perfect their craft. They spend hours becoming their very best in hopes of shining in one important moment â€" whether it’s in a board meeting, on a stage or in a sporting arena. To read the entire article and learn how to improve your luck, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.