What keeps you from thriving at work and living the life you love?
When I start a career coaching conversation, I ask, “How would you rate your overall satisfaction with your work and life on a scale of one to 10?”
After asking that opening question to over 2500 people, I’ve noticed consistent themes between the rating and what people experience.
When people rate their satisfaction at 5/10 or less, they are at a crisis point with their work. Typically they report feeling significant stress and dissatisfaction. People aren’t able to compartmentalize and leave their worries at the office at the end of their day. Work is following them home, waking them up at 4:00 AM, and changing how they feel about themselves.
At this low level of satisfaction, there is a profound mismatch in style, values or fit with the work, organization, team or your boss. This is a crisis situation that requires immediate attention and usually a job change.
As I say to my clients, “Don’t waste time rearranging the furniture when the house is on fire.”
A job change may be the short-term response to the crisis; however, what about the longer term? What are some other ways to describe the essence of the struggle and make an even finer diagnosis?
What is at the heart of what we need to change to thrive and make bolder choices? How do we make sure we are solving the right problem?
Kathy Caprino is an internationally recognized author, speaker and coach who has a lot to say about women and power. Kathy Caprino’s research has uncovered that most professional challenges are related in some core way to a lack of internal or external power.
Kathy Caprino refers to these challenges as “power gaps” and describes them in her wonderful new book, The Most Powerful You – 7 Bravery Boosting Paths to Career Bliss.
Here are the seven most damaging power gaps Kathy Caprino identified that get in the way of professionals thriving and leading at work:
Power Gap 1: Not Recognizing Your Special Talents, Abilities and Accomplishments
Power Gap 2: Communicating From Fear Not Strength
Power Gap 3: Reluctance to Ask for What You Deserve
Power Gap 4: Isolating From Influential Support
Power Gap 5: Acquiescing Instead of Saying “STOP” to treatment
Power Gap 6: Losing Sight of Your Thrilling Dream
Power Gap 7: Allowing Past Trauma To Define You
Kathy Caprino says these gaps in our power take from us what we need most to thrive: vitality, self-confidence, vision, commitment, connection, and influence.
If we don’t address the gap, Kathy Caprino says it becomes wider and creates more harm to our self-confidence and ability to act. In her book, The Most Powerful You, she describes each gap in detail then offers tips and strategies for closing each gap.
I’ll share more about what I’ve learned about closing power gaps and lessons from thousands of coaching conversations with professional women at all career and life stages in upcoming blogs.
What is keeping you from thriving in your work and life? I am a certified Amazing Career Coach, personally trained and mentored by Kathy Caprino in her five-phase proprietary career growth process for women. Contact me anytime for a complimentary consultation to talk about what is keeping you stuck.
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