At the writing of this blog post, it is International Women’s Day and a few of our team members had the privilege of attending the Women’s Confidence Builders Brunch co-hosted with Gallagher. The event included a panel of women advising those in attendance on how to grow in their roles or how to help other women in their career journeys. While our company at TealHaus was built by women to suit the blended lives we have as mothers, wives, and career-driven professionals, we took note of some of the key points we wished we had known when we were younger.
Here are a few key takeaways we wish we could tell our younger selves:
- Be organizationally savvy. Do your research and know your stuff—whether that is the product you sell, the content you write, or the inventory available. Become the expert on your company and you will quickly gain confidence and credibility.
- Find a sponsor in your organization and know the existing power structure in place for how decisions are made. A sponsor is more than a mentor. They will go to bat for you, often at risk to themselves.
- Use your gift of empathy. It can actually be a survival mechanism to help you relate to other people.
- When you communicate, see the person first and then get to the heart of the discussion. Think about their priorities, goals, and values–knowing their lens for experiencing the world will help you shape your statements.
- Give grace. To yourself, to others. We all could use a little more of it.
What do you wish you knew when you first started your career?
