I hear this over and over, and it makes me want to cry: "I'm an introvert, and I just don't have great social skills."

I feel like before I say anything, a disclaimer is relevant because I always get a few comments on the introvert/extravert label. I’m also not a fan of the introvert/extravert “boxes”; we all relate to different ones at different times, but for simplification’s sake, I’ve gone with it anyway as I hear people refer to themselves that way so often.

• In a world full of talkers, introverts are capable of listening.
• In a world full of showing off, introverts observe.
• In a world full of opportunists, introverts build lasting relations.
   

I could go on for a while, but you get the point. These are EXCELLENT social skills.

And here is the other thing:

I believe many of us have those characteristics, but they have been trained out of us by society.

• We believe we need to shout louder, or we won't be heard.
• We believe we need to show off what we do, or no one will respect us.
• We...

 Why are some interview questions harder than others?

Because they feel "loaded".
Loaded with what?

With lots of other little questions within it.

For example, the question might be:
"Why did you leave your last job?"

The little questions behind it are:

• "Did you fail at that job and now you need to look for a new one?"
• "Are you placing the blame on others or taking your part of responsibility?"
• "Are you really interested in this role or are you just wanting to get out of the current one?"

You get the point.

Here's how to handle it:
Take your "sticky" question and pull it apart like that.

Then answer the questions individually first before reconstructing the information in a natural, honest, and coherent way.

You’ll feel much more confident about what you are saying and your answer will be clear as day.

Have fun interviewing and get in touch with me if you could use a boost for the next ones or check out the website for the upcoming workshop on salaries.

If you want to deep...

“I’m not sure I’ll like it, until I try it.”

Right you are!

That’s why I have decided to open up two “Try out a MasterMinds meeting”.

On the 29th of April I am running two meetings

 Monday 14:00 – 16:00 in person in Nyon (2 spots left)
 Monday 17:30 – 19:00 online (4 spots left)

Simply save yourself with this link to the events page if you haven't already. You will see the meeting registration option as the first two events options.

I will limit the number of people so we have enough time to get round to everyone. 
This is a great opportunity if you have been curious but unsure of the whole concept and what to expect.

See how a meeting is structured
Evaluate if it is for you
Meet some great people

For a long time, I have been wondering, 
  “How can I prove there is a return on investment for people who join?”
  “Is it possible to provide a guarantee of some sort?”

The...

You're organizing an event and then you struggle to get the registrations you were hoping for. What now?

We've all been there at one time or another. You have THE idea for an event, workshop, or any type of initiative that requires registrations.

You promote and share the good news with your audience in all the ways you can come up with. You're feeling excited, and you are sure it's going to be a hit.

And registrations fall flat. For what you hoped to be a 50-person event, you're struggling to get past 15.

Aiming for 10, it's about 3.

Obviously, final sales pushes and other strategies aside. What to do if that number stays low?

List your options:

• Cancel
• Postpone
• Go ahead

Personally, I'm, in many cases, a fan of the last option. Go ahead anyway, and here's why.

Smaller audiences allow for much more interaction than you planned in your initial flow. This means you can fire away with your questions too and use the extra time to stimulate a healthy debate about the topic and the event...

I feel like I'm caught in a bit of a whirlwind of action and information. 

And if I feel like that and I'm in the middle of it, I can only imagine it looks confusing from your point of view!

This post is just to clarify basic MasterMind information.
Before I dive into a long article and test your patience, if you already know you would be interested, hit apply and I'll answer any questions you have.

How do the meetings work?
Two meetings a month
4-6 members in your group
Every member has 12-15 minutes to share: 
1. What they want to be held accountable for over the next period
2. How they did on the previous set of actions
3. A challenge they are currently working through and want some insight on
4. Any specific help they could use from the others

What else is included?
- All workshops are free for members and held twice a month
- Hold your own workshop (if you want)
- Hot seat to dive into something you are stuck on (45min focus on your issue)
- A network of like-minded...

Salary is one of the topics I often find myself discussing with clients and during the “boost-me” workshops.

It's common to cause discomfort, getting clarity around the salary question is not easy and it's one people are not inclined to discuss with each other in many cases generating a taboo feeling.

I hear two recurring things a lot, and my curiosity led me to start a poll in LinkedIn to satisfy my curiosity on the matter once and for all what is generating the salary discomfort specifically?

I asked people to vote in one of two options:

What do you personally find harder?

1. Setting the expectation: Settling on a number to communicate

2. The actual discussion: Asking for a raise or negotiating the salary "talk"

Take a moment to consider what you would have voted? Isolating specifically where the discomfort is coming from will help solve the issue in a more targeted way.

The answer was frustrating and intriguing all at once - It was a straight...

Accountability contributes up to 95% of our achievements.

This is what a recent Forbes article states.

Want to experiment?
 
1. Set yourself a step you absolutely must take but have been procrastinating on (you know you have one!)
2. Tell someone you genuinely respect by when you will do it
3. Watch yourself complete that pesky task!

Personally I have always made it work for me through the magic of mastermind groups.

Do you agree it's such a big part of success?
How do you make it work for yourself?


Oh!
Accountability may sound boring, but it's secretly a whole lot of fun when you’re surrounded by inspiring people, did I forget to mention that?!

Learn more about the MasterMinds and join a group to keep you on your toes!

On the 6th of March we held our very first networking apero. An opportunity for our MasterMinds members to meet each other in a more casual way. It was also a nice chance to invite more people from the area that also felt like networking in a relaxed atmosphere.

And wow...So - Many - People!
I lost count, we were around 60-70 people I think?

It truly is fast becoming a community beyond networking!

- The energy was high
- The group was so diverse
- We broke the ice with a few playful questions
- Great connections made
- Our community is growing!

There are a few upcoming free events, feel free to register and come and join us.

 Mastermind Open doors

If you are curious about the actual MasterMinds and want to know more about how the meetings actually work join us next
Monday 11th of March 09:00-11:00 for a coffee and information morning in Nyon. Register here

Next networking apero:

17th of April 18:00-20:00 Dive Bar in Gland. Register here

I hope to see you at an...

Developing yourself personally and/or professionally is like a BLOOPER reel!

For my online course: Professional development bootcamp I had a video made and I'm really happy with the final result you can view it here. 

But oh my the bloopers!
So many errors
Some frustration
The occasional swear word
Mostly a LOT of laughing and fun

Without the bloopers, the final video would never have been as good. And besides that:
Would I have enjoyed making it...?

This attitude and the process are precisely the way I have constructed the course.

Get a strong result, one you are happy with and proud of.
And enjoy the journey with all your heart too. At the end of the day, that's the stuff life is made of :-).

Watch the bloopers here!

 "This is probably not important BUT…."

Have you noticed how this sentence is often followed by THE MOST IMPORTANT information?

Time and time again I have discussions with my clients and we get to a point where an “afterthought” suddenly comes up.

It’s often preceded by this sentence, and whenever I hear it, I have to stop myself from jumping in and saying “it IS important” before I even heard what it is.

Self-awareness is a tricky thing.

We are self-aware - up to a certain point.
Beyond that point our subconscious is a mysterious place.

A way help to unravel that mystery is by listening to the choice of words we use to get clues.

In order to start listening to ourselves in that way, the easiest way to get started is to listen in to the choice of words used by others (it’s easier than catching ourselves).

From there make the transition to hearing ourselves say them.

See if you can catch yourself or someone saying it and listen in to what...