Miriam Reiss

Clients yearn for a fast, direct path to their next career. They hope that career assessments will be their one-step, one-stop solution. Having worked with a large range of assessments over the years, I sure wish assessments were that magic pill.

The best assessments I’ve seen are useful in identifying work strengths and weaknesses. In my experience, depending on a career assessment for relia... Read more

Entrepreneurship can provide levels of freedom, opportunity and financial reward that companies typically don’t offer. Starting your own business also takes high levels of energy, accountability, responsibility, drive, commitment, determination, patience, courage and resilience. The good news is that more of us than ever before are choosing to start our own businesses, and there’s lots of supp... Read more

Sometimes we enjoy our work but it’s not paying the bills. This leads to frustration and the desire to quit doing that work. Quitting your job is a reactive response. Doing this provides short-term relief but won’t solve the deeper problem. The underlying solution generally doesn't lie with those around you, as much as that may seem like what's going on is others' fault. While it's easy to bla... Read more

It sounds like you have some realistic understanding of your company. I encourage you to think strategically and frame your case in the context of your company's bigger picture... Read more

How you handle your self-evaluation depends on your short and long term career goals, factoring in the goals of your manager and the organization.

So, this is not an itemized list of everything you've done... Read more

Be straight with them about your culture and expectations when you hire them. If you don't surprise them later, they're less likely to surprise you... Read more

Do the communication clearing processes suggested by others here. If you play your politics right, you will outlast him. This is short-sighted behavior on his part... Read more

What do you most want from the business and for the business, short-term and long-term? What in your wiring makes for a fulfilling day?

Working from the inside out will bring you your best answers.
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Broach him with your curiosity, your desire to know him better and a clearer understanding of what he would like as his next steps. Do this asap. .. Read more

Find people willing to mentor you and an external coach. Apply discernment... Read more

Is it cost-effective to train them and keep them current? Do that research first. .. Read more

Make English fluency and accent reduction a required part of their development. That will serve them at a time when bias is still prevalent... Read more

Much as you learned the skills to become a CTO, this is a skill set well worth developing. Having it will make you competitive in the interview process and greatly increase the chances of your getting hired.

I also suggest that you hire a coach.

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Go beyond what you'd do. Demonstrate strategic thinking, how you would boldly lead and how that would create stunning results. Rise above the pack.

Miriam.. Read more

Resolve internal factors (your short/long term goals, values, needs, etc.), and your decision will become clear.
It can be tricky to work this out on your own, lots of considerations here.

Give a call if you'd like to talk this through... Read more

Your next move will depend on who you are professionally and personally, your level of political savvy, your short and long term career goals, and your life outside work. My sense is you need two plans, one for handling your current situation, and an exit plan. There's key information missing in your description that would enable me to guide you further in this forum. I do believe that you have no... Read more

They've done some preparing. Now it's your turn.

It sounds like you have a clear understanding of what it would take for them to manage their own teams. It doesn't sound like you've let them in on your thinking.

Evaluation and communication needs to be a two-way street.

Contact me if you'd like to talk... Read more

Decide what your longterm career goal is within the organization. Redesigning the process may or may not serve you, depending on that goal. If your goal is to advance in the organization and/or make more money, talk with your supervisor and find out what they and the company most need that's not being fulfilled. Then create a plan with them that rewards you in the way you want for solving their pr... Read more

Mentors are free, and talk with you when/if it's convenient for them. They're not trained and mentor from the kindness of their heart. A good career coach is in your corner, is neutral and will help you progress faster and smarter than you would on your own. Take any two people with the same goal, the one with a good coach will go farther.

The right coach will help you advance both the skills y... Read more

If you're in an industry where the smear stuff follows you, switch industries. There are also concrete ways to make sure your recommenders are giving you top recommendations.

You can have the last laugh here, if you're strategic.

Contact me if you want to talk... Read more

Be careful not to stereotype older workers. Find out each person's specific agenda and work to meet it. When anyone, old or young, knows that you not only respect and value them but are in their corner, they will do his best for you.

Good luck. Contact me if you'd like to talk... Read more

Start with #1. That will help you observe how each thinks. As you discover their respective strengths, move into #2. The point is to come from strength, redundancy isn't the point.

It's not about pitting them against each other, it's about getting the best service you can get, which will make your product/service competitive.

Contact me if you'd like to talk more. .. Read more

You may be over-relying on visuals to communicate. Facilitation involves interactive communication, so that by the time the meeting is over, information is not only understood, it's bought into by those involved and even improved on.

My experience is that IT'ers tend to be very literal. Concepts and nuances can get lost in translation.

Contact me if you'd like to talk.

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Before you communicate anything to anyone, you need to determine what you want out of the deal. It's possible that they might shoot the messenger, namely you. "I told you so" doesn't serve your career. Think strategically. Take care of yourself. These situations, particularly late stage, can be political.

Contact me if you want to talk.

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I suggest choosing external female coaches vs. internal mentors, male or female. Mentors, in my experience, have agendas and too much at stake to be neutral. Also, mentors, because they're not paid, mentor when and if it suits them.

For the level of proactivity that's needed in your organization, look outside your organization. It sounds like what's being modeled within isn't aggressive enough... Read more

Steps:
1. Put yourself in a neutral place, free yourself of judgments.
2. Have a conversation with this person where you're asking lots of open-ended questions around how they perceive their job and how they manage information. Your job is to discover what makes them tick.
3. Move into observation.
4. Take proactive steps, based on what you learn from your conversation with them.

If you'd ... Read more

Thanks, good question. There are two areas of consideration, how your project might fare in the marketplace at this time, and how much energy/passion you have to relaunch. If you're less than an 8 out of 10 in both areas, move on... Read more