5 links that'll make you smarter this week + why being petty is an underrated superpower
Happy Memorial Day! This week's Reframed includes my tips for getting promoted, being more confident, and giving feedback + 2 bonus links from other writers. Enjoy your day off.
Welcome to Reframed by Ashley Rudolph. One idea, every week, that changes how you see your career.
Last week, Rachel Nazhand shared her advice for networking that’s more effective than sending a slew of cold DMs on LinkedIn. She used these strategies to land a new VP role. It’s a great read.
The weekend was rainy which usually activates one of two modes in me: potato or productive. I chose productivity:
I finished my first monthlong ceramics seminar (I’m feeling very, very humbled by being a beginner at something all over again)
I saw a Broadway show (Cats: The Jellicle Ball is a MUST SEE!)
I saw two movies (see I Love Boosters and Tuner - I recommend both)
And I finished planning my first in-person event(!!)
This week’s newsletter is light. Enjoy and happy Memorial Day, friends!
My tips for getting promoted, giving tough feedback, and being more confident (especially when it doesn’t come naturally to you!). Plus 2 bonus reads about pet peeves and the most successful women in America. Enjoy!
Last year, I launched a newsletter called Open Tabs. I settled on the name after asking ChatGPT what I should call a newsletter roundup of my favorite career related links (lol). I went with it, but the name never really felt like me — I loved curating links and shearing my insights on the news and career resources. Ultimately, I stopped sending Open Tabs because I had to invest my time to other things, but I miss it. Maybe I’ll bring it back when I land on a name I love.
Anyway, this week, I’m channeling a little Open Tabs (RIP) energy!
3 THINGS TO IMPROVE YOUR WORK THIS WEEK
If you’re thinking about how to get promoted…
A few of you have asked how to position yourself for a promo. My advice is align your work with what the business (and/or your manager) deems important. Aligning yourself with high priority initiatives or investment areas creates a positive halo effect on you and your work. If you want to dive deeper, my recent newsletter where I asked 6 executives how they make promotion decisions is really good.
Giving tough feedback unlocks the next level of leadership
One of the signs is that someone is struggling as a leader is letting performance issues slip. I stumbled upon this while reading a piece in Forbes about signs someone on your team needs executive coaching. I can’t say I’m surprised.
I wrote about the art of giving feedback without being mean last quarter. It’s an important skill, giving useful and direct feedback is an art. It’s as much about the message as it is about being a good (and intuitive) communicator. If you’re stalling on giving someone the feedback they need to course correct, start here →
Can confidence really be manufactured?
My answer is absolutely, it definitely can. And even though I feel like “fake it till you make it” is misguided advice, there’s some truth to it. Sometimes you do have to act like you’re confident, like you deserve to be in certain spaces, before you truly do feel confident in them. There’s a reason why speaking up is always a hot topic here at Reframed. The part that’s tricky is not making the mistake of waiting to feel confident before sharing your ideas in meetings. It reminded me of this piece I wrote →
2 ARTICLES I ENJOYED
I love bonding over pet peeves
You should read Derek C. Blasberg’s Things That Annoy Me series. He published part 2 this weekend and I couldn’t click on it fast enough. Notable annoyances (notable because I personally relate to them):
“Maxxing” tacked onto the end of words
Not a pet peeve but “people who wear workout clothes all day after having worked out in the morning” reminded me of the time I did this in Palm Beach and an older woman at the bookstore gave me the nastiest look lol - OH WELL!)
Restaurants that don’t seat you until your entire party arrives. Please let me sit down and order a dirty martini while I wait!!
The common traits across the most successful women in America
I read this article and knew I wanted to find a way share it here. The top 1% of earners make >$775k (only 5% are women). Here’s what Emily Riley found after conducting a survey of them (some of themes in the article are things I talk about on Reframed):
They negotiate salaries more often than their peers
They have degrees from top ranked universities
They’re more likely to be married and have multiple children
A significant cohort of this group experienced financial instability as a child
They are petty (well the article says they are not thick skinned but petty is more my style). One of my favorite pieces of advice is channeling your frustration into winning - it works.
The last 2 points are the exact reasons why you might find yourself thinking that you can’t get to where you want to be in your career but let me offer you a counterpoint. There’s a particular kind of drive that doesn’t come from just being a confident person or having access. It comes from the opposite. From the memory of not having enough or the sting of being underestimated and never forgetting that feeling. Sometimes, you don’t have to let it go. You can use it.
I hope you enjoy your short week. See you next Monday!
Ashley
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Lots of great reads! Petition to bring back open tabs ✍️ (I think you’re unofficially already doing it through your notes — I always love the links you share and read every single one!)