Self-Leadership for Individual Contributors, with Sally Ivester

Are you an early- or mid-career individual contributor, curious about how to showcase your contributions and gain the recognition your work deserves? This week's guest, Sally Ivester, brings us a fresh perspective on architecting your own career successfulness -- without trying to be someone you're not. 

Sally is a chief of staff in big tech who had a career-transforming experience when she downshifted her approach to career before the birth of her daughter. She joins us this week to share her perspectives on making the shift to playing your career on "easy mode" for those of us more used to playing our careers on "hard mode." 

We talk about the subject I personally love to hate: managing up. We also discuss the importance of proactively setting and communicating boundaries, and Sally's approaches to navigating feedback and what she calls "working loudly," (including a very introvert-friendly way to do so in writing). This short episode packs a punch of career development, for listeners who are looking to upskill at playing the corporate game (without masking or playing politics in ways that don't suit you). 

Sally was also very generous in sharing resources with us -- check out the links below!

Do you have a question or topic you'd like to see me tackle either as a solo episode or with a guest? I'm all ears. Visit the Thinkydoers home page and contact me there, or, point your guest suggestions my way!

Episode Highlights

• Introduction to Sally Ivester: Sally’s background and her focus on supporting early-career professionals.
• Managing Up: Redefining the concept of managing up without masking or changing who you are.
• Communicating Boundaries: The importance of setting and communicating personal boundaries at work.
• Working Loudly: How to effectively showcase your work and contributions.
• Feedback and Growth: Embracing feedback and the concept of “B+ is the new A+.”
• Personal Operating Model: How to create and share your personal operating model to set clear expectations.

Common Questions

• What is managing up?: Managing up involves thinking ahead and aligning with your manager’s expectations without compromising your authenticity.
• How can I communicate my boundaries at work?: Proactively share your personal operating model, including your preferred communication methods and working hours.
• What does working loudly mean?: Working loudly means actively communicating your contributions and achievements to ensure they are recognized.
• How should I handle feedback?: Embrace feedback as an opportunity for growth and aim for continuous improvement rather than perfection.

Notable Quotes from Guest Sally Ivester

• “Managing up isn’t about being pleasing; it’s about thinking ahead and aligning with your leader.”
• “B+ is the new A+. Embrace feedback and aim for continuous improvement.”
• “Working loudly means ensuring your contributions are recognized and valued.”

Sally's Links and Resources

• A free copy of Sally's usually paid-only product, her Project Tracker 
• The Career Starter Pack Checklist
• The Ambitious Employee's Playbook to Corporate Success, Sally's Maven Course
• Sally Ivester's Website for Your First Corporate Job
• YourFirstCorporateJob on TikTok
• Sally Ivester on LinkedIn

Sara's Links and Resources

• Strategic Achievement Score Quiz: findrc.co/stratscore
• Email Sara at [email protected]
• Join the Launch Squad for Sara's Upcoming Books: You Are A Strategist and the No-BS OKRs Workbook
• Download: No-BS OKRs In A Box one sheet
• Virtual Consult: Start your personalized virtual consult
• Other Free Resources: Access all free resources
  • OKR Self-Assessment: Get your No-BS OKR Self-Assessment Strengths (and Growth Opportunities)
  • WTF are OKRs guide
• Thinkydoers (not-just-an OKR podcast) Home Page