Personal Change Management Strategies

Stress isn’t always about the thing itself. It’s about our relationship to it. Two leaders can face the exact same challenge — a missed deadline, a difficult board meeting, a team conflict — yet their experience of stress is entirely different. Why? Stress often has less to do with the external event and more to do with the lens through which we view it. 👉 When we label something as unbearable, it grows heavier. 👉 When we approach it as a problem to be solved, it becomes manageable. 👉 When we see it as an opportunity to grow, it can even become empowering. This distinction matters because leaders carry tremendous weight. If everything feels like a “threat,” stress compounds. But if we learn to reframe — to shift our relationship to the pressure — we not only reduce stress, we increase our capacity to lead with clarity and resilience. As an executive coach, I work with clients on this every day. Here are a few practices that make a difference: ✅ Name it clearly. → Is it the situation itself that’s stressful, or the meaning you’ve attached to it? Naming the difference is the first step in reframing. ✅ Shift the narrative. → Instead of asking “Why is this happening to me?”, try “What is this asking of me as a leader?” ✅ Control the controllable. → Stress escalates when we fixate on what’s outside our power. Refocus on the small actions you can take. ✅ Build in recovery. → Even the strongest leaders need rituals that restore — whether that’s exercise, mindfulness, or simply 10 minutes of stillness. The goal isn’t to eliminate stress. The goal is to reshape our relationship to it so it serves us, rather than overwhelms us. Coaching can help; let's chat. Book Your Coaching Discovery Call Today  ↳ https://lnkd.in/eKi5cCce Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Joshua Miller for more tips on coaching, leadership, career + mindset. #executivecoaching #leadership #mentalhealth #coachingtips #wellness

In my 18 years at Amazon, I've seen more careers transformed by the next 2 weeks than by the other 50 weeks of the year combined. It's performance review season. Most people rush through it like a chore, seeing it as an interruption to their "real work." The smartest people I know do the opposite: they treat these upcoming weeks as their highest-leverage opportunity of the year. After handling over fifty feedback requests, self-reviews, and upward feedback 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 for nearly two decades, I've learned this isn't just another corporate exercise. This is when careers pivot, accelerate, or stall. Your feedback directly impacts compensation, career trajectories, and professional growth. Your self-assessment frames how leadership views your entire year's work. This isn't busywork—it's career-defining work, but we treat it with as much enthusiasm as taking out trash. Here's how to make the most of it: 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗻'𝘁 - Ask yourself: "What perspective am I uniquely positioned to share?" Everyone will comment on the obvious wins and challenges. Your job is to provide insights others miss, making your feedback instantly invaluable. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀 - I keep a living document for every person I work with. When something feedback-worthy happens—good or challenging—it goes in immediately. No more scrambling to remember projects from months ago. This ensures specific, timely examples when needed. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - Don't just list tasks—craft a narrative. Lead with behaviors that drove impact. Show your growth in handling complex situations, influencing across teams, and making difficult trade-offs. Demonstrate self-awareness by acknowledging areas where you're actively improving. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 - They receive little feedback all year. Focus on how they help you succeed and specific ways they could support you better. Make it dense with information—this might be their only chance to learn how to serve their team better. 𝗢𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 - The difference between criticism and valuable input is showing you genuinely want the other person to succeed. When that intention shines through, you don't need to walk on eggshells. Be specific about the behavior, its impact, and how it could improve. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 - Good constructive feedback often feels like an insult at first. But here's the mindset shift that changed everything for me: feedback is a gift. It's direct guidance on improvement from those who work closest with you. When you feel that defensive instinct rise, pause and focus on understanding instead. Here's your challenge: This year, treat performance review season like the most important work you'll do. Because in terms of long-term impact on careers—both yours and others'—it just might be.

How you receive feedback Determines how successful you become (in career and life). 4 proven tips to help you gracefully accept the gift of feedback: 1/ Listen actively Why: By approaching feedback with curiosity, you show a willingness to listen to understand (vs. to respond) the other person's perspective. How: Maintain eye contact, nod to acknowledge understanding, and wait until the person has finished speaking before responding. Remember, listening doesn't mean you agree with everything. "Thank you for sharing your thoughts on my presentation. I'm curious to learn more. Can you elaborate on the areas you think need improvement and what advice you have on how I can approach these differently?" 2/ Seek diverse perspectives Why: Asking for feedback from different people gives you a clearer picture of what you’re doing well and where you can improve. Plus, it helps you spot patterns in how others see your work. How: After receiving feedback on risk management from one person, reach out to others for additional perspective. "I'm looking to improve the quality of my risk management and reporting within my program. Do you have any advice for me in this area? Your input will help me de-risk execution and provide more accurate representation to stakeholders." 3/ Take time to process and reflect Why: Feedback can sting at first contact. Taking time to process it helps you manage your emotional response and consider it objectively. You can then identify key takeaways and develop a plan for implementing changes. How: "I appreciate your feedback on my communication style. I want to take some time to reflect on your suggestions and consider how to incorporate them into my interactions with the team. Can we schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss my action plan next week?" 4/ Express gratitude and close the loop Why: Expressing gratitude shows that you value the person's time and effort in providing feedback. Following up proves you’re serious about improving. How: "Thank you for sharing your feedback on my project estimations. Your input on factoring dependency review timelines has given me valuable perspective. Attached is the revised proposal based on your suggestions. I welcome any additional feedback you may have." PS: Feedback is not all-or-nothing. Even if you don't agree with everything, there's usually something valuable to take away. PPS: How gracefully you handle feedback directly correlates with whether others will give it to you (again). Image Credit: Roberto Ferraro

One of the most common questions I get asked, especially when I speak at tech events, is this: "How do I handle feedback and turn it into a tool for growth?" Feedback can feel tricky sometimes. I get it - you’re putting your work, your ideas, your skills out there, and then someone comes back and tells you it’s not quite right. It can sting, right? I’ve been there too. But here’s the thing - how you respond to feedback can either fuel your career growth or quietly hold you back. Let me explain. When you approach feedback with the wrong attitude, whether it’s defensiveness, dismissiveness, or even avoidance, you’re shutting the door to potential improvement. Imagine building a great product and ignoring feedback because, "It works fine for me!" It sounds ridiculous, but that’s exactly what a wrong attitude to feedback looks like. However, let me show you how I make feedback a tool for growth: 👉 I detach my ego from my work: I understand that sometimes comments on our work can get to us, but it’s a lot easier when I remind myself that my work or ideas are not me specifically. I consciously choose not to see feedback as an attack but as an opportunity to make my work better. 👉 I ask for clarification: Sometimes, people just want to talk or make vague comments, and I ensure that I filter things properly by asking the right questions. If the feedback isn’t clear, I ask for examples or specifics. I’ll say things like, “Can you show me what you mean?” or “What would you suggest as an improvement?” This helps me turn vague critiques into actionable insights. 👉 I create a feedback loop: After implementing feedback, I follow up by asking, “Does this solve the issue you pointed out?” This shows I’m proactive and allows me to openly communicate, making feedback even more effective. The right attitude to feedback can transform how you grow in your career. Use it as a tool to refine and elevate your work rather than something to fear. I hope this helps someone. See you in the future! Samuel Lasisi #linkedin #feedback #career #tech #uxdesign #uiuxdesign

In the face of an overwhelming volume of to-dos, turning to time management as a solution is a dead end. What do people who are really good at time management get? More work! Time management is important, but it's a productivity tool - not a solution to pressure. Instead, take aim at the three things that create volume pressure in the first place: tasks, decisions, and distractions. When you're faced with what feels like an overwhelming pile, consider the following: 1) What tasks have I taken on that are not linked to my major goals? Can they be deferred or deprioritized? 2) What decisions regularly create cognitive load for me? Are there any that can be replaced with policies or principles so I don't need to carefully weigh them each time? 3) How can I use structure to stop relying on will-power to reduce distractions? This can be as simple as a pomodoro timer, going on airplane mode for 30 mins, or physically isolating yourself in a conference room. If you pair time management with task, decision and distraction management you'll have a more sustainable approach over the long haul.

You’ve Got Feedback—Now What? Feedback can be challenging, especially in a season where performance reviews can feel like a weapon. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right approach, you can harness feedback as a powerful tool to elevate your leadership skills. Here’s a framework I recommend: 1. Pause and Reflect: Resist the urge to react immediately. Feedback often triggers emotional responses—good or bad. Taking a moment to step back ensures your reaction is measured and thoughtful. 2. Dissect the Message: What is the core of the feedback? Does it highlight a skill gap, a misstep, or a blind spot? Sometimes, it’s more about perception than performance— although both matter. 3. Seek Clarification: Not all feedback is crystal clear. Ask questions to understand the perspective behind it. This shows you value the input and are committed to improvement. 4. Strategize for Growth: Once you’ve digested the feedback, the question becomes, "What’s next?" Create an actionable plan. Whether it’s adjusting your approach, or doubling down on your strengths, the goal is progress. 5. Close the Loop: Circle back to the person who provided the feedback. Share what you’ve taken away and how you plan to act on it. This fosters trust and encourages open communication. Great leaders aren’t just great at giving feedback— they excel at receiving it well and transforming it into fuel for personal and professional growth. ******* Hi, I'm Love! I help leaders and organisations create impactful, resilient teams through: ➡️ Leadership training tailored for onsite, hybrid and remote teams ➡️ Strategic consultancy to bridge gaps in management and staff relations ➡️ Courses that empower leaders to adapt, engage, and thrive To explore how to take your leadership and team to the next level, use the link in my featured section to schedule a call. #LeadWithLOVE #Unsiloed #Leadership #Feedback #GrowthMindset #Unsiloed

“I have no idea if this is what they want me to do. I barely get any feedback.” This is a statement I often hear from leaders in my coaching calls, even those at a senior level. Research shows that the higher you rise in an organization, the less feedback you tend to receive. As you rise, there are simply fewer people in the organization who can guide you on your next steps. I wrote about this for Fast Company. Here’s what you can do about it: 1️⃣ Ask for advice instead of feedback. People sometimes hesitate to give feedback, but most people love giving advice. Recent research finds that framing the ask as advice helps reviewers focus on future-oriented, tangible suggestions instead of only dwelling on past performance. 2️⃣ Nurture psychological safety. Model vulnerability. Explicitly invite input and questions from everyone. Call out where you saw yourself needing improvement. 3️⃣ Avoid vague questions. Instead of saying, “I want to improve my presentation skills,” you can instead lead with, “I want to improve my presentation flow for clarity and brevity.” 4️⃣ Be intentional about your circle. Leaders often end up surrounded by similar perspectives, which reduces the likelihood of honest challenge. As you gain more visibility, seniority, and decision-making ownership in your organization, feedback will flow differently to you. You have to cultivate it intentionally, with clarity and from a new circle of sources. How have you sourced feedback differently as you’ve advanced?

A knee-jerk reaction to team resistance might be: “Fire them all and start again.” But here’s the truth you probably don’t want to hear: Your team isn’t resisting change, they’re resisting you. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but let’s be honest, change rarely fails because the idea is bad. It fails because trust is broken and because you skipped the “why,” and fear filled the silence you left behind. When your team pushes back, here’s what they’re really saying: “I don’t trust where this is going.” “No one asked me.” “I’m scared, and I don’t feel safe saying that out loud.” “You’ve changed things before and left us to clean up the mess.” Change is emotional, human, and messy. So if you want real buy-in? Don’t start with a strategy deck, start with your people. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Ask Invite input early. Before rolling out a change, ask your team what they think. What are their worries? What would make this easier for them? Use open-ended questions like: “What do you see as the biggest challenge here?” “How do you think this change could help us?” 2️⃣ Listen Really listen. Don’t just nod along, take notes, ask clarifying questions, and reflect back what you’re hearing. Acknowledge the emotion: “It sounds like you’re worried about how this will impact your workload. That’s a valid concern.” 3️⃣ Validate Show you value their perspective. Even if you can’t act on every suggestion, let them know their voice matters. Be transparent about any constraints. Make the change with them, not to them. Co-create solutions. Let the team own parts of the process. When things get tough, solve problems together, not in isolation. And when things get bumpy? Because they will: ✅ Celebrate the tiny wins, because they matter more than you think. ✅ Talk about the challenges and fix them together. When leaders try to solve the bumpiness alone, they leave their team feeling lost at sea. And let’s be honest, that’s a tough place to be left alone. So bring your team into the journey, or at least keep them in the discussion. My rule is simple: If it impacts them, communicate, don’t hide. Want to drive change that actually sticks? Start with trust, not tactics.

💭 Ever hit a point in your career where you just feel... stuck? You know the feeling. You’re cruising along, doing your job, learning new things, and then—suddenly—you hit this invisible wall. You start asking yourself, “Am I even growing anymore?” It’s an uncomfortable feeling, and many of us start blaming the situation around us: “If only I had a better boss” or “Maybe it’s this workplace holding me back.” 🎙️ On the 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭, I had a deep conversation with Nathan SV about this exact moment in our careers—what he calls an “inflection point.” Here's what he shared: 👉 When you feel stuck, that’s the exact moment you need feedback the most. But asking for feedback can be tricky, right? Who do you ask? What do you do with the feedback once you get it? Let’s break it down into some practical steps: 1. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 📝 Before you ask anyone for feedback, pause and write down two things: What are you good at? What areas could use improvement? This exercise helps you approach feedback with a clearer sense of what you want to learn. 2. 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐠𝐨 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 It’s easy to feel defensive when receiving feedback. But Nathan emphasized that the most powerful insights come when we leave our ego at the door. Be open to hearing what might make you uncomfortable—those are often the insights that lead to the most growth. 3. 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲 Feedback isn’t about asking just anyone. Go to the people who know you well—trusted mentors or colleagues who understand your work and your challenges. As Nathan says, if you explain the situation you’re facing, they’ll give you feedback that’s truly valuable. 4. 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐭 Feedback isn’t helpful if it just sits in your notebook. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧! Implement the suggestions, tweak your approach, and see the difference it can make. 💡 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: Feedback is a gift, but only if you choose to unwrap it and put it to use. Don’t wait until you feel completely lost—seek it out during those times of inflection, and watch how things start to shift. 🎧 Want to dive deeper? Catch the full conversation with Nathan (Link in Description) #CareerGrowth #Mentorship #FeedbackMatters #Leadership #CareerShifts

Negative self-talk held back my client’s impact Until she pivoted it. Here’s how… Our self-talk often focuses on the negatives. All the things that might go wrong. It’s trying to keep us safe in our comfort zone. But when it wins, we don’t try. Then we don’t grow. Suppressing those thoughts completely is hard. But instead, you can re-frame them with positivity. So that’s what my client and I worked on: Instead of… 🚫 They’ll judge what I say …we re-framed as… 🚀 They’ll hear my full authentic views 🚫 I need to change style and fit in …we pivoted to… 🚀 I do my best work when I’m my best self 🚫 My ambition won’t resonate with them …we took full ownership with… 🚀 My ambition drives me to have greater impact We deflected the negatives to focus on positive results. The shift in safety calmed her inner voice. Which let her step out of her comfort zone to grow. So next time your self talk is being pessimistic Reframe with positivity to help you progress. A shift in narrative = A change in your mindset How have you reframed your self-talk? ✨ Bonus: Over time, you’ll start to think of the positive versions by default!