This article will provide valuable career guidance for women professionals. In it, we will tell about the advice of the cashier, who became president of a large trading branch; today it includes 795 objects.
History of success
When Crystal Hanlon joined The Home Depot in 1985 as a cashier, earning five dollars an hour, she probably did not think she would become president of an entire branch that would be responsible for managing 795 stores and more than 110,000 employees. Her amazing journey began a few years ago. A young woman working in retail in order to earn money for college achieved what she was named one of the fifty most influential ladies in the business. It has become a wonderful experience that we can all learn. This is especially true for female employees seeking a career. Her success was definitely not an accident. She shared her advice with us.
Learn how to promote your success.
Crystal understood early that results alone would not automatically lead to success. At the beginning of her career, she noticed that during telephone conferences, men often received praise, although her accomplishments were more visible. Deciding to change this, she began to compile a quarterly report covering her successes and regularly shared it with her boss. She realized the importance of telling her boss the data that he needed to easily advance her through the ranks. She realized that her boss could be one of her strongest defenders, and she needed to constantly state her achievements.
Be emotionally stable and ready for self-criticism
She recalls that at the beginning of her career, she was not transferred to a higher position, and for a long time she resisted the urge to pout and blame others. Then she looked in the mirror and asked herself what she should do better and what she could change to help her bosses better understand her talents. Thus, instead of focusing on insignificant defeats, she immediately looked for ways to improve her personality and thereby become more competitive for her desired position. Reflecting, she admits that her psychological resilience often led her to additional opportunities.
Choose the companies that match your values
In 1985, when she went to the position of cashier to simply raise funds for her life. She was never going to make a career in this company. However, over time, she felt a long-term career potential in this company. This happened to a large extent because she realized that the values of this organization coincided with her own preferences.
Find common ground for building relationships
Crystal Hanlon emphasizes the importance of using simple common ground to develop key relationships in the workplace. In particular, she recalls an example from her early years when she tried to build a relationship with one manager who loved cars. She did not know anything about cars, so she decided to start a conversation about travel, as they were both interested and passionate about this topic. It worked. As she reflects on the past, she recognizes the importance of actively seeking common ground with colleagues, leaders, and others throughout your work.
Keep a calendar of personal and professional meetings
The balance between work and personal life is a problem for most managers (if not for all). Krystal admits that a few years ago she fell into a workaholic lifestyle and eventually forced herself to find balance after several years of an exhausting work schedule. She says that one of her best secrets was keeping a calendar for personal and professional meetings.
This practice reminded her that personal obligations carry the same weight as professional ones. Too often, we subconsciously allow our responsibilities (such as parenting or family vacations) to recede into the background, filling our schedules with work-related tasks. Placing personal and work life on one calendar puts these priorities at the same level.
Do not let others interrupt you in meetings
Crystal recommends not letting others interrupt you in the negotiations, but instead immediately intervene in any injustice in order to make yourself known.
Thus, according to Crystal, all these tricks helped her become the president of a large trading branch.