iSOAR | Laura McGrath Executive Coach | Dublin, Ireland and Beyond

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Boost Your Confidence and Thrive

in Self Confidence on March 4, 2024 March 4, 2024

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Boost Your Confidence and Thrive Recently, I conducted a survey on LinkedIn to explore the key challenges individuals face when changing jobs. Among the responses received, one issue stood out as the highest ranking challenge: imposter syndrome. An astounding 70% of participants cited this as their number one struggle. Understanding the significance of this challenge, I want to provide you with practical…

How do you answer the “First 90 Days” question?

How do you answer the “First 90 Days” question? Transitioning into a new role is one of the most challenging time in your career. Success or failure in your first few months is a strong predictor of success. While most candidates spend time preparing for typical interview questions, they often overlook the importance of preparing for the first 90 days question. Answering this question effectively…

How to develop executive presence in meetings

in Leadership Self Confidence on November 29, 2023 November 29, 2023

How to develop executive presence in meetings This article will be of interest to anyone wishing to raise their profile in meetings and position themselves as a thought leader. I’ve focused on women in particular as speaking to C-Suite leaders, it’s clear to me that not raising their profile is holding them back in their career development. As Harvey Coleman neatly puts it; success is…

How to give negative feedback

in How to give negative feedback on February 17, 2022 February 17, 2022

How to give negative feedback Have you ever felt uncomfortable giving negative feedback? For some, delivering critical feedback triggers childhood memories when their own behaviour was harshly criticised; leading them to avoid situations where they may upset others. Other people sidestep the difficult feedback as they place a high value on being liked. Ultimately to be effective and to help your team grow, critiquing performance…

Managing upwards

in Managing Conflict on April 20, 2021 April 23, 2021

Are you frustrated with the relationship with your boss? Is it holding you back from realising your true potential? This is a common theme that comes up with my clients. I’ve highlighted below a few tools that have helped them reshape relationships and get their careers back on track. Mismatched communication style Most of us have a preference for one particular communication style. This makes…

Why having fun is an important way to manage your stress

in Managing Stress on February 26, 2021 March 2, 2021

The importance of building fun into your life shouldn’t be underestimated. In the words of the Greek philosopher Herodotus “If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it”. Like many of my clients, at times I’ve struggled with Covid and its seemingly unrelenting nature. I’ve shared…

How can you manage a difficult relationship?

in Managing Conflict on November 5, 2020 November 6, 2020

How can you manage a difficult relationship? On average, we don’t like one out of every five people we meet so assuming that you should get on with everyone is simply not a reality. How can you forge productive working relationships in such circumstances? The following three strategies will help you get more control of the situation, freeing you from any historical baggage and allow…

Starting a new job? Here’s 5 ways to maximise your success.

in First 90 Days on September 23, 2020 November 5, 2020

Starting a new job? Here’s 5 ways to maximise your success Starting a new job can be very stressful. Michel Watkins, author of “The First 90 Days” compares it to an organ transplant….where you’re the new organ. It’s the point in your career where you’re at your most vulnerable. The territory is unfamiliar, expectations of what you can deliver are high and you haven’t yet…

How relevant is networking in a digital age?

in Networking on August 20, 2020 September 10, 2020

In a world where everything can be done with the click of a button, has networking become a thing of the past? If anything the opposite is true. Harvey Coleman in his book “Empowering Yourself, The Organizational Game Revealed” writes that career success is based on three elements: performance, image and exposure (PIE). Performance, how good you are at your job only accounts for 10%…

Building Confidence

in Self Confidence on February 18, 2020 August 20, 2020

How can you boost your self-confidence? Fear of failure and not wanting to look foolish in front of colleagues can lead us to live our lives in straight-jackets; doing what’s expected of us instead of listening to our inner voice. This lack of self-belief hits us all at some point in our lives, testing us most strongly in times of significant change. The following 5…