Solo Career Success: Behaviors That Sabotage Female Solo Professionals

One of my favorite authors is Lois Frankel, who wrote Good girls don’t stay in the corner office. In the book, she discusses common behaviors many professional women engage in that can sabotage their upward mobility in the corporate world.

As a solo professional, my dream corner office is my home office. But these sabotaging behaviors can also affect individual professionals and our ability to build the business of our dreams.

So what are some of these behaviors? The book describes 101 mistakes, but these are some that I see occur regularly, or have been guilty of from time to time.

1. Apologize for non-serious errors. Women are notorious for needlessly apologizing and then internally repeating minor mistakes over and over again. Sounds familiar? This only creates a cycle of self-doubt and eroded self-esteem. Not good for building your business. Over a few days, count how many times you apologize for a minor mistake or, even worse, someone else’s mistake. Save your apologies for the important stuff.
2. Voting for the approval of decisions. You own the decisions you make about your business. How many times do you seek approval before making a decision? We subconsciously want approval for our decisions because we sometimes doubt ourselves. I’m not suggesting that you should never consult anyone before making a decision, but reserve surveys for critical decisions.
3. Use of filler language. You know filler language when you hear it: words like “ah,” “um,” “I mean,” and “you know.” Fillers also include incoherent sentences that are used to describe a point. Do you know what happens? Your message is lost in all the extra words. The fewer words you use, the more impact you will have on your client, colleague, or audience. A great way to break the filler language habit and hone your speaking skills is to join a group like Toastmasters.
4. Do not market or brand yourself. This is especially deadly for solo professionals. You limit your chances for success when you can’t articulate your unique value. I’m not talking about logos and web copy here. Where this can sting the most is in everyday conversations with colleagues and potential clients. Imagine yourself at a networking event or having a phone conversation and the other person asks what you do. How clearly and concisely can you describe the unique value you bring to the table and make that person want to know more?

It’s the little things that add up to the big success. Just work on one of these things and see what a difference it will make!