New Program: Peer Coaching for International Development Professionals

If you’re new here, you may want to sign up for my free email newsletter. Thanks for visiting!UPDATE as of February 15, 2012: We now have over 150 international development professionals who have expressed an interest in being matched with a peer coach through the pilot program. If you’re interested in peer coaching, please read […]

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Why Mindfulness is Essential for International Development Workers

Today’s guest post is by Weh Yeoh, co-founder of whydev.org, a website aimed at engaging young professionals in critical analysis and discussion on aid and development. His piece on mindfulness appeared there before the holidays, and it reminded me to be mindful and fully present during a particularly hectic time. As a result, my own […]

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Quick Guide to Reflecting on 2011 (and Planning for 2012)

Happy New Year! A version of this post appeared on Development Crossroads a year ago, but since very few people were actually reading the blog then (kudos to you if you were one of them!), I thought I’d share it again to help new readers kick off their year. You’ve survived the holidays and rung […]

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Hey, aid worker! Enough already about your New Year’s resolutions.

Happy New Year! Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? If you have, you may want to stop talking about them. An article I wrote about why it’s better to keep resolutions to yourself appeared recently on whydev.org. In case you’re not already familiar with whydev.org, I encourage you to check out the site — it’s […]

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International Development Career Highlights of 2011

It’s hard to believe that 2011 is wrapping up.  One of my favorite year-end traditions is looking back on the year that has passed, noting the highlights, the low points, and (hopefully) the personal and professional growth. Recently I asked blog readers, coaching clients, friends, and acquaintances working in international development to share their work-related […]

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The Aid Worker’s Perennial Question: “What’s Next?”

“I’m not happy at work. I know something needs to change. But I’m not sure what I want to do,” confided Angela (not her real name). When she first took a job at a large international organization, she had had high hopes for making a difference and learning from respected colleagues. But she was drained by […]

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Drinking on the Job, Avoiding Burn-out in Aid Work, and the Power of Small Wins

“Champagne for you, miss?” asked the waiter. It occurred to me that drinking during the workday in my first week at my first job out of college may not be the most prudent career move, especially with my boss sitting at the same table.  But the waiter’s question was apparently rhetorical, because he didn’t wait for an […]

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Know What You Want

I coach international development professionals who want to have satisfying, high-impact careers while still enjoying a life outside of work. So how do you get that? One important piece of the puzzle is to know yourself, and know yourself well. How do you do that? A couple of weeks ago I shared three ways you […]

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Kryptonite and the International Development Superhero

You may have heard that it’s a smart career move to minimize the time and energy you spend on your weaknesses, and focus on your strengths instead.  After all, you’ll get better results going from “good” to “great” than from trying to get yourself from “mediocre” to “acceptable.”  Treating your weaknesses like Kryptonite and getting […]

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The Most Important Person To Know in Aid and Development

When it comes to career success, they say it’s not what you know, but who you know. Well, if you want to have an amazing career in the aid and development industry, there is one person you must get to know, and get to know well: YOU. Self-awareness is a key to building a great […]

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