Knightsbridge Blog

Sandra Boyd is a Principal with Knightsbridge. She writes, speaks and coaches, specializing in Career Transition, Career Management and Managing the Four Generations in the Workplace. Sandra Boyd is the author of the “The Hidden Job Market” McGraw Hill-Ryerson and Co-Author of  “Flexible Thinkers...

  Last week I was going to write a blog titled “I Don’t Have a Life, I Have a Job”. The focus of the blog post was going to be the issue of work-life balance and how difficult that can be to manage. However; the issue of managing my life and managing my career recently became a reality for me. On...

  Many people assume networking is a skill set that you need if you are looking for a job or you are in sales, but the truth is that networking is a key skill set that everyone needs to have in today’s job market. Networking is key to career success for many reasons including if you currently hold a...

  Detaching from a job that you have held for years is very difficult - especially if you did not choose to leave, but instead were given a package and told your services were no longer required.   Dan had been working with the same company for 10 years as a Sales Manager with 15 people reporting to...

  When I first started writing this over the Christmas holiday I was going to inspire you with my knowledge and expertise on creating, setting, and achieving goals.  I wanted to teach people how to get that promotion, recognition from your boss, or a salary increase — I am all about goals.  I even...

After being released from a job your mind may have a million questions: what should I do next, who do I know, should I relocate, what should I say about why I am no longer with company XYZ, who can help me, who is in my network, what kind of interview questions will I be asked, and on and on. In my...

  As a career coach I work with people every day, helping them understand their skills, value, brand, motivators, and overall career aspirations. The one question I am asked on a regular basis is “how do I find my passion?” -- the perfect job that is fulfilling enough to drive every aspect of your...

  For everyone rolling your eyes at the word “brand”, replace the word “brand” for “reputation”.    Now let me introduce you to the importance of managing your brand because you have one regardless of what you think. People have an opinion about how you show up in the workplace and who you are so...

  It has been written by philosophers, politicians, and people in general “the measure of a society is how we treat the weakest members.” Needless to say we are failing miserably at how we treat our aging population, but I will leave that for another day. Today, I want to discuss our younger...

Over the last ten years I have been privy to thousands of corporate transitions and have observed both good and bad behaviors from managers and employees.  The Impact of Termination on Employees: For many employees a termination is a defining moment in their life ─ a moment in time that affects...

Discuss progress and hold employees accountable. Although the employee is the key to making his or her career plan unfold, as a manager you have an important and ongoing role. It is your responsibility to: hold regular employee career conversations, establish accountability, and be clear in your...

Here’s the bottom line: if you are not able to do this as an employee you are in trouble. If you do not do this as a manager, you have failed the company and your team. It is the role of the manager to ensure that each member of their team understands: • the organization’s goals and strategies, •...

  Definition of 'Open Kimono': To reveal what is being planned or to share important information freely. Similar to ''open the books'' or an "open door policy." Opening the kimono means revealing the inner workings of a project, person or company to an outside party. Also referred to as "open (up)...

  As a manager you have a certain amount of responsibility to inspire awareness in your employees in the following areas: • their personal reputation in the organization, • their profile and network within organization, and • career development opportunities available to them. At times this type...

  Do you know what inspires your employees? Do you truly understand what it would take for them to leave your organization? Do you know how they perceive their employee brand/reputation versus how others see them?   If you can’t answer these questions it might be time to sit down and start to get to...

  On August 15th I wrote a blog post called “Having the Career Conversation.” In that post, I told you that I would be writing an upcoming series for managers on how to have career coaching conversations with employees. This post will be the first in a five-part series on that topic.    Step 1:...

  In a recent Forbes article entitled “Careers Are Dead. Welcome to Your Low-Wage, Temp Work Future,” the writer J. Maureen Henderson suggests that careers are dead; and therefore, Gen Y is doomed to low paying jobs at the mall! The basics of this article have been written time and time again. The...

At the moment I am torn between my beliefs and values around networking, and being so irritated I want to toss them out the window! I believe that “networking is the key to career success” and I also believe that I should live and breathe what I preach to my clients every day. If I am asked for help...

  I recently returned from a trip to the UK where I facilitated sessions for managers on how to have career coaching conversations with their employees. The group was made up of managers from England, Scotland, Canada, and two Eastern European Countries. What amazed me the most about this session...

On a recent flight returning from Montreal, the airline announced that the thunder and lightning was so bad in Toronto that the airport was shut down and we had to wait an hour before departure – no problem; I had a book.  Sure enough we were off within the hour; although, the turbulence was so bad...

At 26, Rochelle was determined to be a success at the Pharmaceutical firm that she worked at for the last 5 years. She started off in finance, then moved to marketing, and for the last year she worked administration. In the last three months, she had applied for two positions and had been turned...