Career Bites by Lorraine K. Lee: Weekly Bite-Sized Career Tips In 3 Minutes

A key deliverable was due this morning. It never arrived. Now the next phase of the project can’t move forward, and you’re the one who has to update your manager. 😰 What do you say, Reader? You don’t need to have the entire situation fixed. But arriving with a possible next step changes the conversation from “We have a problem” to “Here’s how I think we should handle it.” This is where workplace relationships are built — not just through connection, but by showing people they can rely on you...

Wanting a promotion and knowing how to make the case for one are two different things, Reader. I learned that lesson firsthand. For years, I planned to ask for one during my next performance review. Then when the opportunity arrived, I realized I couldn’t clearly explain what I’d accomplished or why it mattered. 🫠 I see this all the time with the professionals I coach, too. You finally work up the nerve to ask, or sit down to prep for a review, and blank on everything you did before last...

I used to say things like “I just helped with the project” or “it was a team effort,” Reader, even in weeks when I'd done most of the work. I thought I was being humble, but I was actually training people to undervalue me. It's called minimizing language, and it hides in phrases that feel polite but erase your role. Here are three swaps: Instead of: “I just helped with the project.” → Try: "I led the project and brought in [person/team] to support execution." Instead of: “It was a team...

I used to dread walking into rooms full of strangers, Reader. Whenever someone asked, "So, what do you do?" I'd tell them I worked at LinkedIn, we'd exchange a few polite comments, then we'd quickly run out of things to talk about. I assumed I needed a more interesting answer. Turns out, the real fix was asking better questions. Here’s the walk-through I use now, in order: 1. Drop the goal of “making a good impression.” Replace it with one goal: leave the conversation knowing one genuine...

A manager I once had climbed fast, Reader. Somewhere in that climb, she stopped asking questions and started deciding from a distance. Her team didn’t leave all at once — they left one at a time, starting with the people who used to tell her the truth. An old manager once told me: “The fastest way to lose your team is to forget what their day actually feels like.” I’ve thought about that line for years, mostly because it works both ways. If you’re the one being managed, trust erodes just as...

For years, Reader, I thought staying silent was the thing holding me back at work. I did the work and stayed prepared, and I kept waiting for someone to notice, while louder people got pulled into the rooms I wasn’t in. Then one idea changed how I saw the whole thing. Quiet is how I’m wired, and it gives me real advantages. Being invisible is a different thing, and it’s one you can do something about. Most of the quiet high performers I work with are sitting on strengths they never get credit...

Lorraine's Latest ✨ I spent two weeks in the wild instead of my inbox. My parents just crossed 40 years of marriage, and our family celebrated the milestone with two weeks in South Africa. We spent our days on safari, a few feet from wild animals (can you spot the elephant? 🐘), and I properly unplugged for the first time in a long time. I'm back now, recharged, and ready for what's next! A reader named Cathy sent me a message that I haven't stopped thinking about, Reader, and she gave me...

Every now and then you come across something you can’t wait to share. Recently I connected with Steven Claes, the A+ Introvert. Steven’s spent more than 20 years in human resources, and is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer at a publicly traded company. He’s sat on both sides of the table, and he understands what it takes to get ahead with quiet confidence. Those are the lessons he shares with 167,000+ LinkedIn followers and 50,000+ readers of his weekly newsletter, The A+ Introvert....

Here's the uncomfortable truth, Reader. Most people get passed over for promotions for one reason: someone else made a stronger case. If you've ever watched someone less qualified get promoted ahead of you, this is why. I've sat in rooms where promotion decisions get made and the conversation is rarely about who works the hardest. It's usually about whose name comes up the most, whose impact can be described in a sentence, and who has someone in the room willing to advocate for them. Here are...