As I sit down to reflect on the past year, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride. Writing and launching “Confident Career Conversations” has been a really rewarding journey. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, my readers, and supporters.
A Year of Pride
Within just ten weeks of its launch, “Confident Career Conversations” became Amazon #1 in two categories, Business Careers and HR and Personnel Management. It was wonderful to see because it showed the interest people have in empowering their employees to develop their careers. Â
The book garnered significant attention and was featured in 32 pieces of coverage. Those included prestigious publications such as Forbes, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, The Stylist, Personnel Today, and People Management. At the time of writing those articles will have had an estimated 235,000 views. You can see the full coverage here.
Additionally, it is a real honour that content based on the book has been included in two HBR Worksmart series books. “Bosses, Co-Workers and Building Great Working Relationships” and “Experience, Opportunity and Developing Your Career.”
The book’s impact was further validated when it was named runner-up in the Institute of Leadership Book Awards. Which was followed by a “Meet the Author” session.
These moments were particularly rewarding because they allowed me to connect with many readers on a more personal level, sharing insights and hearing your thoughts and feedback.
Confident Career Conversations has also been shortlisted for the Business Book Awards in the category of People, Management, and Culture. Keep your fingers crossed for a win on 19th September!
Lessons Learned
Any author will admit that writing a book is an arduous task. Not quite so arduous thankfully is recording the audiobook. I actually quite enjoyed that process. However, the real challenge was that I kept thinking I would write it differently with hindsight!
That is just one of the lessons I’ve learned during this year. Another is the importance of understanding the unique needs and personalities of the people we work with. This was beautifully illustrated by one of our readers in a review:
“If you manage people, you MUST read this book. We all have to have uncomfortable conversations at work at some point in our career, so make sure you read this book so…you can have your career conversation, comfortably, understand the personality of the person and not just read from the HR manual. This book will help you to understand your people and help them to progress in a way they feel comfortable. It’s good for them, it’s good for you and it’s good for business.”
This feedback underscores the essence of what I hoped to achieve with “Confident Career Conversations” – to provide a practical toolkit for managers to navigate difficult conversations with empathy and effectiveness.
Gratitude and Acknowledgments
I am immensely grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey. To my readers, thank you for your support, for sharing your stories, and for applying the principles from the book in your workplaces.
To my family and Team AO, I couldn’t do any of this without you.
A special thank you to the organisations that have embraced the book as part of their training programmes, including the World Bank Group, NatureScot, and UNHCR. Knowing that “Confident Career Conversations” is making a difference in such impactful institutions is incredibly fulfilling.
Looking Ahead: Celebrating with a New Guide
To celebrate the anniversary of “Confident Career Conversations,” I am thrilled to announce the upcoming release of a supplementary guide titled “Multi-Generational Workforce: Navigating Career Conversations.” This guide will provide additional insights for managing career conversations across different generations, using the career conversation toolkit.
As we look forward to another year of growth and learning, I am excited about the opportunities ahead and the chance to continue this journey with all of you.
Thank you so much for your unwavering support and for continuing to believe in the power of confident career conversations.
