Mardi Humphreys

The Art of Ignoring

Willpower isn’t just about resisting the urge to check Slack every time it pings. It’s about deliberate focus.

Focus Like a Lens

Think of your attention like the lens in your eye. When you focus on something close, the background blurs. Willpower works the same way. It sharpens your mental focus so one task comes into crystal-clear view while the rest fades away. When you say, “I’m finishing this presentation before lunch,” you’re choosing clarity over clutter. But when you rapidly task switch (multitasking is a myth, btw) like editing slides, checking email, responding to a message from your boss, then you’re trying to keep everything in focus at once. That’s like asking your eyes to look near and far at the same time. You end up not seeing anything clearly.

Try this: Before you start a task, close out everything that’s not essential: browser tabs, Slack channels, your phone. You’ll be amazed how fast your brain clicks into single-focus mode once you remove the background noise.

How to Bend Willpower to Your Will

Willpower is more like a cat than a dog. You can’t force it to show up on demand. However, you can make it easier to access. When you design your environment to make discipline unnecessary, willpower becomes less about fighting temptation and more about removing it.

Try this: Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard. For example: Keep healthy snacks visible; hide the candy. Put your phone across the room during meetings. Schedule deep work sessions at your mental peak (for many, that’s mid-morning).

Freedom in What You Don’t Do

Freedom at work doesn’t come from saying yes to everything. It comes from saying no to the wrong things. The freedom to end your day on time. The freedom to take lunch away from your desk. The freedom to leave unread emails… unread. Boundaries create breathing room. Without them, your time gets hijacked by other people’s priorities. True freedom at work is the ability to choose less on purpose.

Try this: Block “do not disturb” hours on your calendar and defend them like the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon guards the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. You’ll feel your mental space expand almost immediately.

Willpower Needs Rest

Willpower is like a battery. If you drain it all day with constant decisions, nonstop meetings, and endless notifications, then it will fail you when you need it most. But when you rest and recharge, it grows stronger. Rest isn’t laziness; it’s maintenance. Take a walk. Eat lunch without your laptop. End your day instead of letting it fade into night. These aren’t indulgences. They are refueling stops for your brain.

Try this: Treat your focus like your phone battery. When it hits 20%, plug it in. For example, step away for five minutes, stretch, breathe, or just stare out a window. You’ll come back clearer and sharper.

How do you intentionally ignore what doesn’t matter so you can pour your attention into what does? Please share in the comments.

Under Construction

Reality Check: no matter how smart you are or how much caffeine you consume, you can’t succeed alone. Leadership is less about being the hero and more about building a team of people who can thrive together. When you understand how to assemble and nurture a team, you set the stage for productivity, innovation, and sanity (yours included). Let’s talk about why this matters and how you can build your skills even if you don’t officially manage people.

Why Team Building Matters

Leaders who know how to build teams create environments where people actually want to work, not just log hours on Slack and duck out of Zoom meetings as fast as possible. Here’s what effective team building does:

Improves Communication: When trust is high, people stop sending 47 follow-up emails just to confirm what was already said in a meeting.
Boosts Motivation and Retention: A good team feels like a place where you belong. That’s why employees stick around longer, even when recruiters are lurking in their LinkedIn DMs.
Fosters Innovation: Great ideas don’t come from a vacuum. They come from different brains colliding in the right way.
Develops Individual Strengths: A well-built team doesn’t just hit goals. It makes each person better at what they do.

When all of that happens, everyone wins. Your organization gets higher productivity, the team gets better results, and you have fewer Sunday Scaries.

Spotting Your Team’s Types

Every team has personalities you can mentally group into categories. Think of them as archetypes you’ll see again and again. Your job isn’t to “fix” these types. It’s to get them to work together without frustrating each other.

The C-Suite: Even if they aren’t in the C-Suite, they act like they are. Confident and decisive, they want control.
The Partier: They’re here for the vibes. If there’s a happy hour, they’re organizing it. If there’s a virtual meeting, they’re cracking jokes in the chat.
The Networker: This person is a connector. They know someone in every department and always seem to have the right intro at the right time.
The Process Improver: They can’t stand inefficiency. Expect comments like, “Why are we doing this in three steps when it could be done in one?”

Who Plays Nice Together and Who Doesn’t

I tell you this truth in love: not everyone meshes. The trick is preventing cliques from forming. That means watching who’s chatting in Slack side channels or dominating Zoom meetings while others stay on mute. Set the tone by calling people in, not out. Some examples:

The C-Suite and the Partier often clash. One wants order; the other wants fun. Remind them fun and productivity aren’t mutually exclusive goals.
The Networker and the Process Improver can frustrate each other. One thrives on people, the other on systems. Encourage them to see how their strengths complement each other: relationships open doors, and processes keep things running smoothly.
Surprisingly, the C-Suite and the Process Improver usually get along well. Both want results. They just approach them differently.

What to do Right Now

Pay Attention to Patterns: Who’s always talking? Who’s always silent? Spotting dynamics is step one.
Balance the Energy: Don’t let one type run the show. Make space for each strength.
Frame Collaboration as a Win for Everyone: Say, “Your process idea will make this easier, and your connections will get it approved faster.” People like hearing how they fit.
Encourage Cross-pollination: Ask the Partier to co-lead a brainstorming session with the C-Suite type. Pair the Networker with the Process Improver on rollout. Mix them up intentionally.

Which archetype are you? Please share in the comments.

Three Down

“We don’t learn from experience; we learn from reflecting on the experience.” – John Dewey

Continuing the journey we started with Quarterly Contemplation and Half Way There, it’s time to pause and reflect on Q3.

Think About Your Thinking

You’re wrapping up a busy quarter at work. The projects, deadlines, and constant task juggling are all blurring together so it’s tempting to skip reflection. Think about how you handle your workweek. If a meeting runs over, what’s the first thing you cut? Chances are, it’s the five minutes you set aside to review your progress or reset your priorities. But if you do, then you’ll miss out on one of the most powerful and affordable tools available for professional growth. The same happens at the end of a quarter. Please pause and process what happened so you don’t walk into Q4 on autopilot carrying forward habits that do not serve you.

We treat reflection as optional, but it’s actually central to learning. It’s more than replaying events in your head. It requires metacognition: thinking about your thinking. You consider what worked, what didn’t, and why. You connect past choices to future goals. And when you articulate that process (even just jotting notes in a document), you’re strengthening a skill set that compounds over time.

Your output isn’t just tasks. It’s also ideas, decisions, and problem-solving. Here are two common areas where reflection can make a difference:

Time Management: Maybe you intended to block out focus hours, but constant Slack pings derailed you. Reflection helps you spot patterns like this so you can try a new boundary next quarter.
Career Goals:. You might be good at executing tasks but realize you’ve spent little time building skills for the role you actually want. Reflection surfaces those blind spots before another quarter slips by.

These aren’t abstract benefits. They show up in real ways: fewer late nights at the laptop, better alignment with your manager’s expectations, and more energy for projects that matter to you. Give yourself targeted questions. Think of them as prompts that guide your thinking and keep you honest. Over time, you’ll get faster at noticing themes in your work and more confident in making adjustments.

Questions to Ask Yourself

What were the major objectives I set at the start of the quarter, and did I meet them?

What work am I most proud of, and why?

What were the biggest challenges I faced, and how did I respond?

What is one habit I should start, stop, or continue doing to improve my workflow?

How did I contribute to the positive culture of my team?

What is my top goal for professional development before the end of the year?

Are my current projects and responsibilities still aligned with my long-term career aspirations?

What questions would you add to this list? Please share in the comments.

Protect Yourself

You’ve got your work rhythm down, bills are on autopay, and money doesn’t seem like the big stressor everyone makes it out to be. Then BAM you get into a car accident. The repair bill is bigger than your last bonus check. The insurance deductible wipes out what you thought was extra income. Suddenly, one domino tips into another, and you realize your safety net has huge holes in it.

Only 46% of U.S. adults have enough emergency savings to cover three months of expenses. That means over half of us are one crisis away from financial free fall. You don’t have to wait for the floor to drop. You can build guardrails right now.

Focus on Financial Literacy

Learn how credit works, how interest compounds, and why “zero percent APR for 12 months” can be a trap if you don’t read the fine print.

To Do: Pick one financial podcast, blog, or book this month and commit to finishing it. You’ll be surprised how quickly small insights, like knowing your credit utilization ratio, translate into better decisions.

Create a Realistic Budget

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. For example, if you discover you’re spending $250 a month on takeout lunches, then you can decide whether it’s worth it or whether you’d rather funnel $100 into savings and still grab Chipotle once a week.

To Do: Start a spreadsheet. Track every expense for two weeks. The point isn’t to cut everything. It’s to see clearly where your money is actually going.

Build Savings

Your emergency fund is your personal career insurance. Start with a small, achievable goal: $1,500. That’s enough to cover most minor disasters like replacing the catalytic converter on your car without panic-Googling payday lenders. Once you hit that, aim for three months’ worth of expenses, then six. I know that sounds like a lot. And it is. Six months is currently how long it’s taking people to find new jobs.

To Do: Automate $50 a paycheck into a separate savings account. Set it and forget it. Future you, facing an unexpected bill, will thank you.

Pay Down Debt

High-interest debt is like running on a treadmill while someone keeps handing you five-pound weights. You’re working hard, but you’re not getting anywhere. Credit cards, payday loans, and other high-interest traps drain future earning power. Attack them first.

To Do: Get out that budget spreadsheet and add a tab. List your debts, interest rates, and minimum payments. Choose one of these methods to pay them down: Avalanche Method: Pay extra on the highest-interest debt first. Or the Snowball Method: Pay extra on the smallest balance for quick wins. Both work. The best method is whichever one you’ll stick to.

Diversify Your Income

Your salary shouldn’t be your only defense against poverty. Having multiple income streams can buffer you in the event of layoffs or hiring freezes. A side hustle doesn’t have to mean starting a full-blown business. It can be freelancing your current skills, teaching online, or setting up a passive income stream like writing an e-book and selling it on your website.

To Do: Identify one skill you already use at work (e.g., writing, data analysis, design) and brainstorm one way to monetize it outside your day job.

What is one thing you do to protect yourself from poverty? Please share in the comments.

An Inside Job

Last week we talked about external storytelling; talking about your organization to clients and prospects. I received an interesting question from the Is It Worth Your T.E.A.M.? community: “Yeah, but what about the stories we tell each other inside the organization?” Great question!

Outside In

The way you share stories inside your company shapes culture. Just like you use stories to communicate trust, loyalty, and momentum to those outside your organization, use them to communicate those things inside it too.

For example, think about the difference between telling your team, “We hit Q3 revenue goals” versus “Because we hit Q3 revenue goals, we’re funding more professional development courses next year.” Same data, very different story.

Remind the team they are humans striving for a common goal. Inside your company, that could mean telling the story of how a developer solved a sticky bug that was holding up a release, not just announcing, “The app update is live.”

How to Frame the Work

Last week we talked about how every good story has a beginning, middle, and end. Here’s how this could look internally:

Beginning (Context): Your product team was preparing for a major feature release hyped in the last all-hands call. Everyone knew why the date was circled on the calendar.
Middle (Challenge): Two weeks before launch, quality assurance testing flagged serious bugs. Developers were already maxed out, designers were juggling other requests, and morale dipped as the deadline slipped further out of reach.
End (Resolution): Instead of finger-pointing, leadership organized a cross-functional sprint. Marketing paused nonessential campaigns, IT freed up resources, and a few late nights later, the bugs were squashed. The launch landed just one week late, with lessons learned about testing earlier and collaborating faster.

This story acknowledges the inevitable bumps. People respect honesty more than spin. The best stories make people feel something: relief, pride, humor. But be careful. Forced emotion backfires. If you exaggerate or fabricate, your audience can sense it. Instead, lean on authentic anecdotes. Maybe your customer support team celebrated hitting a 95% satisfaction rate by baking cookies shaped like happy faces. Or maybe an employee quietly mentored a new hire through their first chaotic sales cycle. Those details connect because they’re real.

Show AND Tell

Stories stick when they’re tangible. Saying, “Our team is collaborative” is one thing. Sharing how three departments rallied to fix a client issue overnight shows it. Saying, “We value growth” is fine. Pointing to the analyst who became a manager because of your training program proves it. Whenever possible, support your points with case studies, testimonials, or direct experiences. Proof beats platitudes every time. Also, ending your story with a call to action like,“Here’s how you can get involved in the new initiative” sets you up to gather more stories to tell.

Here’s your call to action: Pick one story your organization could tell better, and refine it. Can you make it more human? More honest? More audience-focused? Then please share in the comments what you did.

Tell Stories That Stick

When you think about storytelling, you might picture novels, Netflix, or maybe that one friend who makes a Target run sound like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But if you work in any organization, then you’re already a storyteller whether or not you realize it. If that sounds overwhelming, don’t be scared. Telling your organization’s story doesn’t have to be hard. The key is to tell the right stories, in the right way, to the right people. Here are some ideas.

Know Your Audience (And What They Care About)

A lot of leaders stumble over storytelling because they tell the stories they want to hear, not the stories their audience needs. A prospect doesn’t need the play-by-play of your new cloud migration. They want to know: How will this save me time, cut my costs, or make me look good in front of my boss? Organizational storytelling isn’t a nice add-on. It’s a practical tool. The stories you tell shape your reputation. They build trust, loyalty, and momentum. Tailor them to resonate with your clients needs, not just your own pride in the project.

Put People at the Center

Facts matter. Metrics matter. But people remember people. If you want your message to resonate, wrap those numbers in human experiences. It could be a case study framed not as “We delivered X solution,” but as “A client was burning out trying to manage data manually, and here’s how we helped free up ten hours of their week.” Human stories create empathy. They remind your clients and prospects that your organization isn’t a machine. It’s made up of people making a difference.

Use a Clear Narrative Arc

Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end. This arc works because it mirrors how our brains process information. You aren’t going for drama, you’re going for clarity. In organizational terms: context, challenge, resolution. For example:

Beginning: What’s the situation? (The client was stuck in spreadsheets. The product launch was slipping.)
Middle: What’s the challenge? (Their data was messy. Their team was stretched thin.)
End: How was it resolved? (Automation streamlined reporting. A sprint pulled the launch over the finish line.)

Don’t Skip the Struggle

We love to airbrush our stories, but struggle is what makes them compelling. Saying “Everything went smoothly” is forgettable. Saying “We hit a wall, here’s how we climbed it” is memorable. Highlighting challenges and solutions shows resilience. Clients don’t want a perfect vendor. They want a reliable partner who can handle reality.

Position Your Brand as the Guide

Here’s the crucial shift: In every story, your organization shouldn’t be the hero. Your clients are the heroes. You’re the guide. You’re Yoda, not Luke. You’re the one equipping them with the tools, solutions, and support to succeed. This mindset keeps your stories humble, relatable, and persuasive. It also reinforces your value proposition: You exist to help others achieve their goals. (And become Jedi Masters.)

Wrap It Up with a Next Step

Every story needs a takeaway. Without one, your audience thinks, “Nice story. So what?” An organizational classic is, “Let’s schedule a call to explore how this could work for you.”

How do you tell your organization’s story? Please share in the comments.

Bridge the Gap

Your brand is the shorthand people use to describe you when you’re not in the room. It’s your reputation. If you’re perceived in a way you don’t want to be perceived, that’s a problem. What do you want to be known for at work? How do you make sure you’re actually known for that?

A performance review is a bad time to discover the image you’re transmitting is not the image your manager is receiving. For example: You want to be known as the person who can solve tough problems. But if people keep saying, “Jordan’s great! They answer emails instantly, no matter when you send them,” then your brand risks being ‘always available’ instead of ‘strategic thinker’. Speed is fine, but if the story others tell about you is more around responsiveness than problem-solving, the perception gap just swallowed your brand whole.

The Gap Between Self-Image and Brand

You know how you see yourself, but that doesn’t mean your coworkers or managers see you that way. You might think you’re organized because you keep an immaculate to-do list, but if you miss deadlines, the team will call you scattered. You might think you’re collaborative because you let everyone weigh in during meetings, but your team may quietly wish you’d just make a decision already. This is where the brand gap shows up. It lies in the little misalignments between your intent and others’ experience of you. Do any of these common branding misfires sound familiar?

Meetings: You think you’re being thorough by asking detailed questions. Others think you’re derailing the agenda.
Email habits: You believe instant replies show reliability. Others assume you have too much time on your hands or aren’t focused on bigger priorities.
Decision-making: You frame your approach as careful and thoughtful. Others see it as indecisive.

Your Ego’s Report Card

How do you bridge the perception gap? You ask people what they think. A 360-degree assessment, formal or informal, is one of the best tools you have. You gather feedback not just from your boss, but from peers, direct reports, even cross-functional colleagues. The feedback may sting, but think of it as your ego getting a performance review. Feedback is data and data is what you need to make decisions. It will tell you what to work on. Feedback usually comes with positives too. For example, maybe your manager says your presentations are a little too detailed, but your follow-through is unmatched. You can work with that. Soothing the sting with positive feedback helps you double down on strengths that people already notice.

Manage Your Brand

Clarify: Decide what you want to be known for (e.g., problem-solver, reliable leader, creative thinker, efficiency expert). If you don’t define it, others will define it for you.
Ask: Don’t wait for the annual review. A quick “Hey, when I run meetings, do I come across as clear and confident?” can reveal a lot.
Adjust: People can’t read your intentions. They can only see your actions. Do you want to be seen as decisive? Start summarizing meetings with, “Here’s the call I’m making.”
Repeat: Consistency is key. If you want to be the strategic thinker, don’t undercut yourself by showing up mainly as the fast replier.

How do you bridge the perception gap? Please share in the comments.

The Fuel

You finally got the raise you worked so long and so hard for. You’re ecstatic! For about a minute and a half. Then you think, “Wait. That’s it?” The milestone matters, but the money isn’t what fulfills you. The fuel that keeps you going is the process that got you there: your daily practice of showing up, solving problems, and getting a little sharper every day.

Why the High Fades So Fast

Extrinsic rewards like raises, promotions, or landing a new job are motivating but they quickly lose their shine. The email subject line “Congratulations!” feels great in the moment. But two weeks later, you’re back in the grind wondering why you don’t feel any different. Feelings are fleeting. What lasts are the skills you built, the focus you developed, and the decisions you made. These are things you control. What you don’t control is whether the company hits its revenue targets. Or whether your boss’s boss decides it’s the right time to bump your pay. You choose how to use your time and the quality of the work you produce.

The Process is the Point

Raises, promotions, and job offers are markers. They’re not destinations. The fulfillment comes from how you handle the work in between them. Think back to when you were working toward the raise. Maybe you streamlined how your team reports results. Maybe you volunteered to take the lead on a project outside your comfort zone. Maybe you finally learned how to say “no” to the meeting that could have been an email. (If it’s this one, then you’re my new superhero.) The part that fueled you was not the outcome. It was the act of improving.

The same principle applies to bigger career decisions. Maybe you’re choosing between two job offers: one with higher pay, the other with more growth potential. The satisfaction doesn’t come from the offer letter. It comes from the clarity you build while weighing your core values against the options and from the discipline of making the choice you’ll stand behind six months later. Or maybe you’ve started thinking about leadership. You won’t control whether your manager opens a new role next quarter. But you can control how you prepare. You can sharpen your ability to make decisions, practice how you delegate, and build trust with peers.

Why Process Wins More Often

When you commit to the process of showing up each day, learning, and refining, outcomes go your way more often because you give yourself more chances to succeed. For example, your coworker only updates their resume and portfolio once every two years when they’re job-hunting. But you regularly document your projects, update your Atta Baby! file, and reflect on what you learned. When the unexpected opportunity comes up, your coworker is scrambling. You, on the other hand, are ready for it.

What personal process improvement tip do you have for the Is It Worth Your T.E.A.M.? community? Please share in the comments.

Your Career Compass

Promotions, project assignments, and pushback in meetings all come with trade-offs. Without a clear set of core values you’re just guessing which choice is right. With them you have a built-in compass that points you in the right direction even when the map is unclear.

What Are Your Core Values?

They are the deeply held beliefs that shape your decisions and actions. They’re the “why” behind your “what.” At work, they are the difference between wise choices and the ones you regret six months later. If you don’t know what your core values are, here is a list from Brene Brown (thank you!) to help you define them. After looking at the list:

Choose 10–15 values that resonate with you. Take your time but don’t overthink it
Whittle those down to 3–5. This is hard. Focus on what really drives you
Check your behavior against your list. This is where it gets uncomfortable: notice what you do, not just what you say. Values are only real if your actions reflect them. For example, if you say honesty is a core value but you leave inconvenient details out of a client report because it makes your team look better, then you may not be as committed to honesty as you thought. That’s not to shame you. It’s to help you notice when your behavior doesn’t match your stated values. The gap is revealing

Why Core Values Matter at Work

Leaders face this all the time: two options, both high stakes, both with trade-offs. Core values act as a filter. They help you set aside other people’s expectations so you can make decisions that align with who you are. For example, in a team meeting your manager proposes a project timeline you know is unrealistic. If one of your core values is integrity, that value pushes you to speak up even if it’s uncomfortable. If your top value is loyalty, you may frame your concerns differently, focusing on supporting the team while raising the issue.

Use Core Values to Guide Your Career

Short-term example: Your manager asks you to join a new project that would be great for your visibility but would require late nights for the next three weeks. If one of your values is balance, you may decide to pass or negotiate a more sustainable schedule. If your top value is growth, you may accept and plan for recovery time afterward.

Long-term example: You’re considering a job offer from a company with a reputation for high turnover and aggressive targets. If stability is a top value, you may decline. If innovation is a top value, you may decide the fast pace aligns with what you want.

In both cases, your values act like a GPS. You still choose the route, but they keep you pointed toward your destination.

How to Apply Your Core Values Right Now

Write them down and keep them visible: Put them on a sticky note on your laptop. Take a photo of them and use it as the wallpaper on your phone
Define 2–3 behaviors for each value: This makes them measurable and realistic
Run decisions through your values filter: When faced with a choice, ask: “Which option best aligns with my values?”
Use them in conversations: If you decline an opportunity, frame it around your values. For example: “I want to make sure I can deliver quality work, so I’m concerned about the current timeline.”
Revisit them quarterly: Your values may stay the same, but your behaviors may need updated as your career progresses

How do you use your core values to make wise career choices? Please share in the comments.

Are You Ready for It?

It’s promotion season! The time of year when titles shift, responsibilities grow, and opportunities open up. Whether your company follows a formal review process or leaves advancement up to individual managers, one thing is clear. You aren’t handed a promotion. You have to be ready and strategic.

Close Gaps

Before you ask for a promotion look up the job description for the role you want even if it’s not currently posted. What skills, certifications, or leadership abilities does it mention that your current role doesn’t require? Skill gaps aren’t deal breakers. But if they’re visible and unaddressed, they’re easy reasons to pass you over. Your good work does not speak for itself. Promotions go to people who proactively show they’re already doing some of what the next-level job demands. For example, if the job requires strategic planning, and you’re currently in a tactical role, think back to when you helped your team decide on quarterly goals or you made a case for prioritizing a project. Document that and be specific.

Highlight Impact

Instead of listing your tasks clearly state the outcomes your work produced. “Created reports,” is fine, but what happened as a result? You can say, “Increased reporting efficiency by 30% by restructuring our monthly deliverables.” When pitching yourself for a promotion, share examples of projects that had measurable impact. Then tie them directly to the role you want. For example, “Last quarter, I led a small team to implement a new client feedback loop. The experience taught me how to adapt communication styles across departments. That skill is required in the new role on a daily basis.”

Be Clear

Vague descriptions make it harder for others to see you in a bigger role. Swap out generic phrases with specific, transferable skills. Instead of “Ran meetings” say, “Facilitated weekly team syncs, keeping cross-functional partners aligned and on track.” Your goal is to make it easy for your manager to visualize you in the new position. Not just because you’re ready, but because you’ve already started acting like you’re in it.

Build Relationships

If no one in leadership knows your work, they can’t advocate for you when decisions are made. Be visible in the right ways: Speak up in meetings with thoughtful questions or insights. Offer to present team wins or project outcomes. Ask for feedback. Not just from your manager, but also from peers or other leaders you’ve worked with. If your manager knows the promotion is a stretch role, don’t shy away from acknowledging it. Say something like: “I may not be the most obvious candidate on paper, but I’ve been working intentionally to grow in these areas, and I believe I can bring real value to the team.”

Ask Professionally

Once you’ve done your prep, set up a meeting with your manager. This is not a casual hallway conversation. Frame it as a career development check-in. Come prepared with: A list of accomplishments tied to the new role. Evidence you’ve closed (or are closing) any skill gaps. A clear statement of your interest in the position. You are not bragging. You are owning your progress and signaling your readiness. You can say, “I’ve taken on more responsibility over the past year, and I’ve had the chance to lead several initiatives that improved team efficiency. I’ve reviewed the expectations for the position, and I believe I’m ready. I’d like to talk about what it would take to be considered.”

How do you clearly demonstrate the value you bring? Please share in the comments.