Thought Leadership

Written By: Jillian Climie. As we close off year two at The Thoughtful Co, I’ve reflected on what I’ve learned from our clients and community. 1. You can’t grow alone. In my work life, I’ve historically operated quite independently. I felt working hard and executing on my responsibilities was most important, and didn’t leave much time for collaborating with others for new ideas or support. But since co-founding The Thoughtful Co, I’ve realized how essential learning from and

Written by: Sophie Warwick. Salary negotiations can be nerve wracking and emotional conversations. We spend a lot of time preparing and crafting exactly what we’re going to say. However, sometimes budget constraints are real, and our ask can’t be approved in the moment. How do you move forward ensuring you maintain a positive relationship with your leader, while still being recognized for the value you’re delivering? In this article, I’ll outline four key steps to define a po

Written By: Jillian Climie. You’ve gotten the job offer and you're feeling good about the compensation and benefits package. Anything else you should be negotiating for? We recommend thinking about allowances. Over the past few years, we’ve seen them become more and more common as organizations compete with each other to attract and retain the best talent. Read on for five types of allowances you should consider negotiating for. 1) Professional development & coaching allowanc

Written by: Sophie Warwick. At The Thoughtful Co, we work with clients on implementing, revamping, and maintaining thoughtful and impactful Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). With over 90% of Fortune 500 companies having ERGs in place (Forbes, 2017), many companies have already recognized their value but may find themselves unsure of where to start. In this article, I’ll outline the four key initial steps to launch a powerful ERG that fosters positive change and inclusion at wo

Written By: Jillian Climie. After supporting many women in negotiating their compensation, two strategies have stood out to me as being the most impactful in increasing that final amount of money you receive. Neither of these come naturally to most of us; they must be practiced and worked on in advance. Strategy #1: The power of the pause. I’ve been in many negotiations where the person asking for more money almost talks themselves out of the negotiation. They’ll ask for thei

Written by: Sophie Warwick. Often when we work with our clients, we hear discomfort around self-promotion and self-advocation. When we ask them to share their key strengths, we are confronted by silence. However, with a few leading questions, we’re soon hearing about all of the incredible things they have delivered and goals they have achieved. But why is it so hard to share those at the outset? A study by the Harvard Gazette (2020) reported that women are less likely to self