Being a businesswoman in the modern world is hard, especially if you’re a person of colour. No matter how far has society gone, you need to work twice as much as your male colleagues to achieve the same results. This is what makes us women powerful! Even though no path towards success is the same, certain steps are in common for every successful businesswoman. If you want to find out what the main 7 steps on the journey to empowerment are, work on these things:

1. Do a SWOT analysis

Everyone is talking about SWOT analysis, but what actually is that? Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats are the 4 main components of this concept. To succeed in the business world, you need to determine what are your strengths and weaknesses, and what opportunities and threats you can detect from the environment.

Once you’ve written down those features, you’re ready to step into the business world. Instead of learning the hard way how to build your business from the ground up, use useful techniques such as SWOT analysis. Try to find ways to overcome your weaknesses and ways to use your strengths to your advantage. Similarly, you should consider the possible threats and how to avoid them as well as the best ways to use your opportunities.

2. Be an initiator

If you want to be empowered and get noticed, you should be an initiator. Don’t wait for other people to remember you or your good work; initiate the conversations and lead them in your direction. To achieve that, you’ll need to build a healthy dose of self-confidence and assertiveness. Remember: Fear won’t lead you anywhere!

On top of that, don’t be afraid to communicate your ideas and keep in mind that not everything succeeds for the first time and be persistent. Communicate freely, confidently and politely with your colleagues and managers.

3. Listen to others, but stay on your course

Along the way to success, you’ll probably hear a lot of opinions. Whether they are good or bad, do your best to stay on your course. Negative people are your main obstacles, therefore, when you learn how to deal with them, you’re halfway there.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take any advice into consideration, however, be careful as even well-intended opinions may take you off your course. Before you apply someone’s advice to your journey, make sure to weigh out all the benefits and drawbacks. That’s how you’ll minimise the chances of the unexpected happening.

4. Be organised

For an empowered woman, one of the most important things is organisation. You know what they say: Messy mind, messy life. So, try to keep controllable things under control. For instance, having to-do lists, schedules and open communication with your co-workers is essential.

Each day, create your own schedule and write down all the things you need to complete. If those assignments and tasks include other individuals, make sure to communicate it. Intranet software provides you with such experience; find Staffbase alternatives for improved work engagement and in-team communication. If you want to thrive in these digital times, installing tools that will do lots of good.

5. Give yourself a pep talk

Girl, mistakes are normal. You can’t become a successful and empowered businesswoman if you’re not ready to face your fears and overcome obstacles along the way. Even though your business might not always go according to the plan, you have to keep moving forward.

Have an important meeting coming up? Give yourself a pep talk and go for it! Failures can happen to anyone, so embrace your skills and find ways to overcome your fears, while learning from your mistakes.

6. Work towards your goals

As you probably already know, major success usually doesn’t come overnight; most times, you have to work hard for it. Do you have a goal in mind? Create a plan and find the best ways to achieve it. This is your chance to display your knowledge and use your skills to achieve something greater.

However, that doesn’t mean that you should stop learning; even if you’ve achieved your goals, continuous improvement of your skills and knowledge is necessary. No matter the industry you work in, technology advances all the time and so should you.

7. Take care of your mental health

Empowerment begins the moment you decide to take care of your mental health. Even though investing in yourself and the business is crucial, without mental wellbeing, it all goes to waste. You need to find hobbies and activities that help you relax after a long day at work.

Even though wellbeing is usually associated with psychotherapy, it isn’t necessary if you want to improve your mental health. Insist on work-life balance and do activities that make you feel good, such as yoga, taking a hot bath or reading a book. Don’t forget about the activities that maintain your physical health as well! So, indulge in cycling, jogging or any form of exercise you enjoy.

Becoming an empowered businesswoman is challenging, however, with the right mindset, confidence and organisation, everything is possible. So, work on your fears and weaknesses and become stronger to overcome obstacles that are thrown your way. Stay on your course to success, and enjoy the journey and things that come along the way.

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