Money is power and Claire Wasserman has a book to help you make more if it called Ladies Get Paid, and I’m going over the 3 Basic Steps to High Pay from her Foundation Section.

#1 Get Aligned

If you want high pay you need to be doing work that you love. You need to get aligned with your skills, purpose and interests.

Claire has a great case study of Alisha, who got a great job out of college that wasn’t in alignment with her interests. It was a highly competitive consulting job that required long hours and constant work. She was having issues at work and finally came to realize that it was because she was not a good fit for that kind of work.

She had to rethink what it was that she really wanted in a job. She realized she loved art and wanted to work in a creative, supportive and collaborative environment. Here’s how to do it.

Find Clues About Your Energy Levels

What drains your energy? What adds to it? Make a list.

Strengths – What is your greatest strength?

What are things you do really well?

What do I do/say/think/see differently from other people?

If you were to describe me to someone else, what would you say?

Interests

What are topics or activities that I’m continually drawn to?

What are things that move or motivate me?

What are problems I want to solve?

What things am I most curious about?

(Bonus: Ask a friend): What do I never shut up about?

Put Clues Together in a chart

Make a column for what you like, what you dislike, your strengths and what you are passionate about or interested in.

Your Motivating Values

List your Intrinsic Values, which are skills that when you use them at wrk, you find them personally rewarding – like connecting with an audience, or helping others

List your Extrinsic Values – Tangible, definable things taht are the by-products of your job or occupation – like stable pay, being a leader, flexibility

Determine Your Priorities

List about the following – I’d Like To, I’d Rather Not, Deal Breakers

Take Steps

A step might be to quit your job, or get a side gig, or start going to networking events.

Maybe take a class or a seminar.

Start moving in the direction of more fulfilling work.

#2 Get Out of Your Head

Imposter Syndrome – Recognize if You Are Feeling Pressure to Prove Yourself

In the book Claire uses Reece’s story as an example. Reece gets a great job but always feels like an imposter at work, like she doesn’t deserve to be there. She later journals and finds that part of the reason is the male dominant environment, and part is her own imagination. As she notices her colleagues and bosses take other people’s ideas, including her own, she realizes that they might actually be the real imposters…and she might actually know more than them.

Use a journal as a tool to stop your imposter syndrome by:

Stay Grounded

Have something that keeps you feeling worthy. Maybe it’s an e-mail, a mantra, a song, and image. Keep it close so when you hear your mind doing negative self talk you can remind yourself of how wonderful you are.

Shift Focus

Instead of making work about what you’re going to do, shift the focus to the value you’re providing or the things you’re learning. Focus more on the process than on the outcome.

Phone a Friend

Call a friend to if you feel down and need a pick me up.

Reframe the imposter

You always need to learn things you don’t know if you are going to grow. So think of the imposter feeling as a sign that you are actually in the right place, at the right time, and ready to grow.

Experiment in Vulnerability

Try different things you haven’t done before. Speak up at meetings. Join social groups where you can share how you truly feel at work. Be yourself! Take small steps and see what happens.

How to Deal With Critical Feedback

When women receive critical feedback, sometimes we feel like our lives are over. I used to feel that way until I realized that I hadn’t been fired, so all I had to do was implement what my bosses wanted me to do and I would be fine. Here are steps with how to deal with critical feedback.

Welcome it

I know, easily said than done. But there is no way that we are always right and there’s always room for improvement.

Designate Time to Dwell on It

Do you feel anger or sadness? That’s fine, you can find a time in private where you can dwell on the feelings, maybe for five to ten minutes. Then move on.

Reframe Failure

Find out what you can learn from the feedback. Can you improve? How can you make this work for you?

Remember That You Are Not What You Do

Just because you may have failed at something, it isn’t your worth. It’s not who you are.

Take up Space

Experiment with learning about valuing and honoring yourself.

Stop Hedging

No more apologizing for asking questions and doing your job. Make requests without demeaning language like “I’m sorry”.

Take Credit

When you get a compliment accept it. Say something like “Thank you. I worked hard.”

(Wo)man spread

Actually make your physical body take up more space by not moving aside in hallways, not crossing your legs or ducking out of other people’s way.

Flex

Do small acts of resistance in the workplace. Stop volunteering for kitchen duty or to be a note taker. Avoidless thankless and time-consuming tasks that don’t pay off.

#3 Get Over Perfectionism

Perfectionism is actually a form of self punishment that can be avoided with practice. Claire brings in Kate, as a woman who tends to overwork in search of perfect presentations. She goes over and over her work again and again and ends up taking time away from herself and her family.

In addition, she’s always so close to being completely wrong, as anything that is not perfect, is wrong. This is mental agony that needs to be avoided if you want to get ahead.

Stop Yourself from Overworking

Establish Scope

Figure out exactly how much work needs to be done by being clear on what is the end result desired? If your boss wants it, ask them first so you are very clear on what’s expected.

Prioritize

Figure out if tasks are urgent and necessary. When do they need to be done? Who needs to do them?

Manage Your Time

Figure out how much time you need to do each task. Get help if you need it.

Check in With Your Timeline

Be ready to adjust as you go along. Are you putting in the right amount of work or are you overworking?

Avoid Overcommitting

Taking on too many commitments only punishes yourself and your family. Learn to say NO. Or just let people know when you do commit that you might not be able to do more than just a little bit.

I’ve actually gotten pretty good at this. I say no more than I say yes.

Conclusion

Claire discusses these 3 foundational basics to get yourself ready to be paid well in the workplace. If you feel good about yourself and love your work, you will naturally work harder at it and get better. This will make you very good at what you do, and will get you better pay.

What do you think? Please comment and share!