A LOOK INTO OUR CAREER COACHING AND CONVERSATION WORKSHOP WITH CORPORATE EXECUTIVE AND AUTHOR DAPHNE E. JONES

By Sophie Casciano, DLE Communications Intern, Undergraduate Marketing and Data Analytics Student at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

Corporate executive and best-selling author Daphne E. Jones captivated DLE members with her wit and wisdom on ways to overcome adversity in life and work at the May 2 Career Coaching and Conversation workshop.

Daphne’s impressive career climb at Fortune 500 companies like IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and General Electric provided the fodder for tools and techniques that she generously shared from her first book, Win When They Say You Won’t: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success.

​​One of the most powerful tools that Daphne shared is the EDIT framework. The framework, which stands for Envision, Design, Iterate and Transform is a guide for identifying and overcoming limiting beliefs and negative self-talk, which are barriers to  success.

“My guidance counselor told me I wouldn’t make it. I had to have my vision in order to succeed, which led me to be a senior VP at General Electric,” Daphne revealed to attendees.

Applying the EDIT framework to your personal and professional life requires a mindset shift. She recollected a time when she received negative feedback, advising to “understand what you are going to do about that feedback that wasn’t positive, and not take it personally and work on it in terms of performance.” Her approach of  “suspend[ing] disbelief” will help you to use small victories to move forward.

Daphne shared other strategies for setting goals, building a support system and persevering in the face of adversity. She emphasized the importance of taking care of oneself through self-care practices and cultivating resilience. “I was too busy setting everyone’s agenda that I didn’t set my own. So now I make time for myself and allow meditation to calm my mind and keep my emotional health in check–as I didn’t when I was developing my career,” she admitted.

Workshop attendees had the opportunity to ask Daphne questions and gain advice regarding their career paths. One question that stood out referenced switching careers and the worries that come with starting back at square one. Daphne advised the importance of not worrying about making mistakes. “That’s why they have an eraser on a pencil–sometimes you mess up, but you don’t stop writing,” she affirmed.

Attendees were equipped with Daphne’s BO MO NO matrix to guide their decision-making in prioritizing objectives, developing a growth mindset and achieving their goals. These career development tools coupled with Daphne’s openness, authenticity and approachability led to numerous accolades of appreciation from attendees during and after the workshop.

Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, a career professional or simply looking to level up your success, the Career Coaching and Conversation workshop is a must-watch and Win When They Say You Won’t is a must-read. You can do both here: purchase the book here, and watch the workshop on the DLE YouTube Channel by clicking here.