View the video of this podcast here.

I’m so excited for you to meet my amazing guest, Jo Dockrey. Jo is an experienced executive with a focus on operations and moving strategies into execution. She has worked at a number of high-growth tech companies, including Dell, Inc, Rackspace, SMS Assist, Alight, and Applied Systems. At each company, her impact of operational excellence along with clear communication & authentic leadership has enabled her teams & departments to excel. 

I have worked with Jo and I know what a fierce and talented leader she is. And, I know that she has been given some amazing opportunities throughout her career because of her talent. So, when she told me that she was taking an intentional hiatus from the corporate world to help move her family across the Atlantic to London, I was a little bit surprised but now even more impressed than before. Jo is patient and confident and knows that when she wants to go back she will pick right back up where she left off. So while this is not a story of someone experiencing or recovering from burnout, I believe it’s a story about a solid leader that understands balance and is choosing her priorities as they change, which they will continue to do throughout our lives. 

So, After unpacking all boxes and ensuring the family, which includes her husband, 2 sons and a dog,  adjusts {and has the best summer of their lives in Europe}, Jo looks forward to finding her next career stop that will utilize her talents & passions appropriately.  And, those passions include travel, coffee, tacos, and naps… usually in that order 😉 

1.     Sometimes it’s easier to find success and stay motivated when you create smaller goals and balance them with the other parts of your life. For example, putting on a great quarterly board meeting, having a date night with your husband AND chaperoning your child’s field trip.

2.     To quote Spanx Founder, Sara Blakely, “Stop thinking about success and start thinking about value.

3.      Refocus on the value you are bringing to any situation rather than what you are getting out of it.

4.     Schedule your time in a way that works for you. Depending on if you are a morning person or a night person. Block your calendar to allow for that important time needed to start your day right or get organized in the evenings, depending on your preferred schedule type.

5.     Protecting your energy can be difficult. For fellow introverts, make sure you schedule quiet, alone time to refill your bucket. Even if that just means not turning on the radio when you’re in the car.

6.     Let your team know what your boundaries are and then find out what boundaries are important to them and respect that so that they feel supported

7.     Promote Time Off. 

8.     Keep your 1:1’s with your team and provide your undivided attention where they bring the agenda. The higher up the ladder you climb the more difficult it can be to find time, but it is equally as important and maybe even more so.

9. Invite your team into the work you are doing. Collaborate with them and allow them to contribute to the work. This gives you visibility to their strengths and skills and allows them to feel valued.