Career Catalyst: Tips for Your Success

Career Catalyst is a free weekly newsletter full of practical tips to help you be more successful in your career. I send this free newsletter every Thursday.

The 80/20 of Career Progression: Focus on What Really Matters

Welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. You can find previous editions here. I recommend you read the following quote out loud three times... it is truly wise... "Success is about doing the right things, not doing everything right." — Peter Drucker You’re busy. Most high performers ...

by Stephen McCormac — Mar 27, 2025 80/20 rule for career career advancement career progression strategies focus on career advancement high impact career work leadership management pareto principel in career growth productivity professional growth tips teamwork

Feedback: How to Ask for, Receive, and Use Feedback for Growth

Dear Reader, Welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. One of the most important skills in career growth is the ability to ask for, receive, and act on feedback. Yet, many professionals shy away from it—either fearing criticism or feeling defensive. The truth is, feedback is the fastest ...

by Stephen McCormac — Mar 20, 2025 career advancement feedback growth leadership management productivity teamwork

Master Delegation to Advance Your Career and Empower Your Team

Welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. Moving up the career ladder requires more than just hard work—it requires the ability to transition from management to leadership. One of the most critical skills in making this transition is delegation. Why? Delegation allows leaders to work on ...

by Stephen McCormac — Mar 13, 2025 career advancement delegation growth leadership productivity teamwork

Protect Your Golden Goose: Why Rest Fuels Success

Welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. "The best way to predict the future is to create it. But you can’t create it if you’re running on empty." – Peter Drucker Port de Pollença, Mallorca, Spain As you can see from the photo above - last week I took a break. I spent a week in Mallo...

by Stephen McCormac — Mar 06, 2025 career advancement courage rest stepping back take a break work life balance

The Power of Mindset: Why Attitude Matters More Than Experience

Welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you are right." Most of us think that success depends on skills, experience, and qualifications. While these are important, there’s something even more powerful that determines ...

by Stephen McCormac — Feb 20, 2025 career advancement courage fear of failure learning mindset

Busy or Effective? The Truth About Prioritization

Dear Reader, Welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. Many professionals are incessantly busy—jumping from meetings to emails, to actions lists, and back. Amidst all this activity, one critical question often goes unasked: “What are you actually trying to achieve?” There’s a difference ...

by Stephen McCormac — Feb 13, 2025 actions busy career advice confidence at work focus goals prioritization priortisation

Beyond the Promotion: Writing Your Nirvana Letter

Dear Reader, Welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. How many of us truly know what we want out of life? Not just in our careers, but in the grander scheme of things—our relationships, lifestyle, health, and personal fulfilment? In this edition, I describe the simple exercise of writi...

by Stephen McCormac — Feb 06, 2025 career advice confidence at work life goals nirvana letter promotion

Mastering Meetings: Be Prepared for 99% of What Can Happen

Dear Reader, welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. In this edition I describe how to make sure you can be confident and professional in all meetings you attend. By following a simple three level process you will be to be ready for 99% of what can happen in a meeting. But first a tru...

by Stephen McCormac — Jan 30, 2025 career advice confidence at work meeting management meetings

Are You Sure You Are Going to Get Your Bonus?

It’s confusing to feel both hot and cold at the same time. Sitting outside the office of the managing partner, waiting for a meeting I had requested to start, I felt cold under the air conditioning hissing from the ceiling—but sweat beaded clammily on my hot hands. Wiping them surreptitiously on ...

by Stephen McCormac — Jan 23, 2025 bonus pay performance remuneration salary

One Step to Get Ahead in Your Career

If you want to get ahead in your career the first thing you really need to do is to understand where you are at now in your career. Without fully and objectively comprehending where you are, you won’t have a solid foundation for planning your career and achieving that all important next step. Ok ...

by Stephen McCormac — Dec 12, 2024 appraisal boss career promotion

Philosophy in the Workplace: Applying Ancient Wisdom to Modern Careers

Hello there, philosophy enthusiasts! This week, we're diving into an exciting exploration of how ancient wisdom can be applied to modern careers. Get ready to discover how the teachings of the great philosophers can provide valuable insights for navigating the workplace. Socratic Method in Decisi...

by Stephen McCormac — Dec 04, 2024 career