The other day I was leaving a meeting and the office had a dish of candy at their reception counter. So on my way out the door I grabbed a blue raspberry Jolly Rancher – because they are the best flavor of jolly rancher, right!!!

Later that afternoon, I stuck my tongue out in the mirror to see if it was blue. Of course it was, but I also noticed a black spot on the side of my tongue.

Now I guess I don’t typically look at my tongue, so although I didn’t really know how long it had been there, I know it’s not been there my whole life. I didn’t remember biting my tongue or anything that would have caused the spot.

In about 3 weeks I had a dentist appointment anyways so figured I would keep an eye on it and ask the dentist at that time. The dentist thought it was probably nothing, but consulted with his oral surgeon friend to be safe. The surgeon agreed it was probably nothing and I’ll just keep an eye on it.

Had it actually been a problem though, and had it not been for that blue raspberry jolly rancher – who knows how long it would’ve been before I discovered it.

So, my question for you is – what things in your career do you not look at or think about very often? Let’s talk about how you can regularly monitor your career so that you don’t miss the warning signs that could indicate disaster.

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.