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Your Mid-Year Career Audit: Three Essential Checks for Professional Growth and Belonging

 

June and July - those pivotal months right between your year's ambitious start and when we accept that the year is ramping down. That means it's time for a career pulse check! In this timely solo episode, host Lola Adeyemo guides you through a three-part mid-year assessment designed to help you evaluate where you stand professionally and what adjustments you might need to make for the second half of the year.

Whether you're an individual contributor assessing your own career trajectory or a leader evaluating your team's health, this episode provides a practical framework for honest reflection and strategic planning during this crucial transition period.

The Three Essential Checks

1. The Belonging Check: Are You Truly Seen?

Lola starts with the most fundamental question: Do you feel genuinely valued in your workplace? This isn't just about job satisfaction—it's about whether your unique perspective and contributions are recognized and appreciated.

For Individuals:

  • Are you solving problems that only you can see?
  • Is your impact visible to the right people?
  • Do you feel psychologically safe in your work environment?

For Leaders:

  • Do your team members feel safe to bring their authentic selves to work?
  • Are diverse perspectives seen as business assets rather than obstacles?
  • How are you actively measuring inclusion beyond formal surveys?

Red Flags: Constant code-switching leading to exhaustion, having your input continuously re-evaluated, feeling like you need constant validation.

Green Flags: Different perspectives are actively sought, cultural insights are valued, energy around diverse contributions.

2. The Growth Check: Is Your Advancement Authentic?

This check focuses on whether your professional development aligns with your authentic self and intersectional identities.

Key Questions:

  • Have you identified sponsors (not just mentors) in your areas of growth?
  • Are you creating pathways to access unwritten organizational rules?
  • Is your advancement rewarding authenticity or requiring conformity?

For Leaders: What do your promotion criteria really reward? Are you creating intentional pathways for underrepresented groups on your team?

3. The Energy Check: What's the Intersectionality Tax?

Lola introduces the concept of "intersectionality tax"—the emotional labor required when you're constantly code-switching or adjusting to fit in.

Individual Assessment:

  • How sustainable is your current work approach?
  • What support do you need to reduce emotional labor?
  • What boundaries do you need to set to protect your energy?

Leader Assessment:

  • Are you watching for signs of this tax on your team members?
  • How can you adjust team dynamics to reduce the burden on those who are "the only" in various categories?

Why Mid-Year Matters

Lola explains her unique perspective on timing: the first five months are your initial sprint, June-July represent the transitional period, and August kicks off your final five-month push. This middle ground offers the perfect opportunity to recalibrate without the pressure of year-end evaluations or new-year resolution energy.

Taking Action

The episode concludes with practical next steps and an invitation to join Lola's communities for ongoing support:

Perfect For:

  • Mid-level professionals feeling stuck or uncertain about their career direction
  • Leaders wanting to better support diverse team members
  • Anyone experiencing burnout from code-switching or feeling like "the only"
  • Professionals ready to make strategic changes before the year's end

This episode is your permission slip to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. Because thriving in your career isn't just about advancement—it's about sustainable growth that honors all aspects of who you are.

Connect with Lola:

Rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and share your own mid-year insights with Lola on LinkedIn.