Career coaching helps people identify their personal goals, develop leadership skills, plan career moves and more. At our Women in Retail On The Road: San Francisco event last month, Collective Gain Founder Lizzie Alberga moderated a panel featuring career coaches sharing their knowledge on topics ranging from negotiation best practices to creating your personal brand to enhancing your leadership effectiveness via your own personal style. Here are answers from the Collective Gain Coaching Team, a modern professional development company that supports companies in upleveling their teams through coaching and integrated experiences, to some top audience questions.

Q: What’s the best way to give difficult feedback?
A: I feel effective feedback is specific to the behavior and delivered as close to the occurrence as possible. I always feel it’s best to be clear, in a neutral energetic state, and open to hear what the manager or associate has to say. Approach it as a conversation to gain understanding, clarifying the expectation vs. results/actions you’re witnessing. It keeps it from being perceived as a personal attack. — Deborah Harper

Q: What should you do if you see an illegal practice happen in your company that doesn’t align with its core values?
A: If it’s illegal, talk to HR. If it’s not illegal, but doesn’t align with the company’s core values, get curious with yourself about the impact of misalignment (on your happiness, your productivity, etc.). If the impact is too great, take necessary action. — Alyssa Rogers

Q: What are good habits to start implementing in your everyday routine to help you become a better leader?
A: Lead by example. For me the best teams are led by an individual (or group of individuals) who shows respect for others in the workplace. Respect is manifested in trust, inclusiveness, transparent communications, and granting others the autonomy to carry out the job you hired them to do. — Alex Green

Q: How do you deal with a boss that’s 15 years younger than you?
A: Think about what you can learn from them and ways that you can help them learn. Work towards limiting your judgments about them and see where their strengths lie so you can work well together. — Kira Copperman

Q: What are some tips for working with CEOs?
A: CEOs are human beings too. They can have the same problems, fears, concerns, doubts, questions, etc., as everyone else. Just because they’re at this high position in the company doesn’t mean they’re immune to Impostor Syndrome, or any other very human issues that other people deal with. — Jonny Roman

Q: How should people in mid-level positions leverage coaching?
A: People in mid-level positions are the individuals that can benefit the most from coaching. Coaching can help you bridge the gap between your current role and the next growth opportunity in your career. You will have a better understanding of yourself, but also of your fellow team members and superiors so that you can use your strengths to thrive and flourish. You should use coaching as a way to assess where you want to go in your career, create a strategy to get there, and “level up” in each and every way in your professional and personal life. — Matt Mills

Q: What are ways to have a better understanding of yourself?
A: A lifelong willingness to keep learning and growing. Take classes, hire professionals, surround yourself with friends that challenge you. — Laura Greenberg

Q: How can you negotiate fair pay?
A: If you’re asking about negotiating a raise, then let yourself be seen or heard. Make sure management sees the work and value you deliver. There’s no shame in bragging; it’s about demonstrating your competency and commitment. Make it easy for management to give you more money. If you’re negotiating as a potential employee, be courageous in simply asking. — Mimi Truong

Interested in learning more from these coaches? Schedule a complimentary discovery call with any of the coaches featured in this article: 
Kira Copperman: collectivegain.as.me/kiracopperman
Alex Green: collectivegain.as.me/alexgreen
Laura Greenberg: collectivegain.as.me/lauragreenberg
Deborah Harper: collectivegain.as.me/deborahharper
Matt Mills: collectivegain.as.me/mattmills
Alyssa Rogers: collectivegain.as.me/alyssarogers
Jonny Roman: collectivegain.as.me/jonnyroman
Mimi Truong: collectivegain.as.me/mimitruongdc