National Women’s Law Center’s 2011 Awards Dinner

Female executive at work with colleaguesBy Elisabeth Grant (Washington, D.C.)

On Wednesday, November 9, 2011, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) welcomed over 2,000 attendees to its 2011 Awards Dinner. The event featured President Obama as the keynote speaker, paid special tribute to the women Freedom Riders, and raised over a million and a half dollars to continue the National Women’s Law Center’s mission to “advance and protect women’s equality and opportunity.”

The events of the evening spanned the past and the present. What has been accomplished, and what’s still left to do. Many remarked upon a renewed sense of optimism after hearing President Obama’s words: “That next generation of smart, powerful women? They’re already knocking on the door. They’re coming, and we need to get ready.”

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5 Reasons to Say No Now

iStock_000016027804XSmallBy Tess C. Taylor

Finding it hard to say “no” at work? Very often, women try hard to please everybody, from bosses to clients, but it’s not always the most productive way to get ahead in your career. Saying “no” can actually open up opportunities and provide options for others if used at the right time. Learning to say “no” is a skill that all women should learn to use diplomatically for maximum career benefit.

Even as professional women, many of us were raised thinking that we’re meant to support the needs of others – and as a result, being a “yes girl” comes naturally. It can become painfully obvious in the corporate world that being a people-pleaser whilst trying to stay in touch with personal career goals are opposing factors.

Patti DeNucci, author of “The Intentional Networker: Attracting Powerful Relationships, Referrals & Results in Business,” says that learning to gracefully decline some tasks is, “the essence of not only connecting more intentionally, but living and working more intentionally as well. And as women, we so easily get into the trap of trying to please everyone and be friends with everyone, when a more focused and mindful approach would serve us (and others) much better.”

Saying “no” is a skill every woman can effectively use, at any stage of her career. If you want to experience this focused and balanced approach to managing your career, here are five reasons why you should start saying “no,” and fast.

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Plugging the Leaky Pipeline at the Mid-Management Level

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Business woman using tablet PCBy Tina Vasquez (Los Angeles)

For years, we’ve been led to believe that once women had the “right” education, the “right” training, and the “right” work experience, not only would they succeed at the highest levels of business, but they’d also reach parity in the c-suite. According to the Catalyst report The Pipeline’s Broken Promise [PDF], the premise of this assumption was that the pipeline for women into senior leadership was robust, but it appears that the hopes surrounding parity were too optimistic.

Catalyst reports that when it comes to top talent, women lag in advancement, compensation, and career satisfaction and in order to combat this systematic gender inequity, companies must better develop and fully leverage highly talented women in the workforce.

The good news is that there are major companies, like Time Warner, American Express, and McKinsey, that are working to plug the leaky pipeline at the mid-management level.

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Op Ed: Working Moms’ Work-Life Choices

DrBethEricksonContributed by Dr. Beth Erickson

Women have wondered since the beginning of feminism whether it is possible to have it all: a challenging career, healthy kids, and a satisfying marriage. And there isn’t a mother around who hasn’t occasionally questioned her choice from time to time, whichever one she has made. For some, it’s all the time.

The latest issue of Working Mother (November 2011) contains the results of the Working Mother Institute survey of 3,700 mothers to inquire about how they handle the question of striking work-life balance. The article that details their findings is titled “What Moms Choose.”

The “Working Mother Report” sheds light on what women feel about the paths they have chosen. Some of their results are surprising and even seem to contradict other results. But it is a fascinating exposition of the banes and blessings of being a working mom and a stay-at-home mom.

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Negotiation November: Why Women Need to Start Negotiating Early – You’re Worth It

iStock_000015506041XSmallBy Tina Vasquez (Los Angeles)

We’ve all heard it before: By not negotiating, women sacrifice thousands of dollars by the end of their professional lives. Recent research has revealed, however, that the number is closer to half a million.

Linda Babcock, a Carnegie Mellon University economics professor and co-author of the book Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide, surveyed M.B.A. students who graduated in 2002 and 2003 and found that those who negotiated received up to 8 percent more than what they were initially offered. Of those two graduating classes, 52 percent of the men negotiated their salaries, compared to only 12 percent of women. Even more frustrating, women who do step up and negotiate are seen in a negative light, thought to be “too pushy.”

In her research, Babcock had people in their 20s and 30s watch tapes of men and women negotiate using the same tactics. Viewers said they found the women demanding, while they considered the men’s behavior acceptable.

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Is Blackberry Balance Healthy?

iStock_000014604652XSmallBy Jacey Fortin

Here’s some good news: the history of human work patterns reveals that leisure time is on the rise, and people today work less than ever before.

In a 2010 report, the Economic History Association (EH) noted that “because of the decline in the length of the workweek and the declining portion of a lifetime that is spent in paid work… the fraction of the typical American’s lifetime devoted to work has become remarkably small.”

Sounds great. But if that’s the case, why do so many of us feel that work demands are eating into our personal time?

Technology is blurring the line between work and leisure, and this merits a closer look at the way we define our terms. According to the EH study, working hours consist of “paid work, travel to and from work, and household chores.” But what about that quick inbox check over morning coffee? How about that message you sent to your boss during lunch? And what about the research you did on your smartphone before bed?

Although our time at the office has decreased, the time we spend working has grown in ways that are difficult to measure precisely, and leads to questions about whether all this work on the fly is really good for us psychologically, emotionally, and physically.

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Voice of Experience: Kelly Mathieson, Managing Director, Global Custody and Clearance Business Executive, J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services

KellyMathiesonBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Helping write the recent tri-party repo reforms has been a significant source of pride for Kelly Mathieson, Managing Director of Global Custody and Clearance Business Executive at J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services, and is one way she’s making her mark on the industry.

“I think my proudest professional achievement has been the opportunity to be involved in and lead part of the reforms mandated by the Fed for the tri-party repo market movement,” she said.

“The market crisis occurred in ’08, and I picked up the clearing business about a month after that,” she continued, adding that Lehman was a notable client at the time. “It really gave us unbelievable insight into how that market model was not working effectively.”

She continued, “We made recommendations in May 2010 and have been working on the reforms’ implementation, and I’m quite proud of that. It will transform how that model works, and it will impact the generations to come.”

Mathieson, who was recently named of one of American Banker’s top 25 women to watch continued, “It was a Herculean amount of work and I’ve never been involved in something like that before.”

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Mentoring and Finding a Mentor – Just Ask

iStock_000018223044XSmallBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Don’t be afraid to approach a mentor or someone you want to connect with professionally and just ask, says Pattie Sellers, Editor at Large and Co-chair of the Most Powerful Women Summit, FORTUNE.  “Walk up to that person, and introduce yourself. It could change your life and it could change the older person’s life.”

Sellers was moderating an event presented by Step Up Women’s Network and sponsored by Miss Representation and Linkedin. The event, entitled “Professional Development: View from the Top,” provided young professionals with advice from successful senior women on how to advance their own careers and forge their own pathways to success.

Panelists included Ana Duarte McCarthy, Managing Director and Chief Diversity Officer, Citi; Bonnie Kintzer, CEO, Women’s Marketing; Amira Yunis, Executive Vice President and Principal, Newmark Knight Frank National Retail Group; and Carolyn Buck-Luce, Global Pharmaceutical Sector Leader, Ernst & Young LLP. The evening was opened by Linda Descano, President and COO of Citi’s Women & Co.

Seeking a mentor? Duarte McCarthy advised, “Come with candor and be authentic.”

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Movers and Shakers: Alison Maitland on How The Way We Work Will Change

alisonmaitlandBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Alison Maitland, co-Author of Future Work: How Businesses Can Adapt and Thrive in the New World of Work, it’s time for companies to adapt to employees’ needs – rather than the other way around. By doing so, she believes, companies can unlock untapped potential and productivity – particularly when it comes to women – and that’s good for business.

She explained, “We need corporate cultures to adapt to the two new realities of workforces and careers. First, that women are nearly half the workforce in most advanced economies. And yet many organizations are still built and designed by and for men of another era. That is no longer suitable for today’s workforce. “

“There is a connection between the way work is done and women’s lack of progress to the top.” Location should be removed from the equation when evaluating work, she continued. “Really, it’s results that should count rather than hours spent in the office.”

Future Work was released in the UK in October and in the US on the 8th of November, and discusses the urgency with which corporations need to address a changing workforce as the global marketplace becomes more complex. The book is co-written with Peter Thomson, a former HR director and a long-time expert on new ways of working.

She explained, “We both thought the way we work is crazy, and that there are much better ways to be doing it, and change is on the way.”

Maitland and Thomson interviewed over 60 executives and experts around the world and surveyed managers in their research for the book. “The majority of these managers expect there to be a revolution in working practices in the next decade. The book has a driving vision to explain how work can be done better and how people can be more productive, in a way that is good for people, good for companies, and good for the environment,” she said.

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35 Under 35: Simone Koo, Vice President, Institutional Equities, Morgan Stanley

simonekooBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

When asked about career advice, Simone Koo, Vice President, Institutional Equities at Morgan Stanley responded with a laugh. “I’ve only had about eight years of my career.”

She continued, “I’m probably the youngest in the COO organization – and I take quite a bit of pride in that. And of course, there are people with years of experience ahead of me to learn from and develop my career.”

“But I would point out that business management, and management overall isn’t just something to do if you are older or experienced. You have to start early – and I’ve also been lucky with the bosses I’ve had. They have made so many opportunities available to me.”

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