Challenging Family Leave Law

Happy business woman in a meeting with colleaguesBy Joshua M. Patton (Pittsburgh, PA)

Outside of a daycare in Pittsburgh, PA on a hot summer day, two women pass the time until the kids are released chatting about the news. After discussing Marcellus Shale drilling, one woman says, “Did you hear about that Google lady? She’s now the boss and she’s pregnant.”

“Yes, but” answers her friend, “it’s Yahoo, not Google. And she thinks she’s only going to need a few weeks off.”

“Shame on her,” says the first woman with something like disgust, “she’s the boss. She can take as long as she needs.”

Conversations like this took place all over the country and the internet after Google’s 20th employee and first female engineer, Marissa Mayer, was named the new CEO of the troubled Yahoo! Inc. She also announced that she was pregnant, but assured her stockholders that she would only take three weeks off, planning to work from home during that time.

The news has thrown the subject of family leave back into the spotlight.

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Do Female Executives Help or Hinder Each Other’s Careers?

iStock_000016936230XSmallBy Sam Peters (New York City)

The green-eyed monster is alive and well in corporate boardrooms according to a recent study from Washington University. The study entitled “Female Tokens in High-prestige Work Groups: Catalysts or Inhibitors of Group Diversification?” purports to prove that high-level female executives subvert the success of other females to protect their position as token woman.

This research directly contradicts recent research by Catalyst, and serves to perpetuate negative stereotypes that keep women from advancing.

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How Do You Define Feminism at Work?

Cheerful employerBy EJ Thompson (New York City)

When Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s young, powerhouse new CEO, made comments recently that she did not think of herself as a feminist, the internet lit up with comments, both good and bad, about whether or not she should feel like a feminist icon.

But should people be angry with her? Yes, she did rise to the top of her field. Yes, she has been fortunate enough to make her way into a position where she doesn’t have to choose between family and career – she gets to have both. But does having wild success and a family make her a feminist, or just a woman who knew what she wanted and set out to get it? Is there even a difference?

How do younger woman in the workforce, planning to have success in both career and family, view the debate? Have we become too preoccupied by distinguishing and specifying our peers and successful women as “feminists”? Pragmatically, perhaps we should simply focus on their success, rather than a label.

Struggling to come to terms with the evolving role of women, and specifically feminists, in the workplace, we spoke to Caroline Ghosn, Founder and CEO of The Levo League, about what it means to be a young woman in the workplace today.

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Mentoring Matters: How to Develop Fruitful Professional Relationships

CindyBatesContributed by Cindy Bates, Cindy Bates, Vice President, Small and Medium Sized Business, Microsoft

When was the last time you sat down for coffee with someone who really cares about your professional development? When was the last time you treated someone else to lunch for the purpose of encouraging them in their career path? It’s easy to get sidetracked by daily demands, but fostering professional relationships can add tremendous potential to your career growth. Plus, building a strong network in business is crucial for overall well being and career satisfaction as well.

Over the course of my career, I’ve held a variety of roles in finance, business and technology – fields in which women tend to be underrepresented. In these roles, I’ve been able to observe and experience the importance of mentorship. I’ve also recognized the value of seeking strategic counsel, moral support and fresh thinking from my peers and mentors, and offering my own insights to other women seeking the same.

Making professional relationship-building a priority takes time, but it’s worth it. Here are some guidelines I’ve found helpful in creating the most value from professional mentor relationships:

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Five Killer Tips for a Confident Presentation

iStock_000017439589XSmallBy Joshua M. Patton (Pittsburgh, PA)

Everyone has sat through at least one horrible presentation. Sometimes it’s bad because the subject matter is irrelevant or poorly researched. Other times, the presenter lacks a successful public-speaking presence. Just like in other aspects of business, your creativity and personality are yours to wield the best way you can. If you feel as if your presentation abilities need improvement, consider the below tips to change the way you approach the task.

1. Give credit to your audience’s knowledge.

Fryear faculty fellow and assistant professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Cait Poyntor Lamberton says that one big pitfall is when “people don’t give their audience credit for knowing something.” She suggests instead that you “prove your depth of knowledge by applying it,” to the specific purpose of the presentation. As a presenter, you may want to show off a little by explaining a concept or providing details that everyone already knows. If you choose to do so, keep it to a minimum.

Often this is used to fill (or kill) time, but no one has ever complained if a presentation ended sooner than expected, especially if it was fast-paced and focused on the new information and important conclusions brought forward by the presenter.

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Launching a New Conversation: Maternity, Motherhood, and Executive Women

iStock_000014255993XSmallBy Robin Madell (San Francisco)

Though Yahoo’s new CEO Marissa Mayer didn’t ask to be a role model for pregnant executives, she has nonetheless become one. But beyond Mayer, what is the effect of her choices on executive women across the board and in the boardroom?

After all, says Sasha Galbraith, Marissa Mayer isn’t the only senior executive who has tried to tackle a work-life blend. She recalls attending a lecture by a pregnant CEO in tech some 20 years ago. “Mayer is not the first pregnant CEO in tech,” Galbraith says. “There have been others, but they haven’t been as high-powered.”

Some suggest that other female executives can parlay the momentum of the announcement into a teachable moment—for women, corporations, and society. “Mayer’s situation signals to other women that we need to let go of societal expectations around gender roles and questioning women’s abilities to balance a demanding career and a baby, and accept that it can be done in much the same way men do it,” says Jamie Ladge, assistant professor of management and organizational development at Northeastern University’s College of Business.

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Intrepid Woman: Kimberly Foss, President & Founder, Empyrion Wealth Management

KimberlyFossBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“At 11 years old, I realized I wanted to be in money management,” said Kimberly Foss, Founder and President of Empyrion Wealth Management. “I was the youngest of six kids and all I had were hand-me-downs. I wanted Jordache Jeans so bad,” she recalled with a laugh. “I was hooked on the capitalism thing.”

Foss went on to study business at California State University at Chico and joined Merrill Lynch. After a few years, she says, she was ready to strike out on her own. “I left Merrill at 25 and started my own practice in capital markets with the philosophy to really do right by people. It was either sink or swim.”

“And 25 years later, I still have a business, so I must be doing something right.”

After growing her business and finding success in the financial markets, Foss is committed to helping empower all women to take control of their own money management.

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Bring Your Soul To Work Day

Contributed by CEO Coach Henna Inam

I have recently talked with many women who are looking for ways their work can, as they say, “feed their soul.” Our work drains us. Many of us are looking to transition to other jobs, start businesses on the side, or work for non-profits in order to find work that fulfills us.

On the other hand there are many of us that are stuck. We either fear giving up the steady paycheck and benefits or we just can’t seem to find the next job, business, or career that would feed the soul. So we go to work every day trying to make the best of a situation where we are not engaged. We express our passions (the very best we have to give) outside of work. Consider that according to a Gallup study only 29% of people in the U.S. are fully engaged in the work that we do. The personal and organizational impact of this is tremendous in terms of the lost productivity, creativity and sense of wellbeing.

So how do we bring soul back to our work? How about we declare a “Bring your Soul to Work Day”? How about we challenge ourselves as individuals and leaders to seek the soul in the work that we do and the environments we create for our people. How do we do that?

In my opinion it is through work that engages us. It inspires us. It stretches us. It connects us to a bigger sense of ourselves and something bigger than ourselves. It takes daily practice to find this kind of soul and joy in the work that we do. Here are five ways to do that.

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New Debate Ignites on Maternity, Motherhood, and Executive Women

Hispanic Woman Working In Home OfficeBy Robin Madell (San Francisco)

“Mayer’s appointment contradicts the common wisdom that maternity and motherhood are incompatible with top executive positions. It may increase the willingness of organizations to consider pregnant women for top positions. It may also increase the aspirations of executive women. They may see that it is possible to combine maternity and motherhood with a position at the top.”

– Laura Graves, Associate Professor of Management, Graduate School of Management, Clark University

When Marissa Mayer was named CEO of Yahoo last week, many wished to be able to simply cheer the arrival of the newest member to join the small group of women CEOs in the Fortune 500. But celebration over Mayer’s appointment to become one of only a handful of women to hold the top spot in a major U.S. company was quickly overshadowed by the announcement that she is also seven months pregnant—and that she plans to largely work through her maternity leave.

The multi-layered news struck different chords with thought leaders throughout the tech industry, as well as the larger business community. To explore the full range of issues and implications for other executive women, we spoke with a wide range of industry experts and academics about their thoughts on Mayer’s groundbreaking career moves.

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Voice of Experience: Shona Milne, CFO EMEA, Deutsche Bank

shonamilneBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

After spending more than twenty-five years in investment banking in London, Shona Milne has taken on quite a few big roles. Now CFO for EMEA and Managing Director of EMEA Finance at Deutsche Bank’s London office, Milne is responsible for 27 countries.

But today, she’s also passionately focused on her position as a role model for women and LGBT individuals at the firm.

“I suppose I should be telling you my proudest achievements have been something like building a global finance function for equities or EMEA,” she said. “But actually what gives me more pride is my involvement in Deutsche Bank’s diversity networks, particularly being a senior sponsor of the LGBT network.”

“A few years ago I realized that I had to give something back, that I had the ability as a Managing Director to be a positive role model. There are not many people who are out at the Managing Director level, and it’s a privilege for those of us who are to be able to make a difference on this topic.”

She mentioned her involvement in Deutsche Bank’s web videos on diversity, participation in chairing diversity networks, and speaking on LGBT issues at events. “It’s incredibly rewarding. And maybe as you get older you become more comfortable about doing these things. You want to be a role model, not just for LGBT, but for senior women as well, and other diversity networks.”

“That gives me personal pride,” she added.

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