It Takes Seven Seconds to Make a Good First Impression!

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Guest contributed by Carolyn Leonard

No one is comfortable going into a bustling room filled with people that you don’t know. Many of us, despite whatever stature and success we may have achieved, still feel shy and awkward in those situations. To keep me focused and sideline some of the jitters, I set myself a goal of walking out having made two friends. To my mind, it’s not about how many business cards I can collect, but all about connecting, making good first impressions, and trying to forge mutually beneficial relationships from there.

Image via Shutterstock

Image via Shutterstock

To that end, a series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov conducted more than a decade ago and published in the July 2006 issue of Psychological Science resulted in some very interesting conclusions. They revealed “that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face”. The authors went on to note that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those initial impressions (although they might boost your confidence in your judgments).

Women sometimes still face many challenges when it comes to career advancement. In particular, we believe that the quality of our work should speak for itself and for us. So, instead of showing up at a company cocktail party or event where we would meet people who if they knew us could influence our career path or even sponsor us we stay huddled behind the safety of our computer working away.

Part of my business development and marketing game plan is very straightforward. I call it “just show up.” I accept invitations to a breakfast, lunch or dinner where I will have the opportunity to meet new people. We get them in our “inbox” many times a day. I select two events a week to participate in where I will be meeting new people.

In order to make good first impressions I wear a smile and look confident. When I am at an event where I don’t see anyone I know, I scope out the room and try and identify someone who looks interesting. After introducing myself, I am always very conscious of looking for a connection or common interest. Good connections are almost always mutually beneficial.

In early June I went to a networking dinner knowing only one other woman in attendance. During the dinner, we discussed the importance of funding female led initiatives and of women supporting other women. I mentioned an idea that a group of women, myself included, are working to launch. We want to invest time, education and money in early stage, women-led companies. We want to hold workshops and boot camps to educate investors to learn what to look for in making these types of investments.

One of the women at the table perked up and said that that was exactly what she was looking to do with the next phase of her career. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in building marketing programs and membership organizations from the ground up which no one else in the group has. She is a perfect fit for this venture, and by simply showing up, I found a great partner.

People promote people that they know and like. So becoming a good networker is an important tool in opening doors for new opportunities and friends. Join industry organization like WILD or Women In ETF’s, mentorship programs and women’s initiatives within your organization. Be seen and make meeting new people fun!

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Voice of Experience: Mar Gallardo, Partner, Diversity & Inclusion Leader, PwC Spain

mar gallardoBy Cathie Ericson

Everything takes its own time, says PwC’s Mar Gallardo. “Our career is not a crazy competition for short-term successes, and everyone should drive their career with a medium- or long-term perspective. As you make decisions, you may even learn that some of them were wrong, but learning from mistakes allows you to become stronger and more resilient,” she says.

A Life-Long Career At PwC

Gallardo has honed her long-term career at PwC, joining in 1987 as an auditor. Initially she focused on Telefonica, the major telecom company in Spain, and clients in the automotive sector. Since 1996, her activity has been focused on CIP clients (industrial, automotive, retail and consumer and pharma), including auditing and advising clients on the IPO process, U.S. GAAP and IFRS conversions and in accounting and compliance approaches. She was promoted to partner in 2003, the first ever female partner in PwC Spain.

In 2006 Gallardo assumed responsibility for the assurance practice for industrial products and automotive, as part of the assurance executive committee. She has since added responsibility for business development and is currently the CIP leader and the Diversity & Inclusion leader since 2012. In addition, Gallardo is a patron of the PwC Foundation in Spain and a member of the advisory board of Expansion, a financial newspaper in Spain.

Gallardo says she can’t point to one specific achievement she is most proud of, because after 28 years at PwC, she sees that her success has been a combination of many factors. “When I look back to the start of my career, I see all the experiences acquired, all the projects I have participated in, all the people I have met, and all that I have achieved, and I feel very proud of the sum. I feel very privileged to be able to continue enjoying and learning at work every day.”

The Importance of Retention

Right now, Gallardo is immersed in the many changes and transformation that the CIP industries are facing, as she works with her team to build solutions — adding value to clients while differentiating themselves from competitors in the services they provide. And that demands that they continue to attract, retain and develop the most diverse talent to allow for different points of view.

“As diversity leader in PwC Spain, I know it’s imperative to have diversity as a strategic priority embedded in our organization,” she says, noting it is even more important, due to new EU legislation, which among other requirements, has defined a Mandatory Audit Firm Rotation (MFR) that is impacting the audit market in many ways.

“We are dealing with a significant transformation of our firm and it is more crucial than ever to attract and retain the best talent. With women representing half of the new joiners each year, we cannot afford to lose female talent later in the pipeline.”

However, it is a fact in Spain that industrywide, more women than men leave before they reach leadership levels.

“Lost female talent at upper levels is a complex problem with many contributing factors both structural and corporate,” Gallardo says.

Since women still shoulder the bulk of home and child-related responsibilities, they often choose not to pay the price of long hours at the office. In addition she notes that as result, women have less time to dedicate to developing professional relationships and therefore can have less visibility inside the organization. Finally, some women demonstrate less self-confidence and therefore find it difficult to ask for promotions; although she sees this changing as millennials enter the workforce with increased confidence.

Finally, she sees that the culture of companies can present a barrier, due to unconscious bias, which affects leadership styles and how decisions are made and relationships formed.

“This is not a social question, but one of financial impact,” Gallardo stresses. “We have to be focused on retaining that talent as a business issue.”

That’s why she urges women entering the industry to drive their own career and exude confidence, unafraid to be ambitious and participate in open discussions regarding professional development and their objectives.

And she urges her peers to make the effort to support other women to grow and overcome the barriers they encounter in professional development, by dedicating time to be role models.

“I am convinced that if we dedicate time to know, understand and support female professionals along their careers, as their formal and informal mentors, and let them work in a flexible manner focused on objectives, we will be able to retain and advance women at all levels.”

Gallardo says she is focused on establishing objectives and implementing measures in light of the information obtained from the firm’s diversity balance scorecard. Built in 2010, it is a detailed analytical process which contains data on all key process of human capital affecting the professional development of women in PwC.

“What can´t be measured does not exist and it is crucial to have quality information to analyze and subsequently establish measures of accountability,” she says. Their work on the scorecard was reinforced with the adoption of the Global Inclusion Index, the PwC network D&I accountability framework.

In addition, Gallardo emphasizes that care is a key value, as they seek to understand each individual and what matters to them. “We have to make the effort to recognize the value each person contributes, while supporting others to grow and work in the way that brings out their best.”

A Full Life, Inside and Outside of Work

While Gallardo acknowledges that it would appear difficult to balance a demanding work schedule with family life and hobbies, she says that careful planning can allow you to accomplish all your goals.

Gallado couldn’t be prouder of her children, ages 17 and 20, and makes time for annual skiing and beach trips with her family. “Vacation is important to allow you not only to explore new places but share quality time with your loved ones,” she notes.

Since she was young, she has enjoyed snow and water skiing, tennis and paddle ball. In addition, she loves listening to music and is just one year away from a degree in music theory.

“While I have many hobbies, I have to say that I also really have fun working. It cannot be any other way.”

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Mover and Shaker: Kristin Manning, Equity Analyst at Voya Investment Management

Kristin ManningBy Cathie Ericson

“It’s crucial in this business to stay humble and truthful with yourself,” says Kristin Manning, equity analyst at Voya Investment Management. Over the years she’s seen much success, which she credits in part to being able to maintain a level clarity, especially during difficult times. “Recognizing when something has changed and avoiding compounding one bad decision with another is key,” she says. “Learning from mistakes is a huge part of anyone’s growth in this industry, including my own.”

Building a Career by Capitalizing on Opportunities

Manning began her career in a rotational program with Strong Capital Management, with the ultimate goal to move to the investment department. When one of Strong’s top portfolio managers had an opening for an administrative assistant, she applied, knowing he had a history of promoting his assistants. She took that leap of faith to get her foot in the door and within six months was promoted to an open analyst position.

In 2006 she joined ING (now Voya) as a financial analyst and progressed through several roles, ending as assistant portfolio manager of a midcap fund in 2012. At that time, she decided to relocate with her young family to be near her Midwest roots. She accepted a position as an analyst at Waddell and Reed in Kansas City, where she stayed until her former boss at Voya reached out and asked if she would consider returning to his team working remotely. She agreed, and is now a senior consumer analyst on Voya’s growth team. She spends one week a month in New York City and the rest in a small Voya sales office in Kansas City – an arrangement that works very well for her as a working mother.

The industry continues to fascinate her, including the current interplay between technology and consumer industries. “When you think of retail and e-commerce, media and the emergence of online video options, or mobile ordering at restaurants, there’s virtually no area of the consumer industry untouched by technology, which is exciting and challenging at the same time.”

Relationships Contribute to Success

The professional achievement she is most proud of so far is a basic one: breaking into the industry at all, given that she had what she calls a relatively unremarkable background with no connections to the finance world. “I had to prove myself, and I am fortunate there were people at Strong who believed in me and gave me opportunities.”

When she first started in the industry, she hoped her hard work would be rewarded and is proud to have worked in firms that reward professionals based on merit, rather than their ability to play politics.

Over the years, her career has been elevated through the relationships she has built, including one with the manager who ran the rotational program at Strong, who was instrumental in securing that first assistant position. “That was critical to my success,” she notes, as was the assistance she received from her current manager Jeff Bianchi, who invited her back to Voya after relocating. .

In addition, she mentions role models such as Ann Miletti, now lead portfolio manager at Wells Capital (formerly Strong), who mentored Manning early in her investment career. Manning notes that Miletti also came to the investment industry from a non-traditional avenue, and has had great success in the industry, all while remaining down-to-earth and juggling the dual demands of career and family.

Finding the Balance

Manning acknowledges Voya’s role in allowing her to succeed as both a professional and mother, mentioning the firm has always been supportive of women.. “It’s paid off in terms of attracting and retaining top talent,” she says.

Now the mom of two daughters, ages 2 and 5, she believes it’s important to be a role model for them and the next generation of women. Manning loves to travel and has started introducing her girls to new places in order to expand their perspectives of the world, with recent trips to Germany and St. Lucia.

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A New Vocabulary For Your Daughters: Three ways we can instill confidence, resilience, and grit

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 Guest contributed by Dr. Priscilla G. Sands 

Leadership

Image via Shutterstock

Reaching a position of leadership, no matter your industry, requires hard work, perseverance, and resilience. How can it be made easier for the next generation to reach their potential? Perhaps we can start by simply by being mindful of the words we use.
As we prepare the young women in our lives for their future, we need to assemble a new “guidebook” to help them in their quest towards lives of purpose and meaning. We know this depends in large part on one’s internal grit and determination, and we all need to allow young women to self-advocate and to set their own goals while at the same time provide authentic mentorship.  

As the Head of School at Marlborough School, an all-girls middle and high school, we believe in a community that is free from the barriers and biases that can hold many women back. I am so proud of our graduates, women who break molds and shatter stereotypes while leaving a positive and lasting impact on the world around them.  
After spending nearly three decades in education, most of them in girls’ schools, I am often asked for my advice on raising confident, competent young women.

Here are three key suggestions for talking to the young woman in our lives:

 

1. DON’T tell her she’s smart. This is hollow statement that she will come to doubt when she faces adversity or challenge. It is a sure way for her to bump her head on the glass ceiling. Not only will she not believe you, she won’t be motivated to strive for more.
 
I know this seems counter-intuitive, particularly for high achievers, but for just that reason they may give up when faced with a difficult problem, rather than struggle through it and wrestle with new ideas and concepts. Being wrong is also part of being smart. So instead of simply stating what you see as a fact, but which is likely to be viewed with skepticism or indifference on the part of the young woman, I suggest an alternative.

DO tell her that you love the way she approaches challenging problems. Encourage her to stay with it and praise her willingness to keep working. She will develop a thirst and appetite for the puzzle and the question rather than simply the answer. Share examples of times when you struggled but ultimately succeeded in meeting a goal. Remind her that many of the greatest accomplishments take time and diligence to achieve as well as significant failure along the way.

2. DON’T refer to her or other women or girls as bossy. Too often girls are given the message that women in charge are disliked, which discourages their pursuit of leadership opportunities.  The most successful women were often told they were bossy along the way. In fact, rid your vocabulary of all gender-loaded words.

DO empower her to take on leadership opportunities where she can and use her voice to also empower others. Women reaching out to other women is a powerful chain of empowerment.
Look for opportunities to ask her advice or opinion. Discuss the process you use for leading, being candid with the way you balance the feedback of the team and the objectives of the project.

3. DON’T tell her she’s a math person…or a language person…There is no such thing and that’s a fact. This kind of language is limiting. It suggests that a woman is only one thing, that she can’t be good at both math and linguistics and soccer and painting. As a result, she may be hesitant to explore new avenues. In this century she should not be locking into an academic or intellectual binary, but should be nimble and engaged in many fields and ways of thinking.

DO help her learn that abilities are developed through commitment and hard work, two building blocks for accomplishment. Nothing happens if you don’t try. Risk being vulnerable yourself and learn something new together. Take a poetry class, learn a new language, or learn to code. You can share the process of learning (complete with your frustrations) and have the opportunity to demonstrate your own strategies for perseverance. This provides an opportunity to make memories and give both of you the chance to try something new, and have fun doing so.
Finally, though not really a “do” or “don’t,” I think the most important thing we can do for the young women in our lives is actively listen to them and demonstrate that they matter, they are valued, and they are respected.
 
Dr. Priscilla G. Sands 
Since 2015 Dr. Sands has been head of Marlborough School in Los Angeles, CA. Prior to this appointment Dr. Sands held leadership roles, from Assistant Head of School to Head of School and ultimately as President at Springside School in Philadelphia, later known as the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. At this institution Dr. Sands established the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, a program focused on helping students build the skills and mindset required for success in the 21st century. Dr. Sands continues to be a champion of education and wellness and is currently working on the creation of a Mindfulness Program based on the work of Dr. Martin Seligman.

Dr. Sands earned a B.F.A. from the University of Rhode Island, a Master’s in Liberal Studies from Villanova and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of our Guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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How I Landed the C-Suite (And Why You Can, Too)

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Smartly dressed yyoung women shaking hands in a business meeting at office deskGuest Contributed by Deborah Gregory

Ambition, potential, and talent are incredible gifts, but so often they aren’t big enough hammers to help women shatter the glass ceiling. Difficulty breaking through to the C-suite can be frustrating, but I believe everyone has what it takes to become a leader worthy of notice. As I worked my way from law school to the IRS’ Office of Chief Counsel to finally co-founding my own law firm, I found that hard work, personal responsibility, goals, and gratitude are game changers that can propel anyone forward. Once you get those facets of your life in tune, anything is possible.

Focus on your dreams, not your gender

My mom always said, “Anything boys can do, girls can do better.” But when I was growing up, I didn’t see the world in terms of “boys’ activities” and “girls’ activities.” I just saw what I wanted to do, and I did it. Belief isn’t just a fundamental part of who we are, it’s a fundamental ingredient in what we’re able to accomplish. You really can do anything—as long as you believe you can.

Hard work beats talent

People tend to get hung up on whose more talented, but I find that hard work trumps talent every time. When I was in preschool, another student kept beating me at multiplication tables test, and I hated coming in second. I could have said, “Oh well, she’s just more talented than me,” but instead I started waking up early every morning to study even longer. I began making the best grades in the class, and the same strategy has worked for me ever since.

Don’t get hung up on talent—yours or others’. You may not always be the smartest person in the room, but you can always control how hard you work. Be the most prepared person in the room instead. That’s how you’ll get the deal, land the promotion, and break one more layer of the glass ceiling.

Own up to your mistakes

People are scared of making mistakes, but mistakes don’t actually define us. The way we handle the moments after a mistake is what truly shows the world what we’re made of. When you make a mistake, don’t bury it, ignore it, or blame someone else. Instead of running away, be proactive and own up to your mistake. Tell your supervisor and prove you will never let it happen again. Taking responsibility for your mishaps will show those you work with that you’re honorable, you’re responsible, and you care, which will earn their trust.

Know where you’re going

I’m continually surprised that most women don’t have their goals written down. If you don’t have a map, how do you know where you’re going? Not having written goals is a career killer, yet it’s simple enough to do. Think about what inspires and excites you, and write your goals down twice a day. I write my core career goals down every morning and every night, and that simple task often changes the course of my day. Writing your goals down is simple, but it can change everything.

Start and end your days with reminders of gratitude and goals

Our days are defined by how we start and finish them. If you begin your mornings with a negative attitude and focus on what could go wrong and what you don’t like, the entire day is over before it can get started. I have a routine that keeps my attitude in check and my actions focused, and I think it’s a huge part of why I have been successful. Before I get out of bed in the morning, I take a moment to list the things I am grateful for. I even give thanks in advance for great things I believe will happen that day. When I get up, I write down my goals to remind myself of the clear direction I want for my life. I repeat a similar process at night to ensure I’m continually grateful and living a life of intent. Mindfully focusing on gratitude and goals reminds you of what you have to be thankful for and what you have to look forward to, instantly uplifting your attitude and your power to work for those ideals.

About Deborah Gregory

Deborah Gregory, Esq., is cofounder of Gregory Law Group, PLLC, a Texas based boutique law firm specializing in tax representation as well as business and estate planning. After attending the South Texas College of Law and Boston University School of Law, Gregory launched her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an international tax associate. She then worked for the IRS for more than 10 years, becoming a senior attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel. Gregory cofounded Gregory Law Group in 2013 to specialize in domestic and international tax issues and assist with all phases of audit, litigation, and collection processes.

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Voice of Experience: Paget MacColl, Partner, Investment Management Division, Goldman Sachs

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By Cathie EricsonVoice of Experience

“Develop great friendships at work, across the industry and at every level,” recommends Paget MacColl, Partner at Goldman Sachs. “If you’re working with people you have a strong relationship with every day, work is more rewarding and certainly more enjoyable,” she says.
Through both formal and informal networking, MacColl says she has developed deep, lasting relationships, which she notes are critical to advancing one’s career. She stresses that networking outside the firm can be more challenging but is equally important.

Achieving Success and Sparking Other Young Women’s Ambition

MacColl began her career in Goldman Sachs’ Securities Division Debt Capital Markets Group, which offered broad exposure to various types of investments and clients. In her third year at the firm in 2001, she moved into the Investment Management Division and joined the Alternative Capital Markets Group. Growing on that team, she came to co-lead the group and oversaw fundraising for private equity funds and other alternative investments, a space that experienced tremendous growth from 2001 until 2007. “It was an exciting time to be in this group because of the huge growth in the alternative investment industry. I got to see the height of the market, and then after the financial crisis, I saw the depths that the industry reached. Both provided great learning opportunities.”
In 2012, MacColl took a brief hiatus from the firm to work for a client, a former Goldman Sachs colleague, where she quickly realized that life outside of Goldman Sachs is very different. “The grass is not always greener,” she said. “I call it my five-month dose of perspective.” Due to strong relationships with mentors and sponsors, she returned to Goldman Sachs. Upon her return, MacColl was asked to build out an institutional capital markets team within the Investment Management Division. In this role, she works with investment teams and institutional sales, leading fundraising campaigns for various investing strategies.
In addition, she now oversees the middle-market sales team in GSAM as well as the firm’s relationships with global investment consultants, which she says is an exciting challenge given their high level of sophistication and intricate relationships. “It’s an interesting dynamic; we need to work with consultants collaboratively, yet sometimes we compete with one another.”
MacColl says being named partner is the professional achievement she is most proud of since beginning her career as an analyst. An active mentor and sponsor to other women, she has also been involved in recruiting. “I love seeing the spark in young women’s eyes as they think, ‘I can do that too.’”

Be Master of Your Career

MacColl says it’s important for younger professionals not to assume that managers and decision makers are aware of their career aspirations. “Communication is imperative. You need to communicate what you want and obtain the feedback you need to move forward,” she reminds women. “Finding great mentors, sponsors and friends you trust at work is critical to this, but it’s also important that you’re prepared for and make yourself open to receiving the toughest feedback.”

She also advises women not to be afraid to ask questions. “I learned so much about my career and potential career trajectory, as well as about the firm and how my colleagues viewed me while I was leaving the firm. When I returned, I realized there were so many questions I hadn’t asked the first time around. This is your career and your future and the onus is on you to ask those questions.”

Creating a Village Inside and Outside of Work

MacColl currently heads the Firmwide Women’s Network, which is comprised of 6,000 people in the Americas, 25 percent of whom are men. She is also a member of the Governance Board of the Wall Street Women’s Alliance, a group of senior women leaders at financial firms that come together to foster commercial outcomes, but also provide mentorship and best practices to one another. “It is a network of women I truly value,” she notes.

She also believes that women can be their own toughest critics and they have to remember that it’s impossible to do everything perfectly as they take on more responsibility and become more senior, often while simultaneously raising a family.

“I frequently see women put pressure on themselves to achieve ‘perfection’ in every aspect of their lives, which can be isolating and destructive. When you share your challenges with others, you realize everyone is facing similar issues and it makes you more accessible and helps you reframe your own reality. You can’t possibly do it all, and you have to remind yourself it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Her strong family life is bolstered by longevity: she met her husband, who works at Credit Suisse, in college. In addition to two daughters, aged ten and five years old, they have an eight-year-old son.

In an engaging example of the adage, “It takes a village,” they live near their tight-knit families, including her two sisters who live on her same street. “My husband’s siblings and my sisters have kids that are all of similar ages. As you can imagine, we spend a ton of time together,” she says. “We’ve created our own village and are fortunate that ours is family, but I’ve come to realize that anyone who wants a long and successful career needs to find a community of people who can support them.”

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Movers and Shakers: Donna Bobbish, Counsel, Shearman & Sterling LLP

Donna BobbishBy Cathie Ericson

One of Donna Bobbish’s secrets to success is to prepare as much as possible. Even for those situations that don’t seem to take evident preparation, you will be better served if you devote five minutes to thinking about how you’re going to approach something; for example, breaking a problem or a project into pieces or figuring out who you need to call. “It not only improves outcomes, but it can reduce stress,” she notes.

A Dynamic Career in Government and Private Practice

Bobbish’s path has woven in and out of government service and private practice. She started her career working part time at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the natural gas certificates department as a law clerk while in law school at Georgetown. She remained at FERC for about seven years as a law clerk in the Office of Administrative Law Judges, an attorney adviser in the Office of the General Counsel, Electric Rates and Corporate Regulation, and as a trial attorney in the Office of General Counsel, Gas and Oil Litigation.

She subsequently practiced energy regulatory law at private firms in Washington, D.C., and also served at the Department of Energy as a political appointee in the Clinton administration. She joined the Project Development and Finance Group in Shearman’s Washington, D.C., office in 2015. As Counsel in Shearman’s PDF Group, she advises clients on energy regulatory matters.

One of her proudest achievements during her time at DOE was helping the government of South Africa draft a natural gas downstream pipeline act that was eventually enacted into law after Nelson Mandela became president. That involved regular travel to South Africa to meet with interest groups, shareholders and government officials.

“It really took someone sitting down and putting pen to paper and coming up with something that could be discussed and marked up,” she says describing the process. She then returned to Washington where she researched South African laws and drafted a law for circulation so the various groups could examine something tangible.

Over the years, she has confronted what she terms a “false stereotype” that government work is easier than private practice, but she has found the same level of energy and professionalism in all of her positions.

And because of her lengthy history with the energy sector, she says she is certainly staying informed about what may lie ahead with a new administration.

Support Plays a Key Role

Sponsorships have been a theme in her success; as she says, it’s important not just for your own personal advancement, but is also a key to moving projects forward. Having solid relationships allows you to seek the internal support you may need by calling on stakeholders to ask them to put in a positive word for the project.

And proving that inspiration can come from various sources, Bobbish has worked with many role models over the years, yet names the fictional character Horace Rumpole (“Rumpole of the Bailey”) as one she particularly admires, “for a number of qualities.” “He is real to me,” she says, laughing.

Noting her Midwest roots, Bobbish admits that she used to be reluctant to ask for help and recognizes that mindset in friends and relatives, who may also be hesitant to call elected officials to discuss an issue. But her experience in D.C. showed her that you can ask for help and support – even from those higher up. “You may never have met them, but you can ask for support; the worst they can say is ‘no,’ and even then, the sky won’t fall in. And, they might say ‘yes!’”

Now that she has advanced in her career, she believes it is vital for women to assist other women. “We know the obstacles in climbing the career ladder,” she says. “I have been helped by many women over the years, and I feel a sense of obligation to return the favor where I can.”

She says women need to reach out with both sponsorship – putting in a good word for others – and mentorship — where you can help a woman navigate a particular situation — through formal and informal networks. “And don’t be afraid to ask for help!”

Key to Bobbish’ career success has been the support of family, particularly her husband, Scott Perkins, as well as other family members. “It has allowed me to focus on projects and know the lights are on at home when I’m traveling the world, or it has taken the form of a listening ear when I need advice on issues and problems. You don’t succeed alone.”

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Strategies for Surmounting Career Obstacles Commonly Faced by Women Executives

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Guest Contributed By Melissa Henderson, Summit Executive Resources.

Image via Shutterstock

Image via Shutterstock

According to the Pew Research Center, women represent a meager five percent of CEOs in the U.S. and only 17 percent of board members for Fortune 500 companies. That is despite the fact that women make up almost half (47%) the labor force.

Clearly, women executives’ upward mobility to become leaders and high echelon executives has been sluggish. For decades, many companies have largely used the same recruiting techniques. Not surprisingly, these methods duplicate past results, often placing men in the power positions. But, putting aside the structural, operational and human issues that prevail, there is still room to achieve your career goals more effectively.

Overcoming the Hurdles Women Executives Face

Here are five ways to take control of your career:

1) Understand Your Value Proposition

Women who think that offering gender diversity alone will open doors fail to develop convincing value propositions. To gain traction, crystallize the unique value you offer and brand it. That requires an extensive review of skill sets and domain expertise. It also means looking at sought after experience—operational, profit and loss, and global business know-how. Finally, women executives need to understand the market and where they can best meet organizational needs.

2) Overcome the Confidence Conundrum

Studies have shown that men have a tendency to overestimate their intelligence while women underestimate theirs, giving men an edge in confidence. Since we have a tendency to confuse confidence with competence, men more often to appear to have the qualities needed for leadership than their female counterparts.

Be confident in your abilities.

3) Network Authentically

Women mostly place a high value on authenticity, which is good. Many people, however, view networking as an inauthentic activity. Some women with this view are reluctant to attend networking events even though such gatherings can be important to their careers. Consequently, while men still flourish in the old boy’s network, women often fail to build mutually advantageous relationships. So become an authentic networker, and benefit from professional connections.

4) Beware of Your Own Unconscious Preference

Even outside of networking, you might expect women to give each other a helping hand. Women, like their male counterparts, however, unconsciously favor men when hiring. In blind studies, when resumes are presented without names, women with stronger qualifications than men are preferred. Yet if names are included, men are more likely to be favored.

5) Find Recruiting Methods that Reduce Bias

Boards often nominate new members from their old boy’s network. Meanwhile, human resource executives continue to turn to retained executive search firms for board and C-suite positions. Search firms are inclined to dip into the same pools, again and again, delivering the same old candidates. So as they fall into their old ways of recruiting, companies get more of what they have always had — men in power roles.

Women who want to crack the glass ceiling will find an executive agent to be a valuable resource. An executive agent works with them from the start of their search until they reach their goals. The process begins with questions about why a woman wants to serve on a board or to attain a C-level position and what she offers. As long as she has the passion and expertise to add value to an organization, the agent will be able to assist her.

An agent will use proprietary assessments, which are objective and eliminate gender bias, to define and validate a business woman’s unique value. They then help create her brand target the best-fit organizations. This service puts women in the driver’s seat, opening up opportunities that previously might have passed them by. That’s because their target organizations would have simply gone to executive recruiters who revisit their old networks that are heavily dominated by men.

Positive corporate results clearly show that women should be making gains in the boardroom and executive suite. However, in the top positions, they remain far outnumbered by men. To some degree, traditional recruiting methodologies hold them back. The good news, however, is that women executives can do more to achieve their potential. They can create stronger value propositions, build their confidence, network effectively and assist other women to succeed when appropriate. Also, they can explore recruiting options that will help them to open the right doors.

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2017: Ready for the next step in your career

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2017-featured

By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

You are ready for the next step in your career. The decision you now have to make is whether to stay in your current company or move to another firm. How does one make such a decision rationally? The answer is that most decisions even for the most rational amongst us, are ultimately emotional. So, we can start with listing the reasons to go and reasons to stay. We can then ask ourselves hard questions as objectively as possible about how to advance in the company and team we are in. What do you need to do to make that happen? What skills do you have now and what do you need for the next level? What does the firm need to do? How are the talent processes? Who gets rewarded? What gets rewarded?

Working with a coach can help you sort through your thoughts, feeling and emotions and explore possibilities in a hypothetical way safely.

Sometimes it is time to leave. The trick is to know yourself and what you are good at and what you want to develop skill-wise and realistically put it all together so that you make the right move and get he job you are aiming to get. The job hunt itself can be quite the task and there are effective ways to approach it.

Nicki Gilmour is an industrial psychologist and qualified career coach as well as Founder and CEO of glasshammer2.wpengine.com

If you wish to be coached by Nicki in 2017 she is taking on a small number of (paying) individual clients this year- please apply nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com

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Happy Martin Luther King Day

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martin luther king
Martin Luther King Day is a public holiday here in the US that we always acknowledge. For our US readers, enjoy the day off and use it wisely.

For our readers all over the world outside this part of the Americas, I want to talk about what is means as I came to the United States many years ago with zero reference to this day off work but am now consider it to the most important of all non religious holidays.

Dr King, as far as I can see, asked for the American people to honor the code they proclaimed was the basis of law when the country was set up. Basic civil rights and a fairness to exist on an equitable footing as the next person. You know, liberty and all that.

I think the work is not done yet and we are in a place where progress was made and resented by some and therefore we had three policy steps forward and one to four steps back depending on how it all shakes out. I think we all need to think long and hard about how to ensure that there is liberty and equality and equitable practices in place for all members of society in all countries to thrive not just survive. Dig deep and act. Good people care and the awareness around equity rather than the concept of equality is at its highest now which means that meritocracy can be honored and conundrums removed in everyone’s minds.

I ask everyone who reads theglasshammer to reflect how in action and in thoughts you can be a person who levels the playing field and works for fairness. Change starts here.

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