Why You Need to Continue Learning – and How to Do It

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Guest Contributed by Sarah Landrum
 
The brain is one of the many muscles in your body that needs regular exercise, and fitting consistent exercise into a busy schedule is a challenge for most working adults. While it may be difficult to find time for physical or mental fitness, it’s well worth the effort. shutterstock_287191085
 
Benefits of Continual Learning
 
Continued learning offers many benefits, for both your cognitive abilities and your chances of advancing in your career.
 
1. Maintain High Performance
 
Just as well-made luxury vehicles need proper fuel to operate at their peak, you need to fuel the intellectual part of yourself with information and unique challenges. 
 
When you’re a part of a high-performing organization or team, it’s not enough to be smart or a hard worker. Everyone around you is bright and dedicated to their job. Those are basic requirements for being a part of the team. In order to differentiate yourself, you must bring value on an ongoing basis.
 
By staying current with trends, skills and research in your area of expertise, you will be better positioned to offer insights and come up with innovations that can advance your company.
 
People with great ideas and a track record for success get noticed as well as rewarded. What you learn from a course or workshop could be the impetus for your next contribution that will get you noticed as a key contributor to the organization. Positive recognition is one way to help you get a raise or promotion. 
 
2. Keep Your Brain Healthy
 
Research has found that brain cells form new connections every time you learn new information. Strengthening those connections by practicing new skills can do positive things for your cognitive ability. 
 
In fact, the brain keeps changing through learning, even when a skill is mastered. The capacity of the brain to change with learning is called brain plasticity. Complex thinking promotes plasticity.
 
How to Make Learning Happen
 
Even though you’re busy, there are ways to fit learning opportunities into your day. The payoff will be well worth the effort.
 
1. Set Your Own Pace
 
Develop a list of learning goals based on what skills you’d like to develop or interests you have and focus on them during nonworking hours. One of the advantages of technology is that you can learn when and where it’s convenient for you, which is the beauty of online courses. A research study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that in the United States, 92 million adults are enrolled in an educational program. 
 
Having flexibility in your learning path is important for professionals who are already balancing demanding work schedules and personal commitments.
 
If you’re planning to use learning as a way to advance your career, online learning is a great place to start. Think about what skills you need to gain or grow to move to the next level, then set a target for when you’d like to gain knowledge in that area.
 
2. Take Advantage of Corporate Programs
 
Many companies reserve a portion of their budget to support the ongoing development of their employees. This can take the form of tuition reimbursement, sponsorship for nondegree programs, conferences and/or memberships to professional organizations. Companies spent $130 billion worldwide on corporate training in 2014.
 
Identify the area you want to develop and present it to your manager. You should determine how it will help you in your current position, help you contribute to the success of the company or help prepare you to take on additional responsibilities. 
 
It’s easy for a manager to agree to an investment when they have a clear understanding of the return.
 
Also, look into what resources are available in-house. Does your company have a learning catalog where you can choose online or in-person courses? Is there a learning and organizational development team that creates content for employees to get in-depth understanding on a topic? Is there a person who is in the position you aspire to who could mentor you?
 
Explore all possibilities for learning channels so you can find a good fit to help you achieve your goals.
 
The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com
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Are Moms the Original Project Managers?

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As both a mom and a project management trainer, I can’t help but notice the amazing parallels between the two universes. Since I was a project manager long before becoming a mom, I assumed that my project management skills were just amazingly convenient as I juggled the complex labyrinth of motherhood. But as I mingled with other moms years later, I started to notice that the best moms seem to have almost innate project management skills that help them not just survive but thrive when faced with the day to day challenges and complexities of managing life’s most important project – raising our kids!

What Smart Moms Could Teach the Even Best Project Managers

Always Have a Backup Plan

Image via Shutterstock

Image via Shutterstock

The best moms know that if it can go wrong, it probably will. Of course, it’s better to hope for the best but plan for the worst and that includes having a solid backup plan – whether it’s an extra sippy cup, a change of clothes, an alternate lunch option, or a favorite toy just in case little Johnny misses his nap and loses his “pleasant personality”. Likewise, project managers can’t just rely on their project plan/schedule as written no matter how much time was spent generating it – they must plan for technology failure, losing a key team member, product delivery delays, etc. from Day 1.

Avoid Theoretical Time Estimate/Pad the Schedule

Every experienced mom know that a trip anywhere (to church, school, play dates, etc.) almost always takes longer than you’d think on paper. Yes, GPS may say that grandma’s house is only a 20 minute drive, but that estimate doesn’t account for the almost predictable traffic jam, the last minute potty trip/diaper change that definitely can’t be rushed, and of course the extra 5 minutes it takes to load everything into the car (race back for whatever you forgot), buckle car seats, settle any arguments, etc. So often project managers fall into the tempting trap of calculating “theoretical task estimates” that also don’t take into account some of the not so unpredictable delays and snags that we should proactively consider when building the timeline.

Temperature Check Regularly

As a busy mom, it’s so tempting to get caught up in the practical day to day minutia and really miss the important connections with our kids. I’ve noticed that moms seem to naturally “check in” with their kids periodically to find out what’s bothering them, what’s their favorite game/song, who’s their new best friend at school, etc. Similarly project managers can get overwhelmed by day to day administrivia and should remember the importance of checking in with the team to assess morale and see what’s working and what’s not. Whether it’s periodic informal lunches or round robin meeting debriefs, you can’t put the team on autopilot – checking in proactively is key!

Build Broad Networks and Firm Up Relationships Before You Need Them

Moms know that “it takes a village” – no one can do it all on their own. So, they actively reach out to establish their village early whether that includes extended family/friends, play groups, before/after care programs, etc. Moms also know the importance of nurturing those relationships constantly so that when she has the last minute babysitting emergency, her favorite nanny is more likely to come over asap – no questions asked J. Similarly, project managers are ultimately responsible for delivering project results on time on budget but are often completely reliant on others (including distant stakeholders at times) to get the job done! They absolutely need to build a strong extended team to help support the project – particularly during times of crisis. But the key is don’t wait until there’s a crisis to try to build the relationship J

Dana Brownlee is an acclaimed keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and team development consultant. She is President of Professionalism Matters, Inc. a boutique professional development corporate training firm based in Atlanta, GA. She can be reached at danapbrownlee@professionalismmatters.com. Connect with her on Linked In and Twitter.

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Finding A New Job – The “When” and the “How”

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Is it time to change jobs, change firms or leave the industry? (F)By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Pyschologist

There are many reasons to get a new job. It is worth exploring before you jump ship what it is you do not like at your current job and within that, why you do not like it. This way you have a better chance at not repeating the experience in the next job and in actual fact, you might find you ways to stay in your current position and be much happier and more productive. You know what I am going to say- yes, that’s right! Get a good coach to work through any challenges, fears and feelings that you are having right now and to help you articulate what you do want to do in the hours known as work. The “when” to change jobs is a big one. Often people jump to fast or take a very long time to do it, both extremes can be less than optimal to your career plan. If you are saying “what plan?” right about now then hey no judgement but those who plan tend to get what they want faster by virtue of knowing what they want and this process can help with that as the answer is always inside your own heart and mind.

Anyway, If you are sure you that the time is right to find a new job, you might be wondering how to go about it. I say think of it as a pyramid with the peak being knowing a manager or recruiter in a competing team or firm who needs you and by some serendipity has an open spot. Rarely happens, but if you are not networking and talking with peers and competitors and even clients, then you wont know when it does happen. Networking is the number one way to get a new job. Internally and externally- both are equally valid. Ask your mentor and sponsors (careful if they are your boss) if they know of a challenge that would be good next step for you.

The next layer in the pyramid is using a headhunter. Some are better than others but if you can find a good one, then your legwork is greatly reduced and their job is to conquer the art and science of placing the right person in the open job.

The lowest, broadest and most time consuming way to find a job is applying to hundreds of jobs on the internet. It can feel like a blackhole and although many people do get hired this way, it can not be counted on as the core of your strategy. Here is a review of job boards and the job search that just came across my desk recently that might help you get this foundational piece in place. It is hard to ignore it as an activity but do not rely on it as the only way to secure your next job. Remember, the closer your qualifications are to the requirements posted, the more likely your resume will be fished out of the pile by hand or robots to be considered further.

Best of Luck!

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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Black Women Leaders in Business: Will Recent Losses Wake Us Up?

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black women leaders featuredBy Aimee Hansen

Across the past twelve months, four African-American leaders have stepped down from positions of high visibility in the business and political world.

What’s most striking about these few departures is the size of the gap created by them, highlighting an African-American representation among women in leadership that remains far too small and a diversity movement that remains far too narrow.

The large gap left by losing a few powerful African-American leaders is a wake-up call to widen our diversity, not just in intention but in individual practice and in outcome.

Losing Power Players

This year’s Fortune’s Most Powerful Women 2016 continued to feature Rosalind Brewer (#19 – CEO and President, Sam’s Club and Walmart), Anne-Marie Campbell (#20 – EVP, U.S Stores, Home Depot), and Ursula Burns (#25 – CEO and Chairman of Xerox), with Beyoncé displacing Taylor Swift (#51).

But the 2017 list will look different. Last May, Ursula Burns, the first and only African-American women to run a S&P 500 company, announced that she would step down from her CEO position after splitting Xerox into two companies. After Rosalind Brewer’s recent retirement news, black women – already scarce – will now be absent from the helm of major U.S. companies.

Meanwhile, former FLOTUS Michelle Obama has left the high profile visibility of the White House (although her voice may well remain in the spotlight) and Loretta Lynch has ended her term as the U.S. Attorney General.

These four women (Obama, Lynch, Brewer, and Burns) accounted for over 50% of the African-American names on Forbe’s World’s 100 Most Powerful Women 2016.

Losing four black women from highly visible, influential leadership positions wouldn’t be so striking except – in the context of so few peers in positions of power – it simply is.

Monolithic Diversity

The percentage of women CEOS among Fortune 500 companies dropped to only 4.2% in 2016 (from 24 to 21), which is a hit for all women. The near absence of minorities amidst that 4% testifies that diversity’s approach to advancing women remains very monolithic.

Black women remain caught in the blind spot of intersectionality, and while naming the problem helps, it does not address it. As Melinda Marshall and Tai Wingfield, authors of “Ambition in Black & White: The Feminist Narrative Revised,“ write in the Harvard Business Review, “At the intersections of race and gender, both then and now, black women have labored unseen, even to those lobbying for their advancement.”

As a recent AAUW report highlights, “the specific ways in which they (black women leaders) are disadvantaged clearly differs from the better-understood ways that white women leaders are dis-advantaged.”

The diversity movement falls short of advancing women when we too often ignore the rich diversity of needs, realities, and challenges experienced by different women, and work to address them.

Intersectional Barriers

As research has shown, black women are (three times) more likely to aspire to leadership roles than white women and half as likely to attain one.

As summed up by a 2016 report in the Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, some of the myriad of factors holding African-American women back from the C-Suite include dual bias at the intersection of race and gender (a net that affects everything else), the impact of stereotypes on perceptions (as an example, African-American women are often perceived as aggressive in communication), a lack of career opportunities to showcase skills, having to prove competency more than colleagues, a lack of strategic feedback, workplace isolation and ‘outsider’ status.

The Biggest Barrier is Social Exclusion

But one of the strongest barriers for black women is the lack of access to powerful social networking with influential senior executive leaders, which requires a certain level of ‘insider’ status.

According to Wingfield and Marshall in HBR, black women “have mentors and strong support networks but lack sponsors—leaders who will talk them up behind closed doors, steer plum assignments their way, and defend them against detractors.”

Black Women Executives Research Initiative Revisited by the Executive Leadership Council, the first longitudinal study of black women executives (BWEs) in corporate America (2007 and 2015), gleamed insights into both the challenges and experiences of 59 senior leaders across the eight year period.

The importance of creating and maintaining sponsorship relationships, and building a network of allies, was emphasized by BWEs.

As one interviewee said, “I believe you almost have to have somebody in the room where the conversation is happening that says, ‘this is the person who can make the contributions and be valuable.’ If you don’t have that it’s very hard.”

Research by Catalyst has demonstrated how black women and men who experience a heightened sense of “being different” based on their race/ethnicity within the workplace suffer an “Emotional Tax” that can include impaired sleep, a sense of always being on guard, speaking up less, reduced innovation and creativity, and feeling less psychologically safe in contributing their own voice at work.

However, a sense of inclusion reduces the Emotional Tax, and increases psychological safety, such as feeling leaders and team members ‘have your back’, that mistakes won’t be held against you, and that co-workers are not going to try to undermine your efforts – in other words, a corporate environment in which anyone can feel comfortable in taking risks, not just the majority.

Absence from networks also affects black women entrepreneurs. Despite the fact that African-American women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, their endeavors tend to lack major investment backing or significant outsider funding.

Strategic Career Management

The Executive Leadership Council report also found that 27% of BWEs had advanced in their careers (since 2007), and over 60% did so while in Profit & Loss roles. Yet 46% of BWEs left their companies to start their own business or moved to a different company, sometimes losing ground.

In-depth interviews revealed four factors that were most influential in career developments for these leaders: 1) alignment of values, 2) agility and re-purposement, 3) sponsorship, and 4) relationship-building as politics.

The primary reason for satisfaction among BWEs in their work was alignment of values on an industry, corporate culture, positional or interpersonal level – and the primary reason for dis-satisfaction, and hence job movement, was a deterioration of alignment.

A key career strategy for BWEs, referred to as agility and repurposement, was an ability to move rapidly between challenges to foster “continuous learning, cross-functional, boundary-spanning work and intentional, if not always planned, career expansion.”

Many successful BWEs were keen to take assignments, even adjacent opportunities and glass-cliff appointments, that ultimately advanced their learning, broadened their expertise, and gained visibility and network connections.

Disrupting the Silos In Business & Diversity

As written in HBR, leadership which aims for real diversity must purposely disrupt silos in the workplace, creating more opportunities for intersectional visibility.

As Wingfield and Marshall write, “Leaders must create a culture in which people at the intersections of functional or affinity identities have equal access to their attention or equal opportunity to earn it.”

And as champions of diversity, we must disrupt the insidious silos that exist within the diversity movement and within. For each non-minority woman in a place of leadership, we can ask if we are doing our part in including African-American women in social networks and enabling opportunities for visibility?

Are we checking our own relative privilege and our own blindspots? As much as we want equality, are we practicing it within the power and influence we hold?

While theglasshammer is putting a focus on African-American women in leadership during February’s Black History Month coverage, minority women are living the lesser-understood intersectional challenges every single day, and we must make a daily practice of staying awake to that.

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Me, Myself and I: Closing the Gap Between Perception and Reality

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man-and-woman-standing-on-money-featuredBy Nneka Orji

When your colleagues describe you and your abilities, do you recognise the description? Does it accurately reflect the reputation you’ve worked hard to establish or is there a chasm between how they perceive you and how you would like to be seen?

In a 2010 report by Opportunity Now, 57% of women pointed to the challenges of being seen as less committed at work as a result of also meeting personal and family commitments. This was in addition to 49% of women identifying “stereotyping and preconceptions of women’s roles and abilities” as barriers to progression. If perception plays such a significant role in female progression, surely we should be investing more time – both as organisations and individuals – in proactively addressing misperceptions.

It could be argued that organisations have gone some way in trying to tackle these gender-specific perception challenges through initiatives such as unconscious bias training, however a number of studies have shown that an individual level, women could be doing more to define and develop their brands to support their career progression. A recently published report by She Runs It, highlighted the gender divide when it comes to personal branding. Conducted with LinkedIn and EY and looking at over 4,000 companies in the media and marketing industry, the report found that on average, men in leadership roles had 15% more connections in their network than women. At every stage of their careers, women should be investing more time and effort in developing their professional networks and building stronger personal brands.

Branding for opportunities

Some readers may feel some level of cynicism or indeed a sense of dread at these words – “personal branding”. We usually associate brands with products and organisations, including brands such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Visa, and Amazon – all in the top 10 of WPP’s 2016 Top 100 BrandZ list. The idea of a personal brand may be seen as another fad trumpeted by self-proclaimed personal branding gurus, however study after study show the value in developing a personal brand.

Having a strong personal brand can open doors to new opportunities – a promotion or a new international opportunity. Even for those who have established personal brands, there may be a need to redefine your brand. According to marketing strategist and Duke University lecturer Dorie Clark, reinventing personal brand is particularly important when looking for a career change. While being an international trade expert may have served well to date, it may not be the brand that provides the best opportunities for the desired next phase of your career. In her “Reinventing Your Personal Brand” article, Dorie emphasises the importance of defining the destination, developing a clear narrative and other key considerations for a successful rebrand.

So does defining your personal brand mean reinventing yourself?

Reinventing brand vs reinventing you

According to Shelly Lazarus, the Chairman Emeritus of Ogilvy & Mather, the answer is no. Having worked with leaders across a number of organisations throughout her career, Shelly advises both women and men to ensure they are comfortable in their own skin rather than creating a brand that does not represent the individual. In her 2014 interview in Harvard Business Review, Shelly talked about the importance of resilience in every successful career and the obstacles created by an inauthentic voice and brand, particularly as women and men progress in their careers. While there may be a perception that personal brands should change with each promotion, Shelly emphasised the merits of consistency: “Brands exist in the hearts and minds of the people who use them, and if you suddenly try to switch them—which I’ve seen many corporations try to do —you alienate the customer.” The same applies to individuals.

Investing in you

Even the most cynical will hopefully acknowledge some of the merits of authentic personal branding in career progression; think of the leaders you find most inspiring and what their brand does for them. Personal branding is also critical to encouraging diverse representation across the global workforce – much needed in today’s organisations. While a quarter of a billion women have joined the workforce since 2006, according to Catalyst workforce participation rate decreased from 52.4% in 1995 to 49.6% in 2015. The report also shows that women hold only 12% of all board seats globally.

More needs to be done to reset expectations and correct misperceptions; women taking full ownership of their personal brands and clearly articulating how they would like to be perceived – not how others choose to perceive them – is an important part in the journey to more balanced representation across our organisations.

Before starting on your journey to defining and living your authentic personal brand, here are four considerations:

1. Define your brand: It is all too easy to throw the baby out with the bathwater and try to develop a completely new brand. However it is important to pause and acknowledge the valuable traits of your existing brand and use this as a basis to reshape your brand. If your stakeholders always look to you because you have a track record of moving ideas from concept to reality, don’t take this for granted. Maintain this unique aspect of your brand and build on it to, along with other aspects you would like to be known for.

2. Live the brand (and deliver): As the businessman Henry Ford said, “[y]ou can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” Being clear in your mind about your personal brand is important, however it means nothing unless you deliver on it and establish your desired reputation amongst your colleagues and broader network. In the same way a number of the aforementioned BrandZ brands have established themselves as market disruptors and innovators, you too will need to demonstrate that you are able to live your brand by delivering on assignments and making the right impact.

3. Champion others and be championed: The She Runs It report highlighted the importance of championing others and also being championed – and men tend to champion others more proactively through endorsements than women. The report found that of the endorsements received by female professionals in leadership positions, only 30% of endorsements were made by other female professionals which compares to the 78% of endorsements made by men for other male professionals. What does this mean for you? Once you’ve developed your brand and demonstrated how you deliver on your brand, ensure you have a group of champions, including mentors, sponsors and fans, who can vouch for your credentials. Don’t forget to champion others while you are being championed.

4. Be authentic and remain consistent: Take a “me, myself and I” approach to personal branding. It is all too easy to emulate those individuals who seem to have it all, however the effort of living someone else’s brand can be all too exhausting and unsustainable. Focus on you and once you have established your own authentic brand, deliver consistently against it. Of course your brand may evolve as you progress or transition careers, but the fundamental characteristics of your brand should be unwavering.

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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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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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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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