Want to Get Home Sooner? Stop Multitasking Your E-mail

iStock_000003059926XSmall_1_.jpgContributed by Marsha Egan, CEO, Egan Group, Inc.

As women, we pride ourselves in our ability to multitask. We often smirk when men put laundry in and stand over the washer or read the paper straight through until it’s done. We gals think multitasking is an advantage—and maybe it is – but maybe it has gone too far.

Let’s face it – multitasking isn’t really doing two things at once. Multitasking is alternating among tasks. In other words, you hit the print button and then you shift to making a phone call while the print job is delivered. And yes, women are darn good at it.

But there’s a limit. The constant barrage of e-mail messages is testing those limits.

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How to Remove Your Foot from Your Mouth

iStock_000005574412XSmall_1_.jpgby Liz O’Donnell (Boston)

President Obama ran one of the most well-executed, thoughtful campaigns in history. Aside from a quick news cycle covering his unfortunate “sweetie” comment, he almost always said the right thing – on message, positive and inspiring. But less than 100 days into his presidency, Obama made a gaffe on the well-watched Jay Leno show when he mentioned The Special Olympics in reference to his campaign bowling excursion.

“We all put our foot in our mouth,” says Lee McEnany Caraher, president of Double Forte, a marketing and communications firm. “Sometimes we know right away, and sometimes other people bring it to our attention.”Genevieve Haldeman, vice president, Corporate Communications, for Symantec, agrees. “As much as we try to be careful, I think we’ve all said something that we immediately regretted. I think how I have handled it has depended on each situation. I may make a statement to apologize or clarify my intent immediately, or may follow up after the fact to make a more personal apology. It depends on each situation and whether or not a public apology is the best way to go. “

Most professional women concur that everybody’s done it — said something that alienated others without meaning too. So why are some people able to apologize and move on while others are haunted by their inappropriateness?

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The Job Seeker’s “Ready or Not” Quiz

iStock_000008869981XSmall_1_.jpgContributed by Kathryn Sollmann of Women@Work Network

Your job search seems never-ending – is it the recession or is it you? Are you overlooking basic but critical job search strategies that are required in even the strongest economic cycles?

Take this simple quiz developed by the Women@Work Network to find out if you need to revisit your job search foundation. You may be very surprised…even many senior-level professionals are discovering that they are jeopardizing their own job search success.

True or False?

(Note: A “true” answer must be 100% true!)

  1. I know the kind of job commitment (part-time, full-time, consulting, etc.) that works best for me and my family and I have buy-in from all constituents.
  2. I know the general salary range that I am seeking and the minimum that I could accept to meet my personal financial obligations.
  3. I have a very clear and realistic understanding of the type and level of position I am qualified for at this time.
  4. Even though I have many skills and talents, I realize that telling employers that I am flexible and willing to do any type of job is more negative than positive.
  5. I understand that employers hire candidates who can jump in and add immediate value—and I can clearly state problems that I can solve, challenges that I can meet and initiatives I can lead in my area of expertise.
  6. I have a five-minute prepared “elevator speech” that quickly summarizes for friends, colleagues, networking contacts and potential employers the kind of work I have done in the past, my key strengths and the type of positions I am now seeking.
  7. I know the kind of company and culture that would be the best fit for me—in terms of industry, size, environment, etc.
  8. I have researched companies that I am targeting thoroughly: the web site, current media reports, discussions with current or past employees, etc.
  9. When I search for a job, I think about how I am going to package and sell myself.
  10. I have only one resume (not several different versions) with a summary statement at the top that is a quick snapshot of who I am and the skills and experience that I have to offer.
  11. My resume is not more than two pages long.
  12. At least three people who have proven writing and editing skills have proofread my resumé for errors that could cost me an interview.
  13. I recognize that my #1 job search strategy should be networking, but I don’t let any discomfort about “approaching strangers” stand in my way.
  14. I have exhausted every possible personal networking contact from past jobs, alumni groups, religious affiliations, parents in children’s’ schools, book groups, tennis groups, etc.—and I’ve considered everyone I know, my spouse knows, my sister knows, etc.
  15. I have researched and joined all local and online networking groups that make sense for my level and area of expertise.
  16. I do not spend the greatest percentage of my time searching for opportunities on company-sponsored or mass market job boards to find open positions.
  17. When I apply for a job, I always send my resume along with a cover letter. I specifically state why I am a fit for the job—covering all the job requirements and responsibilities point by point.
  18. When I go to an interview or think about going to an interview, I do not get ready to apologize for any aspect of my past experience or my time out of the workforce.
  19. I have zeroed in on two or three examples — or “stories” — from my past experience that illustrate why I am qualified for the type of job that I am seeking.
  20. I have thought about questions that I will likely be asked in an interview and I have answers that will exude competence and confidence.

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Estate Planning in a Down Economy: Take Advantage of the Financial Crisis

MBorrelli_1_.JPGContributed by Melissa Borrelli, Esq. of Hanson Bridgett LLP.

Most people know that they should have an estate plan in place; however, making estate planning a priority is difficult even in the best of times, let alone during times of financial crisis. While the benefits of estate planning are well known – including providing for your family and friends, avoiding probate, reducing estate taxes, helping a favorite cause, and planning for incapacity – the advantages of estate planning in a down economy are less familiar.

By making strategic estate planning decisions now, while asset values continue to drop and interest rates are at all time lows, individuals are able to pass more to future generations and reduce or eliminate estate taxes. Estate planners have a number of tools that take full advantage of a bad economy, including:

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Helping Management Through Times of Transition

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iStock_000007926135XSmall_1_.jpgContributed by NAMC (National Association of Mothers’ Centers), Livia Polise, LCSW, NAMC Facilitator

In our current economic climate, management-level executives are not only challenged to make difficult decisions to keep the organization going, they also have to deal with the very difficult task of letting people go and all that comes with it. For women, it can be especially difficult as we often feel a sense of empathy for the employee’s situation and will carry our concerns for their well being around with us for days.

Corporate decision-making is guided by the bottom line: financial cost and gain. A more accurate cost analysis, however, recognizes the psychological and emotional costs and impact of workplace events and policies on the company’s most important resources: its people. While people in leadership positions are charged with the responsibility of developing and implementing policies and organizational changes that will keep the organization afloat, they also grapple with the stress and dilemmas inherent in decision-making within an environment that may be characterized by urgency and fear.

According to the Chinese tradition of the I-Ching, every crisis is characterized by the potential for both danger and opportunity. The current economic crisis offers manifold opportunities to advocate for making lemonade from lemons.

Here are some practical tips that management can employ to help themselves and those who must be let go make the best of a challenging situation – and provide those left behind with greater confidence.

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Got Your GQ?

iStock_000008140633XSmall_1_.jpgContributed by Tracey Carr of Eve-olution.net

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 74 percent of companies have diversity programs in place. That’s a good start, but it sidesteps perhaps the most striking diversity component in the workplace: the personality differences between men and women. This is where we need Gender Intelligence, or GQ™ .


For every person in the workforce, man or woman, one of the following situations is familiar (if not frequent):

  • It’s a professional setting and all the men are shaking hands firmly. But, they either don’t shake the women’s hands, or they do with a limp, modified handshake.
  • It’s a meeting with two men and a woman. The men are focused on each other’s thoughts, while the woman is just trying to be heard.
  • A meeting starts and one of the male executives suggests that a female colleague be the note taker.

These examples are not meant to be biased against men. Rather, they’re just specific examples of the scenarios many female executives encounter on a daily basis. Either knowingly or unknowingly, both men and women fall into specific patterns and stereotypes in professional settings. When this occurs, the results are damaging for everyone involved, particularly for organizations that are denied potential returns from rounded, balanced teamwork.

This is exactly why we need to improve our GQ™ . Gender Intelligence is the ability to respond with finesse and savvy to gender generated issues. And here’s a shocker: many corporations are not ready to hear that men and women have different communication styles that can seriously impact their ability to work effectively together.

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The Kid-Ceiling: Women Feel It Long Before Seeing the Glass Ceiling

sn_webphoto_03.jpgContributed by Susan Newman, Ph.D.

For most women who work having a family alters their income, their ability to advance, and their well-being. All is not right in the world of women’s work and the glaring deficiencies force more women to move in the direction of the smaller or “new traditional family” as I call the single-child family in my book, Parenting An Only Child. The more children you have, the more likely you’ll feel the impact of the kid-ceiling long before you see the glass ceiling.

Call it what you will

The “kid-ceiling,” “maternal wall,” “mommy gap,” “baby gap,” “motherhood penalty” or “mommy track”—it boils down to the same thing: barriers and obstacles for women who work and want to move up AND raise a family. The kid-ceiling confronts women in both obvious and subtle ways. Employers’ attitudes, the lack of on-the-job flexibility and support for mothers in the workplace, and salary gaps between male and female workers further underscore the strong bias that exists against women.

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Executive Job Search: 3 Mistakes That Keep Most Women Executives Unemployed during a Recession

books.jpgContributed by $100K+ Executive-Level Career Karen Armon

Mistake #1: Using the Wrong Executive Job Search Model

Most female executives, when looking for their next career opportunity, fall back into old models that we learned early in our careers. These tactics keep us in the mainstream but that is where all the competition is! What we want to do is stand out, break through, and move up in our career.

During a recession, this is particularly true because women traditionally tend to make less than men and pressure to reduce our salary requirements just to land a position are strong. But that is a surefire way to keep our career circling the airport and never landing on the runway of executive leadership!

First, let’s look at the traditional method of finding a job:

  1. Create a list of target companies for which you would want to work
  2. Contact your network to find people who work for those companies currently
  3. Call your network and ask for an “informational interview”
  4. Continue the process until you find a position

But there are real problems with this approach:

  • This entails using a “front-door” approach, and there are many gatekeepers whose responsibilities include keeping you out.
  • Many female executives abandon their networks, sometimes for very legitimate reasons – such as child care, elder parent care and long hours. And, many of those in one’s network that are actually active are just peers. It seems like we are networking, but in reality, we are keeping ourselves in our comfort zone and not moving forward with new, upward-level power brokers. Regardless of how well intentioned they are, peers are often unable (or unwilling) to help you.
  • The informational interview approach is practically dead. Although your network may want to give you ten minutes of their time, in most cases they simply can’t afford to accommodate you. I know that if I granted every informational interview request that was asked of me, I’d have no time to do my real job! What is the answer to this traditional model of finding a job?

The Solution: Use a New Executive Job Search Model

The model I suggest using when looking for your next C-Level executive position is the one I teach in my MarketOne™ Executive system. It moves you from an “activity-based” approach that the traditional model employs to a “synergistic-positioning” approach that:

  1. Positions you as a top thought leader in your industry
  2. Leverages your current job, network and career for greater momentum
  3. Utilizes marketing and sales strategies to turn strangers into interested parties

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Building a Stellar Personal Board of Directors

mentor.jpgContributed by Amy Dorn Kopelan, Co-Creator, The Guru Nation

So many talented women managers and senior executives really have what it takes to move up in their organizations, but what they often don’t have is a Personal Board of Directors ready to advise them and support them. Even when some women (and men) tell me they have a Personal Board, when I take a close look at who sits on their Board, I don’t see a deliberate assembly of people ready to jump in objectively and strategically.

I believe that one the smartest things we can do for ourselves professionally (and maybe even personally) is to assemble a stellar Personal Board of Directors and choose everyone for exactly the right reason. In truth, most Boards come together by circumstance, accident, or convenience. That’s not going to get you to stellar! This Board has to be, for your real success, that group of “Go To” people who are ready to help you think through every next step affecting your career.

How do you really assemble a stellar Board for yourself?

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2009 Career Action Plan to Help You Realize Attainable Goals

calendar.jpgContributed by BusinessSuccessCoach.net CEO John M. McKee

Kudos to the paltry few who achieve their New Year’s resolutions. The vast majority of us go right back to our counterproductive ways as it relates to personal health, relationships, careers and otherwise. A fresh New Year is here, and now is the time for those serious about their career to look beyond the ever popular weight loss resolution and commit to making – and sticking to – an Annual Career Action Plan. Doing so will help individuals set an entirely attainable goal for each month of a given year, with the end result being 12 notable achievements that are sure to pay workplace dividends.

I’ve found that Annual Career Action Plans really deliver the goods, notes The method works for nearly anyone who takes a little time to map out tactical goals and objectives for the upcoming year. And, the plan may be embarked upon at any point in a given year to commence the 12-month program…not just in January.

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