Being “out” at work has been incredibly beneficial for PwC’s Shannon White, and she believes it is important for others to do the same. “When you’re hiding yourself, it takes a lot of energy, and you don’t have the same reservoir of mental effort to devote to relationship-building or being creative or productive.” And, as a leader, you’re more guarded, she says, which can be an impediment in the consulting industry, where business is built around relationships, both internal and external. “Because I’ve been authentic, people trust me and believe I’m honest and open. That allows them to trust me with their challenges, even those that have nothing to do with sexual orientation.”
Born and raised in Seattle, White attended Georgetown University as an undergraduate where she had a diverse college experience. She played on the basketball team as a walk on; studied for a semester in Japan; participated in a business group; led a tutoring program; and volunteered as a high school teacher in South Africa for a year after graduation.
On her return she joined MBNA America in their management development program and upon completion, managed community development programs. Her work with the United Way helped put her on the path to earning an MBA: Initially she thought she might want to work with non-profits but during her program, she changed focus and decided to major in finance and become an investment banker.
After working as an investment banker at JP Morgan she worked with a finance company, providing funding for affordable housing, and then she went to work with a consulting firm helping communities to recover from disasters. This is one of the projects of which she is most proud, working out in the field after disasters such as the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina, helping communities recover through efficient grant dispensation.
Eight years ago she joined PwC’s US firm and now leads a business unit in the Public Sector Practice. For the last nine months her team has been helping a client implement a new delivery model for a grant program. “This is at the heart of what we do as consultants, helping agencies achieve their missions better, faster and more efficiently, and this program will do that. By instituting change management and new delivery metrics, they will provide a real benefit to American citizens.”
She sees that government agencies are applying a real focus on customer experience and how they can help citizens with their journey to more efficiently receive the benefits of the agency.
Seeking Opportunities
When White looks back on her career, there’s one piece of advice she wishes she’d known: She would tell her younger self to have fun all along the way. “You can’t know that you will have a successful career among the twists and turns, but if you set goals and remain flexible to take advantage of every opportunity, it will work out.”
She advises young women to develop a “brand” that will define them. “Maybe they become an Excel wizard starting off, for example. You know that your brand will change but by being competent in your craft you can establish yourself in at least one area where you’re a go-to person.”
While it’s crucial to say yes to opportunities, she says it’s also important to raise your hand to volunteer. “If you hear someone mention a need in a meeting, say, ‘Can I help you with this?’ Or identify gaps in your experience and proactively ask someone to help you find way to bridge it.”
And, women executives with more experience can play a role too, by helping young women with what they need for their careers and acting as a sponsor behind the scenes to help give them those advantages.
A Supportive Culture Promotes Diversity
White believes that companies need both formal and informal structures in place to foster diversity and has appreciated the culture at PwC. “It would be hard to ever leave this firm since I have felt so supported in my journey, and the programs that PwC offers really gives the firm an advantage. We are going to keep highly talented people because we have these resources,” she says, noting that the firm sends a strong message when it speaks out about LGBT legislation, for example.
She herself is a senior leader in the OPEN group, which serves the LGBT community, and participated in a “Crossing the Finish Line” program for women preparing to be partners. She has also participated in PwC’s Aspire events, where prominent external women speak about women’s issues.
Fostering diversity in gender is important, and leaders need to commit to giving women opportunities for different experiences and tasks that will allow them to demonstrate their skills. “Men are more liable to raise their hand, but we know that companies led by women have greater profits,” she says. “Companies need to figure out how to nurture their pipeline to allow that.”
An area where PwC excels is in flexibility for both men and women. She notes that as soon as she returned from maternity leave, she immediately received new assignments and an account team to lead.
Family and Relaxation Outside of Work
White relies on yoga and a daily ritual of meditation and writing in a gratitude journal to set a calming and appreciative tone for her day. “When I’m feeling good about myself I want to help others feel good, which helps me be supportive of team members and clients.”
She and her partner Lee have a three-year-old son Solomon, who is her main priority. As part of work life integration, she involves her family as much as she can at the firm, bringing them to events and making them part of her work life.
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Voice of Experience: Susanna Charlwood, Partner, Shearman & Sterling’s Litigation Group
Voices of ExperienceCharlwood began her career at one of London’s “Magic Circle” firms and joined Shearman & Sterling three years ago as counsel in the Litigation Group. She was promoted to partner at the end of last year.
A Time of Change in the Field of Law
Currently Charlwood is involved in the final stages of a two-year investigation into certain activities at a European bank. Assisting clients in long term projects and counselling them through difficult times is something she particularly enjoys about her area of the law.
Contentious antitrust is an area where there has been significant recent legislative change in the UK. “For the past year or so we’ve been dealing with a lot of queries as our clients seek clarity on the implications of this new framework for them. The idea of the changes was to facilitate the recovery of damages for breaches of anti-trust law, bringing our process closer to that in the US. We are now waiting to see the effect of these changes.”
Lending a Helping Hand
Reflecting on her career, Charlwood remarks on the importance of building your network from the outset. “As well as being a great lawyer, it is key to understand the value of professional relationships and invest in making and maintaining them.” She recalls how many of her peers left private practice after a few years, and several today hold senior positions in the legal teams of major banks.
Charlwood also observes that junior lawyers sometimes are unaware of the scope to impress. “As the junior member of a team it may sometimes feel like you are not noticed, but you are – both internally and by clients. I have often had clients comment at length on how pleased they have been with the work done by particular associates.”
Charlwood says that while the number of women in senior positions in private practice may not have changed very significantly during her career, her impression is that there has been an increase in women in senior positions at her clients. She also comments that there is a lot more being done to encourage and facilitate women in pursuing long term careers at law firms. She says, “There are so many fabulous young women working at our firm and I really hope to see them flourish. I believe it’s my responsibility to them to help them fulfill their capabilities and to navigate the particular challenges that women may face in managing work and family.”
She believes it’s important for more seasoned women to show they can be dedicated to and successful in their job but also have a balanced life. “We have to model work/life balance so younger women see it as something achievable and enjoyable.”
Shearman & Sterling has many formal programs but Charlwood comments that informal mentoring relationships can be equally important. The advice she gives to younger women is, if they enjoy the profession, to have a plan and work towards it. “Be strategic, be confident and seek out opportunities.”
A Supportive Family
Charlwood’s husband is also a lawyer and so understands the demands of the profession and is very supportive. She also has a two-year-old daughter and says she feels having a family has increased rather than undermined her professional confidence. “You have to be very organized and efficient but, somehow, I feel the different perspective being a mother has brought me has been a positive thing professionally.”
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Voice of Experience: Tina Shell, Managing Director of Client Operations for Citi’s U.S. Retail Bank and Mortgage Businesses
Voices of ExperienceAnd sometimes Shell finds people need help identifying potential paths; for example, in operations, where there appears to be just one ladder, it might be difficult to see all the other opportunities that are out there. “I believe in strengths more than weaknesses so when you help people see theirs, they can move onto paths they hadn’t seen for themselves.”
That philosophy has helped guide her successful career through a constantly evolving industry – one that barely existed when she first started out. As Shell puts it, her journey “just happened along the way.”
Radical Changes within an Industry
Shell started her career in the industry working the phones in call center operations for SPS Payment Systems to earn money while attending college. “It’s a tough job and it stays with you,” she says. And she stayed with it. While she remarks that it’s a career path you might never think of, since many people don’t even what call center operations is, it has grown to be an entire industry, one in which you can even now earn a degree.
She had planned to become a professor, so she earned her master’s degree while working full time at the center. Her next step was earning her Ph.D., but she felt as though she needed a break before plunging back into school. Her managers had been discussing her potential for management opportunities so she decided to give it a try.
With the web and online services just a fledgling product, she was assigned to the division as a special project, working with others outside her area to get it up and running. From there she was recruited to manage two outsourced contact centers based outside of Chicago.
The new opportunities gave her a solid foundation, and when a former boss joined Citi, she eventually followed him and has been there 15 years. Today she wears numerous hats: she leads Client Operations for Citi’s Retail Bank and Mortgage Businesses; is Functional Program lead for the North America Contact Center Operations Digital Strategy for centers that service Retail Bank, Mortgage and Credit Card clients; and serves as the site president of the 3,000-employee Citi Service Center in Florence, Kentucky.
As she looks back on the twists and turns the industry has taken, she says that “contact center operations has been turned on its ear.” The old model was about customers calling in, and now we are moving to a model where most of the servicing and communications will take place via online mobile app. “What excites me is that we aren’t sure yet where the model will land,” she says, underscoring the importance of choice whether it’s online or on the phone. “Omnichannel servicing is important and with it comes a different employee of the future,” she says. “We have to build a pipeline of employees who see these jobs as valuable.”
To that end, Tina and her team are always looking toward the job of the future and how they prepare for it. With 4,000 employees, the majority of whom are interacting with customers, the model will change going forward, which will have repercussions for recruitment, hiring and training. “You want to make sure that the people who are in the job today can do it tomorrow.”
Building Women’s Stature in the Industry
She advises women entering the industry to realize they might have to be open to taking on assignments and roles where they are a little uncomfortable. “Those are the opportunities that get you recognized and where you learn the most,” she says. She adds that she wishes that earlier on in her own career she had relaxed and not stressed about the little things that always eventually work themselves out.
She is a big believer in cultivating relationships and networks. “I am so thankful for the people I‘ve worked with who have influenced me, but it doesn’t just happen. You have to focus on deepening and growing the relationships. One of the best pieces of advice she has been given is to talk to at least one person every day where you’re just checking in with them, not asking them for something.”
And that extends to her peer group, whom she encourages to support and advocate for each other and identify opportunities for one another.
Building those relationships requires getting out of your silos and working across departments. Over the years she has found it beneficial to participate in groups that allowed her to learn more about the business and its offerings from a global perspective. “You learn more about others’ frame of reference and that helps you think about things differently when you go back to your desk.”
Finding a Balance
Shell says it’s vital that workplaces encourage flexible work environments. “It used to be that if you left five minutes early, there would be a boss who would point it out, ‘I see you’re only working half a day today.’ We’re all becoming more accepting.”
Finding time for balance and recharging means that she will unplug, and rely on the confidence she has in the capable people managing the business in her absence. A favorite getaway for that unplugging time? Beach vacations, spent with family and friends.
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How to maintain your professional network
Career Advice, NetworkingYou’re busy all the time. Between your career goals, life, friends and family, you don’t even have the opportunity to reward yourself for all of your hard work with a pedicure or a glass of wine. How do other women do it? It seems like so many succeed without ever needing to take time out for a breather. The answer is: having a strong professional network to lean on. Keeping in touch with important, influential individuals means you won’t have to work so hard to know of upcoming opportunities to advance your career.
Be easy to find
If you aren’t easy to find, people aren’t going to find you. No one wants to go out of their way scouring the earth for you, but there are plenty of people who would like to build connections with you, provided that you’re in their line of sight. Keep contact with former co-workers and connect with as many key players as possible.
Value quality over quantity
Agonizing over your relationship with a file clerk is going to be a drain on your energy, unless you really enjoy that person’s friendship. A large number of networking acquaintances doesn’t necessarily improve your prospects – it’s more about how said acquaintances can help you. Prioritize your business relationships with influential people, and don’t worry so much about those who won’t be able to provide you with much assistance.
Regularly update on social media
You need to keep yourself fresh in everyone’s minds. If you have a LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook that you use specifically for professional purposes, don’t just scroll through everyone’s updates and log out. You need to take time to interact with people. Retweet, like, share, and make plenty of your own relevant posts. You want people to feel like they know you, and like you have a reliable rapport. When an opportunity comes up and they have some information to spread, you’ll already be on their minds!
Make yourself an authority
There is no better way to gain clout than to build a reputation as an industry leader and voice of authority. Always stay abreast of industry changes and trends. Read about new technology and innovations. Create a blog with helpful resources such as infographics, FAQs, and archived interviews that your colleagues can reference. Regularly updating your content not only strengthens your authority in your field, it can also boost your SEO presence, which allows the right people to find you. If you’re present enough online, opportunities may present themselves to you without you having to go out and find them.
Speak highly of others
Speaking highly of others is a cornerstone of mutually beneficial relationships. If you know someone who needs work done, or a specific kind of consultation, you should be thinking about which person in your professional circles you can refer them to. Sending customers and clients in the direction will help people perceive you as a great knowledge resource to tap, whilst simultaneously creating a high level of respect for your opinions and views. They’ll be more likely to remember you when the time comes if you’ve done something to improve their livelihood. Consider who is worthy of your honest personal recommendation, and always take multiple business cards to hand out from those you believe are worthy.
Make plans
It always helps to put a face to a name. The internet has taken over a lot of business affairs, and because of this, we mostly know people by their profile pictures and the content they post. Try to arrange to do something in person with your network, bimonthly at the very least. Seminars, meetings, or company parties are helpful ways to strengthen your networks and put a name to a face. You may find events you can sit in on, or even a corporate softball game you can attend. This gives you the opportunity not only to help keep you top of mind, but also to make some great first impressions.
Most of these things are easily achievable. They don’t require a ton of effort on your part if you can create an environment that’s beneficial for everyone. Since you can do most of these things from home in your free time, this means you’ll still be able to order some takeout, watch Netflix, and catch a little bit of a break from your exhausting life.
3 Tips On How To Manage Your Career During the Dog Days of Summer
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!Things are finally slowing down as we head into the summer holiday season and yet this is a great time to spend time on managing your career. Here are 3 ways to enhance your skills from the office or even the beach.
Tip #1 Summer reading- pick 1-3 books that you want to read this summer that are career focused or can help you in some way. Text books can be dry, so if books are too much, pick articles (we have 5000 on glasshammer2.wpengine.com) that are research backed and you can read the research for deeper knowledge.
Tip #2 Have Lunch and coffee with your network- refresh your relationships and hear what others are up to professionally with iced coffees and a bite of lunch. Also, use this slower time at the office to secure a lunch with important sponsors and new people for your network.
Tip #3 Recharge a little yourself, so that you are ready for the fast-paced flow of work and meetings once the dog days of summer are over!
Happy Summer! And Happy Independence Day in the US!
If you are interested in hiring an executive coach to help you navigate your career please contact nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com to discuss further.
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Voice of Experience: Jaclyn Berryman, Director, IT Communications & Human Capital Programs, TIAA
Voices of Experience“I always encourage the members of my team to escalate solutions, not just problems,” says Jackie Berryman, Director, TIAA. She has tried to instill a proactive, solution-oriented mindset in the members of her team. In reflecting on her career so far, Berryman identifies this can-do approach as having enabled her to tackle complex challenges that others may have shied away from.
A Varied Career Provides Constant Opportunity
After studying communications and journalism at Northeastern University, Berryman joined Credit Suisse in the Fixed Income division, first on the call center desk and then as an internal account executive, transitioning from answering questions to selling products. After earning her master’s in corporate communications, she decided it was time to segue out of sales and into a role aligned with her desired career path.
Berryman worked for the Department of Education (DOE) in the division of family and community engagement, which fosters student achievement by strengthening partnerships between families and educators. In her role, she oversaw the communications efforts to more than 860,000+ families, which included communication of all translation and interpretation services for the Department. “It was life changing to travel all over the city and work with different demographics,” she says. She remained there for nearly four years before she joined TIAA.
Measuring Her Success
Joining TIAA, a firm whose roots were in education and helping others, felt like a natural progression from the DOE. As Director of Communications and Human Capital Programs for IT, Berryman oversees internal and external communications for the department. Additionally, she runs strategic professional development programs for employees and entry-level rotational program, known as the Technical Associate (TA) Program, for recent graduates and interns.
While success in communications can be challenging to measure, one of Berryman’s metrics which really shows her contribution to the company’s evolution is a recent technology innovation award. TIAA was in the bottom 250 in the prestigious Information Week awards, but bumped up to 136 when she came on board. They subsequently vaulted to No. 21, and this year were named to the Top 10 overall and No. 3 for business and finance.
Through her work with the TA Program, Berryman is spearheading the efforts to bring in a diverse set of top talent at the entry-level. Berryman is particularly delighted that the TA Program continues to increase its female and minority representation, which bodes well for the IT pipeline. “This is a great industry with tons of opportunity and innovation happening across the industry,” she says. “Women are making a wise choice when they pursue a career in technology.”
Building a Strong Network from the Start
“When women begin their careers, they should realize that it’s important to build a strong network right from the start, focusing not just on mentors, but also the peers with whom you will align yourself as you move up,” says Berryman.
She has seen this firsthand many times, but one recent experience stands out. After participating in an emerging leaders program, she leveraged the relationships she built and now can call on them to act as speakers for the IT town halls she coordinates. “Having relationships throughout the firm is incredibly valuable to your career,” she says. Expanding on this point, Berryman excitedly shared she accepted a new role with a former manager at TIAA and will begin later this month.
The Importance of Life-long Learning
Berryman focuses on helping those around her develop their professional skills. “It’s imperative to be a lifelong learner about technology and the business,” she says.
While some learning is done in books and classrooms, Berryman figured out that some valuable lessons are learned the hard way. “Pick up the phone when you find yourself going back and forth with someone via email. Sending an aggressive/confrontational email when you’re frustrated isn’t worth it” she says, adding that she learned when a careless missive escalated. “Once it’s sent, it can be misinterpreted and you can never take it back. It’s so much easier to pick up the phone in that type of situation,” she says, drawing on the Maya Angelou quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
In trying to foster conscious inclusion, Berryman co-founded the IT Women’s Council and has been a lead of the IT Diversity and Inclusion Council since she arrived. Under her leadership, the councils have worked to increase conscious inclusion and increase representation and sponsorship across the IT organization. They have done this by launching a successful Group Mentoring Program, holding popular D&I training for IT employees, as well as co-hosting external panels to discuss these pressing topics.
With a new six-month-old son Alexander, Berryman doesn’t have much spare time, but she loves to ski, read, travel and visit the beach.
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Happy Independence Day
FeaturedHappy Independence day to all our readers.
We will be taking a short publishing break from our daily publications and we will be back with you again on July 11th.
Men Who Get It: Antonio (Tony) Castañon, Citi Retail Services, Managing Director and Sears Portfolio General Manager
Men Who "Get It"By doing so, they can work on embracing diverse teams and identifying members that will help the company formulate the right outcomes. “You have to be intentional in creating teams with different genders, races and diversity of thought.”
Castañon started working with Citi while going to college in Las Vegas and has been with the company for 26 years, interspersed with brief stints at Aetna US Healthcare and Sprint. He has spent most of his career in operations for Citi and Citi Retail Services, one of North America’s largest and most experienced retail credit solutions providers. He moved to a partner management role in Citi Retail Services three years ago. In his current position, he is responsible for the overall management of the business’ multi-billion dollar credit card relationship with Sears and its affiliates, including K-Mart and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores (SHO).
Why Diversity Matters to Him
Diversity is not only paramount but also personal to Castañon, who can relate to inclusion issues as a Latino and as a recently out gay man. “It’s important for me to be active because of so many influential people in my life who have created a safe environment to succeed. I want to replicate that environment for others.”
He is especially attuned to discrimination, and is quick to engage in non-confrontational conversations when needed. For example, prior to coming out, he had heard some disparaging remarks about LGBT people and realized he had to say something.
“You always have to challenge people and hold them accountable by asking ‘why’ questions, such as ‘Why is this conversation appropriate?’ or ‘Why does that remark make sense in the context of our conversation?’ That opens the door to discussing the issue and bringing to light a potentially offensive remark that they might not have meant.”
Castañon understands what it means to “play a role” because he began his career as a married man before realizing that he needed to be who he was. “I told myself there would be consequences, but they ended up being largely self-perceived,” he says.
He had felt that the barrier would be insurmountable, but through time and self-discovery he realized he had to be true to who he really was.
“My life completely changed,” he says. “I felt so welcome and at ease and was fortunate in the fact that not one relationship, either professional or personal, was broken after I faced who I am.”
Opening the Door to Inclusion
As a supporter of Citi employee networks, Castañon helped launch one for Hispanic employees, and he seizes opportunities, when they arise, to provide advice and counsel to colleagues and others.
A highlight for him was participating as a key contributor for “Ready Set Risk,” a book that addresses how women need to be greater risk takers in the workplace. He shared stories of how he supports pushing women to take risk and offered practical examples of women and men who have helped champion women’s causes.
Over the years, he has worked as a sponsor and mentor to diverse coworkers in a variety of capacities, from offering consultative advice to providing direct feedback on ways women can strengthen their brand. His goal is always to champion open, transparent relationships.
Being true to himself allows him to be a role model for others.
Castañon believes that a supportive corporate culture is important for LGBT individuals because it unleashes their potential. “Previously I wasn’t able to give 100 percent because there was a part of me I didn’t want to share,” he says. “Living the double life is exhausting and consuming – being one way externally and another inside. Now I am my authentic self.”
He is incredibly proud of Citi’s long-term record of as a champion of diversity and specifically of all it has accomplished over the past 10 years. The company is a top sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign and a sponsor of Out and Equal in the Workplace, which brings equality to the workplace globally. Citi also has been involved with Out Leadership, sponsoring its fourth annual “Out on the Street Summit” in the US, where Citi’s CEO delivered a keynote address. “I feel pretty proud about working for a company that values diversity and supports it tangibly,” he says. “Whether it’s women’s, LGBT or racial networks, the company has demonstrated the importance of an inclusive culture.”
Alyssa Cowley of Shearman & Sterling Talks About Why She Feels It Is Important to Co-lead Sterling Pride and What She Hopes to Achieve
Career Advice, LGBT celebration, Op-EdIn 2006, while those conversations were taking place at Shearman, I was a junior at a north Texas high school. That year, my classmates threw around the word “gay” as a synonym for “dumb” or “worthless,” and the Gay-Straight Alliance at my high school was effectively dead on arrival. My best friend, a bisexual man, and I whispered about our “different-ness” backstage during after-school musical rehearsals. The concept of being bisexual barely existed, let alone had achieved any level of acceptance with our peers.
Ten years later, I am so grateful to begin my career as an attorney at a place with a true commitment to the LGBT community and to diversity more broadly. Beginning with the on-campus recruitment process, the visibility of Sterling Pride lawyers signaled to me that Shearman & Sterling was a place that I could focus on growing as a lawyer without the distraction and pressures of having to “cover” as a straight woman. It can be easy to feel a little lost as a first-year associate in a large New York office, but in Sterling Pride, I felt as though I had a built-in community. Being a member of Sterling Pride has connected me to a network of mentors, deepened my connection with my colleagues, and has given me opportunities to meet clients and lawyers across the city. Furthermore, my colleagues, whether partners or first-year associates, have consistently been reflective and engaged, both formally and informally, about how to make the firm’s environment more welcoming, more fair, and more of a meritocracy. I have been able to thrive because of the strong foundation that Sterling Pride members and allies have built.
Now, as co-chair of Sterling Pride (and as the first woman to serve in such position), I am honored to be an ambassador for our inclusive atmosphere, but I also know that there is work to be done. Women are underrepresented in the law—particularly in the ranks of senior leadership. Women are also underrepresented in LGBT spaces—bisexuals even more so. It is true that bisexual women tend to benefit from invisibility and passing, and thereby enjoy a level of privilege that others within the LGBT community do not. However, for that same reason, they are uniquely positioned to challenge stereotypes and to carry messages of inclusion into hetero-normative spaces. I believe that cultural change is achieved one person at a time, one connection at a time. As we continue to diversify the voices around the table, we reaffirm the value of each individual’s contributions.
Importantly, being a part of Sterling Pride has been a way to begin giving back to—and investing in—the firm that has chosen to invest in me. As part of a firm with a global presence, we have a distinct opportunity to set the tone in all of our offices and to make sure all of our lawyers and staff can grow in their careers regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. As the work of organizations such as Out Leadership and the Williams Institute have shown, diversity makes business sense. Inclusive environments retain talent, increase productivity, and allow employees to be more fully engaged at work. Discrimination is costly, both in terms of underemployment and in expending resources to combat the mental toll that discrimination takes on those who are victimized. Furthering Sterling Pride’s reach within the firm strengthens it overall, making us more competitive in and more adaptive to the changing conditions of the global marketplace.
In closing, I turn back to the history of the firm once again. John William Sterling, one of the firm’s two co-founders, never married but lived together with his best friend and companion, a man, for nearly 50 years. While it is impossible to know what Sterling might think of the firm’s commitment to the LGBT community today, I believe he would be proud of the firm and the enormous progress we have made in supporting LGBT issues in the century since his death. Hopefully, we will all be even prouder in the next hundred years.
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How to be a good Sponsor and Champion to LGBT people in their careers
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!, LGBT celebrationFollowing on from last week’s career advice and staying with the LGBTA theme for the month since June is Pride month, today I am going to talk about how to be an Ally, Champion and Sponsor to your LGBT colleagues and co-workers. I come across many people who want to be an inclusive leader and ensure that their team members get to focus on work and not on fitting it or assimilating instead. However, many leaders and managers with the best of intentions still do not have many LGBT mentees or sponsees. Tips to ensure your portfolio of people that you mentor is diverse can include:
Do not be afraid of offering up supportive statements to indicate you are an Ally. Gay team members often do not know where you stand on the topic as a concept because sadly the topic is still at ‘concept’ level ( there are still millions of overtly homophobic people out there some more covert than others, how do we know that you are an ally if you don’t tell us!)
Don’t presume you know them just because you know one other gay person (or even several) because like racial bias, you are stereotyping whether you realize it or not.
Respect their individual personality on how much they want to talk about their spouse and family just as you would any other coworker, not everyone wants to share regardless of their identity. Equally, ask them the questions you ask your other team members ( like: hey how was your weekend, how are the kids etc?)
Coach other less exposed/less evolved executives on your team and know you are a culture carrier.
Know that you have the ability to advance people individually but also change the system so that future generations can truly come to work and not have to come out everyday and fear mixed reactions.
Contact nicki@theglasshammer.com if you want to hire an executive coach to help you navigate your career
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Voice of Experience: Shannon White, Managing Director, PwC US
LGBT celebration, Voices of ExperienceBorn and raised in Seattle, White attended Georgetown University as an undergraduate where she had a diverse college experience. She played on the basketball team as a walk on; studied for a semester in Japan; participated in a business group; led a tutoring program; and volunteered as a high school teacher in South Africa for a year after graduation.
On her return she joined MBNA America in their management development program and upon completion, managed community development programs. Her work with the United Way helped put her on the path to earning an MBA: Initially she thought she might want to work with non-profits but during her program, she changed focus and decided to major in finance and become an investment banker.
After working as an investment banker at JP Morgan she worked with a finance company, providing funding for affordable housing, and then she went to work with a consulting firm helping communities to recover from disasters. This is one of the projects of which she is most proud, working out in the field after disasters such as the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina, helping communities recover through efficient grant dispensation.
Eight years ago she joined PwC’s US firm and now leads a business unit in the Public Sector Practice. For the last nine months her team has been helping a client implement a new delivery model for a grant program. “This is at the heart of what we do as consultants, helping agencies achieve their missions better, faster and more efficiently, and this program will do that. By instituting change management and new delivery metrics, they will provide a real benefit to American citizens.”
She sees that government agencies are applying a real focus on customer experience and how they can help citizens with their journey to more efficiently receive the benefits of the agency.
Seeking Opportunities
When White looks back on her career, there’s one piece of advice she wishes she’d known: She would tell her younger self to have fun all along the way. “You can’t know that you will have a successful career among the twists and turns, but if you set goals and remain flexible to take advantage of every opportunity, it will work out.”
She advises young women to develop a “brand” that will define them. “Maybe they become an Excel wizard starting off, for example. You know that your brand will change but by being competent in your craft you can establish yourself in at least one area where you’re a go-to person.”
While it’s crucial to say yes to opportunities, she says it’s also important to raise your hand to volunteer. “If you hear someone mention a need in a meeting, say, ‘Can I help you with this?’ Or identify gaps in your experience and proactively ask someone to help you find way to bridge it.”
And, women executives with more experience can play a role too, by helping young women with what they need for their careers and acting as a sponsor behind the scenes to help give them those advantages.
A Supportive Culture Promotes Diversity
White believes that companies need both formal and informal structures in place to foster diversity and has appreciated the culture at PwC. “It would be hard to ever leave this firm since I have felt so supported in my journey, and the programs that PwC offers really gives the firm an advantage. We are going to keep highly talented people because we have these resources,” she says, noting that the firm sends a strong message when it speaks out about LGBT legislation, for example.
She herself is a senior leader in the OPEN group, which serves the LGBT community, and participated in a “Crossing the Finish Line” program for women preparing to be partners. She has also participated in PwC’s Aspire events, where prominent external women speak about women’s issues.
Fostering diversity in gender is important, and leaders need to commit to giving women opportunities for different experiences and tasks that will allow them to demonstrate their skills. “Men are more liable to raise their hand, but we know that companies led by women have greater profits,” she says. “Companies need to figure out how to nurture their pipeline to allow that.”
An area where PwC excels is in flexibility for both men and women. She notes that as soon as she returned from maternity leave, she immediately received new assignments and an account team to lead.
Family and Relaxation Outside of Work
White relies on yoga and a daily ritual of meditation and writing in a gratitude journal to set a calming and appreciative tone for her day. “When I’m feeling good about myself I want to help others feel good, which helps me be supportive of team members and clients.”
She and her partner Lee have a three-year-old son Solomon, who is her main priority. As part of work life integration, she involves her family as much as she can at the firm, bringing them to events and making them part of her work life.
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