Ten years ago, the idea of a fully remote role would have been unusual, if not unheard of, especially in some industries. But with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many of us to work from home in recent years, remote work post-pandemic has become increasingly normal.
The benefits of working from home are clear: better work-life balance, no more lost commuting time, reduced costs, and perhaps even increased productivity without office distractions. But working remotely requires a skill set that is focused on communication, self-management and technical confidence.
Job applicants will want to ensure that their CV accurately reflects these skills, but the interview stage is crucial to successfully be hired for a role. Particularly with remote roles, a video interview is part of the process of understanding whether a candidate has the necessary experience to succeed in the future. So how can job seekers set themselves up for success? We take a look.
Be aware of body language
Saying the right things is understandably important when it comes to interviewing, but body language will also play a part. Even if it’s subconscious, the interviewer may warm to a candidate if their body language is open, calm, and confident. This has always been true at in-person interviews, where eye contact and handshakes are a normal part of the process. But how can candidates replicate this on a screen?
Firstly, candidates should make sure to position their camera at eye level so that they’re able to give the impression of eye contact, and the interviewer is able to clearly see their facial expressions. Having a good posture, keeping a calm but confident tone of voice, and smiling will all help applicants ace virtual interviews according to this guide to job hunting in the age of remote work. Interviewing over an internet connection can make it harder to hear what’s being said, so the interviewee should also ensure they’re speaking slowly enough and speaking up.
If a candidate is worried that they will mumble or get flustered when answering, then they can make sure to consider some responses to generic questions before the call. Practicing answers in front of a mirror might sound excessive, but it can help with correcting any body language issues before the big day. Interviewees can also either choose to hide their self-view on screen if it’s too distracting or keep it open to check on how their body language is coming across to others.
Dress professionally
Dressing professionally, even if the interview is taking place virtually, is key for any hopeful remote employee. If in doubt, it’s always best to be a bit overdressed than underdressed – first impressions count. Whilst it can be tempting to go smart on the top half and casual when it comes to trousers, dressing for the role can help encourage confidence and self-belief. Plus, on the off chance that a candidate needs to stand up on the call (unexpected fire alarms do happen), the professional impression will last.
Test the technology
Technology is vital for success in any remote role, and as such it’s important that it works correctly at the interview stage to give a good impression. Interviewees should make sure that their camera, microphone, and internet connection are working properly ahead of time, and know how to use the meeting platform that the interviewer has proposed. Having a small test meeting with a friend can be a good way to ensure that everything is as it should be, checking that the picture is clear and the lighting is good.
Applicants should also make sure that they know how to handle things if they don’t quite go to plan. Remaining calm and professional is important no matter what happens, and it can help to have a backup such as dialing into the meeting from a phone instead of a laptop. If possible, it may also be worth learning how to set up a phone hotspot in case of a patchy internet connection.
Use prompts
The joy of a remote interview is the ability to use sticky note prompts, short summaries, or even have your resume to hand. As long as candidates are not looking away from the screen for long periods of time, using cues can be a great way to give clear answers, and cover all the necessary points. Some interviewees also like to use these notecards to prepare their answers before the interview and then memorize key details, similar to revision flashcards.
It’s important to ensure that answers remain natural – note cards can help with key points to remember, but should not be read aloud word for word.
Keep things quiet
Finally, it’s good practice to ensure that any housemates or family members are informed of interviews well ahead of time, to ensure they will be quiet wherever possible. Whilst noise-canceling headphones will handle background sounds with ease, they won’t block out any loud sounds like doors shutting or the vacuum cleaner. Keeping disruption to a minimum is both professional and less distracting for the person interviewing.
Interviewees should also mute any phone or computer notifications to avoid them getting distracted – it’s easier to lose focus when you’re not in the room with the interviewer. However, this is highly noticeable on a screen. This is not good news when it comes to interviewing success – research has shown that 80% of unsuccessful candidates seemed distracted in their video interviews.
The best chance of success
In the modern world of work, candidates are more likely than ever to find a remote role. However, just because we’re working from home more, it doesn’t mean that first impressions at an interview should also be casual. By following these tips, job seekers can help give themselves the best chance of success.
By: Kathleen White, who works as an independent business analyst for several small businesses. She completed her degree in Business and Management. She enjoys writing in her spare time to share what she has learned, in hopes of benefiting other businesses.
(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).
“Young black girls want to see themselves in the roles to which they aspire. If they can’t see themselves, they’re not going to think they can be it. It’s been a challenge we see over and over again in the tech industry,” says Avis Yates Rivers. “How many prominent women or women of color can you name in the tech industry? Everyone can rattle off Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, etc. Can anyone name any women? Any black women?”
As a Black woman tech founder and CEO powerhouse, Rivers is coming at inclusion in tech with everything she is made of – from authorship to launching an organization for girls and young women in STEM to personal visibility: “As an entrepreneur, you see a problem and you figure out how to be the solution and bring positive results to that problem. So, I’m addressing the problem of the underrepresentation of black women in technology as an entrepreneur would.”
Being a Serial Entrepreneur She-EO
On the business front, Rivers founded her first firm after five years of selling early technology on Wall Street in 1985. After five short years at Exxon Office Systems, she had mastered sales and the ability to ‘manage her business’ as she ascended the ranks at Exxon. After a divestiture of that subsidiary, she decided to continue to support those customers by launching her first company out of her basement. When we talk tech, Rivers was selling the first full screen word processor and first generation of fax machines before PCs were ever in offices or homes.
“Exxon taught me how to sell and that held me in the highest good through my career, because to be successful in business, you have to know how to sell,” says Rivers. “It’s an art – the art of relationship building – and that’s key for being successful in any walk of life. You have to build strong relationships – whether mentors, sponsors, advocates, advisory board members or employees who can embrace your vision.”
Proclaiming herself a “serial entrepreneur” and with a sign reading She-EO propped behind her on Zoom, Avis has founded five tech companies since 1985, Technology Concept Group International (TCGi) and its predecessors, as well as acquired two. What animates Rivers in her business is being able to bring a tremendous amount of awareness, size and value to customers who are looking to transform their procurement practices. TCGi has three pillars of business: procurement solutions, technology solutions and talent management solutions.
“I love to help corporations rethink/reimagine how they spend their money,” says Rivers. “When we take a look at how they’re currently spending, there’s so much opportunity for improvement, for streamlining, for more accurate data capture and for more digital transformation.”
Necessary Inclusion Of Black Women In Technology
“It’s so key that I take an active role in correcting the underrepresentation of black women, specifically and intentionally, in tech,” says Rivers. “I advocate for all women in tech but the numbers for black girls and women continues at the same weak pace and has not grown to my satisfaction.”
In 2017, Rivers published her book Necessary Inclusion: Embracing the Changing Faces of Technology, and since then has been speaking on a global stage: “I wanted to broaden the conversation around what technologists can and should look like, which is anybody and everybody. And not just the image that is portrayed over and over again, in media, film, and entertainment. And to ask what are some of the things that we all can do to support more women in technology?”
She’s also taking a direct role in developing the next generation of diverse tech talent. Her company launched the TCGi Foundation, which is focused on breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for black girls and women in tech through efforts including exposure to hands-on experience, networking help, mentoring and college scholarships: “We help them to stay connected and persist even when it gets hard in college and to help them move into tech careers. TCGi directly hires some interns upon graduation. So, the Foundation is really fulfilling for me. That’s my purpose and passion work.”
To truly diversify the next generation of tech talent, Rivers knows encouragement from an early stage is critical. She was recently thrilled to see her five and three year old grandchildren playing with a coding kit for kindergartners with both black inclusive imagery and messaging. Rivers stresses that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. It is difficult and being prepared, tech educated and well positioned for internships and career opportunities is essential.
“Being able to encourage, guide and support black girls to realize from a very young age that they are good enough, smart enough and this is something they can do matters entirely. They need to be able to see themselves,” emphasizes Rivers. “If I could do but one thing, it would be this: gathering with them, speaking to them, showing the way and mentoring more girls and young black women into tech. My voice needs to be heard, but my face also needs to be seen.”
Owning Your Ground and ‘Black Girl Magic’
“When I introduce myself, I often say that I’ve been born doubly blessed – black and female,” says Rivers. “I know my early success in selling technology had a lot to do with the fact that I was not a common sight on Wall Street. Then once you opened the door (provided the access), I could do the rest,” she notes. “But I also had to basically ‘steel’ myself physically and emotionally. I was encouraged to knock on every door in my territory and eventually earned the honor of being named Rookie of the Year. It was sheer persistence (and a healthy dose of encouragement from family) that I was able to persevere. I never know how I would be perceived and/or welcomed during those early days. I knew I was being judged before I even opened my mouth. We all are, just based on how we look. But it encouraged me that I had a distinction that set me apart from the white guys on either side of me, and I leveraged that as a benefit.”
Since George Floyd and the salience and acceleration of social justice issues, Rivers feels that black businesses are being recognized more and should own the moment. “So many corporations have stood up and made public commitments that they’re going to spend billions of dollars with black firms. I was like, okay, so we’re in vogue now,” she says. “So, it’s important for people like me to help them fulfill those commitments. It’s a change that has to be encouraged, enabled and managed.’”
She continues: “The longer I’m out here (over 3 decades now), the more unapologetic and forthright I’ve become. I continue to ask for what I want and what I believe I deserve, because I’ve worked hard and have earned the right.”
Rivers also talks frequently about ‘black girl magic’: “The notion of ‘black girl magic’ picks up on this je ne sais quoi, this essence, this flava, this presence, this power that is just now starting to be appreciated and recognized.”
“The reason behind the momentum is because there are more black women ascending into positions of power. We have a handful of black female CEOs, a black Vice President of the United States, and some black female billionaires now. It’s not just Oprah anymore in media and entertainment. The numbers are starting to swell, though still not where they should be,” she notes. “But because we’re extraordinary in those spaces, people take note to see how we show up and speak up. That’s why I feel committed to using my voice and my ‘black girl magic’ on behalf of those who do not have a voice.”
That same commitment goes for voice and her presence: “At this point in my career, I’m just very dogmatic about making sure that we’re treated with respect and included. If someone sends me an invite to a webinar, and I look at the speaker line-up, and I don’t see any black women or men, I immediately let them know that you really don’t want me there. Because there’s no representation. The more voices that insist that representation happens on every level, the faster we’ll get to any kind of equity.”
You Make the Choice to Belong
One of the best pieces of advice Rivers received early on was: you act like you belong. You walk in the room, and you act like you belong.
“I have walked into several rooms where I wasn’t invited, but I acted like I belonged. Then what are they going to do except welcome me?” she says, having even pulled it off at a presidential inaugural ball by bringing an extra guest with her invitation. “You walk into a room, and you act like you belong. Take a seat at the table. Not in a chair along the wall, but at the table. And then raise your voice when you speak so you can be heard.”
She also says it’s important to challenge the people who talk over you, the ‘alpha males’ who speak over other men and women or take credit for others’ ideas: “We have to use our voices to make sure those lines don’t get crossed.”
For her own success, she’s found it critical to be prepared. “You can’t fake it until you make it, especially at the level I’ve reached. I have to come to the table prepared.”
More on Her Back Story: Are Entrepreneurs Made or Born?
“Are entrepreneurs made or born?” Rivers asks, frequently. “The answer is yes: they are both. There is something inside of a true entrepreneur that isn’t easily fulfilled, no matter what role ‘they’ continue to accelerate you into.”
She reflects back to her own leap: “I was on a fast track at Exxon and being promoted every 12-18 months and loved when they moved me into sales. But a voice inside wouldn’t let me rest. I kept quieting that voice down because I’m from very humble beginnings; silver spoons didn’t exist in our house. I’m one of six kids born to two working-class parents growing up in New York City on public transportation and in public school. Although I worked on Wall Street, I wasn’t connected with capital markets,” she says. “So Exxon did me the biggest favor by selling that division out from underneath me. I had only worked for Exxon, including three internships in college, and never anticipated working anywhere else. But when they sold that division, I knew it was my time to take a leap of faith.”
Rivers already had a proven record on Wall Street and knew a fallback was finding another sales job. So, after writing the pros and cons, and excited for the opportunity to manager her clients, schedules and revenue in her own way, she set off on her own – and she brought along the same client install base she’d established from the five years in tech sales for Exxon, because she asked for it.
“It’s confirmation of the old adage: you don’t have because you don’t ask.”
Entrepreneurial Resilience As a Black Woman
From 9/11 to the greatest economic recessions to civil unrest and extreme weather, Rivers has had to face many headwinds and find her way forward.
“It seems like all of my resilience has come from sinking into financial holes and having to climb back out,” tells Rivers. “I was involved in the greatest U.S. corporate bankruptcy of all time (her largest customer filed for bankruptcy protection and she carried them on her own back to complete the project). I climbed back out. I had to deal with the greatest economic recession of all time in 2008. I climbed back out. I had to do it with the terrorist attack on 9/11. I lost 35% of my business that day – no notice, no fault of my own. I climbed back out. Through all of it, I’ve had to keep going, because to me, stopping was not an option.”
The lack of capital going to women and black women-owned businesses puts founders like herself into a financial roulette and great personal risk.
“Companies like mine are undercapitalized, which means we are able to make money and then spend the money that we make, but nobody’s handing us millions of dollars to fuel our growth. During the .com boom, folks that didn’t look like me were getting millions for an idea that they sketched out on a cocktail napkin – no company, no customers, no revenue, no track record,” she explains. “Folks like me who were not connected to that activity had to do the best we could. A lot of times that required going into the hole, suffering a loss, having to let people go, or getting behind on vendor invoice payments, etc. So, it’s been a journey. But resilience? I’ve modeled that in stone.”
Get Support And Know Your Numbers
If Rivers could redo anything differently, she’d say, “Don’t keep going it alone. I’ve been a sole owner my whole life. I would tell myself to find a good partner with complementary skillsets so that you can go farther faster. What is the old adage? If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go with somebody else.”
Had she known then what she knows now, Rivers would have been in the capital markets game. Her biggest growth curve has been her skillset around the finances, which happened after a trust rupture where she lost a lot: “That taught me a valuable lesson – to know my numbers and learn them for myself. I don’t have to be in the nitty-gritty of them, but also nobody has the authority to move money out of the company except me. Now, I have to approve it.”
Going further, she says: “I would say the financial aspect of running and growing a business has caused me to grow. Working with capital markets has caused me to grow. Understanding how the business is valued and what are the different components of the financial statements has really caused me to grow, so, now I have those conversations with private equity people.”
Slowing Down, Some Day…
While God and family are foremost in her life, Rivers knows that feeling good in her body matters to showing up strong: “When I think about the things that I need to do and be to bring my best self to every situation, I have to be physically fit.”
Moving to South Carolina after being a hardcore New Yorker, has enabled her to be in the water and on the golf course year-round while working very full weeks. She’s taken up synchronized swimming recently and performs in a 3-day show every February. She also loves to cook for her and her husband, and baking has become a new hobby. She bakes hundreds of cookies every holiday season for neighbors, friends and family. She says she does want to slow down, but soonish.
“I believe in living life to the fullest. There is no way I’m going to have any regrets when it’s my time to close my eyes for the final time. I will leave it all out here,” she muses. “When I look at all that I do in a given day or week, I recognize that it’s probably in the 95th percentile of what most people do every day or week. But I guess that’s just the New Yorker in me. I wake up every morning, give thanks, and press the ‘Go’ button on a fulfilled life.”
https://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/300-x-300-1.png300300Aimeehttps://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/logo-the-glass-hammer-white-640@2x-300x138.pngAimee2023-02-21 03:00:302023-02-20 19:34:06Avis Yates Rivers: CEO at Technology Concepts Group Int’l., LLC
As a coach, I am often hired by companies to work with very high potential women (and men) who are destined for senior leadership, the executive committee and in some cases even have a real shot at being a CEO or CFO of a publicly traded company, even a Fortune 50.
Around 90% of the time, the words ‘executive presence’ come up as part of the brief, or from the women themselves, on what they want to work on in the safety of a coaching relationship. Executive presence really can mean a myriad of things and it is a term I do not love as it has connotations of assimilation to legacy male traits and behaviors that, when transposed, seem awkward or, at their worst, are actually things that women get penalized for behaviorally. As the past thirty years has shown us, progress can be tricky when societal norms hold firm outside the office. ‘Who is rewarded for what?’ is the ultimate diagnostic question for a workplace culture analysis, not just ‘how many women and BIPOC are in the building?’ It is not Noah’s Ark alone, it is about who gets to be Noah and his ultimate successor and why that is. Also, who does the work and who gets the glory?
It is the double standard, academically defined and much written about double bind that still keeps women out of the office from the White House to the principal’s office (with over 64% of men holding that job while over 80% of teachers are female) to the corner office.
Here are the two fine lines that tend to pop up when people get perception-based feedback.
Passive-seeming versus Assertive. When women are perceived as passive, it is often because they are in fact exercising positive traits but culturally in the organization, more assertive or aggressive behaviors have been rewarded. It is interesting when someone gets labeled conflict avoidant as leaders do need to be able to have the hard conversations and deliver messages upwards to the board and downwards to the team that are sometimes not as favorable as one would hope for. Collaboration is something that should be rewarded in companies but through the lens of innovation and evolving process for best results. Gravitas is really a key trait for all leaders so that the people following them can really trust in what they say as true from an expert or authority perspective.
Aggressive versus Assertive.When women are told that they are aggressive, it is often these days accompanied by people admitting that they wouldn’t think the women getting the feedback would be hearing that same comment if she was a man. So, awareness of the gendered nature of the two sides of the positive and negative stereotype is encouraging, yet still remains a coach’s main fare more often than not. What do you do if you hear this? Separate the “what” from the “how” as it is not about competence or delivery of the tasks and responsibilities, but rather how you make people feel and that can be easily addressed with active listening, charm, captioning and aligning tools to put into your toolkit.
Recognizing and honing your own leadership learning and communication styles
To grow into the leader you want to be on your leadership journey, start with you and understanding your styles and preferences regarding work. You can recognize that others have a different style to you, once you see styles for what they are and how they show up in communications, learning and thinking. How do you uncover your style? The fastest way is to work with a good executive coach who specializes in executive and leadership development, as opposed to straight career coaching.
But, if you don’t have access to that type of resource, then ask yourself: what are your style preferences when it comes to communicating and being communicated with? Are you direct and candid or do you prefer to couch your requests in sentences where the audience can hear a gentler message, sometimes amongst other messages? We are all different and there are many free versions of Myers Briggs and other great tools free online to start, such as SCARF (the neuro-leadership institute) and Emotional Agility report by Dr. Susan David. The Learning Styles Inventory (LSI) is not expensive and comes with a full explanation of how you learn and apply knowledge. Curious souls on their development journey will benefit.
We are all somewhat beholden to how we were raised in our families and societies, unless we have taken the time to disrupt that – which you can start doing today by reading Immunity to Change. Doing this with a coach, or even by yourself, will help you to understand what is stopping you from reaching goals in any sense, including D&I ones.
Nicki Gilmour is the founder of theglasshammer and also works as a leadership and executive coach, helping the companies to lean in while empowering executives to grow and develop. If you would like to be coached by Nicki please email nicki@theglasshammer.com or book an exploratory session. If you are a leader or an HR professional who wishes to know more about the Organizational development work we do check out our site evolvedemployer.com
https://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/300-x-300-2.png300300Aimeehttps://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/logo-the-glass-hammer-white-640@2x-300x138.pngAimee2023-02-16 03:00:462023-02-15 16:37:11Op-Ed: The Fine Line of Executive Presence for Professional Women
“It makes all the difference in the world that you don’t have to compartmentalize and say ‘this is who I am over here’ and ‘this is who I am over here,’” says Loretta Pearce. “To just be who you are everywhere is liberating.”
Yet the research is clear, the further you are from dominate prevailing culture in the workplace, the more you adapt and conform to expected norms to thrive in the organization.
Pearce shares, “I’ve spent much of my career helping others navigate this space so that they can advance their careers and be as authentic as possible given cultural workplace constraints”.
She inspires us with a love for supporting the transformation of organizations and people, checking your inner circle, embracing difference, offering up your best gifts and giving yourself, and others, some grace.
From Academia to Leading Diversity and Inclusion
Pearce’s DEI journey was seeded when she left her hometown community to become an undergrad at the University of Virginia. Though she was an honors student in the top 10% of her class and well-supported by a preparatory program as a first-generation college student, she also experienced a sense of “otherness” those years on campus that catalyzed her drive to create open and inclusive spaces for everyone: “I wanted people in any space to feel a sense of their own value as well as a sense of belonging.”
After graduation, while teaching, she worked with (predominantly black and brown) students from lower income communities in the inner-city. When that campus relocated to a suburban location, diminishing her ability for impact, Pearce moved into learning and development in corporate spaces. Given her passion for inclusion, she was repeatedly called on to facilitate conversations, coach leaders and lead DEI initiatives.
“In my heart, at the very core of who I am, I’m an educator,” Pearce shares, who is immersed in doctoral studies at Teachers College at Columbia University, “I am always seeking to support others as they endeavor to be their best selves.”
While in talent management roles, Pearce realized that no matter how much leadership development an individual had, if that person wasn’t provided with opportunities by organizations to showcase their skills and talent, her work was in vain. She began connecting people to opportunities and sponsorships as she went across various talent management roles until DEI became her focus. That has meant that not only does she focus on supporting people but also on systemic barriers to inclusive workplace practices, community outreach and engagement, recruitment and supplier diversity.
She contends that “Being strategic and intentional with a holistic view, understanding an organization’s culture and practices, developing and managing relationships with stakeholders and being steadfast and determined are essential to having impact in this space. Diversity and inclusion must be embedded into every facet of the organization; that takes time, attention, and resoluteness.” Most recently she was the DEI Global Talent Management Programs Leader at Meta (formerly Facebook) and in May of 2022 she was hired as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) for Shearman and Sterling, LLP.
As the CDIO at Shearman and Sterling, Pearce, has responsibility for Shearman & Sterling’s global diversity and inclusion strategy. Pearce shares that she “grew up in law firms,” as after serving in academia she launched her corporate career at a law firm. She reveals that after meeting with the firm’s leadership “it was clear to me that diversity and inclusion was a key priority for the firm and that I would get the support required to continue to develop and implement the firm’s goals and vision in this area”.
Since she is an educator and it is foundational to the work she does, she finds the time to facilitate unconscious bias programming or other sessions with inclusion themes – recently for example, at Shearman and Sterling’s Associate Leadership Academy, and while “glamping” during one of the practice area retreats.
Check-In: Who is In Your Trusted Ten?
“Acknowledging and identifying your own bias is the beginning of being better,” Pearce says. “To simply recognize that you have unconscious bias, that we all have it, and then to try to understand and mitigate against it – and essentially, widen your circle.”
She challenges individuals to consider “The Trusted Ten,” those who are the closest ten people in your friend group. What are their demographics (gender, race/ethnicity, education, socioeconomic status)? If they align with you in most of these areas (which they normally do), find someone different in some way and have a conversation. The more you do that, the more open to difference you become. Pearce notes that “small, deliberate progress in this area can make a big difference”.
Pearce argues, especially when she is met with resistance from leaders around sponsorship, that “you’re sponsoring people all the time. Anytime there’s an opportunity and you put a name forward, if you’re a leader, you’re sponsoring that person – and, typically that person looks like those who are part of your trusted ten.” Pearce advises that as leaders we must endeavor to embrace difference, widen our circles, and understand the abilities of all those we lead; their talents, aspirations, and capabilities so that we can put their names forward the next time an opportunity presents itself that aligns with their experience and skill set.
Pearce brings her passion and experience to bear in her work at Shearman and Sterling, LLP and is especially excited about the culture of mentorship and sponsorship that the firm is already known for: “The firm has received numerous accolades for partners who are patient and understanding that take the time to explain assignments. Repeatedly during my listening tour, I heard that the culture was collegial, considerate, and kind. The firm’s values align with my own and we continue to make progress toward creating a more diverse and inclusive environment,” Pearce shares.
Her Success Factor: A Love For People
“The higher you are in leadership, the more removed you can become from those you impact. But I love to talk to the people that I’m endeavoring to elevate, advance and serve,” says Pearce. “What really motivates me is having conversations with the people I’m trying to serve, hearing directly about their experiences and understanding what I can do to better help them.”
Pearce would say the biggest factor behind her success is “honestly, just a love for people.” As a preacher’s kid (a PK, she quips, with a smile, adding she is also married to a man who is a pastor), she was brought up on the values of loving and treating all people with kindness, respect, and dignity.
“I believe that relationship with and service to others is foundational,” says Pearce. “No matter what situation I find myself in, I look around and ask, how can I serve?”
Strive For Excellence and Give Grace
Pearce has joy at her core and brings that into the workplace. She leads with calm and compassion and fosters a team culture of collaboration, learning and giving people the benefit of the doubt rather than jumping to judgement or blame when a mistake occurs. She emphasizes and practices the perspective of “giving people some grace.”
Pearce imparts two key pieces of advice to mentees. The first is “Strive for excellence. Mediocrity is just not acceptable, so offer your best gifts.” That came from her parents and the environment that she was raised in, but also, her family and community of origin emphasized that you must “Give yourself some grace, and if necessary, forgiveness. Take chances, be bold, mistakes offer an opportunity to grow. Learn the lesson and move on.”
Embracing Difference
As an introvert, Pearce’s stretch zone has been around extending herself in social settings, as her senior leadership and executive roles hinge on building relationships, developing, and managing them and therefore networking is essential.
“We are all humans having a human experience and so you ought to be able to connect with anybody on some level,” notes Pearce. “Different perspectives are something to embrace, not something to close yourself off to, because they help you think and see things from different perspectives – and that’s what this work is really all about.”
Role Modeling Towards the Future
Along with working on her doctorate, Pearce serves in the church and does a lot of reading. She also loves TV, movies, and science fiction, declaring: “I’m a Trekkie from way back. If it says Star Trek, I’ve watched it.” But there’s more to her Trekkie passion than entertainment.
“When Star Trek started, they had a very talented and diverse cast, and, of course, Nichelle Nicholas who played Lt Nyota Uhura, a beautiful, intelligent, competent black woman who was either 3rd or 4th in the command structure. I could see myself in the future,” says Pearce. “I loved the show and the world it created, and I loved exploring the themes they grappled with.”
With a demanding schedule, Pearce still finds time to coach and mentor those who reach out to her for support and guidance. She shares, “At the end of the day, it’s about impact and leaving the world better because you were here. I endeavor to do that every day. It fuels me and inspires me to do even more in my areas of expertise and influence.”
#softblackgirl – It has been said over the years anecdotally that as a Black person in white America, you’ve got to work twice as hard to get half as far. I feel like this has resonated with me for my entire life, and this reality served as a fire for my work ethic. I spent over 20 years leading teams at Fortune 500 companies and startups in Silicon Valley. I worked nights and weekends attempting to make a crack in the “concrete ceiling.” Many are familiar with the term the “glass ceiling,” referring to barriers for women to advance in their careers. We all know that glass eventually can be broken. However, I believe for Black women, our ceiling is a much tougher one to even crack. There have only been four Black women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies in our entire history! And there are only two that are active today.
Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox Corporation (2009–2017)
Mary Winston, CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond (May–November 2019)
According to Lean In’s The State of Black Women in Corporate America, for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 58 Black women are promoted, despite the fact that Black women ask for promotions at the same rate as men.
With the obstacles stacked against us at work, and the “invisible labor” that we undertake at home, self-care tends to go out the window as we prioritize our jobs and our families. How can Black women possibly embrace this movement towards a soft life and still do well in the workplace?
5 Steps to Succeed as a #SoftBlackGirl in Corporate America
1. Set Boundaries
Boundaries can come in different forms. Perhaps it’s the hours you are available for work. For example, you might set a strict boundary that you are unavailable after 6pm and will not respond to work messages over the weekend. Maybe it’s the frequency of travel that is sustainable for you and your family. Maybe it’s about your preferred communication channels, and you do not want coworkers texting your personal phone. Regardless of what your boundaries are, be sure to communicate them to your colleagues so that they are aware and can make conscious choices around whether to abide by them.
When you are asked to do things that cross your boundaries, I invite you to pause and ask yourself, do I want to do this? Do I have the space to do this? What will the impact be on me and on others if I do this? Listen to your gut. And, if the answer is “No,” communicate just that. Practicing saying “No” in the mirror can be a very powerful exercise to build up your confidence for the real thing.
What is one boundary that you can set right now that prioritizes self-care?
2. Prioritize & Do Less
We often feel like we have to do everything, and that can be extremely overwhelming. The key to both success and self-care in the workplace is to do what matters to the people that matter. Identify who matters in the organization and what they care about. Excel on those projects, and don’t sweat the small stuff! You will get a bigger bang for your buck in terms of your personal brand image at work, and you’ll have more time for you.
One tool that is extremely helpful in prioritizing is the Eisenhower Matrix. In a 2×2 matrix you categorize tasks into urgent vs. not urgent, and important vs. not important. Based on where something falls in the matrix, you can decide whether to do it now, schedule it for later, delegate, or delete it from your list. My favorite of the categories is when you realize that something is both not urgent and not important, and there is something so satisfying about being able to delete it. This is self-care. This is embracing the soft Black girl life!
What tasks on your to-do list are both not urgent and not important?
3. Celebrate Wins Weekly
I often feel like I’m not doing enough. This leads to a spiral of negative thoughts around my competence, value and self-worth. However research shows that when people are reminded of their best work before undertaking a challenging project, they have more creativity and less stress. Taking the time to acknowledge all the amazing things you have achieved can be a powerful confidence boost and do wonders for your productivity. Every week, (Fridays are great), write down what you can celebrate this week. Small steps of progress count, even if it’s just sending an email that was hard to write!
Once you have recognized all the great wins of the week, it’s important to also take the time to celebrate! I invite you to “Treat Yo’ Self!” This doesn’t necessarily mean to go on a shopping spree, though if that’s what you feel like, then by all means! Think about what brings you joy. Maybe it’s a pedicure. Maybe it’s a luxurious bubble bath with some candles and bath bombs. Maybe it’s a piece of your favorite chocolate.
What is one thing you can celebrate this week? How can you treat yourself?
4. Communicate Your Wins
It’s important that you get the recognition that you deserve, so don’t be shy about communicating your wins both to people more senior in the organization and to those on other teams. In response to “How are you?” at the water cooler, be sure to casually mention your wins. “I’m doing great! I just led this project with {insert success metrics}” or, ”We are very close to launching XYZ!” Consider being the one to send celebration emails when your team has a win. If they come from you, people will associate that win with you!
What is one win that you can communicate to your colleagues?
5. Schedule Self-Care Breaks
If you don’t put it on the calendar, it most likely won’t happen. So schedule time for self-care in your day. This can be something as short as a 5 minute reset break where you are intentional about doing a rejuvenation practice such as box breathing. If breathing isn’t your thing, you could set a timer for two minutes and massage your temples. It’s an amazing stress reliever. If you have more time, maybe you go for a walk outside if the weather is nice, or do a 20 minute sound bath to relax. Consider taking lunch breaks away from your computer. These very simple acts can completely change your day, your mood, and your ability to do your best work! When the calendar reminder comes up, and you are tempted to finish up “just that one little thing,” remind yourself of this mantra:
“Today I choose me!”
Bio: Zee Clarke, a Harvard MBA, breathwork expert, and author of Black People Breathe (March 14, 2023 / Penguin Random House). After experiencing a number of race related challenges, from racial profiling and harassment by the police to microaggressions in the workplace, she realized that mindfulness and breathwork were much more powerful outside of the yoga studio and in the context of our everyday lives. Trained in India, Zee leverages her toolkit of yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound healing, and Reiki, to ensure that all people of color have the tools to thrive despite any challenges that race, gender, or sexuality might present.
https://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/300-x-300.png300300Aimeehttps://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/logo-the-glass-hammer-white-640@2x-300x138.pngAimee2023-02-02 03:00:302023-02-01 13:32:33Op-ed: How to succeed as a #softblackgirl in Corporate America
“We’re all drops in the ocean, but together we can move the moon. Small things matter. Because if we all do one small act, together, collectively and as a community, we can move mountains, and that’s always been the case,” says Alice Chun. “I think we each create a ripple in the water from just a drop, and that if we all work together, this change can really occur. It’s not just one thing that’s going to be the answer to our issues, it’s going to be an ecosystem of many things working together to create resilience.”
We interviewed Alice Chun, female inventor and co-founder and CEO of Solight-Design. Born in Korea, she immigrated to the U.S. as a child and grew up in upstate New York. Since learning origami from her mother as a girl, Chun has been fascinated with the possibilities of using imagination and design to change our world for the better.
Exploring emerging trends in material technology – lighter, faster and sustainable – she began experimenting with sewing solar panels to fabric while teaching Architecture and Material Technology at Columbia University. When her son Quinn was diagnosed with asthma, which is 40% more likely for children in New York City, she became aware of the staggering pollution from energy consumption and the deadly impacts of kerosene in off-the-grid places of the world. Chun became focused on creating clean light solutions that harness solar energy.
Her TedX talk, 10 Million Rays of Light, focuses on the story behind her first invention, the SolarPuff™, the world’s only self-inflatable, portable solar light. With the backing of a KickStarter campaign, Chun launched Solight Design. Her origami-inspired lights run the gamut from art exhibition to humanitarian aid. They’ve been exhibited at MOMA, featured in The New York Times for summer gatherings and lit the night for Syrian refugees.
Chun holds several patents and has won the US Patent Award for Humanity. Advocating that design provides dignity, Chun is passionate about getting her lights to people and children in crisis zones and off-the-grid areas. She’s brought many thousands of her lights to crisis areas, as well as worked with NGOS to deliver and distribute them.
Going on these “light drops,” she’s personally traveled to Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Dominica and Haiti (nearly 20 times). As we talked with her in December 2022, she was about to head to the Ukraine. More than anything, she seeks to spark the light in each of us that can together impact the world. We talked with Chun about creating impact as a female inventor.
On growing up in a creative household:
“I was born in Korea. I was blessed that my mother was an artist and my father was an architect. It was post-war and my parents had to immigrate to the United States because of my father’s position doing the World Trade Pavilion in Montreal for the World Expo. They came first, and then sent for me later. I was four years old when I came to join them.
My mom taught me origami, like many Asians. And back then it was more novel. I grew up in a very creative household that taught me, at an early age, that you can use your imagination to make things and you can help yourself through difficulties by using your creative senses.
Everything that I’ve done was never really planned. When I went to college, I went for Architectural design. After my masters at University of Pennsylvania, I started to teach architecture (Columbia University, Parsons the New School), but teaching first found me by accident. I didn’t find it.”
On how imagination is the ability to create something better:
“While I was teaching in architecture, we started to do community outreach projects with architecture students. Around Philadelphia, there were so many abandoned sites and parks that were just rotting away. We were putting in planters and benches and building a little playground. It was so rewarding to see how it transformed those communities.
Kids would come up curious and ask what we were doing. We’d tell them, ‘We’re architecture students and we’re building architecture for you.’ So they would ask what architecture was. And we would explain that whatever you can imagine, you can also make a model of and then you can build something new. It is all about design. Design is about imagining something different and more beautiful for your environment.
Being able to interact with the community and learn from them, as well as teaching them about architecture and empowerment, was a real moment of feeling that I could make a difference and what we were doing mattered. I wanted to continue to do that.”
Alice Chun in Haiti
On the moments that catalyze the impulse of innovation:
“Whenever I was teaching, I used to tell this story: the story of time. The Greeks believed that there are two characters of time. One is Chronos, who is old with a beard and a cane. His line of time is predictable and very straight. Then, there is Kairos, the young character of time. His line of time is very unpredictable and chaotic.
We all experience those two lines of time, every day of our lives. When those two lines intersect, those are the moments of opportunity and the moments of invention. And it’s a matter of leaning in or leaning back when those moments happen.
So if I look at the trajectory of my inventions, and why they occurred, it’s because of problems I saw. I would never have imagined that my child would be born with asthma. And there was climate change and natural disasters and the earthquake in Haiti. All of that was the impetus for me to step back and say, ‘Enough is enough. We have to do something to help.’
I was the materials lab director at Columbia University, and my focus was on natural materials. There’s far more intelligence and knowledge in natural materials than the petrol-based plastics that we’ve been using for four decades. So, I was sewing solar panels to fabric and then substrates, to basically invent something new as a material: a solar harvesting surface to make everything thinner, lighter, faster and smarter.
The only way I knew how to lean in to help in Haiti was to turn my studio at Columbia into an innovation studio. So, what I was doing before evolved. And that’s when we realized this detriment that’s happening globally. 1.6 billion people don’t have access to electricity, and they’re using kerosene to light their world at night. Two million children die from the toxins. In South Africa alone, there’s 200,000 house fires every year. That was the impetus for asking ‘What can we do?’ and ‘How can we help?’
So every time, it’s really about those two lines of time intersecting – and then saying ‘How can we solve this problem?’ and ‘How can we do better?’”
On the magic when necessity meets curiosity:
“Sometimes you’re confronted with a problem, and you don’t know what to do. You just know that something has to be done. It sticks in the back of your mind as something that gnaws at you. Every time, at that point for me, that’s where the spark of curiosity came.
They say ‘the mother of invention is necessity,’ but ‘the daughter of invention is curiosity.’ So with curiosity, you’re constantly questioning – What if? Or could it be like this? Or maybe there’s an answer here, or there? Once the problem sticks in your brain, everything else becomes a window for opportunity because then you’re already beginning to connect the dots.
Curiosity is directly related to imagination and creativity and problem solving. What’s most important are the questions that you ask, not so much the answers. It’s those questions that end up creating something new. So with asthma and pollution and health, for example, I had already been researching solar energy and the connection to cutting pollution. 75% of the pollution in NYC comes from buildings and energy consumption. But the sun is free and it’s limitless and it’s the most powerful source of energy that comes to the Earth every day.
So the dots begin to align and connect. You may not have the answer right away, but it’s a matter of continuing and keeping that thread open to connect to the next dot when it happens.”
On breaking through the ceiling of fixed perception:
“So-Light Design is a small company. I’m one person. I’m a mom, I’m a teacher. The paradox is that we’re a small company, but we’ve had a big impact – purely because we’re just doing what we feel is right. But we’ve been able to impact over a million lives worldwide because of our mission.
So what I’m always trying to break through is the boundaries that we all create when we perceive the world in a certain way.
For instance, early on when I was traveling to these red zones, everyone told me not to go. People said I would be shot or raped or kidnapped. But I went to Nigeria and Makoko there – which is the largest slum in sub-Saharan Africa. I met the most amazing and kindest people and witnessed the impact of the light that I brought. Then I went to Haiti. People were telling me not to go there, too. I’ve been there twenty times now, and I’ve befriended amazing people. Now people are telling me not to go to Ukraine because it’s a war zone, but I am going.
I want people to know that there’s always two sides of the story. There’s not just one narrative or only one way to see anything. Part of creating art is to break through the preconceived way we see the world. It’s a big issue right now – with racism, discrimination, with war – it’s so prevalent and we have to change it. There’s so much that we have to gain and to learn – historically and culturally – from breaking out of our narrow perceptions.”
On inventing a product that spans from MOMA to crisis zones:
“Because of my background as a designer, I have the three design cornerstones of durability, beauty and functionality or utility. Those are the same three cornerstones of architecture and they could also transfer into a way of thinking about business and being an entrepreneur.
It’s hard to get all three, but I think beauty is something that needs to be addressed in design. When giving out humanitarian aid in places like Haiti, I’ve witnessed some NGOs have a tendency to buy the cheap stuff to hit the mark on how many items they’ve donated. But they’re often the cheapest flashlights or the cheapest solar panels, and they end up in the landfill in a short time because they don’t work.
I’ve not seen many organizations who drop off supplies give any attention to beauty, wonder or awe. But I think all of that is just as important as utility. Why can’t we give beauty, wonder and awe? Because if you don’t have that, you don’t have hope. If you don’t have hope, you’re going to die.
I remember a fascinating moment after the earthquake in Haiti, when there was rubble everywhere and tent camps were popping up. I saw this woman coming out of a tent camp and she was dressed in red and perfectly made up with lipstick. I don’t know, but that lipstick seemed to make the day for her because it was the moment of beauty, wonder and awe.
In my perspective, design provides dignity and good design should be able to sustain a life in Nantucket or Nigeria. Good design doesn’t have boundaries – like culture or race. It doesn’t discriminate. So good design should incorporate awe and wonder as well as being useful. I don’t think many NGOs think about that, or how important it is for the stakeholders and the cultural societal aspects of wherever these issues exist.”
Syrian refugees with Chun’s SolarPuff™ lights
On igniting possibilities through ‘light drops’:
“I put a thousand lights in my luggage and I flew down to Dominica. I didn’t really know where I was going. I just wanted to go to the Kalinago territory. The Kalinago are the oldest Indian tribe in the Northern Hemisphere. I’d heard that they had been hit the hardest with Hurricane Maria.
Through a fortunate chain of serendipitous conversations as I arrived, I was positioned to visit seven different schools in the Kalinago region. I saw five kids living in a one room house with a single mom. They had their one meal a day at school and no electricity to do their homework at night. I resisted the urge to just hand out the lights, because I wanted to tell them why I was there, why they’re so important and why we haven’t forgotten about them.
I shared that I came from a poor beginning and was beat up a lot when I was a kid, because I didn’t look like the other kids. I was the only Asian. And I didn’t fight with my fists. I ended up fighting with the light in my mind and the light in my heart. And I tell the kids, ‘You have to fight with that light in your heart and that light in your imagination. Keep fighting with that light and don’t use your fist. And I’m giving this light to you because now you can hold the Sun in your hands. And the Sun is the most powerful source of energy that comes to the Earth every day. But the light of your imagination and the light of your heart is even more powerful than the Sun.’
The kids cackle and giggle and I reassure them, ‘Yes, you are that powerful and if you keep fighting with the light of your heart, there’s nothing you can’t do.’ I tell them to use this light for their homework, so their dreams and ambitions can grow. A lot of the girls look at me in disbelief and say, ‘What! You made this?’ Even some of the elderly women or teachers can’t believe it. That’s really important to me, because in that ‘aha’ moment, they are saying to themselves, She’s a woman and she did this. Maybe I can. I have the power to do that, too.
Sharing that narrative with them is more important to me than delivering lights. That’s the other reason why I go on the light drops.”
On encouraging more female inventors:
“In my research, I went back into history and some of the women were excluded from patents they should have been on. But, overall the number of women on patents is so small, and that needs to change, too. My hope is that when I speak to kids and young women, that it will inspire them to use their imagination and change the world for the better by solving a problem and creating something new.
It goes back again to two characters of invention – the mother of invention being necessity and the daughter being curiosity. Those are two female characters, but only 13% of inventors are women in the United States patent and trademark office. And then in terms of entrepreneurship, far less than 1% of IPO businesses are led by female founders and only 2.3% of venture founding partners are women.
We need more girls and women in STEM programs and more funding for women and female minorities in terms of scholarship and grants. But the only way we’re going to change the amount of investment that goes into female-run entrepreneurs is getting more female businesses to get an IPO. So there’s this kind of chicken and egg thing happening.”
On her trip to the Ukraine:
“We’re going to get about 5,000 lights to Ukraine. But in my luggage, I’m bringing 1,000 with me. Our colored light was used for PTSD for children after Hurricane Maria. It has different color options, and we hadn’t realized this would be helpful to the kids. But we found out that the different colors actually help them calm down at night and it helps them to sleep. After an earthquake and there’s no light, the kids are so frightened. So they were used as night lights for kids in shock or with PTSD after the hurricane.
When I heard about the blackouts happening in this children’s hospital in Ukraine, I knew I had to go deliver these colored lights. They told me the nurses were taking three hours to calm the kids down after the blackouts. There are over two hundred kids and most of them are refugees, and there’s two more hospitals in Lviv. I’ll also go to Kiev. Over 2.5 million children are currently displaced within the country.
These hospitals have generators, but they are using that for essentials like heat and the ICU. These lights and phone chargers are going to be critical for light at night and charging. This is a lifelong traumatic event. And after the war, it’s going to take years and decades to rebuild.
But my greatest hope for the future is our children. Whenever something happens, dealing with children especially, I try to do whatever I can and often travel to deliver lights. I’m inspired by my own son and by all the kids that I meet along the way and in different countries. I’m inspired by how smart and intelligent and enthusiastic and hopeful they are about the future, and passionate that they know they can create.”
https://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/300-x-300-3.png300300Aimeehttps://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/logo-the-glass-hammer-white-640@2x-300x138.pngAimee2023-01-23 03:00:552023-01-23 17:28:14Alice Chun: Female Inventor, Founder and CEO of Solight Design, Inc.
As women who go to work every day with a passion to create change and impact in the world, navigating the workforce can be difficult and often lead to cynicism, burnout, and disillusionment. It’s easy to forget why we took the job in the first place, especially when we get too removed from the impact we’re trying to create. I’ve been there too, and it was my own disillusionment that led me to quit my 9-5 job and try another route.
In fact, entrepreneurship was the tool that allowed me to pursue solutions to a problem I cared deeply about—equitable education—without all the red tape and obstacles associated with working in school districts. If you find yourself feeling discouraged about the impact you’ve had (or haven’t had) at your job perhaps now is the perfect time to also consider another route. These are the steps I took in evaluating my transition from my role as a teacher and an administrator to one of founder and executive director.
Know When It’s Time to Go
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education has always been my passion; my mom would say it was ingrained in me as a child when my grandfather would read calculus textbooks instead of literature to me. I started as a Biology, Algebra and Health teacher before becoming a program director for science at a County Office of Education in California. It was the perfect role to work with districts on a holistic level, researching systems change, fostering teacher leadership, and encouraging teams to look at equity within their district programming. I finally had the opportunity to run science programs at the county and state levels. I thought it was my dream job, and it was until I realized that my programs were not serving every student in the county.
I saw so much racism at play in my school district that I couldn’t ignore the ways it directly impacted students and their ability to flourish. The tipping point came while planning a computer science fair for the students at the court and community schools. Several supervisors spoke up about security concerns—they thought we didn’t have enough security to “manage” certain students. They recommended that we un-invite these students to the fair.
When the team I was on spoke up about the drastic inequity and the blatant restriction of access to our students from the court and community schools, we ruffled feathers. Although we were eventually able to allow the students to attend the fair, my colleagues and I were penalized for it by getting passed up for promotions, having our teams separated, and dealing with supervisors doing “cubicle walk-throughs” to police the staff. This is when I knew that politics and power were being prioritized over students. I had to ask myself: will I sit down in compliance or stand up for justice?
As you plan for the year ahead, take stock of what’s keeping you from having the impact you desire at work. Is it a similar situation where politics are at play and the power of a few is being prioritized over the mission? Is that you just have a few roadblocks in your way that a manager could help remove? Is that you’re in the wrong role or on the wrong team? Trace back your disappointment to see if it’s time to make a shift internally or if it really is time to go.
Consider Your Next Step
Despite all this drama behind the scenes, I loved working with every group of students and helping teachers increase access to quality and equitable STEM education. I knew I wanted to stay in my professional field, so I looked for other similar positions to fill the void created by my 9-5 role. However, none of the potential jobs combined STEM and social justice. This was important to me because I would often end up in professional development where the two topics were seen as separate entities in education. I knew combining the two was key to my mission of creating equitable education. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I decided to be the first to create it and jumped into entrepreneurship to do so.
So what will your next step be? Perhaps it is simply making the ask of a manager to provide more support and lessen obstacles. Perhaps it’s looking for a new role. Perhaps it’s even approaching the issue you care about from a new angle. For example, if you work for a nonprofit, are there for-profit organizations you could apply to for a different approach?
If you’re completely roadblocked at your current role and no other job fits you or you find yourself compromising your values and passions for a job, then maybe it’s time to take a leap and try entrepreneurship.
Set Up for Impact
If you’re considering entrepreneurship as your next step, welcome aboard! Entrepreneurship has been a difficult journey, but in retrospect, I would not trade this life for anything else. I do what I love with the people I love, and I get to stay true to my values in the meantime.
If you decide the risk is worth the potential impact, you can set yourself up for impact with the following steps:
Strengthen and Reinforce Your Vision: When you find yourself at a crossroads where you have a vision and you want to make a change, and you can’t do it in your own context or another organization, I recommend “dreamstorming” what it would take to carry out this vision. That’s how STEM4Real started: as a vision that is now an educational movement, making STEM #4Real for each student.
Own Your Voice: Once you have your vision, you’ll need a strong and distinct voice to share it. Whether it’s online and in marketing materials, in sales meetings, or at networking events, you want to be able to share your vision consistently and with conviction.
Seek Other Values-Aligned Organizations in Your Field: I am so inspired by the work we see from our partners, fellow organizations, and other entrepreneurs. Seek out other people and groups who are doing similar work, guided by values that match yours. That community and connection will be invaluable.
Going at it “alone” or from the outside isn’t always easy. But if you’ve tried the traditional 9-5 path and haven’t been able to create the impact you want, consider this your invitation to weigh the possibility of entrepreneurship as the path to impact.
By: Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean is the founder of STEM4Real, a nonprofit professional learning organization committed to combining STEM and NGSS standards-based content learning and leadership with principles of equity and social justice. She is a former county and state-level administrator and mathematics, science and health teacher with research interests in Science/STEM education and figuring out how to create access and opportunities for each and every student regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or socioeconomic status.
(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com)
https://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/300-x-300-2-1.png300300Aimeehttps://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/logo-the-glass-hammer-white-640@2x-300x138.pngAimee2023-01-19 03:00:102023-01-18 21:02:28Op-Ed: Disillusioned by the 9-5? Entrepreneurship Could Help You Have Greater Impact.
“Getting comfortable with uncomfortable conversations is an ideal way to prepare for a job interview, whether it’s going for a position at a new job or putting your hat in the ring for an opportunity with your current employer,” says Ruth Harper.
Harper speaks to the thread that has motivated her all along, supporting women at work and unleashing the opportunities that work can provide.
The Joy Of Empowering Lives
“I witnessed firsthand how the economy can thrive or not, subject to how the world of work works for people or doesn’t. I grew up in a neighborhood in a time when industry was declining, and so there was industrial action and people were out of work, impacting families in a significant way,” says Harper. “My own father had to travel for work. I learned very early about the power of work in somebody’s life, and what happens when you take it away. It’s closely connected to what drives me today.”
Harper grew up in Northern England, an industrial powerhouse, and now lives in Milwaukee, yet another industrial powerhouse. One of the first in her family to go to university and then postgraduate studies, both in human and economic geography, she became a geography teacher – including a stint in the girl’s school once attended by Margaret Thatcher, who became the first female prime minister in the UK.
Curious about what else lay beyond teaching, Harper moved to London and worked with a ‘temp agency’ to figure out how to reinvent herself in work. She was able to transfer her skills to influencing and motivating employment policy, helping unemployed people get back to work and bridging the public and private sectors. It felt meaningful and gratifying, and she was learning a lot while figuring out how to set up public-private partnerships.
“I was working with purpose-driven people who were determined to create opportunities and results that would change people’s lives,” reflects Harper. “The privilege of working on that pulled me into ManpowerGroup. Here I am, 20 years later, still having a nearly first-hand opportunity to create impact. For example, through Manpower’s MyPath program which provides the guidance, support and training people need to build their confidence and employability.”
She notes that while the changing world of work can be exciting, it can be daunting for people in fast-changing industries whose job security feels more volatile: “Being able to address that anxiety and unleash ambition, and to help layout pathways to work for people feels like a thread back to what I could see when I was growing up.”
Supporting Women To Thrive At Work
Harper notes that ManpowerGroup’s Chairman & CEO, Jonas Prising, originally from Sweden, has publicly declared a measurable goal of 50% women in leadership by 2025. Getting familiar with the factors and barriers that can drive women away or block women from the workplace is critical.
“I think organizations need to look at how they help women continue to progress in their career, even when they are part-time or take a break,” says Harper, who spent her own maternity leave in Europe, where she had a year with both of her sons before returning. “Otherwise, we’re never going to get 50% women in leadership because organizations will keep churning out great female talent, who will seek opportunities to balance life and work elsewhere.”
Back in her early days, working in the field of employment policy and government relations with ManpowerGroup, it was not unusual for Harper to walk into rooms full of 55+ year-old white men. They were as likely to assume she was there to take the notes versus contribute to the discussion.
“I learned from a 55 year old male boss at the time to get in there early with a contribution to the discussion. Number one, other people feel relieved and appreciate it when somebody says something first and are likely to even build on it,” advises Harper. “And I learned that contributing early liberates you to relax and enjoy the discussion, because you’re not beating yourself up about not having said anything yet. You may find you are building up to something even bigger to say, but at least you feel good because you’ve contributed.”
She advises the same with networking: “Lots of people don’t love networking. Most people will welcome somebody else walking over to them and saying something; being the first person to put other people at ease is good for you and good for others. It’s a great icebreaker and network builder.”
Navigating Your Desires and Career Journey
Harper likes to surround herself with smart people who bring different perspectives. Curiosity has always pulled her to ask the question ‘what next’. Humility has supported her when she didn’t know that answer.
“Raise your hand, take stuff on and see where it leads you,” advises Harper. “But more importantly, and what I did not always do, is to be confident about articulating where you might want to go, even if it’s not exactly where you might end up, so people have a comprehension of your ambition.”
She encourages women to ask themselves: Am I good with this? Or do I want something different or more? Do I know what that is? How might I get it? Who should I talk to that can help me hone in on what I want?
“Be comfortable with these open-ended questions and then know where your mentors and your people are so that you can have those discussions to help shape your own thought process,” says Harper. “Each person will give you a different set of questions, and that can help you shape a full viewpoint.”
Whether it’s her very supportive husband, or peers inside and outside of the organization, somebody will be able to reflect in a way that helps brings clarity – and sometimes, that means waiting not jumping.
“This is way more of a jungle gym than it is a ladder, so don’t always think that it’s only the vacancy or the opportunity right now that is your opportunity,” says Harper. “Keep going and working it out, until you find or create those opportunities for you.”
Taking On Bigger Leadership Roles
Accordingly, Harper points out that her role of Chief Sustainability Officer did not even exist a couple of years ago.
“There’s nothing more socially impactful than having the dignity to go out and earn a decent living and bring that back to the family and contribute to the community,” says Harper. “At ManpowerGroup, we believe meaningful, sustainable employment has the power to change the world. So, I’m asking how do we, as one of the largest organizations in our industry, set the highest standards and then bring others into that?”
As she’s moved up the ranks, it’s been about “getting out of the weeds” to keep a strategic overview while developing and trusting others. And that means giving people the freedom and safety to do things differently to her (and perhaps even better). “That’s also how I can continue to progress to new and different things – by bringing others with me, so we all rise together and have opportunities.”
Considering herself a talker from a family of talkers, she’s fairly direct in cracking how to get things done. Getting better at deep listening to others, and allowing the pauses in their expression, has been a valuable growth zone.
A mentor of 20 years taught her that leadership style must be versatile and individualized to whoever you are leading. It means both equipping and giving someone the opportunity to run with a project and keeping just enough of an eye to help point them back on track if they are going off-course.
In the spirit of fostering a growth culture at every level, Harper is herself inspired by leaders who are willing to reveal their human side, admit they don’t know something or ask for advice on an idea that is not fully baked.
“I’m really inspired when someone in a senior position puts work in front of me and invites me to build on it, because it shows openness that I might be able to add something to make it even better,” says Harper. “That always motivates me to find really good and constructive input.”
Expressing gratitude at the stage of asking someone to do something, even before they’re delivered (“thank you for…”) is an approach she’s also picked up along the way, showing trust and humility.
Being Purpose-Driven and Making Impact
Harper finds when there is genuine camaraderie in the workplace, people pull together for great things. One of her most humbling and rewarding experiences has been ManpowerGroup’s response efforts to the Ukraine crisis, especially in the Central and Eastern European offices.
“Our Ukraine planning call was the hardest I’ve been on in my 20 years here, but the most inspirational leadership I’ve ever seen, watching people who are really purpose-driven go above and beyond, every day but also on days when it’s needed most,” she says. “And, then how do we continue to do that for refugees or underrepresented groups, too, and find ways to make more impact?”
Recently reflecting on her 20 years at ManpowerGroup, Harper realized she’d moved through many different opportunities and roles, and it hasn’t been a linear journey. What has run through everything is the red thread of getting more people into work and impacting individual lives.
She has two boys, ages 15 and 12, who play American football, soccer and hockey, so being a part of what they love is important to her. She values being present and enjoys traveling, getting outside and good food.
So far, this decade has been a rollercoaster for professional women. Everyone has been inundated with large amounts of work to get through, while all sorts of moving targets and complex constraints to deal with just keep coming. A potential hit to the economy looms as the usual cyclical market downbeat slides to recession with layoffs already starting. Dovetail this with almost everyone having a really long, hard think about their values over the past couple of years, and the unanimous request from all workers in every survey ever done to have more flexibility, we should be set up for the most interesting years to come on the topic of work, career and what is professionalism.
Normally we write a year-end review piece, which we have written for the past fifteen years, detailing progress for professional women and examining trends that matter, and it was implicitly assumed that progress on parity had to be linear. Now we know the real issue is overwork and outdated ways of working for all. Perhaps this is what changed the game for us here at theglasshammer as we realized that battling an old system, and defining ourselves and our success by the standards of that system, is not the only way to look at it with the latest UN women report stating unsurprisingly that the goal of gender equality is not on track to happen by 2030.
The glass ceiling is still there for all the legacy and structural reasons we know about, but overwhelmingly people have been open about multiple realities and having multidimensional lives. Assimilation, sacrifice and silence is not trending right now and in a study conducted on work identity by Kathryn Boyle at the Glasgow Caledonian University (UK), Gen Y are not feeling like their narrative arc in their career has to be as cohesive as others did in Gen X and Boomer generations. This means the career ladder which we have written about extensively is somewhat less powerful a construct than it has ever been, and the ceiling, or rather the structures and rules that held the game together, are being replaced with people choosing to leave to play other games or ignoring the rules entirely. The lattice is where most of us find ourselves.
What Do Future Leaders Want?
What Gen Z want from their managers most of all is a positive attitude and a clear delineation of goals while millennials want open communication and feedback, followed by goal clarity according to a recent study at Berkeley Haas School of Business, University of California. Jarringly, the same study suggests Gen X managers are not really prepared to play ball in this way with only 33% ready and willing to give feedback with a positive attitude. There is a disconnect that should be addressed by savvy managers who want to liberate and empower so people can innovate. And this disconnect will only be accentuated by companies not setting managers up for success operationally in the hybrid environment.
Regardless of ambition levels, ability and willingness to work long hours, professional women and men want work to work for them – they want flexibility and a lattice approach to work, or even for work to not be all-consuming as professional careers in banking, law and executive life has previously been known for. The physical and psychological boundaries we once knew such as going to the office on a train five days per week is less desirable than ever as seen in the endless studies citing hybrid as the preferred format for the future. It doesn’t mean productivity is down or that people aren’t passionate about their work or career, it just means that we have arrived at a time where smart bosses know that trust is the social currency and that removing organizational grind and tasks that don’t belong to the team is the key to a happy and high functioning workforce.
Here are Five Things for You to Do for the Best Career Results in 2023
Leave the anxiety and worry at the door. While there are serious swirls inside companies and in the external marketplace, it is ok to just control what you can. Start by understanding what exactly your responsibilities are in your role and then try to align your ability to execute on them as closely as you can – resources, authority, budgets, for example. Avoid perfectionism and over-responsibility tendencies where you think you are responsible for all outcomes or other people’s happiness or success. Thirdly, examine your relationship with uncertainty and figure out how to get comfortable with ambiguity as this year coming promises plenty of that.
Get an executive coach. Advice on its own means nothing as its abstract and subjective. A good coach will help you understand yourself and your behaviors in context of what is going on around you. Think growth, think development. Coaching is one of those industries where there is a low bar to entry so pick your coach wisely as you should be able to have a chemistry meeting with your coach to make sure you can vet them for the value that they will add to your present goals and challenges. There are career coaches and there are executive coaches. Mentors, sponsors and consultants are different from a coach as a mentor will share their advice from their perspective and a sponsor will advocate for you. A coach will evoke your highest thinking and help you build muscle around goal achievement, strategic insight and co create behaviorial toolkits to deploy live time in meetings and work situations. It helps if your coach has a background in organizational development or industrial psychology as context does matter. A coach that gives you advice only is a bad coach.
Read these three books in 2023 that will help you in your career- no matter where you are at. Herminia Ibarra’s Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader which will help you refresh you do your job with new insights, consider what your next job could look like and generally challenge everything you thought you knew about being competent and how that is enough. My second favorite book to recommend is Kegan and Lahey’s Immunity to Change which is academic to read but really is powerful for anyone wrestling with fear, shame or imposter syndrome – it is a user friendly book to clear the debris to really achieve your career goals behaviorally. And finally, I reccommend Kolb and Williams’ Everyday Negotiation as a must-read for anyone who thinks how did that person get the upper hand in that conversation? This book explores how to operate in everyday conversations at work. If you cannot read the whole book, start with the HBR article as it is a great way to understand how to navigate the power dynamics that exist in any work relationship. There has been an updated article discussing negotiating as a women of color to read on HBR this year.
Network and mean it. Find people who can help you and you can help in return. Be sincere in your offer for help. Make it personal. No one likes an endless taker, and no one has time to do the work for you. Know your value in the exchange!
Be authentic, and at the same time, seek advice that inspires you to be the best version of you. Use the sites like this one, and others like landit.com, fairygodboss.com and the muse as well as elevate to garner specific career advice for women in the workplace. Look for other sincere people as there are many false prophets and dead poets in this gender space taking your money for something that you already have.
Here at theglasshammer.com we have spent 15 years deeply covering the topic of advancing, empowering, informing and inspiring professional women and with 8000 articles in our archives, we encourage you to delve in and read any that might be useful to you. We have profiled over 1000 amazing women. We have coached rising stars as well as the best in the business to be even better leaders.
In 2023, we will continue to have our digital campfire for women who are change leaders to tell their story around. We want to profile creators and leaders who understand that the future is a vision that can be reached with the right focus. Our main offering is leadership coaching so if you wish to go from mid-level to senior level, or even are very close to the top and need an extra piece of work to polish and refine your behaviors, then book an exploratory chemistry session here with Nicki Gilmour – our founder, and executive and organizational coach.
https://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/300-x-300-2.png300300Aimeehttps://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/logo-the-glass-hammer-white-640@2x-300x138.pngAimee2022-12-15 03:00:212022-12-14 19:31:04Five Actions to Take to Manage Your Career Better in 2023
“I realized—and it is a powerful attitude shifter—that everyone you encounter as you navigate your career is in a stage of development,” says Alena Brenner. “While we all have things we are working on, you can still learn from everyone and every interaction.” Brenner, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Cornerstone Building Brands, talks about how the immigrant experience influences her work, inventing her own career path to prioritize balance with longevity, networking in male-dominated industries and allowing mistakes to fuel her learning and growth trajectory.
Shaped By the Immigration Experience
When she was a girl, Brenner’s family escaped from Ukraine before the country achieved independence from the former Soviet Union, receiving asylum in the United States. While learning a new language and acclimating to a new culture, she watched her parents work multiple jobs to give their family a new start and a better life.
“The immigrant experience is core to who I am, and because it is so foundational to my identity, I have a natural tendency to put in the hard work it takes to recognize and seize opportunities to learn and grow,” says Brenner. “When my family left Ukraine to pursue a better life, I felt the benefit and burden to both live up to expectations and have gratitude for the opportunities available to me that I would not have had if my family had not immigrated to the United States.”
While she was in high school, she won a scholarship offered by her father’s union to children of union members which allowed Brenner to attend Cornell University. After college, as she considered opportunities to land in a ‘respectable’ field that would provide financial independence and allow her to pursue a variety of career options, she turned to law.
Upon graduating from Fordham University School of Law, Brenner spent nine years with a prestigious law firm, but knew she didn’t want to pursue the partner track. While Brenner was going through a divorce and raising two young children, an in-house opportunity at Anheuser-Busch InBev in New York City became available. Brenner accepted the challenge and went on to play a crucial role in helping integrate two companies after a merger to build the foundation for a new global enterprise.
Forging Her Own Career
“Everyone is on a different path. Some paths may not be linear and may depend on where you are in your life’s journey,” says Brenner. “You’re going to learn to prioritize different things at different stages in your life.”
As a global executive in a high-profile, high-stakes business, Brenner’s career was exciting. But while she loved her job and admired her boss, the pace the work required was not sustainable as she managed the challenges of being a single mother. Though still highly career-driven and ambitious, she realized she wanted to be closer to family and to have the support and balance that offered.
Brenner moved to Miami where her parents lived and accepted a position as corporate counsel with Ryder System, Inc.— a $9 billion transportation and logistics company. She was quickly promoted and eventually became Deputy General Counsel, having expanded the scope of her role significantly. Nine years later, she was tapped to lead Cornerstone Building Brands legal function, a C-Suite role she began in 2021.
Inquisitive and a planner/builder by nature, Brenner has always been interested in learning more about the “how” and “how can we make it better” in her work, which is one reason she was drawn to roles in logistics and manufacturing, including her current position with Cornerstone Building Brands, where she’s spent the last 12 months creating a more robust and effective legal, compliance and risk management team.
Additionally, Brenner knew she wanted to join an organization that believes strongly in cultivating a collaborative and inclusive culture. She found that under the leadership of President and CEO Rose Lee. “Rose has been breaking every ceiling imaginable,” says Brenner. “She strives every day to close the gender gap in our industry and to promote a workplace that is diverse and equitable. She is fostering a culture where team members are encouraged to engage in open dialogue around complex and often difficult topics. We’re also living our purpose through the company’s sustainability, ESG and DE&I mission and goals.”
Currently, Brenner is charged with laying the foundation for a new ESG team and is spearheading the development of a comprehensive, industry-leading sustainability program.
‘Everything Is My Job’
Having worked across a spectrum of male-dominated industries such as beer, tobacco, consumer packaged goods, transportation and now industrial manufacturing, Brenner’s aptitude has enabled her to build relationships with essential business partners. She has a strong track record of taking on strategic business challenges by committing to understand the issue at hand and collaborating with all those involved, at all levels, for context and understanding.
“I think people sense that I’m genuine and earnestly trying to help them be successful in their roles. I am willing to offer an honest, third-party assessment of any issue,” she says. “If you demonstrate that, people start coming to you for counsel and view you as a business partner.”
Brenner has adopted a mentor’s mantra: Everything is my job. Whether calling a manufacturer to solve a high-stakes challenge or running to FedEx to ensure a package goes out on time, anything that contributes to the company’s success is within her scope. “Everything that comes across your desk, you own it and you have a responsibility to make it better,” says Brenner. She looks for the same mindset and sense of ownership in new company hires, too.
Embracing Mistakes as Part of Growth
“I realized—and it is a powerful attitude shifter—that everyone you encounter as you navigate your career is in a stage of development,” says Brenner. “While we all have things we are working on, you can still learn from everyone and every interaction.”
Inclined toward perfectionism, Brenner received excellent advice from one boss on the importance of not being too hard on yourself: The only people who don’t make mistakes are the ones not doing anything. They’re not taking any risk or they’re delegating. Brenner says she was encouraged to make mistakes, which led her to learn more and grow confidence in her legal work and in areas outside of her field of expertise.
“Too often, people are reluctant to take on responsibilities outside of their areas of expertise or comfort zone for fear of failing or because they work in a culture that does not reasonably view mistakes as opportunities to learn, grow and innovate. As a leader, you have to be willing to support a degree of risk-taking to signal to others that making those leaps are supported and encouraged,” says Brenner.” You want to grow and develop people who have ambition and want to learn, so you act to support them and allow them to make mistakes, give the necessary feedback to avoid repeating them and move on to solutions.”
Brenner notes that if she makes a mistake, she might spend a few hours reflecting on what she would have done differently. When she wakes up the next morning, it’s a new start with a unique advantage. She is now better equipped for success because she can apply the lessons learned reflecting on her decision-making to achieve higher performance.
Finding Her Own Way
Working in industries where men tend to fill the highest ranks of leadership, Brenner has often found herself the lone woman in the room. This hasn’t come without challenges, including finding people willing to talk to her, sit next to her or include her in informal networking that is often critical to career advancement. She admits she’s over-prepared, an overachiever and works especially hard to prove her value.
Her networking strategy is to go to as many meetings as invited to, attend events regularly and visit manufacturing facilities with the intention not only to build connections, but also to learn about every aspect of the business.
Serving Others
When she’s not working, Brenner has spent her time working pro bono supporting refugees who have been victims of torture or scarred in some way on their asylum-seeking journeys. She has also helped female victims of domestic violence obtain green cards and gain independence from abusive partners. The work is life-changing for those it impacts, and though often intense, it is also immensely fulfilling.
With her children now 17 and 14, she’s focused on enjoying her time with them before they leave home to make their own mark on the world—one that she’s determined to continue to make better.
“If a certain approach isn’t working, then I know I need to pivot to achieve my goal instead of giving up on it,” says Brenner. “There are infinite ways to pursue your aspirations, so if one way doesn’t work, you can try others until you achieve your goal.”
https://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/300-x-300-9.png300300Aimeehttps://theglasshammer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/logo-the-glass-hammer-white-640@2x-300x138.pngAimee2022-12-12 03:00:142022-12-19 22:26:04Alena Brenner: Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Cornerstone Building Brands
How to Master Remote Interviews
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!, NewsThe benefits of working from home are clear: better work-life balance, no more lost commuting time, reduced costs, and perhaps even increased productivity without office distractions. But working remotely requires a skill set that is focused on communication, self-management and technical confidence.
Job applicants will want to ensure that their CV accurately reflects these skills, but the interview stage is crucial to successfully be hired for a role. Particularly with remote roles, a video interview is part of the process of understanding whether a candidate has the necessary experience to succeed in the future. So how can job seekers set themselves up for success? We take a look.
Be aware of body language
Saying the right things is understandably important when it comes to interviewing, but body language will also play a part. Even if it’s subconscious, the interviewer may warm to a candidate if their body language is open, calm, and confident. This has always been true at in-person interviews, where eye contact and handshakes are a normal part of the process. But how can candidates replicate this on a screen?
Firstly, candidates should make sure to position their camera at eye level so that they’re able to give the impression of eye contact, and the interviewer is able to clearly see their facial expressions. Having a good posture, keeping a calm but confident tone of voice, and smiling will all help applicants ace virtual interviews according to this guide to job hunting in the age of remote work. Interviewing over an internet connection can make it harder to hear what’s being said, so the interviewee should also ensure they’re speaking slowly enough and speaking up.
If a candidate is worried that they will mumble or get flustered when answering, then they can make sure to consider some responses to generic questions before the call. Practicing answers in front of a mirror might sound excessive, but it can help with correcting any body language issues before the big day. Interviewees can also either choose to hide their self-view on screen if it’s too distracting or keep it open to check on how their body language is coming across to others.
Dress professionally
Dressing professionally, even if the interview is taking place virtually, is key for any hopeful remote employee. If in doubt, it’s always best to be a bit overdressed than underdressed – first impressions count. Whilst it can be tempting to go smart on the top half and casual when it comes to trousers, dressing for the role can help encourage confidence and self-belief. Plus, on the off chance that a candidate needs to stand up on the call (unexpected fire alarms do happen), the professional impression will last.
Test the technology
Technology is vital for success in any remote role, and as such it’s important that it works correctly at the interview stage to give a good impression. Interviewees should make sure that their camera, microphone, and internet connection are working properly ahead of time, and know how to use the meeting platform that the interviewer has proposed. Having a small test meeting with a friend can be a good way to ensure that everything is as it should be, checking that the picture is clear and the lighting is good.
Applicants should also make sure that they know how to handle things if they don’t quite go to plan. Remaining calm and professional is important no matter what happens, and it can help to have a backup such as dialing into the meeting from a phone instead of a laptop. If possible, it may also be worth learning how to set up a phone hotspot in case of a patchy internet connection.
Use prompts
The joy of a remote interview is the ability to use sticky note prompts, short summaries, or even have your resume to hand. As long as candidates are not looking away from the screen for long periods of time, using cues can be a great way to give clear answers, and cover all the necessary points. Some interviewees also like to use these notecards to prepare their answers before the interview and then memorize key details, similar to revision flashcards.
It’s important to ensure that answers remain natural – note cards can help with key points to remember, but should not be read aloud word for word.
Keep things quiet
Finally, it’s good practice to ensure that any housemates or family members are informed of interviews well ahead of time, to ensure they will be quiet wherever possible. Whilst noise-canceling headphones will handle background sounds with ease, they won’t block out any loud sounds like doors shutting or the vacuum cleaner. Keeping disruption to a minimum is both professional and less distracting for the person interviewing.
Interviewees should also mute any phone or computer notifications to avoid them getting distracted – it’s easier to lose focus when you’re not in the room with the interviewer. However, this is highly noticeable on a screen. This is not good news when it comes to interviewing success – research has shown that 80% of unsuccessful candidates seemed distracted in their video interviews.
The best chance of success
In the modern world of work, candidates are more likely than ever to find a remote role. However, just because we’re working from home more, it doesn’t mean that first impressions at an interview should also be casual. By following these tips, job seekers can help give themselves the best chance of success.
By: Kathleen White, who works as an independent business analyst for several small businesses. She completed her degree in Business and Management. She enjoys writing in her spare time to share what she has learned, in hopes of benefiting other businesses.
(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).
Avis Yates Rivers: CEO at Technology Concepts Group Int’l., LLC
Black History Month, People, Voices of ExperienceAs a Black woman tech founder and CEO powerhouse, Rivers is coming at inclusion in tech with everything she is made of – from authorship to launching an organization for girls and young women in STEM to personal visibility: “As an entrepreneur, you see a problem and you figure out how to be the solution and bring positive results to that problem. So, I’m addressing the problem of the underrepresentation of black women in technology as an entrepreneur would.”
Being a Serial Entrepreneur She-EO
On the business front, Rivers founded her first firm after five years of selling early technology on Wall Street in 1985. After five short years at Exxon Office Systems, she had mastered sales and the ability to ‘manage her business’ as she ascended the ranks at Exxon. After a divestiture of that subsidiary, she decided to continue to support those customers by launching her first company out of her basement. When we talk tech, Rivers was selling the first full screen word processor and first generation of fax machines before PCs were ever in offices or homes.
“Exxon taught me how to sell and that held me in the highest good through my career, because to be successful in business, you have to know how to sell,” says Rivers. “It’s an art – the art of relationship building – and that’s key for being successful in any walk of life. You have to build strong relationships – whether mentors, sponsors, advocates, advisory board members or employees who can embrace your vision.”
Proclaiming herself a “serial entrepreneur” and with a sign reading She-EO propped behind her on Zoom, Avis has founded five tech companies since 1985, Technology Concept Group International (TCGi) and its predecessors, as well as acquired two. What animates Rivers in her business is being able to bring a tremendous amount of awareness, size and value to customers who are looking to transform their procurement practices. TCGi has three pillars of business: procurement solutions, technology solutions and talent management solutions.
“I love to help corporations rethink/reimagine how they spend their money,” says Rivers. “When we take a look at how they’re currently spending, there’s so much opportunity for improvement, for streamlining, for more accurate data capture and for more digital transformation.”
Necessary Inclusion Of Black Women In Technology
“It’s so key that I take an active role in correcting the underrepresentation of black women, specifically and intentionally, in tech,” says Rivers. “I advocate for all women in tech but the numbers for black girls and women continues at the same weak pace and has not grown to my satisfaction.”
In 2017, Rivers published her book Necessary Inclusion: Embracing the Changing Faces of Technology, and since then has been speaking on a global stage: “I wanted to broaden the conversation around what technologists can and should look like, which is anybody and everybody. And not just the image that is portrayed over and over again, in media, film, and entertainment. And to ask what are some of the things that we all can do to support more women in technology?”
She’s also taking a direct role in developing the next generation of diverse tech talent. Her company launched the TCGi Foundation, which is focused on breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for black girls and women in tech through efforts including exposure to hands-on experience, networking help, mentoring and college scholarships: “We help them to stay connected and persist even when it gets hard in college and to help them move into tech careers. TCGi directly hires some interns upon graduation. So, the Foundation is really fulfilling for me. That’s my purpose and passion work.”
To truly diversify the next generation of tech talent, Rivers knows encouragement from an early stage is critical. She was recently thrilled to see her five and three year old grandchildren playing with a coding kit for kindergartners with both black inclusive imagery and messaging. Rivers stresses that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. It is difficult and being prepared, tech educated and well positioned for internships and career opportunities is essential.
“Being able to encourage, guide and support black girls to realize from a very young age that they are good enough, smart enough and this is something they can do matters entirely. They need to be able to see themselves,” emphasizes Rivers. “If I could do but one thing, it would be this: gathering with them, speaking to them, showing the way and mentoring more girls and young black women into tech. My voice needs to be heard, but my face also needs to be seen.”
Owning Your Ground and ‘Black Girl Magic’
“When I introduce myself, I often say that I’ve been born doubly blessed – black and female,” says Rivers. “I know my early success in selling technology had a lot to do with the fact that I was not a common sight on Wall Street. Then once you opened the door (provided the access), I could do the rest,” she notes. “But I also had to basically ‘steel’ myself physically and emotionally. I was encouraged to knock on every door in my territory and eventually earned the honor of being named Rookie of the Year. It was sheer persistence (and a healthy dose of encouragement from family) that I was able to persevere. I never know how I would be perceived and/or welcomed during those early days. I knew I was being judged before I even opened my mouth. We all are, just based on how we look. But it encouraged me that I had a distinction that set me apart from the white guys on either side of me, and I leveraged that as a benefit.”
Since George Floyd and the salience and acceleration of social justice issues, Rivers feels that black businesses are being recognized more and should own the moment. “So many corporations have stood up and made public commitments that they’re going to spend billions of dollars with black firms. I was like, okay, so we’re in vogue now,” she says. “So, it’s important for people like me to help them fulfill those commitments. It’s a change that has to be encouraged, enabled and managed.’”
She continues: “The longer I’m out here (over 3 decades now), the more unapologetic and forthright I’ve become. I continue to ask for what I want and what I believe I deserve, because I’ve worked hard and have earned the right.”
Rivers also talks frequently about ‘black girl magic’: “The notion of ‘black girl magic’ picks up on this je ne sais quoi, this essence, this flava, this presence, this power that is just now starting to be appreciated and recognized.”
“The reason behind the momentum is because there are more black women ascending into positions of power. We have a handful of black female CEOs, a black Vice President of the United States, and some black female billionaires now. It’s not just Oprah anymore in media and entertainment. The numbers are starting to swell, though still not where they should be,” she notes. “But because we’re extraordinary in those spaces, people take note to see how we show up and speak up. That’s why I feel committed to using my voice and my ‘black girl magic’ on behalf of those who do not have a voice.”
That same commitment goes for voice and her presence: “At this point in my career, I’m just very dogmatic about making sure that we’re treated with respect and included. If someone sends me an invite to a webinar, and I look at the speaker line-up, and I don’t see any black women or men, I immediately let them know that you really don’t want me there. Because there’s no representation. The more voices that insist that representation happens on every level, the faster we’ll get to any kind of equity.”
You Make the Choice to Belong
One of the best pieces of advice Rivers received early on was: you act like you belong. You walk in the room, and you act like you belong.
“I have walked into several rooms where I wasn’t invited, but I acted like I belonged. Then what are they going to do except welcome me?” she says, having even pulled it off at a presidential inaugural ball by bringing an extra guest with her invitation. “You walk into a room, and you act like you belong. Take a seat at the table. Not in a chair along the wall, but at the table. And then raise your voice when you speak so you can be heard.”
She also says it’s important to challenge the people who talk over you, the ‘alpha males’ who speak over other men and women or take credit for others’ ideas: “We have to use our voices to make sure those lines don’t get crossed.”
For her own success, she’s found it critical to be prepared. “You can’t fake it until you make it, especially at the level I’ve reached. I have to come to the table prepared.”
More on Her Back Story: Are Entrepreneurs Made or Born?
“Are entrepreneurs made or born?” Rivers asks, frequently. “The answer is yes: they are both. There is something inside of a true entrepreneur that isn’t easily fulfilled, no matter what role ‘they’ continue to accelerate you into.”
She reflects back to her own leap: “I was on a fast track at Exxon and being promoted every 12-18 months and loved when they moved me into sales. But a voice inside wouldn’t let me rest. I kept quieting that voice down because I’m from very humble beginnings; silver spoons didn’t exist in our house. I’m one of six kids born to two working-class parents growing up in New York City on public transportation and in public school. Although I worked on Wall Street, I wasn’t connected with capital markets,” she says. “So Exxon did me the biggest favor by selling that division out from underneath me. I had only worked for Exxon, including three internships in college, and never anticipated working anywhere else. But when they sold that division, I knew it was my time to take a leap of faith.”
Rivers already had a proven record on Wall Street and knew a fallback was finding another sales job. So, after writing the pros and cons, and excited for the opportunity to manager her clients, schedules and revenue in her own way, she set off on her own – and she brought along the same client install base she’d established from the five years in tech sales for Exxon, because she asked for it.
“It’s confirmation of the old adage: you don’t have because you don’t ask.”
Entrepreneurial Resilience As a Black Woman
From 9/11 to the greatest economic recessions to civil unrest and extreme weather, Rivers has had to face many headwinds and find her way forward.
“It seems like all of my resilience has come from sinking into financial holes and having to climb back out,” tells Rivers. “I was involved in the greatest U.S. corporate bankruptcy of all time (her largest customer filed for bankruptcy protection and she carried them on her own back to complete the project). I climbed back out. I had to deal with the greatest economic recession of all time in 2008. I climbed back out. I had to do it with the terrorist attack on 9/11. I lost 35% of my business that day – no notice, no fault of my own. I climbed back out. Through all of it, I’ve had to keep going, because to me, stopping was not an option.”
The lack of capital going to women and black women-owned businesses puts founders like herself into a financial roulette and great personal risk.
“Companies like mine are undercapitalized, which means we are able to make money and then spend the money that we make, but nobody’s handing us millions of dollars to fuel our growth. During the .com boom, folks that didn’t look like me were getting millions for an idea that they sketched out on a cocktail napkin – no company, no customers, no revenue, no track record,” she explains. “Folks like me who were not connected to that activity had to do the best we could. A lot of times that required going into the hole, suffering a loss, having to let people go, or getting behind on vendor invoice payments, etc. So, it’s been a journey. But resilience? I’ve modeled that in stone.”
Get Support And Know Your Numbers
If Rivers could redo anything differently, she’d say, “Don’t keep going it alone. I’ve been a sole owner my whole life. I would tell myself to find a good partner with complementary skillsets so that you can go farther faster. What is the old adage? If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go with somebody else.”
Had she known then what she knows now, Rivers would have been in the capital markets game. Her biggest growth curve has been her skillset around the finances, which happened after a trust rupture where she lost a lot: “That taught me a valuable lesson – to know my numbers and learn them for myself. I don’t have to be in the nitty-gritty of them, but also nobody has the authority to move money out of the company except me. Now, I have to approve it.”
Going further, she says: “I would say the financial aspect of running and growing a business has caused me to grow. Working with capital markets has caused me to grow. Understanding how the business is valued and what are the different components of the financial statements has really caused me to grow, so, now I have those conversations with private equity people.”
Slowing Down, Some Day…
While God and family are foremost in her life, Rivers knows that feeling good in her body matters to showing up strong: “When I think about the things that I need to do and be to bring my best self to every situation, I have to be physically fit.”
Moving to South Carolina after being a hardcore New Yorker, has enabled her to be in the water and on the golf course year-round while working very full weeks. She’s taken up synchronized swimming recently and performs in a 3-day show every February. She also loves to cook for her and her husband, and baking has become a new hobby. She bakes hundreds of cookies every holiday season for neighbors, friends and family. She says she does want to slow down, but soonish.
“I believe in living life to the fullest. There is no way I’m going to have any regrets when it’s my time to close my eyes for the final time. I will leave it all out here,” she muses. “When I look at all that I do in a given day or week, I recognize that it’s probably in the 95th percentile of what most people do every day or week. But I guess that’s just the New Yorker in me. I wake up every morning, give thanks, and press the ‘Go’ button on a fulfilled life.”
By Aimee Hansen
Op-Ed: The Fine Line of Executive Presence for Professional Women
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!Around 90% of the time, the words ‘executive presence’ come up as part of the brief, or from the women themselves, on what they want to work on in the safety of a coaching relationship. Executive presence really can mean a myriad of things and it is a term I do not love as it has connotations of assimilation to legacy male traits and behaviors that, when transposed, seem awkward or, at their worst, are actually things that women get penalized for behaviorally. As the past thirty years has shown us, progress can be tricky when societal norms hold firm outside the office. ‘Who is rewarded for what?’ is the ultimate diagnostic question for a workplace culture analysis, not just ‘how many women and BIPOC are in the building?’ It is not Noah’s Ark alone, it is about who gets to be Noah and his ultimate successor and why that is. Also, who does the work and who gets the glory?
It is the double standard, academically defined and much written about double bind that still keeps women out of the office from the White House to the principal’s office (with over 64% of men holding that job while over 80% of teachers are female) to the corner office.
Here are the two fine lines that tend to pop up when people get perception-based feedback.
Recognizing and honing your own leadership learning and communication styles
To grow into the leader you want to be on your leadership journey, start with you and understanding your styles and preferences regarding work. You can recognize that others have a different style to you, once you see styles for what they are and how they show up in communications, learning and thinking. How do you uncover your style? The fastest way is to work with a good executive coach who specializes in executive and leadership development, as opposed to straight career coaching.
But, if you don’t have access to that type of resource, then ask yourself: what are your style preferences when it comes to communicating and being communicated with? Are you direct and candid or do you prefer to couch your requests in sentences where the audience can hear a gentler message, sometimes amongst other messages? We are all different and there are many free versions of Myers Briggs and other great tools free online to start, such as SCARF (the neuro-leadership institute) and Emotional Agility report by Dr. Susan David. The Learning Styles Inventory (LSI) is not expensive and comes with a full explanation of how you learn and apply knowledge. Curious souls on their development journey will benefit.
We are all somewhat beholden to how we were raised in our families and societies, unless we have taken the time to disrupt that – which you can start doing today by reading Immunity to Change. Doing this with a coach, or even by yourself, will help you to understand what is stopping you from reaching goals in any sense, including D&I ones.
Nicki Gilmour is the founder of theglasshammer and also works as a leadership and executive coach, helping the companies to lean in while empowering executives to grow and develop. If you would like to be coached by Nicki please email nicki@theglasshammer.com or book an exploratory session. If you are a leader or an HR professional who wishes to know more about the Organizational development work we do check out our site evolvedemployer.com
Loretta Pearce: Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Shearman & Sterling LLP
People, Voices of ExperienceYet the research is clear, the further you are from dominate prevailing culture in the workplace, the more you adapt and conform to expected norms to thrive in the organization.
Pearce shares, “I’ve spent much of my career helping others navigate this space so that they can advance their careers and be as authentic as possible given cultural workplace constraints”.
She inspires us with a love for supporting the transformation of organizations and people, checking your inner circle, embracing difference, offering up your best gifts and giving yourself, and others, some grace.
From Academia to Leading Diversity and Inclusion
Pearce’s DEI journey was seeded when she left her hometown community to become an undergrad at the University of Virginia. Though she was an honors student in the top 10% of her class and well-supported by a preparatory program as a first-generation college student, she also experienced a sense of “otherness” those years on campus that catalyzed her drive to create open and inclusive spaces for everyone: “I wanted people in any space to feel a sense of their own value as well as a sense of belonging.”
After graduation, while teaching, she worked with (predominantly black and brown) students from lower income communities in the inner-city. When that campus relocated to a suburban location, diminishing her ability for impact, Pearce moved into learning and development in corporate spaces. Given her passion for inclusion, she was repeatedly called on to facilitate conversations, coach leaders and lead DEI initiatives.
“In my heart, at the very core of who I am, I’m an educator,” Pearce shares, who is immersed in doctoral studies at Teachers College at Columbia University, “I am always seeking to support others as they endeavor to be their best selves.”
While in talent management roles, Pearce realized that no matter how much leadership development an individual had, if that person wasn’t provided with opportunities by organizations to showcase their skills and talent, her work was in vain. She began connecting people to opportunities and sponsorships as she went across various talent management roles until DEI became her focus. That has meant that not only does she focus on supporting people but also on systemic barriers to inclusive workplace practices, community outreach and engagement, recruitment and supplier diversity.
She contends that “Being strategic and intentional with a holistic view, understanding an organization’s culture and practices, developing and managing relationships with stakeholders and being steadfast and determined are essential to having impact in this space. Diversity and inclusion must be embedded into every facet of the organization; that takes time, attention, and resoluteness.” Most recently she was the DEI Global Talent Management Programs Leader at Meta (formerly Facebook) and in May of 2022 she was hired as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) for Shearman and Sterling, LLP.
As the CDIO at Shearman and Sterling, Pearce, has responsibility for Shearman & Sterling’s global diversity and inclusion strategy. Pearce shares that she “grew up in law firms,” as after serving in academia she launched her corporate career at a law firm. She reveals that after meeting with the firm’s leadership “it was clear to me that diversity and inclusion was a key priority for the firm and that I would get the support required to continue to develop and implement the firm’s goals and vision in this area”.
Since she is an educator and it is foundational to the work she does, she finds the time to facilitate unconscious bias programming or other sessions with inclusion themes – recently for example, at Shearman and Sterling’s Associate Leadership Academy, and while “glamping” during one of the practice area retreats.
Check-In: Who is In Your Trusted Ten?
“Acknowledging and identifying your own bias is the beginning of being better,” Pearce says. “To simply recognize that you have unconscious bias, that we all have it, and then to try to understand and mitigate against it – and essentially, widen your circle.”
She challenges individuals to consider “The Trusted Ten,” those who are the closest ten people in your friend group. What are their demographics (gender, race/ethnicity, education, socioeconomic status)? If they align with you in most of these areas (which they normally do), find someone different in some way and have a conversation. The more you do that, the more open to difference you become. Pearce notes that “small, deliberate progress in this area can make a big difference”.
Pearce argues, especially when she is met with resistance from leaders around sponsorship, that “you’re sponsoring people all the time. Anytime there’s an opportunity and you put a name forward, if you’re a leader, you’re sponsoring that person – and, typically that person looks like those who are part of your trusted ten.” Pearce advises that as leaders we must endeavor to embrace difference, widen our circles, and understand the abilities of all those we lead; their talents, aspirations, and capabilities so that we can put their names forward the next time an opportunity presents itself that aligns with their experience and skill set.
Pearce brings her passion and experience to bear in her work at Shearman and Sterling, LLP and is especially excited about the culture of mentorship and sponsorship that the firm is already known for: “The firm has received numerous accolades for partners who are patient and understanding that take the time to explain assignments. Repeatedly during my listening tour, I heard that the culture was collegial, considerate, and kind. The firm’s values align with my own and we continue to make progress toward creating a more diverse and inclusive environment,” Pearce shares.
Her Success Factor: A Love For People
“The higher you are in leadership, the more removed you can become from those you impact. But I love to talk to the people that I’m endeavoring to elevate, advance and serve,” says Pearce. “What really motivates me is having conversations with the people I’m trying to serve, hearing directly about their experiences and understanding what I can do to better help them.”
Pearce would say the biggest factor behind her success is “honestly, just a love for people.” As a preacher’s kid (a PK, she quips, with a smile, adding she is also married to a man who is a pastor), she was brought up on the values of loving and treating all people with kindness, respect, and dignity.
“I believe that relationship with and service to others is foundational,” says Pearce. “No matter what situation I find myself in, I look around and ask, how can I serve?”
Strive For Excellence and Give Grace
Pearce has joy at her core and brings that into the workplace. She leads with calm and compassion and fosters a team culture of collaboration, learning and giving people the benefit of the doubt rather than jumping to judgement or blame when a mistake occurs. She emphasizes and practices the perspective of “giving people some grace.”
Pearce imparts two key pieces of advice to mentees. The first is “Strive for excellence. Mediocrity is just not acceptable, so offer your best gifts.” That came from her parents and the environment that she was raised in, but also, her family and community of origin emphasized that you must “Give yourself some grace, and if necessary, forgiveness. Take chances, be bold, mistakes offer an opportunity to grow. Learn the lesson and move on.”
Embracing Difference
As an introvert, Pearce’s stretch zone has been around extending herself in social settings, as her senior leadership and executive roles hinge on building relationships, developing, and managing them and therefore networking is essential.
“We are all humans having a human experience and so you ought to be able to connect with anybody on some level,” notes Pearce. “Different perspectives are something to embrace, not something to close yourself off to, because they help you think and see things from different perspectives – and that’s what this work is really all about.”
Role Modeling Towards the Future
Along with working on her doctorate, Pearce serves in the church and does a lot of reading. She also loves TV, movies, and science fiction, declaring: “I’m a Trekkie from way back. If it says Star Trek, I’ve watched it.” But there’s more to her Trekkie passion than entertainment.
“When Star Trek started, they had a very talented and diverse cast, and, of course, Nichelle Nicholas who played Lt Nyota Uhura, a beautiful, intelligent, competent black woman who was either 3rd or 4th in the command structure. I could see myself in the future,” says Pearce. “I loved the show and the world it created, and I loved exploring the themes they grappled with.”
With a demanding schedule, Pearce still finds time to coach and mentor those who reach out to her for support and guidance. She shares, “At the end of the day, it’s about impact and leaving the world better because you were here. I endeavor to do that every day. It fuels me and inspires me to do even more in my areas of expertise and influence.”
By Aimee Hansen
Op-ed: How to succeed as a #softblackgirl in Corporate America
Black History Month, Career Advice, Op-EdAccording to Lean In’s The State of Black Women in Corporate America, for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 58 Black women are promoted, despite the fact that Black women ask for promotions at the same rate as men.
With the obstacles stacked against us at work, and the “invisible labor” that we undertake at home, self-care tends to go out the window as we prioritize our jobs and our families. How can Black women possibly embrace this movement towards a soft life and still do well in the workplace?
5 Steps to Succeed as a #SoftBlackGirl in Corporate America
1. Set Boundaries
Boundaries can come in different forms. Perhaps it’s the hours you are available for work. For example, you might set a strict boundary that you are unavailable after 6pm and will not respond to work messages over the weekend. Maybe it’s the frequency of travel that is sustainable for you and your family. Maybe it’s about your preferred communication channels, and you do not want coworkers texting your personal phone. Regardless of what your boundaries are, be sure to communicate them to your colleagues so that they are aware and can make conscious choices around whether to abide by them.
When you are asked to do things that cross your boundaries, I invite you to pause and ask yourself, do I want to do this? Do I have the space to do this? What will the impact be on me and on others if I do this? Listen to your gut. And, if the answer is “No,” communicate just that. Practicing saying “No” in the mirror can be a very powerful exercise to build up your confidence for the real thing.
What is one boundary that you can set right now that prioritizes self-care?
2. Prioritize & Do Less
We often feel like we have to do everything, and that can be extremely overwhelming. The key to both success and self-care in the workplace is to do what matters to the people that matter. Identify who matters in the organization and what they care about. Excel on those projects, and don’t sweat the small stuff! You will get a bigger bang for your buck in terms of your personal brand image at work, and you’ll have more time for you.
One tool that is extremely helpful in prioritizing is the Eisenhower Matrix. In a 2×2 matrix you categorize tasks into urgent vs. not urgent, and important vs. not important. Based on where something falls in the matrix, you can decide whether to do it now, schedule it for later, delegate, or delete it from your list. My favorite of the categories is when you realize that something is both not urgent and not important, and there is something so satisfying about being able to delete it. This is self-care. This is embracing the soft Black girl life!
What tasks on your to-do list are both not urgent and not important?
3. Celebrate Wins Weekly
I often feel like I’m not doing enough. This leads to a spiral of negative thoughts around my competence, value and self-worth. However research shows that when people are reminded of their best work before undertaking a challenging project, they have more creativity and less stress. Taking the time to acknowledge all the amazing things you have achieved can be a powerful confidence boost and do wonders for your productivity. Every week, (Fridays are great), write down what you can celebrate this week. Small steps of progress count, even if it’s just sending an email that was hard to write!
Once you have recognized all the great wins of the week, it’s important to also take the time to celebrate! I invite you to “Treat Yo’ Self!” This doesn’t necessarily mean to go on a shopping spree, though if that’s what you feel like, then by all means! Think about what brings you joy. Maybe it’s a pedicure. Maybe it’s a luxurious bubble bath with some candles and bath bombs. Maybe it’s a piece of your favorite chocolate.
What is one thing you can celebrate this week? How can you treat yourself?
4. Communicate Your Wins
It’s important that you get the recognition that you deserve, so don’t be shy about communicating your wins both to people more senior in the organization and to those on other teams. In response to “How are you?” at the water cooler, be sure to casually mention your wins. “I’m doing great! I just led this project with {insert success metrics}” or, ”We are very close to launching XYZ!” Consider being the one to send celebration emails when your team has a win. If they come from you, people will associate that win with you!
What is one win that you can communicate to your colleagues?
5. Schedule Self-Care Breaks
If you don’t put it on the calendar, it most likely won’t happen. So schedule time for self-care in your day. This can be something as short as a 5 minute reset break where you are intentional about doing a rejuvenation practice such as box breathing. If breathing isn’t your thing, you could set a timer for two minutes and massage your temples. It’s an amazing stress reliever. If you have more time, maybe you go for a walk outside if the weather is nice, or do a 20 minute sound bath to relax. Consider taking lunch breaks away from your computer. These very simple acts can completely change your day, your mood, and your ability to do your best work! When the calendar reminder comes up, and you are tempted to finish up “just that one little thing,” remind yourself of this mantra:
“Today I choose me!”
Bio: Zee Clarke, a Harvard MBA, breathwork expert, and author of Black People Breathe (March 14, 2023 / Penguin Random House). After experiencing a number of race related challenges, from racial profiling and harassment by the police to microaggressions in the workplace, she realized that mindfulness and breathwork were much more powerful outside of the yoga studio and in the context of our everyday lives. Trained in India, Zee leverages her toolkit of yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound healing, and Reiki, to ensure that all people of color have the tools to thrive despite any challenges that race, gender, or sexuality might present.
Alice Chun: Female Inventor, Founder and CEO of Solight Design, Inc.
Intrepid Women Series, People, Voices of ExperienceWe interviewed Alice Chun, female inventor and co-founder and CEO of Solight-Design. Born in Korea, she immigrated to the U.S. as a child and grew up in upstate New York. Since learning origami from her mother as a girl, Chun has been fascinated with the possibilities of using imagination and design to change our world for the better.
Exploring emerging trends in material technology – lighter, faster and sustainable – she began experimenting with sewing solar panels to fabric while teaching Architecture and Material Technology at Columbia University. When her son Quinn was diagnosed with asthma, which is 40% more likely for children in New York City, she became aware of the staggering pollution from energy consumption and the deadly impacts of kerosene in off-the-grid places of the world. Chun became focused on creating clean light solutions that harness solar energy.
Her TedX talk, 10 Million Rays of Light, focuses on the story behind her first invention, the SolarPuff™, the world’s only self-inflatable, portable solar light. With the backing of a KickStarter campaign, Chun launched Solight Design. Her origami-inspired lights run the gamut from art exhibition to humanitarian aid. They’ve been exhibited at MOMA, featured in The New York Times for summer gatherings and lit the night for Syrian refugees.
Chun holds several patents and has won the US Patent Award for Humanity. Advocating that design provides dignity, Chun is passionate about getting her lights to people and children in crisis zones and off-the-grid areas. She’s brought many thousands of her lights to crisis areas, as well as worked with NGOS to deliver and distribute them.
Going on these “light drops,” she’s personally traveled to Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Dominica and Haiti (nearly 20 times). As we talked with her in December 2022, she was about to head to the Ukraine. More than anything, she seeks to spark the light in each of us that can together impact the world. We talked with Chun about creating impact as a female inventor.
On growing up in a creative household:
“I was born in Korea. I was blessed that my mother was an artist and my father was an architect. It was post-war and my parents had to immigrate to the United States because of my father’s position doing the World Trade Pavilion in Montreal for the World Expo. They came first, and then sent for me later. I was four years old when I came to join them.
My mom taught me origami, like many Asians. And back then it was more novel. I grew up in a very creative household that taught me, at an early age, that you can use your imagination to make things and you can help yourself through difficulties by using your creative senses.
Everything that I’ve done was never really planned. When I went to college, I went for Architectural design. After my masters at University of Pennsylvania, I started to teach architecture (Columbia University, Parsons the New School), but teaching first found me by accident. I didn’t find it.”
On how imagination is the ability to create something better:
“While I was teaching in architecture, we started to do community outreach projects with architecture students. Around Philadelphia, there were so many abandoned sites and parks that were just rotting away. We were putting in planters and benches and building a little playground. It was so rewarding to see how it transformed those communities.
Kids would come up curious and ask what we were doing. We’d tell them, ‘We’re architecture students and we’re building architecture for you.’ So they would ask what architecture was. And we would explain that whatever you can imagine, you can also make a model of and then you can build something new. It is all about design. Design is about imagining something different and more beautiful for your environment.
Being able to interact with the community and learn from them, as well as teaching them about architecture and empowerment, was a real moment of feeling that I could make a difference and what we were doing mattered. I wanted to continue to do that.”
Alice Chun in Haiti
On the moments that catalyze the impulse of innovation:
“Whenever I was teaching, I used to tell this story: the story of time. The Greeks believed that there are two characters of time. One is Chronos, who is old with a beard and a cane. His line of time is predictable and very straight. Then, there is Kairos, the young character of time. His line of time is very unpredictable and chaotic.
We all experience those two lines of time, every day of our lives. When those two lines intersect, those are the moments of opportunity and the moments of invention. And it’s a matter of leaning in or leaning back when those moments happen.
So if I look at the trajectory of my inventions, and why they occurred, it’s because of problems I saw. I would never have imagined that my child would be born with asthma. And there was climate change and natural disasters and the earthquake in Haiti. All of that was the impetus for me to step back and say, ‘Enough is enough. We have to do something to help.’
I was the materials lab director at Columbia University, and my focus was on natural materials. There’s far more intelligence and knowledge in natural materials than the petrol-based plastics that we’ve been using for four decades. So, I was sewing solar panels to fabric and then substrates, to basically invent something new as a material: a solar harvesting surface to make everything thinner, lighter, faster and smarter.
The only way I knew how to lean in to help in Haiti was to turn my studio at Columbia into an innovation studio. So, what I was doing before evolved. And that’s when we realized this detriment that’s happening globally. 1.6 billion people don’t have access to electricity, and they’re using kerosene to light their world at night. Two million children die from the toxins. In South Africa alone, there’s 200,000 house fires every year. That was the impetus for asking ‘What can we do?’ and ‘How can we help?’
So every time, it’s really about those two lines of time intersecting – and then saying ‘How can we solve this problem?’ and ‘How can we do better?’”
On the magic when necessity meets curiosity:
“Sometimes you’re confronted with a problem, and you don’t know what to do. You just know that something has to be done. It sticks in the back of your mind as something that gnaws at you. Every time, at that point for me, that’s where the spark of curiosity came.
They say ‘the mother of invention is necessity,’ but ‘the daughter of invention is curiosity.’ So with curiosity, you’re constantly questioning – What if? Or could it be like this? Or maybe there’s an answer here, or there? Once the problem sticks in your brain, everything else becomes a window for opportunity because then you’re already beginning to connect the dots.
Curiosity is directly related to imagination and creativity and problem solving. What’s most important are the questions that you ask, not so much the answers. It’s those questions that end up creating something new. So with asthma and pollution and health, for example, I had already been researching solar energy and the connection to cutting pollution. 75% of the pollution in NYC comes from buildings and energy consumption. But the sun is free and it’s limitless and it’s the most powerful source of energy that comes to the Earth every day.
So the dots begin to align and connect. You may not have the answer right away, but it’s a matter of continuing and keeping that thread open to connect to the next dot when it happens.”
On breaking through the ceiling of fixed perception:
“So-Light Design is a small company. I’m one person. I’m a mom, I’m a teacher. The paradox is that we’re a small company, but we’ve had a big impact – purely because we’re just doing what we feel is right. But we’ve been able to impact over a million lives worldwide because of our mission.
So what I’m always trying to break through is the boundaries that we all create when we perceive the world in a certain way.
For instance, early on when I was traveling to these red zones, everyone told me not to go. People said I would be shot or raped or kidnapped. But I went to Nigeria and Makoko there – which is the largest slum in sub-Saharan Africa. I met the most amazing and kindest people and witnessed the impact of the light that I brought. Then I went to Haiti. People were telling me not to go there, too. I’ve been there twenty times now, and I’ve befriended amazing people. Now people are telling me not to go to Ukraine because it’s a war zone, but I am going.
I want people to know that there’s always two sides of the story. There’s not just one narrative or only one way to see anything. Part of creating art is to break through the preconceived way we see the world. It’s a big issue right now – with racism, discrimination, with war – it’s so prevalent and we have to change it. There’s so much that we have to gain and to learn – historically and culturally – from breaking out of our narrow perceptions.”
On inventing a product that spans from MOMA to crisis zones:
“Because of my background as a designer, I have the three design cornerstones of durability, beauty and functionality or utility. Those are the same three cornerstones of architecture and they could also transfer into a way of thinking about business and being an entrepreneur.
It’s hard to get all three, but I think beauty is something that needs to be addressed in design. When giving out humanitarian aid in places like Haiti, I’ve witnessed some NGOs have a tendency to buy the cheap stuff to hit the mark on how many items they’ve donated. But they’re often the cheapest flashlights or the cheapest solar panels, and they end up in the landfill in a short time because they don’t work.
I’ve not seen many organizations who drop off supplies give any attention to beauty, wonder or awe. But I think all of that is just as important as utility. Why can’t we give beauty, wonder and awe? Because if you don’t have that, you don’t have hope. If you don’t have hope, you’re going to die.
I remember a fascinating moment after the earthquake in Haiti, when there was rubble everywhere and tent camps were popping up. I saw this woman coming out of a tent camp and she was dressed in red and perfectly made up with lipstick. I don’t know, but that lipstick seemed to make the day for her because it was the moment of beauty, wonder and awe.
In my perspective, design provides dignity and good design should be able to sustain a life in Nantucket or Nigeria. Good design doesn’t have boundaries – like culture or race. It doesn’t discriminate. So good design should incorporate awe and wonder as well as being useful. I don’t think many NGOs think about that, or how important it is for the stakeholders and the cultural societal aspects of wherever these issues exist.”
Syrian refugees with Chun’s SolarPuff™ lights
On igniting possibilities through ‘light drops’:
“I put a thousand lights in my luggage and I flew down to Dominica. I didn’t really know where I was going. I just wanted to go to the Kalinago territory. The Kalinago are the oldest Indian tribe in the Northern Hemisphere. I’d heard that they had been hit the hardest with Hurricane Maria.
Through a fortunate chain of serendipitous conversations as I arrived, I was positioned to visit seven different schools in the Kalinago region. I saw five kids living in a one room house with a single mom. They had their one meal a day at school and no electricity to do their homework at night. I resisted the urge to just hand out the lights, because I wanted to tell them why I was there, why they’re so important and why we haven’t forgotten about them.
I shared that I came from a poor beginning and was beat up a lot when I was a kid, because I didn’t look like the other kids. I was the only Asian. And I didn’t fight with my fists. I ended up fighting with the light in my mind and the light in my heart. And I tell the kids, ‘You have to fight with that light in your heart and that light in your imagination. Keep fighting with that light and don’t use your fist. And I’m giving this light to you because now you can hold the Sun in your hands. And the Sun is the most powerful source of energy that comes to the Earth every day. But the light of your imagination and the light of your heart is even more powerful than the Sun.’
The kids cackle and giggle and I reassure them, ‘Yes, you are that powerful and if you keep fighting with the light of your heart, there’s nothing you can’t do.’ I tell them to use this light for their homework, so their dreams and ambitions can grow. A lot of the girls look at me in disbelief and say, ‘What! You made this?’ Even some of the elderly women or teachers can’t believe it. That’s really important to me, because in that ‘aha’ moment, they are saying to themselves, She’s a woman and she did this. Maybe I can. I have the power to do that, too.
Sharing that narrative with them is more important to me than delivering lights. That’s the other reason why I go on the light drops.”
On encouraging more female inventors:
“In my research, I went back into history and some of the women were excluded from patents they should have been on. But, overall the number of women on patents is so small, and that needs to change, too. My hope is that when I speak to kids and young women, that it will inspire them to use their imagination and change the world for the better by solving a problem and creating something new.
It goes back again to two characters of invention – the mother of invention being necessity and the daughter being curiosity. Those are two female characters, but only 13% of inventors are women in the United States patent and trademark office. And then in terms of entrepreneurship, far less than 1% of IPO businesses are led by female founders and only 2.3% of venture founding partners are women.
We need more girls and women in STEM programs and more funding for women and female minorities in terms of scholarship and grants. But the only way we’re going to change the amount of investment that goes into female-run entrepreneurs is getting more female businesses to get an IPO. So there’s this kind of chicken and egg thing happening.”
On her trip to the Ukraine:
“We’re going to get about 5,000 lights to Ukraine. But in my luggage, I’m bringing 1,000 with me. Our colored light was used for PTSD for children after Hurricane Maria. It has different color options, and we hadn’t realized this would be helpful to the kids. But we found out that the different colors actually help them calm down at night and it helps them to sleep. After an earthquake and there’s no light, the kids are so frightened. So they were used as night lights for kids in shock or with PTSD after the hurricane.
When I heard about the blackouts happening in this children’s hospital in Ukraine, I knew I had to go deliver these colored lights. They told me the nurses were taking three hours to calm the kids down after the blackouts. There are over two hundred kids and most of them are refugees, and there’s two more hospitals in Lviv. I’ll also go to Kiev. Over 2.5 million children are currently displaced within the country.
These hospitals have generators, but they are using that for essentials like heat and the ICU. These lights and phone chargers are going to be critical for light at night and charging. This is a lifelong traumatic event. And after the war, it’s going to take years and decades to rebuild.
But my greatest hope for the future is our children. Whenever something happens, dealing with children especially, I try to do whatever I can and often travel to deliver lights. I’m inspired by my own son and by all the kids that I meet along the way and in different countries. I’m inspired by how smart and intelligent and enthusiastic and hopeful they are about the future, and passionate that they know they can create.”
For more on Alice Min Soo Chun, check out coverage in Marie Claire’s Powertrip 2022, The Skimm, The Story Exchange, Fast Company, The New York Times, Cheddar, Huffington Post, and Men’s Journal. Chun was nominated for USPTO Patents for Humanitarian Winner in 2018. She was named among Forbes 50 Over 50 recognizable women of 2022. She is co-author of the book Ground Rules for Humanitarian Design. During the pandemic, she also launched a business selling patented transparent face shields and respirator masks, SEEUS95.
By Aimee Hansen
Op-Ed: Disillusioned by the 9-5? Entrepreneurship Could Help You Have Greater Impact.
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!In fact, entrepreneurship was the tool that allowed me to pursue solutions to a problem I cared deeply about—equitable education—without all the red tape and obstacles associated with working in school districts. If you find yourself feeling discouraged about the impact you’ve had (or haven’t had) at your job perhaps now is the perfect time to also consider another route. These are the steps I took in evaluating my transition from my role as a teacher and an administrator to one of founder and executive director.
Know When It’s Time to Go
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education has always been my passion; my mom would say it was ingrained in me as a child when my grandfather would read calculus textbooks instead of literature to me. I started as a Biology, Algebra and Health teacher before becoming a program director for science at a County Office of Education in California. It was the perfect role to work with districts on a holistic level, researching systems change, fostering teacher leadership, and encouraging teams to look at equity within their district programming. I finally had the opportunity to run science programs at the county and state levels. I thought it was my dream job, and it was until I realized that my programs were not serving every student in the county.
I saw so much racism at play in my school district that I couldn’t ignore the ways it directly impacted students and their ability to flourish. The tipping point came while planning a computer science fair for the students at the court and community schools. Several supervisors spoke up about security concerns—they thought we didn’t have enough security to “manage” certain students. They recommended that we un-invite these students to the fair.
When the team I was on spoke up about the drastic inequity and the blatant restriction of access to our students from the court and community schools, we ruffled feathers. Although we were eventually able to allow the students to attend the fair, my colleagues and I were penalized for it by getting passed up for promotions, having our teams separated, and dealing with supervisors doing “cubicle walk-throughs” to police the staff. This is when I knew that politics and power were being prioritized over students. I had to ask myself: will I sit down in compliance or stand up for justice?
As you plan for the year ahead, take stock of what’s keeping you from having the impact you desire at work. Is it a similar situation where politics are at play and the power of a few is being prioritized over the mission? Is that you just have a few roadblocks in your way that a manager could help remove? Is that you’re in the wrong role or on the wrong team? Trace back your disappointment to see if it’s time to make a shift internally or if it really is time to go.
Consider Your Next Step
Despite all this drama behind the scenes, I loved working with every group of students and helping teachers increase access to quality and equitable STEM education. I knew I wanted to stay in my professional field, so I looked for other similar positions to fill the void created by my 9-5 role. However, none of the potential jobs combined STEM and social justice. This was important to me because I would often end up in professional development where the two topics were seen as separate entities in education. I knew combining the two was key to my mission of creating equitable education. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I decided to be the first to create it and jumped into entrepreneurship to do so.
So what will your next step be? Perhaps it is simply making the ask of a manager to provide more support and lessen obstacles. Perhaps it’s looking for a new role. Perhaps it’s even approaching the issue you care about from a new angle. For example, if you work for a nonprofit, are there for-profit organizations you could apply to for a different approach?
If you’re completely roadblocked at your current role and no other job fits you or you find yourself compromising your values and passions for a job, then maybe it’s time to take a leap and try entrepreneurship.
Set Up for Impact
If you’re considering entrepreneurship as your next step, welcome aboard! Entrepreneurship has been a difficult journey, but in retrospect, I would not trade this life for anything else. I do what I love with the people I love, and I get to stay true to my values in the meantime.
If you decide the risk is worth the potential impact, you can set yourself up for impact with the following steps:
Going at it “alone” or from the outside isn’t always easy. But if you’ve tried the traditional 9-5 path and haven’t been able to create the impact you want, consider this your invitation to weigh the possibility of entrepreneurship as the path to impact.
By: Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean is the founder of STEM4Real, a nonprofit professional learning organization committed to combining STEM and NGSS standards-based content learning and leadership with principles of equity and social justice. She is a former county and state-level administrator and mathematics, science and health teacher with research interests in Science/STEM education and figuring out how to create access and opportunities for each and every student regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or socioeconomic status.
(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com)
Ruth Harper: SVP, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer, ManpowerGroup
People, Voices of ExperienceHarper speaks to the thread that has motivated her all along, supporting women at work and unleashing the opportunities that work can provide.
The Joy Of Empowering Lives
“I witnessed firsthand how the economy can thrive or not, subject to how the world of work works for people or doesn’t. I grew up in a neighborhood in a time when industry was declining, and so there was industrial action and people were out of work, impacting families in a significant way,” says Harper. “My own father had to travel for work. I learned very early about the power of work in somebody’s life, and what happens when you take it away. It’s closely connected to what drives me today.”
Harper grew up in Northern England, an industrial powerhouse, and now lives in Milwaukee, yet another industrial powerhouse. One of the first in her family to go to university and then postgraduate studies, both in human and economic geography, she became a geography teacher – including a stint in the girl’s school once attended by Margaret Thatcher, who became the first female prime minister in the UK.
Curious about what else lay beyond teaching, Harper moved to London and worked with a ‘temp agency’ to figure out how to reinvent herself in work. She was able to transfer her skills to influencing and motivating employment policy, helping unemployed people get back to work and bridging the public and private sectors. It felt meaningful and gratifying, and she was learning a lot while figuring out how to set up public-private partnerships.
“I was working with purpose-driven people who were determined to create opportunities and results that would change people’s lives,” reflects Harper. “The privilege of working on that pulled me into ManpowerGroup. Here I am, 20 years later, still having a nearly first-hand opportunity to create impact. For example, through Manpower’s MyPath program which provides the guidance, support and training people need to build their confidence and employability.”
She notes that while the changing world of work can be exciting, it can be daunting for people in fast-changing industries whose job security feels more volatile: “Being able to address that anxiety and unleash ambition, and to help layout pathways to work for people feels like a thread back to what I could see when I was growing up.”
Supporting Women To Thrive At Work
Harper notes that ManpowerGroup’s Chairman & CEO, Jonas Prising, originally from Sweden, has publicly declared a measurable goal of 50% women in leadership by 2025. Getting familiar with the factors and barriers that can drive women away or block women from the workplace is critical.
“I think organizations need to look at how they help women continue to progress in their career, even when they are part-time or take a break,” says Harper, who spent her own maternity leave in Europe, where she had a year with both of her sons before returning. “Otherwise, we’re never going to get 50% women in leadership because organizations will keep churning out great female talent, who will seek opportunities to balance life and work elsewhere.”
Back in her early days, working in the field of employment policy and government relations with ManpowerGroup, it was not unusual for Harper to walk into rooms full of 55+ year-old white men. They were as likely to assume she was there to take the notes versus contribute to the discussion.
“I learned from a 55 year old male boss at the time to get in there early with a contribution to the discussion. Number one, other people feel relieved and appreciate it when somebody says something first and are likely to even build on it,” advises Harper. “And I learned that contributing early liberates you to relax and enjoy the discussion, because you’re not beating yourself up about not having said anything yet. You may find you are building up to something even bigger to say, but at least you feel good because you’ve contributed.”
She advises the same with networking: “Lots of people don’t love networking. Most people will welcome somebody else walking over to them and saying something; being the first person to put other people at ease is good for you and good for others. It’s a great icebreaker and network builder.”
Navigating Your Desires and Career Journey
Harper likes to surround herself with smart people who bring different perspectives. Curiosity has always pulled her to ask the question ‘what next’. Humility has supported her when she didn’t know that answer.
“Raise your hand, take stuff on and see where it leads you,” advises Harper. “But more importantly, and what I did not always do, is to be confident about articulating where you might want to go, even if it’s not exactly where you might end up, so people have a comprehension of your ambition.”
She encourages women to ask themselves: Am I good with this? Or do I want something different or more? Do I know what that is? How might I get it? Who should I talk to that can help me hone in on what I want?
“Be comfortable with these open-ended questions and then know where your mentors and your people are so that you can have those discussions to help shape your own thought process,” says Harper. “Each person will give you a different set of questions, and that can help you shape a full viewpoint.”
Whether it’s her very supportive husband, or peers inside and outside of the organization, somebody will be able to reflect in a way that helps brings clarity – and sometimes, that means waiting not jumping.
“This is way more of a jungle gym than it is a ladder, so don’t always think that it’s only the vacancy or the opportunity right now that is your opportunity,” says Harper. “Keep going and working it out, until you find or create those opportunities for you.”
Taking On Bigger Leadership Roles
Accordingly, Harper points out that her role of Chief Sustainability Officer did not even exist a couple of years ago.
“There’s nothing more socially impactful than having the dignity to go out and earn a decent living and bring that back to the family and contribute to the community,” says Harper. “At ManpowerGroup, we believe meaningful, sustainable employment has the power to change the world. So, I’m asking how do we, as one of the largest organizations in our industry, set the highest standards and then bring others into that?”
As she’s moved up the ranks, it’s been about “getting out of the weeds” to keep a strategic overview while developing and trusting others. And that means giving people the freedom and safety to do things differently to her (and perhaps even better). “That’s also how I can continue to progress to new and different things – by bringing others with me, so we all rise together and have opportunities.”
Considering herself a talker from a family of talkers, she’s fairly direct in cracking how to get things done. Getting better at deep listening to others, and allowing the pauses in their expression, has been a valuable growth zone.
A mentor of 20 years taught her that leadership style must be versatile and individualized to whoever you are leading. It means both equipping and giving someone the opportunity to run with a project and keeping just enough of an eye to help point them back on track if they are going off-course.
In the spirit of fostering a growth culture at every level, Harper is herself inspired by leaders who are willing to reveal their human side, admit they don’t know something or ask for advice on an idea that is not fully baked.
“I’m really inspired when someone in a senior position puts work in front of me and invites me to build on it, because it shows openness that I might be able to add something to make it even better,” says Harper. “That always motivates me to find really good and constructive input.”
Expressing gratitude at the stage of asking someone to do something, even before they’re delivered (“thank you for…”) is an approach she’s also picked up along the way, showing trust and humility.
Being Purpose-Driven and Making Impact
Harper finds when there is genuine camaraderie in the workplace, people pull together for great things. One of her most humbling and rewarding experiences has been ManpowerGroup’s response efforts to the Ukraine crisis, especially in the Central and Eastern European offices.
“Our Ukraine planning call was the hardest I’ve been on in my 20 years here, but the most inspirational leadership I’ve ever seen, watching people who are really purpose-driven go above and beyond, every day but also on days when it’s needed most,” she says. “And, then how do we continue to do that for refugees or underrepresented groups, too, and find ways to make more impact?”
Recently reflecting on her 20 years at ManpowerGroup, Harper realized she’d moved through many different opportunities and roles, and it hasn’t been a linear journey. What has run through everything is the red thread of getting more people into work and impacting individual lives.
She has two boys, ages 15 and 12, who play American football, soccer and hockey, so being a part of what they love is important to her. She values being present and enjoys traveling, getting outside and good food.
By Aimee Hansen
Five Actions to Take to Manage Your Career Better in 2023
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!, NewsNormally we write a year-end review piece, which we have written for the past fifteen years, detailing progress for professional women and examining trends that matter, and it was implicitly assumed that progress on parity had to be linear. Now we know the real issue is overwork and outdated ways of working for all. Perhaps this is what changed the game for us here at theglasshammer as we realized that battling an old system, and defining ourselves and our success by the standards of that system, is not the only way to look at it with the latest UN women report stating unsurprisingly that the goal of gender equality is not on track to happen by 2030.
The glass ceiling is still there for all the legacy and structural reasons we know about, but overwhelmingly people have been open about multiple realities and having multidimensional lives. Assimilation, sacrifice and silence is not trending right now and in a study conducted on work identity by Kathryn Boyle at the Glasgow Caledonian University (UK), Gen Y are not feeling like their narrative arc in their career has to be as cohesive as others did in Gen X and Boomer generations. This means the career ladder which we have written about extensively is somewhat less powerful a construct than it has ever been, and the ceiling, or rather the structures and rules that held the game together, are being replaced with people choosing to leave to play other games or ignoring the rules entirely. The lattice is where most of us find ourselves.
What Do Future Leaders Want?
What Gen Z want from their managers most of all is a positive attitude and a clear delineation of goals while millennials want open communication and feedback, followed by goal clarity according to a recent study at Berkeley Haas School of Business, University of California. Jarringly, the same study suggests Gen X managers are not really prepared to play ball in this way with only 33% ready and willing to give feedback with a positive attitude. There is a disconnect that should be addressed by savvy managers who want to liberate and empower so people can innovate. And this disconnect will only be accentuated by companies not setting managers up for success operationally in the hybrid environment.
Regardless of ambition levels, ability and willingness to work long hours, professional women and men want work to work for them – they want flexibility and a lattice approach to work, or even for work to not be all-consuming as professional careers in banking, law and executive life has previously been known for. The physical and psychological boundaries we once knew such as going to the office on a train five days per week is less desirable than ever as seen in the endless studies citing hybrid as the preferred format for the future. It doesn’t mean productivity is down or that people aren’t passionate about their work or career, it just means that we have arrived at a time where smart bosses know that trust is the social currency and that removing organizational grind and tasks that don’t belong to the team is the key to a happy and high functioning workforce.
Here are Five Things for You to Do for the Best Career Results in 2023
Here at theglasshammer.com we have spent 15 years deeply covering the topic of advancing, empowering, informing and inspiring professional women and with 8000 articles in our archives, we encourage you to delve in and read any that might be useful to you. We have profiled over 1000 amazing women. We have coached rising stars as well as the best in the business to be even better leaders.
In 2023, we will continue to have our digital campfire for women who are change leaders to tell their story around. We want to profile creators and leaders who understand that the future is a vision that can be reached with the right focus. Our main offering is leadership coaching so if you wish to go from mid-level to senior level, or even are very close to the top and need an extra piece of work to polish and refine your behaviors, then book an exploratory chemistry session here with Nicki Gilmour – our founder, and executive and organizational coach.
By Nicki Gilmour, Founder and CEO of theglasshammer.com
Alena Brenner: Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Cornerstone Building Brands
People, Voices of ExperienceShaped By the Immigration Experience
When she was a girl, Brenner’s family escaped from Ukraine before the country achieved independence from the former Soviet Union, receiving asylum in the United States. While learning a new language and acclimating to a new culture, she watched her parents work multiple jobs to give their family a new start and a better life.
“The immigrant experience is core to who I am, and because it is so foundational to my identity, I have a natural tendency to put in the hard work it takes to recognize and seize opportunities to learn and grow,” says Brenner. “When my family left Ukraine to pursue a better life, I felt the benefit and burden to both live up to expectations and have gratitude for the opportunities available to me that I would not have had if my family had not immigrated to the United States.”
While she was in high school, she won a scholarship offered by her father’s union to children of union members which allowed Brenner to attend Cornell University. After college, as she considered opportunities to land in a ‘respectable’ field that would provide financial independence and allow her to pursue a variety of career options, she turned to law.
Upon graduating from Fordham University School of Law, Brenner spent nine years with a prestigious law firm, but knew she didn’t want to pursue the partner track. While Brenner was going through a divorce and raising two young children, an in-house opportunity at Anheuser-Busch InBev in New York City became available. Brenner accepted the challenge and went on to play a crucial role in helping integrate two companies after a merger to build the foundation for a new global enterprise.
Forging Her Own Career
“Everyone is on a different path. Some paths may not be linear and may depend on where you are in your life’s journey,” says Brenner. “You’re going to learn to prioritize different things at different stages in your life.”
As a global executive in a high-profile, high-stakes business, Brenner’s career was exciting. But while she loved her job and admired her boss, the pace the work required was not sustainable as she managed the challenges of being a single mother. Though still highly career-driven and ambitious, she realized she wanted to be closer to family and to have the support and balance that offered.
Brenner moved to Miami where her parents lived and accepted a position as corporate counsel with Ryder System, Inc.— a $9 billion transportation and logistics company. She was quickly promoted and eventually became Deputy General Counsel, having expanded the scope of her role significantly. Nine years later, she was tapped to lead Cornerstone Building Brands legal function, a C-Suite role she began in 2021.
Inquisitive and a planner/builder by nature, Brenner has always been interested in learning more about the “how” and “how can we make it better” in her work, which is one reason she was drawn to roles in logistics and manufacturing, including her current position with Cornerstone Building Brands, where she’s spent the last 12 months creating a more robust and effective legal, compliance and risk management team.
Additionally, Brenner knew she wanted to join an organization that believes strongly in cultivating a collaborative and inclusive culture. She found that under the leadership of President and CEO Rose Lee. “Rose has been breaking every ceiling imaginable,” says Brenner. “She strives every day to close the gender gap in our industry and to promote a workplace that is diverse and equitable. She is fostering a culture where team members are encouraged to engage in open dialogue around complex and often difficult topics. We’re also living our purpose through the company’s sustainability, ESG and DE&I mission and goals.”
Currently, Brenner is charged with laying the foundation for a new ESG team and is spearheading the development of a comprehensive, industry-leading sustainability program.
‘Everything Is My Job’
Having worked across a spectrum of male-dominated industries such as beer, tobacco, consumer packaged goods, transportation and now industrial manufacturing, Brenner’s aptitude has enabled her to build relationships with essential business partners. She has a strong track record of taking on strategic business challenges by committing to understand the issue at hand and collaborating with all those involved, at all levels, for context and understanding.
“I think people sense that I’m genuine and earnestly trying to help them be successful in their roles. I am willing to offer an honest, third-party assessment of any issue,” she says. “If you demonstrate that, people start coming to you for counsel and view you as a business partner.”
Brenner has adopted a mentor’s mantra: Everything is my job. Whether calling a manufacturer to solve a high-stakes challenge or running to FedEx to ensure a package goes out on time, anything that contributes to the company’s success is within her scope. “Everything that comes across your desk, you own it and you have a responsibility to make it better,” says Brenner. She looks for the same mindset and sense of ownership in new company hires, too.
Embracing Mistakes as Part of Growth
“I realized—and it is a powerful attitude shifter—that everyone you encounter as you navigate your career is in a stage of development,” says Brenner. “While we all have things we are working on, you can still learn from everyone and every interaction.”
Inclined toward perfectionism, Brenner received excellent advice from one boss on the importance of not being too hard on yourself: The only people who don’t make mistakes are the ones not doing anything. They’re not taking any risk or they’re delegating. Brenner says she was encouraged to make mistakes, which led her to learn more and grow confidence in her legal work and in areas outside of her field of expertise.
“Too often, people are reluctant to take on responsibilities outside of their areas of expertise or comfort zone for fear of failing or because they work in a culture that does not reasonably view mistakes as opportunities to learn, grow and innovate. As a leader, you have to be willing to support a degree of risk-taking to signal to others that making those leaps are supported and encouraged,” says Brenner.” You want to grow and develop people who have ambition and want to learn, so you act to support them and allow them to make mistakes, give the necessary feedback to avoid repeating them and move on to solutions.”
Brenner notes that if she makes a mistake, she might spend a few hours reflecting on what she would have done differently. When she wakes up the next morning, it’s a new start with a unique advantage. She is now better equipped for success because she can apply the lessons learned reflecting on her decision-making to achieve higher performance.
Finding Her Own Way
Working in industries where men tend to fill the highest ranks of leadership, Brenner has often found herself the lone woman in the room. This hasn’t come without challenges, including finding people willing to talk to her, sit next to her or include her in informal networking that is often critical to career advancement. She admits she’s over-prepared, an overachiever and works especially hard to prove her value.
Her networking strategy is to go to as many meetings as invited to, attend events regularly and visit manufacturing facilities with the intention not only to build connections, but also to learn about every aspect of the business.
Serving Others
When she’s not working, Brenner has spent her time working pro bono supporting refugees who have been victims of torture or scarred in some way on their asylum-seeking journeys. She has also helped female victims of domestic violence obtain green cards and gain independence from abusive partners. The work is life-changing for those it impacts, and though often intense, it is also immensely fulfilling.
With her children now 17 and 14, she’s focused on enjoying her time with them before they leave home to make their own mark on the world—one that she’s determined to continue to make better.
“If a certain approach isn’t working, then I know I need to pivot to achieve my goal instead of giving up on it,” says Brenner. “There are infinite ways to pursue your aspirations, so if one way doesn’t work, you can try others until you achieve your goal.”
By Aimee Hansen