by Paige Churchman (New York City)
“Making a change, making the world a better place, it’s not only your responsibility, it is your choice. It is your blessing. It is your gift. It’s your opportunity to make your life mean something. So take it,” says Ghana-born musician and activist, Derrick Ashong.
Yes, you say, but how? You’ve got over 300 messages in your email box and five in your voicemail. Your day of back-to-back meetings starts in 10 minutes, your performance goals are due by 5:00, and you want a promotion. Yet somewhere deep in your heart there’s something beyond your career and family that you care about – the children who die each day from lack of food, the acres of rainforest being burned every minute, homelessness, wars, or maybe it’s as close as that litter of stray kittens you saw behind McDonald’s.
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Market News Roundup: Week Ending 25th October
NewsContributed by Martin Mitchell of The Corporate Training Group (CTG)
Most people are so busy working at their day jobs to stay on top of the masses of news that is out there. We aim to bring you a quick press digest every Monday morning so you can enjoy your weekend and ensure that you didn’t miss a beat from the international financial and corporate news the week before. Start the week off right, and arm yourself with some great watercooler conversation.
The week that was:
Monday 20th Oct 2008
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Movers and Shakers: Insurance
Movers and ShakersKudos to Madelyn Lankton of Travelers Insurance (#93 on Fortune 500), who recently received the Women In Insurance Leadership Award from Insurance Networking News (INN).
Ms. Lankton is the senior VP of Travelers Claim Shared Services. She was recognized for making a “significant impact” on her business according to the INN. In her role as senior vice president, Ms. Lankton is reposible for Claim Shared Services, an organizaiton of over 1500 people that uses the latest in information and data analysis to help the company in reviewing claims and evaluating the results. Ms. Lankton also serves as an executive mentor for individuals in the Finance and Information Technology Leadership Development Program at Travelers. According to INN, Ms. Lankton initiated the development of Women’s Mentoring Forum for high potential young women in the IT department.
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Voice of Experience: Dianne Ledingham, Director, Bain & Company
Voices of ExperienceThe Glass Hammer recently spoke with Dianne Ledingham, Director in Bain’s Boston office, member of Bain’s North America Telecom, Media & Technology Practice and leader of the consulting firm’s Global Sales Effectiveness group. Ms. Ledingham has played various local and global governance roles in the firm and is currently a member of Bain’s Worldwide Compensation and Promotion committee. In addition to serving corporate clients, Ms. Ledingham has advised several early stage technology start-ups in her career at Bain. She is also a Board member of City Year, a multi-regional non-profit.
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My Shadow Life as a Texas Hold ‘Em Player
PassionsSome of my friends would be surprised to learn that I harbor a special affection for No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em poker. Truth is, I find a lot of parallels between the game and my life as a businesswoman.
The game, like any form of gambling, is inherently based on risk. In the case of no limit poker, you have to know when to take strategically-considered risks. Whether it be based on the strength of your hand; the personality, previous play and behavior, and motivations of your opponents; or maybe your position relative to the dealer button. Or sometimes simply based on a gut instinct. In short, it demands insight on your competitive landscape and market conditions.
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Travel that Matters
Women and Philanthropy“Making a change, making the world a better place, it’s not only your responsibility, it is your choice. It is your blessing. It is your gift. It’s your opportunity to make your life mean something. So take it,” says Ghana-born musician and activist, Derrick Ashong.
Yes, you say, but how? You’ve got over 300 messages in your email box and five in your voicemail. Your day of back-to-back meetings starts in 10 minutes, your performance goals are due by 5:00, and you want a promotion. Yet somewhere deep in your heart there’s something beyond your career and family that you care about – the children who die each day from lack of food, the acres of rainforest being burned every minute, homelessness, wars, or maybe it’s as close as that litter of stray kittens you saw behind McDonald’s.
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Wowed at the Women on Wall Street Conference
Pipeline, What's Onby Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)
“We all live on a waterbed where each move we make has consequences. We always have to take things long term view when faced with short term problem. There are times when goal is to survive – but that is tactic, not a strategy. Sustainability is about long term balance and longevity.” So said Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank, in his opening remarks to the 3000-strong women attending the Women on Wall Street (WoWS) conference on Tuesday, October 22nd at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. This year’s theme was Positioning for Sustainability: Our Work, Our Lives, Our Planet.
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Women on Corporate Boards Study Released
NewsThis week, the annual Women on Boards survey was released. The study tracks the number of women sitting on the Board of Directors of the 100 largest companies in the greater Philadelphia area. As the study is now in its eighth year of collecting data, it provides an interesting set of data to measure women’s progress over time, as represented by their presence on boards and in C-suite positions at major companies that can lead to their appointment to directorships.
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What Am I Worth?
Featured, Money TalksThe first time I asked for a raise, I got it. That was way back in the 1970s. I was a secretary in an ad agency. I faced off against my boss’s boss, asking for a lot more than the $150 a week I was making. “Our secretaries don’t make over $160,” he said. “Have faith,” he said. “Lots of girls would do your job for free,” he said. Nice try, buddy. I got $175 a week and a promise for $190 (what I asked for) two months later.
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Ask-A-Recruiter: Working On Your Career, Not Just In It
Ask A RecruiterActors have somebody or a group of people actively managing their careers, guiding, preparing, negotiating, etc. Is there such a thing for a business executive? You pay somebody a fee, similar to an agent, for the services provided by a number of disparate functions: e.g., recruiting (executive recruiter) for the ideal positions, performing at a high level (coach), negotiating salary and contracts (labor lawyer). In short, I would be interested in a career manager that would handle my career. Does this type of service/person exist?
You’re right that there are 3 separate pieces — legal, search, and coaching. But there are good reasons why all 3 are not under the same arena:
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Work/Life Balance in the Law
Work-LifeIt’s not easy balancing work and a home life. Throw in clients who need you to be available at all hours, managers who don’t believe in vacations and court dates that change at the drop of a hat and you have to wonder why anyone chooses the legal profession at all.
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