Guest contributed by Katie McBeth
Every year World Mental Health Day is commemorated. This day of recognition is meant to help raise awareness, help dismantle the stigma, and provide those who suffer with access to support if they need it.
The focus of last year was mental health in the office: how awareness, stigma, and our work-life balance can affect workforces around the world. In America, especially, working women are often struggling to balance their life in and out of the office, and are finding it even more difficult to not let the stresses of the outside world affect their work and productivity. Although there is an increased awareness around mental illness, there is still a strong stigma on discussing it at work.
What does this mean for working women who suffer from mental illness? How can we not only become more successful in our careers, but also be more accepted for our invisible conditions? How can office leaders make a difference for all their employees? These questions can be an especially tough to parse, but they are extremely important for opening up the dialogue around mental illness in the office.
Erasing Stigma Through Dialogue
Over a lifetime, it’s estimated that the average full-time American worker spends about 90,000 hours at work. It’s no wonder, then, why this year’s theme of Mental Health Awareness Day was focused on the office. Our jobs take up a large portion of our lives, and the environment around us, our work habits, and our outside life can all factor into our mental and physical well-being.
However, it’s rare to hear conversations about mental health while actually in the office. Much of this can be due to the vulnerability of opening up about mental health conditions, but it could also be due to the fact that patriarchal standards still reign supreme in business. The idea of exposing mental illness — as well as emotion or empathy — can be seen as a weakness.
Numerous studies have come to prove this to be false, and in fact honing your emotional intelligence can play a large part in improving a business and can really shine in management. Empathy and communication, in particular, have shown to reduce employee turnover, improve team morale, and increase productivity for individuals and teams.
When discussing mental health, one of the biggest hurdles in addressing it can be the stigmas that exist around these conditions: both social stigmas (those created by society) and self stigmas (those created internally by people who suffer from mental illness). However, some of those stigmas are beginning to change, and much of that is thanks to the people who are brave enough to speak up and be open about it, and to those that have the empathy and patience to listen and learn. Scientific research has also shown that people are more willing to seek out help — via therapy, counseling, or medication — when they can overcome these stigmas.
For those of us that suffer from mental illness, being open about our struggles and our conditions can be inherently powerful. However, it can be difficult to be open if we don’t have a support system in place. On the reverse, having a supportive, empathetic, and kind boss can be a major factor in helping those that suffer feel less stigmatized by their invisible condition. Empathy is also extremely powerful, especially in the office and especially among those in management and leadership positions.
Accepting Mental Health as Physical Health
There’s a reason mental illness is referred to as an “invisible condition.” Although common misconceptions often overlook the body-mind connection, there is plenty of evidence to show that mental illnesses can have a profound effect on the physical body.
However, the general population that doesn’t suffer from mental illness could still suffer from occasional bouts of depression or anxiety brought on by work, or even external circumstances or trauma —. Prolonged exposure to stress can have physical effects as well, which is why it is all the more important to consider allowing mental health days at work.
Sick days allow employees the opportunity to stay at home and recover from the flu or from injuries. Mental health days, on the other hand, allow employees the opportunity to stay at home, relax, rest, and recover. Even for employees that don’t suffer from mental illness, mental health days allow them a chance to step away from the stress of the office and hopefully find ways to practice de-stressing techniques. About 25 percent of Americans agree that work is a main stress-point for them, and stepping away can help them find tranquility, as well as make them better workers for when they do return to the office.
Organizational stress — can result in disengagement if it goes on too long or is unaddressed. Allowing employees the chance to step away from the stress of work can help them feel more appreciated. It can also help them refocus on tasks and be more engaged in the office.
Mental health days go beyond helping those who suffer from mental illness and can help everyone feel better about their work. Examples of this increased emphasis on mental wellness can be seen in European countries where work weeks are shorter, vacation times are longer, and employees are generally happier to be working for their company. If only America could pick up these same practices, maybe our workforce would be better for it.
Changing the Workplace for the Better
Especially in the workplace, Mental Health Awareness Day — where it is frowned upon to discuss these ailments —can help create a dialogue that could lead to lasting changes for everyone.
Being a professional working women who suffers from mental illness can be difficult. Facing the constant stigma of our conditions, as well as the threat of losing our jobs if we’re having a bad day, or even being the subject of ridicule or discrimination because we can’t “showcase” our condition, is a daily worry. There will always be someone to try to put you down for something you cannot control about yourself.
However, our office is no place to face this sort of targeted discrimination, and having a supportive and understanding boss can help prevent sufferers from being alienate at their place of employment. Additionally, raising awareness around the effects of mental illness and stress in the workplace can help carve the paths for healthier lifestyle choices and happier employees.
There are ways to make lasting change in the office and in our lives, but it starts with one simple step: having a conversation. If you suffer from mental illness and feel like your manager will be receptive to discussing your concerns, then maybe it’s time to have that talk. If you’re a manager and want to showcase your support for all your employees, be open about allowing mental health days in the office, and perhaps provide resources for those that need it.
Finally, if you suffer from serious mental illness and are afraid that it will interfere with your work, know that you are not suffering alone. Seek out help, find treatment, and know that although you may have this condition forever, it will not limit the great things you plan to do with your life. You do not have to suffer in silence, and you do not deserve to be stigmatized. Let’s work on making the world a little better for everyone.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com
How to Stay & Rise, Rather Than Leave
Career Advice, Next LevelGuest contributed by Avery-Taylor Philips
More and more often we hear stories of women in executive positions leaving the corporate world and setting up their own businesses. Female entrepreneurship has been on the rise in recent years. Why is this and what causes women to leave their executive positions rather than continuing to progress within their organizations?
Women face many challenges, barriers and obstacles in the corporate world and evidence suggests that gender equality within the workplace is stalling. It appears that one barrier to women rising in the corporate world could be the lack of flexibility in allowing women time off to raise their children. A recent study from Visier, a workforce analytics firm, showed that gender wage gap at large United States employers widens at age 32 when women earn 90% of their male counterpart’s income. There is no data in this study to suggest that this is because 32 is the age that many women leave work to have and care for children, as many women do not have children at 32, so although it could be correlatory it is not 100% causal. What does happen is that it is the time when workers start to advance up the corporate ladder. The study noted that men and women seem to hold the same number of management positions through their 20s, but on hitting 32, men hold a significantly higher number of these positions.
This cycle leads to less and less women in executive positions, never really turning the tables on the issue of women in executive committee positions. In fact, today women run 30% of the the world’s businesses, but only 5% of the largest ones have women in the top echelons.
Is there a way to get around this? What can we as women do about it? An alternate way we can respond is by refusing to leave. Despite inevitable frustrations, is it worth sticking around, perhaps staying to rise, especially if the company is one you believe in? While there may not be one right answer to this complex question, there are women who have chosen to stick around, rising and reinventing their careers within their fields of expertise.
One such woman is Holly Peterson. After graduating from Brown University, Peterson spent some years traveling all over the world as a network television producer for ABC News. “I completely understand why Harvard-educated women say, ‘I’m not going to work sixteen hours a day and do a ton of travel when I have three kids,’” Peterson says. “But what they don’t understand is that there’s a deep melancholy that sets in, and they wake up at 47 and literally don’t know what to do. No one’s going to hire you.”
Unlike many women in the same position, Ms. Peterson chose to stick with her career. Apart from being a novelist, she juggles two other jobs including writing a regular column for Town and Country as well as serving as president of the Joan Ganz Cooney Foundation, to promote early childhood education and criminal justice reform. While her choices may not suit all women, they do serve as a reminder on how women can make it to the top while defining their own success.
Ms. Peterson isn’t alone. A previous article on theglasshammer discusses the complexities of the opt-out conversation and show that in a study authored by Joni Hersch, Professor of Law and Economics at Vanderbilt Law School, it was found that a vast majority of women were staying in their careers. Opting out was only observable in a tiny segment of the population Hersch studied. “They like working, and would prefer that to not working. It’s not just about being able to afford not to work. It takes a lot of money to stay entertained if you don’t have a job,” she said with a laugh.
Maybe you share the same sentiments as the subjects of Hersch’s study, or are quite taken by Ms. Peterson’s path — either way, it begs the question: how else can we, as women, stay and rise? The Glass Hammer has previously written about the strategies for surmounting career obstacles, and following these tips can help you get to the top, in turn opening the doors for women in management.
As a woman, it’s important to be confident in your abilities. As stated by the Collat School of Business, “One big advantage women offer the business world and management in particular is that they have different sets of life and work experiences than men do and thus different perspectives. This leads to different opinions, different preferences, and different strategies.” In reality, women make exceptional leaders. Acknowledging adversity is key to gaining confidence. “Adversity really does make you stronger,” says Frances Albán, CEO of Albán Communications. “It builds character and resilience. The key is to not let your ego interfere with your ability to stay afloat during hard times.”
Secondly, as mentioned previously on theglasshammer, it is vital to network authentically. In any career, networking plays a huge role is rising up the career ladder. Studies show that women value authenticity but see networking as fake and disruptive. Reconciling this is possible, especially with the prospect of networking in a genuine manner. While men still flourish in the old boy’s network, women need to become authentic networkers, and build advantageous professional relationships.
To stay and rise means putting up with the frustrations that come alongside inequalities, gender biases and more within a traditional workplace. It means having to face your own insecurities, step out of your comfort zone, and still remain true to yourself. But, it also means the tapping into the already existing potential and ability you have to make it to the top and be a driving factor in changing workplace norms.
Disclaimer: Views and opinions of Guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com
Black History Month and Your Role in Helping Others
Black History Month, Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!Black History Month is about celebrating amazing people of color.
For us on theglasshammer.com we celebrate women of color and all types of women all year long but we do recognize that intersectionality is real (simply put, being a woman with another social identity that is “other”, or from the historically non majority group.)
Do a network audit- is there only one type of person in your network? If this cuts along the lines of social identity (gender, ethnicity, LGBT status, class, nationality etc) then make a conscious effort to go to lunch with someone different to you. If you only eat lunch with white women and white men (and you are a white women) then what are you missing? How can you sponsor and advocate women of color on your team? How can you mentor and be mentored by a person of color?
If you are a woman of color reading this column, how can you stay authentic and not assimilate ?
All of these discussions are of course theory and make assumptions that all white women are one way and all women of color are another, which we work very hard on theglasshammer to dispel such stereotypes.
So, go have multiple conversations with people who have had a different journey to you and just listen with an open mind and open heart, because this is how we learn.
Voice of Experience: Noel Abdur-Rahim, Assurance Senior Manager, PwC US
Black History Month, Voices of ExperiencePwC’s Noel Abdur-Rahim knows it’s vital to bring up other professionals alongside you.
“You can’t look around at the other professionals at your level and then above you and say ‘Only one or a few of us can make it,’ thereby setting up a spirit of competition. We are stronger when we leverage all our best qualities and work together, realizing that we can all walk through the door rather than competing with our colleagues.”
That attitude has helped Rahim form important relationships that has led to her ongoing success at PwC.
Rahim began her career in the Assurance practice in PwC’s Detroit office in 2005, after interning there the year before. In 2012, as a manager, she made the personal decision to move to Atlanta, a transfer based on her impressive track record and the strong relationships she had built over the years.
Today, with the many changes being introduced regarding regulations in tax reform, she sees a lot of opportunity for the profession, particularly for those who are strong performers and leaders, who thrive during times of disruptive change.
While Rahim has achieved a high level of success throughout her tenure with PwC, she counts the fact that she was able to graduate college as well as obtain a master’s degree as a first-generation college student as her greatest achievement to date. “These accomplishments made me very proud on behalf of my family and those coming behind me,” she says.
Take Chances and Don’t Count Yourself Out
Along the way Rahim has realized that no one ever expressly tells you that a successful career requires strategy and being thoughtful about where you want to go, while remaining agile.
She wishes she had known earlier that you don’t have to be 100% qualified for the next role in order to raise your hand and express your interest. She notes that women have a tendency to worry they can’t do something because they are missing one of 20 qualities, but that small deficit can often easily be overcome.
“You shouldn’t count yourself out because you are afraid you won’t make it,” she says. “Believe in yourself and ask for those opportunities when you’re 90% of the way because you will learn the remaining 10% when you’re there.”
As a senior associate, she joined PwC’s Senior Select program designed for diverse professionals, where she says the sessions gave her insight into strategies for success. One session that particularly resonated explored how work is a game – not in a negative way, she points out, but if you’re not participating and strategizing about where you want to be, how to get there and talking to others about the right path, you may already have lost.
“We tend to think that if we put our head down and do our job, we’ll be rewarded, but sometimes you will and sometimes you won’t,” she says. “You have to play a part in owning your career and where you will go.” Once she started incorporating that philosophy into her work life, she began noticing subtle positive changes in her opportunities.
Channeling Her Passion Into Leading Diversity Efforts
Rahim currently leads the Assurance diversity efforts in PwC’s Atlanta office – although it’s not a formal role, she was instrumental in spearheading several initiatives that have proven to be successful. First, she went to the leaders in the market to explain her passion for diversity and explained her ideas and suggestions to drive change in the market. Her efforts were welcomed by the partners, and they granted her the ability to lead and drive her ideas forward.
“They have been very flexible with this, which has created a unique culture here in Atlanta that has made an impact on retention and recruitment,” she says.
One particularly successful program piloted out of Atlanta was an initiative to expand diversity efforts in the Birmingham, Ala., office, which is part of the greater Atlanta region. As part of this diversity effort, Rahim proposed developing a mentoring program where diverse managers in Atlanta are paired with counterparts in Birmingham.
She felt it would be more successful if the initial meetings were in person, so the mentors and mentees could meet for a day to build their relationships. “Firm leaders were very supportive and on board, and I think this first in-person interaction made the difference in allowing the program to flourish,” she notes.
Rahim believes that it can be easy to have a misguided perception of what success looks like, especially as a woman or as a black professional, because the public accounting industry has a history of being white male-dominated. It’s important to add role models so that others can see themselves succeeding, even if they don’t look like the vast majority of the leaders.
On that note, she sees how crucial it is to have proactive support from leaders, mentors and sponsors who pull you up and offer encouragement, even if you don’t automatically see yourself in an expanded role.
Embracing Life/Work Balance
With two children, ages 4 and 5, Rahim prioritizes spending as much time with them as she can, while still being able to provide for them. For that reason, she knows it’s important to leave every day between 4:30 and 5, even if many would see that as an impossibility. “I make it work so I can be home with them daily when they get home from school.”
Rahim recently returned from a four-week sabbatical that included a trip to Europe, her first visit overseas alone. “It was the chance to conquer a big fear of mine, as I traveled from Paris to Brussels to Amsterdam, sightseeing and enjoying the cuisine. Most importantly, I came back proud of myself for doing something that previously would have been out of my comfort zone.”
Mover & Shaker: Lisa Goldkamp, Vice President of Partner Development & Sales Solutions at WEX Health
Movers and ShakersBy Cathie Ericson
Hard work indeed pays off – and you can’t shirk that part – but hard work alone doesn’t mean doors will automatically open for you, says Lisa Goldkamp.
The key, she says, is to work smarter and draw on your own emotional intelligence.
“You can’t quietly sit there and expect everyone to recognize your role,” says Goldkamp. “You have to build relationships and be aware of your own personal brand, making sure that people know who you are, and that others are not getting credit for your hard work.”
Advancing Her Career Through Seizing Opportunities and Embracing Change
Goldkamp’s career path has been built on a successful tenure at two organizations. She began as an intern at a company that provided IT training to corporate employees, where she says she quickly learned that effective use of technology can impact your productivity and success.
It wasn’t long until the owner of the franchise saw her potential, and she advanced to managing a team of 15 in operations.
After honing her management skills, he subsequently asked her to step into an account executive role — although she had never considered sales, she took the chance and soon realized how much she loved consulting with clients.
Soon she decided she wanted to relocate to her hometown of St. Louis and leveraged relationships she had built to attain a job with a predecessor of her current company, WEX, which she ultimately joined through a series of mergers and acquisitions.
In fact, she credits her ability to thrive in the face of constant change as a key to her success. “I find that lots of people choose the path of fear during change, but I consider it an opportunity to grow my impact,” Goldkamp notes. “ I look at every change as a challenge to figure out what I can do to embrace new people and situations instead of being paralyzed. Disruption has brought my best breaks.”
Her first role at WEX was in consultative sales using technology to help prospective clients find solutions to complex problems, and over time she grew into a pre-Sales leadership role.
A recent promotion has opened the door to new opportunities, including extending her consultative sales leadership to an expanded team that is focused on bringing sales excellence to prospective and current partners. As a result, she has welcomed new talent to her team whom she can help develop and mentor. “I’m excited to have the chance to build an expanded managerial infrastructure and promote additional leaders.”
Goldkamp knows that she has been fortunate to have people who believed in her, who were willing to go to bat and champion her, and she looks forward to doing the same.
Emulating the Best Qualities Around Her
While she has worked with many individuals she considers to be role models, Goldkamp says she can’t help but look up to WEX CEO Melissa Smith for being both successful and down to earth. The first time they met, when WEX was acquiring her former company, Smith was pregnant with her first child and Goldkamp was pregnant with her second.
Over the years, Goldkamp has had more opportunities to interact with her at company events, and is always struck by how accessible she is. “As we all know, tech firms tend to be male dominated, and I really respect both her career path and who she is as a person.”
Among the qualities that Goldkamp herself aims to portray to others are a positive attitude, a strong work ethic and strong professional and personal relationships, all of which she believes have been crucial to her success. And she notes that you have to trust your coworkers and leaders in order to achieve a strong work/life balance.
Having had three kids in less than four years, that balance currently entails spending time with them whenever she can. She credits her husband, who has been home with the kids for the past five years, as greatly simplifying their life, given their busy schedule and her own travel needs.
Having a support system at work and at home is the key to achieving balance, she finds. “Over the years I have recognized that you can’t control everything or do it all yourself. Becoming a mother highlighted the need to prioritize and empower others since you can’t do it all alone.”
Moving Forward Positively After Losing Your Job
Career Advice, Guest ContributionGuest contributed by Alice Berg
Losing your job can happen to any of us. If you got fired, don’t get desperate. Yes, it is worrying and somewhat frustrating but you should see it as an opportunity to look at your career journey so far. Losing your job could be an opportunity to move in a different direction or even obtain an even more prestigious role you wouldn’t have considered otherwise. What should you do when you get fired and how do you overcome professional hardship and get back on track as fast as possible?
Leave smartly
Getting fired is a bitter pill to swallow, however don’t think of burning bridges. Your main goal is to leave your current firm on a positive note. It is important to save good relationships with your boss, co-workers and even clients in order not to threaten your future career. However, if you think that prejudice occurred and you were unfairly fired from the job because of your sex or race, you can seek legal advice.
Take time for yourself
Your life after being fired still goes on. It is not the right time to get upset and focus on your failure. Take this time to let it go and to adjust to this life change. Take a few days to take stock and to consider what options are open to you that will fully satisfy your professional interests in the future.
Control your emotions
Don’t let getting fired depression take the best of you. Don’t get stressed and try to accept your loss. You can allow yourself to mourn for a couple of days but then you have to leave this traumatic experience in the past and move on. Don’t hold the grudge against your boss or yourself. Manage your emotions and try to think over some positive aspects of being fired. It can be your fresh start, in the first place.
Spend time with the people closest to you
You can use your free time wisely and do things that previously you have never had time to do. You could try something beneficial for your mind and body but most importantly, you can spend more time with your family. While working, you always feel busy and out of time, so often you don’t get the spend as much time with your family as you would like. Now you can! Devote each moment to the people that matter in your life. They will be a strong emotional support for you at this difficult conjuncture.
Make your financial situation clear
After getting fired from a job you should dispose of your money wisely. You never know how much time it will take for you to find a new job. Therefore, you have to assess your financial situation, look over your budget and cut all extra expenses. Your savings will come in handy.
Understand your strengths and weaknesses
Take this time to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Make a list of all your best skills, abilities and experience that set you apart from others. Similarly, list each characteristic and trait that may hinder your way to success. Besides, you can talk to your trustworthy former colleagues and ask them to point out your strong and weak sides. Listen actively and it will be easier for you to figure out what to do to become a better version of yourself.
Once you see an overall picture of what you are good at and what should be changed, you will trigger off your enthusiasm of moving forward and conquering new heights.
Make your dreams come true
Now you are that close to realizing that losing your job is a true blessing for you. Nothing can stop you from making all your dreams come true. First of all, you are open to each new opportunity. If you have ever thought of a career change, but were afraid to take the first step – do it right now! If you have been dreaming of a vacation with your family – go together on a trip!
No time for moaning. Be active!
In order to boost your confidence, you have to be proactive. Think about a career you would like to pursue and do at least 3 useful things that will bring you closer to your dream job. Also, it will not let you get depressed. Use your time effectively. The truth is, you have no time to moan.
Be open for new opportunities
Don’t be afraid of change. It can be overwhelming, but you also will see how exciting it can be! Remember that everything happens for a reason. Who knows, maybe you were fired from your job to have an opportunity to rediscover yourself. It is high time to try something new: visit some professional conferences or meetings, refresh your resume, prepare your social media accounts and LinkedIn profile for job search, get ready for an interview and move forward towards your dreams!
Now you know what to do after getting fired. By implementing these steps to moving on you will have quality time free of your job duties. Use this time wisely and never get desperate and discouraged. Believe in yourself and start your new way to success.
Alice Berg – a blogger from Bath, UK, and a consultant at SkillRoads, who received a degree in Social Work and Applied Social Studies. Now she helps people to find their own way in life, gives career advice and guidance, helps young people to prepare for their careers. You can find Alice on Twitter and Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views of Guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com
Do More of What You Like Doing at Work (and What You Get Paid For)
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!All jobs have tasks that we prefer over other tasks.
Be honest with yourself, how strategically important are the tasks that you are avoiding? If they rank highly either for your current role or as a development skill, then consider setting time aside formally in your calendar to undertake them on a regular basis as habit can be a great way to embrace them.
What are you recognized and rewarded for?
Are you experiencing task creep?
Have a look (or make a list) of what you do every day for a period of a week to see what is officially within your remit and what creeps in there. It might be illuminating to see how you are paid for driving the train but also at times asked tolay the track, clean the engine etc which is time consuming and often not conducive to your time management or skill set.
Contact nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com is you would like to hire an executive coach to help you navigate the path to optimal personal success at work.
Mover and Shaker: Amelie Jeangeorges, Senior Manager, Chief of Staff to the Global Human Capital Leader, PwC
Movers and Shakers“Be authentic, passionate and energized. Never give up as you work hard to get what you want to achieve.”
That’s the advice that Amelie Jeangeorges has for other women who want to succeed.
When Amelie first began her corporate career, she feared she might lose her personal brand and just become a ‘number’. But, at PwC, she’s found she’s only ever been encouraged to build her own personal career path and differentiate herself to create the experience she really wants.
Embracing the Challenge of an International Career
In 2009, having graduated from the French business school ICN with a Master’s degree in Finance and Business, and having completed two internships in London and Luxembourg, Amelie started a career in audit, taking on a role in the Banking Capital Markets (BCM) in Assurance at PwC France in the Paris office. After five years in France, she applied for a tour of duty in PwC’s New York office in BCM audit, where she had the opportunity to serve one of the firm’s largest global clients.
At the end of her audit tour, Amelie realized she wasn’t quite ready to return to France, and chose to pursue an additional international learning experience: supporting the Global Human Capital Partner as Chief of Staff, and helping to deliver the global human capital strategy to empower PwC people in their own careers.
Amelie’s current role is one of her proudest professional achievements to date — having the opportunity to grow personally and professionally despite living in a different cultural and working environment. “I’ve now lived in four different countries, and need to keep challenging myself to forge my path outside of my comfort zone,” she says.
“It’s not always been easy, but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and where I am today within PwC,” she says, acknowledging that taking on this position after almost 10 years in audit has been one of the most important learning experiences and one her best decisions.
Amelie describes her current role as that of a ‘conductor,’ supporting the team to deliver the strategy and coordinate and even lead the projects.
“This experience adds another arrow to my professional quiver because I am gaining additional soft skills,” she says, noting that these are more important than ever given the rate at which technology is disrupting how we work. She believes that the future workplace will not be ‘machines versus humans’ but rather ‘humans enhanced by machines.’ Human skills such as creativity, agility, relationships and leadership will matter more than ever.
Promoting Wellbeing Throughout the Organization
Amelie sees this as an exciting time to be in human capital, as her team focuses on delivering transformational projects in a complex organizational structure.
Recently, Amelie helped launch ‘Be well, work well,’ PwC’s global initiative underscoring the business necessity of addressing wellbeing at work.
“Poor physical and mental health and a lack of personal and organizational purpose, are among the world’s most important societal problems, threatening individual resilience and business sustainability,” she says.
She believes that part of the success of ‘“Be well, work well’” is that it promotes flexibility, which increases the overall diversity, advancement and retention for all employees. The initiative looks at wellbeing not only as a physical component, but across three other dimensions — spiritual, emotional and mental.
“The right energy balance has to be a priority for women, men, parents, non-parents, different generations – everyone. I see that successful people prioritize wellbeing, making it relevant for all profiles and all geographies. It is very important that we all role model wellbeing in our respective private and professional spheres to make our life better and healthier and to appreciate each day,” Amelie says.
In pursuing her own wellbeing, Amelie has seen the importance of balance and spending time with friends and family as it allows her to disconnect from her often-intense working life.
Emulating Women Who Have It All – Success + Balance
Throughout her career, Amelie has been accompanied by key mentors who’ve helped guide her in making the right decisions and analyzing obstacles from all different angles.
“It has been critical for me to leverage their experiences and get their coaching and advice as I am building my own career,” she says, adding that being open-minded to other opportunities and keeping her relationships with her network has helped her earn sponsors who have helped her navigate her way.
There have been a number of career models who have inspired her — most notably women in senior positions, such as her current boss, Agnes Hussherr.
“The women who impress me have earned key positions with numerous responsibilities and yet continue to strive for bigger and better objectives while maintaining work-life balance.”
Initially apprehensive about gender equality and the risk of women not having the same opportunities as men, Amelie sees there have been advances, but still feels there is a lot of work to be done, and it will take time to change the culture and old principles.
“I am very passionate about this diversity topic, and I think we — women and men — should all be feminists to change our world and allow women access to the same level of responsibility with the support they need as a female, a spouse or a mother.”
She embraces diversity on the cultural level as well, given her experience of traveling around the world, which has helped her to develop her global acumen and promoted the importance of being open-minded to different cultures and diverse perspectives.
Mover & Shaker: Irina Hossu, Vice President Finance, Corporate Payments, WEX
Movers and ShakersTrust yourself and your gut, says WEX’ Irina Hossu.
“It’s ok to make mistakes, but you have to realize that a failure is only a failure if you don’t learn from it,” she says, adding that she realizes she has been overly hard on herself at different phases in her career.
“You tend to work to a level where you are trying to be a perfectionist, but you’ll learn more when you own your decisions and mistakes — correct them, learn from them and move on. If you’re not making any mistakes, you’re probably not working hard enough.”
She takes to heart the words of Richard Branson, who once said, “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later.” She says that’s the one piece of advice she would give: To take chances on yourself because if someone offers you this perfect experience, it’s because they see something in you, even if you don’t yet see it yourself.
A Realization of the Many Facets Her Career Path Offered
Hossu says that in her 20s, her answer to what career path she wanted to pursue would have been anything but finance and accounting, but that’s only because at the time she didn’t understand the many facets of that industry.
She started in the technology and services department of Xerox straight out of university, which she says set the trajectory for her career. She spent nine years there in six different roles that gave her ample opportunity to see all sides of the business. Although they were all under the finance umbrella, the diverse functions included promotions, product launches, sales finance, customer-facing tasks, negotiations and legal write-ups, culminating in owning her own P&L.
She followed that with a stint at a multinational beer company and then went to consumer packaged goods, where she spent five years in the professional hair and cosmetics industry. While she was responsible for finance, she also oversaw human resources, legal and supply chain. “I learned so much on the HR side, including understanding the ambiguities you will experience when managing people, which has helped me be able to look at issues and problems through a different lens and made me a better leader.”
While she was there, the company was acquired by Revlon, and she says that her greatest professional achievement was integrating the teams. “There was a genuine respect and camaraderie among the team, coupled with strong skill sets,” Hossu says. “Teams are only as strong as the weakest link, and each member went out of their way to support the others.”
It also helped her learn the valuable lesson to always hire people with different skill sets than hers, and let them run, with the outcome of a smart, cohesive team. “Along the way it has quickly become clear how important it is to have a loose general knowledge of all facets of the business, but realize that you don’t have to be the expert at everything – that the best ideas come from collaboration.”
Fifteen months ago, she joined WEX and the corporate payments industry, where she is currently focused on the travel segment and recent consolidation of key customers. She sees one important emerging trend as the need to differentiate their technology against key competitors, including looking at blockchain and how WEX can be first to market to utilize that new technology and better support customers.
While there is currently indication of competitive pressure across product offerings, pricing and technology, she feels confident that WEX will continue to hold onto its historical success as the first to offer emerging payment technologies, even as other organizations see their successes and emulate their learnings. “We have to remain nimble and listen to customers to make sure we’re offering what they want,” she says.
Believing in Yourself
In many ways, Hossu believes that women tend to be their own worst critics, both at work and home as they try to manage work/life balance.
“We need to do a better job of asking for help when we need it and giving ourselves a break,” she says. That realization came to her starkly when one leader with whom she was working made an off-the-cuff remark that he typically likes to employ women because he had recognized that they traditionally feel they have more to prove and will work harder.
She believes that increased pressure on women to be able to manage it all can sometimes be a detriment to their careers. However, Hossu believes that the current social/political climate, including the MeToo movement, will help shift focus and appreciation for the value women bring.
To help create bonds among other women at WEX, she participates in an informal quarterly Women of WEX group that meets for dinner and networking to bounce ideas off each other. In prior organizations, she has benefited from various courses directed at women in leadership.
“Female leadership tends to be different than male, as women are traditionally more emotional leaders,” which she defines as the benefit of understanding the ability to see situations as “gray,” rather than just black and white. “Women must learn how to use that skill set to their advantage,” she says.
In her own life, Hossu is currently focused on her family, as she and her husband welcomed their first child in October. “I spent the majority of my adult life focusing on my career, but to become a mom has completed me and given me a new perspective on what’s important, which will make me a better professional as well,” she says.
Even with a baby, Hossu believes that travel is still vital. Part of it is her heritage:
Her husband is Australian and she is Romanian/Canadian, and they met on a small island in Thailand. “We hope to instill in our son the importance of embracing other societies and learning to communicate with people who don’t look like you. Having a simple conversation in a culture you’re not familiar with can offer a very powerful lesson you can bring back.”
Mental Health and the Office Why It Matters More Than Ever to Be Open About Your Struggles
Career Advice, Guest ContributionGuest contributed by Katie McBeth
Every year World Mental Health Day is commemorated. This day of recognition is meant to help raise awareness, help dismantle the stigma, and provide those who suffer with access to support if they need it.
The focus of last year was mental health in the office: how awareness, stigma, and our work-life balance can affect workforces around the world. In America, especially, working women are often struggling to balance their life in and out of the office, and are finding it even more difficult to not let the stresses of the outside world affect their work and productivity. Although there is an increased awareness around mental illness, there is still a strong stigma on discussing it at work.
What does this mean for working women who suffer from mental illness? How can we not only become more successful in our careers, but also be more accepted for our invisible conditions? How can office leaders make a difference for all their employees? These questions can be an especially tough to parse, but they are extremely important for opening up the dialogue around mental illness in the office.
Erasing Stigma Through Dialogue
Over a lifetime, it’s estimated that the average full-time American worker spends about 90,000 hours at work. It’s no wonder, then, why this year’s theme of Mental Health Awareness Day was focused on the office. Our jobs take up a large portion of our lives, and the environment around us, our work habits, and our outside life can all factor into our mental and physical well-being.
However, it’s rare to hear conversations about mental health while actually in the office. Much of this can be due to the vulnerability of opening up about mental health conditions, but it could also be due to the fact that patriarchal standards still reign supreme in business. The idea of exposing mental illness — as well as emotion or empathy — can be seen as a weakness.
Numerous studies have come to prove this to be false, and in fact honing your emotional intelligence can play a large part in improving a business and can really shine in management. Empathy and communication, in particular, have shown to reduce employee turnover, improve team morale, and increase productivity for individuals and teams.
When discussing mental health, one of the biggest hurdles in addressing it can be the stigmas that exist around these conditions: both social stigmas (those created by society) and self stigmas (those created internally by people who suffer from mental illness). However, some of those stigmas are beginning to change, and much of that is thanks to the people who are brave enough to speak up and be open about it, and to those that have the empathy and patience to listen and learn. Scientific research has also shown that people are more willing to seek out help — via therapy, counseling, or medication — when they can overcome these stigmas.
For those of us that suffer from mental illness, being open about our struggles and our conditions can be inherently powerful. However, it can be difficult to be open if we don’t have a support system in place. On the reverse, having a supportive, empathetic, and kind boss can be a major factor in helping those that suffer feel less stigmatized by their invisible condition. Empathy is also extremely powerful, especially in the office and especially among those in management and leadership positions.
Accepting Mental Health as Physical Health
There’s a reason mental illness is referred to as an “invisible condition.” Although common misconceptions often overlook the body-mind connection, there is plenty of evidence to show that mental illnesses can have a profound effect on the physical body.
However, the general population that doesn’t suffer from mental illness could still suffer from occasional bouts of depression or anxiety brought on by work, or even external circumstances or trauma —. Prolonged exposure to stress can have physical effects as well, which is why it is all the more important to consider allowing mental health days at work.
Sick days allow employees the opportunity to stay at home and recover from the flu or from injuries. Mental health days, on the other hand, allow employees the opportunity to stay at home, relax, rest, and recover. Even for employees that don’t suffer from mental illness, mental health days allow them a chance to step away from the stress of the office and hopefully find ways to practice de-stressing techniques. About 25 percent of Americans agree that work is a main stress-point for them, and stepping away can help them find tranquility, as well as make them better workers for when they do return to the office.
Organizational stress — can result in disengagement if it goes on too long or is unaddressed. Allowing employees the chance to step away from the stress of work can help them feel more appreciated. It can also help them refocus on tasks and be more engaged in the office.
Mental health days go beyond helping those who suffer from mental illness and can help everyone feel better about their work. Examples of this increased emphasis on mental wellness can be seen in European countries where work weeks are shorter, vacation times are longer, and employees are generally happier to be working for their company. If only America could pick up these same practices, maybe our workforce would be better for it.
Changing the Workplace for the Better
Especially in the workplace, Mental Health Awareness Day — where it is frowned upon to discuss these ailments —can help create a dialogue that could lead to lasting changes for everyone.
Being a professional working women who suffers from mental illness can be difficult. Facing the constant stigma of our conditions, as well as the threat of losing our jobs if we’re having a bad day, or even being the subject of ridicule or discrimination because we can’t “showcase” our condition, is a daily worry. There will always be someone to try to put you down for something you cannot control about yourself.
However, our office is no place to face this sort of targeted discrimination, and having a supportive and understanding boss can help prevent sufferers from being alienate at their place of employment. Additionally, raising awareness around the effects of mental illness and stress in the workplace can help carve the paths for healthier lifestyle choices and happier employees.
There are ways to make lasting change in the office and in our lives, but it starts with one simple step: having a conversation. If you suffer from mental illness and feel like your manager will be receptive to discussing your concerns, then maybe it’s time to have that talk. If you’re a manager and want to showcase your support for all your employees, be open about allowing mental health days in the office, and perhaps provide resources for those that need it.
Finally, if you suffer from serious mental illness and are afraid that it will interfere with your work, know that you are not suffering alone. Seek out help, find treatment, and know that although you may have this condition forever, it will not limit the great things you plan to do with your life. You do not have to suffer in silence, and you do not deserve to be stigmatized. Let’s work on making the world a little better for everyone.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com
Becoming a High Performer – Stress Recovery and Renewal Matters!
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist
As ambitious, hard working women, we are often not satisfied about what we have achieved at work.
We often feel insecure about giving less than 150% at work for fear of losing ground. And, the truth is, most of us work in very competitive industries that require us to be present for long hours, to travel and to take on massive amounts of responsibility. Would we have it any other way? My guess is if you are reading the glasshammer.com, you are interested in hearing how to have more of everything and have it right now!
However, research shows that sustainable high performance requires the executive to harness stress adequately with the right amount of pace and rest for stress recovery. Doing what you love means being well enough to do it. You are human. No matter how good the set up is at the office and at home, chances are you are a little stressed and a little exhausted. Throw kids in the mix and downtime to recover disappears further.
It is time to talk about that while growth is important in climbing the ladder and breaking the ceiling, renewal is even more important so that you can continue to high perform, learn and grow.
Staying well physically and mentally is now something more and more companies are paying attention to. Executives who understand their own sustainability are more likely to avoid burnout and have better longevity in their careers.
Stress also affects how you show up as a team member, manager or leader. Behaviorally, when under stress, most of us have shortcomings from being snappy, to avoidance of issues that need to be addressed. When you do not realize the stress, as it becomes normalized, then you equally might accept your less than optimal behaviors as normal too.
We have developed a group coaching program for high performing talent, and “insecure overachievers” that creates awareness of how stress is effecting your performance and ultimately hindering your development as an executive. By understanding your own neuroscience and your actual data you can understand how to make real change for your mental and physical health.
We are running a virtual cohort where people are matched in pods to work on sustainable high performance.
If you are “high performing talent” and likely to make Managing Director in the next 12 months then this group could be for you.
There is a cost for the 5 month program and it includes psychometric tests, individual and group coaching.
Write to nicki@evolvedpeople.com if you are interested in being considered for this cohort or to schedule a call to discuss this program for your company.