Many times when working with organizations on strategies to increase gender diversity in the leadership ranks the leaders will say " lets just get all the women together and ask them what they want". While this is noble and certainly talking with the women in the organization to understand how they experience the culture is critical it is not "the answer" . One of the most … [Read more...]
Does it Work to Fake it until You Make it?
Do you know that low self-esteem can sabotage your career success? In a recent article in Forbes Woman, author Laura Sinberg states that people with low self-esteem often unconsciously sabotage their careers. Sinberg quotes Lois Frankel, PhD, author of Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office. People with low self-esteem often try to remain under the radar screen because they … [Read more...]
The mystery of Agent Stan Conch…SOLVED!
Do you know Agent Stan Conch? More importantly, can you manage working with him? He is in every part of our work life and personal life. We ALL know and work with Agent Stan Conch. He is wildly unpredictable, can be furiously stormy and always seems to show up at the least opportune times. How does one prepare to deal with his/her Agent Stan Conch? The strong, the … [Read more...]
The Business Case for Building a Flexible Work Culture- Part III
In the Part I and II of this series we talked about the opportunity to support our need for flexible work cultures with a solid business case. We outlined the fact that the majority of our employees require flexibility at some point in their careers. Research increasingly points to flexibility as one of the most important career considerations of staff, emerging leaders and … [Read more...]
What Does it Take to be a Thought Leader?
Last week I attended a panel discussion at Barclay’s in New York City on the topic of How to Be a Thought Leader. The panel included Nicki Gilmour, CEO of The Glass Hammer, Carol Hymowitz, Editorial Director of Forbes Woman, and Barbara Jones, of Editorial Director of Hyperion Books. The discussion focused on professional women and thought leadership. According to … [Read more...]
The Business Case for Building Flexible Work Cultures- Series Part II
In the Part I of this series we talked about the opportunity to support our need for flexible work cultures with a solid business case. We outlined the fact that the majority of our employees require flexibility at some point in their careers. Research increasingly points to flexibility as one of the most important career considerations of staff, emerging leaders and even our … [Read more...]
Is it Possible to be Too Cautious?
Many thought leaders believe that because women are more cautious, they make better decisions. I believe there is some validity in this especially if you look at the recent events on Wall Street. It’s only speculation of course, but there is a widely held opinion that if there was more diversity at the leadership and board level, this current economic crisis might have … [Read more...]
Are You Taking on More Work Without a Promotion?
This question is the topic of a recent article in Harvard Business Review, “Are You The Victim of An Invisible Promotion?” by Ron Ashkenas. The post poses some direct questions to the reader about whether or not your role has changed significantly in the past six months and whether you have been given new responsibilities with no formal promotion or pay raise. Ashkenas … [Read more...]
The Business Case for Building a Flexible Work Culture- Series Part I
Why do organizations offer flexibility? Business - Business- Business. Successful accomplishment of business strategy is the primary reason for building a flexible work culture. The majority of our employees require flexibility at some point in their careers. Research increasingly points to flexibility as one of the most important career considerations of staff, emerging … [Read more...]
The Aspirations of Women
"Women simply do not have the aspiration to pursue C Suite roles which is why we do not see equal numbers of men and women in leadership positions." I have had this conversation more times then I wish to remember when working with organizations on increasing gender diversity in the leadership ranks. The aspirations of women can be a very perplexing yet popular topic of … [Read more...]