What Its Like to Be a Woman in Leadership in a Workplace-First Environment

What It’s Like to Be a Woman in Leadership in a Workplace-First Environment Over the years, the one question I’ve often heard being asked around which I’ve never quite understood is: “What is it like being a woman in leadership?’  My natural instinct is one of indignation “Why should it be any different from being a man?” Unfortunately, though, whilst the workforce is waking up to the reality that talented women contribute as much as men to an organization, the reality is that we still have a long way to go. In fact, if we look at estimates from the World Economic Forum they suggest that the gender gap won’t close until 2186. So, what are we leaders getting wrong then? How can we get that balance right? Perhaps it starts by recognizing the unconscious bias that’s present in the decisions that we make every day. When hiring: Don’t think separately The most effective organizations, in my view, are those that don’t simply use diversity in order to secure legitimacy but use it to actually increase the cultural competence in their workforce. Companies must avoid thinking of men and women separately. It isn’t about categorizing, it’s about being able to bring together people with different identities uniquely and in a way that makes them both feel inclusive. As a leader, this requires an important degree of both emotional and social intelligence the ability to rise above the need of having to justify or validate, which would imply turning this into a box-ticking exercise. When promoting: Leadership isn’t innate Research shows that even when a woman has the same experience, tenure, and jobs as men, they have a much lower chance of being promoted. What is stopping us from ensuring the likelihood of promotion comes down to capability and readiness, irrelevant of gender? Well, many of us erroneously believe that leadership is innate â€" people are born as leaders. What’s more, many of us think this principle applies mostly to men not women. When it comes to promoting women we often assess more thoroughly: Will she be able to cope with the pressure? Can she lead a team? We don’t do that all that often with men. The reality? Neither men nor women are born leaders, it requires skills like any other new role that one must learn and apply. A person will not necessarily be ready to become the ‘best’ mentor or the ‘best’ team player just because they have the technical expertise, regardless of gender. They are separate skills and we need to teach them before promoting someone. It’s no surprise then to see so many managers lacking the right leadership skills â€" which in turns means the inability to hire, coach and motivate other team members correctly. When determining pay: Think rationally Equal pay dictates that staff doing the same job must be paid the same amount. The trouble is that very rarely are jobs the same nor are the values we need today’s staff to bring to our business. I, therefore, agree that it’s not easy to pay everyone equally nor is it always fair to do so. However, it’s equally unacceptable to use irrational judgments to determine pay. I am a firm believer that in this day and age, we should be paid based on our value added. That is not simply for what we do within the scope of our profession, and definitely not because we belong to one gender or another or are older or younger than our peers, but because we’ve got a set of skills that are invaluable to the company. This implies the combination of traditional ‘hard skills’ â€" the ones required to get the job done on a practical level, ‘softer skills’ â€" a combination of people skills, social skills, attitudes and social and emotional intelligence and finally, what we like to call ‘cultural significance attributes’ â€" an individual’s character traits that foster your company culture. At the heart of our efforts to fight against this, our role as leaders should be to help all women in our workplace understand the matchless value they bring to their company; help them define leadership on their own terms and confidently determine their professional trajectory. So let’s all #PressforProgress. Together we can do this! About the author:  Deborah Knight, is the Director of Client Services at Perkbox,  an employee benefits service that is designed to reward employees for all their hard work and make life a little more affordable.

Who Is Your Professional Catalyst - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Who Is Your Professional Catalyst - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Each of us have a few people in our lives who got us started down the paths weve followed. It could have been an English teacher who encouraged you to write that started you down the path to being a writer, or a supervisor at work who put you on a project that led to an entire career shift. For me, I can point to one guy, Darrin, who helped me get my start in Indianapolis as a business owner and networker. Hes the catalyst â€" the cue ball â€" who started my life on the path that brought me to the place where Im writing this very blog post. I first moved to Indianapolis to work for Darrin at his marketing agency, and a couple years later, eventually landed a sales and marketing job because of his connection to another guy who became my new boss. In that time, Darrin introduced me to a networking group called Rainmakers, which helped me learn how to network properly. He introduced me to a former colleague of his who had started Smaller Indiana, where I learned the power of social media. It was through Smaller Indiana where I met Kyle Lacy â€" a former Personal Branding Blog writer â€" and my co-author for Branding Yourself. That book led to a friendship with Jason Falls, which led to the co-writing of No Bullshit Social Media. In fact, nearly every professional accomplishment in my life I can point to person A, who I met through person B, who I met through Person C, who I met because of Darrin. So who is your catalyst? Who sent you off in a direction that led to your professional accomplishments and victories? And if youre just starting out, whos the person who inspired you to reach this point? This is Why You Need to Network With networking, you may end up meeting someone who will have that impact on your life. And youll never know who they will be or where youll meet them. You could meet them at a networking meeting tomorrow, it could be your new boss next year. It could have been a 9th grade teacher, or it could be someone who you met for coffee last week. You need to keep your eyes and ears open for the people you meet, and never discount someone because they cant directly benefit you right at that moment. The relationship may not reach its full potential and purpose for another three years. When I met Darrin back in 1991, we had no idea about the impact of that meeting, or what it would mean. But I know that if I hadnt met him, I wouldnt have been in the place to do any of the things I have. Once you identify your personal catalyst, take a few minutes and let them know what they did for you, and how they ended up causing your life to take an interesting twist that you might have never seen. Try to imagine where your life would have been if they hadnt been there to send you off in the right direction in the first place. Author: Erik Deckers is the owner of Professional Blog Service, and the co-author of Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself, which is now in its 2nd edition. He co-wrote his previous book, No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to Social Media Marketing, with Jason Falls in 2011; both books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes Noble, and Books-A-Million. Erik is also a professional speaker. And he knows that none of this would have happened without Darrin.

Reboot For Improved Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Reboot For Improved Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Back in the corporate sales environment, a kind I.T. Manager, upon hearing me angrily talking back to my computer, advised, “Elinor, when your computer gives you challenges, just re-boot!” His advice definitely applies to entrepreneurship. We hear about authors experiencing writers block, job seekers who feel they are “up a wall,” and business owners who run out of new ideas. We too, need to re-boot. Have you ever noticed that when you move away from the daily grind to do something enjoyable, or even exercise, that your mind begins to freely wander? Once relaxed or with the adrenaline flowing, I find my creative thoughts also begin to flow. Multiple ways to reboot allow you to find the freedom to express your true desires for business. Most importantly clarity is found. It might be as simple as running errands, listening to music or getting together with friends. When “to do” lists run long, you will be best off taking a time-out just as is done in sports. The only caveat is to remain on target with your goals and daily perseverance for every scheduled working day. Planning for vacation in regard to your work is another way to re-boot. Desiring relaxation this summer, I made a promise to myself to plan ahead for what I consider daily work. Our technology makes this much easier today and being away far more pleasurable. On a daily basis, I share video advice online. However being away, I would not want to take the time. Therefore, I recorded enough daily tips and saved them on an internet server. So rather than taking a number of minutes each vacation day to record and share, it will only require a few short moments. The same may be done for your blog, any articles you write or other projects you have in the works that include internet access. Planning and simplifying your workload and processes will allow you to approach your work more efficiently and in a more relaxed state. You will then be ready to approach others in a friendlier and relaxed manner upon your return. This is the key to successful selling; do not be in a hurry but make certain to have a quality conversation or a few upfront. This relaxed style will build your brand as being “the one salesperson to trust” and, on many levels will help you increase your sales and clientele. This advice also relates to your priorities. They should always be in check. Once you have your long-term vision in place and a plan in place for achieving it, projects should be prioritized. That is the big picture for your business. However, on a day to day and weekly basis, another good practice is to highlight the “must-do’s” for the week, and the “must-do’s for each working day. This way, when interruptions arise, and you just need to relax for a moment, you know precisely what still needs to be done before end of day and what may wait for tomorrow. Operating in this manner, you will be headed for a very Smooth Sale! Author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” and “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”. She provides team sales training, private coaching and business retreats to grow you business, and an inspiring keynote for your next convention. Elinor is available upon request for consultation.

How to Increase Your Social Influence - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Increase Your Social Influence - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career No longer is your social importance measured solely by the number of followers you have. More important than quantity is the quality of engagement you have with the people who follow you. Resources such as Klout, measure this level of engagement as a way to quantify your influence. Social influence is the effect you have on others’ emotions, opinions and behaviors. One of the most well-known influencers is Oprah. She can recommend a book or product, and immediately her followers are buying. Influence is important for several reasons. Managers need influence to encourage the people who work with them to get things done. Bloggers vie for influence to get sponsors. Ultimately, the benefit of social influence in your small business is that it can set yourself apart as an expert and leader.  Here are a few things you can do to gain social influence. Give value. The more you give, the more you’ll get in return. Some people like to hold on to their best stuff to sell in their business. But don’t be afraid to give your followers useful, helpful tips that will benefit them. The more value you give, the more your followers will engage and tell others. Share the love. While you should share your own business ideas and tips, sharing information from other resources will show that you pay attention to your industry and want to give the best information to your followers regardless of the source. The people whose information you share, will often return the favor. Engage with influencers. Don’t follow or comment with the top experts in your field simply for the goal of getting them to recommend you or pull you up to their level. Remember, influence is earned. Instead, connect, share and discuss information and ideas with others in your industry. When they see you know what you’re talking about or feel you have something of value to share (#1), they’ll engage with you as well. Tap into emotion. Influencers often have evangelist followers, not in the religious sense, but in the sense that these people believe in and are excited about the influencer. Building an engaged excited following requires tapping into emotions, whether its sharing happy, funny or even angry information, although be careful about being negative too often. Be approachable. Influence is about people listening to you, and the best way to that is to listen to them. Pay attention to their needs, which will allow you to deliver value (#1). Respond to and engage with them. Followers that feel heard are more likely to engage with you and share your information with others, thereby expanding your influence. Social influence is something most business people want, but it’s not obtained simply through tweeting at the right times of day or buying the most followers. Instead, influenced is earned, little by little, through authentic sharing of information, tips and other items of interest to followers. It grows slowly, but if done right, is strong, and becomes a powerful force in growing your business.

The 3-step Strategy to Conquer Ageism in Executive Job Search - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

The 3-step Strategy to Conquer Ageism in Executive Job Search

The Art Of Running A Business

The Art Of Running A Business Running a business should be considered a form of art. The amount of concentration, determination, and execution that it takes is immense. Right from the very beginning your problem solving skills, as well as decision making skills will be put to the test. For a first time business owner, it can be rather worrying. For someone who has been in the game for a few years, it may just become natural. But we’re aiming to talk to those who are new to business, and those who might be struggling with the day to day management of it. The art of running a business doesn’t come naturally to some, but for some, running a business is the only career they see themselves working in. So, for those of you that find yourself unsure, here is how you can master the art of running a business to make sure you take your business to successful heights. Making Connections Making connections with the people you meet through business is so important. To put it into terms that will make it easier to understand, we’re going to refer to your school years. However many moons ago they might have been, you will remember that making friends within the first few weeks was essential. They were the people who would carry you through your school years, and be there for you whenever you needed them. If you think of the connections you need to make within business like this, you’re going to go far. The amount of connections you’re going to need to make throughout the years will grow and grow, but as they do your business will get stronger and stronger. One of the first connections you’ll make is with a financial adviser and accountant. In the first few months, they will be your saving grace with guidance on how your finances are doing, and if you are heading towards deep waters. Having an accountant that you can trust to actually manage your finances is esse ntial. Like with most people in life, a lot of accountants are just out there to take your money, and the time they invest into managing your accounts isn’t as good as it should be. So, do your research and find some recommendations. The sooner you find someone reliable, and someone you can actually get along with, the sooner you can relax with your finances. Managing Your Time Unless you went straight from school and into managing your first business, it might be hard to manage your time. It’s not going to be a structured life, and in the beginning you’re going to be dealing with a few sleepless nights, many weekends at the office, and a lack of social life that might be hard to deal with. But that doesn’t last, and it’s just the effort needed to actually get a business off the ground. As time goes on, you’ll find that your time becomes more free, but by no means does it compare to the freedom of a normal 9-5 job. To manage your time effectively, you need to be able to plan in advance, and actually make sure you stick to a schedule that you create. So, if you know you’ve got a day full of meetings on Thursday, make sure all the daily tasks of running a business that you manage are completed by the Wednesday night. You’ll then have the Thursday to focus on the task at hand, rather than having your mind wander to the tasks you know you were meant to be completing. When planning your week, you also need to make sure you’re giving yourself some time to rest and recover. Mid week is usually the perfect time for this. Take the afternoon off, spend it with family or friends, and forget about everything business related. It’s going to be so easy to overload yourself and become purely business based. You’ll lose touch on reality, and can often lose contact with those that you would have considered your nearest and dearest. Plus, when you come in the next day, your mind will be refreshed and ready to focus on the rest of the week. Wherever possible, you should also try and give yourself at least one day of the weekend to go and enjoy yourself! Owning a business will make you a lot of money if you do it right, and that money can be put to good use with a couple of days off a week, and the odd treat here and there whilst you’re finding your feet in the business world. Managing Your Employees Managing your employees is a skill that isn’t going to come easy. Unless you’ve had previous managerial experience, it can be rather intimidating. The process of hiring your first employee, and knowing how to treat them is one we’re going to explain to you. You’ve got two options when it comes to hiring. You can either outsource to an agency, or you can try it yourself by putting a job advert out. For your first time, we highly recommend that you do it yourself. It gives you the full feel of the person you’re hiring, and you won’t be hit with any major fees that an agency might charge. It also helps you build more of a connection right from the beginning, something a lot of companies fail to do. It might benefit you to do a probation period. Your employee has to prove themselves, and you need to know that they’re perfect for the job. A 3 month probation period for example is the perfect way of getting to know someone. Just make sure you actually are monitoring their progress throughout to get a clear understand of whether they’re right for the role. As for keeping a group of employees happy, there’s one big thing that you can do. If you’re a company that works shifts, it’s essential that you’re not putting the same person on the same shift, unless of course they have specifically requested that. What is a rotating shift? It is one that you can create that will allow individual employees to switch between shift times. It gives them and yourself more flexibility and happiness. You should make it a priority that your employees are safe and happy within the workplace. You should always encourage honesty, and make sure that your door is always open to deal with problems they may have. The more confidence they feel when talking to you, the better your business is going to be ran. Events Attending events is something you should do right from the very start. In fact, you should try and attend some trading events or conferences before you even launch your business. The valuable insight they can give you with regards to improving business processes could be the key to your success. The more information you’re armed with, the further you’re going to be able to go. When your company is up and running, attending trade events is essential. It is a form of marketing that some companies seem to ignore, but what can be better than face to face interaction with potential customers? However nerve wracking it might be, it’s the perfect chance for you to share your business with the world. There is always a fee involved with having a stand at a trade event, but the marketing you will do on the day should be able to cover the majority of the costs that you will have had to spend in the beginning. Just make sure your stand is fun and interesting, with perhaps a freebie to lure potential customers over. So now you can see there are many factors associated with the art of running a business, but hopefully now they will be much clearer for you, and your business will be as successful as you want it to be.

Writing Proposals in a Resume - The Key to a Strong Writing Resume

Writing Proposals in a Resume - The Key to a Strong Writing ResumeWriting proposals in a resume is a crucial part of the writing process. This is because the proposal will be the point where the potential employer will learn what your business brings to the table. Thus, you must make sure that you are writing a proposal that stands out from the rest.It will be best if you start by developing your writing skills by first developing a clear idea about what your proposal is supposed to be about. There are some good tools out there to help you with this.The first step in developing your proposal writing skills is to research what you will be submitting to a potential employer. There are many resources that can help you with this. The most important thing to do here is to develop a brainstorming session where you ask yourself questions that can lead you to a direction in which you want to go with your proposal. From here, you can start building out your research on the best way to approac h a prospective employer.Once you have a plan in mind, you can now move forward and begin to develop your writing skills. The next thing you want to do is to start working on the outline of your project. This is essential to get you started and it also gives you the freedom to work around other projects you may have at the time.After you have an outline of the proposal, you can now begin writing it out. At this point, you may want to hire someone to help you out with this part of the process. This person can also be your editor, but it would be best to do your own editing if possible.Start by outlining the main points of the proposal that you have written. Then you will want to go back and re-read the outline of the project so that you can build up on the ideas that you wanted to incorporate into the final product.After you have done this, you can now go back and rewrite the proposal so that it stands out from the rest. You can do this by reworking your title or by changing your par agraph breaks.Writing proposals in a resume is not as difficult as you might think. Once you have developed a strong sense of how you want to present your proposal, you will find that writing a proposal in a resume is very easy.