Career Women Coaching

Working Mother Guilt

You may have read the February 14 edition of The New Yorker magazine where Tina Fey wrote: "What is the rudest question you can ask a woman?    How old are you?   What do you weigh?   No, the worst question is: How do you juggle it all?  The topic of working moms is a tap-dance recital in a minefield.  'How do you juggle it all?'  people constantly ask me, with a accusatory look in their eyes.  'You're screwing it all up, aren't you?' their eyes say.  My standard answer is that I have the same struggles as any working parent but with the good fortune to be working in my dream job."
 

Women are dancing to a frenzied beat, believing just because they can, they should.  They have been taught, if they are capable of doing something, it shouldn't be necessary to look for help.   This has led women to become frustrated by experiencing long days and frantic schedules.  Many working women are exhausted.  Isn't it time that career women reclaimed their time and life?

What feels modern about screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna’s version of the romantic comedy is that, as she explains it, “the women have goals that are not strictly speaking romantic.”  When a young news producer in McKenna’s “Morning Glory” is transformed by a stunning dress, it is for a job interview, not a date. “The Devil Wears Prada” concludes with a reconciliation between the heroine and her boyfriend, but it is almost besides the point: the happy ending is delivered by a better job.

“I Don’t Know How She Does It,” which comes out in September, could be considered the third in a trilogy of McKenna work-love movies — a grouping that McKenna refers to as “the BlackBerry 3” because the women in them are forever clutching their phones or chucking them or eyeing them longingly or putting them in the freezer (the relationship maybe be put on ice, but only temporarily).

An adaptation of the best-selling novel by Allison Pearson, it’s a witty take on the juggling act performed by working mothers. The film’s trailer is wholly consistent with romantic-comedy tropes: a quick flash of a party heavy on pink décor; a shot of Sarah Jessica Parker, the film’s star, in a passionate clinch. Yes, there will be glamorous settings and a broad-shouldered Mr. Right, but the plot of the film, in which Parker plays a mother and a fund manager, turns on the thrill of work. McKenna makes romantic comedies in which the romance is not so much between a woman and the perfect man but a woman and the perfect career.

McKenna’s solution to romantic-comedy fatigue is not to ironize the genre or make fun of its characters’ (and therefore its audience’s) quests for fulfillment, but to give them what they want: a great guy and a great job, a happy family and professional success.   In McKenna’s films, the protagonists are never left alone with their jobs — the choice is never presented so starkly in the first place. “I like to think that we’ve made some progress,” she said in a recent phone conversation. “That women don’t have to be punished that way.”

Unlike the book’s protagonist, the character played by Sarah Jessica Parker, in the movie "I Don't Know How She Does It," does not quit her job to take up a more modest career that will let her work three days a week or realize that her kids need her more than she needs to work at all. She decides instead to test the boundaries and carve out a better personal life while keeping her full-time job. (Another fantasy: Work-life balance, with no professional cost.)

As it relates to talented women in management, we have recently released a new self-coaching guide that has been written by co-author Barbara McEwen and I over the last three years.

 

The concept of the book came about because of the very real, very important needs that our female clients repeatably expressed in their struggles with the countless roles and duties that are routinely placed on them.  That is why Barb and I have a unique understanding of female perceptions that affect their work and home life challenges along with what approaches have worked well for our women clients.

 

Let's be clear, this book isn't just for the dissatisfied.  It is a prescription for identifying the various aspects of your life that make you unique, without which, you may never be able to understand why you behave or react the way you do.  The book is neither relaxing nor a break from reality where the reader just rides along.  It is a vehicle where the reader is in the driver's seat and sets the GPS to get to where she wants to be in her career and personal life.

Source: The NewYorker, February 14, 2011, The New York Times, August 28, 2011

 Allison Pearson: I Don't Know How She Does It

 

To reclaim your time and life: "When Doing It All Won't Do: A self-coaching guide for career women" by Barbara McEwen & John G. Agno.  

Order the PDF ebook - Workbook Edition (ISBN-10: 0983586527) for only $12.99 (to view full-size on your computer screen or decide to printout locally) today:  Add to Cart

Purchase and download for the Nook eReader at Barnes & Noble  (.ePub Format - ISBN: 9780983586555) for $9.99

Purchase and download at Amazon for the Kindle Edition -(.mobi format - ISBN: 9780983586531) for $9.99   

Purchase and download all eReader formats at Smashwords  (Various Formats, except the pdf Workbook Edition, are available - ISBN: 9780983586524) for $9.99

For more information, visit: www.WhenDoingItAllWontDo.com

In Job Hunting, Personal Connections Matter

Unemployment stood at 9.1% in July.   Still, the jobless rate has stubbornly hovered above 8.5% for more than two years, and economists worry it could stay high for some time.

While surveys show that personal connections are a primary source of hires, today's job seekers devote little time to their networks: Only 9% of their job search is spent contacting friends and relatives to find work, while 51% is devoted to finding ads and sending out applications, according to a paper presented at the Brookings Institution this March by Princeton economist Alan Krueger and Columbia Business School's Andreas Mueller.

Over time, job seekers tend to get more discouraged and actually spend less time searching, said Mr. Mueller.  "We found that the job search was a very depressing activity.  They're sad when they start out, but the longer they are unemployed, the more depressing the episode of job search is," he said.

Meanwhile, about 27.5% of external hires come through a referral, more than any other source, according to staffing consultant CareerXroads.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, August 22, 2011

Sponsoring Women to Success

For women especially, it takes more than meeting expectations to get noticed in today's workplace.

Female employees who work hard and play by the rules are often overlooked when it comes to plum assignments and big promotions.   According to Sponsoring Women to Success, the latest in Catalyst’s groundbreaking series of reports on women and sponsorship, effective sponsorship is critical to accelerating a woman’s career—from getting her noticed by senior-level executives to being considered for her company’s top jobs.

Key findings of this report include:

Sponsorship matters, especially to women. “Good sponsors can supercharge a woman’s career by providing her with access to essential networks, bringing her achievements to the attention of senior-level executives, and recommending her for key assignments,” said Ilene H. Lang, President & CEO of Catalyst. “Effective sponsors also provide career coaching and guidance that enable protégés to make broader and more strategic contributions to their organizations.”

Previous research shows that women can be penalized for exhibiting self-promoting behavior considered acceptable in men but unappealing in women. Because good sponsors recognize and reward talented employees by speaking up on their behalf, sponsorship can help high-performing female employees subvert this double bind.

Sponsorship benefits sponsors, protégés and organizations.  A protégé's career is clearly enhanced by a good relationship with a sponsor. But sponsors benefit too—by establishing reputations as discerning leaders invested in talent sustainability, as powerful contributors to their organization's success, by learning from employees at every level, and gaining leadership skills that can further enhance their own careers.  Sponsors also reported a sense of satisfaction from actively supporting the careers of their most promising employees. Sponsorship benefits companies by creating more effective and committed teams and fostering a “pay it forward” mentality that makes employees feel valued and supported.

Senior-level executives must recognize sponsorship as a necessary component of good leadership.  Executives should understand what good sponsorship entails and how to use their influence to advance high-performing employees’ careers, be vocal advocates for their protégés, and build a foundation of support that will ensure their protégés’ continued success in the organization.  Executives can become sponsors by paying attention to high-performing employees at all levels of an organization, including those who may often go unnoticed.

There is no “silver bullet” for attracting the attention of a high-level sponsor. Sponsoring Women to Success reveals that sponsorship is earned. To attract sponsors, employees need to make their skills, strengths, and work known to colleagues as well as senior leaders. They must build reputations as flexible, collegial professionals who are consistently committed to their own career development.

Smart companies create environments where sponsorship thrives. Companies must explicitly and transparently communicate an expectation of sponsorship to their executives.  “At Catalyst, we believe that sponsorship is something good leaders do,” noted Ms. Lang. “Companies that educate their employees about sponsorship, link it to talent management systems, and make it a hallmark of organizational strategy will reap tremendous rewards.”

Successful sponsorship is a win/win/win. Everyone wins when employees make their talents visible to executives, when executives truly invest in high-performing talent, and when companies foster an expectation and an environment in which sponsorship can flourish.

To reclaim your time and life: "When Doing It All Won't Do: A self-coaching guide for career women" by Barbara McEwen & John G. Agno.  

Order the PDF ebook - Workbook Edition (ISBN-10: 0983586527) for only $12.99 (to view full-size on your computer screen or decide to printout locally) today:  Add to Cart

Purchase and download for the Nook eReader at Barnes & Noble  (.ePub Format - ISBN: 9780983586555) for $9.99

Purchase and download at Amazon for the Kindle Edition -(.mobi format - ISBN: 9780983586531) for $9.99   

Purchase and download all eReader formats at Smashwords  (Various Formats, except the pdf Workbook Edition, are available - ISBN: 9780983586524) for $9.99

For more information, visit: www.WhenDoingItAllWontDo.com

Women & Leadership: How Personal Brands Drive Success

By Guest Author Suzanne Bates

Powerful brands – we experience them every day.  Whether picking up a latte at Starbucks or surfing the Internet via Google on your iPad, each of these corporate brands evokes images in our heads and generates feelings based on what they mean to us.  But few people understand the power of personal brands and how and why they drive career success. 

Women leaders who are brand names: Tory Burch, Dianne von Furstenberg, Oprah Winfrey and Anne Mulcahy all have at least one thing in common – a well-understood brand that not only enhances their reputation as leaders but defines the very DNA of organizations they lead.  

During a decade as the CEO of an executive coaching firm that has clients in world-class companies, I’ve learned that women just don’t do enough to make themselves known.  To be successful, you need to make a name for yourself, but how can you do that if people don’t know who you are and what you stand for? 

Many of us are juggling multiple priorities but if you’ve been in business a while you have probably realized that hard work and loyalty alone won’t get you to the top.  

Discovering Who You Are 

The first step to discovering your brand is to embrace the idea that you have a brand, that it has power and that you can harness it to accelerate your career.  Then you can share these values and lessons to stand out as a leader, attract people to you, win trust, influence decisions, align your team and drive your vision forward. 

The core of your brand is your character; the values that define the authentic you.  How you communicate those values becomes your reputation.  

Telling Your Story     

Think back on the experiences that have shaped who you are – the great and the not-so-great.  Each of those events, positive or negative represents character-building moments that taught you important lessons.  This is your personal treasure chest of experiences from which to draw upon.   

Identify a story from your life or career that was pivotal.  Talk it through with a friend or coach.  What happened and what did you learn about yourself?   Don’t make yourself the “hero” but rather, look for the lesson that might be relevant to others. 

People need to know who you are and what you stand for.  Embracing and communicating your stories will help you develop a more powerful and memorable brand. 

 Suzanne Bates: Discover Your CEO Brand: Secrets to Embracing and Maximizing Your Unique Value as a Leader

About the Author:

Suzanne Bates is one of the most influential voices on communication and leadership today.  She is the best-selling author of Speak Like a CEO, which has been published in 5 languages and is in its 11^th printing, as well as Motivate Like a CEO, and her new book, Discover Your CEO Brand.  As CEO of Bates Communications, she leads a nationally recognized consulting firm to help world-class leaders and organizations to communicate in a powerful, strategic way with their important audiences.  She is a former award winning television journalist.  You can follow her on thepowerspeakerblog.com and on Twitter at CEOCoachBates.  Bates Communications home on the web is www.bates-communications.com

Why are Women the Solution?

  

 

The rapid expansion of emerging markets has presented multinational corporations with unprecedented prospects for growth, including employing well-qualified labor.

New research shows that the solution to the talent constraint lies hidden in plain sight: educated, ambitious women who have the ability to fill the skills gap but are often overlooked by both global and local business leaders---according to "Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women Are the Solution" (August 30, 2011, Harvard Business Press) by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid.

The female talent pool in the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and in the United Arab Emirates is indeed impressive: 55% of college graduates globally are now female and two-thirds of highly qualified women in BRIC/UAE consider themselves very ambitious--twice the rate of their American peers.

The truth is, educated women in emerging markets do not conform to western stereotypes.  These are not oppressed victims, rather, they comprise the best prepared segment of the talent pool.

Despite high aspirations, women in BRIC/UAE nations deal with a complicated and culturally nuanced web of pushes and pulls that can threaten their career ambitions.  Oftentimes they find themselves coping with extreme job (workloads of up to 70 hours a week) while navigating a complex terrain where traditional expectations around women's roles collide head on with their increasingly important role on the social and economic stage.  Also, distinct from their peers in the West, are their care responsibilities, marked by eldercare and extended family pressures.

Here are two important readings for these women and their potential employers:

 Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women Are the Solution

To reclaim your time and life: "When Doing It All Won't Do: A self-coaching guide for career women" by Barbara McEwen & John G. Agno.  

Order the PDF ebook - Workbook Edition (ISBN-10: 0983586527) for only $12.99 (to view full-size on your computer screen or decide to printout locally) today:  Add to Cart

Purchase and download for the Nook eReader at Barnes & Noble  (.ePub Format - ISBN: 9780983586555) for $9.99

Purchase and download at Amazon for the Kindle Edition -(.mobi format - ISBN: 9780983586531) for $9.99   

Purchase and download all eReader formats at Smashwords  (Various Formats, except the pdf Workbook Edition, are available - ISBN: 9780983586524) for $9.99

Gaining a Higher Level of Life Satisfaction

Tens of billions of dollars are spent worldwide every year on employee training, but often the long-term return on investment (“ROI”) remains questionable. 

A new ground-breaking study from researcher and author of The Happiness Advantage Shawn Achor investigates this issue and finds that a new kind of positive psychology training exhibits a valuable ROI. 

A single training session on the principles of positive psychology was shown to improve the overall happiness, energy and stress management skills of 77 managers against a control group.  Subjects were evaluated again four months later, and impressively, the benefits of significantly higher life satisfaction (quality of life) continued compared to the control.  

"By testing employees over many months we can determine if there is a long term ROI," said Shawn Achor, researcher, author of The Happiness Advantage, and consultant to Fortune 500 companies. “This sets a new standard for trainings.”  

In December of 2008 as the worldwide economic crisis was beginning to take shape, a ten minute survey was administered to 77 KPMG managers getting a baseline reading of 14 different metrics including stress, social support and optimism. 

Then, Achor delivered a three hour training entitled “Positive Psychology: the Science of Happiness and Potential” to the 77 mangers.   A week after the training, the survey was re-administered to the experimental group and compared with a control group (managers who did not go through the training but took the surveys). 

In April 2009, both groups were tested again.  Even after four months, the group of trained managers showed significant increases to optimism and life satisfaction - one of the greatest predictors of performance and success.  Extensive studies have shown that employees with higher levels of life satisfaction are more productive, produce greater sales, and are more resilient in the face of challenge. 

The study revealed three findings. First, teaching the principles and strategies of positive psychology is vital to preparing managers to deal better with the challenges of a modern work environment. Second, extensive research has already found that employee life satisfaction is a direct contributor to productivity and performance; thus, a training that conclusively enhances this quality could have far-reaching implications. Lastly and most importantly, this research indicates that even a short training on positive psychology will create a clear and long lasting ROI--an indication that it may be increasingly important for companies to start training their employees on the skills of positive psychology. 

Over the past year, Achor has delivered these lectures and trainings to leaders in 42 different countries. “This is an emerging field and we are excited about its potential to help us rethink trainings,” said Achor. “More studies need to be done, in a variety of industries, to determine how these effects translate into higher profit and performance.  We have only begun to tap into the potential ROI of positive psychology trainings.”

 Shawn Achor: The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work

To reclaim your time and life: "When Doing It All Won't Do: A self-coaching guide for career women" by Barbara McEwen & John G. Agno.  

Order the PDF ebook - Workbook Edition (ISBN-10: 0983586527) for only $12.99 (to view full-size on your computer screen or decide to printout locally) today:  Add to Cart

Purchase and download for the Nook eReader at Barnes & Noble  (.ePub Format - ISBN: 9780983586555) for $9.99

Purchase and download at Amazon for the Kindle Edition -(.mobi format - ISBN: 9780983586531) for $9.99   

Purchase and download all eReader formats at Smashwords  (Various Formats, except the pdf Workbook Edition, are available - ISBN: 9780983586524) for $9.99

Why Not Self-Coaching?

By Guest Author Howard M. Guttman

It’s understandable that companies are willing to invest in professional coaching for senior managers, since they are the ones who are directly responsible for bottom-line results.  But an organization is more than its top tier. 

Many mid-level managers and individual contributors, many of whom are women, also play an important role in producing the quality products and services that ensure profitability.  Unfortunately, few organizations believe that they can justify the expense of professional coaching for these employees. 

Most companies provide mid-tier players with an array of training courses designed to transfer skills. But these are in no way a substitute for coaching.  An executive coach collects specific data about you; holds up a mirror to give you an objective view of your strengths and weaknesses; deals with the whole person; develops plans to bring about permanent behavior changes; and holds your feet to the fire when you falter. 

How can mid-level employees, many of whom will be future leaders, receive these benefits?  

The answer, I believe, is self-coaching.  Self-coaching allows high potentials to take accountability for their own professional development and success—either by eliminating behavior that is hindering them or by adopting new, more productive habits.  Part of the self-coaching process involves a structured approach to identifying and engaging support within your organization.  This is especially important for women, who often lack the know-how to leverage the contacts around them. 

I have been coaching senior executives for more than 20 years, and I have modified the executive coaching process I use so it can be followed by anyone who would like to try self-coaching. If you would like to gain new skills, get a promotion, or increase your value to your company, I suggest that you try using this easy-to-follow process that will enable you to: 

• Clarify, set, and stay committed to a realistic Intention
• Zero in on what has been holding you back
• Find the support you’ve been lacking
• Develop a path for change
• Evaluate yourself along the way
• Make necessary corrections to your plan
• Realize your intention to achieve breakthrough performance

You can find additional information on how to self-coach in my book, Coach Yourself to Win: 7 Steps to Breakthrough Performance on the Job and in Your Life (McGraw-Hill, 2010). I have also created a dedicated Website (http://www.coachyourselftowin.com/), where you will find all the supporting materials you need as you go through the process.

 GUTTMAN: Coach Yourself to Win: 7 Steps to Breakthrough Performance on the Job…and In Your Life

 

To reclaim your time and life: "When Doing It All Won't Do: A self-coaching guide for career women" by Barbara McEwen & John G. Agno.  

Order the PDF ebook - Workbook Edition (ISBN-10: 0983586527) for only $12.99 (to view full-size on your computer screen or decide to printout locally) today:  Add to Cart

Purchase and download for the Nook eReader at Barnes & Noble  (.ePub Format - ISBN: 9780983586555) for $9.99

Purchase and download at Amazon for the Kindle Edition -(.mobi format - ISBN: 9780983586531) for $9.99   

Purchase and download all eReader formats at Smashwords  (Various Formats, except the pdf Workbook Edition, are available - ISBN: 9780983586524) for $9.99