Five Tips for Women's Advancement

Tuti Scott - Monday, November 21, 2011

A wise expert on management coaching, John Keyser, asked me to pen some thoughts that might be helpful to women seeking leadership positions in business.   John is one of the guys who gets it; he knows that men are promoted because of their potential while women must prove themselves
over and over to be promoted.  The research group Catalyst has confirmed this in their studies.

Much has been studied and shared about women’s leadership and the lessons that must be embraced for success.  Here are some helpful ideas for women to consider for advancement in the work place:

  1. Get ‘investors’ behind you.  Find people who will go to bat for you and ask them to think of you for projects, committees, speaking opportunities, etc.  Ideally this would be a senior ranking male in your firm who knows your skills and will comfortably recommend you for projects and promotions.    Men will often say to a CEO; “I want to work for you”.  Women need to be bold and say the same. 
  2. Share your wins.  As a general rule, women are averse to ‘bragging’ yet this often means they are overlooked for promotions as their accomplishments are not showcased or not known by the leadership.  After leading your team to completion of a successful project, write a thank you to all members of your team, with a cc to the CEO, that details these accomplishments.   Then the CEO will have clear data on your work and efforts. 
  3. Raise your hand.  Find out what associations are applicable for your industry or sector -- where the leaders you admire are involved.  Join these groups and volunteer for committees.  The chairs of these committees are well respected and connected individuals and will notice the work of a good committee member.  Their recommendation of you for a position will be well received. 
  4. Be your best friend… and saleswoman.  I am often in awe of how men introduce themselves compared to a woman’s modesty.  Humility works for sure but women must make sure they don’t discount what they have accomplished.  Try an introduction that truly summarizes the breadth of your work; “I am an  entrepreneur who has built four successful businesses including a real estate company, a health care practice, a consulting practice, and a national nonprofit organization.  All of my work incorporates women’s empowerment around their bodies, leadership, money, and the true ownership of power.”
  5. Report to a Board that looks like you.   If you hear the leadership say, we can’t find any women for our Board, refer them to this smart list of resources.

 

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Jennifer Buffett - 10 Concepts Worth Sharing

Tuti Scott - Thursday, November 10, 2011

Jennifer Buffett will change the world. You may not know her now, but when all is said and done I believe she will own the title, The First Lady of Women’s Social Change Philanthropy.  Jennifer is the life size symbol of NoVo – to alter, invent.  The NoVo Foundation she created with her husband Peter is based on the premise that if you give a girl an opportunity, she will become a successful woman who will in turn create successful communities, businesses, and families.  Jennifer’s story is just that.

After deep examination of the focus of their philanthropy and a personal examination of her own expression of her values and influence, Jennifer is speaking around the world sharing her personal story and experiences. She and her husband Peter spent years examining the interrelation between systems, culture, and relationships to determine place of impact and opportunity for change before launching the largest foundation serving women and girls, the NoVo Foundation.   Jennifer has incredible perspective to offer activists, social change drivers, and philanthropists and after hearing her recently, I distilled these ten concepts that are worth sharing; 

  1. Look at the roots of the problems, examine patterns and themes and find the programs and the stories that rule the world and which ones make sense.
  2. Acknowledge two conflicting truths:  1. Girls and women are the primary drivers of change.  2. Cultural attitudes and systems put girls in a vicious cycle; blaming them and affirming that they are not valued.   The girl effect demonstrates that if you invest in a girl, her family thrives, she contributes to her community, and eventually her country succeeds.
  3. Invest in places where value is held and not yet recognized.  Note:  there are 600 million adolescent girls living in the developing world who are currently ‘undervalued assets’. 
  4. Value balance and partnership and affirm feminine values. 
  5. Encourage women to use their voice, say what is want and needed, take credit, and invite men to join as equal partners and co-creators. 
  6. As a woman, choose to be seen and heard and work to change the course of the boat named Earth Community. 
  7. Improve gender dynamics by recognizing that the qualities in the masculine ‘toolbox’ - force, hierarchy, punitive, and a focus on head not heart - are learned, normalized, and internalized. 
  8. Honor and showcase the characteristics found in the feminine toolbox; listening, connectedness, experiential learning, honoring innate cycles and rhythms, and wholeness. 
  9. Establish learning environments that allow for inquiry and participation. 
  10. As conduits of feminine energies, allow the most precious qualities of clarity, strength, knowing and vulnerability of yourself to come into full light. 
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Tuti Scott is a thought leader on women's philanthropy, leadership, and social change. These are her ideas...

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