Advancement of Women in Leadership

Body Language Decoded by Forbes Discusses the Impact for Women

Heidi East McGowan — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:37:34 +0000

Body language such as tilting the head, folding hands in your lap, excessive smiling or twirling your hair are non-verbal cues professional women need to understand. “Research shows that it takes four minutes to make a first impression, and, according to a widely cited study by UCLA professor Albert Mehrabian, body language accounts for 55% of that impression (38% comes from tone of voice; the remaining 7% from our actual words).” Author, Raquel Laneri, provides a brief look at understanding how first impressions are key for women in business at Body Language Decoded by Forbes.

Chief executive of Prescription Solutions Speaks Out on Leadership and Mentorship

Heidi East McGowan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:10:23 +0000

New York Times interview with Jacqueline Kosecoff,chief executive of Prescription Solutions, a UnitedHealth Group company, encourages mentoring programs for women executives. The Divine, Too, Is in the Details encourages women to learn the language of finance, plan for the job you want and understand it doesn’t get easier as you get to the top.

Diversity in the C-Suite: The 2009 Insurance Woman of the Year

Heidi East McGowan — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:55:06 +0000

The 2009 Insurance Woman of the Year, Janice Tomlinson, suggests that “expanding the insurance industry’s workforce diversity, including recruiting and developing more female executives, is not only good politics and good corporate citizenship, but good business.” Award winning Ms. Tomlinson recommends that companies establish proactive recruitment, mentoring and development programs that are family-friendly in Diversity In The C-Suite Draws Talent, Prepares Industry For Emerging Society.

Men’s Advocacy is Essential for Gender Equality at Work

Heidi East McGowan — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:45:20 +0000

Recently released study by Catalyst finds that men’s advocacy is essential to achieve gender equality at work. The study recommends that “organizations can remove barriers by appealing to men’s sense of fairness, providing men with women mentors, exposing men to male leaders who champion inclusion, and inviting men into the discussion through male-only and male/female groups.” Not only do studies show fiscal benefits from gender equality in leadership, but that research shows that men gain significant personal benefits such as better health, freedom to be themselves, and the ability to share financial responsibilities with a spouse or partner when working in a place free of gender bias.

Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity

Heidi East McGowan — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:34:57 +0000

A groundbreaking study by Catalyst discovers that companies with the highest representation of women on their top management teams experienced better financial performance than the group of companies with the lowest representation of women in top management.

Girl Power at School but Not at the Office

Heidi East McGowan — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:13:39 +0000

Hannah Seligson, a woman in her twenties, discusses the steep learning curve women face as they enter the workplace and leave behind the egalitarian classrooms of college. “I saw some men, raised in a different era, who refused to take young women seriously, focused on their appearance and gave them the least desirable assignments. Even in this day and age, I saw women becoming “assistant-ized”— saddled with all the coffee runs and photocopying.” New York Times Interview.

Seligson promotes that perfectionism can lead to paralysis and prevent taking risks. She recommends a strategy to reprogram behavior through ‘shock therapy’ that solicits feedback from valuable colleagues and bosses. Seligson advises that women promote themselves in the workplace, network, and ask for feedback from respected colleagues to develop mentoring relationships.

Seligson notes that the American Association of University Women found that men who are a year out of college make 20 percent more in weekly pay than their female co-workers do. She recommends women ask for pay increases just as their male counterparts do.

More articles and Seligson’s new release, New Girl on the Job, Advice from the Trenches can be found at http://www.hannahseligson.com.

How Female Stars Succeed in New Jobs

admin — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:12:35 +0000

Women who are star performers on Wall Street tend to fare better than men after changing jobs. Why? According to HBS professor Boris Groysberg, star women place greater emphasis than men on external business relationships, and conduct better research on potential employers. Plus: Businesswomen asked to share career experiences.

Groysberg makes the case that women are more invested in external than in-house relationships in the workplace. He adds there are four main reasons why star women maintain external focus: uneasy in-house relationships, poor mentorship, neglect by colleagues, and a vulnerable position in the labor market. Women increase their portable skills and build a broader network by investing in external business relationships. Find out more at http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5949.html.

Groysberg is seeking input from female readers of HBS Working Knowledge who would be willing to share their experiences on strategies for building successful careers. Please email Groysberg at: bgroysberg@hbs.edu.

Advancement of Women in Leadership

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:51:53 +0000

Welcome to the Advancement of Women in Leadership Web site.