In the musings and perspective department by Lisbeth McNabb
Welcome to my blog, talkingw2w. I would like to share from my building a business from a start-up. And share from a vantage point on a consumer sector that our business is working to serve fully: professional women that are working to grow in their careers and trying to get better with the balance of their total selves—personal and professional.
A little about me
At 47 I look at the world, I read books, I see the news, I watch advertising, I talk to my sons and I almost always find myself blending views from my professional and my personal life experiences. And given I have chosen to work every year since I graduated at 21. . . and I work more hours each week than the hours I put to anything else personal, social, or civic . . . the professional view is very developed in me. I feel that in my 40’s and over the next years I think I should give some of myself to impact in some way the work situation for others in an area of professional women in the career work place.
How can I do that? Keep working to share from my perspective with my kids and my husband and men and women I work with, and in sharing keep learning.
My perception of progress today
Last week I was on a panel where 100 women, a lot of students, gave up a day at the University of Texas – Dallas to attend seminars, a luncheon with Florence Shapiro, and a panel with three women and me. I looked at an audience of women and a few men—most of the group was in their 20’s with students and faculty in their 30’s, 40’s,50’s, and 60’s as well. We talked about leadership and as a leader that is a woman in a business world that at each level you are increasingly a minority with achieving men as peers, and what we had learned.
In my 20’s and I did not ever have a meeting that was run to have women (or people) speak directly to helping women in work. So one, I really have liked the last ten years that within two companies and within several associations/non-profits I have been able to give time to develop programming to support women. And two, that both men and women around me saw this as good for business and good for the company or the people around them. And I notice that every year both men and women increasingly see the value with less of the question of—well is focusing on women’s development treating women differently then men. Or does it mean that you are trying to have women unfairly get a job, a promotion, or results at the sacrifice of a man.
The value of good feedback never depreciates
In my 20’s I was mentored by men and women who saw my drive and potential and gave me ideas of how to be better at my work. When I was unclear in my communication they redirected my ideas. When I ran over someone in my race to get the work done they coached me on slowing down and working with others to get more aligned in the race and get more done. They gave me the chance to do first ever work and lead in areas that I had no proven record. So I had a lot of direct feedback and direct encouragement.
Over the years as I moved to senior manager levels and executive levels I had fewer peers and I found that I did not get as clear of feedback. I was much more of a rarity at higher levels and I think, often with thoughtfulness someone held back feedback, not wanting to have me think they were singling me out as a women. Sometimes people perceived my verbal style as emotional given I looked and spoke a little differently than many around me. So given that feedback decreases with career progress at each higher level—find ways to ask for feedback. Make it easier by letting a peer or a peer of your boss know that you are open to building your ideas with feedback. A key takeaway-- I found that the value of good feedback never depreciates.
Bottom line of my first blog
Bottom line, there are seminars and events now that are focused on helping professional women hear lots of feedback and perspectives. There are websites and books, including ours w2wlink.com, that pulls from experts and shares great content and learnings on professional women career fast tracking. There are business associations and online communities to go network and develop yourself at a faster pace.
And have some empathy when, at times, it feels like you give all day at work, you try to get a work out in, you try to be a mom, a wife, a partner and a friend and sometimes the fuel level is pretty low. And when something goes awry at work – the place you give more time then to anything else—it can be really jarring. So having places to get perspective and a more open look at the options—is a place I want to be and help provide and pull from other great places.
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