Over the past five years I’ve seen every type of clothing attire in work situations, from business suits to low cut tops and jeans to gym clothes.  I’ve even seen a woman wearing a ski parka over her business skirt suit!  Through it all I’ve had a lot of women ask me about the connection of clothing and career success. 

Based on two surveys, it appears that “casually dressed workers may be risking career success for the privilege of being comfortable” according to Marcia Heroux Pounds. 

Key survey results from the article:

• How employees dress at work directly affects their prospects for a promotion (survey of workers and HR professionals by Yahoo HotJobs and Banana Republic)
• While employees who dress casually are perceived to be more creative and fun, they also run the risk of being taken less seriously (survey by TheLadders.com, and looking at executives’ attitudes about dress code)

The article included good suggestions for clothing attire at work:

• Pay attention to what your boss wears
• Make sure your clothes fit well
• Tone down your look for work
• Keep a nice pair of shoes and a blazer in your cubicle/office so you’re prepared for high-level meetings
• Always be ready for an unexpected meeting with the CEO
• Even on “casual day,” dress stylishly and professional

 
Years ago, back when I was in college and just about to graduate, someone gave me advice that I’ve followed all these years.  They told me that whatever I chose to do in my career, always look two levels higher than where I am at and dress like they dress.  What great advice that turned out to be!

Not sure what’s appropriate attire where you work?  Ask your manager.  According to the Yahoo survey, “61 percent of workers admit they either don’t know or don’t care about their company dress code.” 

Do you have any clothing horror stories from work?  Share them in the comments section.

A buzz word has emerged in business recently, “Retention Leadership,” and it could have powerful implications for improving business success.  In our increasingly service oriented economy, people are often the most important assets and retaining good employees is key to business success.  According to an article by Karla Brandau, there are three critical leadership drivers that can bring high retention results. 

Here’s a short summary of those drivers:

• Driver One, Connect on a Human Level:  Start with managers who are able to connect with people on a human level. These managers must be able to do more than just force compliance to rules and policies.  They must be experts who posses charisma, drive, pizzazz, and genuinely care about teammates and the company’s product portfolio.  If you are the manager, make sure you check your ego, flex your style and exhibit optimism – keep morale positive.
• Driver Two, Offer Leadership Training that Focuses on the Growth of the Employee:  “Studies document that an employee’s level of satisfaction with their direct manager’s leadership style is critical to a satisfactory work environment and to retention.”  Managers need to provide information, support, resources, and opportunities for employees to grow in their careers in order to retain the best ones.
• Driver Three, Insist on Ethical Conduct:  “The fastest way to alienate the best and the brightest of your workforce and send them networking for another job is to destroy trust by unethical behaviors.”  Managers need to make sure they and their employees are living the organization’s mission and vision, leading by example, encouraging and holding candid conversations, replacing blame with problem analysis, and rewarding employees appropriately.

Do you have tips on how to retain the best people in this still difficult economy?  Please share them in the comments below.

The New York Times defines “maternal profiling” as “Employment discrimination against a woman who has, or will have, children. The term has been popularized by members of MomsRising, an advocacy group promoting the rights of mothers in the workplace.”  Did you also know that “women without children make 90 cents to a man’s dollar, but mothers make only 73 cents to a man’s dollar, and single mothers make about 60 cents to a man’s dollar,” according to Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner.  Surprised?  Keep reading…

I recently read an article titled, “Spread the word about maternal profiling” by Ms. Rowe-Finkbeiner and it captured my attention because of the horrific statistics on maternal profiling.  For example, a study by the American Journal of Sociology recently found that “mothers are 79 percent less likely to be hired than non-mothers with equal résumés and job experiences.”

Maternal profiling is a real phenomenon happening today and is a “significant and shared problem that has negative impact on vast numbers of women in our nation.”  Ms. Rowe-Finkbeiner believes there are several ways we can all work together to end maternal profiling, including:

• Change policies for the better:  Fight for family-friendly policies as well as laws that protect mothers and caregivers from discrimination in the workplace.  Countries that have family-friendly policies in place do not have the same degree of maternal wage hits as the USA.
• Spread the word:  Help as many people as possible learn about the widespread practice of maternal profiling.  Fight for cultural change to help stop this negative practice. 

I agree with Ms. Rowe-Finkbeiner.  We need to work together to stop maternal profiling and the more people who become aware of it; the faster we can stop it!  Mom or not, please help to spread the word.

Only 43 percent of women said they felt prepared to succeed in the global world of the future according to Accenture research.  The study, titled, “One Step Ahead of 2011:  A New Horizon for Working Women”, surveyed 4,100 business professionals from medium to large organizations between December 2007 and January 2008.  The results were surprising. 

Here’s a summary of their key findings:

• Women were more likely than men to anticipate significant change in the culture of business by 2011 (women: 54 percent versus men: 50 percent)
• Women were significantly more likely than men to rate working for a company that is socially and environmentally responsible as important (women: 47 percent versus men: 39 percent)
• Women saw valuing diverse teams and opinions as more critical for future leaders (women: 59 percent versus men: 49 percent)
• Women placed greater importance on having a global professional network in order to succeed in business in 2011 (women: 62 percent versus men: 58 percent)
• The area both women and men reported feeling least equipped for 2011 is in business relationship skills (women: 57 percent and men: 55 percent)

The study also sought to determine the skills women could improve upon in order to better equip themselves for a new era of globalization:

• Agility:  Willingness to take on additional responsibility and complexity; stretching beyond comfort zone; role versatility; relocating to another country
• Global skills:  Understanding that business culture is changing; perceived readiness to succeed in global business environment
• Technology:  Importance of leveraging new technologies; relationships managed by technology (e.g., blogs, e-mail, social networks); willingness to learn and utilize new technologies
• Social responsibility:  Perceived importance of corporate social responsibility; understanding and reducing environmental impact
• Inclusion & diversity:  Understanding cultural differences; valuing diverse opinions; embracing a culturally diverse team
• Business relationships:  Global professional/social networks; willingness to travel to build relationships

Interestingly, technology was the skill that women overall deemed more important to success in the future and the one they’re most willing to embrace as an enabler of new business models.  To download a free copy of the entire Accenture study, just click here.  All women need to prepare for the future – and this study gives great guidance on important areas to focus.  I hope you enjoy the study, I did!

A new acronym has been shaking up the workplace over the last few years – ROWE – which stands for Results-Only Work Environment.  The concept seeks to demolish the decades-old business concept that equates physically being at work with productivity. 

Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson (who came up with the idea) created ROWE to promote a workplace based solely on results.  Best Buy Co. took this idea and ran with it.  At the end of 2007 all 4,000 staffers working at its corporate headquarters were on ROWE and starting in February 2008, the new work environment became an official part of their recruiting pitch and orientation for new hires.  The company is so excited about the concept, they even formed a subsidiary called CultureRX to help other companies go clock-less.

According to the CultureRX website, in a ROWE work environment, people do their jobs whenever they want, just as long as the work gets done.  With ROWE:

• There is no need for schedules
• Nobody focuses on “how many hours did you work?”
• Nobody feels overworked, stressed out or guilty
• Work is not a place you go, it’s something you do
• There’s no judgment on how people spend their time

A BusinessWeek article  explains that Best Buy Co. tracks performance metrics to ensure productivity in the new culture is headed in the right direction.  So far, results include a decrease in employee turnover and, surprise, an increase in productivity.

ROWE is now a global movement that is based on the simple truth that people want to excel and deliver on the job, and, use technology to free them from only handling work based solely in an office location from 8am – 5pm. 

Will the old ways of managing work and people continue, or, will this new concept take hold in companies around the world?  I vote for ROWE.  What’s happening where you work?  Type a comment and let others know what’s happening in your workplace.

Have you ever asked someone you trust, respect, or admire for their feedback about you as a professional? If not, consider giving it a try.  You’re likely to find it will change your life.  Here’s how it did for mine:

Many years ago, I managed a very large global integration project that, once completed, would yield a new Vice President of Service Marketing job – a position I really wanted.

During a dinner meeting, I ended up seated next to the CEO of the division.  By dessert, I worked up the courage to tell him I was interested in “throwing my hat in the ring” for the position when it became available – and I asked if he thought I could do the job.

After scratching his chin for a while he said, “No, at this time, I don’t think you’d be able to do that job.”  My heart sank all the way to my feet.  After picking myself up emotionally off the floor, I said, “Tell me why.”  I didn’t become defensive, I didn’t become angry.  I sought to understand his thinking. 

He told me there were three areas in which he didn’t think I could do the job, and then explained further. I quickly realized his perception of me didn’t accurately portray my skills in two of those areas (although he had a point about the third area).

I asked him if I could prove my expertise in the first two areas and show him a plan to become an expert in the third area over the next 12 months, would he support me then. His answer was “Yes.”

Over the next 12 months I demonstrated my skills and abilities in the questioned areas; I also created a plan of action for the third area and worked my way through every single item.  When the position was created, I applied for the job and went through the rigorous interview process.  And guess what?  I earned the position. 

Without his feedback, it’s doubtful I would have gotten the position, as well as earned the valuable lesson that my perception of myself might not always match the perception of others.  And the only way to find out is by asking others for feedback.  It changed my life.  It will likely change yours too – so give it a try!

For our mothers and grandmothers, when it came to deciding between marriage and family versus a career, there was a clear winner (family).  No surprise to most women in the workplace, this decision today presents a struggle.  In fact, according to a scientific study, more women are putting their careers ahead of love. 

While more than 60 percent of the men in the study were willing to sacrifice their careers for romance, only about 50 percent of women put love over their professional aspirations.

Why the change in values?  Many women now want to establish themselves in their careers before getting married and starting a family because they believe having children early in their career could be disruptive to achieving their professional objectives.

And, now that most families have dual incomes, men may not feel the pressure as in the past that they’ll end up as the sole bread winner.

Must there be a choice?  For me, I chose getting my career solidly off the ground before I married.  Which is more important to you right now?  Add a comment to let others know your thoughts on choosing careers over love.

Jim Rohn, an American speaker and author once said, “Never wish life were easier, wish that you were better.” A successful career woman wakes up in the morning and realizes that every day is a learning opportunity. And, she thinks up creative and cost effective ways to continuously learn and grow. How?

First, think of yourself, as a product: That’s right! View yourself as a competitive product…a product with features, benefits, assets and liabilities – all waiting to be improved year-on-year, carefully differentiating yourself from others and marketing your assets. Companies spend time every year listening to their customers’ needs and then they work on upgrading and trying to improve their products so they can sell more in the marketplace. This is the same process women should follow to improve themselves each year.

Next, determine how you can “upgrade” yourself: For example, what would happen if you picked one topic each year? Let’s say you have a new job and you want to take on some new and challenging projects, so you choose the topic of “project management.” Then, let’s say you went to the library and each month or so, checked out and read a different book about project management. If you started this practice now, of picking one topic per year and reading books on that topic, just think about how many topics you could learn about and become an expert at over the next 10-20 years. It’s truly amazing when you think about how such a small change like this could have such a huge impact on your life.

Finally, never stop learning or growing: Learning shouldn’t stop after graduating from high school or college. Continuously seeking knowledge should be a lifelong pursuit. Consider inspiring stories about women who go back to college later in life and pursue a completely new career path. One great example is Karen Morris, the history-making African-American medical student who became the first grandmother ever to graduate from Yale Medical School.

For me, the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. So always keep learning and growing!

Lisa Quast

Click here for a link to “Grandmother at Yale Medical School” 

Here are some helpful resources

 
The number of career changes people make during their lifetime ranges anywhere from three to around seven times.  Regardless of how many times you change careers, it can be a positive and energizing experience, or a slow and sometimes painful one – it all depends on how you approach it.  If you’re looking to make a career change, take your time, do your homework and find out if a change is right for you.

Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. suggests a 10-Step Plan to Career Change and believes that if you follow this plan you will be on a successful path toward career change.  His plan includes the following steps:

• Assessment of likes and dislikes
• Researching new careers
• Leveraging your transferable skills
• Updating your skills through training and education
• Networking
• Gaining experience in a new field
• Finding a mentor
• Changing in or out
• Refreshing yourself on job hunting basics
• Remaining flexible

Another great resource is 50+ Tools to Change Your Career Path, located on the Bootstrapper blog, a resource for small business owners operating on a shoestring budget.  You’ll find more than 50 tools to “offer assistance for finding the best career for you, and how you can get there.”  The tools are broken into five key areas:

• Assessment
• Career Exploration
• Advice
• Getting (Re)Hired
• Transitioning

No matter what your situation, take the time to explore what you really want in a career and conduct adequate research to help find you the job you’ve always dreamed about.  Happy transitioning!

Despite the progress women have been making, studies report that the wage gap continues to exist between men and women. According to an American Community Survey, women still earn only 77 cents for every $1 earned by men. This pay gap has remained fairly consistent for the last two decades.

Why the gap? According to a report by the General Accountability Office (GAO), many factors account for the difference, but work patterns are key:
• Women have fewer years of work experience
• Women work fewer hours per year
• Women are less likely to work a full time schedule
• Women leave the labor force for longer periods of time

The GAO report stated they couldn’t fully explain the differences in work patterns between men and women but that according to experts and literature, women are more likely to work part time or take leave from work to manage home and family responsibilities, such as caring for children or elderly parents.

The report states that other potential reasons for the earning difference might be:
• Some women give up job advancement or higher earnings for a job that offers more flexibility to manage work and family responsibilities
• Discrimination resulting from societal views about acceptable roles for men and women or views about women in the workplace

What are your thoughts? Why do you think women still earn less than men?

Click Here for link to American Community Survey.

Click Here for link to  GAO.