Women, Clarity & Power

Top 10 Reasons Women Hire a Coach

2012-05-14T13:13:57Z

Curious? Click here for the top 10 reasons women hire a coach.

10 sure-fire ways to "unclench"

2012-05-04T21:06:42Z

Not unlike many of my high-octane coaching clients, "Maria" faced a constant problem. She got so caught up in the non-stop demands of her professional and personal life that she found herself stressed out to the point of shutdown. Physically exhausted, psychically stuck. It's a sort of extreme protection-reaction I call "clenching."

When we "clench," it becomes impossible for us to move or take action--literally and metaphorically. Like a muscle in spasm, we have to find a way to release, so we can flow back into the world with all of our strength and grace. Otherwise, a clenched muscle just gets tighter, weaker, and more painful.

As we explored Maria's experience of "clenching," I asked her to devise a list of strategies she could draw upon to restore her flow and presence when she found herself begin to clench. The result is such a terrific resource that I asked Maria if I could share. Whether you have a minute or an evening, there's a strategy here to suit you:

Take five long, deep breaths.
Release the tension in my jaw.
Drink water instead of coffee.
Take a walk around the park.
Say a prayer.
Stretch arms and shoulders in a bear hug.
Call a friend.
Cook dinner instead of grazing in the fridge.
Head to the gym.
Water the garden.

Next time you feel yourself about to clench, choose an alternative from the list--or devise one of your own!

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photo by takomabibelot

Make a Nomination to the Austin Women's Hall of Fame

2012-04-30T01:10:26Z

So you thought that the only Austin Hall of Fame was for musicians? Now there's one for women!

Inductees will be honored for:

breaking through barriers for women
working to better the lives of women and girls
outstanding public or community service

To make a nomination, visit http://austintexas.gov/2012-whof. Self-nominations are accepted, so don't be shy! Nomination deadline is June 11, 2012.

Winners will be recognized by the City of Austin Commission for Women on Sept 18, 2012.

Business Casual: Top 10 Do's and Don'ts for Women

2012-04-26T15:42:35Z

Please help me welcome our new guest blogger, executive style consultant Catherine Storing! For her debut column, she's guiding us through the thorny thickets of "business casual" dressing:

It's Friday, and it's "business casual" at your office. So you take the opportunity to pull your hair back into a ponytail and save 15 minutes on your morning routine, right? Wrong.

Unfortunately, many women still misunderstand the meaning of "business casual." It does not give us permission to wear gym shoes or "comfy pants." You know that I'm talking about--those yoga/sweatpant hybrids with elastic waistbands and enough spandex to support a small country.

Business casual was meant to relax corporate dressing and give employees additional freedom to express themselves through their clothing. It was meant as an opportunity to replace stuffy suits with chinos and dress shirts. Instead, what we're seeing is gym-wear and beach attire.

Just because your office has a business casual dress code, it doesn't mean you should adhere to it, at least not completely. After all, you can get your fill of jeans and flip-flops on your time off. If you're looking to get promoted, you need to dress seriously. And you have to dress the part--as if you already have the job you want and have earned.

What exactly does that mean? Here are my top 10 do's-and-don'ts for women who are negotiating the potential pitfalls of "business casual":

Do dress up every Monday and whenever clients are visiting in-house.
Do wear dresses whenever possible, and you'll eliminate the need to find a blouse to wear with your favorite pencil skirt or pants
Don't even think about pulling on your flips-flops. Ever.
Don't go for neon colors. Unless your workplace is trés hip (aren't you lucky!), they have no business at your business.
Don't choose skin-tight clothing. It's not flattering, and it will only get you unwanted attention from that creepy guy in accounting.
Do leave those white socks stashed back in the gym locker, or, better yet, back in the eighties.
Don't get me started on tank tops.
Do carry a fashionable purse. It gives you a finished look.
Do wear make-up, but remember that you're not going to a club.
Most of all, do wear a smile. It will soften your face and make you more approachable.

(To check out Catherine's executive styling services, click here.)

Do-Over! Camp

2012-04-09T08:57:43Z

Do-Overs! take time. And work. I remember being struck by Sylvia Acevedo's turn-of-phrase when recalling her own Do-Over! process. The rocket-scientist-turned-entrepreneur explained how she had "done the work," trying out everything from fast cars to salsa dancing.

When you're looking to change-it-up, you need to get out and sample that brave new world--new places, new people, new experiences.

That's where my pilates BFF Molly Cumming comes in. The Austin-based designer is in the midst of a Do-Over! As she tells it:

I have been searching for something for a while. I don't know what it is. It might be a new career, it might be a hobby, or maybe simply some skill that I might be able to use somewhere, sometime. Or a skill that I may never use again.

Over the past few years, I've admired the way that Molly has insistently set out to find her next-thing by enrolling in a string of learning experiences that ranged from sommelier school to goat camp. (I live vicariously . . .)

So now Molly has started a new blog, "Camp Curator," to chronicle her Do-Over! adventure and share her best camp discoveries for the rest of us. Check out "Camp Curator" to inspire your own journey and discover some great options for a Do-Over! camp getaway.

Molly's off to stitching camp this weekend. Can't wait to read all about it!

(If you're inspired by Sylvia and Molly to start working on your own Do-Over!, check out my Do-Over! audiobook.)

The Coach as Entrepreneur

2012-03-29T19:57:16Z

Like many mid-life entrepreneurs, I was an unlikely candidate (a women's studies professor?!) for starting up my own business. Six years later, I gotta say, I am loving the free-agent life. In fact, I coach a number of women who are starting up their own businesses. Management consultant Rashmi Biswas (author of Rash Decisions) recently interviewed me for her series on female entrepreneurs. Here's our conversation:

At what point in your career did you make the decision to become self-employed?

After 17 years as a women's studies professor at The University of Texas at Austin, I felt the need to do something fresh, something bigger, something more challenging. I was attracted to the burgeoning field of coaching as a way to extend my women's studies expertise and my teaching skills. And as a high-autonomy person who would prefer never to sit in another committee meeting, entrepeneurship was very attractive.

Describe the greatest challenges you faced when making the transition.

I was completely unknown outside of academia, where I had spent several decades building an international reputation. I had to start all over again, in a completely foreign domain. I learned how to network!

Which skills did you need to develop in order to become effective in your role as an entrepreneur?

When I began, sales was my biggest challenge. So I engaged a sales coach to develop those skills. Most recently, I've expanded my practice online. WomenAdvance.com is an online career accelerator for women, and the learning curve on all things software has been my steepest ever. I mean, ever!

What is the best business book you have ever read?

"Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi.

What does the future hold for your industry?

Online learning/coaching is taking off! WomenAdvance.com expands my reach as a coach, and it's more affordable for younger women who cannot afford a private coach. It's a learning platform with which younger women are quite comfortable. And it's convenient! I think it's the future.

How do you feel about the current status of women in the workforce?

Women's progress in the workplace has stalled. Thankfully, we're no longer insisting that things are better, or equal. Even younger women are recognizing sooner rather than later that power defaults to the men in the room. We have to remain vigilant about leveling the playing field.

When you are featured on the cover of Time magazine, what will be the headline?

"She's the Woman Behind the Women Who Changed the World."

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Do-Over! Memories

2012-03-28T19:19:13Z

I started out life as a journalist, and I'm still more comfortable asking the questions than answering them. Even so, I enjoyed this interview I did with Academic Women for Equality Now, an online home to explore gender issues in US higher education. Thanks to Pascale Lane for inviting me to reflect back upon my former life in the Ivory Tower.

What is your educational background?

My BA is in journalism with an art history minor. I earned my MA and PhD degrees at New York University in Performance Studies--a form of cultural studies. I focused on feminist theory, nonverbal communication, and women in modern dance.

What has been your career path?

It's been a long and winding road! I started out as a feature writer at a daily newspaper when I graduated from college. After a few years, I enrolled in grad school at New York University and then landed a tenure-track position at The University of Texas at Austin. I spent 17 years on faculty at UT, then quit to open my practice as a coach specializing in personal growth and professional development for women. I brought with me my favorite things about teaching--the intense, focused work with individual students, and the classroom teaching. Happily, I left behind the grading and committee work.

Why did you leave academia?

I yearned for something bigger. I wanted to learn more about myself, to see what more I was capable of. I wanted fresh challenges. I wanted to use my analytical acumen to build lives rather than rip apart arguments.

What do you believe is more difficult for women--academia or business?

Both domains are challenging for women. They're both embedded in the same overarching patriarchal culture. Power defaults to the men in the room.

Why did you become a coach?

Because I love focusing one-on-one. I love the intensity of deep dialogue, and I love being able to see real-life results. It's a tangible way that I can change the world, by helping women claim and use their power, one woman at a time. Plus, I really love my clients! That said, I've just launched an online career education center for women called WomenAdvance.com. I decided last year that the web is a great way to reach women earlier in their careers, and to offer them guidance on a more convenient, affordable platform. After a lifetime committed to the success and advancement of women, I'm really excited to be expanding my mission into the online world.

What advice do you have for women working in academia?

Never forget why you entered academia, and never stop learning and growing.

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Pay Gap, the film

2012-03-23T13:01:53Z

Kate Bryant left her full-time copywriting job with the Martha Stewart empire last September to focus on creating her new film, "The Pay Gap." The film-in-progress is a character-driven documentary that examines the question: Why do women continue to earn less than men for the same job? Check it out:

(If you're ready to close your own personal pay gap, check out my new e-course.)

Ruth Stout: A Woman Out of Order

2012-03-21T12:57:14Z

Go ahead, take this lovely 11-minute interlude into the fearless, soulful life of Ruth Stout.

Equal Pay: Speak Up for Yourself and Your Posse

2012-03-20T17:45:23Z

Freelance writer Heide Brandes, a leader in the Oklahoma City chapter of Women in Communications, recent published a remarkably detailed and nuanced analysis of the gender pay gap. I was honored to be a featured source. She reminds us that, even if women haven't previously been trained to ask and negotiate, it's never too late to learn. (That's exactly why I developed the "How to Get a Raise" e-course.) Here's an excerpt from Brandes' report on the gender pay gap:

"Despite the equal pay movement in America, a recent study shows that women are still making less than their male counterparts, and that pay gap is starting as early as graduation from college. ...

"It's time for every woman to take on the gender pay gap," said Executive Coach Ann Daly PhD, founder of WomenAdvance.com, an online career accelerator for women, and national speaker on career issues for women. "That gap still exists because it's ingrained very deeply in our cultural expectations that men are seen as more powerful and worthy in the workplace."

According to Daly, when the gender pay gap begins as soon as graduation, the effects can last a lifetime. Although the pay gap has lessened in the past 10 years, rising to women earning 81 percent as much as men compared to 78 percent 10 years ago, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gap still exists. ...

"We have made a lot of progress in that the percentage of pay has progressed, but why are powerful women making as much as men an exception, and not the rule?" Daly said. "Women are not stupid. They realize there is a penalty to pay by speaking up or demanding compensation. They know they'll be looked at as 'not a team player' or as 'bossy.'" ...

On demand e-course: How to Get a Raise

At the University of Central Oklahoma, Dr. Renee Warning, associate professor in the Department of Management, and Dr. F. Robert Buchanan, assistant professor of management, are deeply aware of the pay gap between women and men and why that gap exists. The two have written numerous research articles on the subject. "There is no denying that women get paid less, and there is always a reason behind it," said Dr. Warning. "We are finding that there is still a bias that women won't stay in that position very long." ...

"How do we fix it? That's a great question," said Daly. "For one, women individually need to practice speaking up and saying what they are worth. They need to speak in concrete measurements and terms and leave emotion out of it." Women can also form groups in the workplace to support each other, she said. "Women need to have a posse, so if they don't feel they are being listened to, they can speak up for each other. On an organizational level, it's easy to crunch numbers to see if women in the company are being paid equally, and if not, why not?"...

When the women of Walmart sued the company for unfair compensation and promotions, the biggest point they pushed was that the company did not have clear guidelines on how employees were evaluated or promoted, which created a culture of excessive subjectivity. "Employers need to be vigilant in setting fair and equitable performance review structures that clearly state the basis upon which people get raises or promotions," Daly said. "That way, you have measurable results and not just an emotional response. Companies should put in place objective and transparent criteria and train managers to use that system."

Further resource: Women Advance: How To Get A Raise

Get a Raise Before Equal Pay Day

2012-03-15T17:48:44Z

We're a month away from Equal Pay Day. On April 17, US women will have worked the extra three and a half months it takes for us to earn what men earned in only a year.

I have an idea. What if each of us, before April 17, figured out our true workplace value and asked for the appropriate raise?

A rising tide lifts all boats. If women started to demand--or simply say out loud--what they are really worth, it would be harder for the system to sustain the gender pay gap. What do you think?

Do you know what you're worth?

(If you want a little help getting that raise, check out my new e-course.)

Madeleine Albright: International Women's Day

2012-03-05T18:27:07Z

Madeleine Albright made history when President Bill Clinton appointed her the first woman Secretary of State in 1997. Now, Albright's 7-year-old granddaughter asks, "So what's the big deal about Grandma Maddy being Secretary of State? Only girls are Secretary of State."

I love Albright's bon mots. Among my faves:

'If you think that women would run the world better, then you've forgotten high school.'

'There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other.'

Advice for women leaders: 'Learn to interrupt men.'

Leadership: Recommended Reading

2012-03-04T20:41:36Z

Emily pinged me on Facebook:

"Can you recommend leadership books authored by women? Business leadership would be the general focus. This is a request on behalf of a Texas friend."

You don't need to ask me twice for a bibliography!!!

In fact, that's what I've been developing on my Pinterest page: a series of book lists for women.

Click here for the recommendations I made to Emily's Texan friend, on leadership development books authored by women (and one male co-author).

(PS--for more leadership resources, take a look at the blog on WomenAdvance.com, my new online career accelerator for women.)

Two Truths about Career Advancement for Women

2012-03-01T03:22:06Z

How does a woman ensure her career advancement in what is still a man's workplace? That's what Mitch Carr of KRLD Dallas asked me, and here's how I answered.

Confidence: How To Make More of It

2012-02-27T01:46:35Z

Confidence isn't something you have, or not. It's a skill you can develop, and build. I recently had a great conversation with Globe & Mail columnist Leah Eichler about the topic. Here's an excerpt from her article:

Ann Daly, an Austin, Tex.-based author and career coach devoted to the advancement of women, defines confidence as the ability to put yourself forward, in this case in the business world. Dr. Daly, a former associate professor at University of Texas, also views confidence as a behaviour, which men and women learn differently.

"Our culture loves to keep men and women in their place by differentiating them," she said, adding that the gender-specific approaches to confidence are instilled early in a child's education.

Girls, she explained, internalize the lesson that they need to get everything right to reach the top of the class, a phenomenon she refers to as "the gold star syndrome." That early emphasis teaches girls that advancement requires perfectionism.

"Perfection is the enemy of the good, and it's the enemy of confidence," she said. "Women who focus more on the process, the work, rather than the gold star, tend to have a greater capacity to put themselves out in the world."

To illustrate her point, she referred to a Hewlett-Packard study, cited in a McKinsey Quarterly report, which found that women believe they must meet all the requirements of a job before applying for it, while men feel they only need 60 per cent of the requirements.

Click here to read the complete article.

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