Everyone knows that men continue to rule the business world, although there has been progress. In academia though we are kicking the proverbial you know what. As March is International Women’s Month, I wanted to highlight an area where we have been able to break the glass ceiling.
According to this Huffington Post article, women are taking charge, pursuing professional growth, and making their mark in the world of academia despite their lack of “testicular fortitude.”
We have our own unique brand of fortitude and it is working. According to the Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2011 was the tenth year in a row in which the majority of research doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens went to women. Women now earn 57 percent of bachelor degrees and 59 percent of masters’ degrees. More doctorates are awarded to women than men in the humanities, social sciences, education, and life sciences and medicine. Women now serve as presidents of Brown, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and other leading research universities. Their position in the corporate world has increased exponentially as well.
As more and more women earn advanced degrees, they will make an even greater impact on the higher ranks in both major companies and small startups. Encouraging our daughters, friends, and coworkers to pursue the educational experiences that are available to them helps women of all ages to make inroads into businesses previously dominated by men.
Look out people, here we come!
Thinking about just getting away from it all? Away from the hustle and bustle of daily life – just for a few days, weeks or months? Unfortunately, as many busy professional women discover, when you decide to make plans no one else you know has the free time, budget or desire to play hooky from life for a while. So you probably think that all of this means that you are not supposed to go. Think again.
Go solo. That’s right, pack your bags, get your passport stamped and go to the one place you’ve always wanted to go – alone. Think about it, your typical vacation is often a compromise of all the things that you and your fellow travelers have chosen to do. A solo vacation lets you plan your days and nights as you see fit. Want to get up, watch the sun rise and have an early start to your day? You can! Without worrying about rousing your travel buddy from deep slumber. Didn’t get enough of exploring the sites yesterday? Go back again today, tomorrow, as much as you’d like without having to bargain for it.
Contrary to popular belief, solo travel is a safe way to go. Even for women. Just as you wouldn’t go to certain areas in your town after dark, exercise the same caution when abroad. Thoroughly research the areas in which you will travel before leaving. Find the places that you must go and also those places that might be better avoided or seen as part of a tour. There’s safety in numbers. And just as you would on a vacation with friends, don’t carry a ton of cash or anything irreplaceable and be conscious of your surroundings.
Why is this so important? Getting away is essential to recharging your batteries so that you have even more to give to all the roles you play. We are often pulled in so many directions we don’t take the time necessary to take care of ourselves. By all means reach out to your friends first, but if they aren’t available, go it alone.
And although you may be alone, traveling solo does not equal being lonely. No matter where you go – be it on a pristine beach or a locale off the beaten path, there’s always someone else there. People looking to enjoy a great conversation, learn about your city and culture or just have a good time. You never know, you might make a new friend or find a new travel buddy. Traveling solo allows you the freedom to choose when you want to be social and when you want to be, well, by yourself.
With it being safe, affordable and most of all, rewarding – solo travel is the way for a working woman to get away from it all – without having to await someone else’s “right time.” What else are you waiting for?
In my last blog I talked about how to clearly articulate your career goal. Be it big or small there are certain things that you need to think about to achieve your goal. Below is a list of those items for you to keep in mind as you march toward success. As you review this list, imagine that you are doing a needs assessment – analyzing where you are in relation to your goal and what you need to do to be successful. Walk through the steps below and write down your thoughts.
1. Visualize success. What does success look like? What kind of work/life balance will you have when you are successful? Will you have a laid back life vs. busy, packed with activities, meetings and events? What will your finances look like? Will you be earning $100,000, $500,000 or $2 million? This is about setting your own expectations for success; really get into the details here so you will know success when it comes!
2. Know your strengths. What strengths do you bring to the table? Maybe it’s your years of experience. If you’re thinking about starting your own business, you might also bring a broad network that you have been cultivating in anticipation of that. Write down all of your strengths, skills, competences, contacts, etc., anything you already have in your arsenal that will aid you in achieving your goal.
3. What areas do you need to improve? Again, based on the responses in the first step, where are you weak links? By weak links I mean things you either don’t like doing or aren’t knowledgeable about. What skills will you need to beef up to ensure success?
4. What resources will you need and what do you have? How much funding will you need for your business? Where can you go for funding? Where will your business be located? Will you work from home, rent or buy office space? What kind of supplies and equipment will you require? If you’re working in the corporate world, your preferred geographic location also applies, as does whether or not you want to work from home or commute.
5. What kind of support will you need? Here it’s all about relationships. Will you have a business partner? Do you have a mentor or a sponsor or advocate? Do you have an accountability buddy, someone you can share your short-term goals with who will hold you accountable?
Step outside of yourself and ask a lot of questions, then find the answers. Going through these steps will give you the clarity you will need as you move toward your goal.
With anything in life you have to know what you want before you can achieve it and your career is no different. Below are five clear steps to setting your career goals.
The foundation of my coaching philosophy is for you to align what you love with what you do…for you to Live Your Plan A. How do you find your Plan A? It can happen in one of three ways:
- You can have an Epiphany -The well-known “Aha Moment”. This is a life-changing experience that creates a sudden and intense awareness of your underlying passion. It is essentially a moment of clarity, which can be as mundane as watching TV or as exciting as having a child.
- Your Intuition can clue you in – This is your gut telling you what you’re meant to be and to be doing
- You can learn through your Life Experience – Gradual learning of self, using past experiences. Using everyday events to define your purpose.
However you discover you Plan A, the next step is to set goals to help you achieve it. Here are some things for you to think about as you set your goals.
- Be inspired. Rather than simply moving to the next logical step in your career, ensure that you will be inspired by that next step. Step back and think about what will truly motivate you and go after that. This is oftentimes the hardest of all the steps because it forces you to really think about what’s right for you instead of just what’s next.
- Write down your goal. Writing down your goals increases the likelihood of achieving them by a minimum of 75%. Putting them in writing helps to clarify your goals in your mind and helps you to focus on the details.
- Be specific. You need to state exactly what you want in order to achieve it. Instead of saying that you want to be the head of Human Resources someday, say that you want to be the head of an HR department in a medium size non-profit organization by December 2012.
- Be realistic. Be sure that your experience lines up well with your stated goals. It makes no sense trying to be the head of HR in less than a year when you are now an HR assistant with limited experience. If being an HR assistant is your current reality you will need a longer timeline to get to being the chief so plan accordingly.
- Go public. Share your goal with people your trust. This will help to form a support and accountability system for you. You can check in for advice and they can ask you questions that help to keep you on track. You are more likely to succeed if others are in on it with you.
