Ladders, Stairs, or Chairs: Routes To The Top Are Constantly Changing

Spirals are beautiful even if they can make you dizzy. Dizzying is the the pace of change - of moving up and down, side to side, inside out, outside in, over and above. From low-speed chases to high-speed races, everyone is trying to get somewhere up or over "there". Ladders, stairs, or chairs can take you where you want to go.


Routes to the top are constantly changing...


But we're not (or are we?)...

Moving through life with the same views day after day or year after year, even when faced with overwhelming evidence that those views my no longer be valid is a sign of a normal mind. That's right - normal. 

Only 5% of our Thoughts-Per-Day are New!

Research from the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) at USC found that the average person has about 70,000 thoughts per day or about 48.6 thoughts per minute. That's about 70,000 opportunities to change our minds, right? Wrong. It doesn't work that way. We're creatures of habit. 

Not only do we persist with about 95% of the same thoughts from day to day, reportedly an astounding 80% of those thoughts are negative. Why? Because it's normal. We were designed to maintain an internal log of negative experiences to keep us safe by helping us to avoid repeating the same negative experiences in the future.

Only 20% of our Thoughts-Per-Day are Positive!

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>>>>>  Try This  <<<<<

First, recall burning your fingers on something hot for the first time. How did it feel? 

Next, recall the warm sun on your face for the first time. How did it feel? 

>>> Which memory was more intense? <<<

It's likely that you don't remember feeling the sun on your face for the first time. Of the two memories, the negative experience is likely the most powerful one.

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Here's a positive way to look at this... Even though a 5% daily shift in our thoughts may seem insignificant, it only takes one thought to create a spark towards massive action - and we have 3500 new opportunities per day!

Everyday we have 3,500 new opportunities to change!

In addition to our thoughts, our human systems are also constantly changing. Nature takes care of us by replacing our systems at various rates of change throughout our lifetime. From replacing our skin daily to maintaining half of our heart cells for a lifetime, everything changes.

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Just so we're clear - change is constant and there are as many routes to the top as there are thoughts-per-day! Here are three such routes.

Use Ladders, Change Perspective

We often use corporate ladders to lean against organizational structures for a better view from higher up. Climbing ladders is the 20th century traditional method of getting an education, of working hard, and of moving up. Leveraging mentors for support along the way helps to keep the ladder from shaking at the base. The higher you go up the ladder the more broad your view, the greater your impact, the higher your pay, and the heavier your burden. It's a mixed bag, but your perspective changes.

Use Stairs, Change Altitude

Taking the stairs is comparable to leveraging coaches to accelerate your ascent to the top. Stairs are generally more stable than ladders since they may be supported on both sides by railings. Where ladders can be rickety depending on the lean angle or support base, stairs will get you to your next level no matter what provided that you're on the right staircase. Your expertise combined with the support of a career coach is a solid way to expand your career and change your altitude.

Use Chairs, Change Position

Changing positions is another way to supercharge your climb. Whether moving horizontally, vertically, or backwards, select strategic positions to fill in career gaps, to increase your influence, and to accelerate your growth. Education, expertise, mentors, and coaches can only take you so far. In the 21st century, career mastery requires carefully crafted teams of networks and sponsors combined with a working knowledge of the  Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

In the end it's "who" you know that gets you there so build your personal "Board of Directors" with you as the Chair. Choose carefully as these are individuals who can block and tackle for you on your way up - or they can simply block you.

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If ladders don't work, 
then take the stairs or switch chairs!

...just keep climbing!

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Read more articles by Lillian Gregory here.

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Lillian Gregory is a passionate advocate for 21st Century Leadership with special focus on Women in Leadership, Women in Technology, and US Veterans and Spouses. She provides research, strategies, tools, workshops, and events to help close leadership and career strategy gaps. Download your FREE eBook from The Institute for Human and Leadership Excellence and get ready to climb!

© 2017 All Rights Reserved.

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#ILookLikeAnEngineer Helps To Combat Stereotypes in High Tech

#ILookLikeAnEngineer was started this week by Isis Wegner, a self-taught Enterprise Software Engineer with OneLogin. 

In just a few days her hashtag has taken on a life of its own with over 1.2 million hits on Google and over 50,000 retweets and pictures on Twitter. I'm fully on-board with this viral campaign to combat stereotypes in High Tech and I've added the hashtag to my profile pictures on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ - and I'm posting it wherever I can. 

The point is clear - don't judge a woman in Hi-Tech (or anywhere else!) through an outdated lens!

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Here's my story of how #ILookLikeAnEngineer

I decided to become an Electrical Engineer in my teens at a time when nothing seemed hard and everything seemed possible. I was right - it wasn't hard and everything is possible - so I did as I had planned.

Back then we didn't have STEM terminology and I knew nothing about the vast array of challenges that I would face in the world and in the workplace. All I knew was that I wanted to be an Electrical Engineer and I was singularly focused on achieving that goal. Solving difficult intellectual and practical problems made my soul happy (still does).

After graduating from High School, I got an earnest introduction to my first career love when I joined the U.S. Air Force in the Delayed Enlistment Program. I signed up for a role as an Electrician Specialist, departed for boot camp 6 months later, and never looked back. The path that I had chosen was the right one and I thrived on it.

I served our country with a young patriot's heart, eager to do my best as a soldier as my first priority while taking classes in the evenings as my second priority. I was a disciplined soldier and I still live by the same values:

 "Integrity First, Service before Self, Excellence in All We Do" 

I completed my tour after the Gulf War began and then stepped onto the world stage ready to take my place - somewhere.

After completing my Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from the University of Florida at Gainesville, I joined Corporate America where I began to see how segmented the world really was. While in the military or in school I didn't pay too much attention to the pockets of people that would form in lunch rooms, in break rooms, in meeting rooms, at house parties, or at restaurants. I noticed, but I didn't dwell on it.

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Isis Wegner - Self-Taught Enterprise Software Engineer @ OneLogin

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I knew that I was unique. I also knew that I had the mental chops to hang with the smartest of the smart - and that made me proud instead of apprehensive. My friends were as diverse as they came in those days - Black, White, Asian, Indian, Hispanic, Caribbean, Haitian, Canadian, German, Polish, English - tall, short, medium, strange, genius, weird - almost all males. I had a great time with these amazing individuals and I enjoy seeing their updates from time to time on Facebook or on LinkedIn.

Who says 

men and women can't just be friends?

Never mind the comments of Nobel Laureate Tim Hunt. We were friends - the cool kind - and we cared for and supported each other through tough classes, through life transitions, and beyond into our early careers. Life has taken over and many of us have lost touch, but I have no doubt that we will pick up in familiar territory when we meet again. 

We were cool, proud geeks - Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Computer Scientists, Semiconductor Engineers, and a Bio-Medical Engineer - just one in our group. We expected that we would have great technology careers and we were right.

Wait for it...

After spending a couple of decades in the corporate world, I'm still in love with my start as an Electrical Engineer. I've held roles as a Semiconductor Device Engineer, Wireless Data Test Engineer, Wireless Data Network Engineer, Telecom Technical Advisor, and Senior Technical Consultant - all during the first stage of my career. I was ambitious and hard working to say the least.

Over the years my career options expanded with advanced degrees, professional development programs, personal growth engagements, leadership stretch assignments, mentorships, and sponsorships. Each of the opportunities gave me tremendous experience and insight into the inner workings of the C-Suite and Corporate Functions. 

I was often the "only one" selected for various types of leadership programs because as the saying goes "there simply wasn't anyone else available." The landscape in Hi-Tech must continue to change in more ways than gender. I have a daughter who will be in the middle of the fray in a decade or so and I refuse to watch it go down for her the way it's gone for so many others.

I don't want her to face the surprised look on her colleagues' faces when she enters a room simply because of her gender or color. I don't want her to be given a double-take as if she's lost when entering decision-makers' meetings (unless she's actually lost!). I don't want her to experience disrespectful cat calls and other types of "harmless humor" from the males around her.

While these things don't happen all the time, they happen way too much for way too many women - so given the opportunity to change minds about women in Hi-Tech in a collaborative global chorus with something as simple as an impactful hashtag, I'm all in. There's much other work to be done and I'm in there as well.

To professional women in Hi-Tech who are just beginning your careers or who are in mid stride or to those of you who still hold wide-eyed amazement at what's possible in Hi-Tech careers, hang on to your vision! Change is here. 

If the original path that you laid out doesn't pan out as you thought it would, then find new ways to do what you're passionate about. Hi-Tech needs you so don't give up on it. Electrical Engineering is part of my career DNA and I'm proud to support #ILookLikeAnEngineer.

Are There "Good 'Ole Girl" Clubs For Professional Women?

For women it's "what you know" versus "who you know"...

The opposite is true for men. No - that's not an April fool's joke.

Building social networks is easier than ever these days given all of the technologies and platforms that we have available. However, cracking the code of strong, responsive, and timeless support systems is tough. Always has been - especially for women. 

Just ask the "good ole' boys"...

Building social capital is not as simple as connecting via social profiles, liking pages, or going out of your way to help others at work, at home, or in your community. Strategy and persistent effort are required. This is the art of networking and it causes problems for professional women. 


That's not too surprising - or is it?

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A new study suggests that career advancement for women isn't dependent on social connections in the way it is for men.

Instead, professional success for women is dependent on "documentable and measurable competence" or basically, a proven track record

Vivian Giang, Fast Company [i]

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The new study completed by INSEAD evaluated the impact of connections (social capital) and performance (human capital) on career outcomes for men and women on Wall Street. Even though women in the study were slightly more connected through Ivy League institutions (quantity), men were rewarded more often through their connections (quality).

Source: INSEAD Gender and Connections Among Wall Street Analysts

I've aligned the gender dichotomy with quantity versus quality for the sake of simplicity, but there are many other significant factors at work. The bottom line in the research and in practice is that women and men are virtually always weighted differently even if we start out on equal footing. This scenario repeats itself across our life span.

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Question #1: Can "good 'ole girl" clubs for professional women help to counteract inherent gender imbalances?

We've all heard about cigar-filled back rooms, closed board rooms, or secret societies that identify and protect chosen ones who are selected to help advance a groups' position. These types of groups may exist, but the results that they bring into the world can be sketchy. 

Perhaps this kind of covert protection is required in order to break the gender gridlock that's been in play for generations. Though I'm not a "by any means necessary" women's advocate, I believe that unconventional methods like frequent and widespread Board Room Bootcamps may be needed in order to rebalance the equation.

This brings to mind another question...

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Question #2: What can professional women do differently to change social capital dynamics going forward?

Here are three solutions:

• Step 1 - Test your connections
• Step 2 - Develop a social capital reallocation strategy
• Step 3 - Get LinkedIn!

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Step 1 - Test Your Connections

According to Forbes, if you have fewer than 25 people that you can call on who can help you get results at any given time then your network is too small - or you're not engaged frequently enough. 

How do you test your connections? Ask yourself these questions:

• How many people can you call on for genuine assistance when you're interested in a business or job opportunity?

• Who can you call on and what kind of power or influence do they have when you need to make direct contact with influencers or decision-makers?

• When was the last time you attended a high-powered networking event that included politicians, educators, community leaders, business leaders, colleagues, or peers from various industries?

• What is your network churn rate or how frequently do members of your network move on? 

The good news is that social networks and connections are renewable resources. Expect that there will be churn and develop a plan to counteract it. Sociologists have found that the 'seven year itch' applies to social networks as well as friendships. 

In a survey of over 1000 men and women between 18 and 65, the size of the social network remained fairly stable after seven years, but the contents of the network changed. Only 30% of the original participants were still around no matter how close they had been in previous years.

Nurture your relationships and connections if you value them.

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Step 2 - Develop a Social Capital Reallocation Strategy

We have to be prudent about where we spend our valuable resources such as our time, our talent, and our treasures (heard that before?!). It's important to have a well-defined strategy for building, investing in, and maintaining social capital in light of what we know about how women are impacted in professional settings.

A few years ago I read a McKinsey study about resource reallocation which examined 1600 companies over 15 years. Results showed companies that adopted annual resource reallocation strategies reaped on average 30% to 40% greater shareholder returns than companies that didn't. 

For some reason the study came to mind when I was examining this topic. I suppose it might have something to do with making the most of our limited resources - time, talent, and treasure. The approach and terminology from the study fit well so I leveraged them in the "Social Capital Reallocation Strategy" summary below.

At least once per year commit to focused clean-up to seed, nurture, prune, and harvest your way to greater social capital and stronger networks that will serve you well into the future. The value of your social capital can be measured by how many prompt responses or effective results you get when you call or place a demand on your network.

As you optimize your network pay special attention to sponsor-protege relationships as the most important social capital connections to make and maintain. These are reciprocal relationships that will benefit both parties all the way to the top of your climb. Remember to give - don't just take!

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Step 3 - Get LinkedIn!

In my quest to find out more about "good 'ole girl" clubs - the kind that I mentioned above - I've been on the prowl for a method to test and rank the strength of various networks and organizations. There are so many women's networks available that it can be challenging to sort through the details. As the World's Largest Professional Network, LinkedIn is a great place to start. 

There are a few insights in the diagram to show why professional women should spend more than the average 17 minutes on LinkedIn building social capital:

Source: DMR - Digital Marketing

I recently became a board member for the 10-year-old non-profit group Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL). The group's passion and focus is providing scholarships, networking, and mentoring for non-traditional college women. The opportunity came to me through one of my LinkedIn connections. I've witnessed the power of EWL in action as STAR Scholarship recipients past and present have talked about the difference the organization has made in their lives. You can find them here on LinkedIn. Is this a plug? Sure is.

There are many other organizations like Million Women Mentors and WomenPartner.org that I could profile here, but I'll rely on your feedback in the comments section to shout out about strong "good 'ole' girl" clubs that really go the distance with professional women. Now that we understand it's "what we know" that elevates us, we can work to close gaps on "who we know" for a full-circle competitive advantage.

How do you build social capital and how has it helped you with your career climb?

Comment, like, or share your insights - and make all of us stronger.

Why Do We Have To Call It Work?

Since most of us don't like the idea of work, then why don't we call it something else?

Stats and reports keep coming to let us know that most people are 'under this...' or 'over that...' - or not quite ready for anything new when it comes to the 21st Century world of work. I'm a stats junkie so I can't help but read and digest the stuff if only to discount lots of it and move on. Many of the details or concerns raised in various areas are quite valid and deserve a second, third, or continuous deep look followed by introspective actions. 

The world of work is one of those areas.

While examining report details over the last few weeks, a question came to mind and it's sticking around. The question is around this idea of work. The question is:

Why does work cause so many of us so much angst? Could it be that we have our definitions or frame of reference all wrong?

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Work is defined as the effort applied to produce a deliverable or to accomplish a task in exchange for services or payment

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The definition seems straight forward and simple enough. As far back as the beginning of time, the idea of work has been embedded in our cultures and lives. We crave the opportunity to do work for something that is important to us or with someone who shares our goals or with a company or organization that values us. For some of us work is simply "all about the benjamins" which is alright I suppose.

Before I ramble on too much, here are some stats that made me ponder the definition of work.

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Stat #1 - 72% of productive life span is spent working

Stat #2 - 70% of U.S. workers are not fully engaged in their work and are not reaching their full potential

Stat #3 - 71% of U.S. workers spend less than 10 years with their employers

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This is a problem only if...

Stat #1 is a problem only if we don't want to spend our productive time producing results. If we enjoy what we're doing, we'll look forward to spending a majority of our waking hours performing designated tasks and activities in exchange for services or payment.

Stat #2 is a problem only if we're doing something that we don't like or are with someone that we don't like being with for a majority of our working days. If we enjoy what we're doing, then engagement will be automatic and we will crave growth and development.

Stat #3 is a problem only if we believe that everything should stay the same giving us the opportunity to remain stagnant in our careers and in our lives. If we accept that change is inevitable and important to our progress, then we will embrace it as part of the norm.

Defining how we spend our productive time in disempowering ways limits our desire to engage. The definitions that we use may even make a majority of us regret waking up on Monday mornings! 

We can change that.

A New Definition of Applied Effort

We often become masters at reframing unpleasant situations when it suits us. For example, if children don't want to eat spinach and we know that it's good for them, then we may tell them that it will make them stronger and smarter. Remember Popeye the Sailor Man? He made spinach seem cool. I still eat my fair share.

If we can do that for children, then why can't we do the same for ourselves and reframe the definition of work to suit us? When someone asks you where you "work", why not think - then say?

• I add value as a Management Consultant for ...
• I make a daily contribution in Operations for...
• I deliver outstanding service to my customers and stakeholders in ...

Aren't these the kinds of statements that we put on our resumes or include in our work histories? If so, why don't we use these types of statements every day to help us reframe what we really do with our productive time? 

Perhaps Mondays won't seem so bad if we reframe the definition of work.

We add value. We contribute. We deliver.

I realize that simply changing wording won't completely fix certain complex work situations, but it can definitely produce a shift in attitude and perspective around work. If it helps even a little bit, then isn't it worth the applied effort?

I appreciate you taking the time to read my article. Let me know what you think by commenting, liking, or sharing.

Corporate Beauty Contest? Now That's Just Taking It Too Far!

Sometimes when you see something that stuns you a bit you try to shake it off...

That's how I felt when I read an article about a corporate beauty contest at Duke University. That's right - a beauty contest!

This funny lady shaking her finger at the business world adds some comic relief to this disturbing and intriguing topic (for me at least). It's like a train wreck - can't look away.

At first it was the headline that caught my eye. Then I quick-skimmed the details. I couldn't believe what I was reading. A lot of choice words came to mind so I put the article down and went on to something else for a few days. Of course I had to explore it further.

Not only are professionals already competing for leadership slots based on an array of known challenges, now they're unknowingly competing in beauty contests too?

Now that's just taking it too far!

Let's be real. Everyone knows that the way a person presents herself or himself makes an impression. What we may not be aware of is how much an impression may cost us. Also, if we are in positions of leadership and decision-making, we may not be aware of how our appearance-based decisions impact the earnings of others.

Duke University researchers set out to discover whether "looking the part" made a difference at the executive level in terms of pay and perks. Their findings?

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...one standard deviation increase in the competence facial trait is associated with an 11% to 14% increase in total compensation

...The economic magnitude of this effect is large; in 2012 the average CEO pay in S&P 500 firms is $12.25 million and 14% represents $1.72 million...

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Say What?

Duke's Finance Professors structured a 3-part study whereby photos with similar facial features, hairstyles, and clothing were evaluated for CEOs and non-CEOs in large and small companies. The test scenarios requested feedback from 2000 participants on the beauty (attractiveness), competence, trustworthiness, and likability of CEO faces. Also, facial features were assigned numerical scores to assess the impact on compensation and company performance. Guess What?

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...CEOs who appear competent earn more money than less competent-looking CEOs, even though appearance is not associated with measurable differences in company profitability

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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If "looks" don't impact company profitability, then why are CEOs being judged on whether they "look" competent? Duke's professors were astonished by the results and so am I. There are studies, findings, and correlations which suggest that winners of political races can be determined by looks alone, but corporate leaders too?

Ladies we can sit this one out but not for long.

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Women are 60% of college students and 40% of MBA students; research predicts 30% women CEOs by 2040

Brighton School of Business and Management

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Duke's study results are about male CEOs. Women CEOs were removed from the final analysis because there were too few making them identifiable thus introducing additional factors into the results. That's a different challenge altogether.

What's This About A "Beauty Premium"?

Think this applies only to CEOs and corporate executives? Think again. There's an economic theory called pulchronomics (the study of the economics of physical attractiveness) which suggests that a "beauty premium" is attached to workers' earnings as well. The findings? Attractive workers earn more than workers with below average looks.

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...below-average-looking men earn 17% less than those considered good-looking, while below-average-looking females earn 12% less than their attractive counterparts...

[over a career span] good-looking workers earn a total of $230,000 more than those with below-average looks

Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful (Daniel S. Hamermesh)

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Harvard, Yale, UT Austin, and many others have also studied the phenomenon. None of the results make it right to judge someone based on appearance, but they do confirm and quantify what we already know. We're being judged and it's costing us big time.

I believe that beauty may get someone in the door, but it's talent, knowledge, skills, and attributes that will keep them there - or the lack of it will get them gone!

Now that we know, now what?

Shake It Off

If you haven't heard Taylor Swift's new song maybe now is a good time to hear it. I'm not a fan of parts of her new video, but I love the song (thanks to my daughter). "Shake It Off" is a great anthem that carries a ton of energy to help one to stay focused while eliminating noise.

Know Your Destination

Continue on your journey armed with facts and greater awareness. If you're like me, the shock is wearing off. Know where you want to go and go there with all due haste, but stop and smell the roses along the way.

Leverage Your Support Team

If you don't have a coach or mentor or support network, get one. Going it alone can be challenging and it's unnecessary. Even the greatest people in business, sports, medicine, politics, you name it - have a support team.

Execute Your Plan

There are no guarantees except that hard work makes it so. Roll up your sleeves, work hard, make adjustments along the way, and continue doing what you love and want to do. If you're not doing that yet, then develop a plan to get there.

Remember...

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Let each NO, CAN'T, SHOULDN'T be like drops of water to a thirsty plant. Be REVIVED by them!

10,000 Failures Quick Reference

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Bottom line - looks can be deceiving so don't judge a person by their appearance alone.

Deep breath... What do you think of the "beauty premium"? In anticipation of charged responses I'll say please be kind when you post comments ;-)