Women’s Day Special: 10 Tips For Women In The Corporate World Suman April 1, 2019

Women’s Day Special: 10 Tips For Women In The Corporate World

This is the second of the posts that compiles tips for women that I posted through March on Linkedin.

The first set became a post on how to create a more gender balanced work place. 

If you have been reading my posts, you already know that the theme for Women’s Day this year is balance for better. We are encouraged to take actions that help create that balance. In personal or professional life.

So here are tips that I posted on various aspects of how we can do that in different ways:

1. How can women support other women to achieve gender balance:

– Mentor at least one woman in your team

– Commend other women publicly when they come up with ideas

– Support each other during meetings

– Don’t make it harder for other women

– Break the “bitchy stereotype”

What else can we do to support other women to help our cause?

Would you like to work with me to develop a strong command on your communications? You can talk to me for free for 20 minutes to discuss your needs. Click here

2. How to deal with people who interrupt you during meetings: 

– Speak up assertively

– If someone interrupts, let them speak till you find a gap

– Take the control back as soon as you can

– Continue with sentences like – Thank you for adding to my point (if you agree) OR I see that your point of view has merit, however (if you disagree)

3. How to network effectively within the organization

Who you know is more important than what you know. Ensure that you know the right people in the organisation. Here are a few tips:

– Arrive early to meetings to chat up with the important stakeholders and test your ideas.

– Use office parties to talk to people outside your circle of work. Social occasions can be great for networking, especially with higher ups you may not be in touch with during work.

– Add important people on your Linkedin. You may not directly report to them at the moment. But the network you create will also come in good stead when you need it

– Make it a point to go to team lunches to forge a better bond with colleagues

What else do you do to effectively network within your work circle? 

Read more on 7 quick tips on how to network effectively

4. How to build a strong personal brand as a woman within the organization

Personal branding is not just for celebrities or the senior management in the company. So I want to share some simple tips to help women build strong brands at the workplace:

– Think hard about the kind of brand you want to build for yourself. Make it a strong one. Think of qualities and words you want people to associate with you. Communicate those in every possible way.

– Dress to impress. Every single day! Clothes, make-up, accessories – every thing should communicate the brand you want to stand for. If you want people to take you as a serious professional, look professional (by the way this applies to men too but women get judged more for sloppy dressing)

– Tell your story well. Weave your brand with the story and create an elevator pitch for yourself. You can use this to talk about your career path or how you got back after a break and made it work wonderfully.

Would you like me to help you develop build a strong personal brand at work? You can talk to me for free for 20 minutes to discuss your needs. Click here

5. 3 Must read books for working women

I am a huge fan of reading books to acquire knowledge and learn from women who have been there and done that. And in my experience, there are so many books that are written by women to help other women develop skills:

1. Brag! By Peggy Klaus: In the context of her own ability to talk about herself, Klaus wrote this brilliant book on personal branding. It covers all possible work situations and how to frame your elevator pitch in each.

5 tips on personal branding in person

Read the book review here

2. Presence by Amy Cuddy: This is one awesome book that tracks the the science behind how body language can help you develop assertiveness and confidence. The book also has practical tips that that you can use in your everyday life to up your confidence.

10 tips on how to use power pose everyday 

3. Feminist Fight Club by Jessica Bennett: This is a no nonsense practical book about the sexist behaviour at work women face and fight moves to counter them. It’s quite exhaustive in covering a range of issues

6. How to get back to a second career

Taking a break from work can put a lot of pressure on you. But there is no need to be disheartened! There are plenty of things you can do to make the transition easier. Here are a few:

– Assess your current skills. The best thing about a break is that you aren’t starting afresh.

– Acquire new skills. Find out the developments in your field and try to upgrade

– Write out a resume highlighting your best work. Get a second opinion on it

– Brush up your online profile. Add a latest profile photo

– Network. Network. Network

– Actively apply to suitable positions every single day

– Don’t be defeated by rejections. It’s a part of the process

– Work on your interview answers and practice with a friend

10 practical tips to get back to a second career

If you’d like to talk to me about getting back to a second career, I’ll be happy get on a call with you. Write to me here

7. Top 3 tips to develop executive presence

Executive Presence seems to be the flavour of the month – albeit inadvertently – on my blog and Linkedin! 

Read why executive presence is important for women

And through the sessions I have conducted this month, there are top 3 things that emerge every time:

1. Body Language: What makes people notice you when you walk into a room? It’s the tall, confident gait that gives out a strong message about your confidence

2. Power dressing: The way we look is a strong part of the brand we build for ourselves. And dressing up appropriately matters every single day

3. Communication: Develop your voice. Learn confident communication. Stop apologising when it isn’t called for.

If you want to work on developing your presence and make a noticeable difference to your career, I’ll be happy get on a call with you. Write to me here

8. How to brag about your achievements

This might seem a bit odd but it has been proven that women find it hard to talk about themselves. Thanks to the conditioning we go through, being told all out lives to not talk about ourselves.

One of the best examples is Peggy Klaus who wrote an entire on book how to talk about yourself in any situation – encouraged by her own experiences.

Her advice is – Keep your “brag bag” ready. This means keep the list of your accomplishments right on your finger tips!

– Don’t shy away from talking about the great work you’ve done through your career. Write the things that you’ve been doing and how they helped the company.

– Keep this list handy and update it often.

– The brag bag will keep self doubt in check and also help you quickly justify why you are the most qualified to handle a particular assignment.

– Another big plus, it’ll make appraisal meetings a breeze! All you’ll need to do is pull out your bag!

Would you like to work with me to fill up your brag bag with your great accomplishments? Comment YES and I’ll be happy to help you!

9. How to stay ahead in the corporate world 

– Find a mentor

– Speak up during meetings

– Add the power of power pose to your body language

– Say yes to opportunities even if they aren’t something you have done before

– Get out of your comfort zone

– Don’t fetch coffee

– Ask – no matter how ridiculous the request seems

– Say no often

10. How not to be an office mom 

– The top tip is to refuse housekeeping duties

– No photocopy work

– No fetching coffee

– No taking minutes of the meeting

– Not in charge of cleaning the stationery closet

Say no to anything that doesn’t actively contribute to your real credentials – unless these duties are divided among the genders equally. But hey! Who are we kidding!!

Here are 7 powerful tips on how not to be an office mom

If you missed the awesome content I’ve been posting for women all March, no worries! The newsletter in April will have the best content brought to you once again! Just subscribe here. If you see this after the 2nd of April, you can subscribe any time since the newsletters go out every month. 

Every tiny actions matters. Let’s get together to create a more gender equal world.

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