Making Work Work

Dinosaur Discovered in Boston

June 14, 2010
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Dinosaurs are not extinct. They still roam the Earth – here in Boston. I know. I met one.

Last week, looking for some business advice, I sought counsel from a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs. The advisor with whom I met tried his best to look like a distinguished businessman but I could tell he was really a tyrannosaurus rex. The giveaway was the eyesight. T Rex is known for his keen vision. And even though this guy stared at my chest throughout our entire meeting, he still somehow managed to notice I wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. “You don’t wear a ring. Are you married?” he asked.  Bracing myself for him to ask about my husband’s career I told him, “Yes I am.” “Too bad. I was going to hit on you.” Then he laughed. “I hope you don’t mind my humor. I like to joke around.”

I scheduled the meeting because I wanted to discuss my financial projections. T Rex wanted to tell me how to write a marketing plan. I have worked in marketing for 20 years. T Rex didn’t care.  Attempting to take control of my meeting, I asked a specific question about my revenue model. T Rex answered by explaining how marketing works. This was what he had to say,” It’s like the stripper outside the tent at the circus. She flashes some skin outside but doesn’t take everything off until you buy the ticket and enter the tent.”

Statistics show that 90 percent of investor money goes to men. Industry watchers often blame women for this dismal fact because women apparently don’t ask for funding as frequently as men do. I suggest we revisit the statistics. Let’s look at how much money is flowing to women’s chests. After all when I sought business advice my breasts got a lift from the meeting, but for me, it was a bust.

What Chris Brogan Wants

May 28, 2010
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How the hell would I know? I’m not Chris Brogan. Pity he didn’t take a similar approach in his recent posts, “Learn What Women Want” and “Women in the Workplace.” Chris Brogan, president of New Marketing Labs, while blogging about working women, cited this stat from the Center for Work-Life Policy: while 47 percent of college-educated entry-level corporate professionals are female, women comprise a mere 21% of senior executives, 17% of Congress , and 15% of board directors. And followed it with this comment, “But in my recent effort to learn what women want, I found that not all women want to lead.”

Brogan seems to mean well. He writes about the women who do want to lead, “we should be very clear and helpful in making sure that women have the chance/choice to lead.” But he qualifies that statement by suggesting we support the “qualified and capable” women, even while acknowledging not all male leaders possess those qualtities. He writes, “so maybe that’s not even a consideration we should have.” Maybe.

Speaking of maybe, Brogan wonders if maybe the data reflects a “need for improvement” or maybe it reflects the fact some women aren’t climbing the ladder to success. In a follow on piece, Brogan defends his posts saying the point he was trying to make was, “that maybe women don’t want to lead in the traditional sense that the posts mentioned,” and that, “Hey, women have choices and maybe they don’t want to be in a box.”

Maybe I’m making the same mistake Brogan did by pointing out the obvious: not all men fully grasp the challenges working women face – both major barriers and subtle discrimination. But the reason I single out Brogan is he has a major platform. His “Women in the Workplace” post was tweeted 257 times. He has 138,137 followers on Twitter and 4,832 friends on Facebook.

Brogan knows a lot about a lot of things. Just check out his “About” page on his site. But working women doesn’t seem to be one of them.

Meet Artist, Blogger, Working Mother Carolyn Draws

May 26, 2010
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Don’t you just love Etsy? You can find great jewelry and gifts there. A few weeks ago I discovered fun giclee prints from Carolyn Draws. Even better, I found Carolyn.

Carolyn Verkuyl is a talented artist, an advertising whiz and a wise woman. She has worked for many of the top Toronto ad agencies. Following the birth of her daughter in 2000, she became a full-time contract worker.  “I loved my job but (having a child) I felt like I had two full time jobs.” She has freelanced ever since working with many of the same agencies and clients who once employed her full-time. I asked Carolyn about pursuing what you love and leaving a full time gig.

When worked started slowing down due to the recession, Carolyn started drawing. “I had illustrated and drawn since I was little and I always got lots of compliments. I always knew I’d have to transition to something other than advertising so I asked myself, ‘What do I do that I absolutely love?’

I can appreciate what Carolyn meant about finding something else. The agency world can be grueling (I’ve worked in several PR firms) and it’s hard to imagine the long hours, the demanding client service and the constant multi-tasking in your 60s and maybe even 50s. If ever there was a candidate for a work/life fit makeover, agencies are it.

She first started illustrating as a way to acquire a portfolio and posted her work on a blog Carolyn Draws. “I’m letting it take me places. I’d love to illustrate a book someday.” People are responding to her work. She’s had some large commissions, exhibited at shows and is selling prints and magnets featuring her work.

And she doesn’t regret her decision to leave her full time gig. Part time schedules are a dream for many women trying to squeeze in more parenting and personal time, but they aren’t always a wise decision. In today’s economy, women need to be prepared to support themselves and their families..

“I hired many women coming off maternity leaves,” says Carolyn . “And I think everybody has to do what’s best for them – some women really, really love their jobs and some women love working from home.”

She does have sage advice for women seeking flexibility at work. “You absolutely have to have a squeaky clean record (at work). As a women, you have fewer coupons to cash in so you really have to work a lot harder to do the same things men do. I do think the spotlight, when it turns on, is a lot brighter (for women).

“Be focused in your objectives.You can’t waiver. The effort is greater but it’s well worth it in the long run.”

Ladies what do you think? Do you have to work harder to prove yourself? And in today’s market, would you give up your full time gig and go freelance?

Leave a comment and we will enter your name in a drawing for Carolyn’s “Week of Cupcakes” print. And for more of her art visit Carolyn Draws on Etsy.com.

Did you hear the glass ceiling was shattered?

May 19, 2010
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Following a report from Bloomberg News, recent headlines have been touting the fact the glass ceiling has been shattered. That’s because Carol Bartzof Yahoo with her $47.2 million compensation package, and fifteen other women CEOS of companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index averaged higher salaries than their male counterparts.

That’s nice for Carol Bartz and her 15 peers, but does it change anything for the rest of us? Yes and no.

It helps to have women earning and performing in the highest echelons of corporate America.  Bartz and others serve as examples that women have done it, can do it, and will do it again. But it hardly signals pay equity across America. In a Bloomberg articleon the subject, Frank Glassner, CEO of San Francisco-based Veritas Executive Compensation Consultants LLC, was quoted as saying, “When you see numbers like this, one can truly say that the glass ceiling in corporate America has been shattered.” Not so fast Frank.

Perhaps there are a few more cracks in the ceiling, but shattered it isn’t. Women still earn, on average, .77 cents for every dollar a man in a comparable job earns. And big name companies like Walmart and Outback Steakhouse are still getting dragged into court to settle pay discrimination cases.  

Then there is the latest report on women directors and executive officers of public companies from The InterOrganization Network (ION), an alliance of fourteen women’s business organizations across the U.S. According to ION nothing has changed when it comes to adding women to the boardroom.  So even though a few women might get paid handsomely when they reach the top of the corporate ladder, the chances of reaching the top are still slim.

Consider these facts from ION based on research of public companies in the fourteen regions where the organization has representation:

- Women hold between 7.6 and 17.8 percent of the board seats in all of the companies included in their research.

- The percentages of companies that have no women directors at all range between 11 percent and 55 percent.

- Women hold between 7 percent and 15.2 percent of all executive officer positions.

- Between 32 percent and 70 percent of those companies have no women in their executive suites.

- And finally, the percentage of women who are among the top compensated executives in their companies range between 5.1 percent and 9 percent. Between 60 percent and 78 percent of those companies have no women among their most highly paid executives.

So what do you think ladies? Is the glass ceiling still there?

Steakhouse Settles Sex Discrimination Suit

January 5, 2010
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restaurant

Why couldn’t it have been the Ninety Nine? Every summer while on vacation, my husband and I go out to dinner with another couple. Every year I offer a long list of suggestions – waterfront restaurants where the food is marginal and overpriced but the setting is beautiful. And every year, we eat at the Ninety Nine, a chain restaurant with the ambience of a carboard box. “It’s a great value,” the men tell me.

So when I heard that a major steakhouse chain paid out $19 million to settle a sex discrimination class lawsuit, I hoped it was the Ninety Nine. Perhaps I could change our annual outing on moral grounds. But alas, it was Outback Steakhouse, a place I never frequent anywhere.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Outback denied women equal opportunities for advancement. Women could not get promoted to the higher-level profit-sharing management positions in the restaurants. Also, the EEOC claimed women were denied access to the jobs that would put them in line for management positions.

This is not the first sex discrimination suit for Outback. In 2001, a jury awarded $2.2 million to a female employee who was paid less than a male coworker performing the same job. Across the board, the number of sex discrimination claims or “receipts” filed with the EEOC rose from 24,826 in 2007 to 28,372 in 2008. (Of the 2008 claims, 56.9 percent were determined to have no reasonable cause.) 

A December 30 article in the Economist claims, “We Did It! The rich world’s quiet revolution: women are gradually taking over the workplace.”  In numbers yes, but not in influence and earning power. We know that the number of female directors and executives in the top public companies remained flat or declined in recent years. We know the wage gap has widened. When women are denied access to higher paying jobs, like the women at Outback allegedly were, it is harder for them to earn top salaries. We know that pregnancy discrimination still exists –the EEOC received 6,285 charges of pregnancy-based discrimination in 2008.

Many think overt cases of sexism are on the decline. It’s hard to measure. But micro inequities and hidden barriers in the workplace are still affecting women’s advancement.  And these more subtle forms of discrimination can be harder to address. While we can’t control the behaviors of others, we can do everything in our own power to reach true equality at work. So as you plan your career strategy for 2010 remember to:

Ask for what you want. Some managers will assume because you are a woman and/or a mother, you may not be interested in key assignments. Make sure your boss knows your career goals.

Watch the double standard. Sad but true, it still exists. Act too strong, risk being labeled a bitch. Not tough enough, you’re a wimp. Know it exists and balance the risk/reward when taking action at work.

Hone your negotiation skills. Poor negotiating skills are often cited as one of the reasons women earn less than men. Build your skills so you can be a strong advocate for yourself.

Stay positive. Discrimination, both subtle and overt, can affect your confidence and esteem. Try to remain focused on your long term goals and not take the discrimination personally.

Take notes. If you are a victim of discrimination, document what  is happening. If you file a claim, you will need details and dates.

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