Hard Won Wisdom Professor, Dr. Corinne B. Young The University of Tampa Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien May 16, 2002

Goal of Workshop  Mentor to find your Self-Awareness, Perspective and Balance  Provide a guide to survive in competitive work environments  How to survive emotionally  Find the right work/life balance to support personal challenges  How to live a more fulfilling life

Presentation Layout  Introduction  Having vision  Making it happen  Self-Esteem  Daring to take risks  Claim and protect your turf  Man and women at work  Perseverance  Jealousy, sabotage  Falling down hurts  The balanced approach  Rules of the game

Hard Won Wisdom – The Book  “Hard Won Wisdom” – Germer F.  Book is based on 100 interviews with women leaders  Which obstacles/challenges do they experience in balancing professional and personal life?  80% of the people want to be led  20% will help out, but only 10% are actual leaders

Some Words from …  All the big deal about being the first American women to walk in space was nice, but my first space walk would have been my first space walk, regardless of how many women had done it before me. Kathryn Sullivan  Passion for what you do is an important ingredient for success. If you don’t love what you do, it’s not worth the time or the energy. C. Fiorina, CEO, Hewlett-Packard  I had peers who went to the officer’s club in hopes of marrying an officer. I thought, why marry one when you can be one and fly a plane. Paula Coughlin, Ex-US Navy pilot

Having Vision  Focus on what you want, find your passion  Get fulfillment, not just a pay check  With vision comes self-awareness  Figure out what you really want  A focused vision is powerful, especially when supported by passion  Give yourself permission to succeed  Plan your success  GET BUSY and enjoy the process

Making it Happen 1. Figure out what you want to do 2. Come up with a set of personal priorities 3. Talk to people 4. Make your plan 5. Do it, don’t procrastinate! 6. Stay on track 7. Count on yourself 8. Celebrate your successes along the way 9. Visualize 10. Give yourself permission to succeed

Self-Esteem  Self-esteem it the engine that runs our minds and bodies  Two levels: Physical and Emotional  You don’t have to be perfect  Be comfortable with ups and downs  Work on improving yourself  Accept your uniqueness  Believe in what you are doing, that gives you power  Gather good people around you, who support you  You have to take control of your self

Daring to Take Risks If you aren’t doing something you’re doing nothing Don’t let security be your dangerous anchor  Take one risk at a time  Trust your gut – No guts, no glory!  Risk versus security  Getting out of a rut – Have the courage to quit and find another job  Make your own choices

Claim and Protect your Turf  Be yourself  Once you have your vision, find your voice  Make it happen  Share the light – Share your power  Going into battle  Figure out what other people’s turfs and agenda are  Self-promote and help others in the organization

Men and Women at Work  Network: personal and professional  Relationships are everything  Working with men is a tricky dance  Kill them, ignore them or leave them  When tears start to come  Medium income of women is still 73 cents on the dollar compared to men  What holds women back from upper management?

Women versus Women  Queen bee behavior – Focus on individual success  Women are competitive, but afraid to confront  Think about how others might see you  Don’t other women for extra scrutiny or competition  When someone does you wrong, say it.  Don’t be a victim  Support other women, rather than singling them out for competition  There’s enough success out there for everyone

Perseverance is a Way of Life  Vision is nothing without follow-through  You have to make it happen  Take charge  Learn to enjoy your ride  Worst obstacle is the emotion of fear  When the going gets tough  Turn criticism into opportunity

Jealousy, Sabotage, Knife in your Back  Why you and not Me?  Why are others not happy for me?  Keep your eyes open; Know your enemies  Jealousy might lead to sabotage  Sometimes you have to fight back

Falling Down Hurts  Don’t quit too soon  Take a break before you give up completely  Drop the word ‘failure’ out of your vocabulary  Realize setbacks are inevitable in life  Forgive yourself

The Balanced Approach  Open your eyes to what you have  Check if you are on the right path  Focus on your own definition of success  Set your priorities for your life  Take care of yourself  Celebrate your victories  Work to life, not life to work

Rules of the Game  Be true yourself  Pick your battles  Have a strong support network  Persevere  If you get the “troublemaker” label, make allies  Give others the kind of support your want  Do your homework  Don’t waste energy  You can’t possibly keep everyone happy  Accept that it’s not always going to go your way  Laugh a little

Final Remark There is only one difference between an ordinary woman and an extraordinary woman: The belief that she is ordinary

Questions and Discussion