Breakout Career Moves: Are you ready for a big leap forward?

By Jo Miller

I’m reminded of the phrase, “mind the gap.”

Many of us know those words as a note of caution, telling us to watch for the empty, potentially treacherous space between station platform and train. But when you think about it, “mind the gap” is also a great metaphor for the responsibility you need to take while journeying from where you are to where you’re going. Your chances of moving forward (and as an emerging leader, upward) increase when you know what that gap is while you’re crossing it.

Our latest webinar shared the insights of two emerging women leaders who made their own breakout career moves to get where they are today. Listening to Nehal Mehta, Director of Quality Assurance at NetApp, and Sara Sperling, Facebook’s Manager of Diversity and Inclusion, it’s easy to see that their approaches differ as much as their roles, but the care and passion they invested in evolving as leaders is a common factor.

Sara had come to Facebook in a learning and development role, and became known for her interest in diversity, even building their first employee resource group. Executives would come to her with diversity-related questions despite her official role and training in a completely different area.

“I was a Math and Economics major,” said Sara, acknowledging that there is “no direct link to that and leading and starting the diversity and inclusion at a company like Facebook. So, as Sheryl Sandberg says in her book, I “leaned in” and I went for it. And here I am.”

Nehal had been laid off during a time of re-organization. When a job showed up for which she had many skills, but not all, she was able to negotiate a consulting role while they searched for another candidate. “It was a win-win because, for them, I could come in with some core skills that they needed to grow the small company while they may have continued to look for this other candidate.” From there, she moved onto her current role at NetApp.
For both women, creating their own opportunities was a necessary step. Nehal views any current job as having a job description, an established path, and emerging leadership needs to show willingness to go further. “You need to do your job well. You need to do it really well… but then see what else you’re interested in and go seek that out.”

Sara agreed. “I really think that people want to wake up excited about where they’re going to go for most of the day.”

That excitement is exactly what might fill the gap separating you from professional fulfillment – and one way to define your best career opportunities is to identify your ideal career niche, by answering these three questions:

• What are you passionate about?
• What are your skills and talents?
• What does your company/industry need and value?

Don’t assume you know what your company needs. Your best bet is to constantly stay in the loop. “I feel you should network, network, network,” says Nehal. “You have to network inside your company and outside your company. You will find opportunity through your network.”

Sara agrees, emphasizing the opportunities that truly resonate and the people willing to offer support. “What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Do that! And then, let others pull you up. Find those people. Let them pull you up.”

“Those people” are often mentors, coaches, sponsors, and connectors such as recruiters and good friends, what Nehal calls her “personal board of directors.”

Making the leap
Now, I’m about to share with you quite a checklist of criteria, but I guarantee your career advancement goals will be well-served (and possibly shaped) by considering each of these factors before taking on new, forward-thinking responsibilities.

Say “yes” to projects, roles and assignments that…
• Fit your “ideal career niche” – because you’re more successful when you’re in your sweet spot.
• Allow you to demonstrate your ability to deliver results – because value is heightened with visibility.
• Are in a business that is growing, and not shrinking – because you’ll see greater opportunities for growth.
• Are in a revenue center, not a cost center – because doing something that makes money for a company, rather than spends it, invites greater opportunities.
• Directly support the organization’s strategic plan and goals – because you’ll be moving in the same direction as the company.

Where you get to…
• Improve the ‘bottom line.’
• Perform a specific, not general, role (if you’re on a Technical track).
• Broaden exposure to a new department, function or area (if you’re on a Management track).
• Push the cutting edge in your field of expertise
• Make your work visible to key leaders
• Grow your business acumen and leadership skills.

There’s a definite symmetry to this list, a balance designed to show your strengths while addressing the needs that you can fill. I also want to add that this checklist comes from me, as a coach. During our session, Sara and Nehal offered their own criteria for assessing new career opportunities, sharing different ways to mind the professional gap that worked for them.

Sara’s method is simple and heartfelt. “Am I going to be excited to walk in the door every day? And can I make an impact on somebody?”

Nehal takes an analytical approach, starting with a “state of the union” assessment of the organization or product, knowing the strengths you can leverage for the opportunity, then asking yourself, “what are the areas that I'm going to need to grow in? What are the areas that I'm going to need to learn? Are they go-to people? Who are my go-to people? You also need to assess:  Am I going to be set up for success?”

Whichever approach, and whatever route you take, remember that you are the one stepping onto that train.

“It is your career,” says Nehal. “You would have to own, build, grow, reinvent, reposition, manage, and steer it to be successful.

“Take gigs that feed your soul,” adds Sara. “Don't worry about going straight up the path. Go to the sides like it's a jungle gym. Don't worry about taking the straight path to your career. Enjoy it.”

Your next stop, whatever it is, awaits you. Step up, mind the gap, and you’ll get there.

________________________________

Listen to the entire conversation with Nehal Mehta and Sara Sperling in the webinar “Breakout Career Moves”.

Members, log in now to view the webinar recording.
Not a member yet? Join now for immediate access to the webinar.

Emerging Leader Spotlight: Li Chen, Microsoft

    “I want to be a role model for my kids so I always do my best to make a positive impact on my group, my product, and the people around me.”
 

Name: Li Chen
Current title: Principal Development Lead
Company: Microsoft Corporation


What is the most important thing you have learned that has been critical to your career success? For me, it’s finding my purpose in life and focusing on the “right things”. After I had kids, I realized suddenly that my time is precious. Understanding this has forced me to reprioritize things; many of the things that I thought were important are not as important now. I want to be a role model for my kids so I always do my best to make a positive impact on my group, my product, and the people around me.

 “...I now believe that one’s positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract health, wealth, and happiness.”

What tools or resources have you used that have been crucial to your success? I read books and have attended a few training sessions that have been important to me. I would recommend the book, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I was skeptical about the concept at first but I now believe that one’s positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract health, wealth, and happiness.

I have attended many powerful trainings, but the one that stands out is the most is the Manager Foundation Training that Microsoft conducts, which is a very intense five day off-site session. In the training, we formed teams, completed projects, and gave each other candid feedback. That training freed me from my worry of grammatical errors and other small things and it has enabled me to be more engaged and productive in meetings.
 

“I value trust a lot...Without trust, we would not be able to have a cohesive and productive team.”
 

Have you experienced a career or leadership challenge recently that you have overcome? Recently I had an incident with my coworker that caused trust issues between us. I value trust a lot, and lack of trust is the first of the five dysfunction of a team as taught by Patrick Lencioni. Without trust, we would not be able to have a cohesive and productive team. There are things that both of us learned from this incident, but still I wondered “how do I repair the trust?” I wanted to resolve this but was reluctant to take action because I was afraid of making the situation worse. Finally, I took a leap of faith and initiated a follow up discussion with the other person to resolve our differences. The trust is not completely restored yet but it certainly is improving.

“I have served as chair of Cloud and Enterprise Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) for the last two years...I’m honored to have such an opportunity to help build this community for women in our organization...”
 

What professional accomplishment or result have you achieved in the past year that you are proud of? Last year, my team shipped a hybrid solution for our existing SCCM customers to use Windows Intune service to securely manage modern devices including WP8, Windows RT, and iOS. We delivered that solution in a drastically shorter time than our previous 3 year shipping cycle.

I have served as chair of Cloud and Enterprise Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) for the last two years. WLC is a grass roots organization that has 390 members. I’m honored to have such an opportunity to help build this community for women in our organization, which has been created to help women connect with each other, as well as facilitate professional and personal development.

From the Article Archive: Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Office Politics

Question: Do you feel you must engage in office politics in order to be considered successful?

 

Jo Miller answers:

In a webinar on the topic of office politics, one participant asked our guest speaker, Nina Simosko, “Do you feel you must engage in office politics in order to be considered successful?” Simosko, who is responsible for leading the creation and execution of Nike Technology strategy and operations world-wide, responded, “Politics are a reality and one must not ignore them or do so at their own peril. I am not a fan of politics, but I have learned that ignoring them can have negative consequences. I believe that we all must understand the nature of the politics within our respective companies and participate to the extent necessary.”

In an article titled Seven Career Killers, careers author Erin Burt points out that refusing to engage in office politics can be a career-killing move. “Avoiding politics altogether can be deadly for your career. Like it or not, every workplace has an intricate system of power, and you can — and should — work it ethically to your best advantage. To get a promotion, avoid downsizing or get a project approved, you need co-worker support.”

Burt went on to add that it is crucial to identify your workplace’s hidden pockets of power. “On paper, a certain person may be in charge, but you need to know who else in the office has influence.”

When moving into a new role or a new team, Nina Simosko will fast-track the process by seeking out key people. “To quickly learn about the politics of an organization, whether I am simply a new employee or coming from a different culture/country, I would ask others who have been around for a while and seek out those that seemingly have influence within the group or company. People like to be sought out for advice or guidance and generally are willing to assist."In a recent article, Getting the Lay of the Land in a New Role, I wrote about ways to quickly pick up momentum in a new role, by identifying key people, creating a plan to connect with them, and setting yourself up as a go-to person in your area of expertise. I call this skill ‘organizational savvy’, and it is also the most important skill for navigating office politics in a positive and effective way.

Become a savvy observer
To identify those hidden pockets of power, pay attention to how people interact with each other in meetings, in the hallways, at lunch, or virtually. Become a savvy observer of the communication and relationships that surround you in your organization. Notice who gets along with whom (or does not), and see if you can understand how that relationship was formed (or became broken). Did these individuals work together in the past, or do they have a common background or interest? What is the glue that maintains the relationships? Asking yourself those questions will point you toward ways to navigate more effectively with those individuals.

Pay attention in the same way to coalitions: groups of people that work together effectively, and freely share information, resources, and opportunities. Notice who the “key influencers” are in a coalition, and try to build a relationship with them first. Aligning yourself closely with these groups is a fast-track way to gain a supportive, collaborative network.

If you meet someone who seems to navigate the environment well and is well-connected, ask them to mentor you on company culture. Nina Simosko explained, “I love to exercise and when traveling on business, I regularly use the gym facilities in or near the hotels that I stay in”, she explained. “It is purely coincidental that a very senior executive within my company also likes to exercise and use the facilities when traveling. So, it is somewhat often that we find ourselves on treadmills or other exercise machines that are right next to one another and we are able to strike up conversations which often relate to business issues.”

Connect authentically
If you think it seems inauthentic to go around trying to build relationships just for the same of furthering your career, think again. According to Simosko, one of the very best ways to connect with people is to offer to assist them in some way. “Especially in these challenging economic times, there is no shortage of people who feel overwhelmed and could use some assistance”, she explained. “If you are able to authentically connect with and assist folks with things of importance to them, then they will want to repay the favor and will be available to you when needed. Surely, if it is perceived that you are only reaching out to help yourself, this will not achieve the best outcome. Your efforts to connect with others must be authentic.” 

_____________________________

To hear more from Nina Simosko, watch the webinar “Winning at the Game of Office Politics”.

 
Members, log in now to view the webinar recording.
Not a member yet? Join now for immediate access to the webinar.

What's wrong with working hard?

By Jo Miller

Are you a hard worker? Do you have a reputation for hard work?

In this video, I explain why working harder won’t get you promoted—and may even hinder your career advancement. Doing great work and delivering outstanding results aren't always enough to attract reward and recognition.

Here's a great reason to get your nose away from the grindstone. Watch now.

 

Make a breakout career move! Join us for the Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series starting August 27.

Have you ever wondered how to make a big leap forward in your career? Join us on August 27 for a webinar on Breakout Career Moves, and discover how to create your next big career opportunity.

The Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series is a year-long, six-part series of webinars blending leadership skills training with advice from guest speakers who are senior-level women leaders. In every webinar:

• Hear outstanding women leaders share their top career and leadership tips
• Add to your toolkit of leadership skills
• Learn proven strategies to advance your career.

Register now

Breakout Career Moves  

Tuesday, August 27, 2013 

If you’re ready for your next big career move, don’t wait for it to find you. In this webinar, learn how to create opportunities to do what you’re great at and passionate about. Hear from women who have successfully defined their careers by creating their own high-profile projects, stretch assignments, and customized roles.

Nehal Mehta,
Director of QA, NetApp.

Sara Sperling, 
Head of Diversity, Facebook. 

About the Webinar Series

A one-year subscription to the series includes six new webinars per year with access to over 30 past webinar recordings, all designed for emerging women leaders--early-career and mid-level women in corporations.

Gather colleagues to watch with you in an office or conference room and schedule a group discussion immediately after the webinar (we'll provide discussion questions).

Individual Membership

• Join live, $188. One-year membership for a single site. Includes six upcoming webinars plus on-demand access to over 30 past programs

• View on-demand, $168. One-year membership for a single site. Includes access to the replays of six upcoming webinars plus on-demand access to over 30 past programs.

 Learn more or register now

Corporate Membership

The webinars are a scalable, low-cost way for corporate women's initiatives to offer leadership development and networking events.

• Join live, $2698.One-year membership for 50 sites. Includes six upcoming webinars plus on-demand access to past programs

• View on-demand, $2298. One-year membership for 50 sites. Includes access to the replays of six upcoming webinars plus on-demand access to past programs.

Learn more or register now

Corporate Members include Alcatel-Lucent, Cargill, eBay/PayPal, Farm Credit Services, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, JDSU, Lexis-Nexis, Mastercard, Medtronic, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Siemens, Symantec, UBS, Women's Wireless Leadership Forum, and a large financial institution.

 

Webinar Schedule

Take Charge of Your Career Trajectory I October 29, 2013
Guest speakers: Donnell Green, Global Head of Talent Management, BlackRock and Caroline Simard, PhD, Associate Director, Office of Diversity and Leadership, Stanford School of Medicine.  

Ask a Male Executive I December 3, 2013
Guest speakers: Kieth Cockrell, Sr. Initiative Portfolio Executive at Bank of America and John L. Hall, Senior Vice President, Oracle University. 

Win at the Game of Office Politics I February 25, 2014
Speaker: Jo Miller, CEO, Women's Leadership Coaching, Inc. 

Building Relationships of Trust I April 22, 2014 
Guest speakers:Joanne Collins, Assistant Vice President - International Markets, SCOR Global Life Americas and one other, to be confirmed. 

Intrapreneurship: Why Your Company Needs You to Lead Like an Entrepreneur I June 17, 2014
Guest speakers: Nina Bhatti, Founder, Start-up in Stealth Mode and Rebecca U. Harris, Director Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University.

     View the complete webinar schedule

 

Being Strategic: Three Components of a Good Strategy

Question: I tend to be tactical but am now in a position in which I am being asked to be more strategic. What is the action plan for transitioning? Is being strategic a learnable skill?

Jo Miller answers: “How can I be more strategic?” is a question everyone asks, but what does it mean? And what is strategy, anyway? 

Ellie Pidot is Vice President of Strategy at Medtronic, where she works closely with the CEO and senior management team to lead the development of corporate strategy and improve the quality of strategic decision-making company-wide.
 
So what is strategy, according to a seasoned executive strategist? In a style refreshingly free from business jargon, Pidot explained that “Strategy is a fancy word for coming up with a long-term plan and putting it into action.”

In addition to developing corporate strategy at the highest level with the senior executive team, Pidot also works with Medtronic’s eight business units and various regions worldwide, helping to facilitate their strategic planning process. One of her top tips for being strategic is “collaborate, collaborate, collaborate,” and her approach to strategy creation involves serving as a thought partner to executives across the company. Pidot begins by asking questions that provoke the type of deeply reflective thinking that enables a business or region to develop its own strategy.   
Typical questions she recommends asking when formulating a strategy are:  

•     What are your customers’ unmet needs? How should your strategy address them?
•     How will your markets be different in the future than they are today?
•     What can you do to position yourself for the future?
•     What is the business case for your investments?
•     How will you measure and track performance to ensure impact?

But what if you are not leading a business but are an individual contributor who is trying to be more strategic?

Pidot recommends asking similar questions while imagining your boss as a customer “Ask yourself, what are your customer’s unmet needs, meaning what is it that your boss wants and needs,” she advised. Reflect on your job description and what you know about your boss, and how you could make their life easier. “Look for ways to better predict the kinds of things that they want you to do” she said. “By coming up with a list, you can probably anticipate those needs better. Have a bias for action and get things done. Have milestones. Check them off and follow through. Come up with a plan, and think ahead in a way that is proactive. Being strategic is about having a long-term plan, and putting it into action. It almost sounds silly to think of that as a strategy, but it really is.”

Three components of a good strategy
To anyone who is hoping to develop the skill of being strategic, Pidot recommends that any good strategy needs three characteristics: to be forward looking, aspirational, and grounded in facts.

1. Be focused on the long-term and forward-looking
Pidot advises that to be effective, a strategy must be forward-looking.
“To move from getting caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of the job and become more strategic, you need to be looking ahead.” Pidot recommends asking yourself “What is the world going to look like, five or ten years from now? How are the dynamics that I am operating in going to change over time? How can I put into place a set of actions to get me to where the world is going to be?”

2. Be aspirational, while recognizing constraints
A good strategy needs to be aspirational, while recognizing your starting point and constraints. Pidot explains, “You need to be bold enough in your aspirations that you can get excited about it, because you are going to spend a lot of time working on your strategy, but at the same time recognize where you are today, and what constraints you might have on the potential actions that are at your disposal. It is a careful balance. You can’t get too far ahead of yourself but at the same time, you don’t want to limit yourself.”

3. Be grounded in facts
A common misconception about strategy is that it requires thinking at the ‘high level’ and not digging down into the detail. When asked by a would-be strategist “How can I get out of the detail and be more strategic?” Pidot advises, “One of the common reasons that strategies fail is that they are not grounded in facts, data and a deep understanding of your customers and business environment. One of the most important elements of strategy is moving away from ‘managing by anecdote’ and developing a much more systematic approach using facts, data and analysis.”

Take time to think
A final key to becoming a better strategist is to take the time to think.
“We all have challenges and our days are jam-packed. We are running from meeting to meeting, trying to accomplish more in less time,” observes Pidot. “It feels sometimes like we don’t even have the time to get our job done, let alone have time to step back. But I can’t over-emphasize how important it is to have unstructured time with yourself or with your team, just to think. An agenda-less hour or two is critical for generating creativity and different thinking.”

____________________________

To learn more about ways to be strategic, watch the webinar “Being Strategic” with guest speaker Ellie Pidot.
Members, log in now to view the webinar recording.
Not a member yet? Join now for immediate access to the webinar.

Emerging Leader Spotlight: Anna N Schlegel

“I view my work team as if it were a sports team. Each member has a clear role and position. I played volleyball for many years and this stuck with me.”

Name: Anna N Schlegel
Current title: Director, Globalization Programs Strategy Office
Company: NetApp Inc.
Favorite business quote: “It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.”—Henry Ford

What is your leadership style? I view my work team as if it were a sports team. Each member has a clear role and position. I played volleyball for many years and this stuck with me. On a sports team, each teammate plays an integral part; keeping that in mind at the office, I coach my team on what the game plan is for the day. I make sure everyone is doing well, I make sure the “players” have the tools they need.

I am a fan of Patrick Lencioni from The Table Group, who applies similar principles for teamwork. It's crucial to give the team a vision and the tools to get there. Training teams to work (and play) well together, is a big priority. 

“It’s crucial to give the team a vision... Training a team to work (and play) well together is a big priority.”

What tools or resources have you used that have been crucial to your success? I tend to lead big teams of contractors, hires, agencies, and consultants; for that, I must be organized! My teams always have one vision, one charter, and a series of programs and projects to get to that vision in the span of two to three years. We work on the processes to get to that vision. What will success look like after each project? Creating great repeatable processes that everyone on the team can follow is vital in my book. It takes time, but if you have a steady team, you will get there.

I am a big supporter of team building, an open door policy, and cross pollinating among teams. It is also imperative to work on what is important; it's essential to move the business forward. 

“I am a big supporter of team building, an open door policy, and cross pollinating among teams.” 

What steps are you currently taking to improve yourself, professionally? I always take a few management classes each year to remind myself how to be a better manager. And I usually have a new leadership book close by, to see new trends in management. I recently moved to a Product Team, so I am currently taking new product classes to get better knowledge in our product portfolio. After all, we are all here to sell!

Four Ways to Lead in Meetings When You’re Not the Meeting Leader

By Jo Miller


It’s 2:00 p.m. and there has been a full day of intensive training for emerging leaders; my class participants are feeling the effects of a few too many carbs consumed during lunch. They are starting to look a bit lethargic.

I ask them “How many of you spend a lot of time in meetings?”

As the majority of the group raises their hands, a few roll their eyes, and one even groans out loud. I can almost hear a “whoooosh” as the last spark of energy is sucked out of the room. I conclude that these dynamic, high-potential women just love all the time they spend sitting in meetings.

Do you waste a lot of time in meetings? Think carefully before you answer, because it’s kind of a trick question. If you view meetings as a necessary evil to be suffered through, you might just be neglecting to take advantage of the ideal setting to showcase your leadership skills.

“Meetings are your greatest opportunity to be visible and show your organization what you bring to the table,” said Luann Pendy when I interviewed her for our webinar on Leading Meetings. Pendy is Vice President of Global Quality with Medtronic where she oversees quality operations, charged with ensuring that medical devices for patients worldwide are of the highest quality and reliability. “Meetings are how we get work done,” she continued. “There are very few jobs where you get it done yourself. Meetings are a fact of business. Achieving business goals quickly requires that we use meeting time efficiently.”

Pendy counsels emerging leaders to become competent at leading meetings. But it also pays to be skilled at participating in meetings when you’re not the person in charge. “I spend most of my time participating in meetings rather than leading meetings,” she explained. “I make it my objective to be a good meeting participant because then leaders want me to come to their meetings to help them. It allows us to achieve our objectives that much faster.”

How important is it to excel at being a good meeting participant? “Extremely important,” says Pendy. She believes that if you’re not being effective in meetings, you’re missing opportunities to add value to your company by solving business problems.

Here are four of Luann Pendy’s tips for how to be a leader in meetings when you’re not the meeting leader.

1. Be prepared
Prepare ahead of time. Study the agenda and know what your role is for the meeting. Pendy recommends considering, “Why have you been invited to the meeting? What is expected of you? How does the leader want you to participate? What is the purpose of the meeting?”
Make sure to deliver and go beyond those expectations. “It’s very important to make sure that you fulfill the role that’s expected of you,” she added.

2. Speak up
Several years ago when she was preparing for a promotion, Pendy received feedback that she was perceived as “hard to read” and as a result, people found it hard to work with her. Her management engaged an executive coach to facilitate a 360 feedback assessment which Pendy found invaluable.  “The feedback that I got from the group was: ‘You are very quiet in meetings.’ I wondered what the impact of that was,” she recalled. “So we asked the question in the 360: ‘When you see that Luann is quiet, what do you think of Luann and her leadership skills?’”

The feedback was eye-opening for Pendy. Co-workers felt she was not interested in what was going on in the meeting and that she appeared to not be engaged. “I’d go the meetings and be very courteous and respectful. I was listening to what everyone was saying, processing it, and learning,” she said. Others viewed her as not memorable, and as having no edge. “I asked the coach what I could do to change course.” Pendy adds that she would not be where she is today had she not taken action.

“So I changed,” she recounted. “I received immediate feedback once I started speaking up in meetings. Employees said ‘Thanks for supporting me.’ My peers said, ‘Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your ideas.’ And the management said, ‘Thanks for leading.’ The good news is I got the promotion. I encourage everyone to make sure your voice is heard.”

3. Be aware of meeting etiquette
“Find out what is acceptable in terms of meeting etiquette at your company,” advised Pendy. If you’re working against your company’s culture and meeting etiquette you’ll find it difficult to succeed. For example, you’ll need to know whether questions are allowed during presentations or whether you should you wait until the end. Find out how many questions and comments are considered too much. In some corporate cultures, questions are better received outside of the meeting.

Pendy suggested finding a role model who navigates meetings well. “I would encourage you to find someone within your organization whom you feel is very savvy with corporate etiquette and who is successful at leading and participating in meetings. Observe them to see how their behavior contributes to their success,” she offered. “You might even meet with the person to say, ‘You seem to be extremely effective in meetings. Tell me some of your common and uncommon tips.’ You’ll learn a lot about your organization’s culture and etiquette.”

4. Be present
“Be present and participate,” she added. “Don’t wait to be invited. If you’re included in the meeting, it’s expected that you’re there to contribute.”

An important part of being present is to sit at the table. “Oftentimes, I see women come into a room where there’s a big, long conference table and they try to find the chair in the corner away from the table,” said Pendy. “That doesn’t come across as being positive, confident, engaged, and enthused. The way to get a seat at the table is to show up on time or early so there’s an open seat.”

According to Pendy, your posture is important, too. “Put your elbows on the table, something your mother taught you never ever to do at the dinner table,” she recommended.  “When you’re in a business meeting, if you’re leaning forward and you’re putting your elbows on the table, it tells the group you’re engaged, interested, and have something to contribute.”

“We talk about corporate America not having enough women in the leadership ranks. We can ask executives in corporate America to bring more women forward, but there is an equal responsibility for all of us to bring ourselves forward. The way to do that is to use your time in meetings to show your effectiveness, your intelligence, and your leadership skills.”

____________________________

To learn more about leading and participating in meetings, watch the webinar “Leading Meetings” with guest speaker Luann Pendy.
Members, log in now to view the webinar recording.
Not a member yet? Join now for immediate access to the webinar.

Emerging Leader Spotlight: Debbie Hetzel

 
“It is easy to get swept up in ‘corporate drama’ but in the end it’s your job performance that will be noticed.”

 
Name: Debbie Hetzel 
Current title: Manager, Customer Service
Company:  Potash Corp 
Favorite quote: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”

What is the most important thing you have learned that has been critical to your career success?

I have always tried to stay focused on the work.  It is easy to get swept up in ‘corporate drama’ but in the end it’s your job performance that will be noticed.  I also learned to leave my ego at the door. 

What key steps did you take to get to the role you are in today?

I learned all that I could about customer service at PotashCorp.  I was eager to learn new processes or pieces of business. Our company started strictly as a potash company;  through the years, we purchased phosphate and nitrogen companies. I have made sure to learn and understand the dynamics of each new business.   

“I have always recognized and understood who 

the key people are who can help me get my job done.”

What tools or resources have you used that have been crucial to your success?

We have fantastic sales, marketing, transportation/distribution, and credit professionals in our company. I have always recognized and understood who the key people are who can help me get my job done. I feel I am always willing to analyze our processes and by using today’s technology, implement steps to improve the way we do our  business. 

What is the next step you plan to take in your career to develop your leadership skills?

Our company is very involved in updating our computer system. This is a huge undertaking which will involve various groups in the company. I asked to be a member of this team. Being a part of this new project will definitely help me develop my skills as I will be teaching others the new system.   

 “I have a huge passion for the job and feel enthusiastic 

each day about my contribution to the company.” 

What professional accomplishment or result have you achieved in the past year that you are proud of?   

I started with this company 27 years ago as a Customer Service Rep then became Team Leader, Supervisor and am thrilled to say I was recently promoted to Manager. I have a huge passion for the job and feel enthusiastic each day about my contribution to the company.