FountainBlue is pleased to announce the expansion of our When She Speaks series into the San Francisco area, led by Roberta LaPorte, RAL Associates and sponsored by Charles Schwab & Co., with a launch event of January 2008.
The WSS monthly meetings in San Francisco will generally follow the same topics and themes as our Silicon Valley discussions, but will profile successful business women in the SF area and will be held on the third Thursday evenings of the month at Schwab’s new conference facilities in downtown San Francisco.
"We are pleased to extend the conversations about women in leadership to another US region, and delighted to have such strong partners to launch the series in SF," comments Linda Holroyd, CEO of FountainBlue and founder of the series.
"Schwab's commitment to women in leadership, and the strong partnerships with their Women’s’ Employee Resource Group Partners, including Deloitte, The Gap and PG&E, will help us to launch a successful series here in SF," adds Bobbie LaPorte, CEO of RAL Associates and WSS lead in SF.
FountainBlue welcomes your recommendations for corporate panelists for our 2008 conversations in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. In addition, please let us know if you are interested in launching a When She Speaks series in another geographic area, and we would be delighted to share the details about franchise opportunities with you.
January
21Powerful Leadership STARTS with Powerful Communication:
@ Schwab
Nikki Anderson; ThinkFeelKnow
February
18Financial Author – Sharon
Kedar
@ Schwab 211 Main (lunch event)
March 18Leadership Behaviors in the New
Economy: What We Learned from
@ PG&Efrom the Recession on How to Manage
Ourselves and Our Teams
Leila Bulling Towne, The Bulling Towne Group
What
makes an effective woman leader? What are some typically feminine leadership
traits, and how can they be leveraged in a male-dominated world? How does one
interact with other women, and their unique leadership styles? How can one
better understand her one style, and proactively expand it?
April 15Sustainability in Business: What is All the Buzz About Anyway?” Laura
Erkeneff; Sustainable People Systems
May
20Women’s Leadership Styles: What’s Right For You?
@ PG&EKerri Halmi, The St. Charles
Consulting Group
No
doubt you’ve been hearing about how businesses are trying to bring more
“sustainability” to their businesses these days. Sustainability in business
is nothing short of a new business model - the triple bottom line is
the new buzz word. What exactly is this new model and how is it effecting the
way we do business? Join us to learn how women leaders from different areas
of the sustainability movement are changing the way business is done and how
you, too, can leverage sustainability in the work place.
June
17Agility – The Key to Building a Successful Career
Karen
Colligan, PeopleThink
In
these times, it is much more difficult to plan your career path with fluidity
within and across corporations, across global markets, plus more acceptance
of people moving from one role or industry to another. This month's panel
will focus on agility as the key to building a successful career, featuring
women who have changed roles and industries, positions and companies.
July
15Women Making Their Own Rules
@
PG&E
Moderator
TBD
Successful
women create their own brand - their own personal way of making things
happen. Sometimes they play within the rules, sometimes they make up their
own rules, but the results speak for themselves. Join us and hear the stories
from dynamic women who are making up the rules as they go. Learn from them,
and start thinking about how you can change the rules that are hindering your
own success.
September
?Special Program w/ Macy’s – Fashion Show and Benefit
October
21Politics in the Workplace: The
Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Bobbie LaPorte
(tent)
Let’s face it –
office politics is a reality for everyone, regardless of the size of your
organization or your position. As professionals we have all dealt with the
challenges of doing our job while watching our backs, managing “up”, and
dealing with difficult co-workers who treat others around them badly. With
all the advances women have made in the workplace, why is this issue still
holding us back? Our panel will share how they have achieved their leadership
positions by successfully navigating office politics, amplifying others’
contributions and generously supporting high potentials on the leadership
track.
November 18A
Leader’s Legacy
Bonnie Wentworth,
Bonnie Wentworth Consulting
The end of the
year is a good time for all leaders to reflect on how they are leading, how
they would like to stretch, how they are learning and growing and what legacy
they are leaving behind. This month's panel of women leaders will talk about
how they are managing their day-to-day leadership tasks, while also keeping
an eye on the professional and personal legacy they are leaving behind.
You are cordially invited to attend the February meeting of the “When
She Speaks” – Women in Leadership Series, produced by RAL & Associates
in partnership with FountainBlue, Thursday, February 19th, from 5:00
– 7:00 PM at Charles Schwab, 215 Fremont Street, San Francisco.
Our February program is entitled “Work/Life Balance: Myth or
Magic”?What is Work/Life Balance? Does it
exist? Is it possible to do your best work AND live your best life? Or
should we be saying “Work Life Balance – R.I.P”? Is
it time to move on from the tired old work-life balance debate? With markets
sinking, unemployment rising and people desperate for work, who really wants to
spend more time at home?
Any way you look at it, if you Google this topic and you will find
TWELVE MILLION links! There are myriad strategies, but at the heart of this
issue is a willingness to be aware of the choices we are making and assess the
results those choices are generating. Please join us for a highly interactive
evening examining the issue of Work/Life Balance. We’ve assembled a panel of
women leaders who will share their personal strategies to “have it all”. You
will leave with practical information and keen insights on this important topic
so you can decide how to shape your own personal approach to the question.
Our panel will include:
·Moderator Bonnie Wentworth, CEO Wentworth
Consulting
·Panelist Evelyn Williams, Professor, StanfordGraduateSchool
of Business
Sponsor
We are grateful to Charles Schwab & Co, for generously providing
ongoing sponsorship and support for the San
Francisco “When She Speaks” series, and also to
our business partners at PG&E, IBM and Deloitte.
·What we share is similar and more important than our differences; we need to build bridges from our common experiences
·Some companies are still at the early stages of implementing diversity programs; in some cases there is strong engagement and buy-in at the corporate level but less so in the field
·Support for diversity initiatives needs to start at the top with senior management as role models; employees who are working with customers on the front lines have the most influence on how diversity initiatives directly impact customers and the public
·Sharing best practices among internal employee resource groups is important
·At Schwab, their mission is “financial fitness”; the employee resource groups are connected to each other and have executive sponsors who have been through specific training and education
·At Genentech their client is the patient; they are also educating their leadership and have three formal programs for employees including (1) inclusion at work (2) generations at work and (3) social styles
·Mentoring programs – both formal and informal – are an excellent way to support each other, get connected and make diversity initiatives real for employees
Our April 10 When She Speaks-SF event was on the topic of “Leading with Power, Influence & Integrity” and featured: ·Facilitator Karen Colligan, PeopleThink ·Panelist Mary Burns, Director, Charles Schwab ·Panelist Tita Gray, Manager, PG&E ·Panelist Monica O’Reilly, Principal, Deloitte In this fiercely competitive work environment we call the Bay Area, it is crucial for women to explore our leadership style and define how we will lead ourselves, our teams and our organizations. Women are redefining what leadership means in the work world. We are leading with Power, and recognizing how to share it. We are leading with Influence and moving people to agreement and action. We are leading with Integrity while being true to our convictions. Key points from the discussion included the following: ·Karen Colligan challenged each of us to think of the role models in our past who have influenced us and how they led with power, influence and integrity ·Each panelist was asked to define Power, Influence and Integrity: -Power = knowledge (not information); self-knowledge and being comfortable with our own definition of power; being authentic; confident in making decisions that could have significant impact; choosing your words carefully; being mindful of how you make people feel; “intentional” influence (e.g. your title) gives you confidence but you need to earn people’s trust and not abuse the power -Influence = being genuine in your convictions; being aware of how you make people feel; being persuasive, a “quiet influencer” that doesn’t necessarily hold a title or position of authority; building trust with people so that you can influence them; being of service to others to help them achieve their goals -Integrity = this is the foundation for your power; if you don’t have this everything else (power, influence) is imposed, not earned; treat people the way you’d like to be treated; be responsible for yourself and your actions first, others will see that and follow ·Mentors vs., Influencers – could be the same people but mentoring relationships are generally more formalized (stay tuned for more on this topic at next month’s “When She Speaks” event) ·The panelists also shared their experiences with good and bad influencers in their lives and what they learned from them. As women we have a responsibility to set excellent examples and role models; we need to be aware of how powerful our influence can be on others
The February 12 event was on the topic of “The Three Power Steps to Financial Success”, and featured Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar, co-authors of “On My Own Two Feet”. Below are notes from the conversation. ·Manisha and Sharon provided some background (How Did We Get Here?) for the premise of their book which included the following: -more than 70% of Americans are only a couple of paychecks away from financial disaster -personal finance is not something we are taught growing up -the media images we see of people living the good life are not realistic (“Sex in the City”) -we have very easy access to credit ·This is a particular concern for women because we live longer then men; 2/3 of women over the age of 65 rely on their Social Security payments to live. This does not mean that women are coming to the problem from a position of weakness. We have the tools, means and power to take control of our finances and act from a position of strength ·The Three Power Steps to Financial Success are Savings, Investing and Protecting Yourself. ·Savings: you need to save for an emergency fund (start with $2000 and build to 3-6 months living expenses); big ticket item purchases (home, car, educational expenses) and retirement. Target savings is 15% of gross earnings, split between 5% to emergency fund and big ticket items and 10% to retirement. For each decade over your “30s” when you start saving you should add 5% to the 15% target. If your employer has a retirement plan take advantage of that, at least to the matching funds amount (“free money”) ·Investing: you should invest your savings to beat inflation and also increase the overall purchasing power of your money. Investing is recommended in stocks, bonds or real estate. Historical yields from those are 10% (stocks); 5.5% (bonds) and for real estate, slightly above inflation after expenses (on a national basis – all markets are different). You can invest in funds your employer may have available (if you work at Schwab) or through another discount broker or trader. ·Protecting Yourself: (this is about “Your Money and Your Honey”). If you are in a long-term, committed relationship be sure you talk with your partner about 3 things: what you owe, what you own and your credit score. Be clear about who handles the financial chores in your house and be sure to communicate regularly re status. Finally, also be sure to have the proper insurance coverages – life, car and healthcare. ·REMEMBER: “PRINCE CHARMING IS NOT A PLAN!” The January 17 launch event was on the topic of “Succeeding in a Man’s World – The Glass Ceiling and Other Tragedies” and featured:
Moderator Linda Prowse Fosler, Linda Prowse Fosler and Associates
Panelist Lessly Field, Director, Business Continuity Management, PG&E
Panelist Ann Haley, Executive Director, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority
Panelist Neesha Hathi, Vice President Strategy & Segmentation, Charles Schwab & Co.
Panelist Pamela Roskowski, Chief of Police, UCSF
This month, we celebrated the success of women leaders who have achieved the highest levels of success in traditionally male-dominated fields – through courage, personal insight, risk-taking and action. Our panel shared their backgrounds and success stories about how they rose to positions of authority in the face of very challenging circumstances, and provided insight and advice on how to remain authentic to yourself, your goals and desires. Their exchange included stories of how they dealt with discrimination early on in their careers, how desire and drive served them in their career pursuit and of how other women served as role models in their careers. And they reminded us that – despite progress made – discrimination still exists and that we need to continue to help other women less fortunate than us. Below are notes and advice from the program for your reference.
Traditional “female” traits such as trust, collaboration and “leading vs. managing” are becoming more valued in the workplace
Successful women are interested in “winning”, but not at other’s expense
Be clear about your expectations with your supervisor (e.g. when you want more responsibility or seeking a promotion); know what you want, speak up and stand your ground
You are responsible for managing your career, for developing and seeking our opportunities
Ask for outside advice and input on your situation if you feel you are not being treated fairly but get your facts straight before making your case
Sometimes you need to do things that are outside your comfort zone to be a seen as a “player” in your field – particularly social activities where men build important relationships outside of work
Pay attention to your network; it is important to build alliances with peers and others – inside work and outside; your network is a key element in career management
Take advantage of formal mentoring programs that may exist in your workplace; or in professional or alumni associations to which you belong. Create your own informal mentoring relationship with professionals who can provide objective advice and support you in your career
Stay focused on results in your work. Know how will you be measured on your contributions to the organization
Companies need to create a culture that will retain women leaders; some things are simple (e.g. day care, job-sharing).Many organizations do not provide support and ways for managers to take risks on women who have potential
Finally - stay true to yourself and what you believe in
