Politics Can’t Be a Man’s World

The 2014 election cycle brought with it sweeping changes. Depending on your politics, these changes may have been welcome or they may have been dreaded. Regardless of your political leanings, when the 114th Congress begins in January, we will have a few breakthroughs for all women to (cautiously) celebrate. Women are a big deal. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, politicians have finally taken notice that women make up half of the population and ever since 1920, they’ve ... Read more

1 Reply

Job Hopping Your Way to Success?

The 2014 Employee Viewpoint Survey conducted by the government’s Office of Personnel Management found that millennials who accept a position with a government agency stay slightly less than four years. If you are in your 20s or early 30s, four years might seem like a long time to you. You may fear getting locked into a job or missing new opportunities. You may have been told that the only way to get ahead is by changing jobs so that you continue to grow both your salary and your ... Read more

Leave a reply

So, Ummm, What to, Like, Avoid During Presentations, Sort Of

It’s challenging to give a good presentation. It takes experience, creativity, and talent (whether inherent or learned) to engage listeners and convey information in a way that is both entertaining and informative. Regardless of the importance of the information presented, the slick appearance of the slides, or the credentials of the presenter, there is one way that speakers can detract from their message and ultimately lose their audience. There are certain words that can ruin any ... Read more

Leave a reply

Much Ado About a Name

On September 27, George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin. It was a hard to miss story, taking up more news time on TV and in print than events that actually have an impact on people’s lives. However, I did have to chuckle at the headline “Internationally acclaimed barrister Amal Alammudin marries an actor.” After all, she’s not just the most famous bride in the world, she is also well known for her work in international human rights law. She has represented Julian Assange (of Wikileaks fame) ... Read more

Leave a reply

Busyness is not a Badge of Honor

Recently an expert n television claimed that people put too much stock in the concept of work-life balance, that the focus should simply be on life with a capital L. There was then a discussion about whether we have entered an era of self-focus (think mani, pedi and massage, gym memberships, and constant connectivity with friends), or whether work still dominates our lives. Is the average person working more than forty hours per week, chained to their desks, laptops, and phones? Are people ... Read more

Leave a reply

Don’t Just Find Your Voice—Use It

Before you decide this is just another political blog—and who cares—stop for a minute and think about this: In your lifetime, women will not achieve political parity in this country. In your lifetime, women will never have an equal voice in running our nation, the state where you live, or your community. These statements are based on projections from a report issued about the state of politics by Women Donors Network. According to their survey of 42,000 elected officials, 71% are men, and ... Read more

Leave a reply

How to Discipline Your Calendar

Recently I was stuck in an airport waiting for a connecting flight that was delayed. I was grateful it was still coming, but I realized that I would now get home much later than I had expected — well after midnight. I was also thinking that I had an early morning meeting the next day. My next thoughts were around how this schedule compression had occurred once again. Who accepts meeting invitations? (I do.) Who keeps/approves my calendar? (I do.) I may have an Executive Assistant who ... Read more

Leave a reply

How Not to Introduce Yourself

By the time you snag your first professional job, you’ve heard the advice about introducing yourself a million time. Stand up, have a firm handshake, make eye contact, speak clearly, use titles like Ms. or Dr. until you are invited to do otherwise. You know the routine and you’ve mastered it. What you may not be as prepared for is how to introduce yourself at a meeting. Your introduction, of course, varies with the meeting. If the facilitator requests that each participant give ... Read more

Leave a reply

The Grandmother Reduction

She has been arguably the most influential First Lady in our nation’s history and set the stage for comprehensive healthcare reform. She has served as a U.S. Senator and Secretary of State. She’s come close to being the first female President and it’s highly likely that we may call her Madame President within the next few years. Regardless of your politics, it’s inarguable that Hilary Rodham Clinton has made an indelible mark on the fabric of our society. Yet, when I was watching ABC News ... Read more

Leave a reply

Feminism: Different Times, Different Definitions, Different Tactics

Young women who reached adulthood in the late 1960s and 1970s had generation specific issues facing them. At that time, the nation was just coming out of the “Father Knows Best” era. Women had limited educational and employment opportunities (nursing, teaching, and secretarial work were predominant options). They weren’t earning a significant percentage of graduate degrees, and they certainly weren’t earning equal pay. In fact, many of them had trouble getting a ... Read more

Leave a reply