November 2019 Newsletter
The Q&A—On Mentors and Role Models in STEM Fields
With Arm’s Liana Nicklaus
With Arm’s Liana Nicklaus“If you care deeply about an issue and want to see it improve, whether that’s women’s professional development or something completely different, it’s time to get to work, because it’s not going to happen without you.”
Q: Which people have been your most important mentors and role models throughout your life?
As a kid, my most important role models were my parents. I learned how to advocate for myself and speak in a professional manner by overhearing my mom’s conference calls and having long talks with her in the car while she drove me around to after-school activities. My dad passed down his passion for science and engineering through many evenings and weekends spent running experiments with my sister and I in the kitchen sink, taking us to science camp, and helping us with math homework. Read More
The Q&A—On Striking a Healthy Work-Life Balance
With Liberty Mutual’s Amy O’Neill
With Liberty Mutual’s Amy O’Neill“Looking back, I would want a mentor to tell me that there is no magic formula to the work-life balance. The key is to find a healthy balance that enables you to be your best at work and at home, which will allow you to experience a fulfilling career.”
Q: What was your dream job as a kid and why?
I wanted to be a teacher. Growing up with nine siblings, I remember playing “school” with my younger brothers and creating tests and homework assignments; I loved the idea of running my own classroom (or bossing my brothers around!)
Q: Today, you have an enormous job—being someone who is responsible for driving strategy and the execution of health and welfare benefits and well-being programs for nearly 50,000 people. What is one of the most valuable and perhaps surprising lessons in leadership that has enabled you to do what you do? Read More
How to Manage Your Boss
“Look at who your boss is; understand how they operate—don’t judge; understand how you operate; and then assess the gap.”
—Mary Abbajay, organizational and leadership development expert and author, Managing Up
Most leadership books focus on how to manage the people who report to you. But equally important is how you manage your boss. (And we all have a boss—even CEOs of public companies have to report to a board.) In the latest episode of Women Amplified, Mary Abbajay discusses how to work with a wide range of challenging bosses—and make almost any relationship better.
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To Be a Great Boss, Focus on These Three Qualities
If you’ve ever been told you won’t be able to get ahead if you’re too nice, Fran Hauser, author of The Myth of the Nice Girl, has news for you.
You don’t have to choose between kindness and strength. You only have to focus on how you communicate—which is more important today than ever. Read More
Four Ways to Candidly Improve Your Work Relationships
It can’t be fun to be pulled aside by Sheryl Sandberg, after giving what you think was a successful presentation to Google’s Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt, and be told that when you say “um” every third word, it makes you sound ignorant and stupid and you really should see a speech coach.
But Kim Scott, author of New York Times best-selling book, Radical Candor, was immensely grateful for the experience—because, after seeing that speech coach, she discovered she really did say “um” every third word; and after a career of giving talks, she felt like Sandberg was the first person to point out that she had a giant hunk of spinach between her teeth. Read More