by Solange Lopes | Jul 1, 2015 | Career |
How to stand out in a large team
I remember being a young associate in Big Accounting, being thrown on 30+ people engagement teams, with no idea who was who, who to talk to, where to go, what to say…Never mind communicating effectively…Amazon’s Jeff Bezos had a golden rule: if your team comprises more people than it takes to eat two pizzas, that may be just too much…Well, depending on the eating capacity of your attendees, this may shift a bit, but you get the drift…
Unfortunately, not all of us work for Jeff Bezos, or Amazon, and not all of us like pizza. End result: many of us end up being lost in teams that are too big, too unproductive, and too ineffective. And there’s never enough pizza… Yet, since not all of us get to work in optimal environments for us, here are a few ways to stand out in large teams ( and still manage to get a slice of pizza):
1. Be yourself! It’s easy enough to blend in into a large team and go unnoticed. Be yourself, volunteer for opportunities and show your talents.
2. Ask, ask, ask! Seek opportunities, do not just sit on the sidelines waiting to be assigned tasks. Ask who needs help with what. I still remember a brand new staff, straight out of college, who sent a mass email to the entire team asking if anyone needed any help because she was tired of re-arranging her cube multiple times. She’s now on the fast track to partner.
3. Receive gracefully! As much as you may need to ask for assignments if you haven’t been assigned anything, be also willing to tackle any tasks. Part of making yourself indispensable to a large team is being able to pick up the slack fast and efficiently. And if that means making copies for the group, so be it!
4. Voice your concerns! One of the impediments of working in large teams is how slow the process can be. Voice your opinion, but always accompany any concerns you may have with at least 2 suggestions for improvement.
5. Be open! From working with people you’ve never worked with to switching projects on a last minute notice, be open to change and learn to adapt quicly.
6. Be flexible! In the same token, show flexibility with people and with the work. Bureaucracy and rigid methods are lethal in teams, especially large ones.
7. Have fun! A large team presents many challenges, but also offers many opportunities. Take advantage of them! Get to know and network with people, seek high-profile assignments, roll up your sleeves and offer to help anyone! And in the meantime, learn and have fun!
How do you stand out in large teams?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 28, 2015 | Career
Weekly News Update
Happy Sunday everyone! It’s a rainy, “let-me-stay-in-bed-with-a book” kind of day on this side of the blogosphere…As I’m sipping on my third, ahem, one of my cups of coffee, here are the news that made my week:
- If you’re under 35, Fortune came out with the best lists of workplaces for millenials;
- Timing is everything! Fast Company reveals the best time of day to do everything at work;
- Working Mom Happy Alert! Quartz reveals working moms have more successful daughters and more caring sons;
- Competing with really qualified candidates for the job? The Muse recommends 5 ways to stand out;
- Want to work smarter? Forbes reveals you may want to take that 20-minute walk;
- Speaking of exercise, Greatist lists 33 ways to exercise at work (and #6 is my favorite);
- Do you know how much your spouse makes? Fortune reveals most couples don’t, or are off by at least $25,000;
- For all my fellow book lovers, Mashable lists 12 books to satisfy your summer’s wanderlust;
- This week was all about starting over at The Corporate Sister; check out my post on changing industries without losing your professional edge, as well as 7 questions to ask your new mentor.
Happy Sunday everyone 🙂
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 26, 2015 | Career |
To this day, I can still remember my very first meeting with my very first mentor. At the time, as a young associate starting out in Big Accounting, I didn’t even really know what a mentor was, what they represent for anyone’s career, and most importantly, what the heck to discuss with them. We went to a newly Starbucks on Newbury street, ordered espressos and started staring at each other, literally. She was a prominent Senior Manager in the Audit group, I was a young associate right out of college, with zero professional experience, looking to make my mark. Yet when she asked me how she could help me, I nervously took a sip of my double shot White Chocolate Mocha espresso, and said nothing…Needless to say, that was probably the shortest mentoring session ever (and the most embarrassing one at that…)
A great mentor, if you are fortunate enough to have one, is one of the most important relationships in your career. Mentors are not just role models, they can become confidantes, guides, and friends. Some mentors have pushed their mentees to success, guided them towards their path and remained a great presence in their lives and careers. Yet as you start out in a new mentoring relationship, what do you ask your new mentor? How do you even begin to put your career in perspective enough to actually ask smart, outstanding questions to get the most out of these crucial career relationships? Do you start on a personal note, or keep it strictly professional? Do you trust them enough to reveal your career plans, or do you fish for information first?
Fast forward a few years, a few unsuccessful mentoring relationships and lots of double-shot White Chocolate mochas in crowded Starbucks coffee shops, I’ve gathered some of my best (and most humbling) lessons about what to ask your new mentor:
- Where and how do you spend the most important part of your time?
Get information about your mentor, learn to know who they are, professionally as well as in their personal lives.
- What professional groups and organizations are you a part of and would you recommend?
Your mentor will be the key to many many networking opportunities. Learn where they network, and you will learn how to increase your influence.
- What career advice would you give someone like myself?
Pick their brain. Hindsight being 20/20, you would greatly benefit from their perspective on your exact career station at the moment.
- How did you get to this point in your career?
Chances are your new mentor had a non-conventional career path. Or that they bulldozed through their own path to get to where they are. Ask them how they got here, what they did, and wish they could undo.
- Who would you recommend I connect with?
Your network is your net worth. Take advantage of your mentor’s vast network to gain insights into who else you should connect with.
- What were your biggest weaknesses and/or failures, and how did you overcome them?
Failures are the biggest career boosts, learn from others who’ve overcome them and turned theirs into successes.
- How can I help you?
Last but not least, surprise your new mentor with a question they’re probably not expecting. Ask them what you can do for them!
What other questions would you have for your new mentor?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 25, 2015 | Career |
Flounce Skirt – Photo credit: anntaylor.com
Loving this easy-breezy flounce skirt from Ann Taylor! The flattering, waist-cinching style is perfect for summer. The embroidery makes it a classic, elegant piece to take from desk to dinner.
It’s $89 at Ann Taylor, and comes in both regular and petite sizes.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 25, 2015 | Career |
There’s a a lot of advice floating out there about how women can “learn” to be successful in male-dominated professions, as if success were inherently dependent on the gender composition of our work environments. Or how women should adopt more masculine characteristics here, wear more makeup there, lean in there, move over here, to gain the traction they desire in their careers. And don’t get me wrong, most of this advice is well-founded, well-meaning, and somewhat exhausting to keep up with in the long run. It’s enough having to remember to pack my kids’ lunches, make sure their shoes match and call them by the right names, than having to think about which “assertive” personality to adopt once I get to work…Just sayin’…
Until I started working in a gender-diverse department where there were actually more women in higher positions than men. Eureka! I could actually hear angels singing atop medium-sized cubicle walls…Seeing fellow women in positions of authority, walking through crowded hallways graciously balancing the weight of society’s imposed responsibilities at home and that of their own ambitions in the workplace. Showing that after all, it is possible, not to do it all, but to integrate all the components of women’s lives in one cohesive, albeit messy, yet fulfilling whole.
Seeing these powerful women around me literally “take care of business”, did for me much more than years of reading self-empowerment books, and grazing over women’s career blogs, managed to do. It gave me real-life examples, concrete stories and images of other women who had done it before me, were still doing it, and were encouraging me to do it just because they were doing it. Faith comes by hearing, but seeing is also believing, right?
Although men still tend to be better paid than women, even in women-dominated fields, what remains is seeing the reality of working in gender-diverse environments can make a huge difference in women’s careers. It helps us perceive our professional realities better, share them more genuinely, and make better, more informed and much more authentic choices.
As for me, it gave me yet another chance to be inspired, understood, and challenged. And that, in and of itself, was one of the most significant boosts of my career…
Would working in a gender-diverse environment work for you?
Th Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 22, 2015 | Career
We’ve talked about switching industries without losing your professional edge earlier. However, is it realistic to start in a new industry without any prior experience in it? Wouldn’t it affect your chances of success? Isn’t it just better to remain in an industry in which we have experience?
My $0.05: In this case, as in many cases when it comes to career and work, the answer is “it depends”. It depends on what you are willing to consider, and on the possibilities that present itself. A new industry may require you to start at a lower level, take a demotion, or even get down to the bottom of the career ladder. Yet, you may also be able to use credentials and experience acquired in a different industry and apply them to your new journey, and get an equivalent or even higher position. Here are the important questions to ask yourself:
1. Why are you switching industries? What are your motives to do so?
2. What are you offering?
3. Who do you know?
Do you think you can start in a new industry without prior experience?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 22, 2015 | Career
V-Neck Sheath Dress – Photo credit: bananarepublic.gap.com
Banana Republic is having a 40% sale (yummy), and I picked this textured V-neck sheath to start my work fashion week in style. Loving the breathable cotton fabric, the flattering yet professional V-neck cut, and beautifully vented front hem. This dress is also on sale for $89.99, which makes my monday even better!
Happy Monday everyone!
The Corporate Sis.
