by Solange Lopes | Oct 22, 2014 | Career
Conspire app – Photo credit: businessinsider.com
If Linked In were to have a more inquisitive, get-in-yo-business little sister, it would be Conspire! This new app is great for making more personal professional connections than Linked In would ever allow you to…Instead of setting every connection at the same level and making you miss out on your ex-colleague who happens to be reporting to the head of the department you’re applying to, Conspire ranks your professional contacts by how well you know them and how professionally useful they can be to you.
How does it work? Basically, what Conspire does is it analyzes your email. It looks at how much you interact with your contacts, determines how well you know them (or if you’d pick eating raw broccoli over spending 5 minutes with them). Then it mashes up all this info, and creates connections for you. So the next time you’re trying to get a gig in ABC Company’s Corporate Finance group, and you just happen to research the CFO, Conspire will re-trace for you the entire connection path to get you to the guy, and hopefully to the gig.. . And bam, kaboom, done, voila!
My $0.05: As much as I love LinkedIn, I don’t log in everyday. Yet I use my email every day, so having an app that can leverage my email use to hook me up professionally is great! Watch out Linked In!
Would you use this app? Thoughts?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 22, 2014 | Career
Herringbone capelet – $99.95 – Photo: nyandcompany.com
I’m obsessed with this herringbone capelet from New York & Co. This is very Olivia Pope-esque, and reminds me of The Limited’s Scandal collection (read my review here).
Loving the powerful statement of this capelet, especially in this exaggerated herringbone pattern that is perfect for Fall. And the self-tie belt adds a great (and slimming) touch to its proportions. This capelet is $99.95 at New York & Co.
I’d layer this amazing piece over a statement dress, like this faux-leather-pocket shift dress (only $39.94 at Old Navy), or a statement skirt like this $20 faux-leather pencil skirt, also from Old Navy! Great prices for smart clothing options!
And for other alternatives to this herringbone capelet, this plaid cape from The Limited is superb, so is this ridiculously awesome cape trench coat! I also like this plus-size option from Lord & taylor!
Any other recommendations? Would you sport a cape or capelet for work?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 22, 2014 | Career
How can HR help empower women at work – Photo: jessicachivers.com
It’s time for our Ask HR feature! I have the pleasure of re-introducing guest contributor Zena Thomas, PHR, a fellow corporate sister and blogger extraordinaire. Zena blogs at hersavvycareer.com, and this her second Ask HR feature she’s graciously offering us (check out her fist feature on discrimination at work). Today, Zena writes about how Human Resources can help empower women at work, and you don’t wanna miss this…Welcome Zena!
Ask HR: Zena, Can HR help empower women at work? And if so, how? Absolutely! Human Resources should be dedicated to giving all employees the tools they need to be successful at work, and focusing on empowering women is no different. Within the last few weeks, the word “feminist” has popped up in popular culture more than ever in my lifetime. Currently, there is special attention given to women’s issues, and there is no better time to address how HR departments can be instrumental in empowering women at work.
- One way HR can help is by taking an honest look at company leadership. If women are not fairly represented in leadership roles, then there is a problem. Some companies are required by law to have Affirmative Action Plans to address the lack of women in leadership roles. However, all organizations, even those not officially required to, should step back, take a good look at their workforce, and make sure female employees are given the same opportunities to run the business as men. HR should work with managers to identify high-performing female employees with leadership potential and create a roadmap to get them into management positions. Implementing a formal training and development plan to make sure that women are being promoted to managers is just one resource that HR departments can use to make sure that women are fairly represented on the management level.
- Another tool that HR departments can utilize to empower women is creating a mentoring program. In some industries and companies there may be very few women in senior positions, therefore women do not have access to female leadership. A mentoring program that matches women leaders with female mentees is a great tool to create a formal relationship that is mutually beneficial. The mentee will have access to a mentor with experience and expertise that could be instrumental in the mentee’s growth. Likewise, the mentor will have access to the issues and concerns that the mentee and other females like her face on a daily basis. In smaller companies, a formal program may not be necessary but Human Resources could be instrumental in introducing female employees with other female role models in the organization.
- There are several other tools that Human Resources departments could use to empower women such as lunch and learns, roundtable discussions, and seminars. However, I encourage women not to wait for HR to empower female employees at their company(yes). Start empowering yourself today! Simple steps such as reaching out to a female leader in your company and asking them questions about how they got to their current position, is a great start to empowering yourself and owning your career. Start a lunch club where you share tools and resources on how to do your job better, be a better businesswoman and leader.
My savvy tip is that empowering women begins with empowering yourself. If your company is not giving you all the resources you need, then be the go-getter that you know you are, and go get what you need to be successful.
For more savvy advice you can check out Zena’s blog: www.hersavvycareer.com or follow me on Twitter @hersavvycareer, and on Facebook .
Thanks, Zena!
by Solange Lopes | Oct 21, 2014 | Career
Is it OK to tell white lies at work – Photo: http://www.skepticalob.com
Sooo we’d all agree that honesty is the best policy. Yet, at work, where many times we tend to wear the professional mask and wonder if we can truly be ourselves, do most people consider it’s the best policy? Or rather, is a little fib here and there necessary to maintain strong relationships at work? After all, telling your boss her hair is a hot mess right before your annual performance review, not a great idea!
How about calling in sick because your grandmother passed away…for the fifth time this year? Truth is, lying at work happens. And there are just instances where it seems you can’t avoid it, like when you have to think about telling your boss you have menstrual cramps and cannot come in to work? After all, didn’t some of the biggest names in business lie through their teeth at some point to cover up fraudulent tactics (hello Bernie Madoff) and make the bottom line look better than it actually was (hmmm Enron)?
My $0.05: Lying at work is dangerous. Period. Never mind if it’s a white, black or brown lie. If you can’t tell the truth, just smile and say it’s personal. Or just smile and say nothing.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 21, 2014 | Career |
Collarless seamed jacket – $99.99 – Photo: macys.com
Now this is what you call a statement jacket! This Tahari ASL Collarless seamed jacket in citron just adds the right amount of punch to any work ensemble. Loving the bright color and open front of this jacket, which is a great alternative to the sometimes boring sea of black, grey and nude of the Fall…This jacket is on sale for $99.99 at Macy’s.
I love the pleated pencil skirt this jacket has been paired with on the model, also available at Macy’s for $69. While I’d keep the jewelry minimal and the rest of the ensemble black to let the bursting color of this jacket shine, I’d merchandise it with these reasonably priced blue pumps, or these more expensive ones, or even these Manolo Blahniks of blue pumps (hello Carrie)! For the most conservative among us, these low Stuart Weitzmann pumps will surely do!
Want to suggest some fashion picks you’d like me to feature? Email me at corporate@thecorporatesister.com or leave a comment!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 21, 2014 | Career
When language is a barrier to success – Photo: http://www.ohiomsc.org
In today’s “global marketplace”, we are bound to work with professionals who do not necessarily share the same language as us. From working with multi-national teams, to immersing ourselves into different cultures, breaking the language barrier at work can be tricky. And very often, we are pushed outside of our comfort zones.
English is not my first language, as I grew up speaking mostly French. Working and evolving in places spanning Africa, Europe and the Americas has taught me about the power of language at work. Not just from the surface-level sense of diversity, but from a deeper, more personal sense of self.
As reported by the January 2014 issue of the Journal of International Business Studies, language barriers influence how multi-national team members are perceived, mostly in terms of trustworthiness. And really, without trust, how successful can our work within a team environment, be?
So how do we prevent language from being a success barrier at work?
1. Respect is KEY! I’ve seen many multi-national and diverse teams struggle at work due to an inherent lack of respect for others’ cultures and languages. Before starting work, be aware of the language and cultural differences within your team. Educate yourself on these, even if by just asking questions, and strive to respect differences!
2. Rules, rules, rules! Set rules for working in environments where language may be a barrier. From asking team members to speak slowly so as to be better understood, to limiting interruptions, set some ground rules!
3. If possible, meet in person! Trust is a great antidote to language barriers. Meeting in person, or at the least via video conferencing, allows to establish this trust!
4. Check on the progress! Make sure to ask how things are going, and if team members are feeling lost or out of touch. Express your own confusion if necessary, and seek clear answers!
5. Last but not least, be patient! Language is a strong barrier to success at work. While it can certainly be mitigated, it requires work and time.
Have you ever dealt with language as a barrier to career success?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 20, 2014 | Career |
Should you ignore your co-worker’s friend request on Facebook – Photo credit: levo.com
It happened…Your co-worker sent you a friend invite on Facebook, and you wish you hadn’t seen it…Now you’re thinking about all the not-so-kosher posts on your Facebook timeline, the “interesting” girls night out photos, and how much of your life you really want people at work to know…Plus, as much as your co-workers may be on the nice side, these days you never really know how cray-cray someone is until you land on their social media page…And then, it kinda is a bit late to backtrack…
And these situations are even all the more challenging when your potential new Facebook friend is your boss! I mean, refusing your boss’s Facebook friend request could potentially be more awkward than revealing how much you really spend on shoes (let’s not even go there!). So, to ignore or not to ignore?
My $0.05: I generally have it as a rule not to friend co-workers or bosses. While connecting on Linked In is recommended, other social media platforms can be reserved to our private lives. As to ignoring a co-worker, or even worse, your boss’s friend’s request on Facebook, I would not, just for the simple reason you’re bound to run into them at work. Just send them a nice email, or nicely explain to them you’d prefer to connect on LinkedIn. And if you succumb to the pressure and do accept their requests, you may always use your privacy settings, at your own risk.
Have you friended your co-workers on Facebook, or ignored their requests?
The Corporate Sis.
