Career Strategies for women

[pankaj]

Despite equal or better qualifications, experience, and competence, in general, women lag behind men in terms of advancing in their careers. Why aren’t women able to scale the higher echelons of the corporate leader even though they aspire and are qualified for those? Many reasons have been cited for this overt evidence. These include managing work and home, lack of time to network, little or no focus on executive presence, and many more.

Here are some of the things women can engage in to propel themselves. Having a clear vision and a mission is the starting point. Knowing where one wants to be needs to be clearly deciphered. This involves introspection, a cognizance of the trade-offs, the consequences, the risks and the success factors that enables an individual or a woman to determine where she wants to be. Without a clear articulation of this, life will be just a meander with no destination or milestones in between.

Having sorted out oneself on aspirations and direction one wants to take, women should next onboard their family to their vision/ mission. Not having them on their side can prove to be unfavorable. On the other hand, developing support and allies within the family can constitute to be a blessing to realize their aspirations.
Speaking up or asking for what one wants or letting people know your vision, is another important strategy for women to pursue. Not letting the people who matter, know about your passion or goals is a lost game already. Women need to play the game to stay in the game.

Just like we have a business strategy aligned to our corporate vision and mission, so should we have one for our personal life. A strategy aligned to the above is that next step to translate the vision and mission to concrete plans. This further allows one to hone on to actual things one might need to do to succeed or to advancetowards the goals.

The individual woman as a product needs to be marketable. The skills, the competencies, the performance, all have to be top notch for one to aspire and reach heights. Performance is a given to start out with. Tied with this is the notion of self-worth. How does a woman see herself? Worthy or worthless? Because this is how the world will start seeing her as well. Care needs to be taken to avoid building false perceptions and impressions. It is important for women to not belittle their work or themselves.
Promoting oneself or visibly speaking about their accomplishments is another important strategy for women to adopt. While not part of their schema or mental make-up, women should engage in this activity. Seeking out the right platforms and moments, without coming across as arrogant are keys to creating that presence.

Knowing and interacting with the broader audience within and external to their own corporates is another area women should be strategic about. Knowing the influencers or the decision makers is critical to one’s success. Creating advocates, sponsors, and being part of their inner circles is another aspect to pursue success. Lunch breaks or tea times, present good opportunities for women to network and build relationships. Target at least once a week or one in two weeks. It has to be intentional.
Creating visibility or seeking opportunities to be visible, participating in team events, etc. are other grounds to reinforce your presence and thought leadership. Invest in building your profile internally and externally. Participate in forums, blogs, and other discussion areas. Be active on social media vehicles including Linkedin and Twitter. Initiate dialogues and discussions on quality public sites.
Sharing home responsibility with the spouse or the eco system is another way to exercise your strategy. It is okay to not do it all by yourself. Delegate chores to kids, seek spousal help. He can certainly arrange for dinner as and when needed. Don’t hold on to your territory and be resilient to the fact that you cannot do it all.
If women can follow the above trail of career strategies, they should be able to move in the right direction- upward, that is.