by | Nov 20, 2013 | Career |
One thing you will find through your journey in the corporate jungle, is that as “professional” and nice as everyone else seems to be, it still IS very much a jungle…And you still need to survive, perform, exceed expectations, and climb up that ladder…There, as in any other highly competitive environment where minorities are under-represented, and women are still striving to leave a mark, it’s about “survival of the fittest“. As simple, basic and raw as that…Except here, in addition to learning the mechanics and politics of the job, you are also facing the ghosts of prejudice and stereotype. And that’s when it becomes about survival, and keeping yourself, and most importantly your most precious asset, your mind, from succumbing to the pressure…
And that requires mental preparation and acute awareness of the type of environment you are working in, and the various personalities you are working with…An African-American woman executive once gave me this piece of advice, that I’ve preciously carried with me ever since, and that has served me in professional as well as in real life: ” If you’re gonna succeed, the most important thing to do is train your mind to prepare and confront difficult situations and difficult people.” A bit pessimistic? Not very positive…Maybe, but certainly quite real and fitting to any sister’s journey in the corporate world…
As you step into the double glass doors of that law firm you’re just starting in as an associate, or as you’re getting ready to give this presentation to your team, or even as you are presenting new ideas and concepts to your boss, it’s important that you have mentally prepared before-hand. Knowing your material, looking the part, or developing persuasive arguments is no longer enough…In order to not only survive, but thrive, you must mentally ready yourself for the most difficult of situations and the most uncertain of outcomes…And for each one of these undesirable scenarios, be mentally prepared to have a professional yet sharp, game-changing response…
As they say, preparation is key, but mental readiness is priority….
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 31, 2018 | Career
10 Practical Tips to navigate office politics as a working woman
One of the biggest obstacles that many a working woman faces in her career is navigating office politics. The subtle yet very much existing bias against working women, combined with the wage gap and other gender inequalities in the workplace, make it challenging to master the politics of office life.
This is especially prevalent for working women as many of us tend to feel uncomfortable in confrontational situations, political maneuvering or quid pro quo behavior. Yet, being in an office also means having to deal with office politics. It means having to operate within the political fray that makes up a large part of corporate and business environment because work politics are simply inevitable. Personal and work-oriented goals collide in the workplace, as people seek promotion and compete for limited positions and resources.
10 Practical Tips to navigate office politics as a working woman-2
As a working woman, navigating office politics has been one of my greatest struggles, especially as an introvert. Between complicated inter-personal dynamics, energy-charged business meetings, and other political challenges at work, I was often left at a loss and confused. It took many years, conversations, lessons learnt and research to even begin to understand how to start making a dent in this imposing obstacle for working women.
If you’re reading this, and are wondering what steps you can take to navigate your particular office or business’ office politics, here are a few practical tips to get started:
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Start with your mindset
I often say that it all starts with our mindsets. What you picture in your mind has an interesting way to manifest. For this very reason, it’s crucial to begin the work within, more specifically in your mindset.
Examine your mindset as honestly as possible, and question the particular beliefs that you hold about yourself and as related to your work, career or business. What are those disruptive beliefs that create fear when it comes to your career or business? Are you challenged by inter-personal dynamics and confrontation, and if so, why? How can you get more comfortable dealing with inter-personal dynamics at work? Asking yourself these questions, and exploring avenues to strengthen your mindset and re-frame your view of office politics as positive and productive can make all the difference in the world.
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Get clear about your motives and goals
One of the reasons why many of us may shy away from office politics is that we’re not clear about what we want. In order to stand your ground in the political jungle prevailing in most offices and business, you must be clear about your motives and goals.
What are your objectives when it comes to your career? What goals do you have in mind for a specific project? What motives drive you as related to your work? Understand these will help you gain the clarity you need to face the professional political landscape.
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Understand the personalities and motives of others
As important as understanding your motives and goals, is understanding those of others around you. It can be challenging to read, let alone control, the complex situations arising in the context of office politics. Considering the mix of personalities and motivations that are most often part of office environments, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle.
Learn to observe the personalities of those around you, before making any premature assumption or having an early reaction. In addition, try to understand their motives. What does their personality tell you about who they are? What could their motives be as related to a particular project, assignment, or to the team, department or company in general? The more information you can get along these lines, the better you’ll be able to strategically prepare, plan, and create options to manage political situations.
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Advocate for yourself
A large part of successfully navigating office politics is being able to advocate for yourself. This doesn’t mean adopting a defensive stance, or even promoting yourself at all times. Yet, it means placing yourself in positions where you’re able to demonstrate what you bring to the table.
Don’t hesitate to share results you’ve achieved, and to show the benefits that you can bring to a given project, assignment, team or even company. Even better than tooting your own horn, it’s crucial to strategically understand what would constitute a benefit to others, and present it as your unique competitive advantage. This will take you from uncomfortable “bragging” to strategic “serving”.
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Make strategic alliances
In order to successfully navigate office politics, you must learn to recognize the political organization chart. This is not just your formal organizational chart. Rather, it’s about identifying the real office power players around you. Who really has authority around you? Who’s respected and listened to? Who mentors others?
Make strategic alliances with those whose influence you admire and who can help you in your career growth. Build relationships that are mutually beneficial while absorbing as much knowledge as possible.
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Leverage informal networks
In addition to understanding who the power players are and building strategic alliances, you must also get familiar with the social networks at hand. What are the groups or cliques in existence around you? Who gets along with whom? Where are the interpersonal conflicts?
Deciphering the social networks around you can also help you navigate the influences at play. It will also save you from unfortunate faux-pas in your career.
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Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer
This expression perfectly applies to office politics. Understanding the power players, as well as the informal networks, will help you distance yourself from those who use others for their own purpose. While you should be courteous at all times, you should also be careful of what you share with them.
Understand what motivates them, and steer clear of their negative politicking.
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Go above mentorship, seek sponsors
While mentors can pour wisdom, advice and knowledge into you, sponsors can actually advocate for you. These are the people, usually in leadership positions, who will intercede for you and invite you into rooms you wouldn’t normally have access to.
Navigating office politics successfully will require you to have sponsors that support you as you manage the political atmosphere at play.
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Use emotions as your personal compass
Working women are often falsely described as being too “emotional” to successfully navigate office politics. What is most often seen as a success impediment for women at work, is actually a strength. As working women, we can actually leverage our emotional quotient and use it as a compass to be politically savvy at work.
This includes being attuned to our emotions to identify the type of people and environments you’re dealing with. This will help you plan, prepare and adjust how you navigate office politics.
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Adopt a successful behavior
Look around you and identify successful behaviors you can model. Learn to understand your organization’s culture, as well as what works in it. As a working woman, be a model of integrity by limiting how much you deal with gossip, being positive, and rising above conflicts.
Most importantly, always remain professional, and adopt an organizational, rather than a personal, perspective.
What other tips do you have to navigate office politics as a working woman?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Mar 26, 2017 | Find Your Purpose
I’m Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi
So after laughing for a few weeks straight after side-eyeing the last words in Luvvie Ajayi’s “I’m Judging You”, I’ve finally gotten to write my review. And it could basically be summarized in three words/phrases: side eyes, laughs, and a masterpiece.
Literally, this was one of the very few times that I sat/laid/rolled in front of a book, laughing my eyeballs out…And yes, your significant others will cut strange glances at you as you treat this book like your funny BFF from high school who cracks the best jokes about everybody and their mama…
In her book, released last September, Nigerian-born author Luvvie Ajayi, well…judges you, I and everybody else… I mean, she lays it on us, hilariously sharing her funny but oh so real take on serious issues ranging from racism, sexism to social media and the abuse of hashtags…Her do-better manual is a real, down-to-earth guide to all those modern sins we’re surrounded by (or commit ourselves) and how to, well…do better…
In the four sections of the book, namely Life, Culture, Social Media and Fame, Ajayi diagnoses the ills of our contemporary society in laugh-out loud chapters with hilarious titles such as “Your Facebook is my favorite soap opera” and exposes the naked truth many of us don’t see or admit most of the time.
Ajayi, whose previous professional experience includes marketing and digital strategist, started blogging in 2003. Within a short timeframe, she launched Awesomelyluvvie.com. Through her blog, she’s gathered a growing following of fans by writing about popular topics and topics she’s passionate about, such as her compelling reviews of the widely acclaimed Shonda Rhimes’ brainchild “Scandal”.
I personally felt a deep connection to the book, being a fellow West African like Ajayi. Some of the anecdotes she referred to, from the very African art of the side eye to her experience as an African immigrant (hello Africa’s not a jungle, or a single country), felt like home sweet home. Ajayi’s voice feels like the sister from back home who eats rice and knows what it means to have your African first name butchered in American school…
All in all, Ajayi’s collection of humorous lectures and sharp essays is a must-read. The book is even currently being developed as a cable series by Scandal’s Shonda Rhimes, and promises to be a sweeping societal movement. Plus a reminder that we should all do better, and yes, I’m giving you the side-eye…
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Mar 26, 2017 | Start Your Business |
“You don’t have to have it all figured out before you dive in” – Lisa Jakub
And so started this’ year’s Lady Project summit, which I had the pleasure of attending for the first time this past week-end in Providence, RI. And all I can say is ah-mazing! From the emotional opening keynote by writer Lisa Jakub, to Governor Gina Raymondo’s empowering address, to the amazing workshops and closing keynote by the inspiring Rhonesha Byng, it was all in all an incredibly powerful experience!
Being my first summit of the kind, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Neither was I prepared for the onslaught of positive, enlightening feminine energy channeled throughout the entire event..Held at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, aka the Vets, in Providence, RI, the summit gathered over 300 women from all over the country, from various careers, businesses and life paths.
Lisa Jakub, Author and Lady Project Summit 2017 Keynote Speaker
“We are so much more than our work, marital status, dress sizes…“- Lisa Jakub
In a deep heartfelt and emotional keynote, the writer took us along her personal journey from being a successful child actor to quitting the Hollywood jungle in her twenties to become a writer. In her enlightening speech, she shed the light on becoming our more authentic selves, finding purpose in the mess, and demystifying the stigmas of anxiety and depression. As I listened to her, I felt the weight of all the societal pressures towards women in particular, and people in general, lift up. We all face the fear of showing up as our most authentic selves, whether it’s at home or in life. Sometimes, all it takes is one brave person who has enough courage to expose what most of us go through to give us permission to be all we can be. And Lisa did just that…
The opening keynote was followed by an electrifying address from RI Governor Gina Raymondo, showing her support for the Lady Project. One her phrases in particular caught mine and the audience’s attention: ” There are only four female governors in America. We must stay in the game.” In a few well-chosen words, she reminded us that as women we not only need to stay the game, but own it. One of the most powerful examples she gave of changing young girls and women’s perspectives is that of the “Governor for a day”, whereby young girls are picked through an essay contest to shadow her for a day. This reminds us of our responsibility to give young girls and women sources of inspiration and faith in the possibilities that lie ahead of them…
RI Governor Gina Raimondo – Lady Project Summit 2017
A series of workshops ensued, from professional, career-oriented workshops, to writing and PR ones, among others. One of my personal favorites were the “Plan Your Pivot: Changing Careers without Scrapping everything you’ve worked for“, led by the impressive Adrian Granzella Larssen. She inspired the audience by telling her own story of pivoting careers, and offered various effective strategies to change careers by leveraging all the skills, talents and experiences we bring to the table.
Another one was around increasing our social media visibility, led by Appleseed Communications founder Ashley Crouch. The session was a highly informative medley of PR success strategies and media examples, providing an excellent blueprint for small business owners.
Ann Shoket, Author, The Big Life
“Your squad is those women who help you succeed.” Ann Shoket, Author & Bad Ass Babe-in-Chief, “The Big Life”
If you’ve never been in one of Ann Shoket’s workshops or dinners, you must! After attending one of her Bad Ass Babe dinners in Providence the evening before, I had the pleasure of being part of the lunch workshop she led during the summit. Hearing Ann talk about the big life she describes in her book, from having a strong career, a passionate side hustle, to a supportive squad, it seemed possibilities are indeed endless for women.
One of the key distinctions she made, and which made me rethink the meaning of what a squad really is, is that your squad doesn’t have to be your group of besties. These are women who push you, empower and inspire you to be your best self and to reach for your dreams. So many of us need to have this, the real squad, not just the “let’s grab a drink and gossip” girls. But the women who lift us up, push us forward, and propel us towards our best lives and careers…
Rhonesha Byng, HerAgenda’s Founder
“When your potential meets exposure, you explode“. Rhonesha Byng, founder of HerAgenda.
Although the day had been all kinds of amazing, I couldn’t wait for the closing keynote of the day. I’ve been a longtime fan of Rhonesha Byng and an avid follower of HerAgenda, the media platform she started at only 16. Watching and listening to her, I not only saw a media powerhouse, but a strong, proud, successful Black woman giving us all the example of what is possible for women to achieve and beyond.
One of the key points of her speech for me touched to our need to champion women, so we can all be in the rooms where decisions are being made and change is being effected. The rooms where our voices need to be heard. For our potential to be seen, we need this exposure. We need to enter those rooms. And we also need to leave the door open for other women to enter those rooms, and let their voices be heard.
Yet the high note of her address occurred when she spoke of her young Black and Latino girls missing in DC because not enough attention’s being paid to their disappearances. It was a wake-up call she illustrated by sharing her own personal story of escaping abduction. Her transparency, vulnerability, as well as her incredible power and influence, kept the room barely breathing. She taught us all a lesson in determination, resilience, but also in sharing our stories, our power, our platforms to effect change and champion other women.
After a well-deserved standing ovation, Rhonesha Byng left a room bursting with hope, power, and motivation, as we went on to toast to a day to remember…
So thank you the Lady Project for an astounding time! See you next year…
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 18, 2014 | Career |
zora-alice.com
In a recent post, we discussed whether we should be in or opt out of the corporate group. Well, about that…In my years in the corporate environment, if there’s one thing I learnt, is that high school never really is over…Not even when you graduate out of college and get your first real job. Not when you spend upwards of 10 hours at work interacting (or not) with your co-workers, bosses and management. Not when you ponder over what to do to belong to the corporate group instead of feeling constantly excluded…Because this is high school all over again, except we’re older, better dressed, and we all have cars..
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You either click, or you don’t! No matter where you work, or what type of office environment you are or will be called to professionally evolve in, groups and group-think are still the norm. Just like in high school, you either belong to the group, or you don’t. And if you don’t happen to belong to the group, you’re potentially in professional danger; so you either have to try to find ways to belong, or ways to get out…all in one piece! Sounds scary? Yup, but it’s true…and for women, especially minority women, the reality is even bleaker. Faced with a leadership that is largely male and non-racially diverse, getting in to the group, and by the group, I mean the leadership group, is a real challenge! So no wonder many of us opt for getting out, most times to our own detriment…
lonerwolf.com
It’s all a facade! My sister is a clinical psychologist, and every time I recount to her some unfortunate “corporate” stories, she reminds me that in corporate as in many professional environments, it’s all a facade! We have our true personalities, and we have our work personalities. While these may naturally intersect for the most authentic among us, for the rest, they do not meet anywhere between the hours of 9 and 5. Translation: most people are pretending at work! Pretending to care, pretending to be genuine, heck, pretending to be at work for that matter! Just like in high school, some of us pretend to be cool so we can hang out with the cool kids, and not be associated with the geeky loner (except when we need help with homework of course)! So what are we to do with all this pretense? Just like in high school, we learn to spot it, adjust to it, and make it work to our advantage, not by emulating it, but by not being fooled by it…
It’s the survival of the (mentally) fittest! If high school is a jungle, the corporate world is its bigger, meaner, better dressed big sister! You know, the one who smiles in your face as you walk by in your Manolos just to better trip you? Yup, that one…And if you could at least see an end to your high school dilemmas, now that you’re immersed into the corporate way of earning your livelihood, the light at the end of the tunnel can look pretty…dim, to say the least! And rightfully so…Now that you have to survive in the midst of all the economic crisis, the raging unemployment, not mentioning the slew of natural disasters, your career may look more like a marathon than the rapid sprint past the glass ceiling. Meanwhile, as your brain is being bombarded on the daily with life’s incessant noise, you still need to be a top performer in a challenging corporate space. And this is where mental endurance comes into play, as you pick your battles, re-focus daily on your goals, shut out the noise around you and keep moving along. Just like in high school, when you didn’t quite make it into the “Popular Girls” club but kept persevering and working those grades, and 10 years later, guess who’s working for you? Yup, the entire “Popular girls” club…
The Corporate Sister.
