Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Interesting Features at PWN for 2.17.14

News from the PWN Pipeline: 


An article with interesting perspectives and career advice from successful women in a variety of different fields, such as an engineer, bank president, and advertising firm president. Each brief profile of the women includes answers to questions that address work-life balance, overcoming career hurdles, career mistakes and successes, as well as advice they would give to other women coming up in the ranks. 


Forbes magazine recently profiled Lori Senecal, the chairman and CEO of New York-based advertising agency Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, and the successful executive described her career trajectory and shared career advice for other future female leaders. One of the insights she offered was remembering to "to do less, better" in order to create greater value and impact for your work. 


The Guardian's Kim Elsesser writes that organizational rules and policies that deter sexual harrassment and limit office relationships have also contributed to increased barriers in communication between male and female colleagues. Specifically, she writes that this 'sex partition' may be impeding women's advancement in organizations and institutions where the majority of senior executives and mentors are men. Elsesser suggests it is possible men fear that networking or forming close mentorship relationships with women may be perceived negatively as harassment or romantic interest, and so they are more likely to stick to reaching out to other men in their networks. Increasing employee's awareness of these issues and concerns, she writes, is critical for overcoming these workplace and career barriers and creating more meaningful opportunities to network and receive mentorship.  


Monday, February 10, 2014

Interesting Features at PWN for 2.10.14


News from the PWN Pipeline:


Job applicants often acquire a wealth of information about the company or organization to which they are applying as well as about the potential position that is available, but emotional intelligence expert Harvey Deutschendorf suggests that strategically interviewing your boss during an initial meeting will help applicants to decide if the job and work environment is right for them. An example of a question Deutschendorf recommends asking your potential boss is "can you describe a situation where you felt you were caught between management and your staff? How did you deal with this?"


Business Insider has rounded up some of the most common mistakes that speakers make when addressing an audience. Some great tips and suggestions are given to overcome these slip ups. For example, taking a breath just before you start a presentation can help to naturally slow down the pace of your speech and avoid rapid fire speaking.


Resources for PWN Members

Visit the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) website for fantastic career and professional development opportunities.

OITE also offers useful videocasts describing career opportunities for scientists: https://www.training.nih.gov/oite_videocasts. Check out this workshop called Planning for Career Satisfaction and Success

Focus on developing your career plan by visiting the AAAS ScienceCareers Individual Development Plan website











Monday, February 3, 2014

Interesting Features at PWN for 2.3.14

News from the PWN Pipeline:


Emotional Intelligence as a Barometer for Leadership Potential

An important article that outlines 5 ways to measure the degree of emotional intelligence displayed by your boss or the leadership in your organization. Leaders who show high levels of self-awareness, remain emotionally open and self-confident, and exercise the ability to listen without immediate defensiveness will help to support and encourage their colleagues to grow in their roles and capabilities.

"Everyone, if they're consistent, will eventually achieve something massive."

A conversation with Tony Stubblebine, founder and CEO of goal-setting app Lift, on what measures can be taken to optimize the process of setting and achieving goals. One great suggestion is to set priorities and daily goals first thing in the morning in order to emphasize and reinforce their importance.  After all, a to-do list always seems more difficult when compiled late in the day.

"Turning your phone to silent will diminish your curiosity."

A conversation with management consultant and author of Getting to It, Jones Loflin, on how best to improve your focus and ignore/eliminate distractions. One excellent tip is to make sure you define 'it', the most important goal/project that you are focused on right now, and make sure you communicate 'it' effectively to others on your team. Another suggestion is to turn off all email and social media alerts in order to avoid distraction and growing curiosity that will interfere with your focus.


Leave your comments and suggestions for goal-setting and productivity approaches below! What works best for you?