Learning Objective: Access your competitive edge by designing a winning image, building self-confidence, and communicating value with style and grace. Are you on top of your game? In today’s competitive market, the professional woman must understand what it means to project a powerful image. Your ability to build professional savvy is the key to breaking through barriers and achieving success. Technical skills, education, specialized career training, and performance are only the beginning. Did you know that 90% of your ability to move up the corporate and federal executive ladder is influenced by your personal brand and image, credibility, and communication skills? If image if everything, then everything matters. Whether you are seeking recognition, promotion, or just entering the workforce, this seminar will help you capitalize on your hard work as you unleash the best you. At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to: a. Explore ways to build and express self-confidence b. Create a winning image and leverage your circles of influence c. Examine professional savvy and politics d. Design a plan to increase recognition and value in the workplace e. Explore 10 critical style tips for today’s professional woman Recommended Reading: The Confidence Code by Katty Kay & Claire Shipman

1. 1 www.womenofcolor.netwww.womenofcolor.net
Unleash Your Professional
Savvy
Secrets to Power, Style and Grace
Saturday, October 15
11:30am-12:45pm
Room 140-B, COBO

2. 2 www.womenofcolor.net
Unleash Your Professional Savvy
Secrets to Power, Style and Grace
Objective: Access your competitive edge by designing a
winning image, building self confidence and communicating
value with style and grace.
At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:
a. Explore ways to build and express self-confidence
b. Create a winning image and leverage your circles of
influence
c. Examine professional savvy and politics
d. Design a plan to increase recognition and value in the
workplace
e. Explore critical style tips for today’s professional
woman

3. 3 www.womenofcolor.net
Moderator
Denise Evans
Vice President, Diversity Marketing
IBM Corporation
Donna Bell
Global Product Development
Quality Manager
Ford Motor Company
Presenting Panelist
Vannia Willis
Electrical Engineer
Newport News Shipbuilding,
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Panelist
Sheree Johnson
Civil Rights Director,
Office of Civil Rights
United States Forest Service
Panelist

4. 4 www.womenofcolor.net
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to”, said the cat.
“I don’t much care where”, said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go”, said the cat.
“So long as I get somewhere”, Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that”, said the cat, “If you only walk long enough.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Where is your career headed?
Bottom line: You need a Plan!

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Increase Recognition And Value In The Workplace
Create your plan
REFLECT – What do you want to achieve?
EFFORT – What actions do I need to take?
ASSISTANCE – Who might help me?
CHANGE – What is the expected outcome?
TIMELINE – When have I reached my goal?
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in
overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Alva Edison

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Establish and Build Your Brand
 Identify Your Personal Strengths
 Establish Short And Long Term
Goals
 Identify And Develop Your Brand
 Become Knowledgeable In Your
Field
 Ask For Challenging Assignments;
And Deliver Beyond Expectation
EVERY TIME!

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Strategies To Express And Build
Self-Confidence
 Establish your career plan; review
with a trusted mentor
 Take on a tough assignment
 Organize a mentor program
 Develop your presentation skills
 Dress for the role you want

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Create A Winning Image
 Deliver, Deliver, Deliver!
 Pat Yourself On The Back
When Needed
 Know An Open Door When
You See One
 Be Prepared When
Opportunity Presents Itself

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Leverage Your Circles Of Influence
 Create And Practice Your
Elevator Speech
 Know The Players And How
They Influence Others
 Figure Out How To Interface
Without Being A Nuisance
 Tell Key Influencers
Specifically What You Want

10. 10 www.womenofcolor.net
Professional and Political Savvy
“No leadership education is complete
until it is grounded in the political realities
of organizational life.
Otherwise, leadership risks becoming
hollow rhetoric.”
PETER DRUCKER
Unless People Have An Understanding Of How To Integrate Leadership
And Politics, They Cannot Function As True Leaders

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Professional and Political Savvy
When You Think Of
‘ORGANIZATION POLITICS’
What Words Or Phrases
Come To Mind?
 Backstabbing
 Brown nosing
 Bootlicking
 Style over substance
 Manipulative
 Hidden agendas
 Old boy networks
 Deals under the table
 Turf struggles
 Testosterone overload

12. 12 www.womenofcolor.net
What Is Political Savvy?
1) ETHICALLY BUILDING A CRITICAL MASS OF
SUPPORT FOR AN IDEA YOU CARE ABOUT
2) UNDERSTAND AND UTILIZE THE DYNAMICS OF
POWER, ORGANIZATION, AND DECISION MAKING
TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES
HOW IS THIS DONE EFFECTIVELY?

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Professional and Political Savvy
Strategies for Success
Strategic planning
• Plan to discuss your strategies with these individuals to help build their
confidence in your idea
• Brainstorm the win-win linkages of those that have the most influence
Implement
• Work to identify credibility paths among relevant people and employ these
paths where possible in an influence approach
• Implement your plan; adjust as needed
Awareness
• Understand the organization’s interests and your
self-interests
• Know and build a relationship with those that
have the greatest influence (Influence Map)

14. 14 www.womenofcolor.net
Professional and Political Savvy
Strategies for Success
 Choose to become an active, positive player
 Put the organization first
 Believe/care in the process
 Keep career as an outcome versus goal
 Play above board
 Legitimize the task

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Critical Style Tips for Todays’
Professional Woman
POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
 Starting off on the right foot
INGREDIENTS FOR GOOD CONVERSATION
 Listening
 Your role: When to speak, What to say
 Knowledge is Power
PROFESSIONAL PRESENCE
 Appearance counts: It pays to pay attention
 What message does your appearance send?
 Body language that speaks well of you
PROFESSIONAL PRESENCE, continued
 Clothing that adds to your clout
COURTESY CHALLENGE - THE TRUE
TEST OF DIPLOMACY
 Keys to managing conflict
 Strategies for politely coping with
prickly personalities
 Finesse with feedback: Providing
tactful criticism
 Grace under pressure
 Crucial conversations

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Sheree Johnson
United States Forest Service
Donna Bell
Ford Motor Company
Vannia Willis
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Denise Evans
IBM Corporation