2. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
What is resilience?
The accepted definition is – the ability to
cope with adversity, to overcome stress,
and have the ability to bounce back from
difficulties and setbacks.
4. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
How women can change in the thriving world of work in a corporate
environment, where many limitations we see are put upon by ourselves
as we strive to fit the perceived image of our male counterparts:
Absorb the company culture
Take risks
Create a network
Build a support team
Find safe havens
Be resilient Cont’d
5. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
How women can change in the thriving world of work in a
corporate environment, where many limitations we see are put
upon by ourselves as we strive to fit the perceived image of
our male counterparts :
Treat others, as you would like to be treated
Be persistent and persuasive
Embrace your identity
Set short and long term goals
Be mentored and mentor others – pay it forward
Be a Change Agent – have a “can do” attitude
6. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
Absorb the Company Culture:
As soon as you join a company, familiarize yourself with
the DNA of the firm: how decisions are made, what the
unspoken rules are, what the language spoken is
(terminology, acronyms),all the small things that are big
things in the company culture. This will help you learn
what to do to get the experience that will put you in line
for critical assignments.
7. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
Take Risks:
Generally speaking, men are more willing to take critical
leaps, while women tend to stop and assess a situation
before making a move, or patiently wait to take their turn.
Like many women, I wasn’t geared toward self-
promotion, but I learned a valuable lesson: You may get
it, or you may not, but why not show interest?
8. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
Create a Network:
Women have to build a “new girls” network where they can forge
relationships, just the way the old boys’ clubs have operated for
years. I found joining a network incredibly supportive, as it was a
safe forum to voice opinions, receive feedback, and to seek out
mentors or sponsors. Since ‘visible minorities’, have less access to
networks, or role models, is key to all sorts of contacts, including
mentors and sponsors, we need to find ways to make connections
(this statement is also applicable to all working women)
9. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLDBuild a Support Team:
Once you establish a relationship, maintain it by:
being proactive about meeting regularly with people who can help you
tell them your goals
think about it as an investment in yourself over a period of time
find those points of commonality during occasions where there
may be informal mingling
nurture those work relationships with coaches, mentors and sponsors,
even if you don’t think you have much in common
10. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
Find Safe Havens:
There are challenges facing women as a gender, but more so for
women of colour or visible minorities as they climb up the corporate
ladder. Find a forum that provides an environment where all women
can feel comfortable discussing difficulties they face in the workplace,
and where they can talk freely about their career experiences and
aspirations. There are many associations and town hall meetings that
are open to working women around the province and the country, as
well as online networking groups.
11. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLDBe Resilient (Challenges):
Some common scenarios faced by many female managers:
a lack of respect for their authority, based on the belief that they lack
credibility
subordinates who go over their heads
senior managers reinforcing the disrespect by dealing directly with those
employees
perceptions that women are good contributors and workers, but not good
managers
encountering biases, such as accents, looks, etc., making it harder to fit in –
this speaks to a lack of diversity in the workplace
12. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLDBe Resilient (Solutions):
How to develop high levels of emotional resilience:
if you run into negative stereotypes, find a way around them and move on –
do not be defined by others
hit the ground running when it comes to career planning, and discover early
in your career what it will take to be successful – take ownership for your
career path
ensure that you maintain a good worklife/balance
hone the ability to form positive relationships with colleagues (peers and
senior management)
be unique in your authenticity – this enables you to stand out from the crowd,
but in a positive way where you can more fully contribute and bring all your
talents to work
13. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
Be Persistent:
Convincing your company to trust you and your abilities can take
a while.
Be mindful of hierarchies and how they work, but do not try to
circumvent this system.
For some companies it means crossing barriers that have never
been crossed before.
It can be particularly important to remain with one company for a
period of time.
The possibilities are endless!
14. TRANSCENDING RESILIENCE AND
ADVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
Be….. a Woman
Individual
I promise to be true to myself to turn away from judgment and cast aside fears,
I promise to find strength from within, to
surrender to happiness and admire individuality.
I promise to love who I am,
To accept myself and others for who they are.
Whether I am a daughter, a friend, a sister,
I promise to always be me.
By Kim MacGregor
(best-selling author and the co-author with Arline Malakian of the inspirational book, “Be…a Woman: Expressions of
Life”, which won a 2008 Independent Book Publishing Award)
