At the second annual Wall Street Women Forum in New York last month, Carla Harris had so many powerful words of advice, I needed to write a follow-up column. Here a few more of “Carla’s pearls”.
Ask for It
“You don’t ask, you don’t get”, says Harris. Men are better at playing the game than women, who tend to have their heads down without cultivating relationships or speaking out. The organization must be clear about your needs and your value—so you must articulate both. Be the architect of your own agenda.
Train People How to Think Of You
You always want to bring your authentic self to work, and to best do that, think about the three adjectives you want people to use to describe you. Then pick those that are valued by the organization and those that describe what they value about you. Where they intersect is how you want to behave consistently.
Don’t Forget Your Power
We have three things in our arsenal: our academic background, our experiential learning and our network. Make sure you ask for help; there is always someone in your network who knows something you don’t. Be willing to be used—it will come back to you.
Every Day, Bring Yourself Some Joy
Make sure you have work-life balance. Work is not always going to go well; to create longevity in an intense work environment, you have to create something good in your day, every day.
Thanks for the inspiration, Carla!
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