Ladies, let me let you in on a little secret.

According to a recent report released by The White House Council on Women and Girls: “Women make up only 25 percent of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) workforce, which is expected to grow by nearly 20 percent over the rest of the decade. “

Well, I didn’t say it was a GOOD secret.

But listen – there’s more:

Jason Koebler of US News and World Report writes: “Women who do work in STEM fields make up to ONE-THIRD more money than women who work in NON-STEM fields.” That means a woman making $50,000 per year could increase that to just over $66,000. That’s kind of a big difference.

You’re probably thinking the same thing I am: If STEM jobs pay more money, why aren’t more women working in those fields?

While the answer to that may never be known, there are folks out there who are committed to closing the STEM gap, one girl at a time.

Through afterschool programs like Techie Club: Girls and summer programs like Techie Camp, TECH CORPS, a national nonprofit organization, is working to elevate girls' confidence with STEM-related concepts and skills in safe and supportive environments and by exposing them to tech-savvy women.

“TECH CORPS believes that in order to ensure a technologically literate, diverse workforce tomorrow, we must take a holistic approach to growing, nurturing, and supporting our students today,” said Lisa M. Chambers, TECH CORPS National Director. “While we work with all K-12 students, we also know that it is important for our organization to develop programs and strategies to engage students who are drastically underrepresented in STEM, including girls.”

Time Warner Cable partners with TECH CORPS to provide scholarship support to their Techie Camps - a full-day, week-long technology experience designed specifically for elementary and middle school students. This year Time Warner Cable is helping to send 75 kids to Techie Camp in Central and Northeast Ohio!The goal of Techie Camp is to engage students in activities that can stimulate a deeper interest in technology like robotics, programming and web development; as well as provide opportunities for them to express their imaginations.

TECH CORPS and Time Warner Cable are working together to make sure all kids, especially young women, are not just introduced to STEM based opportunities, but encouraged to explore them.

Want to find STEM education programs in for your child in your community? Check out The Connectory atTime Warner Cable’s Connect A Million Minds site for more information and STEM opportunities near you! For additional details about the Techie Camp scholarships visit techiecamp.org

Recently I have been asked to focus on a perplexing but profoundly confusing issue- bad behavior in the workplace.  Management has observed that there seems to be a “double standard” in the behavior of staff & we have worked on addressing issues I thought worth sharing.  In addition I stumbled across a wealth of information from a great book “The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It” by  Christine Pearson that I will shamelessly refer to.

No surprise but most individuals who are in corporate America today will tell you that they are on their best behavior when connecting with their clients/prospective new clients.  Whether they are out to lunch, attending a networking event or otherwise engaged – most are careful about their professional image, body language & making a good lst impression.  However, watch those same individuals in their work space, interacting with associates/peers and a different pattern emerges.  “Workplace incivility is one of today’s most substantial economic drains on business, but the problem is largely preventable.” Expensive but largely unseen side effects occur when one employee treats another in a disrespectful way.  When these inconsiderate  words & deeds are left unchecked, they have a tendency to spread fast, far & wide. Research shows that 96% of workers have experienced incivility firsthand. Here’s what it looks like:

 Are you an offender?

Taking credit for others efforts

Passing blame for your own mistakes

Checking email or texting during a meeting

Sending bad news thru email so you don’t have to face the recipient

Talking down to others

Spreading rumors about colleagues

Not saying “please” or “thank you”

Showing up late or leaving a meeting early with no explanation

Belittling others efforts

Leaving snippy voice mail or email messages

Failing to return phone calls or respond to emails

Making demeaning or derogatory remarks to someone

Leaving a mess for others to clean up

Consistently grabbing easy tasks while leaving difficulty ones for others

Paying little attention or showing little interest in others’ opinions

What most people don’t understand is that any negative behavior does have consequences.  Take for example your staff meeting.  Everyone is seated around the conference table & you watch the rolling of the eyes, the crossing of the arms, the fidgeting with pen, blackberry, etc.  What happens when people leave that meeting?  The negative body language translates into “bad” feelings created among individuals who now have to pretend they are a “team”.  Targets of incivility respond in predictable ways.  They eagerly wait for offenders to fail & look for opportunities to help push them over the edge & punish their organizations.  They work fewer hours, let the quality of their performance slip & waste company time.  About 12% will quit their jobs.  So how to change this negative atmosphere?

Many companies have launched a civility program aligned with a strong culture of  mutual respect. One Fortune 500 company shared their program which focuses on training employees in civility & role modeling appropriate behavior.  Some of the their strategies:

l. It hurts to be demeaned, disregarded or disrespected. Pay special attention to taking care of yourself & try to surround yourself with friends who build you up.

2. Appeal to a higher authority. If you want to put an end to bad behavior, you must find an advocate who has the power to do something about it.

3. Back off.  As much as possible, avoid face to face interaction with habitual offenders

4. Reframe your thinking.  Put the incivility into context.  Look at the bigger picture & identify other things about your job that you like.  Do whatever it takes to rise above the negative behavior.

5. Grow. Reflect carefully about how the incivility transpired, how it affected you, how you have drawn strength and how your experience has changed your thinking or behavior.

6. Negotiate with the offender. Don’t confront an offender.  Don’t provoke. Don’t expect to “win”. If you’re considering a follow-up with your offender, think like a negotiator.  Know your limits, prepare, & proceed with a goal of mutual gain.

A person with good manners is someone who always tries to be generous & attentive. Business etiquette is critical to your image & the relationship building process.  Ultimately people do not care how much you know until they know that you care.

Shelley is available to discuss creative solutions for your workplace challenges. Concerned that your company’s image is not reflected by your staff?  Is incivility costing your company $$$? Please contact Shelley directly to  see how you can improve & prosper today!

Embrace your emotions and be the leader you were meant to be. For far too long, I've seen women's decision-making ability challenged because of our "emotions". Well, here's a news flash - emotions are a crucial, non-negotiable element of the decision-making process. I recently read the book "How We Decide" and highly recommend it for any women in a leadership position. As neuroscience has advanced, study after study has proven that decision-making is guided by emotions. The rational theory, touted for so long, is just that - a theory with no scientific basis. If you're not familiar with the rational theory, it states that "any decision you make in life should be based on logic not emotion". And of course, sense men are the more "rational" beings then their decisions would be more rational and women should just step back and let them lead. And we have bought into that story, hook, line, and sinker. Despite the growth in women leaders, we are still very uncomfortable with claiming our emotions. Because we don't want to be seen as "weak" we force ourselves to imitate the style of our male counterparts. But we don't do it very well, so instead we:

• Get mired in analysis. We want to make sure we can support the decision we've made. We want it to be foolproof. So we analyze and we analyze and then we analyze so more. And then we get labeled as indecisive and, ironically, "weak". See decisiveness is a key trait of a successful leader.

• Talk ourselves into poor decisions.  That intuition that's telling you not to enter into that business deal though the numbers look right, the value proposition seems unbeatable, and others in group want to proceed, is something to listen to. But we don't want to appear "emotional", so we ignore it. We fail to realize that this feeling isn't an emotional imbalance that happens to be a misfortune of our gender and isn't a deathly fear of the unknown or of change that is making us resistant to going forward. It's more likely that its the result of our brain having critically analyze the situation and all the information presented and realizing that there is something out of sync. It noticed something that doesn't fit its expectation and its trying to warn you to look a little closer. You ignore this warning at you peril.

• Talk ourselves out of good decisions.  Conventional wisdom would tell you that the bigger the decision, the more time you should spend analyzing it. My experience says otherwise. There are times that the answer to a big decision seems like it just hits you and you may just need to convince yourself to go with your emotional reaction. For me, one of the biggest decisions I made was to leave my job at Ernst and Young, start my own company and teach at the college leve. I made this decision over the course of a 4-day weekend retreat. Before that weekend, I would not have viewed myself as an entrepreneur and I had envisioned college professorship as a second career to pursue after I retired. I didn't even know where to begin in pursuing either of those career choices. Yet, within 2 weeks after making the decision, I had landed a position as an Adjunct Faculty at Columbus State and I had written a business plan. Within a month, my new business was founded and I haven't looked back. After 4 1/2 months on my own, I don't have a single regret. My passions have become my career, what more can I ask for. However, had I thought about it over several months, I probably would have talked myself out of it. I would have created a how laundry lists of why I couldn't take that course of action and as I meditated on each one, they would have become larger than life.

Emotions don't just help us make better decisions, they also help us resolve conflicts, build and lead teams effectively, solve problems, and write persuasively. All of these traits are touted as critical for successful leaders. That leads me to conclude that its absolutely impossible to be an effective leader within claiming and harnessing the power of your emotions. Still objecting? Still worried that emotions can mislead you?

Well, they absolutely can. Fear can absolutely mislead us. Fear can cause us to believe we're unqualified. Fear can cause us to believe that we can't trust our instincts. Fear can cause us to hang onto to the status quo when we should change. And finally, fear can prevent you from making the ask. How many sales have been lost because you've failed to make the ask? How many job opportunities have been missed because you feared rejection? Fear of the "no" answer have prevented for too many women from reaching their true potential. So, you're right to challenge your emotions at times.

Just remember that fear can also serve as that nudge to make us take a second look and notice something that we didn't see before. Fear can also motivate us to change. Anger works the same way. Anger could lead us into some rash words and actions that can't be taken back but anger can also motivate us to get up off our backsides and take history-changing action. See, emotions, by themselves are neither good or bad. It's our ability to understand our emotional signals that makes all the difference in our leadership ability. So embrace your emotional self and step into the leader you were also meant to be.  

I'd love to hear from you. Was their a time where you followed your emotions and it worked out well?

Tiffany Crosby, Petra Learning LLC (www.petralearning.com)

At this time of the year it is not surprising that the topic of hosiery should come up.  Love them or hate them, this women's accessory was a revolutionary invention that helped transform women's fashion.  Today, it is a hotly debated issue, both sides weighing in on the benefits or distractons of wearing hosiery.

The story of pantyhose began with a man - the late Allen Grant Sr invented them in 1959.  Numerous generations of women have now experienced waist-to-toe stockings & few would be surprised to know that a man invented them -but at the request of his wife.  Women embraced pantyhose as a welcome relief from wearing garters, girdles and other cumbersome & crude undergarments.

In the mid-1960s with the rise of the miniskirt, pantyhose exploded & women everywhere rushed to have a pair. For the fashion conscious woman looking to wear a skirt shorter, stockings were the perfect fit.

By the 70's & 80's, every women & teen had pantyhose in their closets.  In the 1990's a more relaxed atmosphere in the workplace resulted in women wearing pants with trouser socks, skirts with tights or no hose.

So today we have women in the work place openly debating: hosiery or not?  Many will confess that they are uncomfortable but necessary if you are dressing to impress.  Most women quickly admit that they feel more polished & professional wearing hosiery.  Frequently you will hear men weight in on the topic.  To look more professional & competitive, a man is expected to wear a jacket & tie - he feels for a woman to be taken seriously, she should wear hosiery to complete the outfit.  today women wearing hosiery will chose "nude" or natural looking.  We also have Michelle Obama stating "I stopped wearing pantyhose a long time ago because it was painful.  Put'em on, rip 'em - it's inconvenient" she said on talk show "The View" last year. However the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton is making a statement & everyone is noticing.  She has brought back the popularity of "clear" hosiery to complete the finished outfit.

The more traditional, conservative industry executives have adjusted their handbooks on policy to include revised dress codes  No surprise hosiery is required.  Pretty much across the barriers of age, culture, industry - women today agree to disagree on this topic.  Typically addressing graduating classes of women, I have found that there is not even a basic understanding of hosiery.  When you look at different geographical locations, hosiery is perceived even more biased.

So how do you weight in? Please comment on the following choices:

Classic not outdated - agree/disagree

A must for corporate women - agree/disagree

Adds corporate credibility - agree/disagree

Gives the finishing touch - agree/disagree

Look forward to your thoughts & comments.

Shelley is an image consultant, corporate trainer & coach who inspires others to look & feel their best at any age.  She is passionate about helping people be confident & successful. Today she guides audiences to achieve professional presence, teach leadership skills, increase customer loyalty & address business etiquette in the work place.  For more information about services, please contact Shelley directly at shelmend@yahoo.com/ 614-325-8550

It’s not always easy to identify which of our efforts will lead to the most success, but we’ve come to understand that certain things can only generate good. At New Directions Career Center (NDCC), creating relationships with other organizations has had a big impact on the ever-expanding services we’re able to offer to the women who come to us. When both sides are invested, partnering organizations can have a positive, immeasurable influence on one another.

 One of the great things about partnering with other organizations is that you can team up on many different levels. Strong partnerships, whatever their source, demonstrate a reciprocity, rooting themselves in a common mission as well as values.  For instance, it is not unusual for our partners to provide volunteers who generously share resources and expertise with clients.  Often these dedicated volunteers conduct mock interviews, provide networking experience, or facilitate workshops.  Ultimately, however, these volunteers – as well as the greater community – benefit when program graduates re-enter the workforce better trained and more competent than ever before!  

 Clients benefit when organizations come together, coordinating services for the individual’s ultimate good.  It is not uncommon for us to link with other nonprofit organizations (e.g. settlement houses, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, single moms programs, food banks, low-income health programs) who are meeting a woman’s basic needs while she simultaneously immerses herself in the holistic resources and career development services available at the Center. 

One example of this is the invaluable relationships we’ve established with shelters for victims of domestic violence. Studies show that women often stay in violent situations longer than they should because they’re worried they can’t support themselves and their children.  That’s why we approached shelters to give us the opportunity to come in and share information about our services. Once women take the first step to leave a violent situation, these women then know how our caring, capable staff can empower them to take the next step - building new, fulfilling lives.

Some partnerships develop into long-term collaborations in which we jointly deliver a service. The work we do with the Columbus MetropolitanLibrary (CML) system exemplifies organizations pooling resources to address an unmet need. NDCC staff work with CML staff to identify community needs related to employment, and then plan workshops and services to address those specific needs.  NDCC provides the expert staff and/or volunteers on a targeted topic (e.g. resume reviews, “hot jobs”, or interviewing skills) and CML provides space as well as support materials at the 21 sites throughout Franklin County.  The public attend these programs – free of charge – and leave the library equipped with vital information necessary to better compete in today’s challenging economy.

The E3 program is another successful collaboration. This program prepares and supports women with low to moderate income to achieve a new level of financial stability through post-secondary education. It is actually a partnership of three non-profits working together to deliver the program: Consumer Credit Counseling Services, Godman Guild Association and New Directions Career Center.  The program is funded by a fourth partner, the Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) of the United Way of Central Ohio. WLC members are also serving as mentors and resources for E3 program participants.

Certainly other client-centered relationships also exist. NDCC values its work with professional organizations such as the Human Resources Association of Central Ohio and the Financial Planning Association.  Both of these remarkable organizations facilitate informational sessions which augment the Center’s core programs.  Clients also gain access to insights and guidance not readily available to job seekers.  These professional organizations and their highly competent members are provided with an avenue to fulfill their community service goals of “giving back” and making a difference in our community.

Finally, partnerships with various women’s organizations such as The Women’s Book, Dames Bond, The Institute on Women, National Association ofWomen Business Owners (NAWBO), the Women President’s Organization (WPO), the WLC (listed above) and many others, allow us to promote each others' events and activities, support the professional development of our various constituents, share networking opportunities and valuable knowledge which benefits women associated with each of our organizations.

Connection elevates this world. The public, for-profit and non-profit sectors can work together in so many different, mutually rewarding ways. Partnerships have given us the opportunity to broaden our own circle of knowledge and experience, allowed us to share best practices, and both improve and expand our service delivery to more clients. It’s an ideal situation - everyone benefits, especially the women we serve.

Some things are meant to be changed regularly - batteries, light bulbs, oil in the car.  Otherwise stuff breaks down & won't work any more.  Other things in your life need changing more often than you think - like hair styles, make-up colors, shoe styles, jewelry styles - or you look broken down.  Bring yourself into the current decade.  No surprise in this competitive workplace, it is important to look more youthful & energized.  So a few "tweaks" can boost your overall image without breaking the bank.  You will be taken seriously & look cutting edge if you are in style.

Review & update what you want from your image.  You are certainly not the same person today that you were last year.  How is that reflected? Do you feel your image conveys your personality? Do you need to re-invent you?  As women frequently we get so caught up in taking care of the needs of others (kids, husbands, peers) that we forget about us.  Or worse do not even put ourselves on the priority list.  Of course we know that when we are looking & feeling our best, everyone around us immediately sees & feels the difference.  I always focus on the value of being a good role model for my children (if you are in a leadership position at work you ARE on a pedestal).

As part of your twice a year tune up, weed out your closet.  When you are changing from winter to spring/summer- get rid of items that were clearly mistakes or pieces that won't survive another season.  If you have not worn it in 2 years - donate it.  Remember to fit the body you have today - not when you are 10 lbs lighter.  Is it a "flatter"?  Ok you can fit into your daughter's clothes, but should you?

Have you looked into the mirror recently with honesty & without prejudice?  How we perceive our body image is important to the overall message we are sending.  Unfortunately those that have lost/gained weight see themselves differently & often are fitting a different body configuration.

Take an hour or so to try on clothes this weekend.  Do they still excite you? You should feel good every time you get dressed.  It doesn't cost any more to wear colors that are flattering to your skin tone.  When you wear colors that flatter, you can instantly look more youthful & energized. Do you have items that need alterations to fit the current you?  Last year's jacket that you lived in might look & feel tired when you put it on this year.  Bless it, thank it for it's service & create a plan to replace it.  You should be strategic in your approach to building your wardrobe by making a list of critical pieces.  This is an investment in your career - you are worth it! When you go shopping, it should be with a game plan & that list.

Simple changes can also give a face lift to a valued garment.  Changing buttons easily transforms a key piece.  Hemming can revitalize the skirt from the past, etc.  Become friends with a good tailor/alterations person - they can save you major $$$.  Remember that you want your image to say "wow".

If you've not seen a professional for an updated hair style in the last 2-3 years, you are due!  When you seek a professional's advice they are seeing you throught a different lens & can be objective about what works best for you.

Realize that your skin tone fades as we mature & we need color but softer shades.  Bright lipstick looks good on a 20 something, usually not flattering on older women.  Go to a professional make-up artist who can teach you how to even out the uneven red, dark areas.  At this time of the year it is critical to moisturize -properly prepping your skin is 90% of the process for a flawless makeup application. Make an appointment with a make-up artist, someone who is knowledgeable about skin & that's been around longer than 16 yrs.  He or she can update you on colors each season.  If you've been hanging onto your favorite lipstick color forever, you need a change.

It can take years off your face when your make-up looks refreshed.

Learn to listen to yourself, not anybody's versidion of who they want you to be.  Accept input from those that you trust then make your own decisions.  Educate yourself so you are not swayed by others opinions.

"Tune-ups" are necessary & can be fun.  Remember to be kind to you - you are gorgeous, precious, patient, forgiving, curious & loving.  Have fun exploring the new you & feel good about who you are.

Live your life on purpose!

Shelley brings enthusiasm, high-energy and years "in the trenches" sales experience to speaking engagements, corporate training and private consultations. She guides audiences to achieve professional presence, learn strategies for increasing customer loyalty,personal branding,  teach basic leadership skills and overcome incivility in the workplace. Shelley Menduni is Director of Professional Imagery, she can be reached at:shelmend@yahoo.com. 614-325-8550.

Cliques, cattiness, gossip, backstabbing, lack of trust… Do any of these unpleasant experiences remind of you of where you work?  Toxic work environments can make your life a living nightmare.  No one wants to be unhappy in the place where we spend a large portion of our lives week-in and week-out, but did you ever think part of the problem might be, you?!  Gasp!

Our clients sometimes wonder how we keep our programs and services so relevant and meaningful at New Directions Career Center. Our process is simple – we have our finger on the pulse of current trends in society and in the continuously evolving workplace. Our passion is for the careers of women, so we translate any and all new trends to decipher how they will affect women and their career needs.

 When the Center started in 1980, divorce rates in the United States were reaching an all-time high. There was no mandated child support enforcement at the time, and many women facing a new life on their own hadn’t worked outside the home in many years, if at all. We created programs to help these displaced homemakers develop a career plan for themselves and expand their skills through training and education. Our clients were then prepared to enter the workforce at pay levels necessary for women who were now the primary breadwinners of their families.

In the mid eighties, the number of single parent households increased to over 7 million (as reported by the US Census Bureau). Most single parents were (and continue to be today) women. This, combined with increased awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence, brought us to develop programming focused on more options for mothers who are single. We partnered with hospitals and shelters to help women create new lives for themselves and their children.

The 1990’s and recent years have brought more displaced professionals to our attention and led the Center to create and refresh programs like Creating Career Options and Advanced Career Techniques to meet the needs of this population.

More recently, we have seen seasoned workers over the age of 50 returning to the workforce.  The reasons vary, though often has roots in the current economic reality: needing medical/prescription drug insurance, insufficient retirement funds, unexpectedly faced with raising grandchildren, etc. Computer literacy programming has helped immensely to bring our clients up-to-date on the computer skills they need to be competitive in today’s workforce, to network online, and to get those digitally-based jobs.

These are examples of how the Center has continued to identify and respond to changes in the economy and the workplace – strategically modifying our approach to help women manage and advance professionally. As the glass ceiling continues to slowly crack, the number of women in management increases, and more women are employed in jobs previously dominated by men – women and the skills they bring to the table will change business in a much more proactive way.  Women are adept at managing shrinking budgets and shifting markets. Women know how to listen to employees and our customers and glean what is important to change. In the June 2011 issue of Harvard Business Review, researchers published their observations that work teams actually got smarter as the percentage of women on a team increased. Then there is the much-referenced Miller-McCune research essay that showed a correlation between profitability of the Fortune 500 and women in executive positions.

 Women are doing more than entering the workforce and providing for our families  – we are changing the face of the U.S. economy!  NDCC is continually examining and learning from the experiences and insights of these women leaders, as well as our clients. We will continue to develop and provide programs and services to prepare women not only for the jobs of today, but of tomorrow as well.

Learn more about the New Directions Career Center here.

 Smart companies filter actions through a clearly-defined set of values. They do this because they know that there is a price to pay when they don’t base business decisions on what’s most important. Business moves quickly and it is so easy to get derailed or let external forces determine your business decisions. The sad result of this is that you end up feeling that your business has lost direction, meaning or purpose. Not to mention clients and customers.

If you feel out of control, overwhelmed or just plain ticked off that you’ve committed to other people’s priorities that aren’t also your own, chances are you are not honoring your values. And your business – certainly your life – feels out of whack.

So it’s vital that you know what values are most important to you, because your values provide you with a way to filter business decisions. As a simple example, let’s say you own a running and walking shoe retail store and you have running and walking clubs that meet weekly. And let’s say that one of your top three values is healthy living. You probably wouldn’t ask a candy or cookie company to sponsor your weekly running clubs. It’s not in alignment with your values and it would likely tarnish if not derail your reputation.

If you are struggling with to uncover your core values, use these helpful hints:

1. Think of an experience where you felt that you had the best time of your life. Chances are you feel that way because your values were being honored.
2. Think of an experience that you felt was awful. Chances are your values were being violated.
3. You may feel that some things that are traditionally considered values are actually the results of living your values. For example, perhaps “family” isn’t one of your core values, but rather a result of living your values.
4. Selecting your top values is not about how perfectly you are currently living them. Your core values don’t change much throughout your life. Perhaps you just haven’t been honoring them lately. Don’t judge yourself.

You will know when you’re getting close to uncovering your top core value when you feel you just simply couldn’t live without it.

If you’d like to share this article or make a comment, please see this article on my blog.

© 2012 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing

Meredith Liepelt, President of Rich Life Marketing, offers a free report called “101 Ways to Attract Ideal Clients, Build Your List and Raise Your Profile,” which can be downloaded immediately at www.RichLifeMarketing.com.