Today’s WSJ featured a column (Women Getting Better About Forming Networks to Help Their Climb) about women using their networking to make it to the executives offices. Women have longed been viewed as engaging in the crab in the bucket syndrome. (If you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket, none get out because they spend their time pulling each other back into the bucket and not giving one another a boost up.) With few women in executive roles, once one made the cut there was little in the way of a support network. Fortunately, times they are a changing.
Mary Sammons, chairman, president and CEO of Rite Aid, notes that for years men have used informal networks to help one another get jobs and board seats. So, after turning around Rite Aid and becoming its top leader, she intentionally recruited a woman to the board. She also has “come to the conclusion that it’s good to get more women together,” and involved on work teams and at company meetings. That helps ensure “that they’re really heard when they bring things up,” she said.
To do that, women need to seek mentors — something they often don’t do enough. “One of the mistakes I made earlier in my career was not building those relationships” with the people who say when positions are being filled, ‘Well, what about her for that,’” said Billie Williamson, director of flexibility and gender equity at Ernst & Young LLP.
I’m very committed to networking for social and professional purposes. I joined Step Up Women’s Network just after finishing my Master’s degree because most of my friends were moving out of Los Angeles or were continuing on with more degrees. Two of Step Up’s foci include networking and professional development, just what I was looking for.
The networking component features events running from beach front communities (Venice, Santa Monica, etc) to Hollywood, with a few Orange County venues thrown in. The events frequently combine retail therapy or mini-spa treatments with appetizers and cocktails to maximize the time in terms of networking and self-pampering. With over 2000 members in the Los Angeles chapter, it’s hard to not meet new women at each event.
The professional development series includes panel events featuring CEOs and business owners, as well as power breakfasts, which invite industry leaders to share their learned wisdom with women coming up the ranks. Additionally, SU offers a professional mentorship program that pairs their most active members with senior leaders of their chosen industries for 6 months, frequently sparking long term friendships.
Two weeks ago, I renewed my membership for a third year because of the quality people I’ve been meeting and the generosity of spirit put forth by members. Since I’m currently on the job market, I am talking to people in all sorts of industries. My connections through Step Up have generously share their contact lists when they can connect me with someone inside a company I want to work at. About 25% of my LinkedIn contacts are people I met via Step Up. Executive level members have shared their experiences and wisdom through informational interviews. And my mentor, a senior level executive, spent 90 minutes doing a mock interview and providing her insights on everything from cover letters to thank you notes (even though our participation in the mentorship program ended in March).
The networking opportunites provided by organizations like Step Up are invaluable because women need a network of like-minded peers that are also moving through the ranks. Men have long taken advantage of the old boy’s networking, it’s about time women embraced the up-and-coming women’s network.
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