Valerie Ryder, PWA Professional Development Director and Executive Coach at Ryder & Associates, facilitated a mini-workshop, ”Self-Managing your Career”, during PWA’s April 6 Networking Aperitivo. Valerie asked those present to share their best proactive professional move. She shares the results of this live survey here along with her tips for proactively managing your career.

In today’s world it is increasingly important that women be responsible for their professional progress. On the one hand, the career options presented to women are exponentially higher than just a few decades ago. My mother’s generation, for example, had the broad choice between being a nurse, a stewardess, a secretary, a housewife or a nun. Mom was a perfect example: since she was too tall to work on a plane and too disorganized to work in an office, she decided to go into a convent, then changed her plans when she met my father, and became a housewife. Now she’s a nurse (although there is some continuity in that she’s still tall, disorganized and religious).

On the other hand, nowadays changing employers and even careers regularly is commonplace and well-accepted. Some employers and hiring professionals have even come to expect to see a variety of qualified experiences. (Mind you, job-hoppers are still frowned upon).

Too often, however, women’s careers are shaped by chance events, suggestions from friends and family who mean well but who may not be best placed to give professional advice, and occasionally, benevolent bosses.

From reactive to proactive
What can you, as a working woman, do to shift from being reactive about your career, to managing it proactively? You can start by making the following reiterative process a conscious part of your life.

1. Define and refine your career objectives for a rolling 2-4 year period. Think big. Be ambitious. Fight off any self-limiting beliefs (often manifested by nagging, pessimistic inner voices) or negative external influences that may hold you back from realizing your potential. Be aware that you can be the best planner on earth, yet there are always unforeseen circumstances. It’s worth keeping that in mind in order not to be discouraged or surprised about unexpected events which may prevent you from reaching some of your original goals.

2. Just do it. Dare to pursue your goals, with assertiveness, self-confidence and creativity. For a variety of reasons, this area tends to pose many challenges to women. Read on for plenty of examples and tips on how to accomplish this.

3. Evaluate your progress. Periodically assess the situation – are you on track? Have new variables emerged? When they do appear, it’s time to revisit your objectives while taking the new factors into account. Setting your goals is not a one-time, static occurrence; rather, it is an ongoing requirement to getting where you want to go.

No woman is an island
This process is simple to comprehend on a rational level. But for many, it’s easier said than done. How do you set your goals, when you’re not sure about what you want to do or are able to accomplish? How do you communicate more assertively and increase your self-esteem? How do you give free reign to your creativity, without fearing possible unwanted consequences? Getting help and support along the way is essential – there are very few stories of women (and even fewer of men, I would contend) who have succeeded on their own.

Building your personal support team can be done in a number of different ways, starting with enlisting the support of your spouse and/or family. Make your boss or business partner a sponsor of your success. Find a mentor who is willing to guide you. Take advantage of your company’s HR department, in areas such as training, career planning, and organizational development. Work with a professional coach. Reach out to peers and other people in your network who can help you in some way.

Real-life examples
At a Mini-Workshop I facilitated recently for PWA Milan during a Networking Aperitivo, I asked the dozens of women present to answer the question: What is the best proactive action you have taken in terms of your career? Following are the word-for-word answers, compiled into five different categories:

1. Assertiveness: Daring, Asking, Negotiating
Changing companies every 5/7 years – Wanting my boss’ job! – Sending out cold emails – Leave my (old!) job – Focused search in new country – Reinventing my career in a new country – Take risks – Negotiate better conditions – Maternity is not an obstacle: let me try and I will demonstrate I can also work – Applying for my current position in the company, getting more money – Proposed myself for a job I had never done before and succeed in it – Ask my boss for a new position – Being honest about what I could offer from the beginning of a new contract – Get husband and grandparents trained properly to support us and give relief from children and house responsibilities

2. International experience & travel
Working for an international law firm – Having gained international experience in my job – Being ready to travel a lot – Having travelled everywhere to learn and to teach

3. Launch own activity
Establish my srl – Starting my own business – Create an independent activity (Iva) – Being an entrepreneur of your own life – Starting a project

4. Life-long learning
Attend coaching school – Going back to b school – Learn new skills (language, computer, business, self-organization) – Discovering my core values and life purpose – Being gender bilingual

5. Networking & politics
Being a member of a professional association – New contacts – Enter politics

There’s something to say for women from the previous generations – they may not have had many career options, but they sure did have common sense. Some of my mother’s favorite sayings, still applicable to women today, are: Ask and you shall receive. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. God helps those who help themselves. Knowledge is power. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. In short, assertiveness, perseverance, initiative, education, creativity…sound familiar?

PWA Professional Development Director Valerie Ryder was interviewed by La Carriera Rosa on the PWA Mentoring program.

PWA Milan ha lanciato la seconda edizione del programma di Mentoring, diretto da Valerie Ryder – Professional Development Director di PWA Milan e ideatrice dell’iniziativa, e coordinato da Lee K. Smith – Mentoring Program Coordinator, quest’anno denominato “Moving Mountains Through Mentoring”, letteralmente “Smuovere le montagne con il Mentoring”. Tra le Mentor già confermate per l’edizione 2011, anche nomi della lista di donne “Ready-for- Board”. La Carriera Rosa ha chiesto a Valerie Ryder di illustrare l’iniziativa.

Read the full article here

by Valerie Ryder and Lee Kirkpatrick Smith

Following its successful first edition, the PWA Milan Mentoring Program is going into round two and opening the application process to mentors in mid-April 2011. Curious about becoming a mentor and what it means? Perhaps you are wondering if you have what it takes. Most likely, you do!

If you are reading this, you probably already have the three characteristics of a good mentor: relevant experience or knowledge, communication skills and willingness to contribute to the success of others.

Don’t be afraid of being a mentor: you will be surprised at how much you are able to offer your mentee by listening and talking. While a commitment, mentoring takes only 1-2 hours per month and can be done at your office, over lunch or even during an aperitivo after work.

Mentoring is not only an act of generosity: being a mentor is rewarding and beneficial for the mentor as well as the mentee. Proof of this is that more than ¾ of the mentors from last year’s program who responded to a follow-up survey are willing to serve as mentors again!

A common theme among mentors is the satisfaction they gain from the experience. There is much gratification to be had from helping someone make good career decisions: “It gave me great pleasure and fulfillment to see someone blooming and developing as my mentee did.” Many women also enjoy giving back to a system from which they themselves have benefitted, while others want their mentee to “benefit from my mistakes”.

And while personal satisfaction and developing relationships are a great motivator for many, some mentors take an even broader point-of-view: “we are contributing to making the world a better (work)place for our daughters”. Recent research has shown that advancing women at all levels contributes to making businesses more profitable.

Finally, mentoring offers tangible benefits to the mentor’s career as well:*

- Mentors gain respect and recognition from others as individuals who are able to identify, encourage and promote talent
- Mentoring a future leader can extend the mentor’s network by providing access not only to the current connections of the mentee, but also to the connections the mentee will develop in the future
- In cross-generational pairs, mentees provide mentors with insights to another generation

An effective mentor in a network mentoring program such as PWA’s is somewhat different from a traditional corporate mentor. To clarify this distinction, we have identified the ideal characteristics of mentors in the PWA program, as well as the roles they may fulfill.

Characteristics of PWA Milan Mentors
1. Relevant experience and/or knowledge. Potential mentors need to have knowledge — general, technical, or skill-related — or experience in a certain area which could be useful to an aspiring mentee. The first part is easy – we all have experience and knowledge. The second part – is it useful to someone else — is where there may be uncertainty. The answer is: it is very likely that it would be beneficial. To be sure, apply as a mentor – you never know who may be in need of the experience you’ve got!
2. Communication skills. Effective mentors are skilled in a certain number of key communication areas, such as active listening, providing constructive feedback, and demonstrating empathy. The training workshop we will be holding for all participants will cover a number of these competencies.
3. Willingness and availability to contribute to the success of others. PWA mentors need to want to help fellow women in their professional advancement, and commit to the availability requirements of the program, knowing that they in turn will surely derive worthwhile benefits in the process.

Reminder: There is no minimum age, seniority, professional level, or educational qualifications in the PWA Mentoring Program.

Various Roles of Mentors
In the PWA program, we anticipate that mentors will play one or two of the roles described here*, but certainly not all of them. In fact, it is widely recommended that women develop a panel of mentors – both women and men – with diverse backgrounds, skills and connections, in order to receive the different types of guidance and support they may need.

Counselor. In this role, fundamental in a network mentoring program such as PWA’s, the mentor is supportive and acts as a sounding board to help her mentee successfully move forward professionally.
- Offers suggestions based on her own professional experience and helps mentee avoid any mistakes she may have made.
- Candidly shares issues related to gender in the workplace.
- Helps the mentee strategize to achieve career goals and weigh the pros and cons of career choices.
- Explains the unwritten rules in the mentee’s environment.
- Assists with strategies for time management essential to balancing work and personal life.

Coach/Advisor. The mentor may serve as a coach/advisor in giving candid feedback, providing assistance with career development, and advising on how to accomplish objectives. Although coaching and mentoring are overall quite different, this is one area where there is some overlap.
- Helps the mentee clarify her performance objectives and areas she would like to develop.
- Offers the mentee candid feedback and provides specific recommendations on areas in which the mentee would like to improve.

Role Model. In certain cases, the mentor may be an inspiring role model. Observing how others conduct themselves and interact with others is often cited by successful individuals as one of their key strategies.
- Leads by example.
- Demonstrates knowledge and insight into applicable informal political processes.
- Exhibits components of an effective leadership style.

Advocate. The mentor may, from time to time, act as a sponsor for the mentee.
- Opens doors and introduces the mentee to select members of the mentor’s network of contacts.
- Informs her mentee about any appropriate professional or educational opportunities she may be aware of.
Note to mentees: Please do not expect this of your mentors – this is a potential added benefit!

As you can see, Mentoring is a terrific way to benefit another woman’s professional development and gain personal and professional rewards for yourself. Giving truly is better than receiving, and we hope you will join our ranks!

For more information on the PWA Milan Mentoring Program, contact us at professional@pwa-milan.org.
• Valerie Ryder, 2010-11 Mentoring Program Leader and Professional Development Director
• Lee Kirkpatrick Smith, 2011 Mentoring Program Coordinator

* Adapted from “Creating Successful Mentoring Programs: A Catalyst Guide”.

Wednesday, 27 April 2011 Speaker Event: Moving Mountains through Mentoring

Do you need to decide your next step in your current job and wish you could consult with somebody with experience to give you unbiased advice? Are running your own business and wishing you had some guidance from someone who’s done it before? Would it help you to have someone to turn to for advice on a regular basis to keep you on track?

“Building your career without mentors is like climbing Mt. Everest without a guide and a Sherpa. Sure, you can attempt it, but why would you?” – Patty Azzarello

Having a mentor is vital to your career success, no matter what point you are at: junior or more seasoned, a small-business owner or in the corporate world, on maternity leave or in transition. Mentoring is valuable for women at every stage of their careers, from university students all the way up to the board room.

In this interactive evening led by Valerie Ryder and Lee K. Smith, you will:

• learn firsthand from mentees in the 2010 edition of the PWA Mentoring Program how their professional and personal lives were impacted by their mentoring relationships
• hear about the details of the 2011 edition that is beginning now if you’re considering applying
• participate in a workshop explaining how anyone can find a mentor and learn proven tips and techniques on identifying and approaching a mentor on your own

PWA recognizes the acute need for mentoring and its proven ability to ‘move mountains’. That is why our second annual mentoring event is aimed at all women who are interested in professional advancement – whether they choose to participate in our program, pursue a mentoring relationship by themselves, or both.

Mentees and mentors alike benefited from last year’s program, sometimes in surprising ways. Their experiences and our initial conclusions have been documented in a PWA Mentoring publication which will be distributed for the first time to all event attendees (both PWA members and guests).

Read more about the mentoring program here, or contact professional@pwa-milan.org

About Valerie Ryder, PWA Milan Professional development Director and 2010-11 Mentoring Program Leader: Mentor, executive coach, facilitator, and leadership development expert, Valerie’s focus is on leading women toward professional fulfillment. Read more about her at www.ryderassociates.com.

About Lee K. Smith, 2011 Mentoring Program Coordinator: Global Director of Retail & Shopper at the market research firm TNS, Lee transitioned from being a small business owner to life in the multi-national corporate world last year. Having a PWA mentor from a large corporation was invaluable for many stages of the change. At the same time, Lee was able to share some of her own experience with her PWA mentee, who was then starting her own business.

NH Hotel President, Largo Augusto 10 (MM San Babila, Duomo)
Networking Cocktail: 7 – 8 pm
Presentation 8 – 9:30 pm

Entrance free for members, 25 euro for guests, payable in cash at the event.

Members, please register in the calendar section of EPWN

Guests please register here.

For more information, email speakers@pwa-milan.org

All professional women welcome whether members or guests

by Valerie Ryder

We are excited about the success of last year’s PWA mentoring program and would like to share not only our enthusiasm with you, but also some important information on mentoring in general.

So what is mentoring, after all?
Mentoring is a voluntary, not-for-profit relationship between two individuals who each take a defined role: The Mentor is a person with relevant knowledge and experience, while the Mentee is a person who wants to learn from the mentor for her personal and professional development. The basic concept and process of mentoring is simple and straightforward: Mentoring is a relationship that is created to share knowledge and experience for learning in a purposeful way.

To share knowledge and experience refers to the fact that age and seniority are no longer the decisive factors for choosing a mentor with the experience required to face today’s challenges. The traditional form of mentoring, characterized by a “wise elder mentoring the protégé(e)”, has given way to new, more egalitarian forms of mentoring. In the PWA Mentoring Program, there is no minimum age or seniority requirement for mentors.

For learning in a purposeful way is where the key strength of the mentoring process lies. The relationship is based on learning – and effective learning needs a clear purpose to prevent mentoring from becoming just another opportunity to talk with a friend. In our Mentoring Program, each mentee clearly specifies her objectives upfront.

Mentoring vs. Coaching
There is a common misconception floating around: that mentoring can provide the same benefits as coaching, and vice versa. Mentoring has sometimes even been referred to as “poor man’s coaching”.

The two indeed have a number of areas in which they overlap. Both mentor and coach need to share their knowledge in a way conducive to learning. Moreover, both mentee and coachee are responsible for their own learning. Mentoring and coaching are about bringing out the very best in people by listening, asking questions and providing feedback. They are both developmental relationships.

In truth, mentoring and coaching require different skills and knowledge. Mentoring and coaching differ in that a coach needs to be an expert in the areas and skills required to foster her client’s development, while a mentor has specific knowledge or a particular experience the mentee is looking for.

The mentor and coach have different roles in the learning process. A coach is responsible for the challenge of stimulating and guiding the coachee to reach a higher level of her potential. In short, a coach applies coaching skills in order to help others to learn rather than to teach them. A mentor, as role model, shares relevant experiences, and leaves it to the mentee to apply the knowledge in a way that best suits her purpose.

All PWA members are welcome to apply to participate, for free, as mentors or mentees in the PWA Mentoring Program. Please refer to the Mentoring page of our website to download the mentoring brochure, to consult articles on mentoring, for dates of the next annual mentoring period, and to find out how to apply. Keep your eye out for current information and updates through posts on the PWA site and in the newsletter. Contact us with any questions and comments you may have at professional@pwa-milan.org

• Valerie Ryder, 2010-11 Mentoring Program Leader and Professional Development Director
• Lee Smith, 2011 Mentoring Program Coordinator

Some of the information contained in this article has been loosely excerpted from the book “Women@Work No.7: Mentoring – A Powerful Tool for Women”, edited by Therese Torris and published by the EuropeanPWN. It is available for purchase at www.EuropeanPWN.net

PWA Mentoring Event: Moving Mountains through Mentoring

This year, our annual mentoring event is aimed at all women who are interested in furthering their careers through mentoring – PWA members or not, PWA Mentoring Program participants or not. Mentoring is valuable for women at every level of our careers, and finding a mentoring partner can be approached in a variety of ways.

In the first part of this evening, we will be hearing testimony from several mentees in the 2010 edition of the Mentoring Program, and learn firsthand how their professional and personal lives were impacted. Both mentees and mentors alike benefited from the program, sometimes in surprising ways. Their experiences and our initial conclusions have been documented in a PWA Mentoring publication which will be discussed and distributed at the event.

The second half of the evening will feature a presentation on How to Find a Mentor. Here we will learn proven tips and techniques on identifying and approaching a mentor on your own. This is useful for all professional women, and as Cherie Blair points out in a recent interview, the world needs women not only at the boardroom level, but at all echelons of the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds in order for more women to reach the top.

We look forward to seeing you Wednesday, 27 April. For more information, contact us at professional@pwa-milan.org.

• Valerie Ryder, 2010-11 Mentoring Program Leader and Professional Development Director
• Lee K. Smith, 2011 Mentoring Program Coordinator

Networking Aperitivo 7-8 p.m. / Presentation 8-9.30 p.m.
Hotel NH President. Largo Augusto 10, (MM San Babila, Duomo)

Free for members, €25 for guests, payable by cash at the event.

Members, please register in the calendar section of EPWN (www.EuropeanPWN.net)

Guests, please register here.

PWA invites you to a Networking Aperitivo with Mini-Workshop

All professional women welcome, whether members or guests.

Wednesday 6 April, 2011, 7-9 p.m.
Location: NH President Hotel
Largo Augosto, 10
MM San Babila, Duomo

Self-Managing Your Career

In today’s world it’s increasingly important that women be responsible for their professional progress. On the one hand, the career options presented to women are exponentially higher than just a few decades ago. On the other, changing employers and even careers regularly is now well-accepted, even commonplace. Too often, however, women’s careers are left to chance events, advice from friends and family, and occasionally, benevolent bosses.

What can you do to become proactive in managing your career? During this special networking aperitivo, PWA Professional Development Director & Mentoring Program Leader Valerie Ryder will offer some concrete ideas and discussion topics to help you take your professional advancement into your own hands.

After her brief presentation, this interactive evening will allow ample time to network, brainstorm, and start planning.

Aperitivo 7 – 9 pm/ Presentation 7:45-8
NH President Hotel, Largo Augusto 10, (MM San Babila, Duomo)
Free entrance for members, €10 for guests, payable by cash at the event.
Drinks 9 euro each, light buffet included

Members, please register in the calendar section of EPWN

Guests, please register at this link

For more information, email networking@pwa-milan.org

For information or to register for the April 27 PWA Mentoring Program Launch Event, read more here.

By Valerie Ryder and Kristina Tool

Mentoring plays a critical role in the advancement of women professionals in all sectors. It provides women role models, it can provide access to important networks and opportunities, and can provide structure for the development of individual skills and leadership abilities.

These are areas that are often cited as key barriers to career advancement for women in Italy, as is the lack of mentoring in general. Only a small portion of the Italian working population has access to this career development tool, mainly selected high-potential employees of international corporations.

PWA has innovatively moved to fill this gap by pioneering network mentoring in Italy, via its Women Leading Women program. The mentoring program is a key component of PWA’s updated mission, which is to support the advancement of career-minded women in their professional growth and development through networking, skill-building and mentoring in an international environment.

Facts and Figures:

Although mentoring is an increasingly-used tool for career development within companies, only a small portion of the working population has access to it. PWA has moved to fill this gap by pioneering “network mentoring” in Italy, a concept which has been implemented effectively by several of its European affiliates.

The application period for the first edition of the PWA Mentoring Program has recently closed, the results are in, and matches have been made. Close to 50 women have come forward as potential mentors or mentees, greatly exceeding expectations based on results attained in other countries across Europe.

What sets Italy apart? Not surprisingly, the demand for mentors isn’t just originating from women in corporations. As more and more women leave the corporate world to embark into entrepreneurship, aspiring business owners are looking for mentorship too.

Join Valerie Ryder and Monique Svazlian, the driving forces behind mentoring at PWA, for an evening of “Women Leading Women.” After a brief presentation of the program and an initial analysis of the mentoring needs expressed, a selection of PWA Mentors will share their inspirational stories and past experiences with mentoring. We will hear from the following top corporate executives and successful business owners:

• Isabella Chiodi, Vice President and member of the Italian Women Leadership Council, IBM
• Barbara Cominelli, Planning Director, Tenaris Dalmine
  
• Giovanna D’Alessio, Managing Director, LifeCoachLab and President of the International Coach Federation
• Francesca Patellani, Client Partner (Banking Clients) and Inclusion & Diversity Lead, Accenture
• Lee Smith, Director, InStoreFactor
• Nicoletta Zappatini, Managing Director, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank

About Valerie Ryder and Monique Svazlian: Executive Coaches, Valerie and Monique are passionate about developing leaders both in the corporate world and in entrepreneurship. They share the common conviction that the most effective way for women to advance professionally is to take advantage of mentoring, coaching, networking and other leadership development resources. Read more about them at www.ryderassociates.com and www.highestpath.com

Read more about the PWA Mentoring Program here

Grand Hotel et de Milan
Via Manzoni, 29 (MM Montenapoleone)
Networking Cocktail: 7 – 8 pm
Presentation 8 – 9:30 pm

Entrance free for members, 20 euro for guests, payable in cash at the event.
Members, please register in the calendar section of EPWN.
Guests, please send an email to speakers@pwa-milan.org

All professional women welcome whether members or guests

Read the article in Il Mondo about mentoring, where PWA’s own mentoring program that will be launched on May 19th is presented.

Read the article (in Italian, pdf) here.