WEST Wisdom Blog

Your career is your business. A successful business model is an intentional implementation of vision—not a reactionary fix.

Unlike an organization, your vision is not set in stone. Being a business of one makes you nimble and adaptable. Being human means that the only thing you can’t do is stay the same. 

Topics: Events, Cambridge, Women in STEM, Leading Ourselves, Decision Making, Confidence, Career Development, Roadmap, Career Possibilities, Own It, Empowerment, Risk, #WESTevent, Change Management, Be Fearless, Be Brave

Change may be life's only constant, but unexpected change is tricky for everyone.

You speak. WEST listens! By popular request, the next WESTevent is a workshop on how to own unexpected change. We're talking to Claudette Rowley about handling the change you didn't see coming. Change that is beyond our control. Change that we did not instigate and cannot avoid.

Topics: Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Change, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Conflict Resolution, Career Development, Own It, #WESTevent, Change Management, #WESTorg, Women in Business

Managing up is not about manipulation or capitulation. Rather it’s learning to influence with respect, and broaden your horizons to speculate about the pressures and demands which may be outside of your view. It’s about influencing diplomatically yet authentically. Being intentional about challenging a plan. How can you get what you need at the same time you’re focusing on what your manager needs? How can you effectively negotiate the relationship that has the most impact on your career, and still be yourself? How can you have power   with  your manager, being cooperative and expressive?

Topics: Events, Leadership, Women, Science, Career, Community, Cambridge, Success, Network, negotiation, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Relationships, Biotech, Interactive, Change, Connect, Influence, Management, Leading Ourselves, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Support, Conflict Resolution, Leaders, Impact, Career Development, Influence Without Authority, Own It, Empowerment, Learn, Advocate

It was an early October WEST event. Dr. Amy Rebecca Gay had just started her presentation on self-advocacy and negotiating-while-womaning. I wasn’t expecting the rip tide surge of emotion. It barely touched the surface, but it took the room underwater with a collective two-beat sigh, an almost visible miasma of bang-your-head-against-the-wall frustration. Dr. Gay had just explained Dr. Hannah Riley Bowles’ observation that women pay a ‘social cost’ for effectively negotiating for themselves even when the same exact behaviors and outcomes earn men respect and a social capital bonus. Insert two-beat sigh here. Innnnn, and oooooout.  

Topics: Events, Women, Science, Career, Community, Interview, negotiation, Women in STEM, Networking, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Gender Pay Gap, Compensation, Leaders, Career Development, Advocate

You look back on the year and you nailed it. All of it. You checked every box and made every milestone. Graduated with honors. Got that dream job. Finally took that vacation paid for with the raise that came with your promotion. So why does it seem like you forgot something? Like the puzzle is missing a piece?

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Cambridge, Success, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Strengths, Values, Career Development, Own It, Learn

Just as leadership is a role best executed by personal example, in The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey explains that the foundation of trust is personal credibility, which Covey describes as the product of “Four Cores”:

• Integrity: Do your actions align with your values?
• Intents: What’s your agenda? Are you thinking about your year-end bonus or your team’s long-term success in the context of your organization’s mission?
• Capabilities: As important as what you know and how you do it, is your ability to accurately gauge your competencies and execute accordingly.
• Results: Listed last, but this really comes before everything. This is the track record that proves a person worthy of that initial trust that gets things moving.

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Team, Science, Career, Community, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Trust, Career Development, Influence Without Authority, Own It, Learn

For most of us, this is a question about long-term goals and working environment preferences. Combining an MBA with your STEM skills would prove valuable in situations that require leaders who can wear many hats—lab managers, project team leaders, entrepreneurs or anyone at a startup.

Topics: Events, Leadership, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Panel, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Career Path, Career Development, Self-Reflection, MBA

We are all biased – it is a basic human trait necessary for survival so that we recognize our tribe, our peeps, and avoid the enemy. However unchecked and unconscious bias creates unfair judgements and endemic prejudice stifling opportunities for both individuals and organizations.

Unconscious or implicit bias is at play when we evaluate people and situations using our instincts developed after years of stereotyping learned from and reinforced by the society around us. When we see the color of someone’s skin, hear their voice and accent, or observe their gestures, for example, our minds quickly seek to make sense of it all by slotting them into specific profiles or roles. We have all made those mistakes!

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Career Development, Own It, Bias, Stereotypes, Inclusion, Self-Reflection

Biogen's WIN group is offering roundtable discussions with women from various areas of Biogen. They will be talking to female grad students and post-docs about their career paths and decision to work in industry. 

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Career Development, Own It

Dang. Why on earth did I hesitate instead of letting the interviewer know what I wanted? And I’m not just talking about my new salary, I’m actually talking about the role, the title, and the sphere of influence that I want to have in that new job. Dang, dang, dang. I could kick myself for missing that opportunity. Now I’ll just have to settle for something less. Or will I?

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Communication, Community, negotiation, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, Own It, Advocate