Being able to communicate, and to do it effectively, is probably the most important of all life skills. As human beings and social animals we urge to communicate to others, as this enables us to pass information, to understand, and to be understood. While this is a very natural process, communication skills may take a lifetime to master and nobody would argue against the fact that we can all become better at this, at any point.
The time to master your virtual communication skills is Now
Topics: Leadership, Women, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Interactive, Developing Your Skills, Empathy, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Webinar
Leadership is a big responsibility, and connecting with the people we lead is essential for success. Empathy helps leaders create stronger connections, especially now during the Pandemic. People are going through their own struggles during this Pandemic, and we now have a window into our coworkers’ lives while working remotely. In a time when we are isolated from others, we need to connect with people in every way we can. All of us are going through the same crisis together and this allows us to support and lean on one another.
Topics: Leadership, Women, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Interactive, Developing Your Skills, Empathy, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Webinar
Networking and Building Meaningful Relationships
What is networking?
Networking is the exchange of information, ideas, and help among people with a common profession, special interest, or community.
Why is networking important?
Making connections throughout life is essential. You never know if someone you met in middle school is going to have an impact on your future. For many people, you might not start thinking about networking and making career connections until high school or college. The internet has made connecting much easier by having the ability to connect with someone thousands of miles away.
Topics: Career, Community, Network, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Connect, Collaboration, Developing Your Skills, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Webinar
How to Negotiate: 3 Mindsets that Win Every Time
Your SOP mindset is crucial
You negotiate every day. Sometimes it’s big stuff. The contract for a new client. The compensation package for your new job. Smaller, daily negotiations also exert a substantial cumulative impact. How you feel before and throughout the negotiation process effects more than the outcome. The emotions elicited by anything you do daily are key factors in how you experience the world.
Topics: Communication, negotiation, Women in STEM, Relationships, Developing Your Skills, Problem Solving, New Opportunities, #WESTevent, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave
Managing Up: Balance being a solid contributor and team player with self-advocacy and personal advancement
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
2019-Q1 Post Event Tips: Advocating for Yourself at Work
Do you think you deserve a higher salary in the job offer? Are you aiming to score that promotion this year? Frustrated by the growing workload and the dwindling resources? Couldn’t get to agreement with your team about project deliverables and timelines? Regardless of your role, we negotiate everyday. And these difficult conversations always wrack our nerves. WEST’s first workshop in 2019 by Amy Rebecca Gay provided a framework and practical tools to help us navigate self-advocacy and increase effectiveness in negotiation.
Topics: Gender Balance, Network, negotiation, Workshop, Networking, Relationships, Tools, Developing Your Skills, Compensation, Empowerment
Improving the Quality and Impact of Our Conversations
The way in which we communicate – whether at work, at home or in school – has changed dramatically over the years with the accessibility of email, texting, and the use of social media applications. Communications among colleagues and friends are often reduced to fragmented collections of written phrases and responses, fired off moments after receipt of an inbound message. The on-demand, always accessible manner of communicating has certainly brought significant conveniences, but it has reduced the opportunities for conversations among us. As a result, we may be missing out on the chance to connect, engage, and collaborate in a more meaningful way.
Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Communication, Community, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Collaboration, Trust, Developing Your Skills, Impact, Career Development, Own It
No Title? No Problem! Learn to Influence Without Authority
Influencing without authority is one of the most valuable skills you can learn and there are many useful forms of influence that you could be taking greater advantage of. Six sources of influence are positional, expertise, resources, informational, direct, and relationships.
Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Communication, Community, Success, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Relationships, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Influence, Developing Your Skills, Support, Career Development, Influence Without Authority, Own It
LinkedIn & Networking: Your Reputation Precedes You
Once upon a time, there was a social network. The social network was rich with relationships. People were connected to their family, friends, and other people in their village. But technology didn’t stand still. Eventually they could connect to distant relationships by mail, then Pony Express, then telegraph, then the wireless, then the telephone, and then by email. Life was good. You could reach out to almost everyone you needed to.
Then, in late 2002 a colleague at work, Yvonne, sent an odd-looking invitation to me through this thing called LinkedIn.
Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Cambridge, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Discussion, Connect, Developing Your Skills, Career Development
Coaching circles adapt the principles and methods of individual coaching and apply them to small, intentional groups. They set the stage for peer to peer coaching facilitated by trained and qualified professional coaches offering women a supportive and motivating environment to connect through meaningful conversations. Participants develop a set of peer coaching skills in addition to benefiting from professional coaching, and are often preferred by people who learn well in small groups. Join us to establish new relationships, enhance leadership skills and talents, and develop in an area that is a current challenge. We will do three 30 minute sessions. Some of the table topics will be preset and some will be based on ideas submitted when people register to attend. The preset topics will include the following.
Topics: Events, Leadership, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Communication, Community, Cambridge, Coaching, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Discussion, Change, Connect, Developing Your Skills, Talent, Confidence, Personal Branding, Strengths, Values, Challenges, Career Development