WEST Wisdom Blog

Join WEST on 3/10 to learn about communicating in times of uncertainty

Posted by Jaime Luna on Mar 9, 2021 8:45:00 AM

Communication is the key to success in life, work and relationships… especially in uncertain times, it will decide whether we win or fail navigating a crisis.

And yet, often enough we face situations where our message turns into error, misunderstanding or frustration, simply because it was misinterpreted or maybe poorly delivered. And we’re left off with a feeling of being lost in translation.

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Topics: Career, Communication, Success, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Change, #WESTevent, #WESTorg

In the beginning was the Relationship

Posted by Chiara Maffei on Jan 22, 2021 1:30:57 PM

Facebook, Whatsapp, Slack, Zoom, Teams, Instagram, emails, and all the other communication systems that I am forgetting to list right now. In today’s world we constantly communicate with others. The question is: do we actually connect with them? And, what does it mean to connect with others?

For Kemi Sorinmade -leadership trainer, coach, and owner of the Growth Studio- to connect means to be able to build a common ground and to be on the same page with your audience. This building process might often need some time and effort: if we want to connect, we need to take an extra step in exploring the other person’s world. In this exploration, we need to bring with us curiosity, interest, and empathy. These tools will help us unlock a safe common space, in which we will be willing to share, trust, and open up with each other.

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Topics: Leadership, Women, Career, Communication, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Interactive, Developing Your Skills, Impact, Learn, #WESTevent, #WESTorg

Bypass Your Inner Critic in Public Speaking

Posted by Jaime Luna on May 12, 2020 11:34:09 AM

Despite popular belief, people’s top fear is NOT public speaking. That is a myth. For many people, especially women, the top fear is public JUDGMENT.

As a woman leader or emerging leader, how do you OWN what you’re saying without feeling like a fraud?

Whether you’re speaking up in an online virtual conference, a board meeting or giving a presentation, you need to be able to speak with confidence to influence your listeners.

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Topics: Events, Leadership, Women, Career, Communication, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave, Imposter Syndrome, Webinar, Fearlessness, Public Speaking

WEST's May and June Events

Posted by Jaime Luna on May 5, 2020 3:36:01 PM

Take charge of your development. Take advantage of the opportunity to join events virtually from anywhere. WEST has many exciting upcoming events to help you improve communication, bypass your inner critic in public speaking, practice fearlessness, refine your presentation skills, and much more.

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Topics: Events, Leadership, Women, Career, Communication, Resilience, Panel, Network, Presentation, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Mindfulness, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, Learn, Advocate, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave, Webinar, Fearlessness, Parenting, Public Speaking

COVID-19 Fundraiser and Resources

Posted by Jaime Luna on Apr 16, 2020 4:04:11 PM

As COVID-19 continues to spread in Massachusetts and the Country, we are reminded of how interconnected we are. These are challenging times for us all, and WEST hopes to play a small role to help those in need! WEST is pleased to organize a special virtual panel discussion with WEST Board and Advisory Board members. One hundred percent of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Life Sciences Cares COVID-19 Response Fund providing flexible grants to organizations working to meet the emerging and shifting needs caused by this unprecedented outbreak. Panelists will share inspiration, challenges, advice, and ways their companies are addressing issues with COVID-19. Join us to ask questions and share your experiences working remotely. Learn more and register at https://www.westorg.org/2020-04-22-virtual-covid19-fundraiser.

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Topics: Donation, Events, Leadership, Women, Career, Communication, Panel, Giving, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave, Webinar

WEST's Spring Webinars

Posted by Jaime Luna on Apr 10, 2020 3:51:31 PM

Are you committed to lifelong learning and growing your skills? If so, WEST has some great spring webinar offerings to help you lead with mindfulness, build success with grit, make your ideas irresistible, advocate for yourself, improve communication, and much more.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said "I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday." Now is a great time to focus on your personal development and embrace purposeful learning to promote your career and prepare for tomorrow.

Join us at an upcoming webinar.

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Topics: Events, Leadership, Women, Career, Communication, Resilience, Presentation, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Mindfulness, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, Learn, Advocate, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave, Webinar, Grit, Fearlessness, Parenting

Effective feedback isn't a fix: It's food, not medicine

Posted by Diana K. Anderson on Feb 11, 2020 7:15:00 AM

Feedback shouldn’t feel like being called to the principal’s office

Regardless of whether it’s positive or negative, both the giver and receiver of feedback find the exchange awkward at best. No matter how stellar your year was, many of us approach our reviews somewhere on the going-to-the-the-principal’s-office spectrum ranging from Ferris Bueller to Bart Simpson. 

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Topics: Leadership, Communication, Coaching, Management, Developing Your Skills, Insight, Engage, Feedback, Career Development, #WESTevent, Be Fearless, Be Brave

Holiday Cocktail Party and Annual Survey

Posted by Jaime Luna on Dec 10, 2019 2:07:11 PM

WEST and Cooley invite you to our Holiday Cocktail Party on 12/12 for an evening of networking and festive food and drinks. Please join us to celebrate the holidays, connect with members, exchange ideas, learn about job openings and more. This event is free for members thanks to Cooley’s generous sponsorship.

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Topics: Women, Career, Communication, Community, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Connect, Holiday Party, #WESTevent, Be Fearless, Be Brave

How to Negotiate: 3 Mindsets that Win Every Time

Posted by Diana K. Anderson on Nov 21, 2019 7:30:00 AM

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. 

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Topics: Communication, negotiation, Women in STEM, Relationships, Developing Your Skills, Problem Solving, New Opportunities, #WESTevent, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave

How to Stop Your Certainty from Blinding You

Posted by Diana K. Anderson on Nov 5, 2019 8:30:00 AM

There’s no such thing as a rocket scientist

No one person is capable of understanding all the science necessary to launch a rocket into space. Rocket science is a group effort. A collaboration of scientists. They may start the project focused on the components relevant to their specific expertise. But the rocket literally cannot get off the ground until all those technical experts pool their specialist knowledge to make the components into a functional system. 

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Topics: Communication, Collaboration, Developing Your Skills, Conflict Resolution, Open Innovation, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave, Research & Development

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