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
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.
Topics: Communication, Collaboration, Developing Your Skills, Conflict Resolution, Open Innovation, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave, Research & Development
Investment firms recruit doctors and statisticians to manage health care and quantitative funds. Dr. Mayim Bialik, neuroscientist, has a leading role on The Big Bang Theory. And these days, especially in STEM fields, it seems like everyone has a side hustle that could be just about to go big time. Or, they’re sitting board members for their favorite non-profit.
Topics: Career Possibilities, Speed Networking, New Opportunities, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave, Research & Development, Devices
In STEM fields, entrepreneurs don’t have a monopoly on ‘selling’ ideas. As the CEO of your career, you are your best advocate. In life and career, eventually we all find ourselves pitching a new concept. Maybe you need to explain your science to prospective investors. Or, you’re going for that grant. Or you want to present your paper at a conference.
Topics: Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Tools, Career Development, Marketing, Advocate, #WESTevent, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave
Just a human being. Also known as unconscious bias, it is exactly that, unconscious. You’re not aware of it. We’ve been talking about unconscious bias for a while now; but being aware of the concept is only the first step. Only after acknowledging that we all have implicit bias, can you disrupt it. And unpacking implicit bias is like brushing your teeth. You’ll need to keep doing it for the rest of your life; but staying on top of it makes it easier and far more effective.
Topics: Events, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Empathy, Bias, Inclusion, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave, D&I
Imposter syndrome was originally identified by on Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes’ 5-year study that describes its 150 subjects as ‘high achieving women’ with ‘outstanding academic and professional accomplishments’. The only way for imposter syndrome to present is the context of its inherent contradiction.
Topics: Women in STEM, Confidence, Challenges, Career Development, Own It, Empowerment, PhD, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave, Imposter Syndrome, Competence
Fear is a survival mechanism. We need fear. Fear is an evolutionary force that pushes you forward. It’s denying fear that holds us back. At its root, fear often revolves around the possibility of losing something we value. That may be something we already have or something that we aspire to.
Topics: Annual Theme, Career Development, Change Management, #WESTorg, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave
Promoted to manager? Congrats!
Wait, wait. Wait. What exactly is my job now?
The shift from individual contributor to manager can be difficult. As Karen Dillon explains, “The irony for most newly appointed managers is that the skills and qualities that earned them the promotion are very different from those that will serve them well as a leader.”
This paradox is especially sharply felt in STEM. Fortunately, while acute, this reaction is also incredibly common. To learn more, WEST spoke to Richard Laskey about his experience transitioning from a senior software engineer to software engineering manager.
Topics: Leadership, STEM, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Business, Career Path, Management, Delegation, Lead, Emotional Intelligence, Developing Your Skills, Insight, Confidence, Leaders, Own It, Empowerment, New Opportunities, Advice, MBA, #WESTevent, Change Management, #WESTorg, Women in Business, Organizational Culture, 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