International Women's Day was March 8

March 8 passed relatively quietly yet again… However, one day does not make as much of a difference as daily small changes. Thank you all for the ongoing supportive environment you create for the men & women who work with you. We are learning together how to make change on the things that really matter.

Dennie

From: Mentoring Forum <forum@cbfwmentoring.org>
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, check out www.leanintogether.org for tips and resources focused on practical, everyday steps that men can take to support their partners, children and female coworkers.
•         Tips for Men at Home: http://leanin.org/tips/home/
•         Tips for Men at Work: http://leanin.org/tips/work/
•         Tips for Managers: http://leanin.org/tips/managers/

You can also see some of the most common myths about women in business here: http://bit.ly/19gEd0n

Intros in 6 words

I've written about the 6 word exercise before – and the need to make a resume and introduction reflective of values.

Sitting with a tea, the aha! was: do them together…

Introductions are often like a label in clothing: 10% name; 60% work history; 20% family reference and 10% 'why are you here?'  While we make do with that sparse information to create a link for conversation or engagement, it's sometimes difficult.

Let's approach introductions as more of an ingredient list: 1 cup of <value>; 2 tbs of <passion>; mixed with <interest>; and seasoned with <x>.

Take the 6 words and introduce the ingredients that make you who you are within the context you find yourself. At a meeting - how do you plan to add value and take some away (vs. name/rank/serial number)?  At a networking event – what gets you excited about your business, your career?  At a coffee – what are the important things against which you hope to connect with others?

Put 6 words at the top of your resume that summarize the skills and passions reflected in the body.

Six words can open doors that lead to stories that lead to connections for your network and community.

Daring. Easy. Different. Engaging. Professional. Delivers!

Ask more questions

There are a lot of articles and posts coming out now around questions and the art of posing them. Positive, challenging or as a negotiating tactic, questions are never a bad thing.

Our current North American culture has us seen as inefficient or slow if we don't immediately jump to a solution when faced with a problem or complaint. However, sometimes asking the right questions can drive to an excellent outcome faster than simply responding with ideas from the potentially narrow reference framework we may have in a given situation.

Here's a few questions that might help the next time someone approaches you with a problem:

"Do you need someone to listen so you can work this out or do you need me to solve this for you?"
"Why is this issue important?"
"Who else could help with this issue?"
"What would happen if we let this sit for an hour/day/month...?"
"What ideas do you have ...? And what other ideas? ...and what other ideas?..."
"What can I offer you that makes me the right resource for this problem?"
"Has anyone else ever dealt with this?"

Like many problems, the real issue is often cloaked in a litany of smaller issues that may not need to be resolved to create a good solution. Asking questions can help determine the heart of the matter and the role we are expected to play. Assumptions are only as good as the questions we ask to confirm them.