Strategies for Women’s Career Success

Women in Leadership and Philanthropy sponsored “Strategies for Women’s Career Success” for Reunions 2009. Many thanks to our accomplished panelists for their time and insights!

Listen to the Podcast at the bottom of the page on the UVa Podcasts site.

Bouncing back from challenging situations is a key characteristic common among successful women leaders who have broken through the glass ceiling. Panelists discussed how certain characteristics, such as resilience and persistence, have played an important role in the pursuit of excellence in careers in business and other fields. Can these qualities be developed? How have relationships aided in this process? Our panelists shared stories about their careers and offered tips on how to stay focused on the positive. The moderator was Karen J. Jansen, Assistant Professor of Commerce at the McIntire School of Commerce, and panelists included: Tracey Brownfield (Commerce ’79), Owner, TB Development Inc.; Ruth Haile (Engineering ’79), Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting; and Dr. Ann Kiessling (Nursing ’64), Director, Bedford Stem Cell Research Foundation.

Some points from the panelists included:

  • Know when to push back, and when to walk away (e.g., in a morally-challenging situation)
  • In difficult work situations, don’t take it personally
  • Stay focused on your goal
  • Importance of a strong sense of humor
  • Importance of a strong moral sense
  • Sometimes it’s more efficient to just ignore sexism
  • Know (and use) the informal power structure in the organization
  • Importance of having and relying on trusted colleagues
  • Depend on the support of family and friends
  • Determine who your constituencies are and what they will respond to; seek to understand other people’s points of view
  • In dealing with a disappointment or failure, it is important to acknowledge you have done the best you can
  • Maintain your energy – recognize when you should let something go in order to conserve energy for the more important goals.
  • Be willing to take a chance – get your ducks in a row, but then go for your goal. The worst that can happen is you’ll have to get another job!