Michele: 

Hello, everybody, thank you so much for joining us. We are excited to see you. For night three, I can’t believe it’s the third night It seems like for me actually be done already. This is what happens when you plan events. And it’s like, okay, It’s here, it’s here and you are tired already. But I’m still excited to have all of you here. If this is your first night, welcome, if you’re returning for the third night, welcome back. And if this is not your first virtual summit, welcome back. Again, I am Michele Heyward, founder of positive hire, where we could make the experience black, Latina and indigenous women who are scientists, engineers, and technology professionals, to management roles in corporate America. This is the fifth year we’re hosting the women of color in STEM virtual summit. Each time we bring you something different, something new, something that is relevant, to help you advance your career. And so I’m really excited tonight, because we have Lee and Crockett, but let me tell you why I’m excited. For those of you who don’t know, my background is in civil engineering, I worked in heavy construction for many years. I’m an expert, I spent the bulk of my corporate career before that I did technical sales, and hated it. So Leanne’s background is actually in sales. And as STEM professionals, as technical professionals, is really important to understand sales. And so I, I don’t I don’t know exactly what’s in Leon. Lee Ann’s presentation. But this is one thing I do know, pay attention to how she delivers things. And we’re always facts and figures and numbers. But when it comes to sales, they’re to be transactional, and relationship. The best ones are usually relationship driven people. And so it’s really important on understanding what that looks like when it comes to your career as well, how to build those relationships for you in the long run. Now, if you are just joining us, what I’ve been asking everybody to do each night is drop in your lane linked in link, so people can connect with you. So if you haven’t done it yet, and even if you have, we have a new women joining us every day ants, and men. So definitely, definitely be sure you’re sharing that information in the chat. But be sure you’re also sharing the HTTPS part of the URL so that it is clickable. And it makes it so much easier for others to connect with you. Okay. If you have questions for Leanne, you can put them in the q&a section of the zoom meeting so we can connect with you. All right, so we can answer those questions for you and others can connect in the chat with you. So right now I’m going to turn it over to Leanne. It is all yours. I’ll be here but they want to hear from you. Not from me. They get me all the time.

Lee Ann:

Perfect. Good evening. Good evening. I am super excited to be here with all of you today. Thank you so much to Michelle and her team at positive higher for the opportunity to be here tonight, as well as the introduction. This week is a is full of amazing webinars. And I hope you’re signed up to hear some of the other women’s talks. I’m so happy and excited to speak with you tonight about the secrets that can help you break the glass ceiling as a woman in corporate. If you haven’t already, and you probably haven’t because we haven’t asked you to yet. Let me know in the chat where you’re tuning in from. I’m coming to you from snowy cold Connecticut. Michelle and I were just discussing, and if anyone else is local, I would love to connect with you. Before we dive into the meat and potatoes of my talk tonight, I’d love to tell you a little bit more about me who I am, what I do, and how I ended up coaching and helping women get promoted faster. I have a professional background in sales and sales leadership. I’ve been leading training and coaching teams for over a decade. I’m currently working full time as a sales director for a large manufacturing organization and I’m responsible for a portfolio of medium to large sighs b2b accounts. My previous professional experiences are also in business development and account management. I’ve worked in both consumer packaged goods in the food and beverage space, as well as manufacturing in several industries. I received my bs from Boston University, concentrating in entrepreneurship and small business management. And I received my MBA from Babson College. Now, despite a wide variety of experiences, and a variety of several employers, all of the roles I’ve had have been an extremely male dominated industries. Trust me, there are not a lot of women who manufacture mattress foam. As I reflect back on the different roles that I’ve had, there are several pivotal moments that stand out to me, and really shaped who I am as a person. And as a coach. I graduated from bu a year early and started working right away as a frontline sales leader. I was 21. And I was leading a team of men who could have all easily been my father or
my grandfather.
I know you see the bullets on the screen. But I want to emphasize that at different places in my career, I’ve not only been some of the things you see listed, I’ve been all of the above. I’ve been the youngest, the only woman, the only woman of color, the only woman leader, and the only woman of color in leadership, all at the same time. As many of you can relate. Everywhere I went, there was a boys club. And I was left to figure things out on my own. I didn’t have the resources or the advocates that I needed. And I was really an underdog. Because of this, I struggled in the beginning to figure things out. How do I get promoted? How do I even get taken seriously. Now again, as I’m sure you can relate, I got tons of attention, but not always for the right reasons. Also being in sales, I had twice the challenge. I had to face comments and remarks internally from co workers and employees, but also externally from customers. I had a really difficult time and formed a thick skin, which was actually a blessing in disguise. Over the next couple of years, I tried and failed miserably to get promoted. I was passed over several times and really couldn’t understand why I had good performance reviews, good feedback from my boss and co workers a good attitude, and was a team player. I knew something more had to be going on. So I sat back for a while and paid attention to what was happening around me. This is when I first discovered the secrets. Over time, I was able to figure out how to navigate corporate america and started moving up the ranks. I was able to get promoted several times and I also tripled my salary. The employees I trained along the way also started getting promoted. And that’s when I knew I was onto
something.
A couple of years after grad school, I decided to launch my own business and become a coach. I needed to niche down as the cliche would indicate. When I spend time thinking about not only what I could offer as a coach, but also what I was passionate in speaking and teaching about. I realized that what I wanted to do was help as many women as possible get promoted faster in the workplace. focusing on getting women promoted faster, addressed several key issues in my eyes. One, the gender pay gap, so that women can finally earn what they deserve to diversity, equity and inclusion. So that women can be in all places where decisions are made. Hashtag rip, RBG and three, the lack of confidence and self doubt that women experience when They’re tricked into thinking and believing that they’ve reached their ceiling and need to just make do and be happy with what they have. For these reasons, I help high achieving professional women get promoted faster, so that they can overcome imposter syndrome and take control of their careers. I believe in helping more women get a seat at the table. Actually, I want women to create their own table. But we have to start somewhere, right? The corporate system is broken. It’s time we acknowledge it, fight to make things right, and help women shatter the glass ceiling. So ladies, take a look back on your career history, as I asked you some questions. Has this ever been you? Have you ever been passed over for promotion? by someone less qualified? Maybe even someone with less tenure? Do you feel like you’re constantly putting out fires? Are you overworked and underpaid? Are you working later and later to get everything done?
But still can’t get to the bottom of your to do list? Are you heading for burnout? Or maybe you’ve already been there? Finally, does it seem like everyone around you has a secret manual to success? And you somehow just didn’t get a copy? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, trust me, you’re not alone. I was you. I thought that all I had to do was keep my head down and work hard. And I would be recognized and promoted. And as I mentioned, neither of those things happened. It took me years to understand the secrets of how to go about getting promoted. Now that I understand what they are, it’s my mission to teach as many women as possible. This picture was taken before I knew what to do. This particular day, I was hosting an executive leadership tour through my market territory. Everything went absolutely perfectly. Ladies, I crushed this tour. At the end of the day, when we dropped the senior leadership team off, our Senior Vice President invited my team on the corporate private plane to take a look around the pilot whose name is Doug turned around to introduce himself and the SVP started yelling,
Doug,
let me take a picture in your chair. Come on, take one for her. So he did. The pilot of the company’s corporate jet took this picture for me on my cell phone. Before I left, the SVP thanked me for such a job well done. He said the tour went extremely well. He said my market was flawless. My knowledge was impressive. And I was a shining star to watch out for. I went home on high thinking that I was bad
ass.
And guess what happened? The answer is nothing. I didn’t get promoted. I didn’t get a raise. I didn’t get anything. That’s why what we’re talking about today is so important. So let’s get into the secrets. The biggest secret that you aren’t supposed to know is that there is a corporate game and you’re not playing it. Let’s talk about what this means. It’s completely normal and expected that you don’t know how to play the game. It’s also expected that you didn’t even know there was a game. This is by design, and is also part of the game. So I may date myself, but I’m going to take us all back a little bit. Remember that part in the matrix where Neil found out The real world was not actually real. It’s like that. You think you’re existing in the real world, when in reality, there’s an entire other system at play here. I’m sure you felt it. You know, in your gut when something doesn’t feel right. When your boss is lame explanations about why Chad was promoted over you, despite the fact that he sucks on all levels just doesn’t make sense. There has to be some other explanation. And there is, Chad’s playing the game. And you’re not. The odds are stacked against you right now. Keeping the fact that there’s a game of secret is the best strategy anyone has ever made. Think about it from the inside out. Why would you want to compete with everyone at the office for promotions, when you could compete compete with maybe half. To take it even further. Some people know that there is a game, but they don’t know how to play it. And that whittles your competition down even further. Let’s talk about some of the rules for gameplay. playing the game is like playing chess. It’s all about how you can think strategically. your end goal is getting what you want. In this instance, of promotion, and the pay you deserve. You need to be able to have a macro view of the situation in order to stay two moves ahead of everyone else. You can’t be reactive or you’ll lose. Like in chess, you’ll have opportunities that allow you to take advantage of your opponents when they make bad moves. You also use the other players in the game to your advantage to help you achieve your mission. This is not being fake or misleading. This is strategy. It’s knowing which members of the team of the Office of the organization can help you get where you want to go. Second, you have to check your emotions at the door. This isn’t personal. It’s a game. And it has nothing to do with your talent. But think about how much pressure that actually takes off the situation. You don’t need more experience or another degree. You don’t need to wonder anymore if this is the wrong industry, or if this is the best you can do. Or if you should leave your job altogether and maybe start a business. This has nothing to do with you. It’s all a game. Once you learn how to play, the ball is in your court. When playing the game, it’s important that you always have a plan B in the works. You never want to be backed into a corner, or be put in a situation that gives you less than desirable outcomes. playing the game allows you to go from defense to offense.
The last thing to note here is that you can’t control anyone around you. You can’t stop your boss from not giving you a raise or not assigning you to the project that you want it. What you can control because you always have a plan B in the works is deciding how you respond. Remember, offense not defense. For example, not getting the project you requested from your boss may mean that you move forward with accepting the project offer from another leadership team member. Not getting the raise you requested may mean moving on to another job. playing the game means never putting all of your eggs in one basket. There is a mindset shift that’s necessary for you to be able to play the game. You need to have a 30,000 foot view of your career. You can’t do this if you’re stuck in the weeds or in the day to day anxiety of your job. I call this being stuck in the world when you can’t catch your breath before there’s something else pulling you in another direction. It’s important that you separate yourself from putting out fire mode and stuff into a macro level view of what’s going on. Second, you need to shift from being too busy to think about your career right now, to knowing that you need a strategy, and you have to start planning now, beginning with an end in mind, helps you stay on target and execute against your plan. Finally, you have to know that waiting for approval, appreciation and recognition is not going to help you win. You have to know the value that you bring to the table, and be your own advocate in your career. Before we jump into the next secret, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. The boys club. Unlike those guys, we’ve all had experiences where we didn’t have support. We all know what it’s like to be on the outside, to be on the fringe to be excluded. And we’ve all encountered old school boys clubs. But let’s think about it from the inside out. What is it that they really do? What benefits do they provide? Boys clubs are a fraternity at work there for insiders only. And there are secrets and advantages that come along with your membership into the club. Some of these benefits include unconditional support, and colleagues who will lift you up when you’re down. They recommend you for jobs based on nothing more than your mutual affiliation. And those recommendations result in the taps on the shoulder that lead to roles and opportunities that the general public doesn’t even know exist. Boys clubs also bail you out. Members protect their own, and they make sure that offenses that would get you fired will only get them a slap on the wrist. This ensures that their members cannot fail. It’s also important to note that all of these benefits are automatically given without qualifications or requirements. That means that as a member of a boys club, you get everything on the left side of the screen. Regardless of your skill level and area of expertise. You don’t have to be business savvy. This means that as a member of the boys club, you can get promoted up the ladder and into a VP position. Even if you can’t tell the difference between your ass and your face. You don’t need to be mature, you don’t even need to be capable of doing the job. Because your buddies will swoop in and make sure that you don’t lose it. Your quality of work doesn’t even have to be great. It just needs to be okay enough for you not to fail. And the last piece of this is that you don’t have to have any lengthy amount of experience in the organization or have good performance reviews on file.
As great as this sounds, this is where I have to level set with all of you, you will never be able to experience the same kinds of benefits that those in the boys club will experience. But you can get pretty close. That brings us to the next secret you’re not supposed to know. There is a fast track list, but you’re not on it. If we think about the corporate hierarchy in terms of a pyramid, there are three levels. At the very tippy top of the pyramid is the boys club. We’ve already talked about what that looks like and the benefits you get from being a part of this club. The only way into the boys club is to have a friend, family member or friend of the family who knows someone who knows someone who gets you into your job. From there, those people continue to look out for you and introduce you to others who got in the same way. This level can be looked at as almost a birthright. You’re either in or you’re out. And if you have to think about whether you’re in or you’re out, you’re out. The next level down is exactly where we want to be. This is the fast track list. The Fast Track list is made up of the game players These people have connections within the organization that have been developed over time. People on the fast track list have the ears and eyes of the higher ups and the influential players within the organization. Some of these people may also be members of the boys club, because these two groups will interact with each other often, and people on the fast track list enjoy some overlap in terms of benefits compared to boys club members. The main differences between the fast track list and the boys club are highlighted here. Being on the fast track list is a special group like a fraternity. But it’s not insiders only because people can come and go easily. For example, you can be added to the fast track list by making a good impression on an executive. However, you can also be removed from the list if you don’t achieve your business metrics. You get support from your peers, and they’ll also lift you up and brag about you to others. Being on the fast track list also leads to recommendations and shoulder taps for new opportunities. Unlike the boys club, though, you need to possess the skill level needed to do the job. Lastly, you need to maintain your performance reviews. They don’t have to be amazing, but they can’t suck either. Going back to the pyramid, at the very bottom is everyone else. This is where most people are the ones who think that working hard will translate to recognition and promotions. The ones who don’t know how to play the game. The ones who don’t even know that the game exists. We were all here once, some of us just a few minutes ago. But we’ve all leveled up. And we’ll never be back there again.
secret number three, you don’t want to apply for promotions. I’m not crazy, I promise. positions are filled. Before the role is even posted. Organizations start filling roles with the boys club. Once those employees are taken care of, or if there’s no movement necessary in their roles, they move to the fast track list. This is where the shoulder tapping comes into play. And this is usually the part where women get upset with me. I often have conversations with women who say something along the lines of that just can’t be right. I applied for a promotion, I got an interview, I did well, I got good feedback. They wouldn’t do that if I wasn’t strongly being considered wrong. Here’s what usually happens in that kind of case. In most situations, the organization is required to officially post the role. In some organizations, their policy is also to send a notification to employees to let them know that a position is available. From there, they’re required to keep the role posted for five to seven days. They’re also required to interview all applicants. However, this is usually just to check the box. In instances where there’s no suitable option from the boys club, or the fast track list, then they’ll select from the pool of candidates. Most of the time though, the role is already closed and a done deal before it’s even posted. Here’s a real life example. I was tapped on the shoulder to fill a role that no one knew existed. I accepted the role with no interview, negotiated the salary and we decided on a start date. The next day, I saw the role posted. I was then told by my boss that I had to fill out the application as a formality. This was simply them. Just See ya. It allowed them to then say that I applied through the official search. I was interviewed, and they checked all of the requirements in the interview process for me to be hired. Trust me, you don’t want to apply for promotions. This means that your chances are already slim to none. The last secret may be one of the most important. You could be stopping yourself from being promoted. in the corporate world, you have two options. Which of these would you rather being busy? Or being efficient? Would you rather work more hours or be productive and work less hours? Would you rather be stuck? or move forward? How about having less balance? Or more balance? Would you rather burn out or thrive? The answers to these questions may seem obvious, but our actions may be leading us down the wrong path. So it’s also important to note that this is all generally speaking, and these are not always a one to one trade off. For example, taking on a new project may require you to work more hours. But that does not mean that you can’t also be efficient and productive in the time you’re spending. in everything we do, we’re seeking quality over quantity. Sometimes, you may need to have a little less work life balance in order to move forward. But remember, this is all about strategy. This is about making a decision to move in that direction. Not feeling like this is the hand you’ve been dealt. And that’s life, all life can ever be. in everything you do know that you are in the driver’s seat.
Nothing happens unless you make it happen. And conversely, know that you can change direction as well. If things get too intense or too extreme. You have the power to craft the career and the life that you want. With all that being said, we really need to talk about work versus the right kind of work. What’s the difference? the right kind of work is going to land you for the most part on the right side of this slide. work without purpose is worthless. You can spend eight hours working on a project that will net the company millions of dollars. You can also spend eight hours answering emails. One is work. One is the right kind of work. In many cases, worthless work can also dig you deeper into a hole versus allowing you to climb out towards promotion. Let’s jump into some real life examples from two of my past clients. Let’s talk about Sara. Sara tells her boss she has extra time available and asks if he needs help with anything. her boss has a deliverable approaching its deadline, and he gives Sarah a report to do to help him complete it on time. Sarah works late every night that week to finish it. That same week, Sarah’s boss goes home either on time or early every single day. Sarah crushes that report. Because again, this isn’t about talent, and she’s talented and high achieving, and she gives it to her boss. her boss presents the project to the leadership team and is praised for doing such a great job. He doesn’t give Sarah any credit for her contributions. In private though, he thinks Sarah and tells her she did a great job. He also gives her another project to work on. Sarah thinks she’s on the way to getting promoted and takes as many assignments from her boss as possible. Let’s think about this. Is Sarah just working Or is she doing the right kind of work? And let’s talk about what actually happened to Sarah after this went on for some time. her boss got so used to her taking tasks off his plate, that Sarah became an extra admin in his eyes. Whenever he had something he didn’t want to do, he gave it to Sarah. And she loved doing it because she thought she would get promoted. In reality, her actions kept her stuck. Let’s think about it. If you have someone doing your job for you, and you can leave early to go golfing or whatever it is that they do when they leave early all the time. Would you want this person to get promoted? Hell no. If they got promoted, you’d have to start doing your job again. Sarah solidified her place as a worker bee, not as a writing lead rising leader to watch for. Now, let’s talk about Julie. Julie also has extra time available, and she finds little projects to do on her own. She stays late every night working hard. And she thinks that this is going to prove to everyone that she’s a hard worker and allow her to move up the ranks. She thinks that the busier she is, the more recognition she’ll get. Julie becomes known as the one always working, who can’t step away or can’t put it down. But she keeps it going because she thinks she’s on her way to being promoted. What actually happened to Julie, she was seen by her boss and senior leadership as someone who can’t handle her workload and is struggling to keep up not as promotable talent. When you play the game, it’s not about what you think you’re doing. It’s about how you’re actually being seen by others. It’s not just about work. It’s about the right kind of work.
What are some of the things that you’re doing now, that may actually be holding you back from being promoted?
We have covered so much. And so little time tonight, we’ve talked about the cardinal rule, navigating corporate america requires you to understand that there is a game being played. playing the game allowed me to get promoted multiple times and triple my salary. The first step to doing this is adopting the right mindset, you have to step back, begin with an end in mind and craft your strategy. Second, getting on the fast track list is the way for you to get the visibility you need to move up the ranks quickly. Third, know that positions are filled before they’re posted. If you’re submitting an application, know that in most cases, you’ve already lost the opportunity. Finally, we have to examine the full package and the picture of ourselves that we’re painting to others, we may actually be the ones holding ourselves back. Don’t set yourself up to be an admin like Sarah. My hope is that this workshop sparked some action and we find ways to come together to get women back on the path to promotion. Before we move into QA, and I can’t wait to hear some of your questions. By the way. I wanted to give you some more information about the work that I do and extend a special offer to you. As I mentioned, I help high achieving professional women get promoted faster, so that they can overcome imposter syndrome and take control of their careers. I work with women who feel passed over undervalued, underutilized and underpaid. My clients have been ignored and gaslighted for so long, that they’ve started questioning themselves and their talents. They wonder if they need more experience. Maybe they need another degree. Or maybe they’re in the wrong industry altogether because they because things just haven’t been going their way. They’re working late, they’re overwhelmed, and they’ve lost the fire and the spark they once had, not only professionally, but personally. They feel lost, and they feel like this is just the best they can do. If any of that sounds like you, and you want to move forward in your career, I’d love to offer you a complimentary breakthrough session. To learn more about what it would be like to work with me and one of my programs. I offer one on one coaching, as well as group coaching in my signature path to promotion program. path to promotion takes you on an eight week transformation, where I teach you exactly how to play the game, and what specific steps you need to take. The link is here on the screen, but I’m going to drop it in the chat now as well. I’d love to talk to you about how to get you back on the path to promotion, and get you the confidence and pay you deserve. I’ve set aside a limited amount of slots specifically for you. And you can schedule directly by clicking the link. So I am going to
drop it
right now.
And I’m going to close out and then we can do q&a. So, so so much spending time with you today or this evening, or whatever time it is I’m not sure where you are dialing in from. But like I mentioned, if you’re interested in learning more about working with me, I’m offering a complimentary breakthrough session to find out which one of my programs would be the best fit for you. I look forward to meeting some of you soon. And let’s jump into some of your questions.

Michele: 

Oh, so we have seven questions. So if you still have questions, just drop them in the q&a section. Because that’s where I’m going to be it’s hard for me to do the chat and the q&a. Leah, can you take down Stop, stop the screen share? Sure unless you want to keep up how they can contact you. Okay, cool. All right. So this is going to be really good. So ladies, we’re trying to do this in 35 minutes. To get you out of here by like a quarter after the hour. So we went a little late the last two nights. So here we go. Thank you, Lee. And Michelle, did you both have mentors or accountability partners? If so, how did they decide is selecting a How did you decide I’m sorry, selecting a mentor or accountability partner?

Lee Ann:

You want me to go first or you want you go first? Okay, so I would definitely say early on in my career, I didn’t have a damn thing. I had to figure everything out on my own. I was the only one who looked like me. Not a lot of people wanted to help. So I definitely think that as I started playing the game, and I started catching the attention on some of the higher ups in the organization, then I moved into a position where I was able to start getting some mentors. But I definitely made sure that I was a mentor because it’s it’s really all about making sure that people who come after me don’t have to have the same ramp up period or the same learning curve that I had.

Michele: 

Long story short, I went to a BWI predominately white institution for engineering here in South Carolina. That is one of the few that has one of the few mentoring programs for engineering majors. And so I’ve had a mentor in college since my freshman year. And both of us not both. Two of the four of my mentors from undergrad are civil engineers. All four of them are engineers. So I’ve had a plethora of mentors that I started with since college. Yes civil C. Then when I went to corporate initially I didn’t I ended up meeting this really crazy structural engineer white guy and whatever you buy crazy. He he literally cussed out he like yeah, cussed him out and I told him I quit and so story story goes like this. I was working on fossil fuel retrofit outside of Pittsburgh, we had to structure engineer really nice crazy dude. Like why did I do it man, he’s from Philly. The clients project managers from Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh project manager told affiliate structure throw you in a river, mind you, we were next to the river. And he said, I’m not coming back here, you threatened me. So he went back to Philly, he wouldn’t come back to the guy pologize. So I was like, I like you. So that was my mentor thing was he wasn’t in management he didn’t have. I’m not from Pittsburgh, I’m sure from South Carolina. Okay. So, so he was, so he literally took us and it was certain things I wouldn’t be able to do as a black woman. But he also wasn’t in management. And he had a wife, they had two kids, his wife was an electrical engineer in management, who worked, they worked for the same company. And his thing was, I’m not going to get my PE, because I want to be able to go home and see my kids. If the company needs me to travel, I travel so he didn’t get his license his professional engineers license his wife did. So here’s like, both of us can’t be climbing a ladder. So he was the one who decided not to. Long story short, that’s really not a long story. They’re not even his biological kids. I did not find that out for like 10 to 12 years after knowing him. And so it was for him, it was about being available to his family. And that’s really how selecting my mentor was somebody who was following the path that they decided to follow it not what was written or outline in a book. And so that’s, that’s how that went for me. So don’t always pick the crazy people say that much. The next question, how did you assimilate or adjust to Office culture?

Lee Ann: 

Hmm, that’s a good question. I think that what I what I did, which is not the right thing is that I assimilated. Right, and that’s part of the game and what they want you to do, I came in and I said, Okay, I’m just going to work really hard. And I’m going to keep my mouth shut and my head down. And eventually, somebody’s just going to say, hey, Leanne, you’re amazing, I’m going to give you all of this money, and like, you’re going to get this promotion. And I think, especially, you know, with with women of color, we we come from these cultures that are very similar. And there’s not a big understanding of the importance of networking, and the things that you really need. So we come in, and we can be very naive in terms of thinking, you know, what we need to do in terms of getting the things that we want. So that’s what I did to assimilate or blend into office culture. But that was not the best thing for me to be doing.

Michele: 

I hope that sort of question me, I have Next slide. If Black Engineers went to a lot of different rooms, like learning how to ski, like, that sounds cold. So I would just learn, like different things from growing up in rural South Carolina. And that’s it, I guess, not even assimilating just learning a different culture, I guess would be more of what what I would think about because I’m our from Augusta, Georgia. So I’ve known the Masters all my life. And as a kid, I looked at it on TV so that it was just learning other cultures and experiences. Next question, what are the secrets to get on the fast track list, and on the fast and on the fast track to the boys club?

Lee Anne: 

Right. So you will never be in the boys club. You can be really good friends with people in the boys club. But you’re never going to be a member of the boys club. In terms of the fast track list, which is exactly where you want to be. You need visibility, and you need people starting to notice you. So in terms of playing the game, and how to do that, you need to find opportunities that are going to highlight your skills and talents in a way where people are going to say, oh, who’s that? Oh, I know her she worked on this project. A lot of it is networking, but a lot of it is just really strategically picking the right projects and and figuring out how to get the right ears and eyes to be paying attention to you.

Michele: 

Yeah, sorry, just not gonna make it. But I agree. You definitely will make connections in the voice club. What tools or strategies do you recommend to become a better game player?

Lee Ann: 

Yeah, that’s a really good question. And I can’t emphasize enough I I said during the presentation, I call it the whirlwind. And I think a lot of us get so overwhelmed in the day to day that we just don’t realize like all the things that we’re doing that don’t matter, that don’t sort of add up as one of those crucial steps to our endgame or to our long term strategy. So it’s really making sure that, you know, you can get in the weeds and execute projects and deliverables as you need to. But making sure that you’re always connected with that top level strategy of doing the things that you need to do to be aligned with getting you to the next level. So avoid the Whirlwind is one of the biggest ones.
I would say, who has the power? Who has the authority, going to meetings and literally watch who sits there? That’s a sake literally will speak maybe three to five times. But when this person speaks, they jumped like, Hell, yeah, I’ll get that done. Do you want that now? Do you want me to leave it with your admin Cindy? Like they’re the person I meet that Tuesday, and then I am a pm midnight, okay? So because they want to read it at 5am, when they get up, so really pay attention to who’s not talking in the room. And that literally would tell you who’s, who’s in charge and who’s making decisions. Body language is so important. So study body language, I would say it’s a great thing to do. If I take myself off mute, it helps. How do we tell the difference between work and the right work? Ooh.
Yeah, that’s a, that’s a really good one. If you understand what you’re supposed to be doing in terms of your business objectives, and your high level strategy, if you’re doing anything that doesn’t directly relate to that, then you’re just doing busy work, you need to make sure that the majority of your time is spent towards achieving and checking the box on your deliverables. And a good measure of that is what’s on your performance review. If there’s like five things on there, and you’re getting a three out of five every year, and you’re pissed off, and you just don’t understand why they don’t like you, has nothing to do with you is that you’re not focused on the right things. And that’s, that’s the main difference between work and the right kind of work.

Michele: 
Love it.
What are some suggestions to getting on the fast track?

Lee Ann: 

Yeah, I think we covered that in one of the other questions, they kind of blend together. But really, the main thing is what Michelle was talking about, figuring out from a gameplay perspective, right, like understanding who else is on this chessboard, you’re not on there alone. So think about the office and your organization. Think about who they are, what their function is, and what kind of influence they have. And those are the people you go after, because you need visibility in order to get on the fast track list. So you can be spending all of your time networking with Marvin and accounting. But if nobody knows who Marvin is, then Marvin is not going to help you. You don’t need to talk to Marvin. Right? Like if if you have a connection, or you have a connection with somebody who’s another connection with your VP, then that’s probably the tree you need to start barking up.
Bark loudly.
Mm hmm.

Michele: 

My co worker was selected to a high level position. And she felt it was to fulfill a diversity and inclusion quota. And not truly based on her merit, even though she was qualified. What are your thoughts on women who are focused on being elevated due to merit versus quota?

Lee Ann: 

Right, so I mean, she was fast tracked, you’re not always going to be fast tracked for the reason you want to be. But this game is about getting with getting you where you need to be and where you want to be. So if that position is given to her, and she’s now given a platform where she can help other women climb the ladder, then I would say that that’s worth it. But that’s really what the fast track is. Not everybody is going to be 100% qualified. Not everybody is going to be amazing in terms of performance review or day to day performance. It’s who they feel and why they feel and that’s why we talked about you can’t control that. All you can do is kind of plan your counter attack. Right and move from there.

Michele: 

I’m add something tell her to be aware of. It’s not a glass cliff. meaning they’re not just using her to prove a black person. A woman woman cannot do that role. So make sure she’s getting the resources she needs to succeed. She has the team, she has the talent on the team, she has the budget, she is getting all the notifications and support she needs to get get there. If she doesn’t, she needs to reach out side of the organization for support additional support to make sure she can get that. So it’s really important that she starts to identify and see what Chad has, as Lee says, compared to what she’s given as far as resources. And some things she won’t be able to see. But somebody in that organization who’s a receptionist or admin, like, Girl, they sent him on his executive coaching program, he had an executive coach that cost $75,000, I saw the invoices, you need to get you one, she needs to go buy her 100 and 1000 $100,000, executive coach for them to pay for and to help her along that process. So absolutely, yeah. So have her talk to some other people in the office in accounting, and HR and not maybe not so much. But will they will know these tidbits of information to make sure she’s not on the glass cliff. So they’re gonna slide her right to hell off. So just be very, very conscious, conscientious of that as well. How do you get on the right side of the corporate ladder with your superiors? Is there a specific style we need to approach our superiors with?

Lee Ann: 

Yes, that’s a really good question. And I know I keep saying the same thing over and over and over for every question, right, but it’s a game, the the best way to get on their side is to find out what they want, and help them get it so that they can help you get what you want. It has to be a win win situation. So, you know, if there are things that your boss wants from you, and you’re like, I just, I can’t figure it out. Like I said in one of the other questions, he doesn’t like me, and I don’t know what he wants. Ask him what he wants. What do you want me to focus on what is important for you, because when you start checking those boxes of what’s important for him, and you’re making him look good, he’s gonna want to help you. And that’s what you want.

Michele: 

And ask us admin, how he likes delivered like, don’t do it that way. He likes it long and broken out in bullets, or he likes it straight, brief. Talk to the admin best best your best friend. My current employer doesn’t do performance reviews, should I create one? And how do I connect it to the right word? Ooh, that’s a good one.
Yeah, that is a good one. You don’t necessarily have to have a formal performance review process for you to understand what you need to work on. If that’s the case, then probably the first thing that you can work on is communication between you and that next level up, and really just making sure that you’re you’re connected as often as you need to be. And like I just said, ask them, What what are, you know, if you had to name five things that I should be focused on right now? What are those five things? And then there’s nothing stopping you from meeting with them a month from now and say, hey, these are these are still the same? The right five things, right? Like make sure that that communication is there, so that you know how to pivot when they want you to pivot and you’re not doing things that they don’t want you to do.

Michele: 
I love it.
What are ways you can prepare yourself for the workforce and these types of situations while in your undergrad?

Lee Ann: 

That is a really good question. And I think that there are so many things that I wish I knew before I was walking into these situations blind, I think the biggest thing is to really and I know I keep saying like game references and war and like all this stuff, but really just knowing that when you get there, just kind of step back. And like Michelle said earlier, watch and see what’s going on. understand who the players are, understand how they interact. And that’s going to inform a lot of how you need to interact with them or the things that you’re going to need to be doing. I think that’s the best thing for somebody like day one on a job, or the first couple months. That’s the best advice I would give is really understand the situation that you’re walking into, so that you know how to kind of set the stage for yourself for what you need to do.

Michele: 

Oh, yeah, I don’t think I was I knew what to do and undergrad. I don’t think I knew to ask that question. I’m doing my dissertation on this topic. And what I have noticed that black women are generally given projects that do not affect the company’s bottom line, these projects will not get you promoted, we need to understand the impact of projects, we are assigned to the company.

Lee Ann:

Right? I completely agree with you. But the other piece that we need to think about is we’re given projects, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t also get or ask for projects. And a lot of that comes in through networking. And once you start making those connections, it’s really okay, well, I, you know, I’m working on this, but I’m really interested in this, do you have anything for me, and that’s kind of taking that gameplay to that next level, so that you can start getting the experiences that are really going to showcase your skills, instead of the experiences that are just going to prove that you’re a good admin, or you’re good, you know, file keeper or whatever it is that you may be receiving in terms of projects.

Michele: 

can you possibly if you can’t do it right, now, send me some examples. Because what I find is sometimes you don’t know how to equate the work you do to the bottom line. And the reason I say that is talking to software developers, they’re like I’m writing code, and they never investigate. Does that code keep somebody on a website and help convert sales? Does it help increase traffic to the website? Does it help keep data from being stolen? Right? And so there’s an inherent profitability to the company. And you just need to know how to articulate that in a different way. And I think too often, we don’t know how to, especially in STEM, because I talked to these ladies, not career coaching, like leaders. And so it’s really on how do you translate that. And oftentimes, I can tell you, it’s very difficult. I was lucky, because I worked on billion dollar projects, I worked in sales and hated it. But I literally could show you what the dollar dollar amount was. And, and even if it was increases in productivity, if the work you did improve the productivity of others in your organization, it goes to revenue, it goes to the bottom line, if you’re saving people, 20 minutes in time, per day, that is an hour and 40 minutes of more work they can do, which does add to the bottom line. So I think, really, you need somebody like the older last night, who can write it up for you, for you to tell your story with with the work you do. So

Lee Ann: 

yeah, and I just want to add to that, as well. So I have a more recent example of I think something that will help with, you know, what we’re talking about now is, you know, in in my full time job there, there was an employee in finance, and you would think, okay, that’s directly to the bottom line, but really just analytics, that was able to rework the system that we use, that didn’t allow us a really good view of the data in terms of customer profitability. And you know, as a salesperson, what I need to focus on, so they reworked everything ran a custom output for me. And that really highlighted some key customers that I was able to go close the deal, but that trickles all the way back down to them. Because if I didn’t have that data, and I wasn’t able to splice it the way I needed to, that money would still be out there on the table. So I agree with a lot. That’s a long way to say I agree with what Michelle said.

Michele: 

Phil, a great response. Would that be considered imposter syndrome? Since she was actually qualified? Oh, are you going back to the question on your on the friend who was promoted to a role and she thinks she’s a diversity hire? I hope that I hope that okay, yes. So this person is referring back to that, um, what are your thoughts?

Lee Ann: 

Um, I think that I think imposter syndrome is always at play. But and I’m looking forward ahead into some of the questions too, and it’s gonna it’s going to tie into that in terms of, you know, that that mindset shift, but I mean, at the end of the day, if, if that was a position that she was aiming to get, it’s, it’s like, I feel like what we do sometimes is when we actually get the position, we want to give it back because we’re like, No, this can’t be right. Right. Like I didn’t, I was questioning my talent the whole time, even though this is something I wanted. And now that I have it, it’s like Okay, No, this can’t be real, like, take it back. I’m not worthy of it. So I mean, whether it’s imposter syndrome or not, she’s in it. Right? So let’s really accept and accept the talent that she brings to the table and move forward in that way.

Michele: 

Absolutely. How do you recommend we begin our mindset shift? What are the key things that need to change within ourselves to start looking at the bigger picture and planning our career goals?

Lee Ann: 

That’s a really good question. And that’s the one I was looking at. I think that so often, because we don’t know there is a game because we don’t know how to play it. We are isolated by our boss. And we’re segregated from upper leadership. And this is all by design. It’s so a lot of people can’t pick up on our talent. It’s so that we remain mousy, it’s so that we don’t really have an opportunity to understand the magnitude of the talent that we bring to the table. And it kind of keeps us keeps us pigeon holed like Sarah, right, like the the admin. So I think the challenge really is accepting or sort of going back and thinking about that person that we were three years ago, or five years ago, when we first got into the organization, or we first started our career, when we had these big plans. And we said, okay, I went to college, I got this degree, I have this experience, it’s going to be great, I’m going to move up the ladder. And now when we take a look at ourselves, we’re like, well, I’ve been trying to get promoted, it’s not working, something’s wrong with me, I’m just stuck here, I can either be here for 20 years, or I can like leave and start a business. Right. And that’s not the case. It’s all by design. And that’s why I mentioned during the workshop as well, it has nothing to do with talent. So I think the biggest work that needs to be done is tapping back into the fact that that talent hasn’t changed, it’s actually continued to develop. And it’s much more powerful than when we first started our career. And knowing that and sitting in very firmly the value that we bring to the table, and knowing the difference that we make in terms of the organization, and like Michelle said before, how it trickles back down to the bottom line. And knowing how important it is for somebody to have somebody like us on the team. That’s the biggest mindset shift. And then the second one is, like I said, just once you understand that, it’s all just a game, it changes things very quickly. It’s no more imposter syndrome. It’s no more beating up on ourselves, because we’re doing something wrong. We’re not doing anything wrong. It’s just a game for us to figure it out. And because we’re are ready high achieving, like badass women, there’s not a problem that we can’t solve when it comes to just, oh, okay, so this is like, there are rules to this. And then I can like that that’s a game changer. Everything is different now because it has nothing to do with you. So I think those are the two most important ones to really do work with.

Michele: 

Great, thank you so much. What are your thoughts on being chosen for a role in a new group without an interview, my old role is obsolete, the move was lateral with a merit increase, I was handed a piece of paper like this or nothing. Thankfully, it was a positive move for me.

Lee Ann: 

It’s never like this or nothing. Never. I know that they want you to think so. But it’s never like this or nothing. There’s always room for conversation. But in terms of being chosen for a role without an interview, that’s exactly what happens when you’re on the fast track list. There’s there’s nothing wrong with that. Your role was obsoleted. So they were probably trying to move you rather quickly. But there’s nothing wrong. Again, you don’t want to have to apply for these roles because they’re already gone. So if you’re already getting shoulder taps, then you’re in a good position.

I agree somebody is watching you and they wanted to keep you. So I would continue to have conversations in the organization and let them know what you want in that organization for your next move. So I would take that as a positive. Either even if you didn’t like the row, I would still take it as a positive because your name is What I say is above the line, and we like what do you mean above the line, you know, two bills that you have to pay. And if you got enough money to get paid those bills above the line. So that’s, that’s where you are and somebody wants to keep you and they know your name. Would you recommend that someone just make the deal with someone in a boys club? How does that direct approach work?

Lee Ann: 

Hmm, no.
Because if you’re not in the boys club, you never will be. And even if you think you’re besties, with somebody in the boys club, the boys club is going to come before anybody else, period. So it’s always helpful to have connections and to have networking with people in the boys club. But when it comes between you and somebody else in the boys club, you will lose every time. So there’s no real deal, per se, that you can make with them. You really just have to dig into your network. And as a person on the fast track list, continue to build those connections.

Michele: 

out, I’ll add this, I’ve had people on on a boys club come to me and say, Hey, we talked about I don’t know who the hell we was the boys club at the time, I didn’t realize it. And we think you’d be great for this. So is as close as I was going to get they were talking about me and who they want it to be aligned with them. Because it helped them out. And to help me out. It was like, if we don’t get this done, well, who can help us. And that’s what it was. So understand what value you bring to the table. Because you do bring value and understand how to leverage it is even more powerful if you can make those relationships and get a connection in a boys club. So it’s a whole it’s gameplay. I know, it’s not politics is gameplay, how do you handle team members who recommend you for work without your permission?

Lee Ann: 

That’s a good one. I’m assuming that this is work that you don’t want to do. But this is going to come back to the relationships that you have with your boss and with the higher ups. Because if that’s the case, then they will understand and you’ll already be on the same page with them about the work that you do want to do and the ways that you want to be able to showcase your talent. And if that doesn’t align, then it will, it will sort of fly to the sides. If this is somebody who’s recommending you for work that is going to go through, then I would say that we need to take a step back and kind of make sure that we can get to the point where we’re having those conversations because there’s something off in terms of the alignment of what you want to work on, and what people want you to work on. And that needs to be cleared up, which can be cleared up pretty quickly with with just simple conversations.

Michele: 

And last question for the night. So give me a minute to read this, but it’s a good one. I am a mechanical engineer with an MBA in finance, and a career background and energy construction and management also have a cm and a cm VP, through the Association of energy engineers, I struggle with next steps in terms of staying current with the skills and talent that are in the workplace. I’ve thought about a PhD in business, another MBA, etc. But I really want to know what basic skills should I be focused on that will provide me the best impact for my current position, which is acting executive VP and Chief Operating Officer.
Okay, that was a long one.

Lee Ann: 

Yeah, I think this kind of goes back. So I can’t tell you the exact skills right. But this goes back to the conversation about Do I need another degree? You know, what kinds of programs do I need to enroll with to stay current to kind of prove myself, it’s really understanding what you want in terms of your next role and gap planning to get yourself those critical experiences. So I could tell you, I’ll work on X, Y, and Z. But if that’s not aligned to where you want to be as a next step, then it doesn’t matter. My best advice would would really say this is what I know and can do in this role. And this is typically what I’m seeing in that next role and then they’ll things that don’t align are the those critical experiences that you need to either showcase or need to develop to be able to get to that next step.

Michele: 

To me a PhD is going to be old data, all information. So I don’t know what skills you’re trying to keep up with. Because sometimes at that level is not about technology is truly about communication, and understanding how to navigate the data that’s coming in at you. And so I don’t know if so are you looking at tools software like Salesforce or something else? To understand the data that’s coming in at a cheap offer operating officer? Or are you looking at something else to navigate your job, and that’s what I’m confused about. And so the next steps in terms of staying current with skills and talents that are in the workplace. Because sometimes the leading team is not about technology, it’s about understanding people. So my, I guess my question is, have you had an executive coach? And have you done an executive training program? Because they’re going to lead you down more strategic things? Yeah. And that’s what I would kind of, I would probably lean you to a PhD. To me, you’re talking more about managing people and numbers. More so at that level? than just anything else? So that that’s just me. And that’s what I’m trying to figure out. What are you trying to stay current with? If you can clarify that a bit? That’ll help Are you trying to stay current with the young people in technology they know and they’re going to leverage how to communicate with the with other generations, are you trying to figure out how systems communicate to get the data to make decisions after as the chief operating officer is a GDPR. In California, rolling out his own level of GDPR, it is just it’s just a lot of nuances in there, you gave us like your credentials are great, I wouldn’t say get not not to get another credential ever. Right? Ever, I would lean on this is something else in there that are predictable is not going to give for you. And really, I’m thinking you may need to talk to somebody one on one. And that’s really going to get you to where you’re trying to go. And as far as acting executive VP, they should be paying you because I don’t know what acting is. It’s not a TV show. Either. Are you are you are not. So that’s all my So anyway, we just want you to be the interim. I don’t do interims not paid and I have the title I don’t. And I remember that time. They didn’t do an HR change to my job title. And my boss goes, You got a promotion said no, I got a pay cut. I said you want me to do additional work. You’re not paying me. I said, I’ll stay engineer. And I’ve made it. So I was the engineer when I said no. And the guide to senior level guide to up for me was like Michelle, like Oh, I know, I’m the engineer. And I made it clear in that meeting. And I was like you did not pay me for it. I’m not doing the work. Don’t worry about they let me go back three years later, but I just wanted to make that point real quick. I wasn’t doing extra work for free. Right. And he wrote it in the email, I wasn’t gonna be recognized in HR, because I was gonna be paid an HR, then don’t Don’t, don’t be on the same page. So right.

Lee Ann: 
And that’s a perfect example of you can’t control other people. You just decide how you react.

Michele: 

Yes, but what if you’re leaving your job? You know, what is so much fear in there? What’s the worst thing that happens? You end up homeless? That’s absolutely worse than what’s the likelihood your family friends and I’ll let you be homeless? Exactly. For most of us, it’s highly unlikely, right? Because they see our value and our worth, and they know, they know what we can do. So with that, I was also the person who kept boxes at her desk. And my first boxing instruction i tell I was gonna take vacation. And he was like, What is this vacation you talk about? And so I sent him the definition of it from, from whatever website back in oh four was, oh 606. And so I said, well, you can call it whatever you want to but Michelle won’t be here. And I was not at work for that week or whatever I was going. But you literally have to, at some point, stand your ground and understand. They will give you everything they can and at the same time they can take it all away. And so you are empowering them By saying you don’t have the power, understand your value understand your worth, and your ability to move on. Because it just because you do it does not mean they will not let you go.

Lee Ann: 

Absolutely.
So all right. Why, why do you if you’re asking these questions? I know, I know, she saw my notes in the chat. I’m not gonna call it a name. Don’t read this last question. Someone mentioned organizations with mostly women, how does the girls club work there, and they put that in the chat for you. So some people read about talking about it, I would say I want to say Kimberly Clark, also has a lot of Women Engineers as well, because they understand their products are mostly used by women, Huggies women. And so that was one place, especially when I lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A lot of the engineers were women and and they had a different staff, as well. And outlook, I would say look at ratings on best places for moms websites. And that would probably help you kind of figure out where you can see some girls clubs, organizations that don’t but let me tell you the truth. that’ll mean you don’t still get in. I’m just saying because all boys club doesn’t mean all boys are in the club. Trust me, not all the boys in the club. So understand. It can be girl, it can be a girls club does.

Lee Ann: 

Right? It works the same way. You’re in or you’re out. And if you need to question you’re out.

Michele: 

Yep. So I can just tell you, Leanne and I are in a girls club. I’m not going to say the name of the girls club. But that’s how we met and actually people like, Oh, no, you should go meet Michelle. And so we support each other at a different level. And we get support in that organization. So I’ll just put it to you this way. In anybody see that? crunchbase article I was in Girls Club.
Mm hmm.
And I’m gonna have another one coming out in another few in a few more weeks. So I’m just gonna say Girls Club?

Lee Ann: 

Yes.

Michele: 

And I’m no, I’m not gonna tell you what it is. And because we’re, if if I think you’re a good fit, I do reach out to people. But it’s very, it’s very particular. It is very niche type of organization. And it’s not a sorority, but it is a girls club. So

Lee Ann: 

I was just gonna say it is not a sorority, and we’re not required to match. It just happens sometimes.

Michele: 

Oh, my God, you know, I’m about to post this in the community. Liquid epic, twice, not once, but twice, right. So there is power. And so understanding, you can still have a girls club, inside an organization outside an organization. So figure out and build your own Girls Club. I will tell you that much. And it really works. And I kind of built I’m building the girls club with positive Hi. So um, yeah, that’s all I’m gonna say I have a lot of women in the organization that work for me or contractors for the company. They’re usually women. 98% Oh, I’ve got two men, though. Two men. I’m just saying. Any, any questions. Any other questions? We’re good for tonight. Leann? Thank you so much. They’re having they’re like, Oh, my God, this is too good. I know. See, y’all think for those of you who are new to me, I stopped people. Not for a bad reason, but for a good reason. Because I want you to get stuff. You can’t read in a book. I want you to give, have people who are truly in your corner, they want you to win. And number three, they know the value the power that you bring to organizations and they are not going downplay that. Okay. So Leah, thank you so much for joining you.

Lee Ann: 

Thank you so much. This was so fun. It was so nice to talk to all of you. And I’ll talk to you soon.

Michele: 

Yes, everybody come back tomorrow night. We have another great session. We have. Do I know who Yes, I know who it is. We have Francesca Scotto. She’s going to be talking about leveraging No wait, leading the innovation revolution. So Francesca is Latina? She was a co founder of a tech startup in 1998. Yeah, I said before the 2000s she was@a.com bust and she has an industrial engineering degree. So people you don’t know about I find them so I want you all to come show up show out because she wants to talk about how women in STEM with these technical backgrounds should be leading and will be leading the tech the innovation from from that Even like people like me to have tech startups, but way into the 2000s, the 2030s I’m not into 2013 to 2014. And so we’re really excited about this time. So definitely, definitely come back tomorrow. Leanne, come back tomorrow, because it’s gonna be another fantastic night. All right, everybody, have a great evening and I will talk to you tomorrow. Bye.