SOUTHFIELD—Women are making gains in corporate leadership, but still face obstacles, and meeting those challenges means building networks, continuing education, confidence, and not being afraid to challenge the status quo.
That was the message Thursday in “A Crash Course: Women in Leadership,” part of the Leaders & Innovators business breakfast series presented by WWJ Newsradio 950 at Lawrence Technological University. Approximately 80 people attended, despite icy roads that closed school districts in Southeast Michigan.
Certified career coach Lila Asanti-Appiah, president and co-founder of the nonprofit Purposeful Pursuits and chief administrative officer of The Heat and Warmth Fund, began the session with a series of tips for career advancement. She advised attendees to invest in a personal career coach, and not to be afraid of applying for jobs or promotions where they don’t exactly fit the desired experience. “Seventy percent of hiring managers have hired those whose skill sets may not exactly match the role,” she said.
Asanti-Appiah also advised those in supervisory roles to “learn how to coach, and learn that there is a time to coach and a time to tell. Be specific and non-judgmental with the aim of improving performance. Set clear expectations that are well communicated.”
Terry Barclay, president and CEO of Detroit-based Inforum, a professional organization focused on accelerating careers for women, noted that her organization has been tracking women in the corporate world since 2003. Today, she said, “there is parity between men and women in entry-level hiring. But that begins to change with the very first promotion. Of every 100 men who get that first promotion, there are only 73 women. That starts the gap right off the bat, and it gets worse as careers progress.”
To read more, click on https://www.techcentury.com/2020/02/27/ltu-panel-women-face-challenges-in-business-leadership-but-are-making-gains/
