#nwpc-wa

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Time for women to lean in for parity in public office

By LINDA MITCHELL AND MELISSA THOMPSON ALEXANDER — appeared in the Tacoma News Tribune on October 29, 2013

Washington has long been a leader in women’s equity. Women were given the right to vote here in 1910 – 10 years before the 19th Amendment’s ratification. In 1926, Seattle Mayor Bertha Knight Landes became the first woman to lead a major American city. Dixy Lee Ray became one of the nation’s first female governors.

More recently, in 2004, Washington became the first state to elect all women – Gov. Christine Gregoire and Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell – to the state’s top three offices.

None of this happened by accident.

For 40 years, the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) of Washington has worked to get more women involved in the political process by recruiting, training and electing women to office. After four decades of advocacy, there’s still work to do.

In the early 1990s Washington let the nation with more than 40 percent of seats in our state Legislature held by women. Today, that number is 30 percent.

One of the biggest challenges to gender parity in office is that women don’t run. According to a national study by the Center for American Women in Politics, women are much more likely to run if they’re recruited by others. Men don’t wait to be asked.

The NWPC of Washington recently conducted a survey of women to identify the barriers to entry for public office. Women need to know they have a strong community of support behind them. In our survey, women said having a strong network of allies ready to help was the most important part of their decision to run.

And this is where we can make a difference – women helping other women. We need to be able to unite behind women candidates and create a level playing field for elections. According to research from the Barbara Lee Foundation, voters – including women voters – have a higher standard for what they’ll consider a “qualified” woman candidate.

We need to be aware of how we as women can inadvertently undercut one another by buying into arguments that men are more qualified, better fundraisers or better negotiators. We can help one another play up our strengths.

As women, we need to commit to supporting women candidates with our financial donations, with our growing influence and networks and, most importantly, with our vote.

This November, the NWPC has endorsed more than 60 women candidates in local elections. Women in Washington are leaning in and running for office. Now it’s our turn to lean in and elect them.

Linda Mitchell is the current president of the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) of Washington. Melissa Thompson Alexander is a past president and co-founder of the organization.

[nwpcwa-blog]

What’s the dirty little secret women are confronted with each day?

Guest blogger Betsy Goldberg

When people are in situations where they aren’t confident, they reveal it through a series of giveaways. If your reaction when challenged publicly is to laugh, you’ve just displayed a lack of confidence.   “Your voice more than your physical appearance outs you,” Allen said.   A shaky voice, mumbling, vanishing volume, a high pitch and a sentence ending that goes up four octaves” are all signs of insecurity. To project confidence in your voice, think lower, louder, and slower.     The physical signs of insecurity are also giveaways: shifting from leg to leg, playing with hair, blushing. To appear purposeful, plant your feet while standing. It’s okay to move around, but always plant your feet solidly again once you’re done with walking. Stand straight. “No hands in pockets and no slouching,” cautioned Allen.   Allen also offered tips for those who blush easily: drinj ice-cold water with a squirt of lemon, breathe deeply, and lower the temperature of your neck.   To build overall confidence, Allen recommended focusing on the following actions:   Dress Sharp When you don’t look good, it changes the way you interact with people.  Allen recommended that the women in attendance dress one class above your audience (khakis, not jeans, at the Labor picnic). Make sure your clothes fit you and are not distracting. Allen’s two ironclad sartorial rules for women? “No cleavage is ever good for a woman running for office,” she said, advising women to cover up.  And “no short skirts.” However, it is fine to leave the panty hose at home, thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama popularizing the bare-legged look.      Allen advises the female candidates she works with to consider suits in a cherry red or a blue – turquoise, royal or cobalt. Those are, of course, in addition to the mainstays of a female politician’s wardrobe of suits in black, navy, grey and brown.   Keep extra clothes around and change them and shoes to feel more confident. “Just changing a shoe gives you more energy,” noted Allen.  Ideally, she recommends starting the day in the highest heels you wear, then decreasing heel height with changes later in the day, though she acknowledged that wasn't always realistic!   Building a professional wardrobe doesn’t have to be expensive; Allen told the group that Seattle has 47 consignment stores. Women should play around with colors to find out which look best on them, and Allen recommends they try vibrant colors such as fuchsia, green and purple.   Walk Faster Your walk tells the world how you feel about yourself. People with confidence walk quickly, noted Allen. Walking 25 percent faster will make you look and feel more important and energetic. “Pick it up, ladies, pick it up,” she recommended.   Stand (and Sit) Tall Good posture will make you feel more confident, alert and empowered.  Stand up straight, keep your head up, make eye contact and don’t fidget or flail, advises Allen. Beware of slumped shoulders and lethargic movements. “Chest out, butt in,” Allen recommended.  Most women have more trouble with posture when they’re sitting, not standing. Sit at the edge of the chair and keep your back straight.   Sit in the Front Row People sit in the back of a room because they’re afraid of being noticed.  This reflects a lack of self-confidence. Instead, sit in the front. It will help you get over your fears and make an impression.   Speak Up Women are often reluctant to speak up (or speak first) in a discussion, fearful that people will judge them for saying something stupid. Actually, most people are dealing with that same fear. By speaking up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader. Allen counseled, “Be visible, not invisible.”   Be Grateful When you focus too much on what you want, you’ll find reasons why you can’t have it. Then you wind up dwelling on your weaknesses. Instead, be grateful. Make time every day to mentally list everything you’re grateful for. Recall your past successes, unique skills, loving relationships and positive momentum. You’ll be amazed at how much you have going for you and you’ll feel more confident and motivated.   Compliment Others When you think negatively about yourself, you transfer that negativity to your feelings about others. Break the cycle by complimenting others.  Praise them and thank them. Look for the good in other people, especially women. By looking for the best in others, you’ll bring out the best in you.   Give Back Giving back helps you focus on the needs of others, not yourself.  It helps you stop thinking about yourself and your flaws. Even better, you’ll be contributing more, which garners recognition, rewards you with personal success, and builds more self-confidence.   Accept Compliments Many women feel awkward when they’re complimented; they’ll rock back and forth, look up or down or away, shake their heads, or downplay their achievement. Allen recommended that women learn how to absorb a compliment instead. To do so, look at the audience and “shut up.” Look engaged and even smile a little. “Don’t give people a reason to think you’re not deserving of it,” Allen said.   Exercise: Boosting Your Self-Confidence Allen recommended an exercise that originated with Emily’s List for every woman looking to build her confidence: write a 30-second speech that highlights your specific strengths and accomplishments in all areas of your life. “What’s the strength and the power of what you are?” she queried. The women attending the session found pen and paper and took to the task, and a few volunteered to present their speeches out loud.   Allen advised the women to recite the speech in front of a mirror whenever they need a boost. Your speech will remind you of your achievements and eliminate thoughts of your insecurity. Or as Allen put it to the audience, “Don’t let the bad tapes drown out the good tapes.”

[nwpcwa-blog]

Work Smart, Get Organized!

"We are multitasking our brains out."

Elizabeth Bowman, President of Innovatively Organized, began Tuesday's Smart Women Salon with this astute observation. She explained that, more and more, we are getting information and assignments from many sources. Replying to emails consumes the better part of our day, our digital devices keep overflowing with notifications, papers piled high on desks -- it is no wonder that upwards of 40% of American adults get less than seven hours of sleep a night.

"I am tired of seeing people burning out," Bowman remarks that this fact drove her to start Innovatively Organized, a Seattle-based productivity consulting firm that helps overextended executives and teams become more effective. At the Smart Women Salon, Bowman shared valuable tools and suggestions to integrate into daily habits. Often, small changes will result in big differences. An extra hour gained could be the difference between leaving work on time or getting home late.

As Bowman explained, first and foremost it is necessary to limit the number of places you receive information from. The less places you have to physically go look, the better. If you prefer email, consolidate as much as possible to your email inbox (organized, of course), rather than dividing time between email, texts, phone messages, Post-Its, and anything else. This will cut down on time spent switching between devices -- the less you need to manage, the more you will be able to accomplish.

Bowman also advocated for the "2 Minute Rule”. Tasks that will take two minutes or less to complete should be done right away. Although it can be applied to any number of things, email is where you will likely use it the most. People are often aware of what's arrived in their inbox, but neglect to take action. Many times, we quickly read through a short email and don’t reply for days or weeks. When we finally do respond (often when prompted by the person who sent it), explaining the delayed response may take twice as long as replying to the initial email would have taken. One email message may not appear to make a difference, but ten, twenty, or even as few as five certainly can. If you can do it now and do it quickly...do it and get it out of the way!

However, effective email management also requires organizing your inbox and she advocated for four "must-have" folders:

1. Needs Response, for emails that would take longer than two minutes;

2. Take Action, for tasks needing to be done;

3. Waiting for Response, for email conversations to which you have responded to, but are waiting for the other person's response. This can be seen as a "follow up folder." Following up to all those emails will not only make you appear really organized, but will also subtly condition those around you to respond to your messages promptly;

4. Read and Review, for messages and general information to read over carefully at a later time.

The principles of effective organization aren't too different for people preferring paper to electronic devices. A task list is critical; it should include the task, due date, the estimated time to complete, and location. Those last two are often overlooked but are key! Providing a time estimate makes it much more likely you will actually do the task (and makes it easier to delegate), and will also aid in time management and prevent overbooking. Similarly, adding a location where the task can be completed – like your office, home, or “anywhere” makes it easier to find something to work on where you find yourself.

Bowman also acknowledges that people who prefer paper can tend to let it pile up--many of us are guilty of this. She suggests asking specific questions to determine whether a piece of paper can stay or needs to go, including, "Do I have a specific reason to keep this paper?", "Will I set aside time to read this paper again?", and "Does this meet the current purpose of my space?" It may seem simple, but only deceivingly so; consciously evaluating your physical space will help eliminate unnecessary clutter, maximizing productivity.

Bowman also recommended several online and mobile productivity tools, including:

- TeuxDeux (www.teuxdeux.com), an online to-do list that crosses out completed tasks and moves unfinished items to the next day automatically

- Time Timer, available on mobile devices, a clock that visually displays a set chunk of time and shows the chunk decreasing as time passes (great to have on display during a meeting!)

- Cool Timer, available on mobile devices, a timer you can set to any length of time

- Toodledo (www.toodledo.com), an online and mobile to-do list that offers the ability to delegate and email tasks, and includes a timer for each task

- ScanSnap, desktop and portable scanners that can capture business card information, among other

- Evernote, which stores online notebooks

- OneNote, which stores electronic notebooks

- Carbonite, online data backup

A key take-away from this Smart Women Salon: be consistent! Paper or electronic, picking the right time management system and sticking to it will pay dividends in added time and less stress.

by Guest Blogger Juliya Ziskina

[nwpcwa-blog]

Communicate your personal brand through your wardrobe

"If you are your own brand, then your wardrobe is your logo."

Darcey Howard introduced this fundamental–and yet often overlooked–concept at the Smart Women Salon, put on by the National Women's Political Caucus of Washington. The Salon's theme urged attendees to "Be Intentional–Be Your Brand."

So, how does one be a brand, and what does that mean, anyway?

Professional speaker and entrepreneur Darcey Howard explains it as the image that you communicate to your audience. A brand is an intentional representation of who you are and what your goals are to create a greater sense of authenticity and confidence. It is more than simply managing a wardrobe; it speaks to originality and ownership of how you look in conjunction with who you are communicating your unique attributes to.

Howard explains that it's difficult to overstate the importance being conscious of the image you're projecting to others. People invariably respond to the visual cues they perceive–if your wardrobe looks tired and mundane, people will perceive that your skills and attitude are, too. She continues: "We ask people to invest in us every day, but first we must invest in ourselves." This involves time, self-confidence, and self-knowledge to make strategic decisions about what we wear.

Understandably, many women aren't exactly sure how to approach this process. Howard advises to start from the basics and then inject personality. Take inspiration from something you love, something that gives you meaning, and use that inspiration to make an outfit. She recounts an experience working with a woman who is a gardener, whom she asked, "How do you put together a container?" The gardener lit up, and immediately began explaining that she would use a "thriller piece," then fill remaining space with filler and some spillers. Howard replied to her, "Now let's go back to your closet and pretend you're creating a container." That came much easier to her!

An ideal, memorable–but not distracting–outfit should be a reflection of your best attributes and should communicate to your audience. A creative type, a graphic designer, for example, will not inspire confidence in clients if she shows up in a plain white blouse and standard black slacks. An accountant is expected to reflect a certain structure. That does not, however, have to mean boring. Certain colors and textures evoke corresponding emotions from both the wearer and the audience, and will drastically influence attitude in the visual exchange.

The "Personal Branding Through Appearance" approach is largely a visual concept, but the Six Parameters of Strategic Dressing that Howard outlined give it a straightforward, linear element. The Parameters include essentials to consider when shopping for clothes. These include, but are not limited to, color palette, time and longevity of the piece, and how the piece makes you feel. By meeting at least three of the six parameters, you can successfully streamline shopping for the perfect outfit that communicates your visual message, your brand, a help you avoid a closet mostly full of "standard" blacks and grays.  

In only an hour, Darcey Howard communicated important principles that are relevant to everyone, in virtually every profession. Everyone has an audience, and everyone is presented with opportunities for success every day, however they define it, and your morning wardrobe decisions could be the deciding factor!

Guest Blogger: Juliya Ziskina