profiles in diversity journal | nov/dec 2004

$12.95 U.S.Volume 6, Number 6 • November/December 2004

Women Worth Watching


WOMEN OF INITIATIVE 2005

DOROTHY KIMSTARBUCKS

JUDY F. MARKSLOCKHEED MARTIN

JERRI DeVARDVERIZON

LaVERNE H. COUNCILDELL

ROSE M. PATTEN

BMO FINANCIAL GROUP

SUE BRUSHSTARWOOD HOTELS& RESORTS

LOUISE FRANCESCONIRAYTHEON

SHARON ALLENDELOITTE


Plus stories from: The United States Postal Service • Shell International • Catalyst

PUNAM MATHURMGM MIRAGE

SUZANNE F. MEDVIDOVICHU.S. POSTAL SERVICE

PATRICIA A. WOERTZCHEVRONTEXACO

NANCY RAEDAIMLERCHRYSLER

SHEILA KEARNEY DAVIDSONNEW YORK LIFE

LYNN M. CADDELLWASTE MANAGEMENT

JANET CRENSHAW SMITH

IVY PLANNING GROUP

LOUISE GOESERFORD

W O M E N O F

ANN OKASODEXHO

JANIE TSAOLINKSYS/CISCO

FRAN KEETHSHELL CHEMICALS

MARIE F. SMITHAARP

LINDA DILLMANWAL-MART

KIM HARRIS JONES

DAIMLERCHRYSLER

MARY KAY SCHNEIDERNATIONAL CITY BANK

MARSHA J. EVANSAMERICAN RED CROSS

I N I T I A T I V E 2 0 0 5

2005 F-150

thetruthabouttrucks.com

ALL TRUCKS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. Ford F-150 is built with a monstrous, integrated front-support structure. This design contributes to overall structural stiffness and helped F-150 earn the government’s 5-Star front driver and passenger crash test rating.

Now look at Chevy Silverado. Once the fenders are removed, no integrated front structure at all. What kind of support do you want from your truck?

See the difference. Decide for yourself.

NOBODY BUILDS A STRONGER TRUCK THAN THE FORD F-15O.*

THAT’S THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUCKS.

FORD F-15O

CHEV Y SILVERADO

* Based on best-in-class frame strength, towing and payload, when properly equipped. Learn more at: thetruthabouttrucks.com

*When properly equipped. **Based on best-in-class frame strength, towing and payload.

THE FRAME.

THE 2005 F-150

It has the highest payload capacity of any truck in its class.*

None higher, thanks to a frame that’s hydroformed and fully boxed. It’s

beefed up to the point of being twice as strong as its proven predecessor,

with through-rail crossmembers welded on both sides of the frame –

not just the inner edge. Its rigidity reduces chassis flex and helps deliver

handling of a caliber you might not expect in a pickup truck.

Why did we insist on giving this truck the strongest backbone out

there? Because we’re building the strongest pickup.** So you can haul more.

Tow more. Benefit from a better ride. And that’s just for starters.

Call 1-800-301-7430 or go to fordvehicles.com and find out how

this truck earns the right to be the Ford F-150.

WHAT MAKES THIS TRUCK STRONGER AND MORE CAPABLE THAN EVER BEFORE?

What does it take to be namedFORTUNE® magazine’s MostAdmired Healthcare Company six years running?

People like you.

At WellPoint, we celebrate the diversityof our workforce. We are the leadinghealth benefits company in the nationserving the needs of 28 million members.A FORTUNE 50® company, we arestrengthened by the commitment anddedication of our associates. If you’relooking to join a company where you will see your ideas in action - where what you do helps others live better,consider a career with us.

Visit our website to search opportunitiesthroughout the United States at:

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Opportunities may be available in the

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• Advertising/Marketing

• Claims/Membership/Customer Service

• Compliance

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• Provider Network Development

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• Underwriting

SM

EOE. SM Service Mark of WellPoint Inc. FORTUNE and FORTUNE 50 are registered trademarks of FORTUNE magazine, a division of Time Inc. ©2004 WellPoint Inc. All rights reserved.

Profiles in Diversity Journal November/December 2004 3

PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERR

James R. Rector

MANAGING EDITOR

Susan Larson

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Linda Schellentrager

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Laurie Fumic

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Registered in U.S. Patent Office.

ISSN 1537-2102

Many women since Eve have aspired to positions of significance and exhibited the initiative to achieve their dreams. Those who succeeded, whoaccomplished, who rose to the top, usually did so by learning about themselvesand their world and capitalizing on their own individual talents. They pursued newways of thinking, accepted challenges, made choices and sacrifices; sometimeseven made mistakes (whether on their own or ill-advised).

And though some might argue that today’s world—not quite a paradise—is

more complex, certain issues and factors are perhaps not that different. The woman who aspires to a leadership role in business today still requires

inquisitiveness, vision, and tenacity in pursuit of her goals, as well as a recognition of the importance of balancing diverse relationships to best utilizeprofessional and personal resources.

These women are worth watching and are featured here because they represent diversity within their spheres of influence. Nominated by their colleagues, peers, and mentors for their initiative and achievements, these arewomen of purpose and drive. They lead by their vigorous attention to a vision, aswell as devotion to their teams, their organizations, and their communities.

These women represent a range of industries, gifts, paths, experiences, andstyles. Their profiles reveal diverse person-alities and their optimization of theirown distinctiveness.

Yet there are common threads to their guidance for others: They know whothey are, where they’re headed, what they want to accomplish. They lead livescharacterized by eagerness to learn, strength derived from links to past and people; creative problem solving; ‘gumption and go.’ They are certainly heart-strong if perhaps sometimes head-strong. They express a strong sense

of self: self-awareness, self-motivation, self-discipline, as well as self-critiquingand self-improvement.

These are their portraits. To celebrate the upcoming seventh year for Profilesin Diversity Journal, this third-annual Women of Initiative issue is taking a differ-ent approach. More “girl talk” than curricula vitae, this is the kind of informationshared by a mentor counseling someone who aspires to become tomorrow'scorporate leader. The profiles reveal dreams formulated, fought for and fulfilled; guiding principles; lessons learned; paths taken and their milestones;hurdles and triumphs.

These are profiles of real people with real stories to tell—in their own words.Their stories may have been edited by PDJ for space considerations, but we haveassiduously tried to maintain the integrity of the messages of women worth watch-ing.

From the editor of Profiles in Diversity Journalpointofview

Susan LarsonManaging Editor

Susan Larson

4 Profiles in Diversity Journal November/December 2004

17

1092

100

Cover Story

Women Worth Watching – special focus profiles

Features

Shell Makes a Difference for Women

United States Postal Service / The Women's Program – 30 Years

Tackle Resistance Head-On: Avoid common mistakes when implementing diversity efforts. by Catalyst

Table of ContentsVOLUME 6, NUMBER 6 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004

I aman avid genealogist.

I have traced my family’s ancestry back to 1823.

And I am part of a cardiovascularresearch team working on a drug-coated stent program to enhance

the lives of heart patients.

My name is Sandra Burke. I’ve been an Abbott employee for 16 years.

You are passionate about what you do—an inspiration to those around you. You want to make a difference in your world. You want the freedom to think, to dream, to see your ideas realized. And you look forward to meeting new and exciting challenges every day.

At Abbott Laboratories, you will find an environment that inspires a level of achievement seldom found in today’s workplace. An environment that recog-nizes and rewards individual contributions and discoveries. An environmentwhere you can work alongside the foremost authorities in your chosen field.

Experience the inspiration that comes from having small-company freedom with big-company resources.

www.abbott.com



262728293031323435363840424344464748495052545657

Women Worth Watching Profiles

Sharon Allen Deloitte

Theresa Alvillar-Speake U.S. Dept. of Energy

Judy Anderson Georgia Power

Maura C. Breen Verizon

Sue Brush Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Lynn M. Caddell Waste Management

LaVerne H. Council Dell

Sheila Kearney Davidson New York Life

Rebecca C. Davis AFLAC

Jerri DeVard Verizon

Linda Dillman Wal-Mart

Veronica Dillon Kaplan

Marsha J. Evans American Red Cross

Eileen Farinacci Bausch & Lomb

Lorry M. Fenner U.S. Air Force

April Foley Export/Import Bank

Louise Francesconi Raytheon

Edie Fraser Diversity Best Practices

Louise Goeser Ford

Carolyn Handlon Marriott

Karen M. Hardwick Hogan & Hartson

Keiko Harvey Verizon

Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd U.S. Dept. of Commerce

Marsha S. Henderson KeyBank



Women Worth Watching Profiles

Karen Jennings SBC Communications

Kim Harris Jones DaimlerChrysler

Fran Keeth Shell Chemicals

Dorothy Kim Starbucks

Carol Kline AOL

Melendy Ewing Lovett Texas Instruments

Joanne M. Maguire Lockheed Martin

Judy F. Marks Lockheed Martin

Punam Mathur MGM Mirage

Suzanne F. Medvidovich U.S. Postal Service

Ann Oka Sodexho

Rose M. Patten BMO Financial Group

Nancy Rae DaimlerChrysler

Andra Rush Rush Trucking

Joyce Russell Adecco

Mary Kay Schneider National City Bank

Molly D. Shepard The Leader's Edge

Janet Crenshaw Smith Ivy Planning Group

Marie F. Smith AARP

Sandra L. Thompson FDIC

Janie Tsao Linksys/Cisco

Claire Watts Wal-Mart

Patricia A. Woertz ChevronTexaco

5860616264656668707172747677788082838486888990

Different perspectives.

At Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, diversity isn’t just a philosophy

– it’s how we do things. It’s incorporating ideas from our

people with different backgrounds, experiences, and skills. It’s

giving our clients a 360º perspective on complex business issues

they face, from assurance and tax to financial advisory and

consulting. Our teamwork invariably produces the best results

and helps us build strong, enduring relationships with our clients

– who appreciate our multidisciplinary, multidimensional

approach to their business issues.

To learn more about Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, visit us at

www.deloitte.com/us.

Diverse minds create solutions.

www.deloitte.com/us

About Deloitte

Deloitte, one of the nation’s leading professional services firms, provides audit, tax, consulting, andfinancial advisory services through nearly 30,000 people in more than 80 U.S. cities. Known as anemployer of choice for innovative human resources programs, the firm is dedicated to helping its clientsand its people excel. “Deloitte” refers to the associated partnerships of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP(Deloitte & Touche LLP and Deloitte Consulting LLP) and subsidiaries. Deloitte is the U.S. member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. For more information, please visit Deloitte’s Web site atwww.deloitte.com/us.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is an organization of member firms devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice. We are focused on client service through a global strategy executedlocally in nearly 150 countries. With access to the deep intellectual capital of 120,000 people worldwide,our member firms, including their affiliates, deliver services in four professional areas: audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services. Our member firms serve more than one-half of the world’slargest companies, as well as large national enterprises, public institutions, locally important clients, and successful, fast-growing global growth companies.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is a Swiss Verein (association), and, as such, neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsunor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names “Deloitte,” “Deloitte &Touche,” “Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,” or other, related names. The services described herein are providedby the member firms and not by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein. For regulatory and other reasons,certain member firms do not provide services in all four professional areas listed above.

Member of Deloitte Touche TohmatsuCopyright © 2004 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.


Leslie Mays, Head of GlobalDiversity and Inclusiveness at Shell International, describesaward-winning strategies for embedding D&I throughout its organization worldwide.

Shell has received recognition and several prestigious awards for its work on

diversity and inclusiveness around the world. Two recently received by the company

—the Catalyst Award in the U.S., and the Opportunity Now Award in the U.K.—were

awarded for Shell’s innovative, effective, and measurable efforts to advance women

in the workplace.

This significant achievement is even more impressive since Shell is operating in

what is generally viewed as a heavily male-dominated industry. PDJ talked with

Leslie Mays, Head of Global Diversity and Inclusiveness at Shell International, to

learn about Shell’s strategy and process for an enhanced work environment.

Above, left: At Shell’s D&I Regional Conference in Buenos Aires, leaders and change agents use table discussions, exercises, andlearning modules to develop action plans for creating a more inclusive work environment. Above, right: Participants at Shell’s

D&I Week in Asia/Pacific region overview highlights and stories representing the conference theme, Inclusiveness starts with I.


Q. What were seniorleaders hoping toachieve when theylaunched the ShellGroup’s diversity strategy?

A. In September, 1997, theCommittee of Managing Directorscommitted to diversity manage-ment as a strategic changeprocess that is critical for competingsuccessfully in a global market.Their aspiration was to integratediversity principles into everyaspect of Shell’s operation andculture, much in the same way ashealth, safety, and environmentalconsiderations have been embeddedinto day-to-day practices andbehaviors. The effective imple-mentation of diversity, theybelieved, would lead to attractionand retention of top talent,enhanced decision making,increased creativity and produc-tivity, stronger customer/marketfocus, and enhanced social per-formance and corporate image.

Q. Shell operates in

over 140 countries and

employs more than 110,000

people; how can you

implement diversity

consistently across so

many different cultures

and regions?

A. We took an approach that provided global guidance whilerelying on local implementation.We knew that a broad, strongframework was needed to clearlydefine expectations at a globallevel, yet it had to be flexibleenough to allow discretion forimplementation at business and

local levels. As a result Shell’sglobal diversity and inclusivenessstandard (policy) was developedand put in place (see sidebar list).

The standard, which takes intoaccount local laws, sets a highlevel of expectation from everyShell company around the world.It includes statements of commit-ment to diversity and inclusive-ness, actions that each businessmust formally assure are in place,and a framework to guide action.

The businesses own and drivethe process, taking into accountlocal regulations, culture, andlocal issues. To our knowledge,no other company has a similarstandard or policy. Ours is notjust a value statement; it is anenforceable commitment that isassured annually.

Q. We don’t hear

many stories about

multinationals

implementing global

diversity. What model did

you follow? What

challenges did you face?

A. When we started this work in1997, we looked to identify otherbest practices on global diversityprocesses and there was little tono information on the experienceof other companies on the scalewe were contemplating. We created our own roadmap, whichforced us to really think aboutour approach and the desiredoutcomes. There were manychallenges along the way; one ofthe very first was the perceptionthat diversity was a “U.S.” thing.

Another was the term diversity—which has no meaningful transla-tion in some languages. Engagingthe hearts of people, not just theminds, was (and still is) a majorchallenge. And of course, a

common challenge that Shell andmany other companies continueto face is staying the course andmaking progress in the face ofother business priorities that havechanged over the course of ourwork. Today we have to balanceD&I action against priorities liketrue globalization of all of ourbusinesses and functions, off-shoring jobs to other regions ofthe world, and standardizing andstreamlining business operations.

Q. Tell us about your

diversity roadmap.

What are some key

milestones?

A. From its inception, diversitymanagement has been ownedand led by senior Group andbusiness leaders. It is a powerfulmodel focused on systemicchange and a belief that changemust occur simultaneously atthree levels: personal, interper-sonal, and organizational.

Shell’s process has beenmapped against four stages ofwork: awareness, ‘hardwiring’,ownership, and leading edge (seediagram). The first stage of workoccurred from 1997-1999 with theestablishment of a case for action,a vision for the future, and thecreation and communication ofaspirational targets to measureprogress.

Stage two (2000-2003) focusedon building an organizationalinfrastructure to achieve ourvision. A diversity council,chaired by the company chair-man, was formed to providedirection and monitor progress.Dedicated specialist resourceswere put in place in the corporatecenter and in the businesses tosupport implementation.

Education and coaching wasprovided to enroll, prepare, and


establish expectations with thetop 2000 leaders. A global stan-dard and assurance process wereestablished, and diversity andinclusiveness principles were‘hardwired’ into existing peopleand business managementprocesses. Employee networksbegan to emerge in various countries around the world.

Stage three, our current posi-tion, focuses on reinforcement ofaccountability, integration, andmainstreaming. Efforts are under-way to strengthen leadershipaccountability for results at theGroup, business, and country levels,and for integration and main-streaming of D&I into core peo-ple and business processes—leading to behavioral changeconsistent with Shell’s stated corevalues of honesty, integrity, andrespect for people.

Q. We notice that you

initially labeled your strategy

as “diversity management”;

now you refer to it as

“diversity and inclusiveness

management.” Is this just a

change in terminology or is

there more to it?

A. Inclusiveness brings a deeperdimension to this topic. It goesstraight to the heart of what weare trying to do—changing theculture and behavior, not just thedemographics. People under-stand the concept of beingincluded or excluded. It is some-thing they can easily relate to. Infact, “Inclusiveness starts with I”was the theme of this year’sseries of learning events underthe banner of D&I Week at several Shell locations inAsia/Pacific. I sincerely believethat we need to focus on diversityas well as on inclusiveness. Theyare interconnected, mutually

dependent, and they both mustexist in balance.

Q. Why do you think

that Shell’s approach is

sufficiently robust to survive

the continuous business

challenges of increased

globalization, off shoring,

and outsourcing, not to

mention changes in leadership?

A. Three conditions, in my view,must be present for this changeprocess to survive long-term, allof which are embodied in ourwork:

A high level of commitmentand accountability from the entiresenior executive team, not justthe CEO;

A compelling vision and business case—diversity andinclusiveness must be viewed asstrategic and critical for the business, not just the morallyright thing to do;

The hardwiring of D&I princi-ples into key people and busi-ness processes and systems—themore integrated, the more theybecome part of the culture andday-to-day operations and mindset.

Q. Shell women in the U.S.

and the U.K. must feel proud

and optimistic about Shell’s

progress in this area. How

are women in other coun-

tries reacting to the news,

and what are you doing to

make similar progress in

countries outside the U.S.?

A. Many women in the U.S. andU.K. are indeed very optimistic

about progress made. However,this is not the case for women ofcolor (ethnically and/or culturallydiverse women), for whomprogress has been limited anddisappointing. Steps are nowbeing taken to raise the awareness and visibility of thiscritical issue and engage leadersin accelerating progress.

We have a two-pronged D&Istrategy for the advancement ofwomen across our businessesand regions. One is to examineand address any unintended biasesor obstacles in organizational systems and processes. The second is to enable women tobuild networks and support systems and engage in self-devel-opment activities. To do this, wehave embedded D&I in criticalhuman resource processes, suchas talent management, attraction,and recruitment; leadershipdevelopment; and other processesacross all global businesses andfunctions. We have also includedmeasures and objectives in thepersonal performance contractsof the top 1500 leaders. We currently have 13 women’s networks across the world,eleven of which are outside ofthe U.S. in countries such asAustralia, Germany, the Netherlands,Malaysia, Nigeria, Singapore,Thailand, and the U.K. “Fit-for-purpose” career developmentprograms for women are offeredin a number of countries includingthe U.K., Netherlands, U.S.;Malaysia, and Singapore. Formaland informal mentoring programsand learning circles haveemerged as the norm in a number of these countries as well.

Q. We don’t hear much

information on the imple-

mentation of diversity in

Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin

America, and the Middle


East. Can you share some

stories?

A. One of the most rewardingparts of my role has been to personally experience the evolu-tion of diversity in these regions.A few years ago, the concept of“diversity management” in thisarea was novel and vague. Now,we have champions, role models,and best practices emergingacross businesses in every regionof the world.

In 2003 and 2004 we coordi-nated a series of regional D&Iconferences in Bangkok, BuenosAires, Houston, Nairobi, and TheHague. The objective was to provide leaders and changeagents an opportunity to learnbehaviors, necessary steps, andplans to create a more inclusiveenvironment for enhanced business performance. Each conference featured internal bestpractices from the region, speakers,learning modules (for exampleone on micro-inequities), andexercises to develop personalaction plans.

In Asia/Pacific region, D&IWeek, an annual communicationcampaign, has been extremelysuccessful in engaging staffthrough simultaneous events innumerous locations featuringsenior leader speakers, presentations, posters, quizzes,games, and food—shared in a funatmosphere.

Business leaders in LatinAmerica region searching for aneffective way to explain diversityconcepts to staff created a program which integrated customer focus and D&I. Theydeveloped and led a series oflearning modules with impressiveresults—an increase of severalpoints in their customer satisfac-tion rating, and a better under-standing of D&I amongst internalcustomers.

Q. There has been quite a

bit of debate on whether or

not the diversity office

should be a formal part of

human resources. What are

your views?

A. Diversity is often mistaken forjust another human resourceproject or program focused onacquiring and advancing diversetalent, when in effect it is muchmore. If viewed as a competitivestrategy to win customers andemployees, achieve better business results, and enhancecorporate social responsibility,D&I should be positioned outsideHR. In this way, the diversityoffice can partner with and influ-ence strategies in planning, HR,businesses development, market-ing, social responsibility, sustain-able development, procurement,and corporate communications. Itis only through such a compre-hensive approach that companiescan fully reap the benefits thatdiversity has to offer.

Q. If you had to do it over

again, would you do any-

thing differently?

A. Perhaps to introduce targets,which incidentally are very mucha part of how we operate ourbusiness, at a slightly later stage.While the targets provide criticalsuccess measures, we learnedthat, if introduced too early, targets become the outwardobjective in many people’sminds, that the ‘numbers’ are allthat we are after, when in fact akey goal of this work is to changethe culture and processes so thatincreased representation at alllevels is a natural occurrence.

Also, we would have donemore work on engaging Anglo-

Dutch men up front. Resistancealways occurs in change processes,but there may have been ways tomanage this differently to gaintheir commitment and supportearlier in the process.

The advancement of people ofcolor would have been an areadeserving earlier attention. It is a difficult area, one that is notgenerally understood in mostregions outside of the U.S. As welook back at our achievements,we do notice limited progress inthis area, perhaps due to lack offocus and priority.

Q. On a personal side,

implementing a change

management process like

diversity and inclusiveness

globally must be both

exhilarating and exhausting.

How do you keep your

energy level and positive

outlook in the midst

of hard work and periodic

setbacks?

A. Watching the “light bulbs goon” for key business leaders whohave a sincere interest in makingthis work is invigorating; seeingthe pride and confidence ofempowered employees as theytake charge of their lives whenpreviously they felt like victims ofa system they did not understand;external and internal recognitionthat something has shifted in ourculture and that we are doingthings differently; and drawingon the support of an incrediblydedicated and knowledgeablegroup of people—the diversityteam. All of these things havebeen a source of strength and helped me sustain themomentum needed to reach ourdiversity aspirations. PDJ

18 Profiles in Diversity Journal November/December 2004Profiles in Diversity Journal November/December 2004 17

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

IN 2005

SHARON ALLEN

THERESA ALVILLAR-SPEAKE

JUDY ANDERSON

MAURA C. BREEN

SUE BRUSH

LYNN M. CADDELL

LaVERNE H. COUNCIL

SHEILA KEARNEY DAVIDSON

REBECCA C. DAVIS

JERRI DeVARD

LINDA DILLMAN

VERONICA DILLON

MARSHA J. EVANS

EILEEN FARINACCI

LORRY M. FENNER

APRIL FOLEY

LOUISE FRANCESCONI

EDIE FRASER

LOUISE GOESER

CAROLYN HANDLON

KAREN M. HARDWICK

KEIKO HARVEY

JACQUELYN HAYES-BYRD

MARSHA S. HENDERSON

KAREN JENNINGS

KIM HARRIS JONES

FRAN KEETH

DOROTHY KIM

CAROL KLINE

MELENDY EWING LOVETT

JOANNE M. MAGUIRE

JUDY F. MARKS

PUNAM MATHUR

SUZANNE F. MEDVIDOVICH

ANN OKA

ROSE M. PATTEN

NANCY RAE

ANDRA RUSH

JOYCE RUSSELL

MARY KAY SCHNEIDER

MOLLY D. SHEPARD

JANET CRENSHAW SMITH

MARIE F. SMITH

SANDRA L. THOMPSON

JANIE TSAO

CLAIRE WATTS

PATRICIA A. WOERTZ

DELOITTE

U.S. DEPT. OF ENERGY

GEORGIA POWER

VERIZON

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS

WASTE MANAGEMENT

DELL

NEW YORK LIFE

AFLAC

VERIZON

WAL-MART

KAPLAN

AMERICAN RED CROSS

BAUSCH & LOMB

U.S. AIR FORCE

EXPORT/IMPORT BANK

RAYTHEON

DIVERSITY BEST PRACTICES

FORD

MARRIOTT

HOGAN & HARTSON

VERIZON

U.S. DEPT. OF COMMERCE

KEYBANK

SBC COMMUNICATIONS

DAIMLERCHRYSLER

SHELL CHEMICALS

STARBUCKS

AOL

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

LOCKHEED MARTIN

LOCKHEED MARTIN

MGM MIRAGE

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE

SODEXHO

BMO FINANCIAL GROUP

DAIMLERCHRYSLER

RUSH TRUCKING

ADECCO

NATIONAL CITY BANK

THE LEADER’S EDGE

IVY PLANNING GROUP

AARP

FDIC

LINKSYS/CISCO

WAL-MART

CHEVRONTEXACO



Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge are registered trademarks of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.

Diversity.It’s what drives us.

From the cadres of minority designers, engineers, and office staff to the men and women on the

factory floor and our network of minority owned dealers, we're dedicated to creating the best cars

and trucks possible. In fact, this dedication to work ethic, smarts, and quality is inherent in every

vehicle we produce. It's what makes us the proud American brands of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.

47 Women who areLeading the Way ...

KAREN JENNINGSSBC COMMUNICATIONS

ANDRA RUSHRUSH TRUCKING

REBECCA C. DAVISAFLAC

MOLLY D. SHEPARDTHE LEADER’S EDGE

JUDY ANDERSONGEORGIA POWER VERONICA DILLON

KAPLAN

MAURA C. BREENVERIZON

CLAIRE WATTSWAL-MART

JACQUELYN HAYES-BYRDU.S. DEPT. OF COMMERCE

EDIE FRASERDIVERSITY BEST PRACTICES

JOYCE RUSSELLADECCO

W O M E N O F I N I

MELENDY EWING LOVETTTEXAS INSTRUMENTS

LORRY M. FENNERU.S. AIR FORCE

SANDRA L. THOMPSONFDIC

KEIKO HARVEYVERIZON

CAROLYN HANDLON MARRIOTT

EILEEN FARINACCIBAUSCH & LOMB

APRIL FOLEYEXPORT/IMPORT BANK

KAREN M. HARDWICKHOGAN & HARTSON

MARSHA S. HENDERSON

KEYBANK

CAROL KLINE AOL

THERESA ALVILLAR-SPEAKE

U.S. DEPT. OF ENERGY

JOANNE M. MAGUIRELOCKHEED MARTIN

T I A T I V E 2 0 0 5


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47 Women who areLeading the Way ...


PROFILES OFWomen Worth Watching

These women worth watching represent diversity

and initiative within their organizations. They have

in common an attitude of personal challenge and

purposeful achievement in their rise to leadership;

yet their stories, told in their own words, reveal

them as distinctively varied individuals . . .



COMPANY: Deloitte & Touche USA LLP

WEBSITE: www.deloitte.com

TITLE: Chairman of the Board

AGE: 53

EDUCATION: BS (accounting), Honorary PhD,University of Idaho

FIRST JOB: Staff accountant with this firm (firstfull-time job)

WHAT I’M READING: Whatever I can on effectivegovernance and global commerce and affairs. Alsoabout Norfolk Terriers—we have two new pups.

PHILOSOPHY: Philosophy is a big word. But I cantell you I’m powerfully oriented toward treating people fairly and with dignity.

FAMILY: My husband Rich, my mother, his mother,and each of us has three sisters with wonderfulfamilies

INTERESTS: Gardening, wine, and kitchen remodels

f I were to counsel women who aspire tobecome tomorrow’s corporate leaders, I’doffer a few suggestions:

• First, find your strengths and focus onthem. Understand where you can makeyour greatest contribution.

• At the same time, don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. You have emerging strengths; it’s there you might discover your greatest learning and growth.

• Recognize the power of mentoring— have a mentor and be one. Your job is not only to elevate yourself but also those around you.

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• Last, it’s very important for women to buildaffiliations outside their usual circles… and not just for networking. It helps broaden your perspective and elevate your vision. On the national front, for example, I serveas a director on the Foundation for theMalcolm Baldrige National Quality Awardand as member of the Women’s LeadershipBoard at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. This helps me contribute and keeps me close to evolving standards. Community ties are equally important. In my case, this includes work-ing with the United Way of Greater LosAngeles, the YMCA of Metropolitan LosAngeles, and the Independent Colleges of Southern California. Such affiliations contribute to your growth and your relevancy.

Sharon Allen



ORGANIZATION: U.S. Department of Energy

WEBSITE: www.energy.gov

TITLE: Director, Office of Economic Impact &Diversity

AGE: 64

EDUCATION: MBA

FIRST JOB: Secretary

WHAT I'M READING: Leadership on the Line byRonald Heifetz and Marty Linsky

PHILOSOPHY: When life gives you lemons …make lemonade.

FAMILY: Mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother

INTERESTS: Reading, gardening, and snow skiing

have always believed that one must be prepared for whatever position one is seeking,whether that position is determined by compe-tition or appointment. The preparation may beactual technical knowledge—such as a certifi-cate or degree—or understanding of the cultureand environment in which one will be located.Several times in my career development, Iencountered challenges in both areas.

Early on in my career, I realized that in orderto advance I would need a college degree. Iwas working for an organization that placed ahigh value on education, so I went on to college (while working full time, raising threechildren as a single parent, and being involvedin the community). I moved up in the organi-zation from Administrative Assistant to Directorof the Office. Later on in that same career, I ended up without a job because the organiza-tion closed its doors. I took that opportunity to

start my own (non-profit) business because Iknew that the services we had been providingwere in great demand and the government wasproviding funding to organizations to performthose services. That business was very successfulfor sixteen years. I had taken what might havebeen an obstacle and changed it into an opportunity.

Another example of overcoming obstacleswas when I was working as a Deputy Directorand my boss, the Director, left his job. I decidedto seek appointment to his position although hewas recommending his Chief Deputy, a whitemale, for the position. I set up a grassroots cam-paign, lobbied the Governor, and was successful in getting the position. Again, I didnot let the fact that I had competition stop mefrom pursuing my goal. I had prepared myselfand I believed in myself; I knew the industryand people being serviced, and I sought andreceived their support. I could have remained‘safely’ in my position as Deputy Director, but Iwas ambitious and wanted to advance in mycareer. In line with my philosophy of life, whenlife gave me lemons, I made lemonade.

I

Theresa Alvillar-Speake


Ford Motor Company


s you advance in your career, you’re oftenasked about the secret of success. The mostimportant things for me have been determina-tion, perseverance, and a bit of good luck.

Life has taught me the importance of beingin touch with who you are. That means know-ing your strengths, your weaknesses and yourown innate ability to decide what’s best for you.It means being flexible and adaptable whenlife’s journey takes an unexpected turn. Itmeans making choices that engage your heartand mind. Don’t make a choice of any kind justbecause it ranks high on someone else’s scaleof achievement or even because it seems to besimply the logical thing to do at that momenton your path.

It’s important to maintain a positive attitude.I believe in enjoying the job you’re in. You havethe power to make it fun, meaningful, and chal-lenging. A positive, can-do attitude is every-thing. Sometimes, how you deal with the eventsin your life is more important than what hashappened to you. That’s something I learned

from my mom. We have a lot more control inour careers and in our lives than we give our-selves credit for.

Some might call it idealistic, but I believe ourgoal in life should be to make the world a better place for those who come after us. Thatmessage becomes even more relevant as wetake on leadership roles, because I believegood leadership is not about title and position.It’s about creating an environment where otherscan achieve their potential, where people canmake a significant difference. Leadership is notabout what you do, but about what those peo-ple you are trying to inspire accomplish whentheir hopes, dreams, skills, and talents areunleashed.

It is also important to realize that we all needto rely on others. And in turn, we need to bethere for others. Those of us who have gainedexperience and a measure of success have anobligation to share what we have learned bybeing a friend or mentor to others.

A

COMPANY: Georgia Power

WEBSITE: www.southernco.com/gapower

TITLE: Senior Vice President of Charitable Giving;CEO & President, Georgia Power Foundation, Inc.;President, Southern Company Charitable Foundation,Inc.; executive sponsor for Georgia Power’s leader-ship development

AGE: 56

EDUCATION: BS, Troy State University; JD andLLM, Atlanta Law School; Harvard: AdvancedManagement Program

FIRST JOB: Financial services manager, AmericanHospital Supply Corp.

WHAT I'M READING: Why I Wake Early by MaryOliver and Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier

PHILOSOPHY: Live life to the fullest each and everyday. There are no dress rehearsals. Find your true passion and give it all you have to give.

INTERESTS: Theater, music, growing orchids

Judy Anderson


Ford Motor Company


Maura C. Breens a woman, it’s important to be comfortable

with who you are. You should be willing toaccept coaching, butyou have to speak upif something doesn’tmake sense. Youshould also be willingto take risks, go out-side your comfortzone. You're capableof doing and accom-plishing more thanyou think. But makesure you have ahealthy balance inyour life and a perspective on what’simportant.

Having a mentor isrewarding for boththe mentee and thementor. Sharing experiences and mistakes takes someof the stress out of sit-uations and doublesthe joy of sharing inthe successes. I’ve hadseveral mentorsthroughout my careerand have the pleasureof mentoring othersnow. I learn a lotfrom my mentees,and I really enjoymentoring; it re-energizes me.

Success in corporateAmerica needs to start with being competent atwhat you do. An individual must also possess

A

COMPANY: VerizonCommunications

WEBSITE: www22.verizon.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President,Support Services

AGE: 48

EDUCATION: Graduate ofSkidmore College in SaratogaSprings, N.Y. (also: executive development programs at RutgersUniversity and Harvard)

FIRST JOB: Clerk in the probatecourt

WHAT I'M READING: My Life by Bill Clinton

PHILOSOPHY: Be passionateabout what you do professionallyand personally—it is more fun andthe end result is always better. Takeaccountability for your life and thedecisions you make; your careerand your personal happiness arewhat you make of them.

FAMILY: Husband Jay and sonRyan

INTERESTS: Politics, sports, reading

strong leadership skills, passion, and a strongsense of accountability for what they do.



y advice is simple: prepare yourself; setgoals; be true to yourself; let your passionshow; turn adversity into opportunity; and don’ttake yourself too seriously.

There’s no excuse for lack of preparation,whether it’s getting the education you need forthe career you desire or preparing for a bigpresentation. Take the time up front to plan,and allow plenty of time to adjust and refine.You can’t be creative when you’re under last-minute stress. Advance preparation reducesstress and gives you confidence.

Part of preparation is setting realistic goalsfor yourself. Aim high and you’ll be surprisedby what you can accomplish. Celebrate yoursuccesses and raise the bar for even greaterachievement. When you fail, give yourself 24hours of mourning and then pull yourselftogether and get started again.

Being true to yourself is all about values.Values may be spiritual, personal, or profes-sional. Know who you are, let others know,and never compromise your values.

Being your best self brings you peace and

enhances your relationships with others.Success is based on passion. Choose your

career based on what you love—what trulyexcites and challenges you. Ask yourself everyday if this is the job you really want. If not,start immediately looking for one that trulyinspires you. No one forces us to continue ina job that doesn’t fuel our passion.

Turn adversity into opportunity. When I gotbreast cancer in 2003, a colleague and fellowsurvivor told me that the breast cancer journeycould be one of the best things that ever hap-pened to me, and she was right. I learned thatI could survive a life-threatening disease andthat my support system was much richer than Iever imagined. That experience has enhancedall areas of my life and given me boundlesshope and enthusiasm for the future.

I’m amazed how serious young people aretoday. They seem so focused on getting aheadthat they forget to have fun. Live each day tothe fullest, and make sure you laugh out loudat least once every day. And be brave enoughto laugh at yourself.

Sue BrushCOMPANY: Starwood Hotels &Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.starwoodhotels.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President,Westin Hotels & Resorts

EDUCATION: MBA, Universityof Puget Sound/Seattle

FIRST JOB: Receptionist/book-keeper for a radio/TV commercialproduction company

WHAT I'M READING: Our Ladyof the Forest by David Guterson

PHILOSOPHY: Priorities shouldbe to God, self, family, and profession

FAMILY: Happily married to Ken,and proud mom of 22-year-oldson Kevin

INTERESTS: Travel, reading,walking in scenic parks

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COMPANY: Waste Management, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.wastemanagement.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President & Chief InformationOfficer

AGE: 50

EDUCATION: BA (history); MS (systems engineering)

FIRST JOB: Industrial engineer with IBM

WHAT I'M READING: Breakthrough by BillDavidson

PHILOSOPHY: To maximize your contribution, keepyour priorities straight and know what you canchange or influence and what you can't. Put yourefforts where they count.

FAMILY: Husband, Doug; three sons: Drew, 21;Grant, 17; Kyle, 11

INTERESTS: Reading, and any activities (baseball,basketball, swimming, etc.) that my children participate in

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mentor, and take an active interest in thehuman resource activities in your organization.If you see a need, volunteer your organizationto be the test group for a new process, or procedure.

College recruiting can also be an excellentsource of future talent. Internships are a valuabletool in identifying top graduating talent. If yousee deficiencies in the education the graduatesare receiving, work with a select number ofuniversities to help define the future directionof their curricula. This will ensure not only thatyou and your organization will have access tothe best and brightest our universities have tooffer, but also that these students will have thetools necessary to succeed.

After building a strong team, make sure youtruly understand the business. Don’t focus onlyon your area of responsibility. Recognize whatis driving the business. Understand how yourgroup supports the overall goals and objectivesand identify ways to improve your contributionto the organization’s success.

A strong business-oriented team will ensuresuccess for your organization as well as yourselfin today’s demanding business climate.

o succeed in today’s demanding businessworld, surround yourself with diverse individu-als with more talent than you. Do not fall intothe trap of thinking less talented individuals willmake you look better simply by comparison. Astrong team will reflect well on each of the indi-viduals as well as the leader who pulled themtogether. Look for this talent throughout theorganization. Be open to individuals from otherdepartments or several layers down in yourorganization. The right individual with outstanding leadership skills can overcome anydeficiency in experience on a particular subject—go for the leadership talent first, andthen subject matter expertise.

In addition, continually build your pool ofavailable talent. Actively participate in recruiting,

LynnM. Caddell



here are five key themes that have runthrough my career and the careers of thosewomen I know who are happy in executivepositions. I would advise all women looking toadvance in a corporation to focus on them:

1. Think big. This goes not only for settinghigh goals for your career, but for how you goabout solving business problems. Too manypeople get accustomed to existing industry,process, or departmental constructs and do notpush themselves to be imaginative and thinkpast them. They undermine themselves. Thereis great demand in corporations for those whocan imagine a better tomorrow and execute aplan to realize that vision.

2. Speak in facts. Yes, everyone does need toget comfortable with making decisions andmoving forward when the ideal amount ofinformation is not available. However, it pays tobecome skillful at uncovering facts quickly.Don’t get caught up in the whirlwinds of heatedconjecture—take a quick step back to get yourfacts in order. Assembling a reasonable level ofinformation doesn’t take as long as you may

imagine it will; I cannot overstate the benefits of having compelling business casesfilled with fact-based options.

3. Keep your support systems healthy. Thereis no question about it: you will have highs andlows in your career—it’s a journey. The successful women I know regularly make timeto maintain the support systems that help makethem who they are. You define your own support systems; they may center around faithor relationships with family, mentors, colleagues, or friends. By investing in themnow, you’ll be able to count on them to see youquickly through any rough times ahead.

4. Have fun and give back. This is not just“nice to have.” In my book, it’s a must. Learninghow to create fun and community within corporate teams pays huge dividends. Thinkback to the times you have most enjoyed yourjob—I bet it is due in large part to the leader-ship caring enough to emphasize fun and community. Everybody wants to have a senseof belonging at work, and you have the powerto create that! It starts with setting goals in thisarea just as you would in any other importantarea of your work and personal life.

5. No regrets. First, become a highly competent decision maker—in circumstanceswhen you have consensus up front and whenyou do not. Then don’t be afraid to changedirection if needed. There is often more risk indelaying an important decision than in makinga marginal one. You do not want regrets or fearto constrain making a decision because theseare not only useless feelings, they have a tendency to stifle that all-important creativity!

COMPANY: Dell, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.dell.com

TITLE: Global I/T Vice President

AGE: 42

EDUCATION: MBA, Illinois State University

FIRST JOB: Systems Analyst

WHAT I'M READING: The Purpose-Driven Life

PHILOSOPHY: Create more joy

FAMILY: Husband Bennie; son Troy, 6

INTERESTS: Reading, cooking, wine, communityinvolvement

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Falls Church, Virginia



irst, draw on your insecurities to project anair of confidence. Fastidious preparation dispelsthe jitters about a particular presentation orproject. Anticipate questions and have otherscritique your thinking before a big meeting.Stop apologizing for your opinions—just makesure that they are well researched and based infact. Get rid of verbal cues of self-doubt like, “Icould be wrong about this, but….” Take thefloor and hold it when it should be your turn tospeak. Don’t get shouted down when youworked hard to get to the table. However, don’tlet go of the insecurity that drives you to bethoroughly prepared. An air of confidence is essential, but cockiness leads to a lack of discipline that is fatal.

Second, push yourself outside your zone ofcomfort. Earlier in my career, I was resisting anopportunity to make a lateral move to managethe insurance law group within the legaldepartment. A mentor urged me to do it, counseling that the first word in the GeneralCounsel title is “general.” Later, when I wasasked to leave the legal department to head thecompliance department, I was again draggingmy feet, protesting that I was trained to practicelaw and that I should therefore practice law.

Once again, I got wise advice to make themove since I would learn all of the operationalskills necessary to run a department—betterpreparing me to run the legal department.Recently, I was asked to take on responsibilityfor human resources, corporate communica-tions, governmental affairs, facilities and gover-nance. I leapt at the chance because experiencehas taught me that you have to stretch toadvance and grow.

F

COMPANY: New York Life Insurance Company

WEBSITE: www.newyorklife.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President & General Counsel

AGE: 42

EDUCATION: BA (cum laude), Fairfield University; JD, George Washington University Law School

FIRST JOB: Walking neighbor’s dog for $5 a week

WHAT I'M READING: Harry Potter and the Prisonerof Azkaban (aloud to my boys)

PHILOSOPHY: Follow the golden rule.

FAMILY: Husband, Tony; two sons: Andrew, 6, andPatrick, 3

INTERESTS: Homework, soccer games, birthday parties; thinking about travel and reading

SheilaKearneyDavidson

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COMPANY: AFLAC, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.aflac.com

TITLE: Executive Vice President; ChiefAdministrative Officer; Director of CorporateCommunications

AGE: 54

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree (business administration), Columbus State University

FIRST JOB: AFLAC Claims Department

WHAT I'M READING: Night Fall by Nelson DeMille

PHILOSOPHY: Always try to look on the bright side.We’re all going to make mistakes at some point, solearn from your mistakes and don’t dwell on them.Treat people with the same respect you want to betreated with.

FAMILY: Married; a daughter

INTERESTS: Cooking, reading, and collecting cookbooks

Rebecca C. DavisW

he be recognized for the time he had been withthe company. Practice good listening with customers, too; it shows care about their needsand is the first step to making sure youremployees and company meet those needs.

Second, learn how to communicate yourideas. A good leader communicates clearly thevision and values of the company throughwords as well as actions. Communicate yourcommitment, and let each employee on yourteam know how important his or her role is tothe success of your organization. Create a workenvironment that respects and appreciatesevery employee and you’ll develop strongerproducts, gain new customers, and strengthenlong-term relationships.

Also encourage employees to communicatetheir ideas. They can help find ways to eitherserve the customer better or save the companymoney. Listen to the problems your employeesface in executing the vision and make necessary adjustments. Successful leaders makesure that they hear diverse viewpoints. Goodcommunication throughout the ranks fosters aunified understanding of corporate goals and avery high level of teamwork.

omen seeking to become tomorrow’s corporate leaders must work today to improvetheir listening and communications skills. These skills, representing a “communicationscapability,” are developed by combining carefullistening with good oral communication andwriting skills.

First, really listen. You must be able tounderstand what people are truly saying (orpossibly not saying). For example, I recentlywas asked to correct a service date for anemployee who was retiring. Although the manpresented factual reasons why the date neededto be changed, as well as how the mistake hadoccurred, I realized what he needed was morethan a date correction. What I heard was theemotional reason: it was a matter of pride that


Ford Motor Company


COMPANY: Verizon Communications


TITLE: Senior Vice President, Brand Management & Marketing Communications

AGE: 46

EDUCATION: BA (economics), Spelman College;MBA (marketing), Clark Atlanta University

FIRST JOB: Retail salesperson for The LimitedStores

WHAT I'M READING: An advance copy of MalcolmGladwell's new book, Blink

PHILOSOPHY: You owe it to yourself to build a lifethat you'll enjoy. I think the formula is fairly simple:enjoy your family, take time for yourself, and rememberto celebrate everything, not just the big things. In ourfamily we take time to celebrate everything.

FAMILY: My husband of 21 years, Gregg; two children: Brooke, 15, and Alexander, 12

INTERESTS: Reading, fitness, and family vacations

ou should seek advice and counsel from anyone that you deem to be a success. Don’t beafraid to ask for guidance. Mentoring doesn’thave to be a formal program with scheduledmeeting times or outlined action items. Any situation can be a mentoring situation if you’rewilling to ask for advice and counsel. You haveto be clear about what you want and you needto approach someone you think can help. Just say, “I need your help, your advice or yourguidance.”

When you face a challenge, don’t spend alot of time worrying about the problem. Rather,place your energies into developing a plan forovercoming it. Then take action.

To be successful in corporate America, you

first have to be very good at what you do.Think, talk, and act like a leader, and have thestrength and conviction of your ideas. You thencan be fearless.

Women can celebrate the fact that we’re nowmore appreciated as working mothers. I’m fortunate to be at a company that recognizesthe dimensions of who I am—mother, businesswoman, and wife—and how these layers contribute to the company’s success. It doesn't mean I don’t struggle with balance. I do. But the joy is in having both—work andfamily.

Jerri DeVardY

Make progress every day

Many views. One vision.

verizon.com/careers

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Diversity has become a pervasive force in every aspect of our business,from the products we deliver, to the suppliers we select, to the talentwe hire. Many ideas, many approaches and many minds broaden ourvision, making us open, adaptable and better able to make progressevery day for our customers, our clients and our employees.



Linda Dillman’ve been in IT for a long time, and came into

it as an entry-level manager. I worked my wayup, kept my head down, and took the toughassignments, always looking for opportunitiesto grow. More often than not, managementwould tap me before even I felt I was ready.Too often we restrict ourselves, but that canlimit our work. You have to be able to makechanges and take the assignments no one elsewants. That’s where you get the best experi-ence, and where you learn a lot about yourself.

Success comes from building relationshipswith people—not political maneuvering, butgenuine relationships that will carry youthrough difficult times. I think men and womenshare on the job, but women do it differently.It’s important for me to have people withwhom I’m able to share, like Susan Chamberson our executive committee; we just get together to talk.

People who are successful hopefully liketheir work, but they also have to know whenthey are out of balance. Whenever I was wayout of balance in my life, I struggled; I had tolearn to schedule and prioritize personally andprofessionally, and be able to mentally leavework. Although it sometimes takes a long timeto shut down, it’s healthier and makes us betterat what we do when we’re able to turn it offoutside the office.

I have a strong circle of family and friends,and a little condo on a lake about three hours’drive away. No one there knows who I am, andI can just escape for a few days. I’ve alsolearned that if I schedule time to go home, I amforced to leave the office. And if I take my lap-top home without the power cord, I can onlydo about two hours’ work in the evening.

The best part of any job, dealing with a team of any size—it’s like watching a

I

COMPANY: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.walmart.com

TITLE: Executive VP & Chief Information Officer

AGE: 48

EDUCATION: University of Indianapolis

FIRST JOB: File clerk at a bank (while in highschool)

WHAT I'M READING: The Fred Factor by MarkSanborn

PHILOSOPHY: Take the tough assignments andstep out of your comfort level; it will help you grow to levels you never imagined!

FAMILY: Single

INTERESTS: Travel & jet skis

thousand kids grow up. To see them do thingsthat help our business is just a blast. Whatwould I do differently? My feeling is if I didsomething different, I wouldn’t be where I amtoday. My advice to women is • Learn as much about the business as

you can. • Take one step at a time. • If you do your absolute best, you can

get noticed. People who think they have to finesse and politic their way to promotionwill not be successful over the long term.

Thurmond B. Woodard, Vice President of Global Diversity, Chief Ethics Officer

and one of corporate America’s leading diversity experts. He helps drive Dell’s

vision of barrier-free opportunity by: creating a winning culture, building direct customer

and supplier relationships in the global marketplace, and equipping the community for

the digital world. What’s the result? Dell is the computing technology supplier of choice

for customers around the world. So, what’s inside Dell? People like Thurmond who deliver

superior quality, efficiency and value in all they do. To find out more about Dell Global

Diversity, call us at 1-888-741-1633 or visit www.dell.com/diversity.

Dell, Inc. cannot be held responsible for errors in typography or photography. Dell is an AA/EO employer. Intel, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside Logo and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in theUnited States or other countries. Dell and the Dell logo are registered trademarks of Dell, Inc. ©2004 Dell, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Direct relationships. Easy as

What’s inside Dell?

Dell Global Diversity

Thurmond B. Woodard, Vice President of Global Diversity and Chief Ethics Officer, stays connected to customers, suppliers and his team using the performance and mobility of his Dell Latitude™ Notebook with the Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor-M.

To find out more about Dell Global Diversity, call us at 1-888-741-1633 or visit www.dell.com/diversity.



Veronica Dillonore than a decade ago, I worked for a

publishing company as an in-house lawyer,advising primarily the schools division anddirect marketing groups. The really ‘plum’ jobin the department was the publishing counselposition; this lawyer negotiated with the best-selling authors, got to read advance copies ofall the books, and went to the fancy book parties in the executive suite. The rest of uschugged along at the day-to-day business ofwriting contracts, counseling on humanresources issues, and negotiating leases.

At one point, we were starting a new division focusing on developing scientific software and online books. The publishinglawyer had no interest in practicing the new‘computer law’. It did not have the cachet of thecopyright lawyers’ bar or the esteemed andsexy libel lawyers’ bar, and included none ofthe internal politicalconnections in thecompany. My bossasked if I wouldhandle the work.Always up for a newchallenge, I agreed.What I learned fromthat experience hashelped me move forward in my life in many subsequent situations. I learnedthat it pays to volunteer for unpop-ular assignments.

I began a newchannel of learning— technology. I met thesenior executives inanother division of

the company—the publishing and informationservices groups. By taking on this new assign-ment, I expanded my skill set. Since then, Ihave incorporated this strategy in many of mycareer decisions.

A few suggestions: Don’t be afraid to try new things. Volunteer for new or unpopularassignments; you will learn another skill andmeet business colleagues who may be valuableto your growth. Ask questions; seek advice; and

listen and be will-ing to learn fromothers. Don’t beafraid to speak up,make mistakes, andhave your ownstyle. Every ideayou contributedoes not have to bebrilliant or new.There is no straightpath. Be reliable.Never sacrificeyour character orintegrity. Don’t takethings personally.Grow thick skin.Some days are likeboot camp—hangin, you’ll recover.

COMPANY: Kaplan, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.kaplan.com

TITLE: Vice Chairman & Chief Administrative Officer

AGE: 55

EDUCATION: BA, St. John’s University; JD,Fordham Law School

FIRST JOB: Teacher at elementary school in EastHarlem

WHAT I'M READING: Two novels by Mario VargasLlosa: The Real Life of Alejandro Mata and Death inthe Andes

PHILOSOPHY: Focus on the positives and learnsomething valuable from everyone you meet.

FAMILY: One of six children; husband: Kevin; children: Katherine and Michael, both in college

INTERESTS: Travel, theater, and reading

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ife and work are an adventure, and thatmakes every stride—and every stumble—alongthe way an opportunity. On my career path, Ihave learned that roadblocks and detours provide the chance to revisit the map and plota better route.

I joined the U.S. Navy right out of college.My friends thought I had lost my mind.Opposition to the war in Vietnam was at itsheight, and opportunities for women in the military were restricted by convention and bylaw. Yet the Navy offered adventure, and thatwas what I wanted. It’s also what I got.

Serving in this traditionally male bastion wasnot always easy, but it was always interesting. Ilearned that for every person who might be anobstacle, there was a person who was willing toserve as a mentor. One helped me discover adeceptively simple strategy that has guided meever since: working hard works every time.

Hard work pleases your supporters and, better yet, tends to silence your critics. Keep

MarshaJ.EvansL

putting one foot in front of the other and youare bound to progress forward.

When I found myself filling positions thathad always been held by men, I realized it wasimpossible to do the job exactly as it had beendone before. The traditional top-down militaryway wasn’t comfortable or practical, so Iworked on developing my own leadership styleand honing my own strengths and talents. Asense of adventure, hard work, and personalleadership have been my ticket to an excitinglife and career. Daunting challenges—such as leading the committee recommendingchanges to end sexual harassment and expandopportunities for women in the Navy andMarine Corps—became wonderful opportunitiesto effect much-needed change.

Confidence instilled by these experienceswas just what I needed to take on my currentand most rewarding post. Two years of organizational effort updating how we get helpto people paid off last fall when four successivehurricanes struck Florida: the Red Cross wasable to shelter nearly 425,000 people and servemore than 11 million meals. The privilege ofplaying a role in the largest humanitarianresponse to a natural disaster in U.S. historywas the adventure of a lifetime.

ORGANIZATION: American Red Cross

WEBSITE: www.redcross.org

TITLE: President & Chief Executive Officer

AGE: 57

EDUCATION: BA, Occidental College Los Angeles;MA, Tufts University; additional studies at theNational War College and the Naval War College

FIRST JOB: Babysitting during high school; lifeguardat a community pool during college

WHAT I’M READING: Built to Last

PHILOSOPHY: Work hard and the opportunities willcome your way.

FAMILY: Husband Jerry, retired Navy jet pilot

INTERESTS: Skiing, golf, and reading



or women aspiring to corporate leadership,I believe there are three keys to success: choose to work in a company thatbelieves diversity provides a competitive advantage; understand yourself and your talents; learn to work well within a team.

A company’s commitment to and encourage-ment of diversity increases exponentially yourodds of success. When you research a company,visit, or interview, look carefully for visiblecommitment to diversity. This strongly influencedmy decision to join Bausch & Lomb. When thecompany first approached me, I went to theinterview only out of curiosity. I was impressedto learn that there was already a woman on thepharmaceuticals management team, headingsales. Later, during an interview with seniorexecutives, the president and COO not onlyspoke about the company's commitment todiversity, he arranged for two female corporateofficers to take me to lunch to discuss theopportunity. Later I met the woman who headedone of the largest business units. It was thenthat I knew the company put into practice itscommitment to diversity and that I could besuccessful here.

By developing a good insight into your

unique strengths and capabilities, you can better articulate what you bring to the table andfind the best fit for your skills. This not onlyhelps achieve success, it makes for a more satisfying work experience. Offer your skills asa product, with defined features and benefitsdifferentiating you from others. Because business is ever dynamic, continue developingnew skills and refining ones you have byactively seeking learning opportunities andbeing open to ‘teachable moments’.

In business today, teamwork is critical andour success often depends on how well wework with staff, a boss and her or his staff, or aproject team to achieve common goals. Bringyour uniqueness to the team and encourageothers to do so, too. Explore the inventory ofstrengths and put them to work for the team.Work with and learn from exceptional peopleso that together your team can deliver exceptional results which, at the end of the day,will determine your success.

Eileen Farinacci

F

COMPANY: Bausch & Lomb

WEBSITE: www.bausch.com

TITLE: Vice President & General Manager, Canada andLatin America Region

AGE: 46

EDUCATION: BS (pharmacy), University of PuertoRico; MBA, University of Phoenix

FIRST JOB: At 15, I taught piano to children in amusic academy in an underprivileged area. Betweennotes and chords, I had to find the wisdom to giveadvice on situations I had never experienced or evenimagined. I cherish those memories.

WHAT I'M READING: One Hundred Years of Solitudeby Gabriel Garcia Marquez

PHILOSOPHY: “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”(Mark Twain) This philosophy will always lead to a richer life.

FAMILY: Husband of 25 years, Frank; four children:Christian, 16; Brenda, 15; Frank, 14; Louis, 13

INTERESTS: Latin American literature and history;classical music (play piano); playing tennis



ORGANIZATION: United States Air Force

WEBSITE: www.af.mil

TITLE: Colonel, Chief, Intelligence ForceDevelopment Division; Directorate of Intelligence,Surveillance & Reconnaissance; Deputy Chief of Staffof Air & Space Operations

AGE: 47

EDUCATION: BA (cum laude, secondary ed.), ArizonaState U.; MA and PhD, U. of Michigan; MS, NationalWar College/National Defense U.

FIRST JOB: As teen: babysitting, pet sitting, lawnmowing, movie theater concession girl; after collegegraduation: teaching

WHAT I'M READING: Besides a lot of work-relatedmaterial, newspapers, and education or history journals, I tend to read several books at once—currently Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones andPatricia Cornwell’s Blow Fly.

PHILOSOPHY: It’s not enough to “do no harm”; wehave to try to make things better. Anything, even ifit’s good, can be better.

FAMILY: I have a large family of very dear relativesand friends around the world; and my dog, Scout.

INTERESTS: Reading, travel, sports/fitness, popularculture (movies, TV, plays, literature), education, political and social issues

ooking back, I recognize some things thathelped me progress as a leader that I wouldcounsel others to try. First, find good anddiverse mentors who are not just successful, butwho also share your values and interests. Thennetwork, and mentor others as you yourselfprogress. Share information rather than hoardit; knowledge is more powerful when shared.

Whenever presenting a problem to yourbosses, always also present a solution that considers their broader responsibility as well as potential opposing arguments; address

Lorry M.FennerL these issues. Avoid

the trap of either/or solutions wheresomeone loses; tryto find a creativethird way, wheremore people canwin, and enlist support.

Be honest and maintain your integrity. Smileand treat people with respect. Support andthank your people often when they are right,and coach them when they’re not. Nominatedeserving people for rewards/awards. Whenyou’re angry, take a deep breath; and save thatflaming e-mail till after you’ve had a chance toreview and edit it again.

Don’t be limited by others’ prejudice or discrimination, or worse, sexual extortion.Think about your threshold before you getthere, and draw lines. Decide whether it is a‘teaching moment’ or if there’s no chance forthat; speak out constructively and respectfully,and document every incident. Insist on beingtreated in ways that you have earned and beingpaid for your skills and experience; likewise,stand up for others when you witness unfairness.

Always take responsibility for your decisionsand actions. Move issues from endless discussionto some constructive action, identifying who’sresponsible and when it needs to be done. Bea decisive leader, but don’t be afraid to admitwhen you’re wrong or change your mind withnew information. Readily ask for advice fromabove and input from below. When makingcareer decisions, try to choose opportunitiesthat open options, and remember that you’reusually not qualified for a position until you getit. Finally, never be afraid to ask to be supportedfor special opportunities—the worst someonecan say is “no.”



April Foleyesson #1: Friends come and go; enemies accu-mulate. One of the most important assets tohave in business is good working relationships.The more positive the relationships you havewith your peers, the more effective you can be.I once read an article about what Fortune 500CEOs have in common. It was not intelligence,education at the best schools, or affability. Thecommon success factor for top CEOs was thatthey had developed a broad network of peoplewho respected them and said they would bewilling to work with them again. So pay attention to your relationships. If you make amistake or get into a strained relationship situation, fix it, just as you would any otherbusiness issue—quickly and sensitively.

Lesson #2: Listen to what people say; theyalways reveal themselves. Being effective inbusiness is about persuasion, getting people tofeel comfortable about moving in a certaindirection. It’s about motivating them. It’s aboutworking with and through others to get results.You cannot be effective unless you understandwhere others are coming from—their motivations; how they win; their problems orobjections to what you are suggesting. Youcan’t show someone how something is in theirbest interest unless you take the time to find outwhat their best interest is…or is not.

Lesson #3: Embrace change. The adage, “ifit ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is misguided. Itimplies that you should wait for a problem tosurface before you change anything. My experience is that once a problem develops,fixing it can be a long and painful process, onein which there’s lots of downside for allinvolved. The most successful organizationshave a positive predisposition to change: newideas are welcomed and rewarded; people are always looking for ways to enhanceprograms, products, and policies; small andlarge changes are constantly being made in

L

COMPANY: Export-Import Bank of the United States

WEBSITE: www.exim.gov

TITLE: First Vice President & Vice Chairman

AGE: 57

EDUCATION: BA, Smith College; MBA, HarvardBusiness School

FIRST JOB: Camp counselor at a summer camp

WHAT I'M READING: Tournament of Shadows, anexcellent history of Central Asia by Karl Meyer

PHILOSOPHY: Give of yourself to the fullest; in thatwill you receive.

FAMILY: Widowed; three children: Catherine, 26, areporter for a Gannett newspaper; Giff, 24, an analystat Goldman Sachs; James, 19, a college sophomore

INTERESTS: International travel; cooking; supportingthe excellent work of non-profit organizations; history

every function and activity. Only in this waycan an excellent organization remain at the cutting edge of excellence.

Lesson #4: Catch people doing somethingright. Appreciation is a powerful motivator. It isalso an underutilized motivator. Many of usassume that money is the biggest driver forpeople in business. I personally feel that recog-nition is a far stronger motivator. People workhard to do a good job. You’ll get far greater performance from them if you make an effort to frequently recognize the value of their contributions, large and small.



Louise Francesconihere are as many different styles of

leadership as there are leaders. Leadership isnot about organizational power. It’s about influ-ence and personal qualities and how yourvision motivates the minds and hearts of thoseyou lead. It’s about helping others focus onachieving not only the right business goals butalso the right personal goals.

A leader must see the future in a way that isdifferent from others, seeing possibilities whereothers see confusion. But the leader’s visionmust be so compelling that others can beinspired to overcome concerns, insecurities,and reasons not to change and be propelledcollectively into that future.

To lead others, you must be able to commu-nicate this vision clearly. A consistent messageand a clearly stated vision, repeated often, willgive people confidence and trust in where youtake the organization. Help people to see yourvision through their own eyes; when the visiontransforms from “the leader’s” to “ours” the realteamwork and feel-ing of shared accom-plishment can begin.Personal integrity isan important part ofleadership that islasting. A charismaticperson may motivateothers to follow for a time, but true lead-ership is the abilityto inspire others tocarry a vision forward.

I have come toappreciate that beinginclusive is anengine of innova-tion: diverse teams

working collaboratively can create ideas thatgenerate far greater results than the efforts of a

single individual.We will remainviable and grow tomeet the challengesahead only if wecontinue to engageand attract the bestand brightest asjudged by whatthey bring to the table in termsof thinking andteaming skills, perspective andproblem solving,and performanceexcellence thatgenerates results.

T

COMPANY: Raytheon Missile Systems

WEBSITE: www.raytheon.com

TITLE: President

AGE: 51

EDUCATION: BA (economics), Scripps College; MBA,UCLA

FIRST JOB: Babysitting

WHAT I'M READING: All bestsellers

PHILOSOPHY: Focus on what’s important—keep balance in your life.

FAMILY: Husband, two sons, two grandchildren

INTERESTS: Cooking, family



I

Edie Fraser

Say “thank you” daily, write notes of appre-ciation, or call and express gratitude. Give hugsand love. Be grateful for family and friends, andfind the time to celebrate them and give tothem. Sharing with my personal and businessfriends is special to me.

Be helpful. Give of your time—and if youcan, your money—for philanthropy, for politics.I am so proud to have worked with the PeaceCorps and Poverty Program early in my career,and I cherish the non-profit boards.

Support diversity advancement. Women andminorities comprise the backbone of the econ-omy—the market, the workforce, and the entre-preneurial talent base of the new America.Embrace change. Women and people of colorwill account for about 70% of all new workersby 2008, only three short years away!

have learned so very much from many, andI am grateful for all the lessons. Never stoplearning; get training and acquire new skills.Read, think, and generate ideas to apply andteach others. Learn something new each day.

Be passionate about what you are doing. Tryalways to stay positive despite the setbacks weall have. Think success, not failure. Surroundyourself with a can-do, go-get-them attitude. Bestrong and resilient. Be the best you can be. Becreative and innovative. Don’t be afraid to bedifferent. Leaders are not afraid to be uniqueand to push hard for what they believe, to takeissues ahead of our time.

Take Action. Goals are nothing withoutaction. Be customer-driven; work hard; go theextra mile on everything. Never give up (onlychange course when it does not seem to work,but work hard for it anyway).

Deal, build partnerships, and communicate.Give back with mentoring and support.

Work with those you like and admire.Network and realize that we are only as goodas our many friends, supporters, and buddies(women mentorships or “fentors” are so veryspecial).

COMPANY: Diversity Best Practices; BusinessWomen's Network

WEBSITE: www.diversitybestpractices.com /www.bwni.com

TITLE: President & CEO

AGE: 61 (old in age but vibrant in spirit!)

EDUCATION: BA (with honors) and graduate studiesin political science

FIRST JOB: U.S. Peace Corps staff for five years;Desk Officer for Africa

WHAT I'M READING: Confidence by Kanter;Clearing the Hurdles by Brush, et al.; In Defense ofGlobalization by Bhagwati; Contagious Success byAnnunzio; Spanish language guide; six newspapers a day

PHILOSOPHY: Do the best you can (be on the cutting edge) and give back to others (do your givin’while you're livin).

FAMILY: Dedicated to husband, Joe, and my dadwho is 95+, and others

INTERESTS: Friendships; cooking and entertaining;reading



COMPANY: Ford Motor Company

WEBSITE: www.ford.com

TITLE: President & Chief Executive Officer, Ford ofMexico

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree (mathematics)Pennsylvania State University; MBA, University ofPittsburgh

FIRST JOB: Sales clerk at a department store

WHAT I'M READING: The Rose Without a Thornby Jean Plaidy

PHILOSOPHY: Life is a gift; treasure it.

FAMILY: Married; four stepdaughters, four grandchildren

INTERESTS: Learning new things; outdoor activities;arts and theater; reading; time with family andfriends; travel

Louise GoeserI

free? Then do it, and find a way to get paid forit. Don’t live for the weekends and settle for ajob you hate. Embrace work as part of a full life.

Get a broad base of experience, as early as possible. Following college graduation, Iaccepted a job that allowed me to rotatethrough several organizations and assignments.That experience taught me a great deal aboutmy new company, revealed skills and interestsI didn’t know I had, and laid the foundation formany future assignments.

Identify the path to success within yourcompany. Businesses tend to have one or twomajor operations that are viewed as critical orproduce company leaders. Ask your managersand colleagues which functions have the mostcareer development potential, and actively seekthose assignments. Don’t allow yourself to bepulled in too many directions. A mentor onceadvised me to focus a bulk of my time on oneor two projects that would generate tangibleresults. Identify what your business needs, andfind a way to move the needle.

And finally, don’t forget there is life outsidethe office. I love my job, but I also love my fam-ily, kayaking, and riding horses. If I dedicatemy entire life to my career, not only will I missout on these things, I’ll be a less satisfied andvaluable leader and employee. Remember thatresults are more important than face time—andhave the courage to gently remind managers,employees, and colleagues when they forget.

Though I am energized and fulfilled by myjob, what matters in the end are the people Ilove. Though my jobs have been demanding, Iwas there whenever it was important to myfamily. I don’t regret it, and my career hasn’tsuffered for it.

knew from an early age that business is mylife’s passion. I was fascinated by my father’smetal forging company, and spent manySaturdays tagging along to his office, where Icolored his sales charts. I’ve learned muchabout business and management since thosedays spent with my crayons on his office floor.The best advice for how to succeed hasn’t comefrom personal development and managementtraining seminars, but from my family, friends,and colleagues. Some common sense rules continue to guide my career and my life.

First, do what you love, and love what youdo. Each of us needs to discover what makes uswant to get up in the morning. For me, this ismanagement: I enjoy the challenge of meldinga group of people together and moving them ina direction that is good for the business, as wellas for their personal development. Is there onething that you love so much you would do it for



COMPANY: Marriott International, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.marriott.com

TITLE: Executive Vice President & Global Treasurer

AGE: 47

EDUCATION: BA (economics), Virginia Tech; MBA,Indiana University

FIRST JOB: Commercial loan officer for ContinentalBank (post-graduate school)

WHAT I’M READING: Harvard Business Review; The Classic Touch: Lessons in Leadership from Homerto Hemingway by John Clemens and Douglas Mayer;Architectural Digest

PHILOSOPHY: You need to do what makes youhappy in life. If you can enrich your life by giving toothers, it can truly make a difference.

FAMILY: Husband, Jim

INTERESTS: Outdoor sports, especially golfing andboating; cooking.

M Finally, master the art of successful risk taking. For example, the hospitality industry isincredibly fast-moving; to continue to lead our industry, my company has to consistentlyanticipate our customers’ needs and exceedtheir expectations. Success comes from beingproactive, not reactive. That means that youneed to be innovative, flexible, focused, andultimately, accountable.

As a leader, I also take my role as a mentorvery seriously. I firmly believe the pursuit ofour business objectives must be balancedagainst the needs of our associates. We must allmake it our responsibility to provide the support and guidance others need to grow andreach their full potential. This is how we canachieve the ultimate success.

y best counsel for overcoming obstacles isto always try to be a contributor, striving forexcellence and always running the extra mile.Positive thinking, collaboration, and teamworkare all important.

I have been fortunate to have many mentorsover the course of my career. There are threesignificant things I’ve learned from each ofthem, and I continually apply these principlesto my career.

First, deliver what you promise. Set highstandards for yourself and then deliver. Earn anunshakable reputation for excellence, integrity,and responsiveness.

Second, play to win. Develop strategies thatcan leapfrog you ahead of the competition.Again, it’s about setting high standards andgoals that can help differentiate you and createthe foundation for professional and corporatesuccess.

Carolyn Handlon

A DIVERSITY OF GREAT TECHNOLOGY AND SOLUTIONS

STARTS WITH A DIVERSITY OF GREAT PEOPLE.

© 2004 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved. Raytheon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and welcomes a wide diversity of applicants. U.S. citizenship and security clearance may be required.

At Raytheon, an inclusive culture is one of the things webelieve gives us a competitive advantage. By recognizingthe uniqueness of individuals, empowering employees,and truly valuing their input, our company consistentlyperforms beyond all expectations. It’s a philosophy we’llalways embrace. It’s right for people, and it’s right forbusiness. To learn more about opportunities withRaytheon, visit www.rayjobs.com

www.rayjobs.com

We’re proud to feature Raytheon employees inour ads. To join them in a rewarding career, visit



COMPANY: Hogan & Hartson L.L.P

WEBSITE: www.hhlaw.com

TITLE: Partner

AGE: 41

EDUCATION: BSE, University of Virginia; JD, HarvardLaw School

FIRST JOB: Intern at Johns Hopkins University AppliedPhysics Laboratory

WHAT I'M READING: The Art of Possibility by Zander& Zander; His Excellency: George Washington by Ellis;and The Bondwoman's Narrative by Crafts/Gates

PHILOSOPHY: I seek to serve God and my neighbors in all that I do.

FAMILY: Single

INTERESTS: Travel, photography, reading, Pilates,music, conversational French

ome lessons we learn by observing thosewho succeed; others we learn the hard way.Here are some lessons that have served me well.

Keep your spiritual house in order. In myexperience, to excel one must tap daily into thepower of the divine. Include whatever nourishesyour spirit, whether that is yoga, prayer, running, reading sacred texts, meditation, etc.Do things that make you laugh, that help keepyour professional life in perspective; it’s animportant part of who you are, but it’s not all ofwho you are. And stay in touch with those wholove you whether you succeed or fail.

Operate from a position of strength: leverageyour unique gifts and passions. As a new grad-uate in systems engineering, I realized that Ihad capitalized on my analytical abilities, butthat I wanted to exploit my talent for oral andwritten advocacy. So I passed up lucrative consulting opportunities to attend Harvard LawSchool. I endured three more years on a

student’s budget, butI was much happier.

Master your craft—learn from the best. While researching law firmsfor summer jobs, I found that many of the finesttrial lawyers practiced at Hogan & Hartson. Ilanded a summer position there, earning anoffer to return as an associate. When I returnedafter graduation, I made sure that managementknew I wanted to become a great trial lawyerand was prepared to hustle to achieve that goal.As a result, I learned from the very best how towrite briefs, take depositions, examine witnesses,and persuade juries. I never miss opportunitiesto hone my craft.

Cultivate fertile ground in which to grow.Build a support network of peers and mentorswho can help you develop a vision for yourcareer, encourage you when you’re down,answer ‘dumb’ questions, and give you freshperspective on challenges. Know the key peoplein your business unit and make sure they knowyou and what you do well. Seek their counsel onopportunities to advance your career. Keep intouch with colleagues from your college, indus-try conferences, and the like. These relationshipswill allow you to grow and evolve.

Take charge of your own professional development. Think of yourself as the CEO ofyour career. Remember, no one has a greaterstake in your success than you. Take responsi-bility for your successes and failures, and forcreating new opportunities to grow. If you findyourself in an environment that does not support you—move on.

When you fail (and you will), get up, learnfrom your mistake, and get back in the game. Ifyou’ve never failed, you’ve never taken a risk.And if you never take a risk, you aren’t stretchingyourself and will have to be satisfied withsomething less than your best.

Karen M. HardwickS



Keiko Harveynything worth achieving takes plan-

ning and commitment. Successful lead-ers understand that creating the rightplan and moving quickly to implementaction is important.

They also recognize the importanceof assembling a team with diverse backgrounds, ideas, and skill sets; such ateam generates a more innovative andoften more creative outcome.Differences provide strength, and yourstrength helps, ultimately, to build thecorporation's success.

Mentoring can be both formal andinformal. It's up to the individualsinvolved in the process to decide whatkind of mentoring relationship works

best for them. Personally, I’ve had many mentors, including many of my bosses. And I’ve mentored numerous people both formally and informally.

Getting advice is helpful, but the key is tolisten and then decide what to do with thatadvice. You’re responsible for your own success; so, you have to stretch yourself. Learnsomething new every day.

Communicate, communicate, communi-cate—both inside and outside of your function.Listen and observe before making decisions. Take on projects that challenge you.

COMPANY: Verizon Communications


TITLE: Senior Vice President, Fiber to thePremises

AGE: 56

EDUCATION: Rutgers University, School ofEngineering

FIRST JOB: Sales representative at a souvenir giftshop

WHAT I'M READING: I've just finished Patricia Cornwell's Trace, and have picked up Janet Evanovich'sMetro Girl

PHILOSOPHY: Work should be fun. If you're not hav-ing fun, you're doing the wrong work. Also, life is allabout learning; if you're not learning something everyday, you're not really living.

FAMILY: Husband Gerald; two children: Ted, 26, andEmma, 21

INTERESTS: Travel, interior decorating

A



y suggestions for women who want toachieve positions of leadership:

Know the mission. Throughout my career inthe military, and in private and public sectors asan appointee, there were many obstacles that Ihad to deal with and overcome. I have found itextremely important to first always learn every-thing about my programs and organizations.That ensured that I had a clear understandingof the existing mission, or helpedme to develop a mis-sion. I created clearobjectives and goalsthat would deter-mine the directionfor my staff as wellas myself, while rec-ognizing that theremay be times that Iwould have to re-evaluate those goalsand objectives basedon changes in the o r g a n i z a t i o n a l environment.

Surround yourselfwith a great staff. Inorder to find success,one of the mostimportant things thatyou must always dois surround yourselfwith very smart, cre-ative, and hard-work-ing people. Be willing to incorporate their greatideas into the plan that has been strategicallydeveloped for the mission. Always find outwhat motivates your staff and be willing toreward them for their efforts.

Roll up your sleeves. You cannot be afraid to

do those not-so-glamorous jobs yourself. Yourstaff needs to understand that you will not askthem to accomplish anything that you wouldnot do yourself. If there is a short deadline andthe envelopes have to be licked, get in there

and do it too. Take the high

road when makinghard staff decisions.Very early in mycareer in the ’80s,when African-American femalemilitary officerswere still not ascommon in leader-ship positions asthey are today,there were manytimes that I wouldhave loved to putthe blame squarelyon the shoulders ofwhoever appearedto be the responsi-ble party. I foundthat it is alwaysimportant to look atthe big picture andquickly assess theproblem to avoid

jumping to conclusions. Remember that thingsare not always what they seem. By looking atthe facts (and sometimes behind the facts), youhave a better chance of making fair and cleardecisions which can ultimately have a majorimpact on an employee’s life.

M

ORGANIZATION: U.S. Department of Commerce,Commercial Service

WEBSITE: www.commerce.gov

TITLE: Executive Director, Global Diversity InitiativeProgram

AGE: 43

EDUCATION: Master's Degree in Public Administration

FIRST JOB: At 17, to help my family send me to college, I earned money cleaning the houses vacatedby military families that had transferred to other bases,preparing the houses for the next family to move in.

WHAT I'M READING: Race for Success by George Fraser

PHILOSOPHY: Always leave your environment betterthan when you found it.

FAMILY: Married 11 years to my great husband,David; a wonderful three-and-a-half-year old nephew,Landon

INTERESTS: Home improvement, decorating, collecting antiques, and cooking

Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd



W

COMPANY: KeyBank, N.A.

WEBSITE: www.keybank.com

TITLE: President, Western District

AGE: 56

EDUCATION: BA, State University of New York atBuffalo; MBA, Canisius College

FIRST JOB: During college, I worked in retail storesbut went into banking as my first ‘real’ job.

WHAT I'M READING: I just re-read Under theTuscan Sun as a preview to a trip to Italy.

PHILOSOPHY: The person who succeeds in life iswilling to apply herself to the work at hand, do morethan her share, treat others fairly, listen well, andlearn from mistakes.

FAMILY: My husband is a great partner in life, plus Ishare in two wonderful grown children, John andRenee, and three grandchildren.

INTERESTS: I enjoy gardening for relaxation and golffor frustration.

hen I started in banking, I invested a lotof time in building a network. I got involved inthings, whether it was organizing the employeepicnic or leading the company’s United Waycampaign. Joining associations and communitygroups put me in places where I could meetbusiness professionals. Two things happened: Ibecame known out in the community; and I gotto know the decision-makers, the influentialpeople who were out there getting things done.I enjoyed networking, but it also laid a foundationfor my future success, paying off tenfold in contacts for my career advancement and busi-ness relationships. Today I have people acrossthe country I can call for advice. I also remem-ber networking is a two-way street, so I alwaysmake time for people I have known who callme seeking some counsel.

My career was definitely aided by many trail-blazing women in business and banking beforeme, but I was always alert to opportunity.When I left my first employer after 18 years, itwas because management still saw me as I waswhen I started, rather than what I had become.I wanted to go to a company that would continue to invest in me and, likewise, I couldinvest in them. I also chose at one point tomove from staff to sales, which has more riskbut also more reward and recognition for youraccomplishments. When I changed positions, I was concerned whether my expertise wouldgo with me, but it was a freeing experience.You find that you truly carry with you certainskills, and you also discover skills you didn’teven know you had until you put them to workin a different setting.

Think of yourself as a corporation, withskills and assets that you have to sell in the marketplace. Don’t settle. Never underesti-mate yourself even if management does. Justbecause one company doesn’t see you as anexecutive doesn’t mean you are not one.

Find the place thatvalues you andtake a chance.

Picture yourselfin the job youreally want, notthe job you’re in.Paying attention to how executives around memanaged, made decisions, and interacted withothers helped me model that behavior. Peopleat decision-making levels must be able to visu-alize you in a leadership role. I’ve always sub-scribed to a famous quote by Wilma Vaught,who retired from the Air Force as a brigadiergeneral well before women were in these kindsof roles: “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to bewhen I grew up, but I knew that I wanted to bein charge.”

Marsha S. Henderson


y advice to women who want to succeedin the corporate world is to go to work for acompany that recognizes the value thatwomen bring to the business world and that isdedicated to the promotion of women. Lookfor a company that knows that gender equityhelps create a better business environment—one that makes the company an employer of choice, a preferred business partner, and an important contributor to the communitiesthey serve.

As your career develops, take advantage ofthe programs that may be available to supportyour advancement. These could include onlinecareer path tools, mentoring through employee-initiated organizations, leadership develop-ment programs, and tuition reimbursement forskills enhancement.

Finally, be objective of your own strengthsand weaknesses. Be flexible and take advantageof opportunities. Demonstrate self-disciplineand a strong work ethic. Have a positive, can-doattitude; add value to everything you do.

Trust your gut instincts on tough decisions.Treat people right. Be true to yourself, butaware and respectful of the value systems andstyles of the people with whom you interact.

COMPANY: SBC Communications

WEBSITE: www.sbc.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President, HR & Communications

AGE: 54

EDUCATION: BSE, University of Arkansas

FIRST JOB: Initial management development program at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company

WHAT I'M READING: The Lion's Game by NelsonDeMille

PHILOSOPHY: Golden Rule

FAMILY: Husband Bob, son Zach, stepson Bob Jr.

INTERESTS: Golf, reading, cats

M


Karen Jennings



COMPANY: DaimlerChrysler Corporation

WEBSITE: www.daimlerchrysler.com

TITLE: Vice President, Product Finance

AGE: 44

EDUCATION: BBA (accounting) & MBA (finance),University of Michigan; executive programs atColumbia University and INSEAD (Fontainebleau,France)

FIRST JOB: Staff accountant/auditor for Deloitte &Touche (great learning experience)

WHAT I'M READING: Our Separate Ways: Black &White Women and the Struggle for ProfessionalIdentity by Ella Bell and Stella Nkomo

PHILOSOPHY: You can have it all, but you don’t haveto do it all—which means that you don’t have to try tobe a superwoman. Seek perfection in the really impor-tant aspects of life and don’t sweat the small things.

FAMILY: Married for 20 years to Jeffrey; two chil-dren: Jeffrey, 13, and Justin, 9

INTERESTS: Spending time with the family andfriends, traveling, reading, and volunteer work

office, and that doesn’t bother me. My husbandand I believe in full employment and I don’tfeel guilty for paying someone else to dohousecleaning, laundry, and other householdtasks so I can have enough time and energy forthe really important things like attending mykids’ school programs, sporting events, andother weekend activities.

Finally, though family and the job are impor-tant, don’t forget to take time for yourself—weall need some private/personal time. I plan anannual visit with a friend to a health spa; it works wonders for my mental health andphysical well-being.

y strategy on every assignment has been tobecome the expert as quickly as possible. It’simportant to stay focused on your own careerand not that of others. Don’t think of your com-petition as only other women/ minorities—you’ll limit yourself. If your career isn’t going asyou had hoped, look inward first to see ifyou’re doing the things necessary for advance-ment. Reality is that sometimes as a woman youhave to go more than the extra mile. You don’thave to be overly aggressive in order to be suc-cessful, but you do have to be assertive. Treatpeople the way you want to be treated.

In the workplace you must recognize thatyou won’t be successful solely on your own;mentors (both men and women) are veryimportant. Likewise, serve as a mentor to oth-ers. You will also find that you are only as goodas the team working for/with you. Don’t beafraid to surround yourself with smart people(even those smarter than you) because you willlearn from them and they will only strengthenyour team.

Relative to your life outside of work, strive tomaintain a good balance between work andpersonal life, recognizing the real importance offamily. In line with my philosophy of “you canhave it all, but don’t have to do it all,” though Iam a perfectionist I wouldn’t win a GoodHousekeeping award either at home or in the

Kim Harris Jones

M



COMPANY: Shell Chemical LP, Shell ChemicalsLimited

WEBSITE: www.shellchemicals.com

TITLE: CEO & President of Shell Chemical LP;Executive Vice President of Shell Chemicals Limited

AGE: 58

EDUCATION: BBA, MBA, JD: University ofHouston, TX

FIRST JOB: Soda fountain waitress at drugstore onweekends and summers while in high school

WHAT I'M READING: I am an avid reader of fictionto relax, especially courtroom dramas and mysteries.Favorite authors: Jonathan Kellerman, Susan Isaac,Sandra Brown, Richard North Patterson, JamesPatterson, Agatha Christie, David Baldwin

PHILOSOPHY: This is tough; catchy sound bitesdon’t capture the depth and breadth of a philosophy.For me it comes down to a journey of learning andgrowing; of knowing myself and liking me anyway; of being comfortable with who I was, who I am, andwho I am becoming.

FAMILY: Husband of 34 years and one grown son

INTERESTS: Reading, skiing, piano, wine, and quietevenings with my family

Fran KeethT

inclusive and diverse environment where people can get on with their work, yet who ishumble enough to step to the side and cheerthe team on to success.

I’m a big believer in diversity. I want to create an environment where you could bringyour whole self to work. No one should haveto worry about trying to fit into the organiza-tion—that is a waste of time and energy thatpeople could be using to do their jobs.

When we talk about diversity in the UnitedStates, we usually think of more women andminorities in the workplace; but we need amore global perspective in our definition ofdiversity to include all cultures. For instance,our company is developing a talent pipeline tobetter utilize the strengths of all our employeesaround the world, fostering a culture whereeveryone is a leader. This means that everyoneknows what his or her job is within each organization. This also means that we expectemployees to know what he or she has thepower to do, and then decide to do it.

Finally, I think in order to become one oftomorrow’s corporate leaders, you need toremember to have some fun along the way!Enjoy what you do and the people with whomyou work. This will give you the enthusiasmand the energy to keep going when others giveup. It will also inspire the people you are leading.

o be one of tomorrow’s corporate leaders, Ibelieve you must have integrity, respect forpeople, a desire to constantly learn, and a natural curiosity about the world. You must notbe afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Italso helps if you’re action-oriented and decisive.

A successful leader is someone who can takea dream and turn it into a vision, and commu-nicate that vision in such a way that people notonly understand it, but believe in it and aremotivated to accomplish it. A successful leaderis one who is wise enough to create an



T and make connections with people from theheart—let them know you care about them.This is true in business and your personal life.Connecting with someone over a cup of coffeecan be a very rewarding experience for bothparties.

Take as many people as you can with youthrough your life journey. Love what you do;share it with others. There are so many differentpeople in the world, and you can benefit fromtheir experiences and learn from the examplesof their lives. Take them on your journey andthey will take you on theirs.

Two of our corporate Guiding Principles are:providing a great work environment by treatingeach other with respect and dignity; andembracing diversity as an essential componentin the way we do business. Not only are theseprinciples exceptional guidance for makingbusiness decisions, they are also two great principles to follow in everyday life.

here are five basic ideas I focus on in mylife, which have allowed me to grow personal-ly and professionally. They have helped me tomake decisions consistent with my values andthe values of my employers over the years. Ioffer these ideas as a starting point for tomor-row’s corporate leaders to help guide theircareers.

Be true to who and what you are. As temptingas it may be sometimes, don’t try to be some-one else—it doesn’t work in the long run.

Take the high road and rise above the noise.It’s the best thing you can do for yourself personally, as well as for the organization.

Surround yourself with outstanding leaderswho have great attitudes, and empower them todo what they do best. Not only can you helpthem rise to new heights they may never haveimagined themselves reaching, but you willlearn many new things from them as well.

Lead from your heart. Speak from your heart

Dorothy KimCOMPANY: Starbucks

WEBSITE: www.starbucks.com

TITLE: Executive Vice President, Supply Chain &Coffee Operations

AGE: 42

EDUCATION: MBA, University of Washington

FIRST JOB: Analyst, Boeing Company

WHAT I'M READING: Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels

PHILOSOPHY: Know where you are going; knowyour purpose.

FAMILY: Single mother, large extended family

INTERESTS: Family & friends

At Lockheed Martin, diversity isn’t just trendy corporate-speak. It’s one of the driving forces behind our success. Every

one of the men and women working here brings their own special perspective to our business challenges. The result?

A creative environment where unique thought is encouraged. Which enables us to produce innovative solutions for our

customers. We believe our differences make us stronger. And bring out the best in us, so that we can achieve great

things together. Lockheed Martin. One company. One team. Where diversity contributes to mission success.

Without differences, there are no unique perspectives.

Without unique perspectives, there is no innovation.

www.lockheedmartin.com

have never thought of myself inthe context of a woman or aminority in the workplace, and Ibelieve that translates into makingit an even playing field. I wouldtell anyone that it is essential thatyou work seamlessly across theorganization or business, at everylevel. By doing so, you cannothelp but get noticed.

I have also made a consciousdecision to take really measurablejobs, so that it is clear that I have made a difference in anorganization. Some people say “Ifyou can't measure it, you can’tmanage it.” While I happen toagree with that from a manage-ment perspective, the truth is thatfrom a career perspective it is dif-ficult to succeed no matter whoyou are if you cannot point to where you werein the past, what you are doing in the present,and where you are going in the future.

Some of the greatest lessons I have learnedhave come at the time of adversity; I feel thatyou always come out stronger on the other sideonce you have faced it. While a lot of peopletry to avoid it, I will welcome it and face thechallenge at hand.

In saying all of that, I am smart enough toknow that you do not have to be the smarteston the team. I have always felt that smart lead-ers surround themselves with great people thatare aligned around them to deliver. I love agreat team, and that is the secret to success.



Carol KlineI

COMPANY: AOL

WEBSITE: www.aol.com

TITLE: Chief Information Officer

AGE: 40

EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science (marketing andmanagement), Ohio Northern University; MBA, CaseWestern Reserve University

FIRST JOB: Product manager in the wholesale division, Ohio Bell

WHAT I'M READING: Dr. Seuss books with my children

PHILOSOPHY: It's about the journey, not the destination. If you forget about the journey, you will lose sight of the destination.

FAMILY: Husband, Rich; two daughters: Taylor andMackenzie (8 and 7)

INTERESTS: Time with family; traveling; ClevelandBrowns; Cleveland Indians; mountain biking and theoutdoors



O

my confidence to take on new challenges. Iencourage women to take on tough, messychallenges, achieve against ambitious goals,and build a track record of results. Learn todeliver big and celebrate bigger!

Toughness. I have become comfortableaccepting risk and planning to win rather than trying not to lose. An attitude of‘change=opportunity’ has been very helpful. Iaccept responsibility for my own destiny andexpect to work hard to achieve. I don’t expectthings to always go my way.

Faith. My relationship with God is a sourceof strength for me and I enjoy giving back withan attitude of gratitude.

Melendy Ewing LovettCOMPANY: Texas Instruments Inc.

WEBSITE: www.ti.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President, President Education & Productivity Solutions

AGE: 46

EDUCATION: MS (accounting), University of Texas at Dallas; BBA (management & information systems)Texas A&M University

FIRST JOB: Republic Bank, implementing systemsfor commercial customers

WHAT I'M READING: For work: Profit from theCore and Beyond the Core by Chris Zook; with mydaughter: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

PHILOSOPHY: Each of us has unique, God-given talents; we are happiest when we are using them totheir full potential. And, live life based on what reallymatters—don't sweat the small stuff.

FAMILY: Husband Jim; daughter Alexa (14)

INTERESTS: Family, reading, exercise, travel, scubadiving, snow skiing, my daughter's equestrian sports

ver my career, I have picked up a few attitudes and practices essential to my profes-sional and personal success. Though strengthcomes in self-discovery, I wish I had knownthese when I first started out, and I am honoredto share them.

Knowing myself. I spend time planning andacting on personal development that works forme. I encourage self-awareness, recognizingone’s strengths and weaknesses, and findingways to grow professionally that are effective—some of us learn by going to classes, but mostof us learn more through real-life relationshipsand experiences.

Self-competition. I think self-competition ishealthy, and I compete against my own goalsand best effort, rather than competition withothers. I also enjoy helping others achieve theirprofessional goals through self-competition,and championing and celebrating their successes.

Focus. I discipline myself and prioritize timeto achieve the highest-impact results. This focussets boundaries for a successful career and life.There is always more work to be done, and ittakes self-discipline to realize true priorities andlive accordingly. This never gets easy!

Confidence. Setting and achieving hard-to-reach but reasonable goals has helped build



always have been passionate about what Ido—the important work my company performsfor our nation; the amazing solutions we provide to tough challenges; and, most of all,the terrific people with whom I work. If youdon’t feel that same kind of passion, careerguidance is not going to make a great difference.

Be inquisitive, advancing yourself by absorbing every bit of knowledge you can.Learning is important from every source—themedia, professionaljournals, books, andthose around you.Plus, never be afraidof asking dumbquestions! Lifelongeducation translatesinto better problemsolving, deeper subject knowledge,and proficiency; itcan pave the way tohigher-skilled, better-paying positions.

Communicationalso is essential.Over the years, I’velearned that thekeenest insights arethose born in freeand open dialoguewith diverse stake-holders—from themost senior cus-tomer to the newesthire on the factoryfloor. In such anenvironment, more often than not, everyonesucceeds. Speak up and bring your differentpoints of view to meetings, conversations, and correspondence. Use your experience, education, and skills to contribute alternatives

or clarifying examples.Find a mentor; delve into how that person

performs, manages, and delivers results.Besides mentors, also surround yourself withnetworks. Demonstrate confidence, but also beyour own toughest critic by strictly monitoring your performance against personalgoals. Clearly define your career desires and

make them knownto those who help steer yourpath. Accept blamewhen it is due, and acknowledgeyour mistakes—this builds yourcredibility.

Finally, concen-trate on your ‘emo-tional intelligence’.Technical and intel-lectual skills areonly part of theequation for suc-cess. People whocan understand,communicate, andempathize with col-leagues will go far-ther in their careersthan those unableor unwilling to doso. Bring theseskills with you toall interactions. The

growing perception in business is that some-one’s abilities to understand and manage emo-tions improves their performance, their collab-oration with colleagues, and their interactionwith customers.

I

COMPANY: Lockheed Martin Space SystemsCompany

WEBSITE: www.lockheedmartin.com

TITLE: Vice President & Deputy

AGE: 50

EDUCATION: BS (electrical engineering), MichiganState University; MS, (systems engineering), UCLA

FIRST JOB: TRW Defense Systems (technical staff:missile system analyst)

WHAT I’M READING: The Lexus and the Olive Tree:Understanding Globalization by Thomas Friedman

PHILOSOPHY: When you follow your passions andgive fully of yourself, you reap rewards far greater thanyou might predict.

FAMILY: A family of 12 siblings taught me the value ofself-reliance and give-and-take; I’m trying to pass theselessons on to my son (7) and daughter (4)

INTERESTS: Sports, all types of music, Web-surfing

JoanneM.Maguire



In considering “what advice could serve as achart and compass for navigating a channeltoward a successful career as a corporateleader?” I reflect on the journey that started longago and the continuing journey ahead. Thequery brings me back to a moment when Iwrote in my high school yearbook: “Some people set their sights higher than others.” Youc o n t i n u a l l yneed to chal-lenge yourself,seek out men-tors, be a men-tor, tap yours t r e n g t h s ,u n d e r s t a n dyour weak-nesses, andbelieve in yourconvictions.

It’s vital tobe passionateabout whatyou’re doing.Infuse enthusi-asm in all youdo, as well asamong thoseyou work withand lead.

Encourage ac o n t i n u o u squest for knowl-edge and customer satisfaction.

Leadership encompasses responsibility,action, service, and intuition—guided by common sense, and grounded by facts. It’s notbluster, inaction, or excuses.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if peoplehad not taken risks with me. So, as you movealong a path toward greater responsibility, you

have the duty to teachand mentor those whofollow your footsteps.You must be willing towork hard andencourage your teamto find creativeanswers even whenconvention says thereare none. Realize thereare no short cuts, andexecute decisions withunparalleled businessethics.

Be diligent abouteliminating privateprejudices, keepingyour emotions in bal-ance, and being a rolemodel for positivechange. When I thinkof the importance oftaking time to mentorand be a role model,

I keep my daughter’sfuture in my mind’s eye—along with a professional duty to participate in industryorganizations, and a social responsibility to beinvolved in my community. With my husband’sfantastic support and encouragement, we’reable to provide our daughter a paradigm of normalcy through example that says achievingyour goals can be done regardless of gender.

Judy F. Marks

COMPANY: Lockheed Martin

WEBSITE: www.lockheedmartin.com

TITLE: President, Distribution Technologies

AGE: 41

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree (electrical engineering), Lehigh University

FIRST JOB: Systems engineer at IBM Corporation

WHAT I'M READING: How Full is Your Bucket?Positive Strategies for Work and Life by Tom Rathand Donald O. Clifton

PHILOSOPHY: Do your best. No one can ask more,and you won’t be satisfied with less.

FAMILY: Husband and 13-year-old daughter

INTERESTS: Golf, reading

Most people at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield focus on the wellness of ourcustomers. But some of us direct our attention to the core principles of ahealthy company. Open opportunity and inclusive programs. We know thatdiversity in our offices means more understanding and compassion in thecommunities we serve. Learn more about our diversity program by contactingMarie Philippe at [email protected].

Promotinghealthy

workplaces.Starting with

our own.

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COMPANY: MGM Mirage

WEBSITE: www.mgmmirage.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President of Corporate Diversity& Community Affairs

AGE: 43

EDUCATION: Special Education-pending

FIRST JOB: Age 13: car wash

WHAT I'M READING: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

PHILOSOPHY: Life—it is what you make it.

FAMILY: 3 adopted children: ages 15, 6, and 5

INTERESTS: Family time, outdoor activities

Punam Mathur

M

Successful professionals seem to be set apartfrom the rest by their amplitude and gusto, asevidenced by their impressive successes andtheir stunning defeats. Therefore, be bold,because boldness creates success! And, whenyou occasionally falter, learn from it and move on.

y late father reminded me as a youngster thatI had power to do anything, but that my powerended at the tip of my nose. It’s an extremelyempowering notion. If you are pleased with theoutcomes of your actions, continue the actions.If the outcomes are not as you desire, don’tlament them and don’t become de-motivated!Just change your actions and create differentresults. Too frequently when faced with obstacles, we waste energy and time attemptingto change the outcome—the way people react,the corporate landscape, perceptions of others.You can't. By using your own infinite power, dothings differently until you generate the resultyou seek.

Daring to succeed, by definition, also meansdaring to fail. If we are challenging ourselves—choosing paths less traveled, stretching to the‘skinny branches’ (all the types of ‘risky’behaviors that yield career success)—we will,inevitably, fall down once in a while.



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executives. Find an organization like mine thatis diverse, that values employees, that offersthem the tools they need to prepare themselvesfor advancement, and then promotes thembased solely on their ability! For example, werecruit in colleges and universities, providemulti-level developmental opportunities foremployees, and offer a corporate successionplanning process that is open and fair.Naturally, if you do all this, you will get adiverse pool of the best people.

As a manager yourself, you must allow yourteam to be successful. You have to make surethey understand the direction the organizationwants to take, set clear expectations, and thenstay out of their way. But you also must be agood sounding board and support them inevery way you can.

hat advice would I offer women aspiring toleadership positions? I attribute my success to three things: willingness to accept everychallenge presented to me, several caring mentors who have helped me throughout mycareer, and an organization that values diversityand offers unlimited opportunities to anyonewilling to take advantage of them. I havealways trusted myself, done the best job I couldpossibly do, and been very flexible.

I believe that accessibility leads to opportunity.It certainly has for me. I started as a letter carrier in New Cumberland, PA. When I wasoffered a chance to fill in for my supervisor,who went on a detail to another position, I took it. This experience piqued my interest inmanagement, and I applied for and was namedpostmaster of a small town, Marysville, PA. That opportunity in turn led to increasinglyhigher level positions. I am now one of threesenior women officers on the Postal ServiceExecutive Committee serving as advisors to thePostmaster General.

I am also a strong advocate for developingleadership skills among an organization’s futureleaders. I believe the business achievements wehave made were possible because of our organization's top-down commitment to succes-sion planning, starting with the officers and

ORGANIZATION: U.S. Postal Service

WEBSITE: www.usps.gov

TITLE: Senior Vice President, Human Resources

AGE: 58

EDUCATION: Master’s degree (management),University of Mary, Bismarck ND

FIRST JOB: Dishwasher for Sisters of MercyConvent

WHAT I'M READING: The Fred Factor by MarkSanborn; Leading at the Edge by Dennis N.T. Perkins

PHILOSOPHY: Do your best, never waste your time,trust in yourself, and always trust in God.

FAMILY: Widowed when my children were 14, 11,and 10, I have, with the help of God, successfullyraised my two daughters and a son. I now have agranddaughter and a grandson who, in my opinion, are perfect.

INTERESTS: Church; decorating; going to DisneyWorld (>50 visits to date); and talking with my children

Suzanne F. Medvidovich



COMPANY: Sodexho

WEBSITE: www.sodexho.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President, Supply Management

AGE: 45

EDUCATION: BS (chemical engineering), UC Berkeley;MBA, UC Irvine

FIRST JOB: First job ever: appetizer, salad & dessertcook in a French restaurant; first professional job: supervisor of a vegetable oil refinery in San Francisco

WHAT I'M READING: My favorite book is AtlasShrugged, but on a daily basis I do well to keep up withthe news!

PHILOSOPHY: Enjoy the journey; each step has its own unique beauty.

FAMILY: Husband and 12-year-old son

INTERESTS: My family, travel, golf, and cooking

grew up with two brothers, and was fortunateto have been raised to believe that I could doanything that they could do. This came inhandy as my first job out of college was as asupervisor of a group of 55 men working in avegetable oil refinery. It never occurred to methat there were those who thought a womancould not do the job. That naiveté helped me tosettle in and do the job I was hired to do, even-tually earning the respect of those doubters. Ofcourse, life experience has since taught me thatthe doubters do exist out there; but I have con-sciously decided to practice ‘deliberate naiveté’so that I do not create artificial barriers formyself.

I love a good challenge, and a good day isone in which I learn something. I believe thatthis has helped me to create my own success. Ido not consider title and salary to be the keysymbols of success. This has allowed me to

Ann OkaI

take lateral moves to expand the breadth of myknowledge and experience. Early on, I recog-nized the career limitations of remaining on thetechnical path of engineering and operations. Imoved out of my comfort zone into a positionin finance, and pursued my MBA to furtherdevelop the business skills that I would need togrow in my career.

Pursuing these challenges has meant takingon some risk. I have relocated four times, andmost recently changed companies after almosttwenty years. These are the choices that I haveelected to make as opportunities have arisen.

I believe it is very important for individualsto recognize the many choices that they have,and to own the choices that they make. Wechoose which limitations to accept, and whichto push through. My advice to women seekingto grow their careers is based on what hasworked for me: keep all options open, alwaysseek a challenge, choose wisely, but don’t beafraid to err. But most of all, remember that we all live in the today, and we better be enjoying that!


believe women need to be prepared to readily talk about their skills and experiences when opportunities arise. I don’t mean to suggest that they shouldspend all their time tooting their ownhorn, but sometimes it is not enough towork hard and just expect contributionsto be recognized automatically.

At a minimum, you should be ready during your performance discussions, for example, to be able to cite those occasions where your ideas made a difference, when your participationcaused progress and brought about beneficial change, or your leadershipmoved your team or the company forward.

If you find yourself in a disappointingcareer situation, avoid quick reactions,think carefully, and assess the longer-term implications. Above all, the bestadvice I would give is be true to yourself,be courageous, and stay focused on your goal.

Throughout my career, I have madegreat use of the following advice:• Always choose the

toughest task;• Listen and learn at all times;• Think of the four C’s:

be curious, calm, compassionate, and courageous;

• Above all, share what you know and be helpful to others.

I

Rose M. Patten

COMPANY: BMO Financial Group

WEBSITE: www.bmo.com

TITLE: Senior Executive Vice-President & Head, Office of Strategic Management

EDUCATION: Memorial University

PHILOSOPHY: Wisdom is knowing what to do, skill is knowing how, and virtue is doing it.

FAMILY: Husband, Tom

INTERESTS: Gardening; community involvement; training five birds and two dogs


AT CISCO SYSTEMS®, ONE OF OUR PRIMARY BUSINESS OBJECTIVES IS TO ENSURE WE HAVE AN INCLUSIVEWORKFORCE AND A DIVERSE GROUP OF SUPPLIERS.

Employees from different cultures andgeographies, viewpoints, experiences,values and styles of interacting helpCisco better understand the needs of our customers, create innovativeproducts, foster healthier communities,and promote customer success.

We encourage our employees to develop their full potential and sharetheir expertise, and they help Ciscochange the way we work, live, play, and learn.

© 2004 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in theUnited States and certain other countries.



COMPANY: DaimlerChrysler Corporation

WEBSITE: www.daimlerchrysler.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President,Human Resources

EDUCATION: MA (industrial relations), CentralMichigan University; BS (business administration inmanagement), Eastern Michigan University

FIRST JOB: Warren Truck Plant: interviewer qualifier

WHAT I'M READING: Good to Great: Why SomeCompanies Make the Leap and Others Don’tby Jim Collins

PHILOSOPHY: Always keep your word—if you saythat you’re going to do something, do it.

FAMILY: Family keeps you whole; always find quality time

INTERESTS: Golf and travel

adapt to change, and develop the capabilities tolead change and drive value creation withintheir organizations. They must appreciate andpractice behaviors that inspire and motivate a globally diverse workforce, knowing how to empower people and challenge them to top performance.

Now more than ever, exclusion is not anoption. Human capital remains the one truemeasure of differentiation between companies.Traditional barriers to the advancement ofwomen are fading fast as companies strive toenhance their organizations by developing individual competencies as well as the depth oftheir workforce, beyond diversity of race andgender, to include nationality, language, andcultural differences. Winning in the global marketplace will require leaders to optimize thepotential and performance of each and everyemployee in the workplace.

oday’s challenges—including globalization,technology, profitability through growth, capacity for change, and strategic talent management—make for a business climate significantly different than it was even a decade ago.

But these circumstances also create opportu-nities for those aspiring to significant positionsof leadership. Major corporations that want tobe successful in the global marketplace arewaging a fierce battle for people with globalleadership capabilities, so they now seek toattract and retain the best talent regardless ofgender. Women (as well as men) hoping toadvance within any major corporation will needfar more than functional knowledge or technical expertise.

Today’s professionals aspiring to be tomor-row’s corporate leaders must understand thebusiness environment in general and theirindustry in particular. They must learn to thinkstrategically. They must be able to quickly

Nancy Rae

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o be a leader—whether in corporate Americaor in your community or family—you musthave a dream. From that, you create a visionand a belief of success in achieving your dream.Then you must set goals, believe that you canachieve them, and then act on them or “get inthe game.” I have found that the power of crystallizing your vision to a measurable goal orfixed date is amazing: I have achieved manygoals I set in business in half of the time Ithought I would.

You must be able to go beyond your comfort zone and beyond the status quo,always realizing you are on the edge of successor rejection, and that it is OK if rejection occurs.

T

COMPANY: Rush Trucking Corporation; DakkotaIntegrated Systems, LLC; Global Rush, LLC

WEBSITE: www.rushtrucking.com

TITLE: CEO, Rush Trucking; President: DakkotaIntegrated Systems; Chairman of the Board: Global Rush

AGE: 44

EDUCATION: BS, U of Michigan; graduate & managementclasses: U of Michigan, Dartmouth, Kellogg U

FIRST JOB: A paper route

WHAT I'M READING: Good to Great, Native WisdomTeachings, and The Purpose-Driven Life

PHILOSOPHY: I believe in living a spiritual life; as aChristian, I believe in respecting others, finding thegood in people, and following the Golden Rule. Also,live while you’re alive.

FAMILY: Three sons: Zackary, Cheyne, Chance. Mom and Dad are supportive; three sisters

INTERESTS: Kids, golf, hiking, travel, skiing, boating,reading, working out, movies

Andra Rush

Don’t let others steal your dreams. In myheritage, we have dream catchers—artisticwebbed circles made of wood, sinew, andfeathers that you place in your home. The pur-pose of the web is to catch bad dreams orthoughts that may be floating in a spiritualsense, and the center of the dream catcher isopen, to allow good dreams and thoughts topass through. In the American culture, there area lot of dream stealers who point out flawsinstead of attributes in something or someone.I challenge people to find the attributes and thepossibilities.

As a leader, don’t be afraid to ask for help.Seek guidance from many sources; engage people outside of your industry in discussionson business issues. Participate in non-profitorganizations and volunteer to those withoutrole models. Make the leaders of your customers’ organizations part of your team: asktheir perceptions and pulse on the business.Such relationships have been a differentiator inmajor decisions I have made.

Take time for diversity in your life—work,health, family, friends, hobbies, and spiritualtime. I am learning to accept not always havingan “A” performance, to live life, not work.Appreciate your gifts and blessings, and findchances to have joy and laughter.



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three positive outcomes—getting results today, developing the next generation of leaders, and leaving a valuable legacy. As the saying goes, “…teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Leadership is about inspiring others, helping them to reach their full potential.

• Give them the best support. You show people you care by spending time with them, by being present, and role modeling the behavior you expect. The saying rings true, “What you do speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you say.”

• Hold them accountable; it’s one thing to have a plan, and quite another to execute it. Managing performance is a very important job as a leader.

• Reward the doers. Everyone who works for you wants to feel important. Good leaders always recognize and reward success, which not only gives people a sense of accomplishment, but also lets them know they belong to an organization that cares about them.

f all the leadership qualities outlined in bookafter book, passion—defined (among otherthings) as “boundless enthusiasm”—ranks rightat the top of my list. At Adecco, I and the people I have the honor of working with haveboundless enthusiasm and passion for servingour clients and associates, the employees weplace at client companies.

Growing up in Florida, where my dad was acitrus grower, I learned valuable lessons frommy parents that still guide me. My dad taughtme that how you make people feel is evenmore important than what you do and say. Mymother taught me the importance of patience,respect, and finding value in all people. Ilearned about sales by selling at the farm’sroadside stand. I learned about leading peoplefrom watching my dad: he treats every personwith dignity and respect.

My favorite book is Bringing out the Best in People; that book and my own experienceshave formulated my five essential guidelines toleading any team or organization:• Hire the best people—everything

begins and ends with people. Hiring the best people is the first step in building and leading a world-class organization.

• Give them the best products and training. Investing in people creates

COMPANY: Adecco USA

WEBSITE: www.adeccousa.com

TITLE: Chief Operating Officer

AGE: 44

EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University

FIRST JOB: During high school: selling tomatoes at aroadside stand; after college: recruiter at a staffingcompany

WHAT I'M READING: Leadership by RudolphGiuliani

PHILOSOPHY: Every day, look for the positive ineach and every person and situation.

FAMILY: Two great teenage sons and a wonderfulhusband

INTERESTS: Snow skiing, gardening, antiquing

Joyce Russell

“I am makinga difference.”

People define our success.

Diverse perspectives and

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I amSodexho

“I amimproving your life.”

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n counseling women who aspire to positionsof leadership, I can only share what hasworked for me, which boils down to severalkey points:

• Lead with your strengths and involve yourself in work that you truly care about.Trying new things helps you clarify yourstrengths and interests.

• Remember that if you don’t ask, you don’tget—kind of the reverse of “ask and youshall receive.” Tell people what you want,whether it’s their business (if they are aprospective customer) or it’s a raise or a particular position (if they are your boss orsomeone who can influence your boss).

• Set goals for yourself and measure yourprogress. Be willing to modify your plan in the face of new information or circumstances.

• Surround yourself with positive, upbeat

people and inspire yourself by reading inspi-rational material.

• When faced with an obstacle, think creative-ly to find a way over or around it. Thinkthrough all of your possible alternatives.Don’t limit your thinking to “this is the waywe’ve always done it.”

• Seek constructive feedback for improve-ment. If you want to work on a particularskill, ask people to help you and give youfeedback. A number of years ago, I decidedthat I needed to be more comfortable speakingin front of a large audience. I prepared inadvance for a presentation, I paid particularattention to my body language and tone ofvoice, and I asked my boss to critique me.On another occasion, I asked one of myemployees for feedback. Then, I acted onthat feedback.

• Be thankful and show appreciation to thosewho work for you and with you. Celebratetheir successes and encourage them whenthey face difficulties.

• Learn to delegate work to o the r s .It frees you up to take some of your boss’swork, which will challenge and developyou, and the work you delegate (and checkup on!) will develop your employees.

I

COMPANY: National City Corporation

WEBSITE: www.nationalcity.com

TITLE: Executive Vice President, Small BusinessBanking

AGE: 41

EDUCATION: BA, Kent State University; MBA, CaseWestern Reserve University

FIRST JOB: Working as a waitress at Bob’s Big Boy

WHAT I'M READING: Re-imagine! by Tom Peters

PHILOSOPHY: I agree with Zig Ziglar who says that"you can get everything you want in life if you will justhelp enough other people get what they want."

FAMILY: Two daughters: ages 6 and 11

INTERESTS: Music, singing, working-out, skiing, reading

Mary Kay Schneider



I

COMPANY: The Leader’s Edge

WEBSITE: www.the-leaders-edge.com

TITLE: Founder, President & CEO

AGE: 57

EDUCATION: BA, Wheaton College; MS (psychological services & counseling), University of Pennsylvania

FIRST JOB: Director of Admissions, Institute forParalegal Training (first paralegal training program in the United States)

WHAT I'M READING: The Things They Carried byTim O'Brien, and Confidence by Rosabeth MossKanter (I always have two books going)

PHILOSOPHY: With change comes the opportunityto grow, so we need to embrace change rather thanrun away from it.

FAMILY: Widowed in May after 24 years of partnership in life, love and work. I have three children: Ashley and Kurt, who are lawyers; andRobert, a senior at The Haverford School

INTERESTS: I am most interested in the lives of mychildren. When I am not running my company, I loveto read and travel.

t seems to me that too few women movefrom middle management positions to seniorlevels in corporate America, and many who dosuccessfully enter the executive ranks do notstay. These realities suggest my advice forwomen who aspire to corporate leadership.

I think women need to adopt the styles,skills and savvy of corporate America—developing an understanding of problemissues, and taking action to make adjustmentsin their approach to their work and careers.This requires awareness of the people and pol-itics around them: learning what qualities arevalued, who is making the decisions, and themost effective way to get things accomplished.Only after you understand your corporate cul-ture can you determine where you fit in.

From my personal experience, the key areasmost problematic for senior level womeninclude: communicating effectively; buildingnetworking relationships; promoting their ownaccomplishments; being politically savvy; get-ting the most out of mentoring; maintaining awork/life balance; and developing impact andpresence. One way to improve in these areas isthrough community outreach. For instance, Iserve on the boards of our region’s publicTV/radio and other organizations; I am alsoactive with the Greater Philadelphia Chamberof Commerce and various charities.

When you develop an appreciation of yourworking environment, and carefully assess yourstrengths and weaknesses, you can begin toovercome hurdles and be more successful. As women in management we have the opportunity to bring to the top of the house distinctive expertise, perspectives, and morecollaborative and inclusive management stylesthat can make a real change in the corporatecultural landscape.

Molly D. Shepard



COMPANY: Ivy Planning Group, LLC

WEBSITE: www.ivygroupllc.com

TITLE: President

AGE: 43

EDUCATION: BA, Harvard College

FIRST JOB: Marketing rep, IBM Corporation

WHAT I'M READING: The Secret Life of Bees bySue Monk Kidd; and Execution: The Discipline ofGetting Things Done by Larry Bossidy, et al.

PHILOSOPHY: Faith drives results. Believing is seeing. Decide how you can make a difference; then go do that.

FAMILY: Married 20 years to Gary A. Smith; threesons: Gary II, 17; Alex, 15; Bradley, 14.

INTERESTS: Anything teenager-related: high schoolfootball, college applications, surviving having threeteenagers!

Invest time in building strong relationshipswith diverse groups of people. While strongtechnical skills are important, particularly earlyin your career, ‘who you know’ matters asmuch, perhaps more, as you advance.

Take the time experiencing a full life toknow what makes you happy. Create a planthat enables you to do work that you love. I love the work that I do; so even though Isometimes fret over my travel schedule, it’s OK because I adore the work. Find that foryourself.

y advice for women regarding overcom-ing obstacles to advancement is that mostobstacles simply are not. Life’s biggest barriersrepresent an opportunity to demonstrate what’spossible. Success begins with a strong beliefthat you will succeed. That belief may begrounded in faith, spirit, or someone else whobelieves in you so much that you believe too.You can then visualize your success—actuallysee it—very clearly. Even when you encountera roadblock, you don’t give up because thegoal is still in view.

I encourage women who wish to be corporate leaders to live rich, balanced lives.Experiencing life as a daughter, wife, and motherhas prepared me to follow, partner, and lead—all key skills in business.

Janet CrenshawSmithM



ORGANIZATION: AARP

WEBSITE: www.aarp.org

TITLE: National President

AGE: 65

EDUCATION: BA (biology, pre-med), Fisk University; Graduate Certificate (public affairs), Stanford University

FIRST JOB: Social Security Administration

WHAT I’M READING: Maya Angelou’s Hallelujah!The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories

PHILOSOPHY: You can do anything!

FAMILY: Widow; three stepchildren; five grandchildren

INTERESTS: Writing

I I could do the job effectively and efficiently.If I did not have all of the skills I felt neces-

sary to carry out the duties of my job, I wouldresearch and study to add to my knowledgeabout particular areas of interest within the job.During my 25 years with Social Security, I tookover 25 management and supervisory courses.There were few new management approachesthat I had not studied and had available to useto enhance my participation in the work place.

Later, as the owner/operator of a small business, I sometimes worked 12 or more hoursper day, doing everything from planting trees tofilling out tax forms for quarterly returns. I had to be willing to do any and all jobs tomake it work.

t’s all about hard work, stick-to-ittiveness,and determination. I was fortunate to have amentor, as I began my career path, who insist-ed upon fully completed staff work. No detailwas too small to consider. I have rewritten asingle report a dozen times until I felt it wasright, only to have missed details pointed out.Instead of throwing up my hands, I would takea deep breath, tear up the old report, and start fresh.

I was also willing to follow the next oppor-tunity. I applied for, then accepted, promotionsfrequently. I moved from the East Coast to theWest Coast, then up the West Coast, then downthe West Coast. Every new position was anopportunity to learn more and demonstrate that

Marie F. Smith

In a global marketplace, a rich tapestry of ideas, skills and perspectives is a key competitive advantage.

At ChevronTexaco, we support diversity initiatives around the world, fostering growth and opportunity

for everyone. To find out more, visit us at chevrontexaco.com.

Bring the world together, and you help develop a better one.

©20

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t is not realistic to expect a career withoutproblems. Problems and obstacles are invaluable opportunities that allow you togrow, act creatively, and gain insight into difficult situations. I find that how you think ismore important than what you are thinkingabout. If you think negative and fearfulthoughts, you are putting up internal road-blocks which do not allow you to engage at thehighest level. Your approach to a problem willgenerally determine the outcome. You cantell a lot about someone’s character by assess-ing their approach in dealing with difficult situ-ations because you have an opportunity to seecritical thinking and problem-solving skills atwork in less-than-ideal circumstances. It’s easyto make the right decisions when things aregoing well; however, when the situation is notideal, it’s a whole different ballgame.

The personal obstacle that is most prevalenttoday is the reluctance to change. I considermyself a risk taker: I am not afraid to fail, and I am not afraid to change. In fact, the one constant throughout my career has beenchange. I’ve applied for jobs and assignmentsthat were not in my area of expertise because Ithink it is important to step out of my comfortzone to increase my knowledge and area ofresponsibility. I am comfortable with unknownsituations because my faith allows me to live alife where I trust God for outcomes. That istruly liberating, and it allows me to adapt to almost any situation, political climate, orbusiness culture. In almost every situation, Icount my blessings and try to have an attitudeof thankfulness.

A frequent workplace obstacle can be interactions with others. I believe that for disagreements at work, every battle is not awar, and you don’t have to win every argument.Some things are just not that important. Even in

ORGANIZATION: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

WEBSITE: www.fdic.gov

TITLE: Deputy Director, Division of Supervision &Consumer Protection

AGE: 44

EDUCATION: BBA (finance), Howard University

FIRST JOB: Computer programmer, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

WHAT I'M READING: The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren

PHILOSOPHY: To treat everyone with dignity and respect; to be thankful and appreciative for all things.

FAMILY: Two sons: Jarrett, 19, college sophomore; andAaron, 14, high school freshman

INTERESTS: Reading, traveling, watching old movies

I


the most dire situation, there is a greater goodthat will ultimately prevail. Exercising patienceis critical. Some fires burn themselves out overtime, and some battles you don’t need to fight;however, there are some things that are dealbreakers. The key is knowing when and whereyou really need to be engaged and trying not toexpend unnecessary energy when a situation is not that important. Even when you have disagreements, valuing the opinion of others is important. Every person should be treatedwith dignity and respect, and their different perspectives should be respected. You don’thave to be disagreeable to disagree; delivery is critical.

SandraL.Thompson

The culture of National City is one in which respect, inclusion andperformance excellence prevail in all we do for our customers, ourcommunities, our shareholders and our employees. By providingjobs, products, services, community investments and civic leadership,National City builds pathways to success…one person, onerelationship at a time.

For information about opportunit ies at National City,

v is i t us at NationalCity.com.

National City Corporation and its subsidiaries and member banks are Equal Opportunity Employers.

National City Corporation and its subsidiaries and member banks do not sponsor trainees for work authorization.

National City Corporation requires candidates to submit a pre-employment drug screening.

Member FDIC, © 2004, National City Corporation

Committed to Success



COMPANY: Linksys, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.linksys.com

TITLE: Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales &Business Development

AGE: 51

EDUCATION: BA, Tamkang University, Taiwan

FIRST JOB: Trainee in information technology atSears Roebuck

WHAT I'M READING: I tend to read the trade jour-nals and business magazines that keep me updatedon the business and technology trends.

PHILOSOPHY: Sometimes making decisions is notalways comfortable, yet those times can be thebiggest growth areas; just choose thoughtfully, andmove forward.

FAMILY: Husband and business partner, Victor; twogrown sons: Michael and Steven

INTERESTS: In my rare spare time, I enjoy travelingaround the world and visit places with historical pointsof interest

solving one major crisis at a time—always mak-ing an overall decision that was best for thecompany. In our experience, success is reallybuilt upon a quality team: hiring highly skilledpeople, employees with a lot of passion andpotential. We grow the team as we grow thebusiness. As employees grow in their career,their responsibilities and accountabilities alsogrow, because people make better decisionswhen they feel ownership.

I try to pass along the gift of confidence towomen, encouraging them to wear as manyhats as possible, taking on new challenges andrisks while learning the business as a whole.Putting yourself into situations where you haveto make a decision based on the informationyou have helps to build the confidence to makesuccessively more difficult or complex decisions much easier. I am still thrilled to drivemyself to the next level, and with pride I watchwomen drive themselves to the next level intheir careers.

y first professional job resulted from a con-versation I had with friends at a New Year’s Evecelebration. I was having difficulty understand-ing them because they were speaking a lan-guage I didn’t understand …the language of ITacronyms. The next thing I knew, I was com-mitted to be part of the IT industry. I found outthat Sears had openings within their MISdepartment, I applied, and that started mycareer in the field of technology. My work inthe MIS department for more than eight yearswas the foundation of my business acumen. Ittaught me to think logically, adapt to change,problem solve at a moment’s notice, prioritize,and multitask.

As for what advice I would give to womenembarking on their careers, although I do notrecollect any major incidents that contributed to my success, the biggest underlying factorwas my confidence level that has developedthroughout the years, growing as my responsibilities and goals have grown. I haveput myself into positions where making decisions is not always comfortable; yet thosetimes have been the biggest growth areas forme. I just made a choice based on all possibleconsequences, and drove forward.

My husband and I built our company oneaccount at a time, one challenge at a time, getting one issue resolved at a time, and

Janie Tsao

M


Ford Motor Company


’ve spent 23 years in merchandising withdepartment, specialty, and discount stores, progressing from buying to merchandise man-agement to Executive VP. In my seven years atWal-Mart I’ve seen advancement based on talents and ability, no matter who you are.

Leaders don’t get paid just to have visions,but also to execute them. For instance, to improve the ‘now-ness’ of our fashion assortment and branding, my job is to see andarticulate the visionin order to lead theteam through execu-tion. We need tobuild the relation-ship of win-win withmerchants and posi-tion for acceptance,to look five years outand show what theimpact will be onbusiness, and at endof each year we lookto see whether wemet our goals or not.

Learning andgrowing are alsoimportant for leader-ship. We need to trynew things and getaway from tunnelvision. When Wal-Martcalled, I didn’t shophere and wasn’t sure I was interested, but I saidto myself, “get on that plane and at least havea conversation.” I came back saying “I want towork for Wal-Mart.” Here, I can learn from allkinds of people in logistics, real estate, market-ing, and international operations. To look at ourbusiness through their eyes has made me amuch better executive. Although not originally

my idea, I’ve gotten a lot from being asked tosit in on a store planning meeting or work in awarehouse during the day.

Since life is short, I also try to work hard andwork smart—to sort priorities and ask “does

this make a differ-ence to this compa-ny, this division,and my personallife?” Maintainingrelationships is par-ticularly important.I still have as men-tor one of the peo-ple who hired me23 years ago. I alsohave a four-year-old daughter whoteaches me how to be an editor of priorities, to beincredibly organ-ized. I’m home fordinner at 6:30 everynight.

Over the years,the rewards of

leadership change.Early on, the thrill is knowing you can drive abusiness: it’s absolutely exhilarating to come inevery morning and see sales results. My secondstage was being excited about bringing beauti-ful products to people. As you get later intoyour career, it’s the people themselves: I try tohelp other people to find success, to help themestablish career paths.

I

COMPANY: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

WEBSITE: www.walmart.com

TITLE: Executive Vice President, Merchandising

AGE: 44

EDUCATION: BS (business), University of Cincinnati

FIRST JOB: Assistant buyer with May Departmentstores

WHAT I'M READING: Re-imagine! by Tom Peters;Heart of a Leader by Ken Blanchard

PHILOSOPHY: Since life is short, work hard and work smart—sort priorities and ask "does this make a difference to this company, this division, and my personal life?"

FAMILY: Husband, Jeff; daughter, Lauren

INTERESTS: Gardening, antiques

Claire Watts



T

COMPANY: ChevronTexaco

WEBSITE: www.chevrontexaco.com

TITLE: Executive Vice President

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, Pennsylvania StateUniversity; Graduate, Columbia University’sInternational Executive Development Program

FIRST JOB: Auditor

WHAT I'M READING: Alexander Hamilton,

by Ron Chernow

PHILOSOPHY: Be, know, do: be yourself and workfrom your values; know your business and continuallylearn more; do it! Be biased for action.

FAMILY: Three children

INTERESTS: Sports

he best advice I can give women who want tobe successful in business is to focus on the suc-cess part and not so much on the woman part.Don’t define who you are or where you wantto make your mark according to gender. I neverhave. Instead, I would ask: do you have skills,experience, intelligence, passion, commitment,integrity and deeply held values? These are themarks of a true leader, male or female.

One quality that’s absolutely essential forleadership today (in business or in life) isintegrity, which we think of as meaning honesty and reliability. But in the dictionaryyou’ll find the first meaning of integrity is‘wholeness’: nothing missing, nothing left out.And I think that’s the richer, more valuable def-inition for leaders. It means that, to lead withintegrity, we must be whole human beings,bring our whole selves to the role.

I would also say that international experience—whether by background or careerpath—is increasingly important for leaders. Thefuture of business is global: that’s where themarkets, the customers, the suppliers, and thepartners are. Because there are still relativelyfew people who bring such experience, if youare the person who steps forward to take aninternational opportunity, you will be armingyourself with an incredible advantage. Work in another country gives you tremendous confidence when, despite language and culturaldifferences, you are still able to get the workdone. The challenge is greater, and so too is the satisfaction when you work through issuesto success.

As the workforce becomes increasinglydiverse and multinational, successful leaderswill be those who can truly respect people’sdifferences, value their distinct contributions,and inspire them to greater collaboration. Youhave an advantage if you don’t have a desire towin exclusively on your own terms. Too much

ego can get in theway, making youafraid to lose. Youwill always bemore successfulwhen you seekconsensus; helpyour partners andcolleagues findways to createmore together than any of you can envisionalone.

My career path has taken some unlikelytwists and turns out of my background infinance. I was always willing to say: “I’ll trythat!” when new opportunities appeared, andthat’s something I encourage others to do. Stepup and grab the risky, the challenging, theunexpected opportunities. Be prepared forchange—thrive in it! And be eager for experiences that will lead you outside yourcomfort zone. That’s what gives you breadth ofexperience and positions you for leadership.

Patricia A. Woertz

We couldn’t be your voice in Washington without being a neighbor

in your community.

AARP. Creating change in our community.

Call us at 1- 888 -OUR-AARPor visit our website at www.aarp.org.

From community service programs to consumer protection and nursinghome reform, AARP is working hard to create positive social changewhere it’s needed most — in every community.

At AARP we are involved in the daily lives of more Americans in moreways than you can imagine. We provide them with information, promoteindependence and protect their health and financial security. We alsoencourage them to work and volunteer. Our goal is to improve the lives ofAmericans over 50 by making them healthier, happier and better informed.


THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE WOMEN’S PROGRAM

Delivering Diversity for over 30 years

In September the United States Postal Service celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Women’s

Program—a program dedicated to providing employment and developmental

opportunities to women. Today the Postal Service employs more than 270,000 women—women

whose dedication and commitment have helped build a robust U.S. Postal Service. Since the

program’s inception, the number of women employed by the Postal Service has continued to

grow, as have the opportunities. In 2004, 32 percent of all Postal Service mid-level manager

positions, and 27 percent of executive positions, were held by women.

The Women’s Program traces its roots to March 1959, when Postmaster General Arthur E.

Summerfield appointed Cecil M. Harden as the Post Office Department’s First Special Assistant for

Women’s Affairs. With her appointment, Post Offices were encouraged to employ women, who until

then, had been employed in limited numbers, primarily in smaller towns, where qualified men were

not available.


By 1964, the Post Office Department had a“positive action plan” in effect to support Title 7 ofthe Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimina-tion based on sex, race, color, religion and nationalorigin. Women were encouraged to apply forhigher-level positions throughout the organiza-tion, and Postal headquarters began maintainingand distributing lists of eligi-ble female employees ineach region.

After the United StatesPostal Service was createdfrom the Post OfficeDepartment in 1971, womenwere increasingly promotedto managerial positions,opening the door to theestablishment of the PostalService Women’s ActionCommittee. In March 1973,the committee held its firstmeeting. Its goal was toestablish career ladders forupward mobility amongwomen in the Postal Service.Soon after, an appeal wasmade to Postmaster GeneralE.T. Klassen to appoint aWomen’s Program Manager,and the rest was history.

On Sept. 6, 1974, Postmaster GeneralKlassen proclaimed in a letter to RegionalPostmasters General and USPS headquartersdepartment heads that,

The demand for greater productivity and economy within the U.S. Postal Service requires us to obtain maximum utilization of our manpower resources. One of the areas where we can more effectively accomplish this is in the development of women employees within the Postal Service to their greatest potential. Therefore, I am announcing the

implementation of the Postal Service Women’s Program as a principal management objective of the highest priority.The United States Postal Service Women’s

Program was born. As the program made its mark,women began to move up the career ladder, andin June 1979, Nancy L. George became the Postal

Service’s first woman officerwhen she was appointedAssistant Postmaster Generalof the Employee Relationsdepartment.

But the change within theorganization was bestdescribed by the highestranked woman in the historyof the Postal Service, DeputyPostmaster General JackieStrange, in a Dec. 8, 1986interview with Federal Times: Women recognized then thatwe were trying to change thesystem, and I was willing tobe a part of it. I helped changeit . . . I devoted my energy morein a positive way than spend-ing my time feeling like I was discriminated against.Instead I used my energy trying to serve as a role model

for the younger women.Though we are only in the dawn of the

21st century, the Postal Service has sent out a clear message that it plans to be a diversitytrendsetter—one that will lead the way withaction. To accomplish this, the organization willcontinue to rely on the legacy of the Women’sProgram, as well as other special-emphasis programs.

Performance management and succession plan-ning programs are providing more advancementopportunities for women and minorities. And, the

USPS National Women’s Program

In 1974, the United States Postal

Service employed 8,600 women as

regular letter carriers and drivers.

Today, the company employs more

than 58,000 female city letter

carriers.

In 1974, women represented

19.2 percent of the USPS workforce.

Today, 270,899 female employees

represent 38.2 percent of the total

postal workforce.

In 1984, women represented

3.9 percent of postal executives.

Today, 27.3 percent of executives

are female.


Postal Service recently revamped its CorporateSuccession Planning process, adding a new self-nomination feature that ensures its accessibility toall employees. The change has increased partici-pation and leveled the playing field for bothwomen and men.

In today’s Postal Service, women hold keymanagerial positions. Many more still have beenidentified as future postal leaders. Currently, sevenUSPS officer positions are held by women:

• Suzanne Medvidovich, Senior Vice President, Human Resources;

• Anita Bizzotto, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President;

• Mary Ann Gibbons, Vice President and General Counsel;

• Jo Ann Feindt, Vice President, Area Operations, Great Lakes Area;

• Linda Kingsley, Vice President, Strategic Planning;

• Donna Peak, Vice President, Finance, Controller; and

• Francia Smith, Vice President and Consumer Advocate.

Medvidovich*, Bizzotto and Gibbons also serveon the executive committee of the PostalService—a decision-making body whose membersare senior advisors to the Postmaster General.

For three decades, the Women’s Program hasbeen reaching its goal, building career ladders forwomen. And while initiatives including theAssociate Supervisor, Advanced Leadership andCareer Management programs are paving the wayfor women at all levels in their Postal career, theManagement Intern program is opening doors tosuccessful Postal careers for women outside thePostal Service. Opportunity for career advance-ment for women has never been greater than intoday’s Postal Service.

*Medvidovich is featured in the Women Worth Watching profiles;

also see her commentary on the strategies and effectivenss of the

Women’s Program in the sidebar.

Commentary by Suzanne Medvidovich,Senior Vice President, Human Resources:

While a story about a career filled with obstaclesto advancement might make for more interestingreading, it simply hasn’t happened in my case. Tothe contrary, I have found the Postal Service to bean organization filled with opportunities.

I believe the Postal Service is unique in the waywe train and develop future leaders. We use a combination of classroom training, college courses,and, most importantly, details to other positions,where employees can develop their skills “on the job.”

Our strategy is to have a succession pool of managers ready and willing to fill future vacancies.That offers employees throughout the organizationa great deal of opportunity, as it did me. We preparemanagers from entry level all the way up the ladderto executive positions. And it works. Several of oursenior officers, including the Postmaster General,started their postal careers as letter carriers, mailhandlers or window clerks.

That level of commitment to developing employeeshas gone a long way in creating a highly motivatedworkforce. The proof is in our turnover rate-a verylow 5%. We have a robust pay- for-performance program and are a recognized leader in diversity,ranking sixth among Fortune 500 companies.

In the past few years the Human ResourcesDepartment has proven to be a vital part of thestrategic focus of the Postal Service. We haveincreased training and development programs, creating two intern programs to recruit internal andexternal candidates to fill difficult positions; startedtwo executive development programs; and begunan orientation program for newly appointed executives. My department also worked very closelywith Information Technology to create a robust e-learning program that utilizes our postal intranet,Blue, one of the largest intranets in the world.

As for practical concerns about the working environment at the Postal Service, from my involvementin the Anthrax crisis, I am extremely happy to reportthat Postal employees feel safer today than they didprior to September 11th. The safety performancehas shown a 36% decrease in accidents in the past3 years. I attribute this to the joint efforts of labor,management and OSHA to create positive safetyprograms.

PDJ


Postal PolicyNational Women’s Program Policy Statement

The Postal Service is committed to promoting careeropportunities and advancement for women in the work-force. The National Women’s Program (NWP) is a vitaland integral part of this commitment. The program doesnot seek preferential treatment for women, but doesseek to ensure that all postal career opportunities aremade available to all employees, including women.

The NWP is also a part of the Postal Service’sAffirmative Employment Program. Postal managementestablished the women’s program in 1974 to ensure fairness for women in every aspect of employment,including but not limited to hiring, retention, training,career development, and promotions.

The NWP is not merely a program developed toenhance the individual experiences of women, but ratherit enhances how we do business as an all-inclusive work-force. Monitoring the overall postal workforce demo-graphics to address any under-representation of womenis part of this program. Advocacy and education will helpachieve equality for women in the workplace.

The NWP will collect, conduct, and analyze researchon issues affecting women in the workplace. It will be aresource offering information and business solutions tocommon workplace issues and professional develop-ment. It will provide networking opportunities, educational programs, and visibility for the women inour workforce, which will enable them to realize theirgoals and aspirations for personal and professionaldevelopment.

The NWP seeks to ensure that managers at all levelswill not only respect and be sensitive to the concerns offemale employees, but also that they will examine andremove any barriers to equal employment opportunityfor women. Together we can ensure that we are providing opportunities and promoting fairness for women in hiring, retention, training, career develop-ment, and promotions.

Women HonoredWomen on Stamps

Sending a powerful message requires a powerfultool. And the mail is one of the most powerful—and easily accessible—communication tools available today.A single postage stamp is the only investment you need.

Since the first postage stamps were issued more than150 years ago, just about every one of them has also carried a message about our shared heritage, ourdiverse culture and the people and events that havehelped build a great nation.

Women have had a strong and lasting impact onAmerican history. The Postal Service is proud to honortheir influence and achievements through our stampprogram. They are artists, abolitionists, national leadersand physicians.

They are war heroes, pioneers, authors and performers.They are American painter and printmaker Mary Cassatt,a home-grown and world-renowned Impressionist;Harriet Tubman, who personally led over 300 individualsfrom slavery to freedom; Patsy Cline, whose plaintivevoice personifies the sound of country music; andEleanor Roosevelt, the vocal and progressive First Lady,who became a champion for social reform and human rights.

For more than a century, since 1893, when a womanfirst appeared on a United States postage stamp, thePostal Service has proudly honored women and theirachievements. We will continue to tell their story, andthe story of America, through our stamp program.

The United States Postal Service has bound thenation together through its personal and business communications for more than two centuries. We havecontinually evolved to serve a growing nation more efficiently and effectively—without operational subsidies. And we continue that process today, as we transform ourselves to meet the challenges of the21st century.

John E. Potter, Postmaster General, CEOUnited States Postal Service

www.usps.com

10TOP COMPANIESforINNOVATION

in Diversity

Will your organization make the list?

Diversity JournalProfiles in ®

The Forum for Workforce Diversity

2nd Annual International Innovation in Diversity AwardsMay/June 2005

For application and informationvisit www.diversityjournal.com or call 1.800.573.2867.

TOP COMPANIESforINNOVATION

in Diversity

Diversity JournalProfiles in ®

The Forum for Workforce Diversity

2005 International Innovation in Diversity Awards

The annual Profiles in Diversity Journal International Innovation in Diversity Awards honor corporations,

organizations, and institutions around the world that have developed innovative solutions offering

measurable outcomes in the area of workforce diversity and inclusion. Our objective is to encourage and

increase the number of businesses and institutions implementing innovative programs, projects, or

practices that will help to improve workforce diversity/inclusion excellence.

Ten organizations will be selected as honorees. In defining innovation, we use Webster’s definition as

“effecting a change in the established order; the creating of something new.” Innovations can be in the

form of new ideas, methods, services, or processes that improve the quality of life or enhance productivity

within an organization.

These awards will recognize innovations within the organization that have been launched within the past

two years, and have had an influence and delivered a positive outcome on diversity management, staff

recruitment, and/or toward inclusiveness and improved equity in the workplace. Any one idea or project

qualifies so long as the ensuing results are already making a greater impact on diversity management

and/or business and institutional diversity/inclusion excellence than anything prior.

Selection criteria include:

• Ease of implementation

• Effectiveness in improving diversity awareness/management, staff recruitment, employee retentionand/or inclusiveness and improved equity in the workplace

• Evidence of commitment and involvement from senior management and employees

• Genuine measurable outcomes (tangible and/or intangible) due solely, or primarily, to that innovation.

How to EnterNominations are made in the form of a case study of no more than 1,500 words, plus photos and/or background documentation. For more nomination details, an overview of participation benefits, judgingcriteria, and application forms, please contact [email protected] as soon as possible.

The deadline for submitting the nominating application and supporting material is April 18, 2005.


For organizational change tooccur, the behavior of bothbusinesses and individuals

must adapt. However, change isoften difficult for organizations andthe people who work in them, andresistance is an expected part ofany change process. In order toincrease diversity and create inclu-sive work environments that bene-fit all employees, managers mustunderstand, anticipate, and addressemployee resistance at every stageof the process.

Why Do Employees ResistDiversity Efforts?Employees resist diversity effortsfor a number of reasons. For exam-ple, if the organization’s definition

of diversity is not broad and inclu-sive, some employees may feelexcluded or left out of the changeprocess. Furthermore, employeeswho are often not made to feelincluded in the process, such aswhite men, may feel blamed forinequities in their organizationsand react with defensiveness.1

Employees who feel excluded mayalso believe that their own con-cerns and issues are not beingaddressed by organizationalefforts. On the other hand,employees who are specificallyincluded in diversity efforts—suchas women or people of color—may express resistance becausethey do not want to be singled outor perceived as having succeededpurely as a result of change efforts.

Finally, employees are also cynicaland reluctant to get involved withnew diversity efforts when pastchange efforts have not been successful.

How Is This ResistanceExpressed?Resistance may take on many different forms, depending on thestage of a diversity initiative. Insome organizations, the mostmarked struggle can come at theintroduction of the change effort,when employees don’t understandwhat changes will be made andwhy. Alternatively, employees maybe curious about what is happen-ing and thus remain neutral in theearly stages. Their resistance, how-

Tackle ResAvoid common mistakes when impleme


ever, may become more pro-nounced in the implementationphase, when more concretechanges directly affect their day-to-day experiences.

PerceptionsWithout clear communication, individuals create their own perceptions of the “true nature” ofthe initiative’s goals and rationaleas well as the methods by whichthese goals will be achieved.Employee perceptions of diversityefforts may include the:

• Belief that unearned benefits oradvantages will be given to aspecific group, such as parents,white women, or people of color

• Perception that one has to bepart of a specific group in orderto be promoted

• Equating the goal of the diversi-ty effort with tokenism

• View that diversity and inclu-sion efforts separate employeesby emphasizing groups overindividuals

• Perception that the development of some employees necessarilyimpedes the advancement of others.

• Sense of being singled out orpunished

• Sense of being dominated by“political correctness”

BehaviorsResistance may be passive oractive. Some examples of resistantemployee behaviors include:

• Propagating rumors about whycertain promotions, or develop-ment opportunities, are given—perhaps openly insinuatingpreferential treatment

• Charging that ill-considered promotions are made for thesake of making quotas

• Ignoring or giving very low priority to program implementa-tion and policy compliancerelated to a diversity initiative(e.g., ensuring a diverse slate ofcandidates when recruiting,

istance Head-On nting diversity efforts. by Catalyst


attending a mandatory profes-sional development session onmanaging diversity effectively)

• Making dismissive jokes regard-ing inclusion efforts (e.g., disrespectful nicknames foremployee resource groups andnetworks)

• Taking legal recourse because an individual believes his/herretention and advancement hasbeen adversely impacted bydiversity programs or policies

• Believing or communicating thatthe team-building process istime consuming, arduous, ordoomed to fail.

What Can Companies Do toAddress Resistance?There are a host of strategies thatorganizations can employ to mini-mize, manage, and addressemployee resistance. Strategiescluster in three key areas: commu-nication, program and processes,and education.

CommunicationOf all the tools available to manageresistance, clear and frequent communication may be the mostcritical.

• Articulate a vision. Resistance toworkplace diversity initiatives ismost dramatic when diversityprograms or policies are imple-mented independently of effortsto put forth a new vision of theculture—the beliefs, values, andbehaviors that define the organ-ization. The vision establisheshow the organization will bene-fit from the change and whatthe change will look like at theindividual level.

• Communicate the business case.Articulate a clear business casethat makes sense for yourorganization, and communicateit extensively through leader-ship speeches, broadcasts/videos, town hall meetings,newsletters, and regular memos.Make it as specific as possible.

• Establish a broad umbrella fordiversity. Adopt as broad a def-inition of diversity as makessense for your organization. Besure to communicate that whitemen are an important employeegroup. Other factors to considerthat go beyond the typicalracial/ethnic and gender groupsinclude parental status, educa-tion, physical abilities, age, sex-ual orientation, work status, andfunctional expertise.

• Demonstrate the support of topmanagement; ensure that topmanagers model desirablebehaviors. Create opportunitiesfor employees in top manage-ment to discuss their supportand demonstrate their under-standing of diversity and/orwomen’s initiatives.

• Keep in touch with specificemployee concerns. Allowemployees to react openly toworkplace issues through vari-ous means, such as focusgroups, workshops, and com-puter bulletin boards. Providinga forum for resistance can be apowerful way to dispel it. Also,communicate any adjustmentsyou make in response toemployee feedback.

• Communicate rationale for pro-motions, and highlight success-es. Use highly visible promo-tions as opportunities to draw

attention to individuals’ achieve-ments as well as the organiza-tion’s management developmentand advancement processes.

• Demonstrate fairness. Track andcommunicate proportional pro-motion rates and/or develop-ment opportunities to counterperceptions of unfair advantage.Fight myths with facts.

Programs & Processes• Tie individual diversity efforts to

business objectives. Initiativesrelated to diversity should bedealt with as key businessstrategies and not as “side-line”programs. Monitoring progressshould be treated as part of theregular goal-setting and reviewprocesses.

• Create accountability. Toillustrate the importance ofdiversity to the organization, tiemanagers’ compensation to per-formance objectives related torecruiting, developing, andadvancing a diverse group ofemployees. It is advisable towait for two to three years afterintroducing a diversity initiativeto tie results to manager performance, so that managerswill have some time to under-stand the business case for diversityand what is expected of them.

• Leverage existing internal institutions. Tap into existingchannels (i.e., employee net-works, councils, taskforces) tobrainstorm company-specificissues relating to resistance and possible solutions.

• Create ongoing forums for dis-cussion on diversity and inclu-sion at various levels. Peers canprovide the most persuasive

TA C K L E R E S I S TA N C E H E A D - O N


arguments in favor of support-ing diversity, and champions atdifferent levels can showcase“role model” behaviors.

• Ensure that programs are inclu-sive. For instance, offer formaland informal mentoring pro-grams to white men as well aswhite women and people ofcolor. Track participation in programs by demographicgroup. Ensure that employeeresource groups and corporatenetworks are open to employ-ees from groups outside of thedefined identity groups.

Education IntegrationIt is critical that diversity educa-

tion be broadened beyond thestandard diversity training sessions.Integrating the precepts of diversi-ty into core business and manage-ment practices will lead to the mostprofound changes and will bestleverage the competitive advantageyour business seeks in creating amore inclusive work environment.

• Integrate the business case andvision for diversity and inclu-sion in all management devel-opment education. As the busi-ness case for diversity is furtherintegrated into all facets of man-agement practices, effectivelymanaging workforce diversitywill be seen as a core manage-ment skill.

• Create diversity leadership com-petencies and teach behaviors.Treat diversity as a core leader-ship competency against whichyou can develop, assess, andpromote the next generation ofleaders.

• Provide executives with greaterexposure to diverse communi-ties. Require executives to par-ticipate as members or leadersin outside community organiza-tions (e.g., associations, non-profit boards) in which they areexposed to communities outsidetheir own demographic andsocio-economic backgrounds.

• Strengthen management compe-tency. Help strengthen seniormanagement’s facilitation andintervention skills for addressingverbal resistance to inclusion.Hire coaches to help leadershone their skills in addressingemployees who raise concernsabout potential bias as a resultof inclusion efforts. In addition,strengthen senior management’steam building and conflict reso-lution skills.

Organizations have a responsi-bility to address resistance to diver-sity efforts. Surfacing resistanceand its causes is the first step inmoving through the changeprocess successfully. Employersmust be able to recognize how andwhy resistance is expressed. Moreeffective implementation of changeefforts helps minimize resistance tothe process. Employers must there-fore avoid common mistakes whenimplementing diversity efforts andtackle resistance head-on.

1Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe,“Dealing with Resistance to Diversity,”Mosaics (April 2004): p.3,6.

PDJ

With offices in New York, San Jose,

and Toronto, Catalyst is the leading

research and advisory organiza-

tion working with businesses and

the professions to build inclusive

environments and expand oppor-

tunities for women at work. For

more information about Catalyst’s

research, products, and services

focusing on tackling resistance,

visit our newly designed website at

www.catalystwomen.org. You may

also sign up to receive Catalyst’s

issue-specific newsletter, Perspective,

and monthly email updates at

[email protected].

The Drive for Diversity andInclusion starts right here.

NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.©2004 Waste Management, Inc.

s a proud sponsor of NASCAR’s® “Drive for Diversity” initiative,Waste Management is racing toward the same goals as you are.

From Bill Lester behind the wheel of his Number 22 Waste ManagementToyota Tundra to our constant efforts to recruit and support a diverseworkforce, we are truly committed to speeding past today’s conventions of diversity and inclusion.

Waste Management salutes the many other workplaces that are on thesame track as we are. By working together, we already find ourselves onthe road to a more diverse, inclusive tomorrow.

From everyday collection to environmental protection,Think Green.® Think Waste Management.

www.wm.com

A

profiles in diversity journal | nov/dec 2004

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