Eve's Powerpoint summary of the women's conference.
To say that we are PowerPoint Monkeys (PPM) here at Microsoft Worldwide Enterprise Services & Support would be an understatement. To one of my pleas to the recruiting committee on news and articles they want to share with the rest of the world - This was Eve's entry summarizing the Women's conference held at Redmond. Yea - shez a PPM too!
Ø 5,000 participants (mostly women J yes! There were some few brave men)
Ø 3 days: Jan.10-12
Ø Focus on Inspiration, Professional Development, The Whole You and Leadership
Ø Lots of cool speakers: external (Denise Harrington, Patricia Fripp) and internal (Mich Matthews, Lori Brownell, Kathleen Hogan and Jeff Rakes)
Ø Some key takeaways:
o Use your natural strengths to your benefit (relationship building, collaboration, ability to communicate)
o Be competitive but don’t compete with other women – instead depend on a network of women
o Stop being “behind the curtain” – Be present and take a bold role
o Dress for success
o The road to success in leadership is not always a ladder (male paradigm) but a spiral (centered, builds momentum)
o Characteristics of powerful females
§ Teacher / Coach
§ Mentor
§ Collaborative / Team Player
§ Intuitive / Vulnerable
§ Passionate