http://www.witi.com/wire/ The Leading Organization for Tech Savvy Women en-us info@corp.witi.com (Carolyn Leighton) support@corp.witi.com (WITI Support) info@corp.witi.com (Merle Rein) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=34 Once upon a time, there was a young woman, who, upon receiving her degree; got a job; worked hard and was respected by her co-workers and supervisors. She was acknowledged to be an excellent employee and within a few years, she was promoted to department manager. And just as all fairy tale endings, she was happy. Well, almost, because this wasn't a fairy tale and she found herself dealing with the very same situations that people in the workplace often experience. When she took a good look at what was going on in her department, she observed clashes amongst her staff that created unresolved conflicts. She took a good look at herself to determine if and how she may have contributed to some of these problems. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=34 info@corp.witi.com (Dana Thorat) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=35 WITI members can have their voices heard! A major global technology company is actively recruiting new members into its private, online community of professional women to get insights from women about the technology products and services that really matter to them. This is a unique opportunity to interact and have a meaningful impact on the company’s product directions and marketing efforts while also networking with your peers. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=35 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=36 Jennifer Scanlon is Vice President and CIO of USG Corporation, and one of the winners of this year’s “WITI Excellence in Corporate IT Leadership” Award in Chicago. As CIO, her responsibility is to establish the technological vision of her company. Yet it takes more than just a tech savvy knowledge base to do this. It entails leadership responsibilities as well. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=36 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=31 One of the most rewarding things about being involved with WITI is being able to showcase the extraordinary women talent in our industry. On May 1st, the Chicago WITI Chapter will once again shine the spotlight on women leaders with the fourth WITI “Excellence in Corporate IT Leadership” Award for top Chicago female IT executives. This year’s stellar honorees are: • Karenann Terrell, CIO of Baxter • Jennifer Scanlon, CIO of USG • Jean Holley, CIO of Tellabs • Connie Shoemake, Vice President, IBM Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=31 info@corp.witi.com (Jane Herman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=32 When one of my coaching clients wants to start a business I often help them brainstorm a one-page business plan to get down the essential elements of what they need to do to set themselves up for success. We talk about the vision, mission, objectives, strategies and action plans for the business and capture the key elements in short-form in writing. Each element builds on the next with vision setting the context for mission, which in turn sets the context for strategies and finally action plans. Almost universally people understand that for a business to be successful it must have a plan. Yet often people are much more casual about how they conduct their lives. Rather than creating their futures they watch to see where life takes them – they are reactive rather than proactive – they have no equivalent one-page plan for their lives. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=32 info@corp.witi.com (Laura Brown) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=33 Throughout the twenty-plus years I’ve spent as an IT and business consultant, I’ve seen and experienced firsthand the results of high stress work environments. They include burnout, health problems, stress-based eating, and weight gain, among other problems. Due to many years spent coping with on the job pressure, many busy professionals find themselves facing chronic disease and its precursors: high cholesterol, hypertension and insulin resistance. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=33 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=26 As a leader, you know the importance of finding and growing your team. In today's competitive job market, high retention and job satisfaction rates are in fact a competitive advantage. So is the ability to hire the best people. Companies that focus on career paths and development are well positioned to attract and retain the talent they need to meet their business goals. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=26 info@corp.witi.com (Tricia Greaves) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=27 The phone rings and you know you should let it go to voice mail, but you answer it. While talking to a woman who can’t quite collect her thoughts you notice a fax coming through that needs immediate attention. You have 50 emails in your inbox that are probably junk mail, but you won’t know unless you review them – you can’t afford to miss a potential sale. You get a call waiting beep and it’s your daughter telling you that her friend Sarah’s mom can’t drive them to soccer practice and needs you to fill in. The airline fares for your upcoming family vacation increase at midnight, so you’ve got to order them now, but you still need to get the proposal written for the big account you think you can land. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=27 info@corp.witi.com (Kathleen Barton) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=28 Do you feel burdened with too many responsibilities and not enough time for personal enjoyment? Is so, then you are not alone. According to Schor, the author of The Overworked American, hours worked have risen 20% and leisure hours have declined 37% since 1970. With two-career families and single-parent households on the rise, it’s no wonder we feel overloaded, overextended, and even overwhelmed. The key to avoiding this is to create balance in our lives. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=28 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=23 This is the third and last in a series of articles with quick tips and tools for increasing performance on international virtual teams. We are all feeling stretched at work because our days have been stretched across the globe. While technology has increased our productivity, it seems that our productivity expectations and responsibilities have increased at a faster rate. How then can we move these teams forward smartly? Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=23 info@corp.witi.com (Dana Thorat) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=25 Just over two years ago, WITI set out to explore women’s usage and preferences for technology following a widely publicized 2003 Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) report that women represented about $55 billion of annual sales to the consumer electronics industry. Manufacturers and retailers had only just begun to realize that women, who were actively purchasing and influencing technology purchases for themselves, their households, and their companies, might be overlooked as a serious customer segment. As recently as 2006, companies still had little insight into the technology purchase drivers and attitudes of women that would enable them to jump on this potentially lucrative bandwagon. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=25 info@corp.witi.com (Jane Herman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=24 “Why did you do that? Think that? Buy that? Go there?” Have you ever noticed how many times a day you find yourself responding to the question, “Why?” Often times the question comes from someone else – but it is a question that we also ask of ourselves. The “Why?” question has two sides – one that can be helpful and enlightening and one that can be limiting. On the dark side it can keep you from being true to who you are, interfere with your intuition, reek havoc on your self esteem and cause you to give away your power. Let’s take a look at the cause and effect of the “Why?” question. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=24 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=21 This article is the second in a series designed to put practical, actionable strategies in your hands to increase the performance of global virtual teams. In the last article we reviewed tips and techniques to build trust, and to set strong guidelines around communication and response times. In this article we’ll continue the discussion with a focus on successful virtual team meetings. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=21 info@corp.witi.com (Stephany Alexander) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=22 The internet is one of the most dangerous places to meet people because of the ability to hide behind false online profiles. People can say whatever they want so it is up to you to take the time to do your research and investigate a potential partner in order to protect yourself. According to a poll of 2,493 women conducted by www.WomanSavers.com, 68% said they google a person’s name before dating, versus only 31% said they did not. The below 10 tips will show you some ways to reduce the risk of online dating. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=22 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=19 Feeling a bit stretched lately? We all are as we frequently find ourselves on international virtual teams that stretch our work across time zones and cultures. Increasingly, the foundational work unit in today’s organizations is the virtual team, and it has gone global. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=19 info@corp.witi.com (Jane Herman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=20 Those who are contemplating, or in the process of making, major life or career changes often look at what they are experiencing and wonder, "Is this normal?" They ask themselves questions such as, "Does everyone spend countless hours thinking about the changes they want to make but shy away from actually taking the necessary steps?" Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=20 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=17 In the previous article in this series, we discussed the need to gain a broader understanding of the organization as you grow through you career. Working across functional areas to improve business flows is a way to make that happen while positively impacting business performance. We discussed business process terms, how to pick a work flow to redesign and the basic questions that business process improvement seeks to answer. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=17 info@corp.witi.com (Tessa Stowe) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=18 Has a prospect for your consulting services ever said to you, “Your price is too high and I’d like a discount"? In this article I outline three key strategies for responding to this. One of these strategies even has the potential for you to make a larger sale of your consulting services than you originally anticipated. Curious? Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=18 info@corp.witi.com (Carolyn Leighton) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=16 I like starting the year looking forward, thinking about what I can do to make a difference for WITI members, partners and stakeholders. With a fresh slate, and a new year ahead, I always feel optimism and excitement about taking a fresh look at our goals, our vision and how we can play in a satisfying, meaningful way in the universe we continue to create Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=16 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=15 As we move up the career ladder from tactician to strategist, it is important to also broaden our understanding of the business. We need to go from understanding our corner of the world to how work interrelates and flows in and outside the business. From a leadership and career development perspective, it is key to have cross-departmental knowledge, and this article represents a first peek at how to build it while improving the business. Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=15 info@corp.witi.com (Jane Herman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=12 In this hyper-connected information age people often point to the massive availability of content/information via the media (e.g., internet, TV, radio, etc.) as a key source of stress and overwhelm. But think about it, have you ever been in a situation where there was lots of information available (there ALWAYS is) but you did not experience stress or overload? What was it about that situation that made it different? Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=12 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=13 Spirituality? In the workplace? In the US, this concept as a way to change a business culture and results seems incomprehensible. For most, the two are kept conspicuously separate. And that difference is exactly why we should be globally open minded and discover how others perceive spirituality and its fit within their business environment. Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=13 info@corp.witi.com (Alyse Hart) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=14 Talking too much becomes white noise to your prospects ears—indistinguishable sounds come through the air and evaporate instead of registering. Unintentionally some sellers make others push the “off” button. A common sales stopper is too much talking and not enough listening. They erase all the hard work you’ve invested and push potential prospects away instead of engaging them. Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=14 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=10 Like many other people in his field, Bill Farrow, CIO for the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) did not envision himself in his current role when he began his career. In fact, he wasn’t even sure that he was destined to be in business. Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=10 info@corp.witi.com (Beth Zimmerman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=11 More than ever, winning in business today demands alignment around common strategic objectives. Competitors are too many, and too savvy, for the disorganized organization to succeed. Yet in many technology companies, there is a schism between the technical staff and those that manage them, putting both near- and long-term business success in peril. This article discusses how these seemingly disparate roles—the technician and the executive—can better align to deliver consistent and outstanding business performance. Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=11 info@corp.witi.com (Jane Herman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=9 I am willing to bet that there is something going on in your head that is keeping you stuck and closing down your options unnecessarily - and that you are not consciously aware of it. Why am I so sure? Because it happens to almost everyone. It is an unconscious glitch in your thinking process that translates a common four-letter word into a deceptively dangerous three-letter word, and that’s when the problems begin. The four-letter word is ‘what’ – the three-letter word is ‘how,’ and it is the ‘how’ word that can stop you cold. Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=9 info@corp.witi.com (Pam Lassiter) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=8 “I’d like to network with you.” How do you feel when someone says that to you? After surveying a countless number of professionals in my seminars, I see the same reaction: they cringe. People don’t like the concept of being “networked with.” There’s an implication of being used, of being put on the spot, of being asked for names when you’re not sure that you want to share any. Although we all realize networking is important, we have an instinctive reaction against it when we’re on the receiving end. How do we change that reaction so that both teams want to play ball, especially when you’re the one who is seeking new information or relationships? There’s a tactic and a strategy to encourage others to open up to you, then you can start developing your dragonflies and pelicans. Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=8 info@corp.witi.com (Neerja Raman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=4 A global economy demands new strategic insight. Some entrepreneurs are breaking new ground in this area and delivering social as well as economic returns on investment by working in underserved communities. This article introduces the concept of creating competitive advantage by employing a social mission as a business strategy. Three women led enterprises spanning USA, Brazil and India, were studied to develop the case for investing in technology solutions for poverty alleviation and social empowerment. Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=4 info@corp.witi.com (Candice Tal) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=5 So much to do, so little time. How do you create an effective global management strategy for securing thousands of highly mobile employees each with numerous electronic devices? How safe is your company’s Intellectual Property and your employees’ personal data? How do you prevent hackers from attacking your corporate infrastructure & stealing your intellectual property? Are your employees aware of inadvertently leaking information? How do you protect yourself and your global workforce? With trillions of dollars in software piracy losses and counterfeit crime globally, the need for securing a global workforce is more important than ever. Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=5 info@corp.witi.com (Kathryn Kleiman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=3 In 1997, WITI inducted six historic women into its Hall of Fame. They were the original ENIAC Programmers: Betty Snyder Holberton, Jean Jennings Bartik, Kathleen Mauchly Antonelli, Marlyn Wescoff Meltzer, Frances Bilas Spence and Ruth Lichterman Teitelbaum. The standing ovation these pioneers received at the WITI dinner touched their hearts. It was a moment neither they, nor we, ever forgot. Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=3 info@corp.witi.com (Jane Herman) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=2 What do you tell yourself when something doesn’t work out the way you had hoped? Do you blame someone else – their attitude or their actions? Do you blame your environment, your upbringing, or fate? If you want to dramatically boost your sense of personal power and self esteem placing blame won’t help you. What will help is when you learn to "own your space.” Here’s why and how. Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=2 info@corp.witi.com (Marian Cook) http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=1 In an interesting trend, many of today's IT leaders lack the traditional technical from the ground up background of the past and instead benefit from a well-rounded business and technical resume. John Reale, CIO of USG, had a background in accounting, sales and customer service before he entered his company's technology division. The final move was something that he never really planned for himself. In the past, USG had looked outside to fill the CIO position. However, based on the endeavors that the company was undertaking and the need to more closely align the business objectives to IT, it was the right time to look internally. Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:01:01 PST http://www.witi.com/wire/articles/view.php?id=1