Michele Heyward
0:00
Software. Hello, everybody. Thank you so much for joining me. I am here tonight with Lisa Anderson. Hey, Lisa,

0:08
hey Michelle, how are you?

Michele Heyward
0:12
I am good and yourself.

0:15
I'm doing great.

Michele Heyward
0:16
Okay, so everybody, Lisa is a fantastic career coach. And she has many years, over 20 years in human resources. So she is a Chief Human Resource Officer, she is She has worked her way up to the C suite. And as a career coach, she understands the barriers and seeing the barriers that underrepresented women have encountered in the workplace. And so I have Lisa doing our Saturday training, which is your voice, your courage and presence for I'm strike I'm sorry, Your voice courage and presence strategies for women leaders. And it's really focusing on executive presence. So Lisa, I want to back up for a minute. And the backup is, what is executive presence?

Lisa
1:11
Oh, good question. Because what the executive presence sometimes is, it is hard to explain. Some people have difficulty putting their finger on it. But you know, what it is when you see it. So it really is about the your physical presence, the mental presence, and there's an emotional component to, but it's really about having that confidence, sort of when you walk in that room, you kind of command the room without even opening your mouth. And love it.

1:49
So, you know, so a lot of people, it's like, well, what is executive presence? What is executive presence? But that really is it you know, and when you try to explain it to people is like, well, it's kind of sorta, but then you look at someone and you witness someone and you're like, Wow, he or she has great executive presence. But it is that three component having all three physical, mental and emotional working together to put that confidence out there.

Michele Heyward
2:17
I love it. I love it. So let's talk about competence for women in the workplace, specifically in male dominated industries. And I don't know how many of them aren't male dominated, dominated. But we were talking about science, technology engineering.

Lisa
2:37
Yeah, so a lot of my career as an HR professional, it was as I was growing up in male dominated environments, mostly technology companies, mostly government contracting engineering type, firms. And, you know, I've had my own experiences of being the only female at the table at that leadership table. And more than often the only woman of color at the, at the table. So and it can be very intimidating, especially if you're the only female in the room, and the men are sort of Abba dominating the conversation, and you have something to contribute. And really getting your voice out there, along with the credibility, you know, to be able to have the folks stop talking to listen to what you have to say, because you have something of value to add to that conversation. So that's why I have a passion for this type of work, helping women get their voice out there, and get that confidence to be able to say, you know, what everybody is saying is blue, I think is red. You know, and here's the reason why have people listen, and and and want to hear your point of view.

Michele Heyward
4:00
Exactly, exactly. I love that we have a comment. I always saw executive presence as the secret sauce of charisma. And that's what I was thinking like, it's the charisma is it's sort of the charisma when people like, oh, but it's also I want to say people are eager to hear you and want to know your thoughts. They like Well, I don't know, I think such and such would have Michelle would have a good idea about what's going on. And when they like, Oh, well, why would Why isn't she at the meeting? Or Where is she? And and it's always interesting, when that would happen to me and be like, Oh, we need to know x, y and z is like, Are you having a meeting now? Like, oh, I'm busy. So you should have thought about that before. But But oftentimes, when that happens, they're like, we should have invited you and you weren't included. Your boy was missing. Yes, the room

Lisa
4:58
and and that You know, and they recognize that your voice like, Well, okay, well, whereas Michelle, but I love what the person said about the secret sauce, because another part to that is approachability. Yes. Not only having the executive presence right to be able to quit, because I see and witness a lot of people that have presence, but they're not approachable.

Michele Heyward
5:22
Yes. And so

Lisa
5:24
then there's this kind of awkward moment where, you know, like, Oh, can I can I say something to you know, the person, you know, so it's so it is you know about the physical, the mental, the emotional, but then there's an approachability, that needs to be there to where people feel comfortable, and coming to you and speaking with you.

Michele Heyward
5:48
And I think that's the hard part, especially for black and darker skin. Women of Color is the the biases are, we're angry, we're unapproachable. And introverted person is even more difficult. Because you may not make eye contact with people you can really just make stay in your cubicle, your work area and do your job and go home. And they're not approachable, that's really their personality. And once they get to know you, and they connect with you, it is really easy to understand them and really took to engage with them. So it can you talk a little bit a bit about those biases that that underrepresented women of color will will encounter. Oh, absolutely. So

Lisa
6:30
you hit on one, you know, the angry woman. And you're right, everyone is not an extrovert. So introverts, you know, the networking piece may not come as easy, right? But there's other ways that introverts can still show that, hey, you know, I might not be the person in the room, like, you know, the social butterfly, you know, like, sometimes extroverts get that label. But yet, I still am approachable, and absolutely, I might not connect with everybody in the room. But I love making a connection with one on one. And so that, you know, with introverts that's more comfortable, you know, really having that one on one, as opposed to, you know, social butterflies throughout the room or the event, right? So another bias, sort of a bias that women we get, especially in male dominated environments, because we're quiet, we may be quiet, or we don't have anything to say. Or we try to put our idea on the table and someone take the idea and run with it. Exactly. I've witnessed and seen that. And experienced that myself, you know, I'm trying to put a point on the table, and then somebody comes in, pick my point up and start running with it as if it was their point.

Michele Heyward
7:54
And I did in the room. And that's happening to another woman that's like, you know what, Carol? That was a great idea. I'm glad I like her her idea. Yeah, she said 20 minutes ago. Yeah. Oh, and so it. So it also is great when you're able to have one other person in that room, so I'm not going to take away your secrets in your time.

8:17
Don't

Michele Heyward
8:21
I'm not gonna learn that from Lisa, I might have learned that. So, so what what I'm really excited about Lisa. So Lisa is our speaker for Saturday's conference, which is under estimating women in STEM, mid level executive conference, where we are going to spend three and a half Lisa, Lisa wants four. But I've only given a three and a half. And we're gonna take a lunch break, starting at 10am on Saturday, we are definitely going to spend time not just learning what executive presence is, but really practice know, you tell him what you don't want to teach

Lisa
9:01
me, let me go. So what we're going to be doing Saturday, I put my note. So first of all, because it's your voice, courage and presence. So I am going to actually introduce something new around how do you really find your voice? And so some tools and techniques around finding your voice and supporting your leadership voice because all of us everyone has a leadership voice. Then the next thing so what does courage look like in a male dominated environment? And does it look different? So because suppose you're not in a male dominated environment. Suppose you're in a female dominated environment, this courage look different. Right? So we're going to kind of explore that the differences you know, between you know, a male dominated environment and and, you know, not a female dominated environment and then And we're going to explore what traits support and you know, executive presence. How do you increase it if you're trying to work on that? And what are the traits that really support you having a strong executive presence? So and in the training is gonna be interactive now cuz I'm not gonna be talking.

10:25
Right?

10:27
Because I want to hear about, you know, your experiences, you know, the women experiences so we can really dig deep. So yeah, I'm super excited. Super excited about Saturday.

Michele Heyward
10:38
So I'm gonna read Shelley's comment and then I come back to I think it's donata. Shelley said people often thought I was a pushover because I'm an introvert. And when I learned the hard way that I'm from Detroit all day.

10:56
I love it.

Michele Heyward
10:58
I would agree. She's from Detroit. Okay. Detroit all day, she bought a left a long time ago, the city of Detroit but Detroit did not leave her. Okay. Oh,

Lisa
11:09
wait, tell it. What's her name? I'm sorry. Sally, I'm married to a Detroit man. So I know.

Michele Heyward
11:20
Okay, Shelley, she knows she knows exactly what you're talking about. Okay. All right. The question is, why is it that some women have to get to the place where we have nothing left to lose before we feel competent enough to stand up and be authentic with our voice? Oh, that's

Lisa
11:37
a great question. You know, culture is very important, too. So my question would be, you know, what kind of culture are you working in? Because, you know, I'm fully aware, especially being an HR, you can be in some toxic cultures where, you know, you feel like you're, you're swimming upstream every day, and that's when it starts to wear on you, and wear on your personal psyche. You know, those are the environments that, you know, when I work with clients, I said, Okay, what kind of environment are you in? And is it worth it? You know, so, um, you know, when I hear that person describe, you know, why do I have to feel like, I have to leave it all out there, you know, we really, you know, want to take a look at how do you, you know, survive in a culture like that. So, if you know, that person comes on, but those are the kind of questions I want to hear more about. So I can give some strategies and some tips on how you survived that. And hopefully, you're not in a culture where you're surviving, you want to be thriving.

12:51
Right?

12:53
You know, and I get it, right, we're in a pandemic, and people can't just move easily right now. But you know, how do you at least survive until we get to a point where you feel comfortable? And making a transition if you decide to do that? But yeah, I don't like when I hear women say, you know, I'm at my wit's end. And I just feel like it's always a struggle, you know, to to make a difference. And you really got to take a look at the culture that you're working in.

Michele Heyward
13:26
Let last week session we did. We had two speakers write a resume, with Nicolette, and then we had Casey a third. And she was literally literally talking about racial trauma, how to heal from racial trauma in corporate America. And so when you say survival, that is usually us trying to survive through the trauma we are in so well, it's just a microaggression you got to think about how many beestings if it's one, two, or if you get stung multiple times a day is toxic to your body? Yes, even you may not even be allergic to bee stings. But when you have so many of them it is toxic to your body. So when you're so when we started out with how to heal from racial trauma, because we're going to go we go through so much of it in the workplace, how to run it and identifying it, right Shelly was in that one that Shelly love that session because it's very practical to think she could you could do every day. But now like you say, how do you show up? And that executive presence Are you thriving or surviving and understanding that companies that organization's culture so I think it's hard to you know, have confidence

Lisa
14:35
and you know, have executive presence when you feel that way? When you feel like, you know, good day, you know, every day it's a struggle. Yes, no, that does nothing to for your confidence, and being able to you know, confidently show up. You know, when you're working in that kind of an environment

Michele Heyward
14:57
or you can sleep soundly Friday and Saturday night. Any night, you can't you can't sleep at all. Yeah, yeah.

Lisa
15:04
When you're experiencing those kinds of things, you know, when you, you know, or the Monday drive when we used to drive into work, you know, the Monday drive, you know, even pulling up to the parking space, you know, you got to, like, say a prayer before you go in like,

Michele Heyward
15:21
you like, I gotta play some Fred Hammond. I gotta pray to work. I gotta do some praise, dancing in the car. And let's see some real good gospel before I get out.

Lisa
15:34
To make sure I can go in and you know, and not, you know, again, back to the stereotype, not go in and not end up being perceived as the angry black woman.

Michele Heyward
15:46
Yeah. And and it's interesting, you say that we have to Shima, who has a comment, I lead a team of all men been there, welcome to construction. I have a very strong personality. I don't think it's strong. What we don't understand. Let me let me just read and not narrate. Okay, okay. Most male leaders don't know what to do with me, the things they call me out on us opportunities for improvement are the same traits they reward other male leaders for doing when I call them out on on it. They always agree with me in the end, but I'm tired of having to defend my strength. How do I balance my strength so that it is rewarded versus seen as a development opportunity? Oh, that's

Lisa
16:28
a great question. That's tichina. Tina,

16:32
Sheena,

16:33
Toshima? That's a great question. Because you're absolutely right. There's a stereotype that happens with just because we're women, men might think that we're supposed to act a certain way. And when it you know, we come off as being strong and confident, then that looks different. But the person, the man right next to us can have the same traits, same personality and then get rewarded and promoted. Right. So number one, I'm glad that you're bringing that to your leadership teams attention, whether is your manager, your male manager, I'm glad you need to point that out to them

17:15
that, hey,


17:16
I'm seeing a bias here. Right? The second thing, sometimes men don't know how to support strong women leaders. I asked one of my clients this same question, I asked her, Was she a purple unicorn? And she's like, what I was like, yeah, cuz your manager does not know what to do with you. He does not know how to support you. So you know, my first question, is he open to, you know, feedback, right? You might have to help him support you, because he don't know what to do. No, know what to do. And you don't know what you need.

Michele Heyward
17:58
Exactly, exactly.

Lisa
18:00
Right. So so you might be in that same position, right? Like your manager is not sure how to support you, a strong female leader who's managing a team of men. Right? So and that looks different. And some men could be intimidated by that. Some men will reward that like, great, you know, and some men just don't know what to do with it.

Michele Heyward
18:26
Now, I will put something out there. This is I can't remember people's Twitter, no Instagram, we always have these workshops about things women can do with these workshops, what men need to learn how to do, how to learn how to manage women, how do you need to learn how to manage women who are introverts? How do you need to learn how to manage women? Who are strong leaders? How were those workshops,

Lisa
18:51
you notice that you write you never see those kinds of workshops, but you do see workshops for women, you know, increasing, women getting better working on themselves, but you don't see. So again, and if the organization isn't providing that kind of training, right, to managers, male or female managers, that some of the managers are out there on their own. Right. And so, you know, how do you as a strong female leader, how do you have that conversation, a career conversation with your manager, and tell the person you know, hey,

19:33
look, here's

Lisa
19:34
how I need support, you know, and this is what it looks like. Because if you just say support, they might not know what that is like I am supporting you. You know, listening, I'm, you know, what, let me get specific, this is what I need from you. And let's have a dialogue about it. So you don't see that a lot and some men would totally like, appreciate Oh, thanks. You now you do have others that would be like, well, how dare you know? So it really depends on who you're dealing with. And whether you trust the pert, you know, trust that manager employee trust is there, because that's not always there as well.

Michele Heyward
20:16
And absolutely, is, is, and that was that's just a whole other discussion, I started to hope we're gonna need to do another webinar, we're gonna have to do a special where the talks that really need to happen about the change that really needs to go on in the workplace. That's really not the people, but it's the management styles. Yes, it's always my direct managers leadership loves me, hence why I keep progressing.

20:47
Hmm.

20:50
Wow.

20:52
That's a great, great feedback and great comments.

Michele Heyward
20:55
Yes, I love being over here. So. So if you want to get more of this, you can join. You can sign up for Risa session on Saturday. It is over here, right here at Bitly bi t.ly. forward slash mid level to executive you can check out her her bio, you can just buy a ticket for her session or other sessions for the conference. We are every set for more Saturday night every Saturday. Let me just get. We did we did want to Saturday, we have four more to go. Lisa is the only trainer we have this Saturday on October 31. Didn't know what you're gonna do for Halloween. So we didn't want to keep you too long on Halloween. So we made it just a single session. But definitely, definitely come check her out. These are the this is the difference between a one hour webinar and three and a half hours because you get to ask your very targeted and specific question for your needs. And we're able to, she's able to dig in deeper and really help you understand the tech tools and techniques you can use right now and even where to go further in your career. So it is worth an investment for you in the long term for your career. So definitely definitely check her out.

22:19
Lisa,

Michele Heyward
22:20
I can't wait. This is

22:22
super exciting. We're gonna have fun. We're gonna learn a lot. But you know, we don't we're gonna have fun while we're doing it. 

Michele Heyward
22:32
Yeah. And we'll make her give y'all some breaks. So y'all get a 30 minute lunch in there. So yes,

22:37
yeah,

Michele Heyward
22:38
just just plan for at least four hours to tune in two ish, maybe 230 ish, but we'll get you done. We'll get her done. All right, everybody. Have a great night and we will check with you later. Bye, everybody.

22:55
Bye bye.