Oh Marcus I Love You

He's like a therapist for your career, with a cute accent and lots of supportive phrases like, "oh love, you've got a wee problem." If you've read any of Marcus Buckingham's books, you know that he has an interesting way of looking at personalities and how they affect performance at work. Now you can take an online course through Saint Oprah's website, available here. It's great for anyone looking for a career makeover, or just an attitude re-adjustment.

Thank You

The year has flown by, and before it gets to the end, a thank you is in order. Thank you for reading this blog, linking to it, tagging it...you rock! For 2009, we've got some great professional women lined up to give YOU their advice, stories, and get-ahead (or just get-along!) tips. You can expect coverage of events that affect us all in our professional lives - and for us the professional is the personal. Your feedback, comments and ideas are much appreciated. Thank you for reading!

Here we go again...

Living in or around Washington, D.C., you feel a particular sense of deja vu every four years. Same as it ever was, to quote that annoying song. Now this is not to say that just the fact that Obama is headed to the White House isn't a big shakeup. No, it's just that Washingtonians tend to take a slightly longer view of the changes that come with each election. Your party's out? Wait awhile. You're in? Live it up now before things change. Frankly, with senators living up the street (and stealing your bananas at the grocery store, re-told humorously as a family story...yes that really happened) and the Beltway being just another parking lot, we're not going to see a lot that ain't been seen. However, as inauguration day nears (and no, we're not renting out our houses and yes, we're avoiding the city that day) there is an interesting game of "who's in and who's out" being played this year.

Of course, first and foremost we're watching Obama to try and guess the significance of his Cabinet picks. Oh, the majority play basketball? Fodder for actual (if lame) conversations. How many came from the Clinton White House? How many are Black? Latino? And of course, we can't escape the gender discussion, which leads me to ask about Caroline Kennedy.

This could either be the media stirring up the Camelot pot or a reflection of how people really feel. It is intriguing that Caroline Kennedy is interested in Hillary's old seat. Think there'd be any mentoring there? Maybe Hillary could show Caroline a few things before she moves up into the stratosphere of the Sec job. To our surprise, Kennedy isn't interested in leading the Peace Corps, as some have suggested. She's going for the meat. Not only is her interest in the position pitting her against a Cuomo; he's also her ex-brother in law. Talk about complicated office politics.

Increasing your visibility

Kimberly H., a production assistant, is in her twenties. She assists two project managers in her office and she works on marketing/PR, recruiting and accounting efforts. Kimberly has advice for young women striving to carve out their own niche at the office. She says:

Do: Take on opportunities and roles in the office, especially ones that make you the go-to person for that specialty. Work outside of the confines of your job description to take on new duties that take the stress off of your superiors.

However, don't take on the thankless, time-consuming roles in the office. You won't necessarily get anywhere in your company if the "big job" you've taken upon yourself is to be the person that brings in the bagels every Friday morning. No one cares who brings in their sugar fix every Friday, they just want to make sure someone's doing it.

I've figured out to take on the "important" stuff in my office, like managing my office's bank account/check writing, taking on a large marketing role in the office, setting up and helping do interviews for new recruits, etc. People know to come to me for that stuff. I get to be one of the few females (and only admin) who gets to sit in all of the staff meetings with the higher-ups because of these roles. When offers come up that one of the admins in my office needs to become the person to refill the fridge every week with dozens of sodas or the one to order paper all the time, I politely decline. When it comes time for promotion or (higher) bonus opportunities, no one will consider "putting sodas in the fridge" as a big deal.

We couldn't agree more...ladies, do you ever see your male colleagues bringing in brownies that they baked over the weekend? Are they volunteering to buy paper towels at Costco? Don't think so. Your job is not to be the office mom or errand girl. There are plenty of thankless chores to be done at home. Certainly, do the jobs that your role requires. However, when you're looking for increased viability, think smart and determine what unique role you can play.

Y the Hype?

Mainstream media has covered the fact that Generation Y is currently descending on the workplace ad nauseum. Seriously, we're not all plugged into our iPods, wasting the day on facebook while the over 30's work their tails off. It's been a little disheartening to read the sweeping generalizations that seem to make up the bulk of these articles. Pink magazine did a great piece that more accurately describes how Millennials can add to an organization by forcing decision makers to build their brand beyond the typical modes of communication.

The side of the story that hasn't been adequately covered is that Millennials may actually be more uniquely qualified than any other generation in recent history. After all, isn't this the generation that was practically required to volunteer in order to get into college? Aren't these the same people who faced an uncertain economy (and this is before the recent bust) with optimism and intense networking to even get their first jobs? Yes, you can rag on us for our supposed lack of work ethic; however, here a just a few traits for which we're also being lauded:

goal orientation
positive attitude
desire to be engaged in our career (want "more than just a job")
technical ability
ability to effectively collaborate

Working well with Millennials, and especially managing them, requires a desire to know more about them as well as willingness to alter work patterns to fit their unique traits. Check out this great article for more ideas. Tomorrow, more on how inter-generational relationships affect our day to day work lives.

Must reads for professional women

A poll of successful, self-made professional women in the DC area revealed several books that are "must-reads." Once more than one woman mentioned a title, we knew it had to be included on this list for you! Among them are:

The Big Sister's Guide to the World of Work
The Art of War
Basic Black
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office

Do you have some titles that have made a difference to you at work? Share them in the comments section!

Catherine T. is one of the coolest women we know. She went from being a 60+ hour per week corporate attorney to a successful entrepreneur. She now runs a government consulting company and is working on her first novel.

What do you wish someone had told you when you were entering the workforce?
I wish someone had told me how important it was to make your boss happy. I operated under the naive impression that if I did good work, and tried hard, I would automatically get promoted. What I didn't take into account was the fact that each boss has a unique style of communication, specific likes and dislikes, and - surprise - they are human like me. Now, the employees I value most take the time to learn whether I like to communicate via phone or e-mail; they anticipate the questions I'm going to ask and they take the time to tailor their work style to mine. I know I can trust them to take over, which leaves me time to work on other projects. It also lets them grow their own skill set and build their resume.

Give some "do's and dont's" for young women to follow at work
Do: take feedback / constructive criticism for what it is - an opportunity to learn
Don't: think that you can build a career without putting in the hours - weekends, evenings, they're part of the dues-paying process early in your career.

A Ready Made Network

At Watch Her Back, we've got a great network of girlfriends, ex- and current co-workers, old bosses, gym buddies, and acquaintances...all professional women who act as our personal brain trust. When we need advice on handling a work situation, these are the ladies we go to. Now, their wisdom is at your disposal. Ask questions, provide feedback. Read us first, before you check your e-mail. You won't be disappointed.

Welcome to Everything You Didn't Know!

Welcome to Watch Her Back! At work, we're much more likely to hear "watch your back" than to be encouraged to reach a hand out to another woman. However, young women today are entering the workforce without fear of the glass ceiling. Whether your passion is winning your latest client, becoming a VP or just getting through the day, we've got something here for you. As a resource for young professional women, this blog represents a knowledge bank. Come here to find wisdom from professional women who have been there, conquered that.