Workplace lessons for women from the 2016 election
NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Is America still not ready to have a woman at the top? It's a question people have been asking since the presidential election. Women have come so far in the workplace, but we're still battling unequal pay and we still don't have a female president.
Ora Shtull, an executive coach in New York, says that in many ways, the election was a blessing in disguise. She believes Hillary Clinton gave us the shoulders to climb up and stand on so that we can continue to work.
And while many women are disappointed that Clinton didn't become our first female president, Ora says there are tons of positive takeaways even from a campaign as nasty as this one.
She says Hillary made us very conscious of the importance of self-promotion. Ora says many women think self-promotion is a dirty word and believes we can learn from powerful figures like Hillary, that in order to get promoted, we have to promote ourselves.
Ora says it's as simple as making your workplace conversations more meaningful. You don't have to brag, but she says you do have to talk about your accomplishments factually. So rather than talking about the weather in the elevator, talk about a project you're excited about. Talk about some of the challenges you've faced, some of the actions you took, and finally, talk about the results.
From hotel names and Make America Great Again hats, to pantsuits and Stronger Together signs, consider the value of a personal brand.
Why do we need personal brands? Ora says a personal brand is our unique promise of value. We have to understand what our super powers are. We have to communicate them, and exude them every day, so people come and choose us to do the stuff we love to do.
And you can start small. Ora, a mother of three, including two daughters, says young professionals today can make so much progress in just a few minutes a day.
Her message to younger people is it's your career -- own it. To be successful, you have to invest in yourself. She likes to say that you should at least spend 9 minutes a day working on your own professional development. That can be as simple as using your commute to read articles or a book on advancing your career, going on LinkedIn, or sending some networking emails.
Whatever you do, don't underestimate the value of working on YOU.