Around the Web: Maintaining Professionalism In The Age of Black Death Is….A Lot

Today's Around the Web is a Medium article by Shenequa Golding that I could barely get through reading without crying, because I have not been able to confront my feelings about the world I have to live and work in. Prior to the COVID shutdowns, I lost two close relatives, and I kept working. The world came to a standstill, death and illness seemed omnipresent, and we were all forced indoors, and I kept working (my work increased). This past week, something finally broke there was no more denying and pushing through all of my feelings. I cried and worked and cried. One of the biggest threats to Black achievement, and even existence, in Corporate America, is the unspoken requirement that Black workers compartmentalize and suppress the challenges of existing while Black in a system designed for racists by racists. 

Shenqua Golding's article captures this feeling:

"We’re biting our tongues, swallowing our rage and fighting back tears to remain professional because expressing that hurt caused by witnessing black death is considered more unprofessional, than black men and women actually being killed."

Read the full article here.

Around the Web: Get Clever about Working from Home

Clever Girl Finance presents "How to Work From Home: 10 Tips to Stay Productive" and here are a few of our favorite tips from the post:

Create your list of goals for the day

"Having a list of goals or workday priorities can help improve your focus and in turn your productivity. Sometimes work tasks can be overwhelming and so it's a good idea to make a list of the top 3 to 5 work tasks you need to get done each day.

Doing this will keep you on top of your tasks and remind you of what you need to get done within your designated work hours."

Authenticity: Who You are is Non-Negotiable, by Caroline Wanga

Caroline Wanga shares her insights on authenticity in the workplace and beyond. 

Around the Web: Ellevate presents 10 Rules of Success for Women of Color at Work

"Keep showing up, persevering and demonstrating your best efforts. While your work may go unnoticed at times, it’s important to consistently show up and bring your best contribution to the table." - Solonge Lopes

Ellevate.com published an article written by Solange Lopes, CPA providing career advice for Women of Color at work. Here are a few of our favorite excerpts:

Stop being afraid of being yourself.

"Most people in the corporate world wear a mask. It’s just a fact. However, for women of color at work, wearing a mask has many times been a necessity. According to studies by the Center for Women Policy, 21% of women of color do not think they can be themselves at work. Another 28 to 44% believe they must downplay their ethnicity to increase their chances of success at work.

While this is still the reality in many, if not most, corporate environments, authenticity is still the best way to change the dialogue about women of color at work. The more we hide behind our corporate masks, the less we can bring focus on the actual issues faced by women of color at work."

Get used to being uncomfortable.

"Being a woman of color at work rhymes with being uncomfortable. Not only are there very few other women of color in the room, but our lack of representation can also make it challenging for others to understand the struggles we may face.

However, being uncomfortable is also an advantage. The more uncomfortable you are, the more prepared you tend to be. Getting used to uncomfortable and challenging environments is also the key to being innovative and a high performer."

Around the Web: BE Recognizes "Most Powerful Women in Corporate America"

Today's Around the Web comes from Black Enterprise's editing staff. It is a list of the most powerful Black Women in Corporate America. Among other criteria set out in the article, the list includes "Top-tier executives who serve as corporate officers or members of the senior leadership team."

"A black woman may not be the image that comes to mind for most people when they hear corporate power—and it certainly won’t be the result of a Google search—but around here, we know better. Women of color are remaking the face of leadership teams and C-suites at corporations across the country and around the globe.

So we’re celebrating the fearless female executives who have managed both to stand firm in the face of hostile corporate environments and to take the bull by the metaphorical horns, powering their careers to the top.

The recent Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey and LeanIn showed that black women receive the least support of all women (and significantly less support than men) from their managers, with just 35% reporting that their managers create opportunities for them to showcase their work, promote their contributions to others, or socialize with them outside of work. 

So how have dozens of black women overcome these obstacles to make it to the top of the corporate ladder? By owning their power, of course."

A few names on the list which boasts 136 women leaders include: JoAnn Jenkins (CEO, AARP), Patricia Maryland (EVP, Ascension), Rosalind Brewer (COO, Starbucks), Ann-Marie Campbell (EVP, Home Depot), Rhonda Ferguson (CLO, Union Pacific), Carla Harris (Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley), Freda Lewis-Hall (Chief Medical Officer, Pfizer), and Wanji Walcott (General Counsel, PayPal).

Check out the full article here: Most Powerful Women in Corporate America

Lex Reflects: Making Black Women in corporate leadership positions more visible is so important for the future of Black Women in leadership. IncorporatingU salutes Black Enterprise for this important effort. 

Around the Web: BE Assembles Your Mentoring Dream Team

Black Enterprise's Kandia Johnson recently presented her list of must-have mentors in #SquadGoals: 5 Types of Mentors Everyone Needs to Succeed:

"When it comes to achieving success, sometimes we’re too quick to give up. We can allow things like setbacks, fear, loneliness, ego, and false expectations stop us from reaching our goals. But, with the right mentors—a squad comprised of coaches, supporters, and disruptors—we can get ahead in our careers and get through this thing called life.

Here are five types of mentors everyone needs to succeed.

Mentor 1: The Challenger

Taking constructive criticism is hard, but it’s necessary for career advancement. The Challenger is a straight shooter—the one who doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, but tells you what you need to hear. They’re visionaries who embrace disruption, so they’ll challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and take a risk. And, they won’t tolerate too many excuses.

 Mentor 2: The Industry Insider

When it comes to your chosen field, the Insider knows about the good, the bad, and the ugly. They can help you strategize on ways to navigate the culture, and position you for success."

Check out the full article: 5 Types of Mentors Everyone Needs to Succeed

Lex Reflects:

I really enjoyed this article. I think it is important to remember that a good mentor can serve more than one of these roles, but you also don't want to exhaust that person's capacity to be a resource to you. My mentoring style is definitely that of a challenger. I love pushing my mentees beyond the assumptions, expectations and doubts that they sometimes have. I think my biggest mentoring struggle is the role of cheerleader. I seek constructive criticism, but shy away from positive feedback. As a result, it is also hard for me to be a cheerleader for others. I am proud and excited when my mentees succeed, but I struggle to convey those feelings.

Around the Web: What you missed in Dame Dash's Breakfast Club Interview

Back in March, Dame Dash did an interview on The Breakfast Club. I don't follow the show or Mr. Dash hence this delayed post, but a friend recently brought the interview to my attention. I've reached a place in my career where entrepreneurial thoughts monopolize my days in the office and this interview gave me a lot more to think about. It was interesting. Even if the underlying messages of "be your own boss" and "invest in yourself" are worn out, the delivery and examples of practical applications make the interview worth the watch. Warning: The interview is long, combative and offensive to pretty much every category of person. It is full of many ideas to which I do not subscribe. Watch at your own risk.

Here's what I found when I stepped back to think about Dame Dash's statements:

Diversify your Network. 

Mr. Dash appears on the show with two individuals with whom he has both personal and business relationships with. These men are not in suits, they don't have fancy titles...these are neighborhood dudes from Harlem that challenge him, encourage him and support him. CEO's don't become successful and remain successful by only spending time with other CEO's. One of the biggest mistakes new Corporates (especially new Black Corporates) make is assuming that people who are not in Corporate America don't have anything to teach you or offer you to succeed in Corporate America. Grandma may not have had the opportunities to go to school and succeed in the business world because of a whole host of 'isms, but she probably knows how to hustle in a way your roommate at WhoGivesA University does not.

Around the Web:10 CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

This week we bring you an "Around the Web" from Chris Hogan on characteristics of highly successful people. While most lists like these are cliché, unimaginative and lacking substance, Chris gives helpful advice for young corporate leaders. Here are our top picks: 

"It’s easy to get sidetracked by the trivial. If you’re not careful, you’ll spend valuable time on distractions that don’t help you reach your goals. Successful people concentrate on those tasks that line up with their mission and vision."

InterviewingU: Interview with Sherri of Corporate Curls

We had the pleasure of interviewing Sherri of Corporate Curls to talk about her work to make Corporate America a safe place for natural hair.

Fast Fasts about Sherri

             Name: Sherri of Corporate Curls

Age: Still a Spring Chicken

From: North Carolina

Job: Corporate America – Manger of people. 

Lex: What are some of your hobbies?

Sherri: I love creating beauty with my hands including, but not limited to, drawing, styling hair, painting, and sewing.

IncorporatingUS: Setting Effective Career Goals from Friends of Ebonie

This is an older post from Friends of Ebonie, but good advice doesn't have an expiration date. Angel McNeil gives readers 5 ways to set effective career goals and here's our favorite:

Make them SMART

 

"SMART= (goals that are) Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, and Timely. This simple idea can help you to achieve your goals and be able to articulate what you want and what it looks like. We might set a goal that says “I will submit my paperwork on time” but that goal is too broad. If we take that same goal and make it SMART it might say I will submit all budget reports to my manager every Friday by 4pm. This goal tells us what we are striving to do, when we are supposed to do, and who is involved in that goals. SMART goals lend us a level of accountability and motivation. Boom!"

Check out the full list here: Ready, Set, Goals!

IncorporatingUs: Tips Around the Web for Navigating Corporate America

Access is everything. The team searches for online communities, advice, and information that tackle some of the questions we want to explore. This post is a compilation of some of our favorite tips and insights from around the web on navigating Corporate America.

"Tips to Survive in Corporate America"

Blogger “Shady_Grady” of Urban Politico weighs in with tips for surviving Corporate America. Here are a few gems:

“Always strive for excellence: There's no reason you shouldn't be the best at your job. Ok, maybe there is a reason but you should certainly TRY to be the best. And if you fail try harder next time. This is especially important if you happen to be Black as likely there are more than a few people in your company who have negative stereotypes about your intelligence, your credentials, your work ethic and the quality of work that you produce. But Black or not, one of the best ways to keep your job and/or rise in the company is to have an unblemished reputation for quality work and for being able to pick up new assignments quickly. . .”

“Use Careful Communication: In terms of emails, instant messages, written documents, text messages, chances are that your company either views what you write or maintains an archive of what you wrote. Some companies use key-loggers. And I'm not even going to get started about inappropriate internet usage. There are different rules at various companies but a good rule of thumb is that if you wrote it over their network, it's theirs. They can look at it if they want to do so. . .”

IncorporatingUs: Black Enterprise's Five Black CFOs Calling the Shots in Corporate America

Occasionally, we'll feature articles and videos from around the internet. Look out for more IncorporatingUs posts. Today's feature is Black Enterprise's "Women of Power: Five Black CFOs Calling the Shots in Corporate America.

 Mary A. Winston, Family Dollar Stores, Inc.

"For three years, Mary A. Winston has been the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Family Dollar Stores, Inc. She oversees finance and accounting, corporate communications and enterprise strategy functions. Previously, Ms. Winston served as VP and CFO for Giant Eagle, Inc. and EVP and CFO for Scholastic Corporation. She graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a BBA and later acquired an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. The wife and mother of two currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina."

See the full list here:  http://www.blackenterprise.com/career/women-power-five-black-cfos-calling-shots-corporate-america/