What's the price of beauty as it relates to your career?
From a professional standpoint, I often counsel women on the importance of executive presence which includes physical appearance, communication ability and authentic connection. When I talk about physical appearance, I'm typically referring to charisma and poise. Rarely do I talk about a person's clothing or physical beauty although clearly that is part of it.
If you assumed that being good-looking gives you a career edge, then guess what? You're right. Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor at the University of Texas in Austin, talks about the benefits in his book, Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful.
Attractive people earn three to four percent more than someone with average looks. That's an estimated $230,000 more over the life of a career.
Why do good-looking people have this advantage? Like it or not, good-looking people are perceived to be more charming which means they get hired faster, make more sales and get more raises.
No matter what you look like physically there are things that you can do to enhance your physical appearance. If your goal is to move ahead in your career and make more money then it pays do whatever you can to look good at work.
The bottom line is that someone is going to make more money. At the end of the day, that someone could be you.
What's the price of beauty as it relates to your career? Share your comments here. 
P.S. Join me next week and find out the how to embrace the spirit of abundance and put a holiday twist on networking. (Learn More)
What myths are holding your career back?
There are a lot of myths that have been coming to light with regards to women's careers. Sometimes we need to take a step back, examine them and then put those myths to rest once and for all.
In the November issue of The WATT® Report, our email newsletter for WATT® Network members, I shared my thoughts on several career myths and ways to overcome them. (Contact info@theWATTnetwork.com to learn how to join, subscribe or receive a complimentary copy.)
I also shared information on how to make more money, what the chief executive of Dun & Bradstreet had to say about balance, and the results from our 2011 Women at the Top® Study.
What career myths have you bought into? Share your comments here.
P.S. Sign up for our upcoming programs! (Schedule of Events) You will gain practical skills and be inspired to reach for the top. Most programs are FR*EE for members or a small fee for guests!
What can you learn from these women at the top?
Yesterday my company hosted our annual Women at the Top® Panel Program. Normally I’m the moderator but this year to switch things up a bit, and to provide me with some relief while dealing with a sick family member who later passed away, founding member, Cindy Haas took the helm and moderated our panel program.
In talking with those who listened in on the call, they told me they walked away with some great information, as our moderator guided the panelists (including me!) through some great questions.
Here are some of the nuggets of wisdom shared by our panelists on the call:
“Control what you can and don’t let the things you can’t control eat you up.”
– Laura Helumueller, Senior Vice President & Market Manager, Bremer Bank
“Do good work and people will see that so when you do take risks, you’ll have a foundation to work from.”
– Sona Mehring, Founder & CEO, CaringBridge
“Don’t be afraid to take risks.”
– Regina Barr, Founder & CEO, Red Ladder and Founder, Women at the Top® Network
I always appreciate hearing from other women what the keys to their success are. Maybe because I’ve come to learn that, despite what we may think, we don’t have to walk the road to success alone. We can learn and be inspired by the experiences – good, bad or otherwise – of other women who have walked a similar path.
These women graciously shared their revelations on how you can raise your profile, achieve career success and gain access to the executive suite. In today's fast-paced work environment we can all use a little wisdom now and then.
In the spirit of learning from each other, what advice do you have for other women who are aspiring to play at the top of their game? Share your comments here.
Regina
Regina Barr
Founder, Women at the Top® Network
P.S. Don't forget to register for my upcoming interview with Shaunti Feldhahn, author of The Male Factor: The Unwritten Rules, Misperceptions, and Secret Believes of Men in the Workplace on November 10th, 12 noon CT! (Learn More or Register Here.)
2011 Women at the Top® Study Reveals Progress for Women in Banking
This year’s study included a broader number of positions – 940 – than in years past, but overall the results remained the same: 17.6 percent of women hold management jobs at big U.S. banks, compared with 17.4 percent in 2010 when just 540 positions were evaluated.
However, broadening the range of the study also yielded a noticeable finding: there were 40 women in top jobs. The results showed more women in senior management jobs – including three CEOs, an improvement from none in 2010, and nine CFOs, up from four last year. The number of women in other chief positions at the big banks – ranging in size from $12 billion to nearly $1.8 trillion – increased too.
To learn more about this study, you can read the press release here or you can access the executive summary here.
Regardless of what industry you work in, I hope you are seeing progress too. I'd like to know either way. Share your comments here.
What impact does the media have on role models and your career?
The film Miss Representation exposes how American youth are being sold the concept that women and girls’ value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality. MissRepresentation.org seeks to break the cycle of mistruths.
Why is this important to you? Because we are inundated with media every day. As a society, we learn more from the media than any other source of information. And, while the studies have shown that what holds women back is the lack of role models, mentors, and sponsors, it all begins with role models.
Marie Wilson, Founding President of The White House Project, says it best: you can't be what you can't see. This is true for women just as much as girls.
Rachel Maddow (host, MSNBC ) disccussed the effort that was made by other powerful women in television to reach out to welcome her, to tell her how happy they were that she was there, and that they wanted to be a resource for her. If only more women provided this support to other aspiring women leaders. (Read my post on Tall Poppy Syndrome.)
Do you feel the media has an impact on role models and your career? Share your comments here.
P.S. Be inspired by women who have successfully risen through the ranks. Join us on 10/27 for our Annual Women at the Top® Panel program! (Learn More or Register Here)
Could this be why more women aren't "heard" at work?
Here's what happened. I was facilitating a workshop with almost 170 people. I had the participants do a table exercise. I asked each table to identify a spokesperson. After completing the exercise, I asked for several volunteers to share their results with the larger group. I only had time to have a few of the tables share results.
Of the four tables that volunteered to share information, I realized (too late), that all of the spokespersons were men. I didn't realize this until after I had asked for my final volunteer and of course, a man raised his hand. Had I realized this sooner, I would have made an attempt to get one of the women to share some comments.
Is this an anomaly? I don't think so.
I wrote earlier this year about attending a large event hosted by Financial Executives International. There were several hundred people in the audience, but only a handful of women including me. When they opened up the floor to questions, I realized that none of the women were raising their hands and asking questions. I raised my hand but again, it was too late. They took their final question (from a man) and then wrapped up the event.
Here's the bottom line. You have to speak up if you want to be heard at work. That means you need to offer your input during meetings, raise your hands and ask questions during presentations, and yes, volunteer to be the spokesperson during training. It's really that simple.
In this situation we have no one to blame but ourselves. Are you being heard at work? Share your comments here.
Do you know the #1 way to fast forward your career?
This is a question that I often ask my clients. The answer? Build social capital.
To be honest, sometimes I even forget how important this is. With fourth quarter just kicking off, now is a great time to think about ways you can build and grow your social capital.
In the October issue of The WATT® Report, our email newsletter for WATT® Network members, I shared my thoughts on ways you can go about building social capital. (Contact info@theWATTnetwork.com to learn how to join, subscribe or receive a complimentary copy.)
What are you doing to build your social capital? Share your comments here.
Do you ever feel like you're juggling glass balls?
I don't know about anyone else, but I've been operating at one speed these past two weeks, and that is overdrive. That has put me into one single mental state: overwhelm. Can you relate?
Since I seem to be perpetually doling out advice to clients, I find it important to at least attempt to practice what I preach. So having said that, I'll admit that juggling everything has been a wee bit of a challenge. Good thing that I'm so resilient said tongue-in-cheek.
Which reminded me of a passage that I read in a James Paterson book, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. (Shocker! It's not a business book.) In it the main character is talking about recovering from a heart attack at age 35. A doctor friend told her the story of five balls and, for a rather mindless fiction book, I thought the story was, and is, still relevant.
The story of the five balls goes like this. You imagine that life is a game in which you are required to juggle five balls. The balls are the usual suspects: work, family, health, friends and integrity. (Well, maybe the integrity ball surprised you but it's especially relevant now more than ever, given today's business environment.) Your job is to keep all the balls in the air, but then you realize that not all the balls are the same. Hmm...
The work ball is made of rubber. So guess what? If you drop that one, it will bounce right back. (Be careful that it doesn't hit you!) The other balls, however, are made of glass. That's right. If you drop your family, health, friends or integrity, they could become scuffed, nicked, and even damaged beyond repair. Not good, right?
The idea is that once you begin to understand the lesson of the five balls, then you will finally have balance in your life. (Or, if you're a slow learner, a lot of shattered balls!)
I don't believe in balance per se, I believe in integration. But the message of the five balls still resonated with me because, on occasion, even I have dropped a few balls, often the non-work variety. Enough said.
Have you ever dropped a few balls? Share your comments here. 
Has this career crossroad ever derailed your career?
1. Off-ramping to have a baby or take care of children.
2. Re-entry after maternity leave or the kids have gone back to school.
Many women find these crossroads to be particularly challenging. What's the biggest obstacle?
Fear.
Will I have a job when I go back? Will my skills be obsolete? Will I fit in since so much has changed since I left? The list goes on and on.
Last week I asked author Karen Kodzik about this while interviewing her, and she said the best way to move past the fear is to know that you always have options. The next best thing? Know yourself, make a choice and develop a roadmap.
The reality is this. Women have babies and are typically the caregivers for family members in society. Off-ramping and on-ramping are normal crossroads for women. The sooner we all recognize that - particularly the companies we work for - the better off we'll all be.
Have you ever been derailed for taking time off for family? Share your comments here.
Do you think a corporate revolution is coming?
It's not usually my style, but I have to admit when I read this article, Social Power and the Coming Corporate Revolution, skepticism broke out all over me.
Don't get me wrong. I love the idea that employees and customers will call the shots. If you think about the fact that women control 80% of the buying decisions, and make up over half the work force, this thought makes my head just spin with possibility.
Why? Because all I can think of will be all those great opportunities for women that will be just around the corner up ahead. That's when the skepticism sets in.
Not to be a Debbie-downer (as my friend Cindy would say) but here's the current reality. Most people I know employed by large companies are not calling the shots. In fact, most corporate employees I know are hanging on for dear life as they try to manage workloads and keep their jobs.
As for customers, service across the board has taken such a hit that I think most of us, by default, stay where we're at (regardless of how poorly we're served) because of the unknown: the next company could be worse!
Am I the only skeptic in the crowd? Share your comments here.
Regina Barr
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