Are “Returnships” A Solid Option For Women?

photo of woman standing inside a cave in a beam of light that is streaming in from opening

Many adults need to take an off-ramp from the professional workplace during their careers. Birthing/caring for children, looking after aging family members, following a partner due to dual-career challenges and military service are just a few of the reasons why people – especially women – may find themselves reducing hours or taking a complete leave of absence from full time work. The demands placed on women have become even more apparent during COVID when virtual schooling and the lack of available childcare have placed more pressure on parents as they try to keep all the balls in the air.

One opportunity that may help more women re-enter the worplace as we find our way out of the COVID tunnel is the concept of “returnships”. Returnship programs are similar to internships but are meant specifically for those who are looking to rejoin the workforce after taking time away. This link from August 2020 shares a list of 15 companies that have instituted returnship programs. In addition, this piece from Fortune shares thoughts on how this model may be particularly useful for women in a post-COVID workforce.

Women Entrepreneurs You Should Be Following

cartoon with word "follow" and an index finger about to press it.

This piece from the Motley Fool highlights ten female entrepreneurs to follow as we head into 2021. The piece has links to different podcasts hosted by these women as well as links to resources and their twitter feeds. These leaders include:

  • Arlan Hamilton – Backstage Capital
  • Barbara Weltman – lawyer and founder of Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc
  • Lizelle van Vuuren – Undock
  • Amanda Boleyn – She Did It Her Way
  • Sonia Thompson – Thompson Media Group
  • Sallie Krawcheck – Ellevest
  • Emily Thompson – Almanac Supply Co
  • Kathleen Shannon – Braid Creative and Consulting
  • Beth Buelow – author and podcaster
  • Ahyiana Angel – Mayzie Media

Advice From Walgreens’ New CEO

Headshot of Rosalind Brewer - soon to be new CEO at Walgreens

At the end of February, Rosalind Brewer, who is currently COO at Starbucks, will leave that position to become CEO of drugstore chain Walgreens. Once in this post, she will be the only Black woman currently serving as a Fortune 500 CEO, and just the third Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 firm in history. (There are currently only 37 women in CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies)

According to this CNBC article, during a recent speech, Brewer commented on the reality that many women experience bias and gender discrimination in the workplace. She said that her most critical message to women in business is to “stay steadfast” and know that “your voice matters.”

Radical Candor Explained in Six Minutes

“Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity” is a New York Times best-selling book published in 2017 by Kim Scott. The term “radical candor” is defined by Scott as the ability to challenge directly and show that you care personally at the same time. While that seems like it should be every leader’s goal, the reality is that being radically candid is challenging – often because it is counterintuitive to how we have been raised.

radical candor framework - x and y axis with four labeled quadrants.

Scott breaks down the concept of radical candor and outlines the other quadrants where we can find ourselves in this six-minute video. If you want to dig a little deeper, she has a podcast and a blog as well.

SBA Launches Largest Expansion of Women’s Business Centers in 30 Years

Small Business Administration logo

According to this recent post, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced grant funding along with the launch of 20 new Women’s Business Centers (WBC) that will be opened across America. These new centers will serve rural, urban, and underserved communities. The move to open 20 new WBCs is the largest single expansion of the program since it began 30 years ago. Check out the post to read more about where the centers will be located as well as to access other resources from the SBA.

Thinking Back and Looking Forward

headshot of Caroline Kim Oh
Caroline Kim Oh

Caroline Kim Oh is an executive and leadership coach and has also been a course facilitator in the Women’s Entrepreneurship Certificate program. She just sent out a “year end review” newsletter that contained a link to a expert interview she had with WID (Women In Development). While the article is usually only available to members of WID, it was reprinted with permission here. While reflection is a common practice as we near the end of a calendar year, Caroline’s interview shares examples of important questions that we should all be asking ourselves at any time of the year to help reflect, reset, and refocus.

Link to Webinar – Codeswitching: Navigating the Dynamics of Workplace Norms

Headshot of Professor Courtney McCluney from webinar given through eCornell

In this webinar from December 15, 2020, Professor Deborah Streeter had a conversation with Professor Courtney McCluney about the concept of codeswitching and how it affects the everyday realities of marginalized, devalued, and underrepresented employees at work. To view the recording, click this link

Resources mentioned during the discussion included:

  • Book: “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo
  • Book: “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson
  • Book: “The Souls of White Folk” by W.E.B. Du Bois (link to NPR piece discussing book with Ibram X. Kendi)
  • Essay: “The Souls of White Folk” by W.E.B. Du Bois (link)
  • Publication: From Harvard Business Review – “Advancing Black Leaders” – (available for purchase via this link)
  • More information about Professor McCluney and her research can be found on her website or you can follow her on Twitter at @CL_McCluney

Podcast Featuring Melanie Hart

“If your life is your currency, decide how you want to invest and spend it.”

Melanie Hart
W.O.C at Work podcast logo

In the W.O.C @ Work podcast, Rai King and Dr. Blanca Ruiz explore what it means to be a woman of color in the workplace by elevating the voices of female-identifying leaders of color in order to shed light on their common experiences as they push for transformational change in organizations across the country.

In this episode, Rai and Blanca talk with Melanie Hart ( Chief Diversity Officer and Sr. VP for Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice at The New School in New York City) about traversing white-dominant education spaces as a confident woman of color. Melanie also reveals what it looks like to take off that cape and rest to help heal from a traumatic event. This podcast is a must listen for all women.

Making Small Talk In a Virtual World

Woman on a zoom videoconference on her laptop

In the midst of a pandemic, it seems almost comical to greet others on the Zoom videoconference or in the grocery store with a “How are you?” yet that seems to be the default for most people. This March 2019 CNBC post shared results from a study out of Harvard that analyzed small talk and determined that those people who asked more meaningful questions were perceived as being more likeable. The piece shares 7 tactics for improving your small talk – which is even more important now when our in-person interactions are more limited!

Brené Brown Interviews Elizabeth Lesser

Book jacket for "Cassandra Speaks" by Elizabeth Lesser

Professor and best-selling author Brené Brown recently shared an Unlocking Us podcast where she interviewed author Elizabeth Lesser on her recent book entitled Cassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes.

Cassandra Speaks looks at the cultural stories we all know and often blindly believe – from famous myths to religious parables to fairy tales. Each story shares specific lessons about gender roles, power, leadership and other values. Yet all of these stories throughout history have mostly been written by men. Despite our evolution as a society, these stories and the way we carry the lessons within us endure. This book – as well as the podcast – is about what happens when women become the storytellers and explain what it is to be human from their perspective.