Women + Media Career Summit
As a country and as a society, when it comes to women’s rights and their place in the workforce, we’ve come a long way. However, every once in a while, we get a reminder that where women are concerned, as a country and as a society, we still have a long way to go. For me, that reminder was the Women and Media Career Summit; it’s an event where top executives and professionals, who are women, spend the day empowering, motivating and inspiring students from across the country. One of the reasons this summit was created is because in the media industry, women, especially women in leadership roles, are still highly underrepresented. So, for me, being in a room full of women who are leaders in a field that primarily made up of men was amazing.
Even though the official theme of the summit was“Take Charge of Your Future,” if I had to pick a theme of the day, I would say it was empowerment. But not just self-empowerment, but empowerment of others, as well. During one of the panel discussions – How to Take Charge of Your Future– Megan Clarken, Chief Commercial Officer at Nielsen Global Media said, “to be a powerful woman, is to empower women.” And I completely agree with this statement. In American society, most women are not taught to lead, so there’s a misconception; only one woman can be in a leadership role within a company. Therefore, for her to succeed every other woman within that company must fail. When in actuality, this is not true. And this point was proven throughout the day as speaker after speaker shared stories about other women who had helped them along the way in their career.
In her workshop, Building Strategic Relationships and Your Reputation, Kameka Dempsey, founder of KD Leadership Strategies, shared a story of a colleague who helped her along in her career. One day after they had both given a presentation, Dempsey’s colleague approached her asking for feedback. And according to Dempsey, she was speechless. One, because this was the first time a colleague had ever asked her for feedback after a presentation. And since no one had ever done that before, Dempsey admitted that she was not paying attention to the things her colleague had done well and the things she needed to improve. So, what ended up happening was that Dempsey told the colleague she would get back to her, but instead of ending the conversation there, the colleague gave Dempsey feedback on things she’d done well and things she needed to improve. Although it was a brief exchange, it had a huge impact on her life; along with highlighting areas she needed to work on, that colleague changed Dempsey’s attitude about future presentations. Now, she says, that she actively seeks feedback from others about how she can strengthen her public speaking skills. She also actively listens, so she can help others improve their skills as well.
Although feedback may not seem like a big deal, in her workshop Dempsey said that one mistake people often make is thinking that others will tell them how they’re doing. And this sort of thinking has caused many people to lose their jobs. Therefore, Dempsey says that everyone should “get feedback. Be relentless, but not annoying.” Along with doing a regular check-in with a manager, in the pursuit of getting feedback, it’s also important to be specific about the kind of feedback you’re looking for. Why? Because the goal of quality feedback is to help someone “change a behavior or repeat it.”
Along with seeking feedback, Dempsey said it’s also important to have mentors and sponsors. The reason people need both is because a mentor is an advisor, while a sponsor is someone who “will get you a job.” How? Because a sponsor will see your worth ethic, they will see your accomplishments, and they will speak highly of you when you’re not in the room. And one way to get a sponsor is by “doing good work. And always delivering.” By doing this, Dempsey says, “you will be the person decision-makers think about.” So, even though you might not be in the room when a new job position arises, “your reputation will show up.”
Overall, the Women and Media Career Summit was a wonderful experience, and I’m happy to have been in a room full of powerful women who are not only making an impact in the media industry but also paying it forward by empowering others, as well.
