TEMPE CHAMBER
What Do Women Want?
Advantage Feb. 2013 – May 2O13 • tempechamber.org
By Jan Whalen, President of WhalenVoices, LLC, Women in Business Council Chair “What do women want?” is an age-old question, a riddle – even a movie. What do women want? And more noteworthy, what do women need to be successful in 2013? Who cares enough to ask? Marketing folks ask; professional speakers ask; men continue to ask. The Tempe Chamber’s Women in Business (WIB) Council took the initiative to ask (and answer) this question. The WIB Council follows the legacy of many successful Arizona women: first female Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; Sharlot Hall, a dynamic historian of the past; Polly Rosenbaum, Arizona’s longest serving State Representative; former Governor Janet Napolitano, now serving as Secretary of Homeland
Security; and Governor Jan Brewer to name a few. Since the mission of the WIB Council is to support business women today, we felt the need to dig into what is currently in the minds and hearts of the women of 2013. We solicited information from our members who represent a variety of work environments from large companies to consultants and everything in between. What we found has provided us direction to achieve our organization’s mission. Words and themes came to the surface. “Igniting Your Personal Adventure” best describes our 2013 mission. Life is filled with contradicting events, emotions and situations. By setting our imaginations and minds on fire, life transforms from a drab existence of overcoming challenges and problems into an adventure ready for our exploration. And what do women want specifically? We boiled it down to 10 points that center around four overlying themes: self-awareness, balance, overcoming obstacles, and being part of a supportive team. All fundamental in nature, yet as in basketball or ballet, to strive for mastery, we return to the basics for a life well lived.
Here’s our top 10 list: 1. Self-awareness is the first step in getting what we want and need. Since we are constantly in transition, we face a new woman in the mirror each Jan. 1. 2. We need to build our self-esteem through education and reflection. With an increased level of esteem our confidence grows and we are more likely to take risks, thus expanding our comfort zone. 3. We want an unconditional belief in ourselves. This belief is the empowering ingredient we want to bring to the work place, the home and any social setting. 4. This leads us to balance. We want physical, financial, mental and spiritual balance. When we achieve this balance, we have peace; an inner peace that clears the mind and ignites the imagination to go about our daily routine with a fresh, free perspective. We need balance in order to be in touch with our passions, hopes and dreams. 5. Some look at life as a game, and all games have challenges. So what stands in the way of women reaching their potential? What limits us? We need awareness of what’s going on, appropriate tools to deal with road blocks and a strategy to overcome anything thrown our way. 6. We want to be recognized for what we’ve accomplished yet realize that our happiness is an inside activity. Setting our own goals rather than letting others define our potential is critical.
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7. We want to avoid complacency and be conscious of not falling into a rut – always embracing positive ideas and ideals motivates us to new paths of growth. 8. At the end of the day, we need a support team in our professional and personal lives made up of trustworthy people who give honest feedback. We need to be masters of delegation and learn to say “yes” when help is offered. No one reaches success alone. 9. We also need to learn to say “no” without feeling as if we’ve let everyone down. Stepping back from a job may facilitate growth for others. As Kenny Rogers sings, “…know when to walk away, know when to run.” Saying “no” frees us to do what aligns with our mission and purpose. 10. And most importantly, we women need to put away professional jealousy and think beyond the old glass ceiling theory. There are plenty of opportunities for all of us. Together we can do anything! In knowing what women want and need, we are better able to deliver programs and opportunities for today’s woman. We are able to chart a course that ignites not only the individual woman, but also serves the greater good for our businesses, the city of Tempe, the state of Arizona and beyond. One woman on fire can affect thousands. Won’t you join us in our adventure?
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