The power of
EMPOWERMENT Inaugural ‘Women in Construction’ highlights progress, opportunities for success
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mpowerment. That was the vibe that the first “Women in Construction — Building Connections” conference generated. The event, which included 76 women from 56 industry companies and organizations, was hosted by Commercial Construction & Renovation Magazine, and Constructing Opportunity LLC. Held in Atlanta in June, the conference enabled attendees to participate in a series of workshops and an accelerated round of speed networking, which gave everyone seven minutes to meet as many new contacts as possible. The conference kicked off with an engaging workshop titled, “Communicating with Influence.” Led by Maureen Keane, owner of Keane Communications. the conversation focused on the six “C's” of influence: character, credibility, communication, confidence, competence and connection.
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The group learned how to differentiate power words and eliminate powerless words from their vocabulary. The session ended with an exercise on personal motivators, where participants selected 15 words that motivated them, eventually scaling the list down to the three most meaningful words which represent your personal motivators. This exercise resonated with everyone in the room. As one attendee said, “Communicating with influence provide me with tools to use professionally and personally. It provided ideas I have never thought about.” Following the opening session, participants had their choice of two workshops: “Negotiating for Yourself,” with Jessica Murphy, an attorney with Mirick O’Connell, and “Company Culture & You,” led by Michaelann Agoranos, principal of Constructing Opportunity. “Nobody knows negotiations better than a lawyer," one conference attendee said. "It was the perfect person to give this talk.”
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — JULY : AUGUST 2018
