3 lessons learned at the United State of Women Summit

3 lessons learned at the United State of Women Summit3 lessons learned at the United State of Women SummitI just wrapped up an incredible weekend in Los Angeles at the second United State of Women Summit, a gathering of over 5,000 women from across the country who are standing up to make their voices heard and take action in their communities.On Day 2, Bossed Up joined She Should Run and Platform Women to provide a day-long training on how to clarify and communicate yur vision like a boss. Our practical, tactical training came on the heels of a day full of inspiring speakers and rallying calls to action.Here are some of my favorite moments and key lessons I took away from Day One1. Check yourselfStanding arm-in-arm with Patrisse Cullors-Brignac (the co-founder of Black Lives Matter), actress and activist Jane Fonda took the mic and was the first to admit that her understanding of race and intersectionality had been lacking, so Im studying, she said, to a round of deafening applause.I t was wonderfully refreshing to hear this kind of admission from a white woman with so much power to lend to the feminist cause. She demonstrated that no one expects perfection from our leaders, and in fact, admitting to a shortcoming was a vulnerable, authentic, and humanizing moment. By telling us what she was doing to improve herself, she set a model for anyone who feels like they dont have a good practice of intersectionality in their feminist arsenal.Watch her impressive speech in full here2. Your existence can be you resistanceTarana Burke, the creator of the MeToo Movement, gave a stirring call to action centered on self-care for all the activists, organizers, and leaders in the crowd. Putting away her prepared remarks, Burke went off-script and got real about the need for sustainability in the movement.Theres a lot of work that we have to do, she said, Theres always going to be a lot of work for us to do. But you have to take care of yourself. And so I dienstgrad you to not let your life be consumed by the work, cause taking care of yourself is part of the work.She challenged the crowd to find joy on the long road to justice and pointed out that simply living our lives can sometimes be rebellion enough. Let your existence be your resistance, she said.Listen to her remarks here(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)0 if (d.getElementById(id)) return js = d.createElement(s) js.id = id js.src = https//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.jsxfbml=1version=v3.1 fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs)(document, script, facebook-jssdk))Let Your Existence Be Resistance Tarana BurkeWhat every woman needs to hear NOW Thank you for speaking truth to power, Tarana Burke. ??USOW2018 StateOfWomenPosted by The United State of Women on Saturday, May 5, 20183. Youve got to walk the walkIn a wonderful dialogue with Tracee Ellis Ross, Former First Lady Michelle Obama stirred up the crowd in talking about the dichotomy too many leaders men leaders, in p articular live with. On the one hand, they whisper into their daughters ears that you can be anything you set your mind to, and then on the other, they walk into the office not realizing that the status quo perpetuates a very different reality.If we want our daughters to be able to achieve their full potential, we need to examine our own practices at work and our societys continued, underlying discomfort with women wielding power.Otherwise, she said, Weve sold them a bill of goodsAnd its not just on the shoulders of men to examine this hypocrisy, Obama contended, its on us as women, too. If we as women are still suspicious of one another, she said, if we still have this crazy high bar for one another than we have for men we have to have that conversation with ourselves as women.Watch the full conversation hereThis article first appeared on Bossed Up.

Why healthy competition among employees works

Why healthy competition among employees worksWhy healthy competition among employees worksOne of my favorite childhood memories is the centuries-old national tradition ofcolor warat camp.I loved the intensity of this week of games, contests and events, as well as the life lessons it imparted. We celebrated when we won and cried when we lost, but we learned to compete and respect each other simultaneously.We are now just emerging from a generation of parenting that gave competition a bad rap and ignored the psychological benefits that can be gained from learning how to win and lose. And thats not just my own experience - its been saidthat competition effectively brings out peoples creativity, innovation and camaraderie.Building a killer instinct among friendsAt my company, we strive to infuse color war-style competition in the workplace and have found that not only does it improve our culture, but it also raises our performance as a team. From brain teaser scavenger hunts to Amazing R ace-style challenges, our focus on healthy competition has paid off Acceleration Partners wasranked No. 4on Fortunes 2016 list of the top 10 places to work within our industry.To promote collaborative innovation and trust among teams, you need to appreciate the competitive process more than the end result. Competition exists in life and business you cant ignore it. Someone out there wants your employees, your clients, your marketing mindshare and more. If youre content with being in second or third place, thats where youll end up.If you want to be a market leader, you have to understand these three truths about fostering competitionCompetition can be a good thing.When team members work together towards a shared goal, they push one another to be more creative, productive and motivated. Even when a team loses, its members maintain that feeling of goodwill.At our annual meeting in Boston last year, we held a Great Race competition based on Boston-specific clues. One team had the odds s tacked against it Not a single partie on the team was from (or familiar with) the city. It was no surprise that the team finished last, but that didnt discourage its members They didnt get angry or let their loss sour the experience. Instead, they worked together and learned what they could have done to overcome their disadvantage, buildingresilience and determination, and some new friendships. In the end, we all agreed that this team had more fun than any otherHow you compete matters.When competition is tight,researchshows that those who compete out of fear of losing often turn negative. Rather than learn from the experience, some companies might demonstrate this by acting like sore losers when theyve lost a bid, badmouthing competitors or making excuses for why they didnt get the work. Dont be that company Failures, after all, can be valuable learning opportunities. And the more you learn, the better you become. Performance marketing is a very competitive industry. We dont win eve ry client opportunity that wed like to, but we compete respectfully, and its paid us back in spades. Many times, clients who initially passed on us have reached out down the road to work with us. Because we display no hard feelings when we arent initially selected, we keep the door open for a future relationship. How do we manage to maintain this mindset? Our version of color war has helped us embrace and appreciate healthy competition. By creating random teams that compete for a small period of time and then returning to our normal groups, we ensure that everyone understands that how you treat people during the contest matters. Just because someone is on another team one day doesnt mean he cant be on yours the next.Internal - and external - collaboration is essential.Collaboration and competition are not mutually exclusive. To effectively compete, you must collaborate. Many highly-talented individuals within our company wouldnt be nearly as effective if they didnt work together a s a team. Its all about leveraging each persons skills and capabilities, and not expecting one person to carry the entire load or have all the answers.This idea also applies externally The most successful companies are those that expand andstrengthen partnerships, resulting in nimble innovation and strategic problem-solving. Weve seen this concept at work at my company. Although some companies in our industry might view us as competitors, we know that when we collaborate and share our expertise as partners, we can help each other solve some of the industrys biggest challenges.Finish strong - no matter the resultsEven if you know youre not going to win, theres real value in seeing the competition through and displaying resilience. For example, in a brain teaser competition held at our annual meeting, only one team could win. Even after roger spread that we already had a winner, the remaining teams continued to work together to complete the activity.They didnt quit just because they knew they wouldnt win they all wanted to see it through and solve the problem themselves. When teams are released from the pressure of winning or losing, they start to feel free to reach for (and focus on) personal performance heights. All startups could use a little more of that initiative within their teams.Entrepreneurs need to remind their employees how enjoyable the challenges of healthy competition are, and teach them to embrace the opportunities it affords them to reach their full potential. Pretending there arent winners and losers doesnt help anyone in fact, it often sets up a situation for disappointment. Its time to return to embracing competition because, whether were winning or losing, were always learning.Robert Glazer is the founder and managing director ofAcceleration Partners.This column first appeared at Business Collective.

How to Ask a Stranger for Help - The Muse

How to Ask a Stranger for Help - The MuseHow to Ask a Stranger for HelpLast week, I got two emails. On the surface, they were very similar- both messages were from aspiring writers I didnt know, both were polite and professional, and both were requesting advice and potentially an introduction to my editor.However, my reaction to the two messages was very different. I was eager to help the first person and annoyed at the thought of assisting the second.I couldnt figure out why, until I went back and reread the messages.The only distinction? The first person explained why she was asking me specifically for help- and I was flattered as a result. Meanwhile, the other person made his request with no explanation.So, what can you learn from this to make sure youre in the first camp? Identify the Reasonfruchtwein of us request favors from strangers at some point (if not often) during our professional careers. And we never pick the recipients of our asks randomly. Theres always a concrete rea son weve chosen someone, whether its because he or she has the right expertise, works at the right place, or knows the right people.But our mistake is assuming that our why is implied. However, this why is actually really important, as it gives you a chance to compliment the recipient while providing some context.Include the ReasonNext time youre asking someone for help (whether he or she is a stranger or not), make sure you provide an honest yet gratifying explanation of why youre reaching out.Lets break down the two most common reasons.Youd Like the parties AdviceFlattering explanations Im looking for insight into topic, and since youve got such a strong background into field, I thought youd be the best person to ask.Your impressive LinkedIn profile makes me believe youd give great feedback on topic.Ive been stumped by problem for a while I figured that since youre an expert in subject, you might be able to offer some help.Youd Like to Know More About a CompanyFlattering explanati onsBecause youve been with employer for length of time, Im confident youd be able to give me a really thoughtful, accurate representation of what its like to work there.I know you only joined employer length of time, but since youre working in the department Im interested in, in a position similar to the one Im applying to, with people Ill be working with, your description of how its been so far would be incredibly helpful and relevant.As a job title for employer, you clearly have a lot of influence, and Id absolutely love to get your thoughts on the culture, values, and work style.Put it TogetherSo, after youve clarified why youre emailing that person specifically and found the right way to phrase it, its time to weave your explanation into your request. Your best bet is using this templateIntroduce yourself + make your request + provide your reasonHeres what it looks like in action Dear Ben,Im a freelance web designer whos looking to transition to a full-time role. Since youve got a fantastic reputation in the design community and have worked with many of the agencies Im interested in, I was wondering if I could get some advice about making the switch. Would you be available for a quick phone call or answering a few questions over email?If youve got too much on your plate, I completely understand.Thanks so much,AjaNow that youve got this trick up your sleeve, your requests for help should definitely be mora successful.Photo of woman on computer courtesy of Shutterstock.