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CNN Live At Daybreak
Helping Women Succeed Through Mentoring
Aired September 05, 2001 - 07:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: So how do women like Carly Fiorina and Oprah Winfrey get ahead? We're going to get some advice this morning from a mentoring expert, Jennifer Allyn. She got her master's degree from Harvard University or Harvard College, rather, and she is a senior member of a group called Catalyst, which studies how women advance. Good morning, Jennifer.
JENNIFER ALLYN, MENTORING EXPERT: Good morning, Carol.
LIN: All right, before we begin with some of your really great tips, I just want to ask you, women CEOs still only make up one percent of the CEO force. So if you have to say what is the single biggest mistake that women make in terms of how they try to get ahead, what do you think it is?
ALLYN: Well, Catalyst finds that women mistakenly believe that hard work is enough and, in fact, we wrote a book called "Be Your Own Mentor" to show women that it's relationships, it's mentors, it's tooting your own horn because if you don't do it no one else will. Those are the kinds of things women need to do to get ahead and they often think that hard work is just going to do it alone.
LIN: And I'm wondering when that thought process actually starts. I mean my dad used to tell this story about how I used to walk in a room with a new dress on and I would just kind of prance around and wait for him to notice me. You know, I didn't go up to dad and say hey, what did you think of this dress.
ALLYN: Right. Well, I think that it might be socialization, men and women being socialized differently. But I also think that corporate America was designed by and for white men and women and women of color are outsiders to that group. So we have to learn how to navigate the politics of those organizations and mentors are the key role to help you do that.
LIN: And learn that at an early age and learn to ask for help and identify those alliances.
ALLYN: Yes.
LIN: All right, I want to go through a series of tips here.
ALLYN: OK. LIN: You say be bold. What does that really mean when you're in the workplace and, let's say, you're at a lower level job and you're trying to get ahead?
ALLYN: Well, Catalyst finds that women have to take risks and if you even think of Oprah Winfrey, who just spoke, she took some great big risks in her career. She changed the format of her show when other people told her she shouldn't. And it's only fortune favors the brave. If you go out there and do it, that's when you're going to get noticed, you're going to get the stretch assignments, the high visibility assignments and move forward.
LIN: So if you're a secretary or an intern, what do you do, stand on the table top and say hey, look at me?
ALLYN: Well, first of all, you have to figure out where you want to go and who are the people you need to know to help you move forward. You need to find influential mentors. You need to network with other colleagues. You need to ask people about how did they get to the roles that they've gotten to. You have to look at what are the paths, the career paths, the experiences you need to have.
LIN: Maybe interns wasn't really the best example these days, actually. Anyway, all right, you also say -- what are the options out there? How do you gather that information?
ALLYN: Well, I think networking is a key one and women report in Catalyst studies that they don't network as well as men. And you have to be out there talking to people, going to events. And also expertise impresses. Women have to find a niche, distinguish themselves from their peers, because that's how you get noticed.
LIN: OK, well, those are all really good tips and it just sounds like just don't be shy. Just step up to the plate, Jennifer.
ALLYN: Exactly.
LIN: OK. And you know what? I asked Vince Cellini this morning, my co-host here, what he thought the secret was to women getting ahead and you know what he said?
ALLYN: What?
LIN: Can I share this, Vince?
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I guess you can now.
LIN: He said marry money, you know?
ALLYN: Well, that's not something Catalyst would recommend at this point.
LIN: There you go. All right, thanks so much, Jennifer Allyn.
ALLYN: Thank you.
LIN: Good tips.
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