After watching “Up in the Air” this weekend, I began thinking about the traveling public and how many men and women fly for business and pleasure each year. Most airlines have a program to reward their very best customers, as they should. In any business, it is always smart to create strategies to retain your current patrons, as well as steps to add new ones. Unfortunately, many businesses focus more on attracting new clients, which is much more costly than maintaining existing ones. But I digress.

As the travel industry continues to struggle with high fuel cost, nature’s intervention and security issues, businesses are spending less on travel and more on other means of connecting and doing business.

Both domestic (down 5.2 percent) and international (down 6.3 percent) flights are suffering as only 769.6 million people flew last year, down 5.3 percent from 2008’s 812.3 million and more than 8 percent below 2007’s total of 838.2 million.

Like many corporations, the airline industry would be wise to focus a little more on how they can better serve their flyers rather than what new fees they can impose.

Adding services that will appeal to women makes good business sense. Providing a safer airport environment and more assistance when needed, especially for women traveling alone, would be a good place to start. Not that women are helpless, we aren’t. It is just nice to have friendly, helpful personnel available. However, the best way to make your airline “the airline of choice for women” is to ask them what they want. By creating a Woman’s Advisory Board that includes a diverse mix of women, an airline can literally pull ahead of its competition.

There are many books written on the differences in the genders and how we communicate, buy and lead differently. Shaunti Feldhahn recently released The Male Factor: The Unwritten Rules, Misperceptions, and Secret Beliefs of Men in the Workplace. She wrote that the familiar phrase, “It’s not personal; it’s business” concisely states how different men and women are. Men can compartmentalize and focus entirely on work, whereas women’s focus is more encompassing. Leading the Way to Success by Dr. Warren Bennis, Jack Canfield, Gerry Myers and James Kouzes http://advisorylink-dfw.com/books.html is another example in a long list of books on this topic.

In 1994, Dr. Deborah Tannen added to her impressive linguistic work by tackling the subject of communication in the workplace. Talking from 9 to 5 became an instant best seller. Jane Sanders, GenderSmart is another. And of course, the extremely popular Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus series included Mars and Venus in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Improving Communications and Getting Results at Work.

In addition to numerous books on the subject, companies have created seminars, internet sites and webinars to address gender communications and differences in the workplace. While much has been done and more understanding does exist, there is still a communication barrier and obstacles to women successfully escalating the proverbial corporate ladder.

I can’t speak for all women, but from my research, here’s how women define success:

Gaining Control – But not over other people, control over themselves, their time, their schedules, their responsibilities.

Working Smarter – In the past the focus has been on how hard can you work, how many hours you can log at the office, wearing that badge of honor of the 80, 90 hour workweek you regularly clock. Today, many women value time as much as money. (And they’re not alone – men are feeling the time pinch as well). Women’s new badge of honor isn’t how many hours they can work, it’s how much they can get done in fewer hours.

Flexible Schedules – Many women are saying – “I can put in the hours, but I want to put in those hours on my schedule.” They’re opting to work four 10-hour days instead of 5 days. They’re putting in the hours, but working around family time, medical appointments and other responsibilities that often don’t fit into an 8-6 workday.

Work that Matches Their Values – Women are tired of work that is energy draining and unfulfilling. They’re also keenly aware when their company values don’t match their own. This happens far more than you might think. I hear from many women who feel compromised and unsupported at work. They want to do work they believe in.

If you’re a woman in the workforce today, think long and hard about your definition of success. More and more women are asking to work on their terms. Or, as Christopher Morley said so perfectly….There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.

If you’re a company who wants to attract women – make sure you understand what her idea of success looks like. One of the most interesting things we’ve seen is that when you create better work environments for women, not only do women benefit, the companies benefit as well.

Here’s a toast to all our success, whatever it may look like.
I can’t speak for all women, but from my research, here’s how women define success:

Gaining Control – But not over other people, control over themselves, their time, their schedules, their responsibilities.

Working Smarter – In the past the focus has been on how hard can you work, how many hours you can log at the office, wearing that badge of honor of the 80, 90 hour workweek you regularly clock. Today, many women value time as much as money. (And they’re not alone – men are feeling the time pinch as well). Women’s new badge of honor isn’t how many hours they can work, it’s how much they can get done in fewer hours.

Flexible Schedules – Many women are saying – “I can put in the hours, but I want to put in those hours on my schedule.” They’re opting to work four 10-hour days instead of 5 days. They’re putting in the hours, but working around family time, medical appointments and other responsibilities that often don’t fit into an 8-6 workday.

Work that Matches Their Values – Women are tired of work that is energy draining and unfulfilling. They’re also keenly aware when their company values don’t match their own. This happens far more than you might think. I hear from many women who feel compromised and unsupported at work. They want to do work they believe in.

If you’re a woman in the workforce today, think long and hard about your definition of success. More and more women are asking to work on their terms. Or, as Christopher Morley said so perfectly….There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.

If you’re a company who wants to attract women – make sure you understand what her idea of success looks like. One of the most interesting things we’ve seen is that when you create better work environments for women, not only do women benefit, the companies benefit as well.

Here’s a toast to all our success, whatever it may look like.

Holly Buchanan is the co-Author of The Soccer Mom Myth - Today’s Female Consumer: Who She Really Is, Why She Really Buys. You can read her marketing to women blog at http://marketingtowomenonline.typepad.com/blog/

How does a woman define success? Is it the same way a man describes success?

This question crossed my mind when I read about a book titled, Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham. I know Buckingham is a self described “strength strategist,” but the title didn’t connect with me. I’ve done a lot of research on women and what they want – the words “having a strong life” have never come up.

You obviously can’t lump all women into one bucket, but I am curious – what does success look like to a woman? What does she really want? Especially from her career?

For many men, success is about earning lots of money, having power and control, being a good provider and being independent.

Women in the workforce have been pushing to have those same opportunities, to earn more money, have more power, move up the corporate ladder. They’ve been working the long hours, taking on more responsibility, proving they’re just as driven as the men. All this is true, but is it what women really want?

In their book Womenomics, Claire Shipman and Katty Kay present research and advice on how women can write their own rules for success.

“We want to show you your value through a whole different lens. We want you to work less but achieve more and live better. We want to make sure you go through such a profound mental shift that once you put down this book you will never again see achievement as hours in the seat, rungs on the ladder, and a fancy business title. It’s all too easy to be influenced by other people’s perceptions of what you should do. We’re going to show each of you how to carve out a whole new more satisfying path and write your own rules for success.

We’ll teach you how to come clean about what you really want, how to ignore what the traditional careerists say you want, and how to say no to what you don’t want.”
Holly Buchanan is the co-Author of The Soccer Mom Myth - Today’s Female Consumer: Who She Really Is, Why She Really Buys. You can read her marketing to women blog at http://marketingtowomenonline.typepad.com/blog/

While women share many traits, each has her own unique personality, background and experiences. Because they are so diverse, they occupy many demographic segments. Women are married, singled, young, old, executives, business owners, stay-at-home moms and everything in-between.

Today women are working in every industry from doctors to lawyers and from contractors to firefighters. There are more than 10 million women owned business in the U.S.  As of June 2009, there are 15 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Fortune 1000 companies are led by an additional 13 women.

Women are getting more bachelor and master degrees than men. They are entering law and medical schools in greater numbers. In nearly 40 percent of all dual income families, the wife is the larger breadwinner.

Women make up nearly 50 percent of the total workforce in the U.S. As a result of their numbers and leadership abilities, they are shaping the future of business in this country.

Women are starting more businesses than men, are not joining the ranks of the unemployed as quickly and are being promoted to positions of major responsibility to help direct many companies through these tough economic times. In July alone, Bank of America appointed Sallie Krawcheck to run Global Wealth and Investment Management and invited her to be a member of the Executive Management Team.

The Travelers Companies, Inc. announced hiring Anne MacDonald as Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer. GE appointed Clara Gaymard Vice President, Government Strategy and Sales for GE International and National Executive for GE in France.

Retailers promoting women in July include Staples, J.C.Penney and Neiman Marcus. Sterling Bank, Cigna and Verizon are representative of the financial, healthcare and communications sectors elevating women to more powerful roles.

In media, Robin Pence became Vice President at Gannett Co. Additionally, Hilary Smith was promoted to Senior Vice President at NBC Universal’s Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks.

In the energy/oil and gas business, W. R. Grace & Co. appointed Pamela K. Wagoner Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Other businesses are following suit by promoting women.

In government, major appointments included Regina Benjamin as Surgeon General and Judge Sonia Sotomayor as a potential Supreme Court Justice.

If your business is looking for strong leadership and doesn’t have several women in key positions, you are missing out on a lot of top talent.

Women are poorly represented on corporate boards, even though research indicates that Fortune 500 firms with more female board members outperform those with fewer women in a number of important categories. Women comprise less than 15 percent of board positions of large, publically-traded companies, although they comprise more than half of all US managerial positions.

In a release from Simmons School of Management in Boston, on March 31, 2008, organizations who want more women board members need to change their traditional search procedures and women who aspire to board membership need to develop a solid plan to get there.

Many organizations, including OnBoard Bootcamp, Boardroom Bound and a program offered by The University of Texas at Dallas offer training and contacts to women interested in pursuing a board position and who are willing to devote the time and money needed to get there.  These packed-full sessions coach women interested in board membership on everything from creating a search strategy to financial issues to understanding corporate governance.

Candidates should research various training programs to make sure they offer practical advices as well as policy and procedure information. They should find out what percentage of their graduates is invited to serve on corporate boards. They also need to research corporations they are interested in; find out if they have director insurance, what their values and philosophies are and numerous other items as part of their readiness program. Additionally, there are books, search firms, organizations and other avenues available to women.

In addition to a resume with the right skills and experiences, potential board members usually have nonprofit, trade associations and advisory board experience, which is much easy to obtain. They also need to be visible leaders in their community and industry. Most women need to realize that they will probably be asked to serve on moderate size company boards prior to a Fortune 500 corporation invitation.

According to Catalyst, from 1995 to 2005, the average rate of increase in women’s representation on Fortune 500 corporate boards was, on average, one-half of one percentage point per year. At that rate of growth, it could take another 70 years for women to reach parity with men. This is definitely an evolving issue and won’t be solved overnight.

Women are poorly represented on corporate boards, even though research indicates that Fortune 500 firms with more female board members outperform those with fewer women in a number of important categories. Women comprise less than 15 percent of board positions of large, publically-traded companies, although they comprise more than half of all US managerial positions.

In a release from Simmons School of Management in Boston, on March 31, 2008, organizations who want more women board members need to change their traditional search procedures and women who aspire to board membership need to develop a solid plan to get there.

Many organizations, including OnBoard Bootcamp, Boardroom Bound and a program offered by The University of Texas at Dallas offer training and contacts to women interested in pursuing a board position and who are willing to devote the time and money needed to get there.  These packed-full sessions coach women interested in board membership on everything from creating a search strategy to financial issues to understanding corporate governance.

Candidates should research various training programs to make sure they offer practical advices as well as policy and procedure information. They should find out what percentage of their graduates is invited to serve on corporate boards. They also need to research corporations they are interested in; find out if they have director insurance, what their values and philosophies are and numerous other items as part of their readiness program. Additionally, there are books, search firms, organizations and other avenues available to women.

In addition to a resume with the right skills and experiences, potential board members usually have nonprofit, trade associations and advisory board experience, which is much easy to obtain. They also need to be visible leaders in their community and industry. Most women need to realize that they will probably be asked to serve on moderate size company boards prior to a Fortune 500 corporation invitation.

According to Catalyst, from 1995 to 2005, the average rate of increase in women’s representation on Fortune 500 corporate boards was, on average, one-half of one percentage point per year. At that rate of growth, it could take another 70 years for women to reach parity with men. This is definitely an evolving issue and won’t be solved overnight.