Kicking off the New Year with WITI Boston

Kicking off the New Year with WITI Boston
"Discover Your Brand: Secrets to Embracing and Maximizing Your Unique Value as a Leader"
By Emily Ubik, WITI Boston Student Member

The atmosphere was light and relaxed as professional women from all over Boston gathered at the Microsoft New England Research and Development Center (NERD) in Cambridge Jan 31 to hear Elizabeth Freedman speak. The event sponsored by AT&T began with appetizers, beverages, and casual conversation. AT&T representatives came to offer information about their company and made a quick presentation at the beginning reflecting their support for women. Next, Elizabeth Freedman took to the stage. A Bates Communications executive coach and author of Work 101:Learning the Ropes of the Workplace without Hanging Yourself, Elizabeth made recommendations for maximizing your potential as a leader. She also did several high-energy activities that proved to be both entertaining and informative.

Elizabeth began her presentation by displaying a picture of a man and a woman in business attire departing some kind of office building. She asked everyone to look at the picture, talk amongst themselves, and come up with a storyline for it. In roughly three minutes each audience member could tell you what they were doing leaving the building, what kind of job they possessed, who the boss was, even the level of their pay. Elizabeth's point? First impressions are often correct and they only take a minute or two to form. Your co-workers notice your facial expressions and whether you make eye contact with them. So, take full advantage of this opportunity and be cognizant of how you speak and act. Have a physical presence, purposeful movement, and a calm, positive demeanor.

Throughout the evening Elizabeth posed questions such as, "What is a brand?" and "Why does it matter?" A brand is the beginning of a conversation. It is the thought and feeling that lives in the mind of another person. It is important to consider your own brand, so you can understand what people think of you or your company. If you do not like what you hear, you can shape your brand to your liking. Elizabeth also introduced the Audience Agenda System, which included the concept of ‘180 thinking'. The idea, instead of focusing on simply what you want to say, is to think about your speech or presentation from the audience's point of view. This is where the 180 thinking comes in �" focusing on your audience. They are the ones who are forming opinions about you, and since you want those to be noteworthy opinions, you should consider their expectations and cater to them. Doing this can create new windows of opportunities that might not have been possible otherwise. If you have a big meeting with the boss coming up, Elizabeth suggested making a quick list of what you want to accomplish in the meeting and then comparing it with what your boss hypothetically would want to complete.

Some of Elizabeth's tips for maximizing your potential in the workplace include pausing before you answer a question. It is always advantageous to have crisp responses. Likewise, one should remember that preparation is critical. During the event Elizabeth showed a couple of videos where it was blatantly obvious that the speaker was overly nervous or unprepared. This drove home the idea that you do not want to lose potential sponsors, customers, etc. just because you did not plan properly. You may have a great idea, but if you do not know how to introduce it effectively, then you are less likely to succeed. What makes someone listen to one person, but not another? Exuding a sense of confidence and calm commands peoples' attention, not over excited hand motions and wavering responses. In addition to this, Elizabeth advised that when you can anticipate a question (besides considering what you would answer) you should ask yourself, "How else can this question be phrased?" Sometimes the way a question is posed can throw you off, even if you already know the answer.

Several books were mentioned throughout Elizabeth Freedman's presentation. She recommended reading Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell, Speak Like A CEO: Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results by Suzanne Bates, and Leading the High Energy Culture: What the Best CEOs Do to Create an Atmosphere Where Employees Flourish by David Casullo. A bundle of books that included some of these works were also raffled off during the event and given to a lucky member of the audience!

Through Elizabeth Freedman's coaching each participant learned the significance and process of honing one's own brand. Questions were addressed and experiences were shared. As the presentation came to a close, a constant chatter enveloped the room and the attendees continued to network and enjoy one another's company.

About Emily Ubik
Emily Ubik is a sophomore at Boston University pursuing a double major in electrical engineering and archaeology. She comes to Boston from the mid-west and was interested in getting to know women in business and making connections. She came across Women in Technology through her father, when he mentioned that WITI was trying to become more involved with universities. She is now an active member of the local network and will be writing many more articles throughout the year.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.