Top 3 Traits of a Successful Leader

This is a guest post from our sponsor, G&F Financial Group (G&F) G&F Financial Group (G&F) is proud to support the Vancouver branch of Young Women in Business (YWiB). At G&F, we empower and encourage employees to grow, thrive and reach new heights within the credit union and beyond.  Our focus on leadership and development has never been stronger and we recognize the value of today’s young leaders. Today we reached out to Pamela Tsatouhas, one of G&F’s Branch Managers and asked her to share her thoughts on the qualities that make a good leader and the advice she has for young women starting down their own career path.

Pamela has been an employee of G&F for two years as the Branch Manager at the busy and vibrant West Broadway location. At the young age of 29, Pamela has achieved a leadership position and has some advice about what it means to be one of the younger members of the management team.

“In my experience, young managers must become good leaders quickly to prove that they are up for the task”, she says. “They have to build relationships, earn trust and allow their leadership skills to rise organically.“

One of the core values of G&F is a strong commitment to give back to local communities. G&F employees volunteer countless hours of their own time to help enrich their neighbourhoods, and Pamela lives these values. Pamela is a board member of the local Business Improvement Association and the Second Treasurer for the Hellenic Community of Vancouver. She also volunteers with the Hellenic Congress of BC to help organize Greek Day on Broadway. Pamela’s connections in the community help her network and build relationships that translate into strong business partnerships.

When asked about the top traits she believes are necessary in a successful leader, three came to mind.

• Confidence – “Part of your job as a leader is to put out fires and maintain team morale. Keep up your confidence level and focus on the larger goal. As a leader, by staying calm and confident in the face of setbacks you will keep your team feeling the same way.”
• A positive attitude – “I always want to keep my team motivated towards the continued success of the company and keep the energy levels up. I like to keep a fine balance between productivity and playfulness.“
• Leading by example – “There is no greater motivation than seeing the boss in the trenches working alongside everyone else, breaking hierarchies and showing that we’re all responsible for organizational results and that hard work happens at any level.”

 She adds, “By proving your commitment to the role, you will not only earn the respect of your team, but will also instill that same hardworking energy among your staff. It’s important to show your commitment not only to the work at hand, but also to your promises. Once you have gained the respect of your team, they are more likely to deliver quality work.”

Lastly, Pamela shared some advice she has for young women who are new to their careers or just starting to take on leadership roles. Thinking back to when she first started out in her career, two pieces of wisdom came to mind.

• Find and use your voice. “Most women are uncomfortable promoting themselves. You may think, “If I just do a good job, someone will notice and the rewards will materialize. Unfortunately, it seldom happens that way. If you’re not getting acknowledged and you don’t ask for the things you want, recognize that you may have lost your most important career asset – your voice! You’re hired for a job because of your skills and talents. Don’t minimize these by not speaking up. Your ideas, contributions and achievements are yours to realize AND to highlight, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Find ways to use your voice tactfully and take those natural opportunities to talk about the work you’re doing and what you’ve achieved.”
• Learn how to take credit and accept praise. She recognizes that women are often conditioned to deflect praise and have a hard time graciously accepting credit for their hard work. “When you respond to praise or an acknowledgement by deflecting or giving credit to others, you give away your power. When you receive praise, own it! Simply say, “Thank you.”

To learn more about Pamela and her role at G&F, you can connect with her by email at ptsatouhas@gffg.com. To learn more about G&F, visit us online at www.gffg.com

How to get from the Classroom to the Boardroom

At some point in our careers we’ve all been on the hunt for a job and a new professional adventure. We all have different approaches in going about this search, but are there some methods that work better than others? Earlier this month at Microsoft’s Vancouver office, YWiB was lucky to have Carmen Tsang from Lighthouse Labs guide us through this often challenging task. Don’t worry, there’s hope for all of us if you follow her words of wisdom!

Phase 1: The Hunt

Throughout the job hunt process, you want to remain diligent and proactive. It’s easy to be discouraged while unemployed, so it’s good to set daily goals for yourself (e.g. send out five resumes each day). Even if you don’t completely qualify for a position, you can still apply. Carmen says this is okay as long as you meet 70% of the requirements. If you’re planning to apply for many positions, make organization your best friend by creating a spreadsheet with all the key application details (e.g. company, position title, date sent, etc.) to keep track in the event of a call back. While waiting for an interview, research the job titles you are interested in and reach out to industry professionals in similar positions that may have some insight to share. Finally, leverage your network to its full extent. You never know who might know someone looking to hire, or who’s connection could get you in the door.

Phase 2: The Interview

So you’ve landed the interview, now what? Carmen says NEVER “wing it”. Before your interview, go in knowing three key things; yourself, the company and the job description. This seems easy enough but focusing on each area will help you identify whether or not the company and the position align with what’s important to you and your professional progression. As long as all three areas align, you’ll remain consistent throughout the interview and will demonstrate how self aware you are.

When it comes to the questions you’re being asked, make sure to be honest, especially with the dreaded “weaknesses” question. Don’t pick a strength and disguise it (*sigh*, we’ve all done it) because interviewers see past this and are less likely to consider you as a suitable candidate. Share something real, and what you’ve done to address the issue in the past 6 months. When it’s your turn, make sure not to ask too many questions. This can be off-putting to interviewers and may give them the wrong impression of your capabilities.

Finally, if you have references, make sure you know what they plan to say. Again, this can help you remain consistent with what may be said regarding your areas for improvement.

Phase 3: Follow-up

Once your interview is over, don’t be shy to ask when you can expect a response back. Feel free to let them know that you’re actively looking or that you have other interviews (if it’s true) but that you want to give them full consideration. Of course, always send a “thank you” email once you’re fully done.

A big thanks to Carmen for sharing all of these wonderful tips, and to Microsoft for the amazing venue space. Are there any tips you would add?

5 Tips & Tricks on Effective Negotiation: Event Recap

Last Tuesday, to quote our amazing speaker Mitra Kiamanesh, “We teased the topic of negotiation”. Having over 30 years of international experience in mediation, intercultural project management, conflict resolution and negotiation, Mitra opened our eyes on a few key things we have to prepare for and keep in mind whether we enter a negotiation in our professional or personal lives.

“In business as in life, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.”

- Chester. L. Karrass

1. Ask for What’s Feasible

Before starting, say, a  salary negotiation, do your homework! What is the industry average? Does the company need you? What is the company’s current state? What is the ceiling? What are some of the arguments the company might have against your proposal and how would you prove that you deserve that promotion? Coming in prepared, with statistics to back up your asks, will add weight and professionalism to your points.

2. Everyone is Right

If you think about it, everyone thinks that their perspective is the right one. However, with this approach an agreement can never be reached as everyone’s “right” does not match. It is important to think about similarities and differences in your points of view and negotiate around them. Don’t ignore cultural sensitivities! We all come from different backgrounds and have different points of view.

3. Have a Reservation Point

Coming into negotiation, have these three things figured out: what you want - the ideal outcome, what are your maybes - things you can play around with and are willing to concede on, and your non-negotiables. You have to be true to yourself and strict about your non-negotiables. If a negotiation starts putting your non-negotiables at risk, you have hit  your reservation point and it’s best to walk away to avoid regretting any decisions made.

4. Environment and Body Language Matter

Be very mindful of the setting in which negotiation takes place. Certain seating arrangements, for example, can either make or break a conversation. For example, a round table is inviting and erases any power dynamics as everyone can see each other and sit at the same level.

As for body language tips and tricks, nobody said it better than Amy Cuddy, you can watch her TED talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en

5. Linda, Listen!

We can’t stress enough how crucial it is to practice active listening. Acknowledging the fact that you heard and understood what the other person was saying by rephrasing his or her words will show that you were listening, you care about their position and you want to reach an agreement. This type of listening  calms people down and sets an overall positive atmosphere.

On the importance of listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP8RB7UZHKI

If you have any questions about the content of the session or would like to join us at an upcoming event, check out our events page. We can’t wait to meet you!

5 Takeaways from ‘WordPress for Business’ with Laura Eagin

We had the pleasure of having Web Developer and Camp Tech Vancouver City Manager, Laura Eagin, join us for our ‘WordPress for Business’ workshop last week. Laura’s WordPress tips and tricks were valuable for everyone. Beginners and everyday users alike left having learned something new. In case you missed it, here are our top five takeaways from Laura’s workshop.

WP.com-vs-WP.org_

Image source: Laura Eagin, YWiB’s WordPress for Business

1. Know the difference between WordPress.org vs WordPress.com It can be confusing to grasp at first, and despite the two nearly identical URLs, they operate as two completely different websites. See the chart below for a brief comparison, but simply: if you want to set up a simple blog or website - go with WordPress.com. If you want a more complex and multi-functional website - go with WordPress.org.As the chart indicates, WordPress.com is completely free while WordPress.org will have web hosting costs, which brings us to our next takeaway…
2. Pick a good webhost!With the plethora of webhost providers out there, how do you ensure that the one you pick is right for you?A web host is a service that provides you space on the Internet to run your website(s). To put it in a different context, it can be compared to how you would purchase a house or pay rent to a landlord; essentially you are paying for the land (i.e. the space) for your dwellings.Do your research and make sure the web host provides all the features you need. For example, you want to make sure that the web host provides WordPress installation or even better, a one-click or automatic WordPress installation. Check out whoishostingthis.com for a list of the different web host WordPress providers including a breakdown of their ratings, costs, and the type of different features they provide.Here are some of Laura’s top picks for webhosts:
   • Dreamhost
   • Bluehost
   • WPEngine
   • CanadianWebHosting
3. The do’s and don’t’s with themesWhether you’re going for a more simplistic and minimal look or a friendly and retro feeling, there are multiple themes for you to choose from!A WordPress theme is a way to change the overall design and layout of your website. A theme will change the way your content looks but not the content itself.There are several ways you can get themes, some free and some paid:
   • Wordpress.org/themes: Provides free themes vetted by WordPress
   • Wordpress.org/themes/commercial: Provides paid themes vetted by WordPress
   • woothemes.com: Provides paid themes with online shop features
   And make sure to avoid these big theme mistakes:
   • Googling and downloading from any website – you may risk downloading themes that are poorly coded
   • ThemeForest.net bloated themes – Themeforest.net themes may appear to be a gold mine but often comes with panels and sheets of unnecessary code which will make further customization difficult
   • No active support team – Making sure that you have an active support team will allow you to ask questions in the future when it comes to website and theme support
   • Not mobile friendly – in the golden age of mobiles, not having a mobile optimized theme is a huge red flag!
   • Not touch screen friendly – similar to above, it’s all about adapting to the market’s needs.
4. Customize it with pluginsDepending on your website, you may need to install different plugins to further enhance the user experience. WordPress Plugins are bits of software that can be uploaded to extend and expand the functionality of your WordPress website.In continuation of our house example, think of plugins as installing a dishwasher or upgrading to a flat screen TV in your new home.Laura’s recommended plugins include:
   • For building Contact Forms → Gravity Forms
   • For website backups → BackupBuddy
   • For SEO optimization → Yoast SEO
   • For an anti-spam website → Akismet
   • For an e-commerce website → WooCommerce
   • If your website is under maintenance → UnderConstruction
   Plugins come in a variety of costs, ranging from free, free for the basic settings, to paid. Check out the WordPress plugin directory for a complete list.

5. Don’t forget about those metrics!You have your domain and web host, you chose the perfect theme, and your website has all the plugins that you need. What’s next? The next step is ensuring that you are meeting your website goals, whether it is reaching a certain number of hits each month or having users perform a certain action on your website.Set up Google Analytics on your website to track important data like number of new visitors, visitor demographics, which pages visitors are going to, and bounce rate, to name a few. There’s even a behavior flow chart that tracks the path a user takes when they visit the website.

Ready to get started? Simply, login with your Google account at Google Analytics.

We hope you’re ready to take a stab at WordPress for your business with these essential tips. Looking to learn more? Don’t forget to check out Camp Tech Vancouver’s website for courses on WordPress, SEO, and more. Interested in getting more involved with YWiB Vancouver? Check out our events page.

Q & A with Laura Eagin

Laura Eagin is a web developer and designer in Vancouver, BC. We are thrilled to have her host an upcoming Wordpress Workshop on Jan. 26. Join us to learn more about creating professional website with WordPress, including her list of favourite plugins, how to choose an appropriate theme, and resources to learn more. Get your ticket here today!

1. Can you tell us about Camptech, your role there, and what it's all about?

   Camp Tech offers half-day and one day workshops for adults interested in acquiring new digital marketing skills. Camp Tech classes are fun, friendly, professional and very practical. We create a welcoming environment for those who are hesitant around technology and we teach skills that can be put into practice right away. Some of our most popular classes in Vancouver are WordPress for Beginners, Intro to Google Analytics, Writing Killer Web Content and Email Marketing with MailChimp.

   As the City Manager for Camp Tech in Vancouver, I connect instructors who excel in their field with students who are eager to push their business and career to the next level. It's such a positive role - I love the mentorship aspect and I'm thrilled to be part of a women-lead organization like Camp Tech. It inspires me to be more involved in mentorship. Helping students feel confident and empowered about tech is the most rewarding thing I can do.

2. What things should every young professional know how to do in WordPress (or web development, in general) and why?

   Take a few hours to get to know the basics in HTML and CSS. I promise it's not bad and it won't take you more than a week to grasp the concepts. I know it's intimidating at first, but between online courses offered at Codecademy and in-person web development classes similar to those offered at Ladies Learning Code, you can absolutely do this. No matter what is powering the website (WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, Drupal or a hand-coded website) the output is the same: HTML, CSS and Javascript. With a good grasp of those first two, you've got a good chance of understanding what is happening behind the scenes. You'll be in a much better position when talking to a developer or when you look for the solution yourself.One of my most valuable WordPress skills is Googling. Yep, you read that right. I Google like it's my job and I'm not afraid to jump straight to a search tab when I encounter a stubborn problem. One good place to start searching is the WordPress codex, but an even better and often more frequently updated resource, is the support thread on each theme or plugin. There's a fantastic community of developers and webmasters who have struggled with everything that WordPress could throw my way. Go and dig and see if your question has been answered before - chances are it has.

   When I started out doing WordPress web development, I did something that I now know is called cowboy coding. It's... not recommended. Cowboy coding is when you edit a website on the fly. It's too easy to break a website or to lose your changes and be unable to revert. I have to admit that at first I was using this element of risk as a motivator - if I broke something on a website momentarily then my adrenaline would shoot through the roof and I knew I had to fix it as soon as possible, so I did. I don’t recommend that you do this - it's something I'm glad I stopped doing long ago. Set yourself up for success and a lot less stress by working in a smarter way. Never work on a live site, always work on a copy and then push those changes to the live website. Some people work on a local copy that is off-line and others work on a password-protected staging website online which your web host can help you make. Lastly, save your work often and the best way to do this is with version control. Get to know your options with Git, GitHub and BitBucket so you can always roll back a change you've made. This advice may sound very web-development focused, but I know writers, designers and researchers who take this advice to heart and apply it to their work as well. It's smart to work smarter!

3. What piece of advice would you give to the members of Young Women in Business Vancouver in regards to professional and/or personal development?

   Professional or personal development is more than just a nice idea - it's critical for your success. We know how fast technology is changing and we see how that change affected generations before us. There are too many people for whom technology proved to be a real hurdle at one point or another in their career. Strive to become the first person in the office to know that new skill that no one else has mastered yet. It will take a while to master it, but the first step is the most important one. Do it!

Q & A with Mark Savard - Covenant House Vancouver

We recently held our Mingle & Jingle winter social and had the opportunity to partner with Covenant House Vancouver. Following the event, we asked Mark a few questions about his work at Covenant House Vancouver, how to get involved, and what advice he has for the YWiB members.

 

Can you tell us about Covenant House, your role there, and how you got involved?

Founded in 1997, Covenant House Vancouver offers a clear exit from life on the street for youth aged 16 to 24. We make this possible through a carefully designed Continuum of Care including a daily drop-in, a 54 bed residential crisis program, a transitional living program, relapse prevention, and life-skills training. Each and every day, young people come to us damaged from the abuses of their past, desperately needing love and guidance. Over the next year, more than 1,400 homeless young people will come to Covenant House Vancouver and take the first steps in creating a better life for themselves.

My name is Mark Savard and my role is Development Officer – Community Giving. I’m part of the Development and Communications team which includes: fundraising, volunteers, communications, and gifts-in-kind administration. I’m responsible for working (and fundraising) with: schools, community groups, service clubs, employee groups, and stewarding third party events (individuals or groups creating events benefitting Covenant House). I’ve been in this particular role for 8 years and have been on this team at Covenant house for 10 years. I always say that I ‘fell into it backwards’ – starting out on contract. I’ve had the opportunity to grow with the agency and I’ve never looked back! From my first day here I was very impressed with the program delivery model.

Youth accessing Covenant House’s programs and services are met ‘where they’re at’. They drive what they want to do and are accompanied through their journey with us by Youth Workers. Some youth may use all three programs; some may need just one. It all depends on their individual needs. We refer to our programs collectively as our ‘Continuum of Care’. Ultimately, we provide the programs and services that allow youth to leave the streets behind for good by providing a hand up, and not a handout.

With winter upon us, how can people best support or get involved with Covenant House and the great work you do?

There are a few options to help Covenant House in its work with homeless youth:

Donating items:

Gently used clothing appropriate for youth in our age range of 16 to 24, donating new toiletry items, socks, and/or underwear. Non-perishable food is welcome however it does need to be commercially prepared (we can’t accept food made at home).

Financial donations are always welcome:

We’re 95% privately funded so individuals, corporations, foundations, community, and employee groups sustain the work we do. You can donate online, via phone, or mail. You can also become a monthly donor!

Third party events:

People can hold all kinds of fundraisers from bake sales to birthdays. We have a peer-to-peer fundraising website where people, groups, and/or teams can set up fundraising pages then encourage friends and family to support them (they get instant tax receipts when donating online).Short-term volunteering: We hold thank-a-thons in our offices at the Drake Street building. This involves calling donors to simply say ‘thank you’ for their recent gift. We do this twice per week in October and November (plus a few dates in December) then again in February, April, and May. The application is brief and not the same process as the regular volunteer positions.

Long-term (regular) volunteer positions:

To hold a regular volunteer position at Covenant House you need to be at least 26 years old. There’s a fairly rigorous process involving: an application, one-on-one meeting with our Manager of Volunteers, police check, and group orientation.

Mentor Program:

This is a new opportunity to act as a mentor for youth residing in our transitional living program. You have to be at least 25 years old and be able to meet with your mentee once per month in person and be available via phone and/or email once per week.

What piece of advice would you give to the members of Young Women in Business Vancouver in regards to professional and/or personal development?

My grandmother told me, “never stop learning”, which I’ve endeavored to do (and I’m middle aged now!). It doesn’t have to be learning in the formalized (school) sense, but being open to new ideas, networks, and opportunities. When networking and meeting new people, I think about what I could possibly do for them and what other networks I know of that they could benefit from. Of course everyone you meet has a story so there’s learning potential from each person you encounter!

A couple of my favourite quotes come from Eleanor Roosevelt:

“Do one thing that scares you every day”.

“You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give”.

Blueprint Mentee: Natalie Chu

Another mentee's reflection from our Blueprint Mentorship Program should inspire you to apply for your own mentor in our January 2016 intake -- but quick! Applications close October 15, 2015.  

Natalie Chu

Development Coordinator

Citimark Development Corp.

What were your main objectives for the Blueprint program?

My main objective of the program was to learn both valuable business and life skills from not only my mentor, but other like-minded individuals. I wanted to get involved in a community that empowers women and encourages both professional and social long-term relationships. As this was my first formal mentorship program, I did not want to set expectations per se. I wanted the relationship with my mentor to develop naturally.

How was your mentor, Carlee Groves, a good fit for you?

Carlee is a charismatic, passionate, and driven individual. We met for the first time prior to the formal launch of the program in January. Within minutes of meeting each other, it felt like we had known one another for years. At that initial meeting, we asked one another what we hoped to achieve throughout this program. We agreed to be open […] with one another and vowed to hold each other accountable. She was the perfect fit for me, and I am grateful to have shared this experience with her.

How did you and Carlee connect and work together throughout the program?

Carlee and I made it a priority to meet at least once a month. We went to a few industry events together, and met before each of our workshops. At these meetings, we'd discuss the progress we both made with respect to our personal and professional goals. In addition, we would talk about some of the challenges that we were facing at work, how we overcame them, and how each of the experiences we faced was a growing and learning opportunity.

What was something Carlee said or did that really stuck with you?

I can be a perfectionist, which can be my demise sometimes. Carlee had a very similar journey through the early stages in her career; she taught me that not all questions can be answered right away, but to embrace the unknown and let fate be my destiny (to a degree, of course). I consider myself to have risk-adverse tendencies. Carlee encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone because risks are not necessarily always bad. Taking risks can result is great outcomes, but without trying, we'll never know what those outcomes are.

What were the most impactful lessons, conversations, or development that came out of your discussions with Carlee?

She emphasized that there are no wrong choices per se, but highlighted that there is something to learn from every experience. It is important to put yourself out there, get involved with the community and be open to new experiences. So long as you are constantly learning and doing, you are moving in the right direction. Personally, I have struggled with what the next steps of my career are. Whether it's pursing a masters degree, continuing with my current career path, travelling, or doing something completely different, the unknown scares me. I have learnt to embrace this journey with open arms.

Did you apply any of your development from this experience to your career?

This experience has taught me about the balance between my career, lifestyle, and relationships. As important as it is to execute tasks, it is equally important to develop one's growth, lifestyle and relationships. I have made it a standard practice to revisit my goals, and constantly develop them. By breaking my goals down into three categories, I have been able to focus on each of them independently and to determine how best achieve them. I have found this to be an extremely rewarding process, and has helped me challenge and push myself.

What was your favourite aspect of the YWiB Blueprint program?

Sharing this experience with others, and seeing the progress of other mentors and mentees was inspiring. I usually attend industry-related events, so it was great to meet women in other industries, and learn the ins and outs of different lines of work.

How has YWiB Blueprint helped develop your career?

This mentorship program has helped me celebrate my achievements to date, and has helped me envision what I want to get out of the next year, five years and ten years of my career. Though I cannot guarantee any given set path to achieve my goals, Carlee and I discussed all different ways to achieve them, and I am excited to see what my future entails. I have made it a goal of mine to take some courses to acquire new skills. I am now inspired to constantly challenge myself with things that I am hesitant of. […]I look forward in pushing myself to new boundaries.

Apply before October 15, 2015 for the January 2016 intake!