Executive Development Seminar
Designed
for a small-group setting of 30 participants, EDS capitalizes on a
secluded setting, where you will spend two-and-a-half days on a journey
of personal insight and discovery.
Stoweflake Mountain Resort
Stowe, VT
6/17/2009 - 6/19/2009
Registration is now open for all 2009 Executive Development Seminars! |
Executive
WICT Boot Camp
September 22-23, 2009
The Cable Center - Denver, CO
Cable
Boot Camp and Beyond provides the perfect training ground for
professionals who are new to the industry and need a comprehensive and
valuable introduction to the business - and for those who may need a
refresher!
Sharpen your cable business knowledge through this
comprehensive two-day program, which will take you from how cable came
about to what the current marketplace looks like, including who the
players are and what key issues the cable industry faces today
Who Should Attend?
Cable
Boot Camp and Beyond is a program for those new, within the last 3
years, to the cable industry, or for those who are either making a
switch to a new discipline or would like an in-depth refresher on the
industry. Whether you work for a cable operator, programmer or vendor,
you are sure to pick up new information and skills that will help guide
you in your cable career
|
WICT Career Center
The WICT Career Center is the cable telecommunications industry's exclusive resource for online employment connections
The
WICT Career Center is free to all job seekers and provides you with
access to the best employers and jobs in the cable telecommunications
industry:
Advanced job searching options
Control over your career advancement
Increased exposure for your resume
Optional email alerts of new jobs
|
WICT
Membership is a great investment in yourself and your career! We
have a great lineup of educational programs in 2009 to help you realize
the value and benefits of your WICT New England membership. For
any questions about your New England Membership, please contact our
Membership Director, Kara Hughs. Kara can be reached at
860-766-9569 or via email at kara.j.hughs@disney.espn.com.
The
renewal period for current members expires on April 30. Please note
that if you have not renewed your membership by the end of April, you
may need to sign up as a new member. Please visit www.wict.org
today and log in with your user name (email address) and
password (last name) to renew your membership. If you cannot
sign in, please try to sign up as a new member or contact Kara
Hughs directly.
If
you have had any changes to your career or otherwise that may make it
difficult to continue with your WICT New England
Membership, the Transitional Member Program is a great
member benefit that can be offered to current members who have been
affected by the economic climate.
For
more information about the Transitional Member Program, please contact
Kara Hughs or reach out to WICT directly at 703-234-9817 or
703-234-9811 or by email at membership@wict.org. |
Kara
Hughes, Membership Chair along with Joan Lawlor and Ros Thornton are
championing The WICT NE Chapter Ambassador effort for 2009. The following WICT members have volunteered their time to support the Ambassador program:
Andrea Johnson - Comcast
Shanna Dandy - Comcast
Sue Palmieri - Comcast
Kathleen Paiva - Comcast
Ann Thompson - Comcast
Rosemary Centola - Comcast
Margaret Thompson-Levy - Comcast
Ros Thornton - Comcast
Lucy Cabral - Comcast
Camela St.Gelais - Comcast
Marie N. Harb - ESPN
Yvonne Atkins - ESPN
Donna A Capone - ESPN
Jen Duquette - ESPN
Julie Sobieski - ESPN
Doreen Balimidi - ESPN
Lisa Brett - ESPN
Lisa Kennard - Time Warner
Catalina Mehler -Time Warner
Ali Bonas -Time Warner
Joan Lawlor - Cox Cable
Brenda Shandley - Cox Cable
The
Comcast Ambassador team met on April 20th for the 1ST time this year
and is currently developing plans to conduct WICT 101 informational
sessions at several Comcast locations. Additionally, this team is
working to schedule a WICT NE Chapter Mixer this summer. |
Behind the Scenes at the WICT New England Annual Awards Gala
|
Have
you ever wondered how WICT chooses its award winners? The process
is all you--our members, industry partners, and leaders!
About
6 months before the gala, WICT starts to solicit for nominations via
email, our website, and our events. Anyone can nominate
anyone!
The list of awards for honoring
individuals is vast so we can capture the wonderful ways everyone
contributes to the industry. There is something for everyone -
from frontline to senior executive, new to the industry or a seasoned
veteran!
Nominate, Nominate, Nominate...
We
make it simple. Provide us with your nominee's contact information,
answer a few questions, and then email or fax it to us. One
nomination form is needed for each individual you wish to
nominate. Ideally, we like one award per nomination form. This
allows your answers to be more specific, giving us all the details we
need to make our winner selection. The more detail, the better. After
all, we might not know who you are nominating. You don't need to
be a member to nominate. You don't need to confirm your nominee is
already a member. And most importantly, you don't need to work with or
for your nominee! Anyone can nominate anyone...and can nominate
as many people as they want!!
The Selection Process....
Many
wonder how we here at WICT select the award winners. The awards
committee begins by hunkering down in a room with all of the nomination
forms. Starting with the first award, the committee reads each
nomination form from cover to cover, writing down key points.
Next, much like a jury, the team takes an initial vote to see which
nominees are favored, which we want to discuss further, and which
nominees we feel don't meet the needs of the award. After this,
the pile of nominees is thinned down to top contenders based on the
information we've received. Next comes the debate. We try to ensure
that each award is given to the best candidate while recognizing the
amazing achievements of as many nominees as possible. At the end,
each award has a winner and the names are announced at the Gala.
The Awards - A Sample...
The
Technical Achievement Award recognizes one male and one female from the
industry for accomplishments that have significantly contributed to the
progress of the industry. This could be anything, from creating a
program that allowed the industry to work smarter to implementing a
process that saves the industry money.
The Woman to Watch
Award recognizes an industry individual at the cusp of her career as
having the potential to go places.
Watch for the full list of our 2009 Awards & nomination form coming soon! |
TWITTER
What is Twitter? Twitter is the latest in online social networking applications.
It's a free service, and it allows anyone to say pretty much what they want to anybody (in 140 characters or less).
You're probably aware of Twitter by now and may even be actively using it. I have to admit I wasn't sure what the point was (who cares that you're on your way to get a coffee?), but Twitter has grown so rapidly that everyone would benefit from checking out its advantages.
In addition to learning who's having coffee, you can use Twitter to connect and network with others in your industry, find out what people
are saying this minute about your company or their products, and provide online support to your customers directly from Tweeter.
How Do I Start?
What Do I Use It For?
You need to follow people and/or have others follow you.
To start locating people with similarinterests, click http://www.tyellow.com/
This will take you to Twitter yellow pages and is good for finding people in your industry.
If you want to be added to the yellow pages, click here
http://www.tyellow.com/user_add.php
|
3 Minutes to Stress Relief
"Effective
stress control results in the enhancement of both mental and physical
well-being. Excercise and practice of relaxation methods are the
best ways to keep chronic stress in check, but it isn't realistic to
take a jog or a mediatation break every time you're faced with a
stressful situation."
You can, however, practice techniques like controlled breathing exercises when you feel your stress levels soaring.
Controlled Breathing Exercise:
Sit upright in a comfortable position.
Focus
on your present state and existence (this is often termed being
"mindful"). Block out intrusive thoughts. You may close your eyes if
you wish.
Pay attention to your breathing. Inhale slowly through the nose, taking several seconds.
Exhale through the mouth, trying to make the exhalation phase last twice as long as the inhalation.
Continue this mindful breathing for 3-5 minutes
For the compete article from MedicineNet.com Click here | |
 Spring
is my favorite time of the year. I love the fresh air, the
sunshine and the newness of everything. It is a season when
everything around us is in a growth mode. And that is exciting!
I
find that I get more (and make more) calls for career advice this time
of year. I encourage you to do the same. Explore your options and
keep learning, growing and bettering yourself. This is the season to
network, engage and dialog with people about your goals and
aspirations. It is a great time to plant seeds, nurture relationships
and make new connections.
As you plan for career
development, remember one thing-it's not who you know, it's about who
knows you, and what they know about you! So, plan accordingly. Do
things that will get you known for your abilities and talents. Do
special projects that improve the way you work-volunteer your time and
make a positive impact on those around you-in short, get visible!
Last
month, I was getting ready to call it a day, when the phone rang. I
looked at my caller ID and saw that it was someone I had mentored
several years ago (whom I will call Nancy).
Nancy
is a bright, rising leader in her company. She had received two
promotions in the past six years and was assertively seeking to go to
the next level. Nancy had recently posted for several positions
in her company and received feedback that she was not selected because
she was perceived as not being ready. Puzzled and disappointed, she
called me to find out what she should do. Here is how the conversation
went.
Nancy- "For the past six months, I have
posted for three positions. I made it to the final round of interviews,
but, got turned down for all three jobs. They felt that I was not
ready. But, I know I am. I just don't know how to convince people that
I have what it takes. When I look at the people who were selected, I
feel that they have just as much experience as I do. What am I
doing wrong? I am so frustrated! "
Lata - "Have you asked them for specific feedback as to why they think you are not ready?"
Nancy
- "Yes, they said I needed more experience leading and motivating
people. But how do I get that type of experience, when they won't give
me that opportunity? The people that got selected didn't have formal
experience either. They are at the same level I am. So why did they get
the job and I didn't?"
Lata - "I think that's the wrong
question, Nancy. I think the real question is "how did they
demonstrate that they had the skills required to lead and motivate
people when they did not formally manage a team?"
Nancy - "Yes, exactly! How did they do that?"
Lata
- "Well, that's the question I would like for you to think about. Carry
it as an inquiry and not as a judgment about you or them. Then notice
what you might have noticed before. Talk to people, gather information
and see what answers show up as a result.
Nancy - "o.k. but, is that it?"
Lata
- "Yes, that's it for now. There's no magic formula. But...asking
the right question allows you to reframe the situation, get good
information, and move forward in a positive way. Asking the wrong
question will get you stuck, frustrated and angry. Try it and let me
know what you find out."
Over the course of two
weeks, Nancy found out things about the people that had gotten the
positions that she was not aware of. When she called me back to
follow up, she was amazed at how that one question reframed her whole
way of thinking.
Here is what she found out:
The
people selected for the positions demonstrated both leadership and
motivational skills on the job as well as in outside community
initiatives that they were involved with.
They were able to clearly articulate what they did and how it applied to the job they were interviewing for.
Senior
leaders were already aware of the accomplishments these people had made
from direct observation, hearsay, or references from others.
They had a good reputation among their peers, managers, and colleagues.
Once
Nancy had reframed her perspective of the situation in a positive way,
she was able to put a plan together to fill in the missing gaps.
Creating
visibility and the right reputation is not easy. It takes a lot of
work, reflection and the willingness to make mistakes. It also requires
that you reach out to mentors, friends and peers for advice.
When
you can authentically and genuinely communicate how you have developed
skills for a particular job, and have been communicating and showing
results to the people that need to know, the likely hood of you
reaching your career goals are very high! So, get out there and make it
happen!
I hope to see you around. Please be sure to
review our up-coming calendar--we have some great events coming up.
Have a great spring!
Regards,
Lata Chawla
|
Women in Leadership: Creating a Clear and Compelling Vision
|
|
On
Thursday, April 23rd, approximately 20 executive level members gathered
in Comcast training rooms in Enfield, CT and Manchester, NH for a
morning development session. Women in Leadership: Creating a Clear and
Compelling Vision which ran for 90 minutes beginning at 9:00 AM was
designed to provide an impactful session in a compact time frame. We
wanted everyone to walk away with valuable information and action steps
that they are able to use on the job.
This
webinar format enabled both sites to discuss topics with participants
at their locations and to engage with facilitators, Sara King and Corey
Criswell of The Center for Creative Leadership.
Our
session leaders provided research from 360 feedback of 22,000
respondents that suggested that women are viewed behind their male
counterparts in the areas of developing and communicating their vision.
Benefits of visioning are:
- Leaders who are better able to communicate a strong vision have employees who are more satisfied with their organization.
- Leaders who are better able to communicate a strong vision are perceived by their employees as being more effective leaders.
Once you are committed to creating your vision statement, our leaders suggest we should follow some simple guidelines:
- Vision statements should be clear and unambiguous.
- They
need to be easily understood so they can serve as a guide to strategy
and action and to be internalized by those whose efforts are needed to
turn the vision into reality.
|
| Leading Change and Process Improvement Seminar |
The
WICT New England chapter held a Leading Change and Process Improvement
Seminar on April 29th at the Hyatt Summerfield Suites Hotel in
Burlington, MA.
This
event was the result of a long effort to introduce more local programs
to members. The event was sold out, with 51 participants registered for
the event. Clearly the demand exists for more local programs.
Ros Thornton organized the event along with a number
of WICT volunteers: Elena Bell, who coordinated the hotel
arrangements, Jo-Anne Adrian Drummey, Beth O'Brien, Emmy Cerra,
Lucy Cabral, Kathy George, Fatima Lopes, Kathy Paiva, Margaret
Thompson-Levy, and Lisa Walsh. Lata Chawla, Chapter President, was the Program Chair and Comcast Care
VP. Jackie Gadsden and Karen Hargedon, Director Customer of the
Advocacy team, supplied the Case Study. Jackie provided introductory
remarks as well.
6 Sigma Black Belt, Niyi Taiwo facilitated the session which introduced several quality tools that included a Case Study review.
Here are some quotes from participants: Hi Ros:
First
let me tell you what an incredible event you folks pulled off
yesterday. I loved the class and wondered why I haven't been
involved before!! I would love to volunteer for the NECTA
event. I live in RI, so it would be the easiest for me.
What is expected of the volunteers?
Thanks!
Tonya McDonald
Talent Specialist
Comcast - Greater Boston Region
Ros,
Thank you for creating such a wonderful
class! There are so many aspects that both myself and my
supervisors can utilize to create more effective processes thus,
enhancing our environment! Anne Marie and I have already started
making plans to share our new knowledge.
Jessica Tuite
Comcast
|
Inspired
to Lead, an event co-sponsored by Time Warner Cable and the Girl Scouts
of Maine, engaged three of Maine's most influential women in a
discussion about their careers in public service and leadership
ideals.
Janet
Mills, Maine Attorney General, Elizabeth (Libby) Mitchell,
President of the Maine Senate, and Hannah Pingree, Speaker of the
Maine House, addressed an audience of over 90 business women and teen
Girl Scouts at a breakfast event held at the Maple Hill Farm Inn in
Hallowell, on Monday, April 27.
These
women recounted personal experiences relating to their work in
public service and shared their views on what it means to be a woman
leader in today's world.
The meeting was the first
in a series of "Inspired to Lead" events co-sponsored by Girl Scouts of
Maine and Time Warner Cable, to help raise awareness of women's
leadership and provided a forum for Maine women to reflect on their own
leadership journeys
From left to right are Melinda Poore, VP Government
& Public Affairs, TWC, panel moderator, Regina Martin, V.P. of
Customer Care, TWC; Libby Mitchell, Maine Senate President; Hannah
Pingree, Speaker of the Maine House; and Maine Attorney General, Janet
Mills; Carolyn Slocombe, VP Human Resources, TWC. |
| Upcoming New England Programs |
|
Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) Morning Workshop |
Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) Morning Workshop
"Digital Media 360°: A Focus on Web Video & More"
Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
An interactive digital media workshop with active on-site and online participation
Actual Consumer Activity & Watching The Early Adopters
What Media, Cable And IPTV Companies Are Doing
What Are The Challenges
Register now for pre-workshop digital engagement exercises!
Limited on-site seating... abundant online attendance.
Online
workshop to be hosted live from the University of
Connecticut's School of Business Graduate Business Learning Center in
Hartford, CT.
Learn through hands-on experience about
digital media and web content management utilizing advanced web
conferencing tools to find out about the different ways consumers
interact between video and TV and how it relates to programming.
In addition to being the The Fortex Group's (http://fortexgroup.com)
founder, Ephraim Cohen is also a co-founder of CT Digital Media, a
Connecticut-based organization for digital media industry executives
and companies.
Online Workshop:
$30 for members $35 for non-members LINK - Click Here
To register for the On-Site Workshop ($45 for members, $50 for non-members)
|
|
Womenomics "Women mean Business" | |
Womenomics "Women mean Business
is the title of this year's WICT New England Panel being held in
Newport, RI during the summer NECTA Conference. The panel will
take place on Thursday, July 16th from 3pm to 4pm and will focus on
women leaders and why they mean so much to a company's bottom
line. Women's perspectives are vital to an organization's
growth and prosperity. Presently and historically, women have
been major forces on the impact of cultural, educational, familial,
institutional and political influence. Research presented by
E&Y at the World Economic Forum shows that companies with more
women leaders make more money.* And that companies with more
women on their boards outpace those with the least in ROI on invested
capital by 66%.**
The panelists have yet to be
finalized, but will include women of diverse backgrounds and at various
levels of their organization. Discussion points will include the
skills necessary to be a strong leader and what it takes to be relevant
and to succeed in this ever changing world.
For more information or to find out how you can get involved, please contact Kristen Raybould at 617-949-4151 or kraybould@juniper.net.
* E&Y White Paper at World Economic Forum 2009
** Catalyst Research
|
| WICT New England Kicks off Dress for Success Events |
WICT NEW ENGLAND KICKS OFF DRESS FOR SUCCESS EVENTS
Donate a professional suit to help a deserving woman achieve economic independence
New
England: Dress for Success, an international non-profit organization
celebrating its 12th anniversary, is encouraging women nationwide to
donate one new or nearly new interview suit during each upcoming WICT
event (beginning in June 2009) to help another woman enter the
workforce.
Our chapter's plan is to collect gently used
business attire, shoes, handbags and jewelry during all upcoming WICT
events through the end of 2009. Remember that all clothes must be clean
and on hangers, and ready to wear to an interview.
"With
the donation of just one suit, an entire family can be transformed,"
said Joi Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of Dress for Success
Worldwide. "So many of the women who come to Dress for Success are
single mothers and the suit is the first step in her journey to achieve
self-sufficiency... this enables another woman to attend a job
interview with confidence and take the first step towards economic
independence.
Suits collected at our WICT events this year
will be distributed to Dress for Success affiliates in the New England
region. To date, the organization has suited more than 450,000 women
since its inception in 1997 and in 2007 alone, Dress for Success served
more than 45,000 women.
"WICT is excited to support such a
great organization whose mission is so closely aligned with ours;
helping women achieve success and to develop their full potential,"
said Lata Chawla, President, WICT New England Chapter.
Dress for Success assists:
Disadvantaged
women from... homeless shelters, immigration services, job training
programs, educational institutions and domestic violence shelter
70% are single mothers
Ranges in age from 18-60 with the majority age 18-38
How does it work?
Women referred by non-profit and government agencies
Receive professional clothing for interviews
Please contact for more informationand what articles can be donated:
Melinda Poore
Laurie Cote
| |
|
|
|
|
|
