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JOURNAL EDITORS
Editor:
Kristine M. Lohr, MD, MS
Associate Editor:
Leilani Doty, PhD
We welcome your articles, tips, suggestions about professional resources, networking and job opportunities.
Please contact kristinelohr@uky.edu to submit information or to contact anytime.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
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One of many benefits encompassed in membership to Women Executives in Science & Healthcare is exclusive access to employment opportunities in the Members Only Section of www.weshleadership.org.
Visit the
Members Only Section
to view Job Opportunities and more!
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EDITOR'S CORNER
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This issue has been brewing for a while. I'm turning it over to Leilani Doty, our Associate Editor, to put on the final touches. In three days I start the trip of a lifetime to Turkey and Greece. Once I reach Atlanta, I'm meeting the roommate my friends found for me for the guided tour that eventually was cancelled. She's retired and said, "We're going regardless!" So she's created an itinerary to take us from Istanbul to Athens. We've never met. She said her picture broke the camera, so look for the woman with "short curly strawberry blonde hair" at the gate in Atlanta. Adventure!
Once again, Patti Hoffmeir comes through with a thought-provoking column on trends concerning female leadership and bias. This in turn led to an interesting collection for Notables and Quotables. In the same vein, Leilani was inspired to write about leadership and volubility. Dare I admit that it made me grind my teeth because I saw myself in it?
Elisabeth Kunkle highlights a few sessions defining the WESH presence at the AAMC 2013 Annual Meeting.
This issue also includes two interviews with well known leaders and role models. First, can you believe that Roz Richman is retired?!? Well, sort of. I snagged Roz just as she was heading off for a week in Berlin and Edinburgh - but she dutifully complied upon her return. Second, you may recall that one of our past Presidents, Pam Zarkowski, became Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Detroit Mercy in 2007. When Leilani learned that Pam took on the additional post of Provost in 2012, she interviewed her for this issue.
Enjoy!
Kristine M. Lohr, MD
Editor
kristinelohr@uky.edu
© WESH 2014
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ASCENDING AND SOARING LEADER
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Pamela Zarkowski, JD, MPH
Provost & VP of Academic Affairs
University of Detroit Mercy
Not only is WESH Past President (2007-8), Pamela Zarkowski, JD, MPH, the Provost but also she is the Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM). Essentially she is the chief academic officer of the University and has the responsibility for oversight of all its academic departments and programs. As a member of the President's Cabinet there, her voice carries weight in the discussions of top-level issues and the decisions impacting the University.
Pamela Zarkowski's appointment as Provost in 2012 added onto her existing appointment since 2007 as Vice President of Academic Affairs. It has been said, that if you want a challenging job done, find a busy person and assign her that additional project....the story of Pam's career life.
A look at her track record before becoming Provost and VP of Academic Affairs reveals that while serving as a chairperson or director of three departments from 1988-1997, she was the Associate Dean for Admissions and Community Relations during 1992-1997, then moved up to become Associate Dean for Academic Administration (1997-2002). Unstoppable, she was appointed Executive Associate Dean of University of Detroit Mercy's School of Dentistry from 2002-2007.
Meanwhile on the national scene, Pam served terms as the President of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the American Society for Dental Ethics (ASDE); was a former chairperson of the ADEA/Gies Foundation; and continues as a faculty of the annual ADEA Leadership Institute and Allied Leadership Institute programs.
Her career began with matriculating for a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, then a Master of Public Health in Dental Public Health and Teaching Certificate in Community Dentistry from the University of Michigan. Relentless to learn, she proceeded to earn a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University School of Law during which time she held an honored post as an editor for the Wayne Law Review.
Pam Zarkowski answers some questions about her amazing career journey and offers some advice in the following section.
Question: What is the story behind and the process that led to your appointment for the Provost position at the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM)?
Pam Z: In short, I was Vice President for Academic Affairs when the former President left to take another position. A new President joined and decided to conduct a national search for a Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and he encouraged me to apply. I applied and was selected as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. It was most interesting to "re-apply" for my position. However, when selected, it confirmed that I was the right person for the job.
Question: What has been an interesting challenge that you have faced as Provost?
Pam Z: The two jobs are fairly intertwined. When I first took the position, (in 2007) learning to understand nine deans, their colleges/school/units was a major challenge. In addition, there are three campuses at UDM. One campus, the main campus, has a unionized faculty, whereas law and the dental schools do not. Thus, understanding the intricacies of a union and what you can and cannot do was a challenge.
My title changed in 2012, but the responsibilities were basically the same as those that I held as Vice President for Academic Affairs. The President made it clear that I was first among equals if he was out of the office. Additional challenges have included learning to work with a variety of leadership styles, managing a number of units during fiscally challenging times and trying to determine how to provide both incentives and rewards for all members of the University community ranging from staff to colleagues. In addition, a new President with a different leadership style and personality was an initial challenge, but has proved to be rewarding and collegial.
Question: What has been an interesting challenge that you have faced as Vice President of Academic Affairs?
Pam Z: From the academic side of the house, working with faculty to create a core curriculum as well as enhance our current curricular offerings while incorporating some alternative delivery models remains an ongoing project.
Question: How do you manage so many leadership roles concurrently?
Pam Z: I have a wonderful and supportive group of individuals with whom I work at all levels. From office staff to Vice-Presidents. The Deans are an inspiration and a great resource. Other individuals who report to me (Office of Sponsored Research Activities, Institutional Research, two interdisciplinary programs, the Registrar and Student Support Center) truly understand the mission of the University and strive to support each other and especially the students and faculty.
On a personal note, I manage by working a lot of hours. Usually I spend at least one day of the weekend, if not both, at the office. Technology, as my colleagues in WESH know, keeps you connected all the time, so you are never far away from work. That can be a plus and a minus both personally and professionally.
Question: Who have been strong mentors and coaches and what did they do to help you the most? In your early life and then in your career life?
Pam Z: In my early life, my coach would have been my mother, Irene Zarkowski. Although we didn't use that term then, she fits the title. She encouraged me to attend college and get a Bachelor's degree and that was the start of a great educational path. I am forever grateful.
I really didn't have a strong mentor or coach early in my career. I had great colleagues which I watched within UDM and external to UDM who interacted within professional settings. I observed what they did, how they spoke, how they acted and reacted, and I learned many valuable lessons. Two mentors included Dr. Dolores Malvitz, a strong leader in dental public health and Dr. Bruce Graham, one of the dental deans with whom I worked at the School of Dentistry.
Question: What do you do for fun, to relax, to veg out?
Pam Z: I exercise to reduce stress. I love to read and embroider and antique. I enjoy good craft beers, especially Hoppy IPAs. We recently purchased property in northern Michigan and I hope to have a few weekends to enjoy the beautiful country up there.
Question: What advice would you give to junior women leaders...Advice of things/actions to do.....and.....Advice of things/actions not to do?
Pam Z: I think first to recognize that there are always opportunities to lead, in a small way or a more significant way and to view yourself in that light. You may be leading students, colleagues, a clinic or a meeting, but you are leading. Also, to state it simply: use all your senses to gain insights about leadership and followership. Listen, observe, touch, taste and smell. There are constant lessons to be learned if you, as your dentist or dental hygienist might say, "open wide" to what is occurring around you. Many of my best lessons came from using my senses.
In addition, never say never. If you would have told me that a dental hygienist would become a Provost of a university, I might not have believed you. And here I stand.
Also, thank and acknowledge all those who help you. We are not successful alone and there is always an invisible team that surrounds you.
I have lots of advice and some important lessons:
♦ Get it in writing.
♦ Do your homework, always be prepared for a meeting, event, discussion, etc.
♦ People will respect you if you ask for help, say I don't know, or admit a mistake.
♦ Strive for balance.
♦ Say no, but if you do say (or must say) yes too often, practice random acts of kindness on yourself.
Question: Anything else you would like to add?
Pam Z: Networks such as WESH, are critical to an individual's success because of the professional interactions, collegiality and resources that are associated with such groups.
Thank you, Pam...keep soaring!
By Leilani Doty, PhD Chair, WESH Communications Director, University of Florida Cognitive & Memory Disorder Clinics |
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COLLECTIVE LEARNING AND GROWING
- trends concerning female leadership and bias
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Patricia "Patti" A. Hoffmeir
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About 100 years ago, sex-based restrictions on voting in the United States were prohibited, granting women the right to vote. While much has changed since then, social biases and limitations toward females still very much exist in our country. Whether it's our upbringing, culture, disposition or the like, there are those women who break barriers, succeed and help pave the way for their successors. By understanding history, current trends and learning from each other, we all can benefit.
What does today's landscape look like?
Hillary Rodham Clinton's remark at the 10th Pennsylvania Conference for Women on Nov. 1, 2013, reminded us that the proverbial glass ceiling still exists and that we must continue to "get cracking" at it.
The September 2013 issue of the Harvard Business Review's cover has a female silhouette stamped with the words, "Emotional, Bossy, Too Nice: The Biases That Still Hold Female Leaders Back - and How to Overcome Them."1
The July 2013 issue of Academic Medicine2, the Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) journal, featured four articles on the changing role of the department chair. One referenced women in its title - "The Woman in the Mirror: Humanities in Medicine." I had hoped the article would speak to the perspective women bring to medicine, but it was about a humanitarian approach to patient care.
The "Corner Office" section of The New York Times on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, featured an article by Adam Bryant, "Four executives on succeeding in business as a woman."3 Bryant, who has been writing on leadership for several years, interviewed a diverse group of executive women in his piece. He cited the book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg and the Anne-Marie Slaughter's article, "Why Women Still Can't Have It All," which was published in The Atlantic and speaks to a continuing gender gap. The women interviewed not only offered insight about challenges female leaders have at work, they also shared advice on how to professionally succeed.
Slaughter's thoughts moved me to reflect on the gender-neutral business book, Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler, which details in a formulaic manner how to prepare for and handle difficult, emotionally wrought conversations. As a woman, I believe that many of us are raised to be peacemakers and work cooperatively and harmoniously with others. While not solely characteristic of or limited to females, these patterns of behavior may roadblock our success in addressing conflict, negotiating salary and seeking recognition for our good work. The book's authors believe that the ability to master difficult conversations is possible, but it takes personal insight and practice.
AAMC has researched and published on unconscious biases that people have related to sex, race, religion, etc. But why do these biases continue to flourish? My daughter once sadly proclaimed, "Mom, you said it would be different for me." I told her that things had changed. However, we still have a ways to go.
Many of you have achieved great things for yourself and for women coming behind you. The four-year, $650,000 grant that Etta D. Pisano, MD, Dean of the College of Medicine at Medical University of South Carolina, received in 2013 from the National Science Foundation for its Advancement, Recruitment and Retention of Women in Science (ARROWS) program is a kudo for all women in science and medicine.
As part of this year's AAMC's Mid-Career Women Faculty Professional Development Conference
5, Marian Cecile Limacher, MD, and Rebecca Rainer Pauly, MD, offered the workshop, "Your Personal Brand: Developing Your Competitive Edge in a Collaborative World." Taught by these female deans, it's exciting to see stars in medicine counseling each other just as Women Executives in Science & Healthcare has done for many years.
The fact that we're still reading and talking about this topic shows that there's more to be done, but what? Will the potential of females running for president or carrying arms into a battle make women "equal"?
There is solid research to support the positive attributes women bring to the boardroom, but women need to be encouraged and their attributes recognized as meaningful. The authors of "Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers" in the September 2013 issue of Harvard Business Review1 state that a first step for men and women is to understand the gender biases in order to focus on "leadership purpose" vs. how we're perceived. That's a tall order to incorporate into what we in healthcare call "the activities of daily living."
We can intellectually believe what these articles tell us, but to internalize them and put them to work are very difficult for some of us to do. Nevertheless, there is strength in numbers. By sharing your personal successes and true-to-life stories, as well as inspiring others, we all may learn and gain ideas. I encourage you to read the articles and books cited above and become involved. If women were granted the right to vote in the early 1900s, imagine what we can do in the 2000s.
Patricia "Patti" A. Hoffmeir
Senior Vice President
Tyler & Company
Reach her at phoffmeir@tylerandco.com or 610-558-6100
References
Editor's Note: The September issue's spotlight is on women in business leadership. The closing paragraph of Adi Ignatius's editorial entitled "Where Are the Female Leaders?" states, "Closing the leadership gap is a formidable challenge. But there's no excuse for accepting the status quo." The section includes four articles: "Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers" by Herminia Ibarra, Robin Ely, and Deborah Kolb; "Great Leaders Who Make the Mix Work: by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly; "How Women Decide" by Cathy Benko and Bill Pelster; and "Women in the Workplace: A Research Roundup". HBR Sep 2013; 91(9):59-90.
2. Huyler F: Commentary: The Woman in the Mirror: Humanities in Medicine. Acad Med 2013; 88:918-20.
4. Patterson K, Grenny J, McMillan R, Switzler A. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, 2nd Ed., McGraw-Hill© 2012.
© WESH 2014
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LEADERSHIP TOOL: VOLUBILITY
| What comes to mind when thinking about women who are powerful leaders? Is it the power suit, the power briefcase, the power car, the power office, the power grant/contract (in the millions of dollars), the power iTech-tools (think iPhone, iPad, Google Glasses, etc.)?
What about her power as a communicator?
Communication skills, whether face to face or iTech to iTech, are key to demonstrating a woman's capability, potential, effectiveness, and impact as a leader. Communication explores possibilities, moves choices toward decisions, promotes project development, guides actions toward deadlines, and fosters collaborations. Communication lubricates relationships in the workplace, the friendship network, and the family unit. However, communication dressed in stress can nurture misperceptions, erect barriers and ablate progress. A critical element of communication is volubility.
Volubility in its positive sense has been described as the fluency of speech, the ability to talk readily, to be articulate and to have a continuous flow of words. In less positive terms, volubility has been described also as being too loquacious, garrulous, rambling, or talking incessantly.1,2 Volubility is highly attached to positions of power but, to no surprise, impressions from volubility differ based on the speaker's sex.3 Women are judged more harshly than men for the same volubility. Stereotypes attributed to volubility characterize women as rambling and incessant but men as articulate.
In a study of volubility, Brescoll (2011) examined the recorded oral and nonverbal behaviors of United States Senators in the 2005 and 2007 Congressional sessions and found that power in one's position had a strong, positive effect on volubility for male Senators but not for female Senators. Positions of power such as serving as Committee Chair appeared to positively impact the increased volubility in males; however, increased volubility in women in comparable, high positions led to negative consequences such as backlash. In the second phase of her research, Brescoll found that women in high positions preferred establishing rapport with colleagues and exercising less volubility than men who were at the same level of positions of power.3
Females as well as males appear to have negative perceptions of highly voluble females. In her research, Brescoll developed scenarios involving female and male CEOs. The female and male raters in the subject pool scored the highly voluble female CEO "as significantly less competent and less suitable for leadership than a male CEO...speaking (for) the same amount (of time)" (Brescoll, page 635, 2011). In other words, powerful men, but not powerful women, benefit from displaying power through volubility. Interestingly, low voluble female CEOs and highly voluble male CEOs received the same ranking of positive competence and leadership.3
Inferring a person's power by how much that person talks can occur in many ways, whether in a more formal meeting or at a casual gathering. At national or international meetings, the highly voluble audience member who asks a more complex, extensive question and the more voluble panelist who answers the question may appear to carry more expertise, and therefore more power. Women may be at a disadvantage because of their preference, according to Helgelsen (1995), for more interactive, democratic interactions that overtly seek the engagement from the group-community rather than the more hierarchical, top-down non-engagement, more directive interaction style of males.4 When women increase their volubility, other females as well as males may provide social recriminations, such as frowns or expressions of dislikes, and consider the voluble women as out-of line.3
Confidence may be a major factor!
Males may feel confident about their opinion especially if they have a higher position in an organization than other members within a group. Thus, they may be more voluble, taking more time to talk, explain a point, propose an idea, or describe an example of their success related to the point under discussion. (Research repeatedly commends males about how much better they are in relaying stories of their successes and recommends that females should develop skills in self-promotion, i.e., work harder to communicate their achievements and awards.)5,6 Group members may reflect feeling less powerful by allowing the voluble speaker to talk at length rather than attempting to open the discussion to input from other attendees. It may be extremely challenging to deflect the attention from a voluble speaker who is an especially good storyteller or has a captivating sense of humor. Nonverbal displays such as chin thrusts, a serious facial expression, squared shoulders, head straight, and direct eye contact while scanning members of the group, or initiating speech when others hesitate to respond and cutting off interruptions, may enhance the power of the speaker's volubility and amplify the deference of the silent others. Such group deference salutes the tradition that voluble males are the leaders and non-voluble others have little or nothing to contribute.3,7
According to Richard Petty, PhD, a psychology professor at Ohio State University, confidence turns thoughts into actions. Being unsure leads to non-action, not trying, not risking the opportunity to learn more (sometimes learning from one's mistakes), and missing out on making a difference or achieving an important goal. While women tend to want 100% assurance that they have the skills before attempting a new role or applying for a new job, men will seek such opportunities with only a 60% assurance of skills. Their willingness to take the risk puts men into position more often for obtaining the invitation to: an important committee, directing a project, a promotion, a salary increase, and special attention and respect from their senior colleagues.7
How may women in high power positions display their volubility positively?
Women should make their presentations, their words, and their voice the best they can be. A voice-coach and a word-coach may make a significant difference. A voice-coach can help to evaluate one's speaking voice to improve its public-speaking quality, such as making one's voice sound:
- More clear,
- More articulate,
- Less nasal,
- Slower if speech is too fast and faster if speech is too slow.
- And learn to project all the words so that none are swallowed (Why do people tend to swallow the ends of words and the last few words in a sentence?!?).
A word-coach can help to evaluate the style of speaking and help a person to:
- Become more succinct (It is so difficult to talk in "sound bytes" but not all answers need to include a complete review of the literature.)
- Use more objective phrases. Practice saying, "I think ", not "I feel" nor "I believe" (Be careful of believe, unless you are at a religious meeting, religion class, or spiritual retreat, because it suggests expression of your impressions or subjective experience rather than information from objective, respected references.) Practice saying ,"The XXXX research indicates that..." not "Maybe women don't believe that..."
- Answer questions with responses that are on target to the question and punctuated with one or two facts, then ask...."Does that answer your question?"
- Think of answers or points. After repeating the question, give one to three brief responses, for example, saying, "In response to the question about ways to improve your memory, I have three suggestions:
1) Stay on a regular routine.
2) Pay attention to and repeat what you just heard.
3) Note the detail/name/date on your calendar or iPhone/iPad immediately."
Practice a public speaking voice in front of caring, honest friends and family. Respect feedback and apply it. Above all, just do your best and don't worry about perfection. And as Colleen Sharen insisted in her 2012 article in Leadership, Strategy, Women in Management: "find (your) voice"8 and then use your voice!
Other ways to display your power when chairing a meeting, especially when there is an extremely voluble person attending:
- Create an agenda that limits the time for a specific item, which is the job responsibility or interest of an extremely voluble person, who typically takes over the discussion about that item.
- Offer the structure of a time-limit such as two minutes (and have a timekeeper) for each person at the meeting to offer input. This structure is especially helpful when there is an emotional or stressful discussion that seems stuck; the topic may need further discussion at the following meeting or assignment to an Ad Hoc Task Force for more in-depth work to be addressed at the following meeting (which begins with fruit, cheese, and chocolate to stimulate some congeniality and harmony).
- When several people want to speak, call on the most timid first and the most voluble last (and look at your watch overtly a couple of times before interrupting the extremely voluble person to say, "I will let you stop there; thank you for the comments. Next,....".
- Build support for an issue by emailing, tweeting, or visiting members for brief discussions ahead of the meeting and inform the less voluble persons about the importance of their input.
- Assign each person who will attend the meeting a different role or task that works toward developing the project or do the opposite: pass out a simple explanation of the project before the meeting and ask people to be prepared to present ideas at the meeting about why the project will not work. (Naysayers love this kind of exercise!)
Models of Volubility
In June 2013 the relatively unknown Texas State Senator Wendy Davis demonstrated the strength of volubility and then some in her 11-hour filibuster to successfully kill a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. (Texas Governor Rick Perry re-introduced the bill which passed the following month in a special session.) Now Senator Wendy Davis is running for Texas Governor.9
And what about other models of volubility?
♦ California Senator Dianne Feinstein, a highly visible, voluble and powerful Congresswoman.
♦ Neuroscientist Susan Hockfield, PhD, the first woman President of MIT (2004-12).
♦ Regina Marcia Benjamin, MD, the 18th Surgeon General of the United States (2009-13).
♦ Senator Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts, author of A Fighting Chance and who insists she is not a candidate for the 2016 U.S. Presidency.
♦ Mary Barra, newest CEO of General Motors.
♦ Hillary Clinton, JD, Senator, Secretary of State; maybe the first woman U.S. President?
And a notable pioneer for programs and research on women's health:
♦ Vivian W. Pinn, MD, first full-time Director of the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, 1991-2011.
What comes to mind when reflecting on these remarkable, highly voluble women leaders is that it is not the power suits/cars/whatever, but the power of their volubility mixed with confidence and magnitudes of perseverance that has made them iconic women leaders.
References
1. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition 2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Pub 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/volubility).
2. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/volubility;
articulateloquaciousgarrulousramblingverbalprolixfluent
3. Brescoll, Victoria L. "Who Takes the Floor and Why: Gender, Power, and Volubility in Organizations."Administrative Science Quarterly, Dec 1, 2011:56(4): 622-641.
4. Helgelsen, S. (1995). The Female Advantage: Women's Ways of Leadership. NY: Doubleday.
5. Rudman, L. A. (1998). Self-promotion as a risk factor for women: The costs and benefits of counterstereotypical impression management. J. of Personality & Social Psychology, 74(3): 629-645.
6. Sharen, C. Are Women the limiting factor? Women's #Leadership & Self-Promotion. Nov 5, 2012; http://colleensharen.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/are-women-the-limiting-factor-womens-leadership-self- promotion/?relatedposts_hit=1&relatedposts_origin=1759&relatedposts_ position=1
7. Kay, K. & Shipman, C. The Confidence Gap. April 14, 2014, www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/04/the-confidence-gap/359815/
8. Sharen, C. #Leadership & Power: Good Girls Don't Talk. Leadership, Strategy, Women in Management, May 7, 2012. http://colleensharen.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/leadership-power-good-girls-dont-talk/
9. Draper, R. Can Wendy Davis Have It All?, NY Times, Feb. 12, 2014 www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/magazine/wendy-davis.html
By: Leilani Doty, PhD
WESH, Communications Chair
Director, University of Florida Cognitive & Memory Disorder Clinics, Gainesville, FL |
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NOTABLES & QUOTABLES
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NOTABLES
Who runs Fortune 500 companies? In 2002, only six women did. In 2013, 21 did. That's "progress", but 96% are still run by men. In January 2014 Catalyst updated the list with 23 women as CEO on the Fortune 1-500 list and another 23 on the Fortune 501-1000 list, making it 4.6% in each list.
http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/women-ceos-fortune-1000
So we're down to 95.4% of Fortune 1000 companies run by men. Are we sleeping better yet? Will the percentage be significantly different with the 2014 rankings?
Earlier this year Janet Yellen was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Reserve Board. In 2011 Christine Lagarde became head of the International Monetary Fund. Both women are the first to be in each powerful financial position. For a look at the 2013 rankings of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking, the 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance, and the 25 Women to Watch, go to
http://www.americanbanker.com/women-in-banking/
Who conducts symphony orchestras? In a New York Times article published on December 13, 2013, Zachary Woolfe wrote, "According to the League of American Orchestras, of the 103 ensembles with the biggest budgets, 12 have female conductors; just one of the top-tier 22 is led by a woman." The article is reminiscent of other professions. Vasily Petrenko, a young Russian maestro, is quoted as saying that "players, presumably men, react better when they have a man in front of them. A sweet girl on the podium can make one's thoughts drift toward something else." [Oh, that y chromosome...] Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and first women conductor of a major American orchestra, was quoted as saying that the numbers of women entering the field "didn't really change" 30 years down the line. As partial explanation, she said, "When men make forceful gestures, they come off as being masculine and virile. Sometimes when women do that, they're interpreted as being pushy and bossy. I've really worked hard at trying to, sort of, de-genderize my gestures." [The old aggressive vs. assertive vs. passive discussion.] The article mentions that the percentage of women completing doctoral degrees in conducting or attending conducting academies "significantly exceeded their presence in the field as practitioners." [Sounds like academic medicine.] In addressing how to achieve fairness, the article mentions that "blind auditions swiftly equalized the gender makeup of orchestra players. But you can't have blind auditions for conductors." Woolfe's advice? "...put pressure on orchestras and opera companies to push further toward gender equity. Musicians, too, should demand the chance to play under women as much as possible. And if major donors made a point of the issue in their meetings with administrators, I suspect that the numbers would really start rising."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/arts/music/female-conductors-search-for-equality-at-highest-level.html?_r=0
So why aren't I saying, "Whoopee!" yet? But I do feel good after reading Joann Weiner's blog on seven American women who made a difference in 2013, published on December 30, 2013 in The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2013/12/30/seven-american-women-who-made-a-difference-in-2013/
Her blog is in a section entitled "She the People: Changing the Conversation."
QUOTABLES
I hated compulsory figures. I hated tracing circles for hours and hours. I wasn't good at them when I was a kid. But the reason I won the gold was because of compulsory figures. It's about eliminating your weaknesses, and knowing, 'This has to be fixed."
Dorothy Hamill on the most grueling part of training
In life, I have struggled with knowing that I'll never be a world-class anything again. So I've tried to find a way to share the thing that I'm still most passionate about, ice-skating.
Dorothy Hamill reflecting on what's next after she reached the top
Before success, you're going to have failures. I'd have a bad competition, but it didn't crush me. I knew, "This is what I need to go back and work on or change."
Kristi Yamaguchi on what she learned from competing
My definition of success was having the courage to try.
Jane Pauley
The truth is there are too many women in our country today trying to build a life and a family that don't just face ceilings on their aspirations and opportunities; it's as if the floor is collapsing beneath them. These are our sisters, our daughters, granddaughters. Some are hungry, not just for nutritious food but for opportunity, for chance to thrive, for their own piece of the American dream. Don't think we can sit back and wait for someone else to step forward and solve these problems.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Address at Assembly 2014: Make It Happen
United Methodist Women
Louisville KY
April 26, 2014
http://prod.umwomen.org:88/assembly
See also http://www.upworthy.com/dont-ask-hillary-clinton-about-abortion-if-you-cant-handle-her-answer?c=ufb3
Say "yes" as often as you can. "No" doesn't move you.
Michael J. Fox, diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991
We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose hope.
Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King
In order to be irreplaceable, one must be different.
Coco Chanel
If you have a choice to be right or kind, choose kind.
Wayne Dyer
But the thing about adversities is that they force you out of your comfort zone. The bad outcome is that you might drift into the void but the other outcome is that you might gain amazing tools for growth and knowledge.
Alfonse Cuarón
Director, co-writer, co-editor and co- producer of Gravity
Editor's Note: And where would we be without humor?
Don't worry, Bob. There are some jobs a robot just can't do-like kissing up.
CEO sitting at his desk and talking with an employee
Pepper...And Salt cartoon
Wall Street Journal, 2014
A man learns a great deal about himself when he's face to face with 49 minutes of tech support on-hold music.
One employee to another
Pepper...And Salt cartoon
Wall Street Journal, 2014
Younger pirate: So I just plug the coordinates into my iPhone...
Older pirate: What? But I've already made this old treasure map with a big X! Where's yer sense of adventure?
WUMO cartoon entitled "Generations collide", 2014
God's autocorrect [texting on his smartphone]: "Thou", not "You"! "Shalt", not "Shallow"! "Sayeth", not "Sawtooth"! "Gah, I'm gonna smite somebody!
Speedbump cartoon, 2014
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Wally: The secret to having a rewarding work-life balance is to have no life. Then it's easy to keep things balanced by doing no work.
Intern: So simple. And yet, so genius.
Wally: It was hiding in plain sight.
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Pointy-haired boss: The key to leadership is setting vague goals that are a combination of jargon and wishful thinking. That way, I can keep dumping work on you without hearing you whine that it doesn't fit with your goals. You have to admit, my system is better than whatever you're doing over there.
Dilbert: Yup.
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Employee: Who's up for some leadership? Watch me define acceptable behavior. Align your goals with company objectives. Prioritize respect. Deal directly with conflict. Maintain a positive attitude and pretend to care!
Bilbo: That would be impressive.
Employee: Settle down, Bilbo.
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Dilbert, 2014
Scott Adams
Kristine M. Lohr, MD
Editor
kristinelohr@uky.edu
© WESH 2014
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ROSALYN C. RICHMAN: ELAM ICON
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Celebrating Roz Richman
(Clockwise: Roz Richman, Sox, tissues for tears, Diane Magrane & Roz, Roz clasping her Mom's hands, tissues for tears, Roz &her Mom with P.J.Coney, Debbie German, Page Morahan)
So...is it true? Are you really retiring and settling down in The City of the Crosses (Las Cruces), giving up all those jet set trips to ELAM sessions and events? When is the magic date?
Yes, I've retired ... from Drexel University College of Medicine ... officially as of June 30, 2013. However, I am thrilled that Diane [Magrane, ELAM Director] offered me a title limited role as Special Assistant to the Director, focused on alumnae relations and fund-raising, which enable me to continue the work I led as Director of Alumnae Relations and to support the transition process. This past year, I attended the AAMC and ADEA annual meetings and the ELAM Winter Session. I look forward to being at the 2014 Spring Session, at which Page and I will deliver the graduation address for the 18th ELAM class. I also enjoy reconnecting with ELUMs wherever I travel for personal visits.
If you are indeed retiring: we wish you a happy retirement period and a fulfilling life ahead as you start this new chapter. If you had a billion bucks, what you love to do?
Wow! That's a lot of moolah! I can think of something I want to do with considerably less - a mere $2.5 million - to endow the ELAM Directorship, a dream that Page (Page S. Morahan, PhD) and I long have nurtured. In fact, I have made the initial core contribution, along with a gift that's part of my estate planning, for that purpose and will be working with ELAM, its Founders, and Drexel to make that a reality.
What do you recall as milestones in your career?
There are so many treasured moments I can recall, even if I limit my recollections to the nearly 20 years I've spent with ELAM. Since my career has focused on the advancement of women's careers in the 'ELAM arena,' I have celebrated the many milestones and accomplishments of ELAM's participants, more than 800 women (825) in the 18 classes with which I've worked. The first ELUM dental dean, the first ELUM medical dean, the first ELUM public health dean, the first ELUM university president, and on and on. Don't think, though, that I celebrated only the 'countable' milestones. Among the more recent, non-quantifiable milestones for me (beyond my retirement!) were the manner by which Page and I chose consciously to model succession planning and the appointment of Diane as Director, back in 2009.
We see you as one of the founding mothers of an important movement in the United States and North America. What got you started?
First, I am flattered to be viewed this way; as one who has been much more comfortable behind the scenes, I think of myself more as a second cousin, thrice removed. There have been many women who've played significant roles in gaining equality and parity for women, who have been role models, pioneers, out-front activists and advocates.
"How did I get started?" is a question I began to ask myself during the opening of the inaugural ELAM class in September 1995. In one of the break-the-ice exercises, Fellows were asked to self-identify if they were first-born or only children, if they'd ever attended a girls- or women-only school or program, if they were the primary breadwinner in their current family, if their mother worked outside the home, etc. I realized how many of these described me: I was the older of two daughters in my family, my mother divorced when my sister and I were very young and had to go to work (continuing to work until she retired at 65 and earning a bachelor's and two master's degrees while holding down full-time jobs), I attended Margaret Morrison Carnegie College (a women-only unit of Carnegie Institute of Technology, now a co-ed part of Carnegie Mellon University). As a senior there, I took an honors class on women in society. When my former position at Hahnemann University ended with its merger with Medical College of Pennsylvania, I was approached about a new, start-up program. I thank my lucky stars (and Page, Walter Cohen and Patty Cormier) every day that I was selected for and accepted the position as Associate Director.
Please share some reflections on your association with ELAM, SELAM and WESH.
My association with ELAM has been - and continues to be - one of the best, most cherished, fulfilling elements of my life. I loved every role I've had with ELAM, working with applicants, Fellows, graduates (ELUMs), faculty, admissions and national advisory committees, and friends. Equally satisfying and rewarding has been being part of the ELAM staff, the team that has evolved over the years. Looking back, I enjoyed it all.
In ELAM's third year, numerous women from the first two classes drew together for the dual goals of community building and continuing leadership education. They organized the first post-ELAM program, held in November 1998, with the 1997-98 Fellows and many of the 1995-96 and 1996-97 ELUMs there. I still remember the program, its faculty, and even the room setting. Following the educational program, the ELUMs and Fellows began to talk about establishing a formal "alumnae group." Those discussions led to the founding of SELAM (Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, a name that, even then, raised some concerns as sounding too much like ELAM). Of course, it took much more than discussions to 'birth' the organization: a handful of ELUMs (and their staff members) spent more than a year of planning, meeting, delving into the legal, financial and other implications of such an organization. Their goal, initially, was to create an alumnae society that would exist within Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (as the MCP-Hahnemann was renamed). However, the "small" matter of AUHS's bankruptcy intervened, and SELAM was forced to be a self-standing entity. As such, it needed 501(c)(3) status to raise funds, and that, in turn, necessitated the inclusion of non-ELAM graduates as members. I am proud of all that SELAM accomplished, including its name change to recognize that its membership and mission encompass much more than ELAM and its graduates' aims. WESH leadership fosters expanding its membership base and enhancing the professional growth of women in and beyond academic health.
What advice do you have for those of us as we try to carry the torch?
For all of WESH's members, I would encourage:
a. Find and use your voice. What is important to you? What are your values, your goals, and your passion? Embrace them and let them be your guide. Always speak up for yourself, speak clearly, speak assertively. (As I lose my hearing, I respect the importance of speaking up more and more!)
b. Value yourself and take good care of yourself (physically, psychically, emotionally, spiritually, professionally). Remember the flight attendants' advice to "put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others."
c. Learn from your mentors and pass along their and your lessons to your protégées. Share graciously and generously.
d. Be kind to yourself. We all make mistakes; what we want to do is make them count...for learning to be better, smarter, take more risk, dream bigger, speak up sooner, act more confident.
e. Take the credit, savor the accomplishments, own your achievements. Give credit, too, to those who assist, support, nurture and guide you.
f. Never suffer alone. Whether you are dealing with a personal or family crisis or a professional difficulty, reach out for help and support. There is no benefit to (or prize for) suffering in silence ... and much to gain from reaching out to others who can lend an ear to listen and support you in stressful or painful times and a hand to provide tangible aid and counsel.
What was your favorite pair of socks? [This is an inside joke - she may or may not recall...]
This recalls one of the funnier treasured moments from ELAM. In spring 1998, at its graduation, the third ELAM class presented special gifts to Page, me and others. I was given a number of pairs of socks, each designated for a specific function - casual, business casual, business, dressy - echoing my daily announcements to the Fellows about the expected or required dress for the next day's session. I got lots of flack for this onerous duty! At the reception held in San Antonio this past January during the ELUM advanced program, Roberta Sonnino repeated the gift by presenting me with a new collection of socks! However happy my feet have been with these gifts, my head and heart remain staunchly unbiased .... I have no favorite classes or ELUMs!
Tell us about a secret or caprice about past adventures that you never shared with anyone but would be willing to share now as you start a new chapter in life.
Well, this brings to mind an ELAM Spring Session of some years ago (which shall remain unsaid to protect the innocent). It was a beautiful day, and three or four Fellows decided to play hooky from the afternoon session for some "retail therapy" on Lancaster Avenue. (At the time, ELAM was being held at the Gregg Conference Center, a short walk to the main shopping street in Bryn Mawr.) I happened to notice them warily sneaking back into the classroom, guilty smiles on their faces. They had a gift - or peace offering - for me, one that I cherish to this day: a tea towel with a graphic of a wild woman riding a racing horse, hanging upside down with one foot in the stirrup, and, in large letters, "A Gal's Gotta Do What A Gal's Gotta Do." I got their message...and adopted it as one of my personal mottoes.
Any regrets?
None whatsoever. It's been a great journey, and I am content and happy. I am grateful for so many people who are and have been in my life and for the opportunities I've had and, yes, even the challenges.
May we keep in touch with you? If so, how?
I'd love to stay in touch! The best way to reach me is by email at rcrichman@gmail.com.
Kristine M. Lohr, MD, MS
Editor
© WESH 2014
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WESH AT AAMC 2013 ANNUAL MEETING
Group on Diversity and Inclusion Programs
| This article highlights two Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) Programs at the 13th Annual Meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). These programs were held on November 1, 2013, in Philadelphia PA.
♦ Coming Out with a Disability
Moderator: Susan B. Wilson, PhD, MBA, Associate Dean of Diversity and Community Partners, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Speaker: Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
♦ Disability Policies and Practices in Academic Medicine
Moderator: Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Speaker: Daniel M. Clinchot, MD, Vice Dean for Education, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Both of the GDI sessions addressed many aspects of dealing with diversity/disability as an individual, a chair/leader, and an institution. Institutional policy and culture have an impact on disability barriers. It is not sufficient to:
1. Provide accommodation for people with disabilities,
2. Have a "diversity week", and/or
3. Leverage an individual as a "token" person with a disability.
Interestingly, most accommodations cost less than $500. Furthermore, often costs offset workplace injuries to employees and prevent patient harm (i.e., enhance safety). In considering whether the accommodation request is "reasonable", employers should consider the following:
1. Does the accommodation create an undue hardship?
2. What are the issues regarding safety, duration, severity, and likelihood of related problems?
3. How will the accommodation affect the conduct of workers?
A process of information gathering, assessment, and consultation with disability experts is needed when dealing with any issue related to disability. Essential job functions should be appraised in terms of limitations: Is the job function the reason the position was created, and/or would removal of the job function from the individual fundamentally change the position? Healthcare organizations are generally far behind in disability accommodations (e.g., exam rooms lack high-low, 18", exam tables).
Finally, the speakers discussed the language we use. For example:
* "Mr. Jones, who has diabetes" is preferable to "the diabetic" or "the paraplegic". * Some even suggested words with "dis" were no longer acceptable (e.g., disabled).
Elisabeth J. Kunkel, MD
Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs and Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Jefferson Medical College
Director, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
Jefferson University Hospitals
© WESH 2014 |
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