[Jobs] Are you organizationally savvy?

[Peter Altschul]

>From left, Christine Birnbaum, Sheryl Spanier and Janice Won.

 

Are you organizationally savvy?

 

By: Lisa Chen Posted: 12/10/07

 

On Thursday, Nov. 29, The Financial Women's Association Mentoring Program at
Baruch College held their last luncheon of the fall, titled "Organizational
Savvy."

 

Christine Birnbaum, a FWA mentor and director of human resources at New York
Life Investment Management, led a panel of three business professionals who
discussed their personal experiences and advised students about
understanding an organization's unique culture and learning behaviors that
help professionals avoid the traps of office politics.

 

Sheryl Spanier is the owner of Sheryl Spanier and Co. Spanier has been
assisting executives in entering, excelling in and exiting organizations for
over 20 years. Her career began in the 1960s. She went to work everyday full
of ideas and energy. Spanier recalled a critical "ah-ha!" when a former boss
said to her, "I play baseball, you play basketball. For us to get along you
need to know baseball."

 

Janice Won is founder of The Inclusion Strategies Group. She is a diversity
strategist and consultant recognized for championing enterprise-wide
diversity initiatives in a global Fortune 100 company. She advocates for the
importance of leadership in driving the diversity agenda in corporate,
research and non-profit sectors. Janice's "ah-ha!" moment came when she was
working at a firm that went through four mergers. As a result of the
mergers, she was placed in a managerial role and had to understand how the
organization worked in order to recommend ideas and implement changes. Won
spends considerable time speaking to people and recommending policies to
employees.

 

Susan Marie Sobrepena is an analyst in NYLIM's Real Estate Group. She joined
NYLIM in July directly from the army. Sobrepena graduated from West Point
and received an M.B.S from the New York Institute of Technology with an
M.B.A.

 

Sobrepena served in Afghanistan as a company commander in the United States
Army where she was trained to fly helicopters. Sobrepena was also the
recipient of a number of awards and medals. Sobrepena advised, "You have to
know that you don't know everything but know who to ask."

 

Birnbaum asked the panelists to share their thoughts on how students
entering the workforce can help make the work place less political. Spanier
stated that it is very important to observe and adapt. She advised students
to be aware that it is just a game. If you know the rules of the game, you
play it ,and leaving the game doesn't work. She also mentioned a book by
Marshall Goldsmith titled, What Got You Here Won't Get You There.

 

An important lesson that Won learned during her company's merger was to
listen.

 

"If you scramble the word listen, it is silent," said Won. "You need to find
an individual who can mentor you. Knowing what you know before may not work
at the new firm, so you have to make that assessment," added Won. As an
Asian-American woman, Won recalled thinking a lot about her values. She
thought about Asian cultural values, saying, "Have different values, you can
keep your values, but you need to adapt as well."

 

Birnbaum then asked how you let your values be seen by others in a male
environment. Sobrepena referred to her experience as a West Point graduate
where she was surrounded by men. She was one of only 100 women who graduated
from her class. As an Asian American woman, she felt she had to bring more
to the table than others. Sobrepena recalled an incident where a male
colonel commented about not understanding her English even though she did
not have an accent. Sobrepena encouraged mentees not to be afraid of putting
themselves out there.

 

Spanier noted that it's really important to contact people who can teach
you. She noted being curious is really a positive attribute. She also
mentioned collaboration and accountability as important focuses.

 

C Copyright 2007 Ticker

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From left, Christine Birnbaum, Sheryl Spanier and Janice Won.
 
Are you organizationally savvy?
 
By: Lisa Chen Posted: 12/10/07
 
On Thursday, Nov. 29, The Financial Women's Association Mentoring Program at Baruch College held their last luncheon of the fall, titled "Organizational Savvy."
 
Christine Birnbaum, a FWA mentor and director of human resources at New York Life Investment Management, led a panel of three business professionals who discussed their personal experiences and advised students about understanding an organization's unique culture and learning behaviors that help professionals avoid the traps of office politics.
 
Sheryl Spanier is the owner of Sheryl Spanier and Co. Spanier has been assisting executives in entering, excelling in and exiting organizations for over 20 years. Her career began in the 1960s. She went to work everyday full of ideas and energy. Spanier recalled a critical "ah-ha!" when a former boss said to her, "I play baseball, you play basketball. For us to get along you need to know baseball."
 
Janice Won is founder of The Inclusion Strategies Group. She is a diversity strategist and consultant recognized for championing enterprise-wide diversity initiatives in a global Fortune 100 company. She advocates for the importance of leadership in driving the diversity agenda in corporate, research and non-profit sectors. Janice's "ah-ha!" moment came when she was working at a firm that went through four mergers. As a result of the mergers, she was placed in a managerial role and had to understand how the organization worked in order to recommend ideas and implement changes. Won spends considerable time speaking to people and recommending policies to employees.
 
Susan Marie Sobrepena is an analyst in NYLIM's Real Estate Group. She joined NYLIM in July directly from the army. Sobrepena graduated from West Point and received an M.B.S from the New York Institute of Technology with an M.B.A.
 
Sobrepena served in Afghanistan as a company commander in the United States Army where she was trained to fly helicopters. Sobrepena was also the recipient of a number of awards and medals. Sobrepena advised, "You have to know that you don't know everything but know who to ask."
 
Birnbaum asked the panelists to share their thoughts on how students entering the workforce can help make the work place less political. Spanier stated that it is very important to observe and adapt. She advised students to be aware that it is just a game. If you know the rules of the game, you play it ,and leaving the game doesn't work. She also mentioned a book by Marshall Goldsmith titled, What Got You Here Won't Get You There.
 
An important lesson that Won learned during her company's merger was to listen.
 
"If you scramble the word listen, it is silent," said Won. "You need to find an individual who can mentor you. Knowing what you know before may not work at the new firm, so you have to make that assessment," added Won. As an Asian-American woman, Won recalled thinking a lot about her values. She thought about Asian cultural values, saying, "Have different values, you can keep your values, but you need to adapt as well."
 
Birnbaum then asked how you let your values be seen by others in a male environment. Sobrepena referred to her experience as a West Point graduate where she was surrounded by men. She was one of only 100 women who graduated from her class. As an Asian American woman, she felt she had to bring more to the table than others. Sobrepena recalled an incident where a male colonel commented about not understanding her English even though she did not have an accent. Sobrepena encouraged mentees not to be afraid of putting themselves out there.
 
Spanier noted that it's really important to contact people who can teach you. She noted being curious is really a positive attribute. She also mentioned collaboration and accountability as important focuses.
 
© Copyright 2007 Ticker