Lawyer Monthly - Women In Law Special Edition

78 LAWYER MONTHLY WOMEN IN LAW EDITION Blackett’s advice is to answer the simple questions about yourself: 1. What am I good at? 2. What do I really enjoy? 3. What contribution can I make to the organisation I’m in? The first question might benefit from a critical friend’s point of view, i.e., ask others, look at your appraisals, be honest about your real strengths. The second question is very important; if we do things we really enjoy, we tend to be better at them and we certainly are more likely to have the mental energy to keep at them. And, lastly, being able to show how you can contribute and what role you can play makes it quicker and easier for people to believe in you. One note on your personal brand: once you’ve worked out what it is and what your strengths are, get comfortable with communicating it confidently. I’m often frustrated by seeing smart people in business who derail their own progress with self-deprecation. Marlène Schiappa, the French Secretary of State for Equality, is a fascinating ‘brand’ in herself. She is an eloquent speaker and committed reformer who moved from writing novels and blogging to politics, and she refers to this issue specifically when she talks about women needing to take responsibility for communicating their own strengths. ‘Please’, she says, ‘do not belittle yourselves with the language you use. I never want to hear “I have a little job” or “I have a little project”. If you must use an adjective, make it “great” or “important’”. There are many small changes like this that can be made to improve how you communicate your personal brand effectively; once you know what you are and what you want to be, you can make people’s acceptance of who you are faster and clearer. Know yourself and share that knowledge with others positively.’ Accelerating the progress, success and retention of female leaders is clearly good for women but it’s also good for business. Global companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their national industry peers. And in the UK, greater gender diversity on the senior-exec team corresponded to the highest performance uplift: for every 10% increase in gender diversity, EBITDA rose by 3.5%. Caffeine’s Fast Forward Female programme is designed for companies that recognise the importance of gender 65% of men feel they have been “rewarded for [their] work”, compared to only 52% of women. Men are more likely to have had a promotion with 56% progressing, than the 44% of women. Accelerating the progress, success and retention of female leaders is clearly good for women but it’s also good for business “ “