Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/592176
Cheryl Biron is President and CEO of One Horn Transportation in Wayne, N.J. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and her MBA at The Wharton School. 7. WHERE WE CAN LEARN FROM A MALE APPROACH. As women, we can't be afraid to self-promote, as our male counterparts have no problem singing their own praises. Studies have shown our male counterparts are better at negotiating higher salaries when starting new jobs, asking for raises and promotions, and even applying for positions in general. When looking at applying or a new position, women may not apply if we don't have all ve of the qualifying criteria, whereas men quite oen apply if they only have two or three of the ve…and end up getting the job. Also, there can be times when women are less forceful when encountering a conict at work. Aer reading a book that touched upon this subject, my friend and I oen say, "What would a guy do in this situation?" We have successfully become more direct in getting what we want by learning from a male approach. 8. SUPPORT OUR FELLOW WOMEN. I may be dating myself a bit, but when I was coming along in the corporate world, women didn't try to help one another as much as we do nowadays. It could be that I was working for Baby Boomers who thought we should pay our dues since they had it hard before us. Many of them had to forego having a family, while we Generation-X women want to and can have it all! Looking back at my corporate days, I don't remember women supporting women as much as we do now. I am a strong believer in helping other people in general, and especially in helping other women achieve their goals. Both women and men have helped me along the way, so my particular interest in helping younger women, female peers, and other entrepreneurs both female and male is my way of paying it forward. ese days it can be an advantage being a woman in a male-dominated industry! We are determined, strong, knowledgeable, and willing and able to learn. We just need to believe in ourselves and support our fellow women, so we can ride on the road to success together! 5. HAVE A THICK SKIN. One of the most important keys to succeeding in a male environment is having a thick skin and never letting them see us sweat (or cry). Men can argue about things that are work-related in the oce and then go out for a drink at the end of the day like nothing happened. Sometimes as women, we take things personally when we would be better served by letting it just roll o our backs like water and remaining stoic. Getting visibly upset in the oce can ruin your professional credibility. Sometimes even mentally singing a song, repeating an armation or chanting a mantra when you feel your stress reaction bubbling to the surface can help you remain calm. Stay focused on the job at hand, then vent about it later to a friend. 6. BE READY AND EAGER TO PARTICIPATE IN TRADITIONALLY MALE ACTIVITIES. Business relationships are oen built outside of work hours. at is where the guys get to know one another better as people. Learning how to play golf or being willing to go out for a few beers aer work might not be your rst choice of activities, but you can learn more about your colleagues, and it can be a lot of fun. In my investment banking days, we'd go to the South Street Seaport on Fridays aer work. Since I was the young intern, my male colleagues would send me to the bar with money to get the beers, thinking as a young woman in a sea of men, I would be served more quickly. I did not mind. For me it was more about bonding with my co-workers so they would get to know me better as well. ey were also very protective of me and never let anyone bother me. And during working hours they would teach me about what they did on the trading oor, because I established a good rapport, demonstrated my small bit of knowledge about moving average trading models, and had a sense of humor. Today, I continue to jump right in and participate. Even though my golf game is still not that great, my male colleagues still encourage me to join them. It denitely pays o, and is a lot of fun! "BOTH WOMEN AND MEN HAVE HELPED ME ALONG THE WAY, SO MY PARTICULAR INTEREST IN HELPING YOUNGER WOMEN, FEMALE PEERS, AND OTHER ENTREPRENEURS BOTH FEMALE AND MALE IS MY WAY OF PAYING IT FORWARD." "" Vo l . 9 , N o . 6 TRUCKSTOP.COM 19