Earlier this week I attended a luncheon workshop "Effective Negotiation Strategies for Women in Business" presented by MJ Tocci. In addition to being a great and entertaining presenter, MJ is also Director and Co-founder of the Heinz Negotiation Acadamy for Women at CMU. (www.progress.heinz.cmu.edu).
Early in my career, I was a Director at the Career Center at what is now the Tepper School of Business at CMU. Where, even back then, I observed how rarely women negotiated their job offers and starting salaries and men always did. After that I joined PNC Bank as an Executive Recruiter and then went on to head up their Corporate Staffing function. Again, I was amazed at how few women actually negotiated their salaries and almost every man I recruited did. Sadly, even with this knowledge, I continue to avoid and dread negotiating. MJ assures me that if I sign up for the academy I will leave the program with an astounding comfort and enthusiasm for negotiations in your life. And I think that i believe her!
During MJ's presentation she outlined a number of sad facts about how women who negotiate are perceIved far more harshly than men who do the exact same thing. And this perception comes from men AND OTHER WOMEN. She made an appeal for women to support each other in their efforts and closed with this quote from MadelEine Albright:
"There is a special place in hell
reserved for women who don’t help other women”
Early in my career, I was a Director at the Career Center at what is now the Tepper School of Business at CMU. Where, even back then, I observed how rarely women negotiated their job offers and starting salaries and men always did. After that I joined PNC Bank as an Executive Recruiter and then went on to head up their Corporate Staffing function. Again, I was amazed at how few women actually negotiated their salaries and almost every man I recruited did. Sadly, even with this knowledge, I continue to avoid and dread negotiating. MJ assures me that if I sign up for the academy I will leave the program with an astounding comfort and enthusiasm for negotiations in your life. And I think that i believe her!
During MJ's presentation she outlined a number of sad facts about how women who negotiate are perceIved far more harshly than men who do the exact same thing. And this perception comes from men AND OTHER WOMEN. She made an appeal for women to support each other in their efforts and closed with this quote from MadelEine Albright:
"There is a special place in hell
reserved for women who don’t help other women”