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Ellen S. KitzisEllen S. Kitzis,, Ph. D. Ph. D.Compaq Services, Vice PresidentCompaq Services, Vice PresidentStrategy and Business DevelopmentStrategy and Business Development

BreakingBreakingThroughThrough

BreakingBreakingThroughThrough

thethethethe

Glass CeilingGlass CeilingGlass CeilingGlass Ceilingandandandand Other Life ChallengesOther Life Challenges

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Women have the right to life,liberty and the pursuit of

happiness long assumed to be the right of men. Women, however,can only exercise this right if we

understand that it requiresvigilance, personal honesty,and old fashion hard work.

The right to succeed is given, the actualization of success is earned.

Women’sWomen’s Bill of RightsBill of Rights

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BackgroundBackground A Little About MeA Little About Me Raised on Long Island in 1950s track housingRaised on Long Island in 1950s track housing Grew up with Donna Reed and Grew up with Donna Reed and Father Father

Knows BestKnows Best Middle child among three girlsMiddle child among three girls Shy child, afraid to speak out in classShy child, afraid to speak out in class Had very special childhood friend,Had very special childhood friend,

parents, spouse and mentors whoparents, spouse and mentors whobelieved that girls/women were believed that girls/women were smart peoplesmart people

Upward mobility was a rightUpward mobility was a right The world was rosy, but I was the firstThe world was rosy, but I was the first

kid on the block with divorced parentskid on the block with divorced parents

My dad drew the short My dad drew the short straw and needed to create straw and needed to create his legacy the hard wayhis legacy the hard way

Learned early: Learned early: Winners Winners know how to get their know how to get their ideas heardideas heard

People who believed in me People who believed in me made me believe in myselfmade me believe in myself

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1970s1970s1970s1970s

How the World EvolvedHow the World Evolved

1980s1980s1980s1980s

EconomicEconomicEconomicEconomic• Day careDay care• Media hype Media hype • New consumersNew consumers• Quota basedQuota based• ProsperityProsperity• CosmoCosmo• StereotypesStereotypes• Light weight Light weight

luggageluggage• Venture capitalVenture capital

1990s1990s1990s1990s

CorporateCorporateCorporateCorporate• CEOsCEOs• Board of Board of

DirectorsDirectors• Mobile Mobile

technologytechnology• FasterFaster• More pathsMore paths• WheeliesWheelies• No more quotasNo more quotas• Competency Competency

basedbased• More modelsMore models

• Liberation Liberation movementmovement

• Women’s orgs.Women’s orgs.• Education Education

opensopens• Middle classMiddle class• Early heroinesEarly heroines

PoliticalPoliticalPoliticalPolitical

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How Men, Women and Institutional How Men, Women and Institutional Patterns Create Glass CeilingsPatterns Create Glass Ceilings

Feel loyalty to the brethrenFeel loyalty to the brethren Men over fifty are not used toMen over fifty are not used to

women working side-by-sidewomen working side-by-side Not part of their educational Not part of their educational

experienceexperience

MenMen......MenMen......

WomenWomen......WomenWomen...... Don’t take sustained career pathsDon’t take sustained career pathsand often opt for the “mommy track”and often opt for the “mommy track”

Assume they are not contenders and take back Assume they are not contenders and take back stage roles and jobs (supporting characters)stage roles and jobs (supporting characters)

Directed efforts at sexual differences, risks, rather Directed efforts at sexual differences, risks, rather than positive attributes that would impact than positive attributes that would impact corporate success corporate success

Early examples were often hard to takeEarly examples were often hard to take

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How Men, Women and Institutional How Men, Women and Institutional Patterns Create Glass Ceilings Patterns Create Glass Ceilings (continued)(continued)

Tried to break them throughTried to break them throughlegislative initiatives;legislative initiatives;moderately successfulmoderately successful

Put women in “soft roles” toPut women in “soft roles” todemonstrate commitmentdemonstrate commitment

Have job descriptions andHave job descriptions andattributes that have historically been associated attributes that have historically been associated with “male attributes” and continue to assume with “male attributes” and continue to assume these attributes ensure corporate successthese attributes ensure corporate success

Institutional PatternsInstitutional Patterns......Institutional PatternsInstitutional Patterns......

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PersonalPersonal DriversDrivers

IndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceCREATECREATEmy own futuremy own futureCREATECREATEmy own futuremy own futureProve Prove somethingsomethingProve Prove somethingsomething

MakeMakesomethingsomething

MakeMakesomethingsomethingLeadLead

rather thanrather than followfollowLeadLeadrather thanrather than followfollow

CreateCreate newnew rulesrulesCreateCreate newnew rulesrules

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““LearningLearning to Competeto Compete””

You don’t always winYou don’t always win

It hurts to fail, but It hurts to fail, but notnot bad badenough to quitenough to quit

Baseball players don’t cryBaseball players don’t cry

Winning feels goodWinning feels good

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Don’t avoid center stage; it’s where the light isDon’t avoid center stage; it’s where the light is

Get your ideas heard not complaintsGet your ideas heard not complaints

Find opportunities to be of theFind opportunities to be of thenew initiatives, businessesnew initiatives, businessesor experimentsor experiments

Find opportunities to supportFind opportunities to supportother women’s successother women’s success

LeadershipLeadership and and InnovationInnovation

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EducationEducationCan Accelerate OpportunitiesCan Accelerate Opportunities

Competitive marketplaceCompetitive marketplace

Education is a differentiator; Education is a differentiator; it demonstrates commitment it demonstrates commitment and persistence and persistence

My Ph.D. still separates me My Ph.D. still separates me from the pack and adds to the from the pack and adds to the cache (colleagues like to call me Dr. Kitzis)cache (colleagues like to call me Dr. Kitzis)

It opens up new connections, job placement, It opens up new connections, job placement, career centers, alumni associations, new networkscareer centers, alumni associations, new networks

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CommittingCommitting to a Careerto a Career

More than eight hour daysMore than eight hour days Seizing opportunities and taking risksSeizing opportunities and taking risks Mentors and the right managers; switch to you get the right oneMentors and the right managers; switch to you get the right one Personal powerPersonal power Share success; people want to be recognizedShare success; people want to be recognized Engage the external marketplace:Engage the external marketplace:

conferences, associations, industry eventsconferences, associations, industry events Understand new business models; Understand new business models;

learn the language of businesslearn the language of businessP&Ls, cost centers, operatingP&Ls, cost centers, operatingexpenses, marginsexpenses, margins

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SupportingSupporting CharactersCharacters

Kids can sleep in their clothesKids can sleep in their clothes

My mom is in Japan isn’tMy mom is in Japan isn’tan excuse for “acting out”an excuse for “acting out”

Limousines and room servicesLimousines and room servicesare part of life’s educationare part of life’s education

They love to be part of yourThey love to be part of yoursuccess …success …“Mom is in Fortune Magazine”“Mom is in Fortune Magazine” is good for show and tellis good for show and tell

Ben’s Image of MomBen’s Image of MomBen’s Image of MomBen’s Image of Mom

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SupportingSupporting CharactersCharacters

Husbands who help Husbands who help are notare not helpful helpful

Pick someone who believesPick someone who believesyour successyour success is as important is as importantas his successas his success

Child care is good for building characterChild care is good for building character

Corporate spouses swing both ways;Corporate spouses swing both ways;my husband loved “Winners Circle” my husband loved “Winners Circle” in Vale, Coloradoin Vale, Colorado

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FinalFinal ThoughtsThoughts

Go for it because you want it, notGo for it because you want it, notbecause others are doing itbecause others are doing it

Find your right mix, not everyoneFind your right mix, not everyonewants the executive lifewants the executive life

Find the right balance betweenFind the right balance betweenyour ying and your yangyour ying and your yang

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