A Quarterly Newsletter

The Glass Ceiling Today

“There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune…”
Julius Cæsar. Act IV, Scene 3.

Women, both in history and in our society today, have no such tide. In fact, they are stuck in the shallows that Shakespeare goes on to mention, and if they wait for a tide to arrive, they are most likely to wind up high and dry.

For women, success is more like an obstacle course, where we must overcome certain common barriers or roadblocks just to stay on the right path, much less to cross the finish line ahead of our peers. Action is required and, to set the right course, women need some clear signposts along the way. The Federal Glass Ceiling Commission released a report entitled, A Solid Investment: Making Full Use of the Nation's Human Capital, in 1995. The aim was to provide those signposts, in the form of guidance and practical steps on how to move forward to plan and implement your successful career path.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, there are about 68 million women working in the U.S. today, and virtually all of them would benefit from the practical self-help steps provided in this book. This is the guidebook I would have liked to have had when I started out, instead of learning the hard way. Nobel prize-winning author Toni Morrison said: “If there is a book you want to read and it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” This is that book.

When the Federal Commission came out with its Glass Ceiling report in 1995, it did “ratchet up” awareness of the issue of the unlevel playing field for women, placing it into much sharper focus. But that was more than 10 years ago and yet things haven’t changed much! Although women have made some progress, women should not have to wait for our daughters to grow up or for the current crop of women graduates to come into power.

Many experts agree that the workplace won't change until there has been a significant shift toward more women in the top positions of power. Only when women hold half of the top-level jobs will companies become truly women- and family-friendly, offering day-care and elder-care alternatives; flextime options; and better pay, benefits, and retirement packages.

Consider these dismal facts facing working women today:
· There are only 9 women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies (only 1.8%).
· There are only 19 women CEOs in the top 1000 companies (only 1.9%).

Below that exalted level, the stats are equally grim:
· In a workforce of roughly 50% women, only 5% make it to top management.
· Only 10-15% of professional women make it to top positions.
· Only 16% of women earn 6-figure salaries.
· 48% of women-owned businesses have less than $10,000 in revenue annually, and 87% generate less than $100,000 in revenue annually.
· The share of dollars lent to women-owned businesses is only about 15%, and almost none of it comes from male venture capitalists.

For most women, many of the historic patterns persist. Notably, many women still are only able to own a major business through the death of their father or husband. Katherine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post and the first woman to run a Fortune 500 Company, attributed her management succession to CEO to “the good luck of my birth and the bad luck of my husband’s death.”

Article adapted from the AdvancingWomen.com web site at http://advancingwomen.com/glass_ceiling/glass_celing_today.html.

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Fitness Programs: Staying Motivated

Are you having trouble sticking with your fitness program? Stay motivated with these simple tips.

Have you ever started a fitness program and then quit? If you answered yes, you're not alone. Many people start programs but stop when they get bored or results come too slowly. Here's help staying motivated.

Set goals
Start with simple goals and then progress to longer-range goals. Remember to make your goals realistic and achievable. It's easy to get frustrated and give up if your goals are too ambitious.

If you haven't exercised in a while, a short-term goal might be to walk five minutes once or twice a day. An intermediate goal might be to work up to 20 minutes of walking three or four times a week. A long-term goal might be to complete a 10K race.

Consider your personality
If you prefer solitude, walking, biking or in-line skating may be good choices. If group activities are more to your liking, try a class at a local fitness center or join a bowling, volleyball or softball league. Involve your kids. Walk or bike with a group of friends.

Start slowly
If you push yourself too hard at first, you may be forced to abandon your program because of pain or injury. It's better to start slowly and progress gradually.

Think variety
Vary your activities to keep boredom at bay. Try alternating a low-impact aerobics class or swimming with walking or biking. When the weather cooperates, do your flexibility or stretching exercises outside. Play soccer with your kids. Join a health club to broaden your access to different forms of exercise.

Have fun
You're more likely to stick with an exercise program if you're having fun. If you're not enjoying your workouts, try something different. Exercise doesn't have to be drudgery.

Make exercise part of your daily routine
If it's hard to find time for exercise, slip in physical activity throughout your day. Be creative! Take a walk during your child's music lesson. Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Pedal a stationary bike while you watch TV at night.

Put it on paper
Are you hoping to lose weight? Boost your energy? Sleep better? Write it down! Seeing the benefits of regular exercise on paper may help you stay motivated.

Seek support
You're not in this alone. Invite a friend or co-worker to join you when you exercise. Work out with your spouse or your kids. Take a class at a local fitness center.

Track your progress
It may help to keep an exercise diary. Record what you did during each exercise session, how long you exercised and how you felt afterward. Recording your efforts can help you work toward your goals — and remind you that you're making progress.

Reward yourself
After each exercise session, take a few minutes to sit down and relax. Reflect on what you've just accomplished. Savor the good feelings that exercise gives you. This type of internal reward can help you make a long-term commitment to regular exercise.

External rewards can help, too. When you reach a longer-range goal, treat yourself to a new pair of walking shoes or a new compact disc to enjoy while you exercise.

Be flexible
If you're too busy to work out or simply don't feel up to it, take a day or two off. Be gentle with yourself if you need a break. The important thing is to get back on track when you feel better.

Now that you're enthused again, get moving! Set your goals, make it fun and pat yourself on the back from time to time. Review these tips whenever you feel your motivation sliding.

Article adapted from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/HB00040 web site. The MayoClinic.com site is maintained by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).

Creativity series
scheduled for
January & February 2007

Each of us has our own inner creative resources that need to be fed, developed, and nurtured. Have you been doing that? Have you noticed what happens when you do not? During January and February 2007, Pam Murray, B.A., M.B.A., a local artist and art instructor, will facilitate a three-part series of workshops entitled “The Age of Creativity.” Murray will guide participants through the process of exploring and accessing their respective creativity levels.

The focus of this series of workshops will be on developing your right brain capabilities. Participation in the workshop should aid you in being more perceptive and observant of your world, and hopefully be inspired to nurture your creativity! Participants can start (or continue) to develop their own creative process through the use of such things as journaling, art, exploratory activities, and mapmaking. These are just a few of the tools and resources for you to practice with and take with you as you continue on with your own unique creativity process in all areas of your life, including the workplace.

Scheduled for January 25, February 1, and 8, 2007, all sessions will be held at the Women’s Resource Center, Panhellenic Hall, basement suite 2, at noon. Reservations are required. To reserve a spot or should you need additional information regarding this series, contact the Women’s Resource Center at 423-439-7847.

Women’s Health Series

Finding out that a loved one has Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be stressful, frightening, and overwhelming. Caring for a person with AD at home is a difficult task. Each day brings new challenges as the caregiver copes with changing levels of ability and new patterns of behavior. One of the biggest struggles caregivers face is dealing with the difficult behaviors of the person they are caring for.

“Alzheimer's Disease: Dealing with Unreality in a Positive and Supportive Environment,” with Mary Jo Davenport, P.T., is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 2007, at noon. Location for this Women’s Health Series Lunch Break Seminar is the East Tennessee Room, D.P. Culp University Center.

Davenport, assistant professor in the ETSU Department of Physical Therapy, will discuss caregiver stress factors, escalating symptoms, and effective home management strategies. Not only can Davenport provide the health-based specifics related to Alzheimer’s disease, but a personal perspective, as well. Davenport’s mother-in-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1984.

For additional information, contact the Women’s Resource Center at 423-439-7847.

Some article information was adapted from the U.S. National Institutes of Health – National Institute on Aging web site at http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/caregiverguide.htm#intro.

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