Are Women’s Conferences Worth It?
Shawn Achor seems to think so!
(Vested interest: I’m in an airport lounge heading to speak at the Gartner Senior Women in Multinationals Retreat as I write this)
Back to Shawn – he was so challenged by the scepticism displayed by a fellow plane passenger that he conducted some research to test the theory.
In the year after connecting with peers at the Conference for Women –
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the likelihood of receiving a promotion doubled
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attendees had triple the likelihood of a 10%+ pay increase
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78% percent of them reported feeling “more optimistic about the future”
Other critical determiners from his own observations of 900 conferences included:
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a sense of social connection felt by the attendees
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engaging sessions
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leaders who role model & exemplify the qualities that the conference is attempting to instil
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a memorable moment, and
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a realistic assessment of the present with an optimistic look to the future.
My take? Put a few conferences designed for women into the mix – men included. Many of the journey stories and case studies are inspiring in their own right, and it might just lead to you winning the raise, promotion or recognition you truly deserve.
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More information in the HBR article linked here.
Fortune favours the well prepared particularly on LinkedIn
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