What Do Business Women Really Want?

International Women’s day came and went with a bang.  It  ushered in increased numbers of attendees at the numerous events held world wide.  Some of these events had very inspiring speakers, some of whom narrated their road to entrepreneurship having tried and rejected the more common route to employment.  But what did they have on their mind? What drove them in this direction and is it any different from what men want?

I listened , smiled a lot and I observed  a room full of excited women sharing their stories .  I heard some familiar tales of  barriers and fears but what was most striking was  the determination and  that passion which depicted what these women really want.  Each woman provided a glimpse of their path highlighting the cracks and the bumps but also the joys of the journey.   Some complained of being driven from employment by bosses lacking human concern. Others shared the knowledge and explained that challenging the status quo in the work place leaves you no choice but to ignore it or exit the job.  One of these inspiring women shared her experiences as an employee:

‘If I complain they will make my life hell. I made a decision. I had no future there’

Others simply wanted to celebrate the freedom and choices that only entrepreneurship can deliver.  With these come new challenges some never envisaged.  So how are they doing?

Despite being blessed with the ability to multi- task many  have found that  they are overwhelmed with the plethora of roles and responsibilities of the entrepreneur.  One of the women at the event I attended faced with this challenge harked back to her time in her last job where she was  in a position to delegate.  She now recognises time as a luxury the entrepreneur does not have, especially  as a micro  business , in  the early stages of  its development.

Below are some top tips for supporting women in business giving them some of what they really want.

1. Face your fears- view failure and weaknesses  as other  opportunities for learning and developing
2. Do to other sisters as you would like do to you-   encourage and motivate them.  They need you too.
3. Adopt the 80/20 rule and work smarter not harder – let 20 percent of your time be invested in achieving 80 percent  outcome
4. Inject some work-life balance- all work and no play makes Jill a workaholic so work to live – don’t  live to work.
5. Recognise your achievements, including the domestic multi-tasking  you are so  brilliant at .
6. Learn from  all around you – take note , listen ask questions, Stay alert to the external environment and be proactive  not reactive.
7. Celebrate  your successes and observe closely those of your  competitors
8. Don’t be afraid to seek support and guidance, source a mentor a coach a friend – don’t ask don’t get.
9. Don’t be alone- partner up and share  resources  , ideas, time.  It will come back to you .  Join in with the boys - they need what you have and you want what they’ve got.
10. Believe in you and your offering and communicate your message clearly and succinctly and others will  listen, they will learn and they will follow
11. Enjoy and always remember your purpose.

This was written by Maureen Clarke - Accredited Coach, specialising in Business and Careers