Tag Archives: african american

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v11

Photo credit via

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Hoping you’re wearing green so that you don’t get pinched (do you remember doing that as a kid or is that just something out of my own crazy childhood??). We’re changing things up a bit with an opinion piece but we still got Tuesday Truths!

Last week I was a panelist as well as the moderator for a Women’s Information Network (WIN) panel on Bridging the Generation Gap at the Workplace between Boomers, Generation X (my generation) and Millennials. It was a great interaction and we certainly created dialogue and prompted questions not only about generational uniqueness but also the layered nuances that each of us have experienced as women and to our individual experiences as women of color or as a member of the LGBT community. Intersectionality is something that we can’t ignore as all generations converge in the workplace.

With a less homogenous professional environment, we’re all navigating how to best move forward with our companies’ missions while handling office politics and a variety of personalities. How does anyone get anything accomplished? My associates are either getting younger or I’m just getting older 😉 In all seriousness, every cycle I tend to work with people who are recent college graduates and I always tell people that I’m not the perfect boss. However, I strive to create an environment where people feel that they are valued for their work.

Politics can be fast paced and expectations need to be set from the beginning. My office’s official hours are from 10am-6pm. Since it’s somewhat casual being that my house is also my office, I don’t really want anyone to have to stay past 6pm and with such a late start time (I remember working in campaign season when I had to report in at 7:30am), there really is no reason to why anyone should be late. I’m such a stickler with being on time (my definition of being on time is 15 minutes before the start time) that if you start off late with me, you’re going to get major attitude. Knowing what your manager considers important that may not be important to you, is key to making your own life easier. I say this from the get-go. You should be beating me to events and there are going to be times when you’ll beat me to the office because I’m doing things outside of the office that informs our work. If it’s the height of fundraising and we’re doing west coast events, we’re working later because we deal with the time difference and then we may have east coast events the next day where we need to be at the site by 7:30am. It can all be a blur but I recognize that everyone puts in a lot of hours and once the quarter starts anew, I want my team to feel refreshed – take a few hours off, blow off some steam and lets get back to work. I try to take my team to lunch once a week so that we all get a chance to ask questions of one another that is outside of the work setting. It’s a good way for people to socialize and to get to know one another better. I talk more about what we’re doing and why. A lot of my former staff enjoyed the lunches for the food alone but it was also a forum for them to ask questions and to learn. It also better informs me of what my team maybe facing if I’m too busy during the week to take notice of any problems. I’m not here to make friends but I’m here to empower you to have a better job performance. I liken it to being a coach. From the beginning, there’s always an understanding that staff will not be working for me long because it’s a shared goal to get you to the next place. A lot of jobs don’t have that understanding because they’re bigger and built to engage individuals to fulfill a particular function. When I worked on presidential campaigns, there wasn’t an employee manual. My role was to get my voter contact numbers in and move the needle forward. We’re not too concerned about the touchy feely aspects of managing. There were no such things as job performance reviews or a real HR department. So when it’s time to transition to a work place where those things do exist, it can be awkward.

Expectations are how partnerships are formed and team work product is evaluated. I will readily admit to when I screw up to my staff. They expect me to give them clear instructions and when I don’t, it shows in their work. Procedures and processes are very clear cut (we have memos and outlines on just about everything) so when we don’t follow them, we have created situations that will cause problems. I ask what’s not working and why. If there has been a fundamental change (a client has asked for a new procedure etc), we adapt and change the memos to reflect that so that we’re all on the same page. If you as a staffer can help create more efficient processes, your value has increased in my book. Less time working on getting something done with the same quality of work is a good thing. All that being said, I’m working in a profession that allows for a lot of flexibility. Those individuals who are at a different economic status may be working hourly positions and that is a different environment in terms of negotiating and expectations. There is no one size fits all. It gets tricky when women are advocating on behalf of women when the constituency in itself doesn’t fit into the same mold either. I respect Sheryl Sandberg’s efforts because it brings a necessary conversation but we also need to engage those individuals who don’t have the same kind of flexibility. The New Republic highlights that in the article about #leanintogether.

You see that I haven’t really talked yet about intersectionality even though it’s a topic that is just underneath it all. Generational uniqueness in communicating with one another is a challenge all into itself and then layer anything else on top of that and you have quite a pickle. How do we have better conversations so that our generational uniqueness allows us to evolve and better understand one another? Is it possible to educate? As a person of color, I grew up with an Asian mother and a Caucasian father in a predominantly African American neighborhood but I would have to remind myself that I was Asian American by looking in the mirror. Why? Because I really didn’t take notice of race and in that I had to learn about challenges and discrimination through the experiences of my friends and colleagues. I didn’t have real first hand knowledge and that is an example of the privilege that I grew up with in my life. As a result, I try to inform myself by talking with others in my community of their experiences and learn about micro aggressions/prejudices that are common. Just like we can’t pigeonhole generations, every constituency has had varying degrees of prejudice within their own constituency. This topic is never going to be comfortable but the more it’s discussed in a safe environment without judgement and fosters steps for improvement, it helps all of us to evolve.

I was asked earlier about an article that I shared about how allies can best help in this cause so I’m sharing it here and I also wanted to share a post where it helps to outline a way to which a dialogue can get started that may be a good jumping point for your own workplace. Got comments/questions – drop them in the comments section!!

*****

Now for Tuesday Truths!

  • Even as I try to provide a resource for those who are less experienced, I also strive to provoke thought to my peers. Here’s a good one as we start to reach a point in our lives when we begin to think about life after work: retirement! In my personal definition, it means that I will still take an active part in politics and be happy to watch from the sidelines, but it also includes time to explore new adventures and interests.
  • If you’re just starting out in your career and want a little direction so that you’re going down a strategic path, you may want to check out these steps and advice from leaders who want to share their experiences. If you’re already on your path but need help to focus or you’re feeling stagnant in your current position, these same steps can help you as well. All great advice to having a better experience in your career.
  • It doesn’t come as a surprise that I’m a huge advocate for training. I spent part of my weekend training the DC chapter of the New Leaders Council on fundraising. Having started my political career in the Training Department of the DNC, it really has affected my perspective on how training helps to engage our constituencies. A former DNC colleague of mine, Joe Fuld makes an excellent point about the future of the progressive movement and training in a recent blog post. Check it out!

Thanks for reading/sharing and if you have comments, drop them in the comments section!

— Madalene

 

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v7

mardi gras sign

Happy Mardi Gras! If I was still in school at Tulane, I’d have today off. Instead, I’m in a congressional recess and a deep freeze so obviously, I planned incorrectly when it came to my travel schedule because it makes total sense that I should have made a trip to California for one of my clients. #poorplanning (addendum: It’s an official snow day in DC so I’m still working in my office but OPM closed the government due to the weather conditions so it’s kinda like I’m in NOLA but definitely NOT REALLY)

So instead, I’ll keep warm reading for the rest of the week!

  • I’m accustomed to doing regular check-ins with my staff, whether they be my associate or my interns. My office isn’t structured at all (my office is in my house so there’s no corporate feel, we tend to sit around my conference table aka my dining room, people can listen to my phone conversations unless I step out to another part of the house) but we have a chain of command and we have set procedures for almost everything we do. When giving feedback, it’s good to be direct but also personal so that the staff recognizes that you as the supervisor acknowledges that you are helping them improve. This kind of feedback is helpful to everyone, even if you think it’s time consuming. Sometimes you get trapped in the feeling that it’s better to do an assignment yourself than take the time to train the staff or to help them improve. Yes, it would be faster but taking the time means that you’re also learning the skill of teaching your staff so it’s a win-win. So when you find yourself short on time, use these tips to giving feedback.
  • When Jon Stewart decided that he would end his run from the Daily Show, I think there was a collective outcry (at least on my Twitter & Facebook feeds). He brought a wicked sense of humor to the news and cultural topics, but its his work style that really demonstrates his leadership skills.
  • I often am asked how I stay organized and I really don’t have a simple answer. I use Outlook calendar, a notebook, sticky notes, excel and myriad of other resources. For some reason, I manage to keep it altogether, however my fear is that I’m going to miss an event that I forgot to put on my calendar (hello anniversary!). I would like to be more efficient to give myself more ease of mind so I might try this system called Bullet Journaling and see if it gets me more organized.
  • Do you have self doubt or feel that negative thoughts dominant your thought process? It’s normal to question yourself but if you feel that self doubt is creeping this info graphic can give you techniques to combat them. YOU GOT THIS!
  • Did you know that it takes only seconds for a stranger to “assess” you in a first impression?  That includes potential employers and networking prospects. They say that there’s a science to it but I’m not sure if it’s pre-conceived notions that bring on these assessments. What do you think?
  • Which leads me to share how People are unconsciously sexist about how Women look at Work – dark colors and more masculine cuts are seen as more aggressive and forceful – qualities that are not seen as positive ones for women. My take is to wear what brings out the best in you because I aways like to say that confidence is the best accessory.
  • What does it mean to be female and young in Congress? Former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman shares her experiences and it translates well to females who are in leadership roles. From an early age, I was usually the youngest person in the room (I skipped a grade in elementary school) so I was accustomed to being young and doing things early. It also meant that I had to be more prepared so that people would take me seriously. Anything else you would add to the list?

Thanks for reading/sharing and don’t forget to subscribe!

— Madalene

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v6

Photo credit via

Over the weekend, I did a training for the Virginia Leadership Institute, a 501 c(3) dedicated to encouraging more African Americans to run for elected office. It was a great turnout and I really appreciate my colleagues giving their time and expertise. I love me some training! If you’re interested in getting a training organized, drop me a line or if you want to check out the training schedule for the progressive community, look into Democratic GAIN‘s calendar.

Let’s get to Tuesday Truths!

  • The start of the speculation for Election2016 has been well underway but here are some thoughts on the VP pick and what it might mean to the make up of the US Senate. It’s certainly a combination of Game of Thrones, chess & House of Cards. #politicscanbefun
  • The sexy thing to talk about in politics is the Presidential race – sure, I get it but what is REALLY sexy is the census! YES, I’m talking about a process that will happen in 5 more years (a LIFETIME) in the time warp that is politics. The census can help Democrats with redistricting and the incumbency protection program that has held the US House in place. Agree/disagree?
  • You have no idea how much I love thank you notes! To send them and of course, to receive them! I often wonder if college students are taught this exercise and with a very casual survey of my own interns, I’ve learned that the business school students are taught this very important lesson: relationships matter! No matter how casual the meeting, if you take anyone’s time, an email thank you is the LEAST that you can do and the handwritten note is certainly the way to go. You never know if that might be the reason why someone does a little more than they need to when it comes to helping you.
  • Working in politics and public policy/service, you would think that it would translate to living a meaningful life. This isn’t always the case and there are times when burnout (me included) can make you question your place in the world. I, certainly didn’t have a career path. I knew that I wanted to work in politics but I didn’t really have a plan. Fast forward 20 years and I’m an established consultant (where did the time go?). Along the way, I did have to constantly reassess my professional priorities and balance that with living life (gotta pay those bills!). So if you’re in need of a roadmap to building a meaningful career, you may want to review this article to ask yourselves some important questions.

That’s a wrap! Thanks for reading/sharing and don’t forget to subscribe! Drop me your comments below!

— Madalene

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v3

Photo credit: Martin Luther King, Jr. quote

This week has a lot of fun things ahead and that makes my work that much more interesting. Hope you’re having a great week!

  • If you haven’t heard, ABC will be premiering Fresh off the Boat on Feb 10th and I was fortunate enough to be invited to a special screening at the Newseum. The AAPI community is nowhere near parity in seeing talent that look like ourselves but we’re making strides. It helps to have a strong grassroots community to show their support. Here are a few AAPI bloggers who certainly help the cause. To read more about Eddie Huang, the inspiration for Fresh off the Boat, read his interview about his experience of turning his life into a tv show – both poignant and hilarious.
  • From Silicon Valley to sports to recruiting local candidates, these African American leaders are taking the lead. I look forward to seeing more of their work!
  • I went through a quarter life crisis in my mid 20s and as I face my 40’s, I’m experiencing a change in my own career that isn’t quite as linear. So if you’re in your mid 30s, meet Sharon Chang, the former Chief Creative officer for 19 Entertainment (the company behind American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance) who decided that she wanted to leave that position and make a career change. If anything, experience that comes with age makes you more self aware. So if you’re feeling like you’re getting stagnant, it’s a good read to self reflect.
  • This article was written for millennials to teach them how to manage talking on the telephone but I was more intrigued about the info graphic on how to handle the calls itself (basically how to sound natural, the best time to make the calls etc). It’s a great tool for those of us who hate being on the phone (that would be me) and for those who need to be on the phone to do fundraising call time (political candidates!).
  • As a political consultant, I spend an enormous amount of time helping clients with strategy. Some of my clients have been clients for a long time so I know how to work with their personalities to reach a shared view. Here are a few tips to how you can “disagree” with your manager and get back to working towards the same goal.
  • A few months ago I was asked to do a branding presentation for one of the Capitol Hill staff associations. It is such a challenging presentation because so much of it is self reflection and requires the individual to really take the time to assess their own goals. Here’s a great step by step process that can help during that self reflection.

Thanks for reading/sharing and if you find the posts helpful, feel free to subscribe!

— Madalene

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v2

We continue to see gloomy weather in DC and I think we’re still reeling from the announcement that Senator Boxer will not be running for re-election this cycle (coincidence?). I hope you’re having a good start to the work week wherever you’re situated!

  • The US Senate has always been considered an exclusive club. Can you believe that there have only been 44 women who have ever served? 44 – EVER in the history of the US Senate. With the recent announcement from Senator Boxer that she would not seek re-election to his Senate seat, is this a chance for another woman to take a place in HERstory? Reading this recent Politico article about the women who have served in this elected body was quite fascinating and I thank all of them for all of their work in making the Senate a more equal institution. We still have a long way to go but these women have certainly paved the way.
  • Most of you know that I advocate mentoring/championing those who are less experienced. As a woman of color, I especially believe that we need to support one another and teach those who would benefit from our experiences. Finding mentors within our communities shouldn’t be challenging yet this article shows that it can be quite a hurdle.
  • Although I’m no longer a young professional, I could heed some of these time management tips myself!

Thanks fore reading/sharing! If you don’t want to miss a post, remember to subscribe!

— Madalene

 

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v1

goal digger

Photo credit: Goal Digger

Aiiiggghhhttt – time to hit it! I hope you had a cracking time during the holiday season but it’s time to put down the eggnog and get to business. I’m in the process of getting a new project started that should be announced shortly so I got a deadline to keep myself. In the meantime, get to reading those Tuesday Truths!

  • So I tell everyone who wants to be a campaign consultant, get working on some campaigns (outside of DC, of course!) because the camaraderie you share on those campaigns can forge life long friendships and business opportunities. There was a time in my life where I thought I would never date a colleague because I would just leave my work at work (well, was I ever wrong!). Now, making friends on the job is certainly different than dating, and having colleagues who have your back is like having a few extra aces up your sleeve.
  • Today is the start of the 114th Congress with newly elected members being sworn into office. This Congress is the most diverse EVER (yay!) which comprises of nearly 20% women and a little over 17% non-white.  So let’s do a little basic math = this means that the Congress is still comprised of 80% of men whereas the population is more than 50% female and white non-Hispanics comprise of 63% of the population. Nowhere near a true reflection of the population in representation. How can we take steps to have a more representative Congress in the future?
  • So happiness can produce success – ways that you can bring more happiness to your life. I like this strategy and it continues my way to #livinahappylife

Hit me up on the comments section and let me know how your 2015 goals are coming along!

Thanks for reading/sharing and don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already!

— Madalene

 

 

Tuesday Truths

 Little Girls with Big Dreams Become Women with Vision — Unknown

We’re rolling into the last month of 2014 and it’s really all about getting ready for the 1st QTR of 2015. The glamorous life of a fundraiser!! In all seriousness, I’m going through closing reports and reviewing what was raised, where it was raised, and who it was raised from – my life is about analyzing numbers and seeing the sources of income. Basically looking at the “sales history” and predicting how this will unfold for the 2015 finance plan.

So in the meantime, enjoy the Tuesday Truths!

  • Guilty as charged with the messy desk but it’s weird since I’m a little OCD.
  • Looking to answer the interview question of “Tell me about how you solved a work problem”? Here’s how Elon Musk evaluates your ability. (video)
  • I’ve been fortunate to mentor individuals in their career paths so if you’re not an entry level professional but want ideas to find a mentor, here are a few ways that you can start your search.

As always, hit me up on your comments and feel free to share with your networks! Thanks for reading.

– Madalene

Tuesday Truths

every successful woman

Sincerest apologies in my lack of communication. The last few months have been challenging with work obligations and the like but I’m back in the saddle and ready to roll!

Of course, everyone is talking about the elections. Who am I kidding??? Not everyone as evident with the lack of voter turnout but for those in the business or at the very least, the business of civic engagement, all I got is “We’ve got a problem, Houston” metaphors.

Since I have such a commitment to communities of color and especially, women of color this article has got me thinking, exercise that vote!

Recently, I did a presentation on personal branding and found a couple of videos (here & here) that may be helpful in your personal journey to make your own Beyoncé moment.

Ladies: real talk on how to progress in your career from a woman who knows how to forge ahead in a male dominated industry (basically, don’t give a f*ck)

My world revolves around always asking for things, specifically money (probably one of the most difficult things to do) but once you become comfortable with this skill, you an ask for just about anything. (For those who want to ask me for something, read the article before you ask me!!)

Life wouldn’t be fun without some truth to the fun and let me tell you, this article about the difference between celebrities and members of Congress is SPOT ON!

Photo cred: Behind Every Successful Woman is Herself

Alright, readers let me know how you’re doing, what you’re doing and how you’re getting ahead. Hit me up in the comments section or tweet at me @madalenemielke. Thanks for reading and sharing!!

Tuesday Truths

Expect the BS

  • With the situation in Ferguson, it reminds me that People of Color (POC) are in this together so although I have never lived the life of an African American fe(male), I do understand how the color of your skin can sway people’s perceptions/prejudices. As a member of the Asian American community, I am a fierce advocate of creating opportunities for all of us to have a seat at the table but it’s also necessary that those who have privilege, use their advantages. Do I think that my own upbringing with a white German American father and a Vietnamese mother shaped my attitudes? Absolutely! NPR’s Michel Martin captured this concept beautifully in her piece about white women using their privilege to help with women of color.
  • So I’ve been enthralled with Makers. They’ve been providing great content via twitter & this video was terrific in talking about the next generation of women using our differences as females to become leaders. Check them out and give them a follow @MAKERSwomen!
  • Learning a new word in productivity: triage.

Thanks for reading and drop me your comments!

— Madalene

Tuesday Truths

Capitol_Dome_Washington_DC

I often get asked for career advice and I always say that I’m not a career counselor but I can usually help with getting you from Point A to Point B. Here are great tips for people who are starting out in their preferred industry.

The dreaded word: networking. How you can overcome the forced feeling of making a connection.

What if you’re already established in your career and want to move to the next level? Check out these resume tips for the mid-level employee.

No matter what stage you are in your career, a mentor can certainly help you up your game as well as provide an objective view of your future. Don’t know what a relationship with a mentor entails? Well we got that covered.

I had a young woman of color ask my opinion on this piece and while I’ve not worked in a highly corporate arena, I’ve been fortunate to work in an industry that values diversity. I hope that others see that having a variety of perspectives provides a deeper understanding of your community and helps to educate your opinions.

With so much talk about who is going to be the nominees for the Ds & Rs, it’s funny (or not) to know that Darth Vader is pretty popular!

Photo: By Mary Ann Reitano (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Thanks for reading! Enjoy getting your comments below!

— Madalene