Executive Profile: Andrea Jung

For the week or so, I'll be blogging about female executives that are not only successful but are also role models. Doreen requested that the first be Andrea Jung, Chairman and CEO of Avon Products (an excellent choice, I might add) - but the rest is entirely up to you. Please tell me what exec's you'd like to know more about :)

Executive Profile: Andrea Jung

Background

The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Jung was born in Canada and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. Completing her undergrad in just 3 years, she graduated magna cum laude from Princeton. At just 49 years old, Jung is the Chairman and CEO of the largest organization in the world, which currently employees some 5.5 million individuals. A member of the New York Presbyterian Hospital's Board of Trustees, she also sits on the Board of Directors at Apple, Catalyst, and GE.

Professional Timeline

1987-1991: Jung serves as SVP, General Merchandising Manager at I. Magnin.

1991-1993: As EVP of Neiman Marcus, she oversees the accessories, cosmetics, children's apparel, intimates, and women's apparel departments.

1994: Jung begins working at Avon, serving as President of the U.S. division's Product Marketing Group.

1996-1998: She continues to work in senior level positions within the Product Marketing Group.

1998: Jung becomes a member of Avon's and GE's Board of Directors. She is appointed Avon's President in January and COO in July, and holds these positions until January 2001 and November 1999, respectively.

1999: On November 4th, Jung is appointed CEO.

2001: In March, she is the first woman to be elected Chair of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (now called the Personal Care Products Council); Jung remains chair until 2005. She also is appointed Chairman at Avon.

2008: Jung joins Apple's Board of Directors and is also appointed Chair of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA).

Why she's an inspiration to women everywhere

According to an article by Bill George (U.S. News & World Report), "Jung says she is driven by a passion to make a difference. And with Avon, she has found it. 'There is purpose in my work: enabling women to be self-empowered, to learn to run their own businesses and achieve the economic means to provide education.' At the end of the day, she says, that trumps all things."

Sources:

Avon Investors - Executive Team: Andrea Jung (Avon Products, Inc.)

Executive Profile* Andrea Jung (BusinessWeek)

Andrea Jung - Corporate Executive by Bill George (U.S. News & World Report)

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Body Language: what you're really saying

In a recent Forbes article, Raquel Laneri decodes office body language.

Laneri writes: "An image is worth 1,000 words: No matter how illustrious our resumes, how brilliant our ideas, how Calvinist our work ethic, we are judged by how we present ourselves. Research shows that it takes four minutes to make a first impression, and, according to a widely cited study by UCLA professor Albert Mehrabian, body language accounts for 55% of that impression (38% comes from tone of voice; the remaining 7% from our actual words)."

She then goes on to discuss a few gestures women commonly do that are easily misinterpreted:

Crossing your legs may cause people to think that you're resistant to their opinions and ideas.

Fiddling with your clothes, hair, or jewelry can give off the impression that you're anxious or flirting.

Folding your arms in front of your body may make you seem defensive or insecure.

Hiding your hands under a table or keeping them folded in your lap signals untrustworthiness.

Smiling too much can lead others to believe that you're not serious about the situation at hand.

Tilting your head won't make you seem like a good listener - rather, it may give off the impression that you're flirty or submissive.

The insight that I found most interesting came from a quote that Laneri provided from Jeannine Fallon, Exec Director of Corporate Communications for Edmunds.com:

"I distinctly remember one insight [from a training session I attended while working at Volvo]. At a boardroom table, women tend to pile all their materials neatly and sit tucked into the table, while men tend to sprawl out, push away from the table, cross his ankle over a knee and lock arms behind his head. It was impressed up on us that the concept of taking up space correlates to the concept of dominance. I've never sat tucked into a table since."

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Suze Orman

I realized that although you probably know who Suze Orman is and may even have watched her special last night, you might not know a lot about the financial expert herself. Here are a few facts about her:

Education: Orman graduated from University of Illinois with a degree in social work. This past May, she received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from her alma mater.

Books: All of Orman's last seven books have been NYT's Bestsellers List

Television: According to her website, "Suze is the single most successful fundraiser in the history of public television." For the past decade, she has served as the host of Financial Freedom (QVC).

Awards and Accolades: Named one of Time's Most Influential People two years in a row, Orman is also anNYT bestselling author and a two-time Emmy Award winner. She currently holds the record for the most Gracies won: 6. Orman has also received countless other awards, including: the Amelia Earhart Award andthe Human Rights Campaign's National Equality Award.

Quote: "People First, Then Money, Then Things."

Source: About Suze from SuzeOrman.com

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E-mail tips from Stacey Hanke

While looking at BusinessWeek this morning, I came across an interesting article: How to Create E-mails That Generate Action by author and communications expert Stacey Hanke.

I think Hanke's article addresses a general concern that it's often overlooked: the clarity and effectiveness of our electronically-written words. Think about any of the e-mails you sent in the past week: I'm sure that there was at least one after which you thought to yourself, "I wish I had been more articulate" or "I hope that person understands precisely what I meant."

We use e-mails because they can be faster than a phone call or face-to-face meeting, which, in theory, makes our lives a little easier. But if someone misunderstands your words, all that added ease goes right out the door.

Here are five tips from Hanke on how to improve the quality (and thereby effectiveness and clarity) of your e-mails:

1. Although you should use a subject line that grabs the recipient's attention, "avoid generic onces: Important, Urgent, Follow-up, Looking for your response." The subject of your e-mail should both fit with and lead to your message - or, as Hanke says, "this isn't the time to be mysterious, cagey, or anything but clear and direct."

2. Make your message both easy to read and aesthetically pleasing. This means: writing clear, concise paragraphs and sentences. E-mails allow you to highlight, bold, italicize, and bullet your words - use these features to help get your point across.

3. "Tailor your message for the recipient" because, let's face it, no one really likes to receive a generic and vague mass e-mail. Hanke suggests using "KNOW," that is,

"K - what do your readers know about your topic?

N - what do they need to know to take action?

O - what is their opinion on your topic?

W - who are they?"

4. Write your e-mail with a clear objective in mind - this will help you avoid miscommunication (not to mention the additional e-mails that are inevitably required to clear up any confusion).

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The Suze Orman Show - upcoming special

Tomorrow night at 9 PM and midnight (EST), there will be a special hour-long episode of the Suze Orman Show on CNBC. Entitled Can I Afford It? Deluxe Edition!, the episode is "dedicated to Suze's most popular segment. Viewers ask if they can afford high-priced and unusual item. Callbacks to previous guests to find out what happened after they verdict."

Episodes of the acclaimed financial expert's show are also available for free download on iTunes: Suze Orman Show.

Orman was also recently named one of the World's Most Influential People by Time Magazine for the second year in a row. The article on Orman for Time's 100 was written by Suzy Welch.

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Image: "Counting the Pennies" [credit: Simon Howden] from freedigitalimages.net

As a business owner and entrepreneur, I have always been inspired by people who are great thinkers and who have created successful lives. I believe that there are a couple of ways to keep employees inspired esp now. First, is to keep my own attitude positive, to keep smiling and to continue to take action - to think outside of the box - to continue to create opportunities for my business which in turn creates opportunities for my employees. The other, is to let them know that they are a valued and appreciated part of the company and why. We find this helps to inspire more of the same work habits, strengthens the work bond and provides a time to converse with and listen to team members.

To good business!

Motivate employees in the current economy

Given the current economic state, it's hardly surprising that the attitudes of some subordinates are less than optimistic... but that doesn't mean that they have to stay that way. Work ethic and company loyalty shouldn't be contingent upon the possibility of a promotion or raise.

Still, the potentially lost promise of personal success isn't the only cause of decreased motivation: job security is can also be a major factor. If a company doesn't appear to be doing nearly as well as it has in years past, it's only naturally for a person to question his/her place in it.

According to author and president/founder of the Center for Work-Life Policy, Sylvia Ann Hewlett:

"The message is simple: Remind people that they're part of a culture and organization that they can be proud of. Look for and create opportunities for good news and don't be shy about publicizing them. This is the time to sell employees, especially high-performers on the company's value proposition."

Hewlett has a point - remind employees why they wanted to be a part of this team in the first place. I don't know about you, but a reminder like that would definitely help inspire me to work harder.

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Tips for making your office green

Making your office more green is easier than it seems - all you have to do is make a few small changes to your daily routine.

According to Ruth Cullen's The Little Green Handbook (Peter Pauper Press), a good place to start is by creating "a green strategic plan [that] will incorporate ways in which employees can minimize their consumption of natural resources and reduce unnecessary waste."

Here are a few of Cullen's tips for easy ways to make your office green:

* Turn off the lights and electronics at the end of each day
* Start using Energy Star computers instead

* If possible, store files electronically... just be sure to use passwords for personal documents. Before converting your files, check to make sure they're not legally required to be on paper.

* Save paper by using "print preview" on your computer and printing on both sides of a page

* Use recycling bins: i.e. paper, plastic, ink cartridges

* Reuse paper and packing supplies as much as you can (i.e. create your own scrap paper)

* "Keep your office supply stock to a minimum to avoid waste" [page 99]

* Buy non-toxic and recycled products

* Telecommute

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Is hiring a stylist a smart business move?

Like most people, I associate stylists with celebrities and other high-profile individuals. So when I saw Kiri Blakeley's Stylists Aren't Just for Celebrities Anymore on Forbes, I was immediately intrigued.

According to Blakeley, "Female executives and entrepreneurs--and the just-plain-busy or those in need of fashion guidance--often turn to stylists to improve or update their look and wardrobe."

When you think about it, it makes sense doesn't it? Turning to a stylist for your daily office attire or an important presentation not only helps ensure that you look professional, but also allows you to use the time you'd normally take to choose an outfit and spend it with your family or perfecting your presentation instead.

Blakeley's article quotes Joe Lupo, who, along with partner Jesse Garza, owns Visual Therapy, an image-consulting firm in New York: "[Hiring a stylist is] not about being indulgent; it's about having a smart, streamlined wardrobe. People will wear their stuff to death. It's anti-waste."

It might not be for everyone, but if hiring a stylist can save both time and money, it's certainly worth considering.

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