I’m only going to say this 1,000 times, really. We have got to STOP perpetuating the myth that women in the workplace don’t support one another. Enough already! It’s total bullsh*t, and we really don’t need the next generation believing, and thus expecting, that women are out to get them on the job. For that matter, we don’t need the generations at work right now spending the mental energy and resources grinding our teeth about a legacy issue when there are WAY bigger and less mythical fish to fry!

Yes, everyone has a story about a woman who was evil to her at work. Guess what? Everyone has a story about a man who was evil to them at work, too. This isn’t a gender issue, it’s an emotional intelligence issue! I recently read an article in an online business journal that got my blood boiling with the title, “Mean Girl Syndrome in the Workplace.” Really? Is this 6th grade? Some of the language in the article included ‘back stabbing’.  I had to reply. Here is an excerpt of my comments on the article:

“The poor interactions I’ve been a part of came down to one of us (male/female) not behaving in an emotionally intelligent manner. Think back over your last 100 interactions with women- I would hazard that 100 of them were positive, same as with men. Instead we focus on the 1/1,000 interaction we had with a woman that didn’t go well and raise the flag that women are ‘backstabbers’, which we don’t do when it’s with a man. We are doing ourselves a disservice and undermining the wonderful support that women give and receive from one another every day. Let’s stop making the exception the rule, stop using phrases like ‘mean girl syndrome’, and start focusing on…”

Start focusing on what? Thinking bigger, asking for more, mentoring and sponsoring one another, raising our emotional intelligence, getting a woman in the White House, equal pay, getting more women in the C-Suite and on boards, the list goes on! Enough with the drivel about not supporting one another and let’s spend our time and energy on the issues that the data support and that will really move the dial for women in the workplace and in the world.

Only 999 times more to go!

What a great day! The “you go girl” bracelets have arrived and are ready for purchase at the ‘shop’ area of the website. They’ve passed the 14 year old daughter test (she loves them) and the middle aged woman test (everyone who sees them has loved them). We are ready to start funding scholarships! I can’t quite announce it yet, but we’ve selected a dynamite organization to deliver the training, so we’re truly off to the races. Please consider gifting the bracelets for the holidays, or for the heck of it.

There’s already a great story associated with the bracelets. Two women in Colorado who didn’t know one another were watching their girl’s soccer practice and one noticed the other’s bracelet. She said, “You must be a part of Moxie” and another business connection was formed!

Let’s get our Moxie on!

We’re off to the races! I promised I’d share the registration information for the September webinar, and here it is:

Let’s Change the Game: Moxie Connecting vs. Old School Networking
Date: Thursday, September 16, 2010
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM MDT

Register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/660526894

This month, Sarah Michel of Perfecting Connecting will be leading us through a hands-on webinar loaded with practical take-aways. We’ll be talking about the new approach to making connections we’ll be taking at the Moxie Exchange Movement, the Moxie Code of Ethics, and how all of this will help power you and your business forward.

If you’ve been a victim of old-school networking practices and wish there was a more authentic way to connect with business associates, this webinar is for you!  Learn how to intentionally connect the dots for yourself and others to improve your Access and Influence with your network and start growing your ‘networth’ which is essential for career success in today’s global economy.

Join us and start mobilizing your moxie!

Wow! The Moxettes are on fire about how different the ‘connecting’ element of The Moxie Exchange Movement’s meetings are from traditional networking group’s efforts. We’ve had powerful conversations and have built our meeting practices and tools around making meaningful business connections instead of fly-by-night networking.

Let me explain. Traditional networking is a little like a one night stand. It’s meaningless, unfulfilling, and leaves you feeling like you’ve be worked over. There you sit the next morning with a handful of business cards wondering why you bothered in the first place. Very occasionally (and I do mean very) something worthwhile comes of the effort.

On the other hand, making meaningful connections is a little like dating. You take the time really really find out what the other person is all about, what their wants and needs are, and if you’re compatible. After you’ve gotten to know each other, you start introducing one another to friends and family. The same is true of meaningful business connections. Once I know you, understand what you do, and understand where you fit into the bigger picture, I can really begin to help you move forward by connecting you to resources, people and ideas that will matter to you.

We’re all about connections at Moxie.