In Pink Magazine (published by DWC) there is a featured article by Donald Trump (page 98), titled mars2venus; Donald Trump on Abrasive Women. It’s an article that I think every working woman should read. Although the title of the article might be better named – Donald Trump on Ambitious Women – he still makes some very poignant remarks. Such as, “Women know the scene isn’t going to be easier for them because they’re women, and they’re prepared to go the extra mile.” (Thank you, Donald!) And “…if a woman can be shrewd enough not to alienate people with her demands, she can be an ace negotiator. Women have the skills; what they sometimes need is a new mind-set.”

It‘s true, women do have a tougher row to hoe, hill to climb, ceiling to break, we’ve heard so many of these clichés over time it’s starting to sound like bad rap. As Trump implies one of our jobs is to develop a new mind-set in order to deliver our strength from a position of managed power with an added dash of grace. It’s a bit like a double edge sword, we have a tougher row to hoe, but they want us to do it with our garden trowel. It’s easy to say we need a new mind-set, but don’t leave us hanging there – send in the team!

In my opinion one of the best places to start the new mind-set search is to really define who you are, how you impact others, what you want and where you’re going. Beginning with the ‘who you are’ part can start you down the right path. One of the tools I found extremely helpful for me in learning more about who I am and how I perform as an individual, and in a team environment, was via a test I took called DISC (see DISC Classic 2.0). The one I found most fascinating was the Team Dimensions Profile 2.0. The tests are not expensive and can really help you hone in on who you are in the work environment, as well as providing you with helpful information around your interaction with others and how others view you. It is a very detailed report.

My opinion is that giving yourself the gift of taking a clear look at who you are at your best and worst can prevent you from just spinning through life taking lots of shots in the dark and hoping they hit. Unable to see your blind spots and smooth out rough edges you may get tagged ‘abrasive’ instead of ‘ambitious’ and the rest is history – right Donald?

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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