Suzy Welch, BusinessWeek columnist and former editor of the Harvard Business Review, took readers' questions about career advancement, work-life balance, and her husband, former General Electric Chairman Jack Welch. Here's a transcript of the discussion.
Boston_com_Moderator: Thank you for joining us for today's chat with Suzy Welch. She's a BusinessWeek columnist and previously served as the editor of the Harvard Business Review. Without further ado, I would like to welcome Suzy.
Suzy_Welch: Hello everyone. I'm delighted to be here with you today.
Pallykin__Guest_: Do y ou thnk that companies are trending toward more annual vacation time for employees?
Suzy_Welch: It seems that way. I certainly don't have any statistics to back that view up -- but just anecdotally, it appears that more and more companies are making vacation time accessible to shorter-term employees.
yo__Guest_: what do you thinx about global warming
Suzy_Welch: Personally, I'd tell you my view on global warming is meaningless, since I'm not even an amateur scientist. But taking your question from a business perspective, I think that CEOs and companies must act as if global warming is real, and respond to it as such.
Ted__Guest_: Suzy: I'm a mid-level manager at a local healthcare provider. I am well-regarded, and looking for a move up. My position is in a niche, and the only route up I can see is my direct superior's position, but he doesn't seem to be going anywhwere. He knows my ambition, but has nothing to offer besides continuity. Would it be OK to go over his head to seek opportunities through more senior management?
Suzy_Welch: What a great question -- you face a dilemma we hear about all the time -- you're trapped, so to speak, in a job with one upward trajectory...your boss's job. That said, my advice is absolutely do not pull an end run. If you want another job in the company, you must go THROUGH your boss. Explain your problem to him and ask him to be part of the solution. Do not go around to get above him. It is career suicide. I would also add that you may have to leave your company to get out of your bind.
Kacey__Guest_: Hello Suzy! I had a career in Corporate for 5 years before being recruited to academia, because of the intense politics in higher ed, I am seriously considering going back to corporate. How do you think my having worked in higher education will be perceived? I do have my doctorate and have always done consulting work while in higher ed so that I could always "do" what I am teaching about. Thanks, Suzy!
Suzy_Welch: For a moment forget what others will think and delight in the notion of returning to business from the politics-driven world of academia! As for your career impact....you will have to live down the "ivory tower" label you will surely arrive with, but big, bold, fast results should take of that. Good luck and have fun coming home!
erik__Guest_: In a day an age when more and more people obtain their Master's degree do you think it is a necessity to compete in today's business world?
Suzy_Welch: It is true that lots of people are getting advanced degrees these days, and in some fields, that extra credential really matters. Of course, you can succeed in business without an MBA, but if you can afford the time and expense, it is an experience that gives you resume heft and confidence.
womanatwork__Guest_: Hi Suzy, many people cite the lack of family-friendly policies for the lack of women leaders at many large companies. Do you think that's the case? As a woman, I sometimes wonder if women need to kind of "buck up" and take more accountability for their careers rather than blame external factors.
Suzy_Welch: You touch on a question that we hear everywhere we go -- why aren't there more women leaders? Now, I realize there are unenlightened companies out there that make it very hard for talented women to move up, but at the vast majority of companies these days, especially in the corporate world where competitive success in the marketplace is all that really matters anymore, a talented woman can climb the ladder as long as she is like her male counterparts, meaning 100 percent available in terms of time and energy. And there's the catch. For most women, for some period in their lives, other demands (aka children) make total availability difficult. And so their careers slow down or stop. I do not blame family-unfriendly policies. I "blame" -- and that's not the right word -- biology.
WorkerBee__Guest_: I have quite a few people in the office that are mid-20"s but have more of a teenager mindset, meaning they need constant feedback or they get frustrated. Any thoughts?
Suzy_Welch: You know, I think all employees need constant feedback, but it's only the younger ones who keep asking for it, as the older ones have gotten used to not getting it. It's hard to do, but great bosses are like feedback machines. They constantly tell their people what they like about their work and how they can improve. They tell them where they stand in the organization. I sympathize with you (and any boss) in the exhaustion involved in providing this kind of communication, but it really makes a company better in every way. The 20-somethings are onto something.
timberlake__Guest_: So often people refer to you as "wife of." Is that tiring? Do you consider that your identity? Will "wives of" important people simply be wives, no matter what they accomplish? Do you feel as though you would have accomplished as much without being the wife of a noteworthy person?
Suzy_Welch: Another great question, thanks! It is true I get referred to as Jack's wife all the time. When I was 20 or 30, the idea of such a designation may have rankled me, but at the ripe old age of 48, I'm 100 percent OK with it. First, I really love being Jack's wife, and I consider that part of my life really central. (I also get introduced as my kids' mother all the time and I like that.) Second, I am at a point of my life where I know who I am and I feel happy and proud about my own accomplishments, so I don't need a title to validate me. Finally, the biggest cheerleader for my accomplishments is Jack himself, so he somewhat mitigates the phenomenon. When people say, "Oh, you're Jack's wife," he gives them an earful about everything else I do.
dot__Guest_: suzy: you and your husband talk an awful lot about "winning" does that imply that some of us are losing or are destined to lose?
Suzy_Welch: Everyone can win. In fact, we want everyone to win. It's all in how you define winning. For some, winning is being a great mom, or learning how to do something new. It is not only about "killing the competition." Although for some people that's it. Not us.
Kiki__Guest_: oops, hit return by accident...after a 2 year absence of having 2 babies. I found that the only way I could return was to work for/with someone who already knew me. Do you see a change coming in the workplace that would make it easier for women to return to work?
Suzy_Welch: Not a big change, no. And I think it's OK to go back to work starting with someone you know. That will give you some wiggle room as you learn the new skill of being a working mother. In time, if need be, you will be able to take your current job and use it as a stepping stone to a job at a company where you are not personally known.
Essexcnty1__Guest_: Hello Suzy, In the highly incentivized business world; do see education or experience as the most valued. If you had to choose.
Suzy_Welch: In any good company, your results are the most valued. It is rare to see a company paying an employee based on his or her education or years served. Good companies pay for performance, and if yours does not, that's an issue.
Adam_Smith__Guest_: suzy, I have four daughters and I am trying to encourage them to pursue a career. I recognize people are much more succesful when they work at something they love or like to do. If you could "guide" a young woman today, what markets would direct them towards?
Suzy_Welch: You answered your own question! It's all about doing what you love. That said, if you have a daughter who loves science and or technology, I would definitely point her toward the intersection of biotech and information technology, as those are sure to be the fastest growing industries going forward. At the end of the day, however, you can only encourage your children to seek careers in the fields where they will be happy. For instance, my own daughter wants to be a writer. I could die! I keep telling her how hard it is going to be, etc., but she is a lovely writer and she loves it, and so I am full-steam ahead with helping her understand the field in all its variety.
grape_soda__Guest_: Hi Suzy -- I know Jack is a big Red Sox fan -- what about you? Do you guys watch games together?
Suzy_Welch: We have seasons tickets and I am afraid to think of how many hours I have spent at Fenway! I do love the Red Sox, especially Mike Lowell and Manny!
HBS08__Guest_: Suzy what are you thoughts on the newly unveiled HBS 2+2 program giving admission to undergraduates once they fufill a 2 year working requirement? Do you think that age/experience matters in managment education?
Suzy_Welch: I have to say I was somewhat perplexed by it, as in my own experience, the people who brought the most to class were the ones with the most unconventional, gritty real world experience. The new plan, it seems to me, could fill the class with more consulting firm and Wall Street analysts. But I defer on this one to the big brains over at HBS. There must be a good reason for it.
Chris__Guest_: Suzy, I like your response to Essexcnty1, and your comment that "Good companies pay for performance." I would argue that most companies are not good companies, and most people do not get paid for performance. They get paid for showing up. Many companies, and many hiring managers, hire based upon "head count" - not performance. Middle managers are similarly compensated by "head count" - the more they 'manage' they more they earn. How can you convince most middle managers in large corporations to quantify performance, and make merit the basis for compensation, rather than personal influence with management?
Suzy_Welch: If a company is not paying performance, it will eventually start to pay for the mistake. The global marketplace just doesn't allow mediocrity to persist forever. Of course, there are exceptions to what I am saying. Companies without foreign competition can pay people for showing up for much longer. And the only way out of that is for a leader -- the closer to the top the better -- to show up and make meritocracy his or her battle cry.
Pallykin__Guest_: Do you think that staying in the same job for along time is viewed badly? I have beninmy current positin for 9 years. It evolved a great deal in the beginning, but it has dwindled down to zer challenge in recent years. The only plus to that is that I can go on vacation without to much stress.
Suzy_Welch: Staying in your job a long time doesn't concern me at all -- having zero challenge really does! You can't go on like that -- life is too short to just plod through your day to day in order to have vacations "without too much stress." Of course, that's me imposing my values on you. If you are happy with the tradeoff you've made, then onward in your current job. Myself, though, I go a little nuts when I'm bored.
moe__Guest_: I am in my fifties and divorced and starting over....like relaly over. Bought a house on my own etc. I want to get into contract work in pHARMA. Currently in nursing. Am a certified regulatory writer. Have had a few interviews..no bits. Too many gaps in resume as I stayed home for years and helped my husband with his career. Now what?
Suzy_Welch: Congratulations on having the courage to start over. I know it is hard to get back in the career game. It is impossible to tell from your letter, but my sense is you may be thinking too narrowly about your options. What if you took contract work in Pharma off the list? What if you thought really, really expansively about what you might do? And then, what if you started small with a job that just really interested you and went from there? My main point is, do not railroad yourself now when you can least afford to. Think big, start small.
litebrite__Guest_: Where are the next great leaders/managers coming from? Doesn't it seem like they're coming from not-so-traditional backgrounds--i.e. not B-schools?
Suzy_Welch: One of the great things about the new economy is that leaders and managers are now coming from everywhere. The old MBA model is still out there but it is not exclusive. Some of the best leaders we've encountered in recent years have been entrepreneurs from Eastern Europe. They're fearless and they get that business is about building passion in your employees and your customers.
andrew__Guest_: does usa , still has competitive advantage over china /india....do we still have leaders like jack welch?
Suzy_Welch: The United States still has many strong competitive advantages, despite what you read about China and India. Both of those countries are strong, and their economies are expanding. But China has a shaky banking system to say the least and the jury is out on its experiment melding capitalism with communism. It's never been done. As for India, it has a great workforce and other resources, but bureaucracy will hobble it for years to come. Meanwhile, the UNited States still has the lock on a special confluence: venture capital and gutsy entrepreneurs. That will carry us for decades, but by 2050, there will likely be three economic world powers.
Maria__Guest_: Do you think women network differently than men do? And do you think women hire on different bases (be they dis/regarding nepotism, or what have you)? What do you suggest as a way for women to network that is different than with or between men?
Suzy_Welch: I just don't get networking, to be honest. I always hear about it as a way to find a job, but in my experience, it is rarely the way someone gets hired.
kiki_2__Guest_: Hi Suzy. I am finding it extremely difficult to move up in my corporation. Although, its a large financial institution and they have paid for most of my graduate courses, it appears that jobs are hard to come by. How can you gain leadership experience without be given an opportunity?
Suzy_Welch: In your case, it sounds like you will have to leave your company. I'm guessing you have an "embedded reputation" as a person who is not management material. Sure, your company has paid for your courses. That's very nice but it's standard HR practice. To get what you want, you may need to start fresh at a company willing to take a chance on making you a manager. Your current company looks like it's going to pass on that.
grapes__Guest_: how do I get my ideas past my immediate manager, who doesn't have any interest in what I have to say?
Suzy_Welch: It's pretty impossible, as an end-run is almost always a job killer, if not immediately, eventually. After you find another job, you might take your ideas to your boss's boss, but not before then.
Suzy_Welch: I might also add...have you ever asked a coworker or someone who sees you in action: why don't my ideas get heard? It could be something in your presentation puts your boss on the defensive. Just a thought.
Suzy_Welch: It looks like we're out of time. Thanks so much for joining in this chat today. I really enjoyed taking your questions and I hope my answers were helpful.