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Bad news for women who aspire to a place in Boston’s power circles: Being great at what you do isn’t enough to get you there.
Turns out being a "power chick" - a woman with clout - takes more than just hard work and talent, says Geri Denterlein, who is one.
It takes smarts, strategy, and tunnel vision. It takes perfectly manicured nails, a BlackBerry, and a closetful of sleek business suits. It takes the right "power tools," which include - but are not limited to - languages, sports savvy, and an eagerness to talk about your work even when you’re not working.
It takes an ability to articulate what you do for a living in 30 seconds or less, also known as having an "elevator speech." It also takes a willingness to do after-hours charitable work - not just for the sake of doing good works but for the sake of making good contacts.
"Think of yourself as a commodity," Denterlein writes in her new book, "The Power Chicks' Guide to Boston." "You want to stand out, to be noticed. You need good display. ...Enhancing your personal brand makes you more interesting, more authoritative, and a finer corporate citizen."
Denterlein is president of Denterlein Worldwide, a public affairs firm specializing in public-policy matters and crisis communication. (Her elevator speech is this: "I work with terrific companies to help them communicate. Half of my clients want me to get them into the paper; the other half want me to keep them out.") Her clients include Children's Hospital Boston, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Mandarin x Oriental, Boston project, which opens in July 2008. Previously, she was editorial director at WBZ television and radio, communications director for the department of Mental Health, and associate press secretary to Governor Michael S. Dukakis.
Denterlein says her guide book grew out of a speech she gave to young women two years ago at an event sponsored by the Women’s Network of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. "They wanted to know things like, 'How do you become part of civic or community organizations? How do you get on the inside if you don't have a lot of money?' They were very curious about the pathways of how power is achieved," says Denterlein, well-coiffed, well-manicured, and wearing a business suit during an interview at her downtown office. "I realized I didn't have a good leave-behind for them."
The book is an extended leave-behind that aims to chart a course for women who aspire to a position of influence in the city. It’s based on Denterlein's own experiences as well as interviews with Boston women she considers exceptional - "whose names you know, or ought to, and whose faces you recognize, or ought to."
At a time in US history when a woman is running for president and another is speaker of the House, a how-to guide for women on how to achieve power might seem unnecessary. But women still need more guidance than men when it comes to climbing the career ladder, says Marianne DelPo Kulow, an attorney and director of the Women’s Leadership Institute at Bentley College, which promotes the professional advancement of women.
"Women do very well at landing jobs and performing well at jobs, but when they find themselves five years into their jobs, they say, 'OK, now what?'." she says.
Unlike young men, who traditionally have been embraced by older mentors, young women often have to learn the ropes by trial and error, partly because there are fewer women around in leadership positions to advise them. Also, "there hasn't necessarily been a universal willingness [by successful women] to share information. There is this sense that there is only so much room at the top, and if I show you how to get here, there won’t be room for two of us."
This has led to a population of women who are clueless when it comes to advocating for themselves.
"They don't know how to advance themselves, and those soft skills aren't the sort of things colleges are doing a particularly good job of teaching," says DelPo Kulow. "They think it’s collecting a lot of business cards and putting them in a file and saying, 'Someday I'll call.' But part of what you are trying to do is find people you have something authentic in common with. The whole networking thing should be happening all day long, all week long."
Denterlein's book deconstructs many of these soft survival skills - how to "pitch yourself" and be a "boldface regular" at business-related social events; how to maintain connections; polish your speaking skills; find a mentor; even shake hands the right way (firmly, without flexing the muscles honed at your health club).
She dispels common myths about what it takes to succeed in this city. You don't need to be from Boston to be successful in Boston. (Bentley College president Gloria Larson is from the South.) You don’t need a graduate degree to be a power chick. ("They are no longer a ticket to the top - even if the degree is from an Ivy League university.") And cream doesn't always rise to the top. ("Connections and political acumen trump the cream consistently.")
The book lists annual "Must Attend" events (opening day at Fenway Park, opening night at the Pops, Boston Public Library's Literary Lights annual dinner); important boards to sit on (ArtsBoston, MSPCA, Rosie’s Place); and influential women’s organizations, such as the Boston Women's Network and the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. It also recommends top locations for power dining, such as Blu, Mistral, Locke-Ober, and Henrietta’s Table.
"Every detail matters," Denterlein maintains. "What business groups you belong to, which events you attend, the charities you support, the lunch guests you entertain, and, in the matter of alcohol, when, where, what, and how much and - the most sobering question - whether to drink at all."
There were a lot of power chicks on hand at Denterlein's recent book launch party, including several who were interviewed for the book. They include attorney Andrea Kramer of Sullivan Weinstein & McQuay; Kathy Taylor, associate vice president of Elderhostel; Bentley’s Larson; Karen Kaplan, president of Hill/Holiday; and Deborah Jackson, CEO of the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay.
It was held, fittingly, at the Harvard Club, and offered key insights into power chick behavior and protocol. Power chicks, for example, are prepared to publish their own books. "It's simpler and more efficient," says Denterlein.
Power chicks also pay $20 to attend a book release party and donate half the purchase price of each book to charity - the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay, in this case, since Denterlein is vice chairman of the board. They also multitask at their social events: The book launch was combined with a panel discussion about women in power in Boston, which Denterlein chaired.
Power chicks also, evidently, realize that power is relative, not absolute. Just ask Cheryl Cronin, who runs her own boutique law firm and is active in legal and political circles. "I go home every evening to three children," Cronin said during the networking part of the event. "That provides a constant reality check for how little power I have."
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
