A guide to successfully navigating the modern workplace for young women. Making the right choices. Goal setting. Decision-making tools. Invisible Rules. Women in the workplace statistics. Sexism and Sexual Harassment. Self-mastery.

1. Alice in Wonderland
Young Women in the Working World
Talk delivered to Sixth Form Schoolgirls (Senior High) by Habiba Balogun
on 14th January, 2014

2. Are you often confronted with
this terrible decision?

3. Which?!

4. Alice in Wonderland
Young Women in the Working World
 When did you realise that you were a girl?
 Growing up, what was your image of a ‘good’ woman and
a ‘good man’? – throw out some adjectives/attributes.
 How many of the female attributes is a university
admissions officer or an employer looking for?

5. About me….The Schoolgirl
• Big family
• Space Cadet / Bookworm
• Friendly and easygoing
• Loyal friend
• Kent College Pembury
• Part of the Out-group / In-group
• LOVED dancing
• Average at school work
• Scared of failing my A Levels
• Not sure what career, what
degree.
• Studied my favourite subject
• Chose Royal Holloway because I
liked the building - Pink Chateau
• Scared of failing my degree
• LOVED living abroad
• After Uni - No more pocket
money!!
• The Workplace??? No Idea!!

6. About me…..The Woman
Directorships & Boards
• Habiba Balogun Consulting –
Organisation Effectiveness and HR
Consultancy for multinationals
• Accion Microfinance Bank
• Lagos Preparatory School
• Fate Foundation - entrepreneurship
• KIND (Kudirat Initiative for Democracy)
WISCAR (Women in Successful
Careers) – Structured mentoring
programme
• Success4All Ltd – Financial literacy
 Multi-lingual
 Lived and worked worldwide
 A fellow of the Aspen Leadership
Network and the Africa
Leadership Initiative.
 A certified coach, trainer &
facilitator
 A columnist and public speaker
 Active in charities, NGOs &
causes such as
#BringBackOurGirls

7. Alice in Wonderland
Young Women in the Working World
 What does it mean to be an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ ?
 What makes the workplace a ‘Wonderland’? – how are
they similar?
 Were there rules in Wonderland?
 Did Alice know the rules? How did she learn them?
 Will you know the rules of the workplace by the time you
get there? How will you discover them?

9. Alice in Wonderland
Young Women in the Working World
 Alice faced a crossroads in Wonderland and had to
decide which way to go.
 What are the choices that you might have to make in
your life and career?
• Immediate choices tomorrow
• Choices after School
• Choices when entering the workplace
• Choices during your career

10. ”If
you
don’t
know
where
you
are
going,
any
road
will
take
you
there.”
Lewis
Carroll
Young boys are taught to
plan for WHAT they will
achieve in life;
young women are taught to
plan for WHOM they will
attain.
This does not prepare us to
set goals for our lives &
careers
Set your goals!

11. Women in the Workplace Statistics
from Harvard Business Review 2013Research Roundup

12. Navigating Wonderland
Women, The Triple burden and the Double bind
The Triple Burden:
The Double bind:
Extreme Perceptions:
Damned if you do,
damned if you don’t
• Woman, Worker, Welfare Officer
• Housekeeper, Earner, Caregiver
• Marriage, Maternity Leave, Childcare
 Too SOFT or too ASSERTIVE
 Too GIRLY or too MANLY
 Too FRIENDLY or too HOSTILE
 Too THIN or too FAT

13. Everyday Sexism – a must read
After experiencing a series of escalating
sexist incidents …from being harassed and
wolf-whistled at on the street, to
discrimination in the workplace and serious
sexual assault, it was clear that sexism had
become normalised…..a manifesto for
change; a ground breaking, anecdotal
examination of sexism in modern day
society

14. UNSURE
PUZZLED
CONFUSED
LOST
BAFFLED
SCARED

15. Quiet
thinking and
reflecting
time
#1 Meditate and listen to your instincts

16. 1. What’s the worst
that can happen? !
2. How likely is
that to happen? !
3. Can I deal with
it?!
#2 Ask yourself 3 questions

17. #3
Take two pieces of paper and
write down your options on
each. Put them in a bowl, close your
eyes, and pick one.!
If you feel disappointed with the
outcome, then you know that is the
wrong choice for you to make!
Use decision-making methods

18. #4 Let go of your FEAR
Ask yourself……
What would I do if I were not afraid?

19. False Expectations Appearing Real
False Emotions Appearing Real
False Evidence Appearing Real
Forgetting Everything is All Right
Future Events Appearing Real

20. STOP
THINKING
SO MUCH
#5

21. Poor Personal Decisions are the Leading Cause of
Premature Death
In 1900 only 10% of
premature deaths were due to
personal decisions
In 2008, it was up to
44.5%
Smoking . Not exercising
Drug & Alcohol abuse
Unsafe sex . Criminality
Unhealthy Food
Source: Operations Research Ralph Keeney 2008
#6 Stop KILLING yourself!

22. “The
dif)iculty
in
life
is
the
choice”
George Moore

23. 1. Is it IMPORTANT to
me?
2. Is this what I WANT?
3. Does this MAKE ME
HAPPY / happier?
4. Can I live with myself
after this?
4 Important Questions
#7 At each Crossroad, ask yourself

24. EVADING
• Recourse to someone or something else
e.g. religion, horoscopes
• Shift responsibility – e.g. parent/friend
• Toe the line – follow others
• Decide as a group (no person to blame)
• The Ostrich – don’t think about it
• Pray for a miracle / False Hopes
POOR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
• False alternative
• Failure to Reflect
SELF-SABOTAGE
• Be overconfident
• Be too prudent
• Succumb to failure
• Misrepresentation of facts
• Reasoning by analogy
• Purely symbolic decisions
• Post-decision anxiety / Have
second thoughts
Source: Leadership Decision Making – Professor Hossein Arsham
#8 Stop Avoiding making Serious
Decisions

25. When you are:
Angry or Hurt
Sleep deprived
Depressed or Deeply Sad
Desperate
Frightened or Grieving
Jealous / Envious
Being persuaded/pressured
To get…
Revenge
Harm someone else
DON’T DO When you are:
– Calm
– Thoughtful
– Focused
– Informed
• Find a way to perceive your
problem as an opportunity
• Use decision-making tools
- Decision trees
- 10-10-10
- Cost/Benefit, Pros/Cons
- Grid Analysis
#9 Choose the Right Time to Decide

26. 1. Set clear goals. What do you
want to accomplish? and how it
relates to your priorities
2. Identify the Options/Actions.
Consider a wide range of possible
alternative courses of action and
gather information on them
3. Evaluate the Consequences.
Weigh the costs & risks of
possible negative and positive
consequences. Especially the
worst case scenario
5. Re-assess the Action. Re-
examine positive and negative
consequences including some
previously unacceptable choices
before making a final decision
6. Implement your decision.
Make DETAILED arrangements
for implementing and executing
your choice including back up
plans and flexibility to adjust
#10 Set goals & have a plan

27. Japanese proverb
"Thinking without action is a daydream.
Action without thinking is a nightmare."

29. Become the Queen in Wonderland
Know yourself
• What you are good at – STRENGTHS
• What you know how to do both in and
out of school - SKILLS
• How well you get on with others –
INTERPERSONAL
• What you love doing and want to do
more of – PASSIONS &
MOTIVATIONS
• What you want people to think of you
– YOUR IMAGE
• What you need to watch out for -
WEAKNESSES
Educate yourself
• What is going on in my world and
in the wider world
• How to manage money well
• How to keep yourself healthy
• How to keep yourself safe
• How to do things better & faster
• How to analyse & persuade
• How to be a team player
• How to lead, and how to follow

31. References
 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
 Catalyst.com – The Double-bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership
 Leadership Decision Making – Professor Hossein Arsham
 Operations Research Ralph Keeney 2008
 Women in the Workplace Research Roundup - Harvard Business
Review 09/2013
 Everyday Sexism – Laura Bates
 TinyBuddha.com
 Hbalogunconsult.com

34. Thank You!
www.hbalogunconsult.com