Go Lead Idaho

Motivating women to lead and demonstrating why it matters

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Ready2Lead: Call to Action

Debbie Walsh from the Center for American Women & Politics closed out the day with a Call to Action and showcasing the 2012 Project.

Mission The 2012 Project is a national, non-partisan campaign of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) to increase the number of women in Congress and state legislatures by taking advantage of the once-in-a-decade opportunities of 2012.

Strategy

The 2012 Project relies on a three-pronged strategy:

  • Direct outreach to executive-level, accomplished women in the private and public sectors who have not previously considered running for office. Outreach to women of color is a priority.
  • Mobilization of existing state-based coalitions that will carry out the mission of The 2012 Project in locations where opportunities for women to run are greatest.
  • Launch of a large-scale public education campaign to raise awareness about the lack of women in elected office and the unique opportunities of the 2012 election.

 

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Ready2Lead: A View from the Top – Private Sector CEO Panel

A View from the Top: Private Sector CEO Panel

    • Sylvia Hampel, President, Clearview Cleaning Services
    • Connie Miller, CEO & President, ICON Credit Union
    • Julie Taylor, CEO, West Valley Medical Center
    • Moderator: Amy Moll, Interim Dean, Boise State University College of Engineering

BSU Interim Dean of Engineering Amy Moll kicks it off with a plea to the crowd: “If you know a girl, please talk to her about engineering. If you don’t know what to say, send her to me.”

Connie Miller ‘s path to leadership

  • When I look back at my career I never aspired to be a CEO. I really feel my career fell into place for me – but what I always did is aspire to learn and work hard.
  • She overcame a rough childhood of abuse tIf I got the position it was my job to prove that I could do this. And if I didn’t get it – I would prove that I was capable
  • A participant tweeted: Connie Miller is a great example of overcoming adversity, rising to the top, and serving as a community role model!
  • Thinks that women have a much more peripheral view of things. Men are task oriented.
  • Among the advantages females bring – compassion that is critical to an organization. Also, our radar is very wide and we can pick up on things that men just don’t see.
  • “I think females are more willing to hire people smarter than them”

Julie Taylor

  • Was mentored by a female CEO who took me under her wing and gave me every opportunity to grow
  • “I started as a nurse practitioner  –  I went from wiping butts to kissing butts.”
  • Being in the  boardroom, you learn how to get a male’s attention in his brain span
  • To me the most important thing as a leader is that I’m trusted, so the ability to pick up on the subtleties in relationships and interactions and address them is key.

Sylvia Hampel

  • Her path began when she got pregnant at age 15 and she found herself out on her own.
  • She had a phenomenal math teacher who asked what she would do and pushed her to achieve greater things.
  • She wound up majoring in aviation management (but her height ended that career goal). Sylvia vecame an air traffic controller and wound up in Boise. After a divorce she had to reinvent herself and started her company. Clearview Cleaning Services now has 170 employees, works throughout the state of Idaho and was named the 2010 Business of the Year.
  • Don’t speak out unless you really are informed on what you are to speak on.
  • Women have that ability to connect, to read what the client is looking for and what it is I can do to help them.

Learn more about Idaho’s new Women’s Business Center and their grand opening next week

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Ready2Lead: Ready to Run – Running an Effective Campaign

Ready to Run:  Running an Effective Campaign

    • Emily Kertz Lampkin, President of Lampkin Group
    • China Gum, Political Director at Raul Labrador for Idaho
    • Emily Walton, Secretary of External Communications, Associated Students of Boise State University
    • Mayor Tammy de Weerd, City of Meridian
    • Moderator: Karianne Fallow, Public Affairs Practice Group, Red Sky PR

Mayor Tammy de Weerd

Tammy de Weerd got involved in politics because she was a mom who wanted more parks for her kids. Then, her community had 2 parks. Today Meridian has 19.

She is passionate and focused only on being involved in local government. Local government is about problem solving – bringing people to the table to solve problems that make your community great.

Mayor de Weerd admits the only reason she got into politics is because someone asked her. But  she worked hard at being a problem solver, a collaborator, a person who worked on the things she said she would, “As women we have passion. When we say we are going to do something we go out and we do it.”

Additional insights from the Mayor

People want a leader – they want to know what you stand for. And what you stand for better be simple, repeatable and authentic.

Have values, be principled, be yourself, be willing to take risks, admit your mistakes.

Tell people you love them. Gather stories. Let other people talk about you and let their stories tell people about you.

Mayor Tammy’s list of campaign tips

  • Develop a network of supporters
  • Develop a message matrix – and stay on message
  • Develop a list of endorsers
  • Develop testimonials
  • Develop speaking points – only 3
  • Have someone in charge of all print materials
  • Get someone who will deliver & install signs
  • Have door-knocking scripts
  • Find out who can write Letter’s to the Editor
  • YOU HAVE to do social media. Post every day. Tell them where you will be. Have someone who will mine what is being said about you. Challenge the negative and incorrect statements in the social sphere
  • Get the most from your eager, dedicated volunteers

Emily Walton’s Campaign Lessons Learned

  • Campaigning is like being pregnant, everyone has advice for you.
  • She read Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way
  • Make sure stuff is ready when your volunteers show up
  • Remember, you can fire volunteers
  • There is always something you can do better.
  • 4 elements that are key a campaign’s structure: Research, Strategy, Fundraising, Communication

China Gum’s Campaign Tips 

  • Love your volunteers
  • When running a campaign, make sure you schedule downtime for your candidate and act as a bugger for your candidate
  • For campaign staff – there is no downtime – ever
  • Candidates and staff must remember it’s not all about you. Elections are about the voters. We are all here to serve
  • Find the passion that connects you to the people and make sure that’s the passion that drives them to the polls
  • Remember whose name it is on the sign. Have empathy for their decisions. The candidate must live with whatever reputation results from the campaign.
  • Anytime you are talking for the candidate, or as the candidate, DO NOT EVER LIE. Don’t stretch the truth, don’t make something up. It’s ok to say ‘Let me look that up and get back to you.’
  • Always know you are being recorded
  • Be an information gatherer
  • Gratitude. Always be thankful. Write those thank you cards
  • Be humble. All of us put our pants on one leg at a time

Campaign Tips from Emily Lampkin 

  • Play to your strengths. If it’s not who you are and what you are comfortable with – don’t do it. Do what comes naturally to you.
  • Your campaign plan needs to be a mirror to your governing plan. It needs to have things you can do in short order so you can show results. And include long-term goals so that they elect you again.
  • You can borrow great examples from people all over the country working on issues you are passionate about.
  • Don’t think for a second that there are not people all around this country looking to replicate what you do and steal you out of local politics and into national politics. If you’re great at what you do at the local level you will be courted to go national.
  • Shared advice from a woman in national office:  Having a mom who is a leader will be a great motivator to my children.

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Ready2Lead: Ready to Run – Nuts & Bolts

Ready to Run:  Nuts & Bolts of Government & Political Party Structure

    • Professor Gary Moncrief, Political Science, Boise State University
    • Betty Richardson, Attorney/Advisor, U.S., Department of Justice, Executive Office for United States Attorneys
    • Sally Boynton Brown, Communications Director, Idaho Democratic Party
    • Moderator: Karianne Fallow, Public Affairs Practice Group, Red Sky PR

Gary starts off with a few insights into the state of women in elected leadership in Idaho and across the nation.

  • Not only are there fewer women in the Idaho Legislature, there are fewer women in leadership positions.
  • Curious case of the partisan gap. In state legislatures – women make up a much greater percentage of Democratic legislators than Republican. 32% Democrat, 17% Republican
  • In the executive branch it is much more balanced:
    • 38Democrats, 33 Republican
    • Governor: 4 Republican, 2 Democrat
    • 7Republican, 4 Democrat

If you are thinking of running for office, Dr Moncrief says to read

Sally Boynton Brown – discussing the network that exists for candidates within their party

Precincts are the smallest political units we have, each precinct reports to one polling place.  Precinct captains (PC) are elected by the citizens of their precinct and are charged with connecting the people in their precinct to the Party and the Party to the people.

County Organizations

Each of our 44 counties has a County Central Committee (CCC). The County Central Committee is composed of all the Precinct Captains located inside the county along with an Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee normally consists of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, State Committeeman, and State Committeewoman. Each CCC is responsible for recruiting and supporting candidates for elected offices in their county.

Many county organizations hold monthly meetings. These meetings are scheduled for the purpose of sharing information about district, county and state party matters as well as current issues and candidate recruitment.

Sally added a poignant point about civility in political conversations
“We don’t feel comfortable when we have a difference of opinion with each other to have that conversation – engage in civil discourse. That needs to change.”
Betty Richardson spoke about her experiences running for office
  • Women need to be thinking of other women
  • I don’t believe that there is anybody that shouldn’t be held to account for their actions in office
  • As long as the people who disagree with the incumbents are invisible, they will continue to ignore you
  • Good government is not an instant proposition – it is an endurance test
  • Win or lose – is this worth doing? It is. It spurs dialogue – the conversation has been advanced

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Ready2Lead: The Well-Spoken Woman – How to Express Confidence

The passionate, poised and enthusiastic Christine Yahnke is delivering the keynote – The Well Spoken Woman: How to Express Confidence

What are the characteristics & traits of great speakers?

  • Signature Style
  • Synchronized Message
  • Self-Assurance
The Three V’s of Communication (Mehrabian Rule)
  • Vocal – (38%) the quality of your sound, your voice, how do you sound to the audience
    • Pace (we are looking for a conversational rate, 150 words/minute)
    • Pitch
    • Pause
    • Projection
  • Visual (55%)
    • Eye contact (if you’re not looking at them you’re not receiving feedback from them)
    • Facial expression
    • Body language
    • Hand gestures
  • Verbal (7%)
    • Clear
    • Connected
    • Compelling
Shock & awe tip: One minute of talk requires one hour of prep

Chris Jahnke shared Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s great Ted Talk

All attendees received Chris’s great book:

In THE WELL-SPOKEN WOMAN: Your Guide to Looking and Sounding Your Best , Christine Jahnke details the techniques and practices of successful women to help every woman improve her presentation and on-camera skills. It serves as a guide to help you stop second-guessing or falling short with your speaking abilities so you can earn a standing ovation.

Having advised First Lady Michelle Obama for her International Olympic Committee speech, provided speaker training to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and coached corporate CEOs and more women elected officials than any other trainer, Jahnke shares behind-the-scenes tips on what works and why. With access to her twenty years of expertise, you’ll learn strategies for forums ranging from PTA meetings to TV studios, conferences to classrooms, boardrooms to YouTube.

THE WELL-SPOKEN WOMAN features a cross section of American women who have used their voices to create change, ignite imaginations, coach teams to victory, and argue against injustice. Jahnke profiles how Melinda Gates emerged as a powerful advocate, Hillary Clinton honed her international podium presence, Suze Orman conquered the camera, and Ann Richards used humor – and then demonstrates what the take-away is for you. It shares stories of trial and triumph to answer the questions: “how did she do it?” and “what can I learn from her?”

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