At the Table - A networking and career group for women
At the Table (ATT) caters for women who want to: -
· develop their careers
· change careers
· re-enter the job market
· move into volunteering
· learn from others experience
The networking is subtle, pro-active and confidential
It’s framed around a guest speaker who spends 45 minutes sharing their insights, experience and advice. On occasion, we are also asked to complete exercises or take part in role-play scenarios.
My job, as moderator, is to ensure that everyone feels comfortable, confident and empowered to contribute — and this is why it works so well. When attendees ask questions, share their stories, vulnerabilities, aspirations and passions, we instinctively support each other. That’s where the connections are made. It’s so much deeper than handing out a business card and working a room.
Each attendee is valued and respected. ATT treats everyone equally and what matters is not your age, status or appearance, but your willingness to engage and contribute. For instance, those just embarking on their career can share their experiences of the workplace with those that entered, or even left, decades ago.
Therefore, if you want to make connections with other women in Singapore, women who want to offer support, advice and possibly assistance, come to ATT.
In that spirit, I want to share an example of what happened during our March 2019 session on Negotiation Skills: how to ask for want you want. The speaker asked us to pair up and role-play a scenario whereby we took it in turns to be the boss or employee asking for something we wanted in real life. My partner wanted to be properly, (and fairly), compensated. At work, she consistently outperformed her male colleagues but was paid less than them. In our role-play, I played her, and she played the boss. I dispassionately set out all the reasons why I should be paid more, the disappointment I would feel if I had to leave and how I was being disincentivised. The boss gave me the raise. That was a great exercise, but what happened next was even better. My partner went back to work, made an appointment with her boss where she used what she had learned in the role play scenario to successfully negotiate a raise.
This is the beauty of At the Table. It’s a networking group that shares, supports and creates meaningful connections. Once the current restrictions are eased, ATT will resume. Please watch for updates on CRCE at the American Association of Singapore.
Liz Coward
Moderator for At the Table
Author and Screenwriter
lizcoward.com
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