Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 68

By Michelle Finn

the power of women
HD’s brand vice president examines gender differences in the workplace— and why they matter.
Throughout history, women have made a difference in the workplace…but paving the way to the top and into leadership positions did not come easy. The pioneers had to shatter glass ceilings, knock down doors, create their own paths, and help others along the way. Today more than ever, women are having a significant impact on the field of hospitality design. This issue highlights the accomplishments of the women who have shaped and are shaping the future of the industry—from product and brand development, creativity and innovation, design and architecture, business development, education to mentoring. In 1984, NEWH—the Hospitality Industry Network (formerly known as the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality), was founded by a group of executives—Dorrit St. John, Susan Spalding, and Shelia Lohmiller. Their intent was to help decrease barriers of entry for women in hospitality and provide support through the exchange of information, networking events, and scholarships. Today, NEWH is the largest organization of its kind, leading the way in education, leadership development, recognition of excellence, and business development opportunities. The vision of a small group of women to better other women in the hospitality industry has helped foster numerous careers and career advancements over the years and their accomplishments are truly remarkable. As a 20-plus year veteran of the hospitality design industry, and leader of the largest media brand in our industry, I am often asked what challenges I faced being a woman in business. But when I began my career, my objective was not necessarily to become a senior executive; I wanted to do something I liked that was meaningful. As it turned out, these were key ingredients for building a business. As with many women leaders, I had a fair amount of talent, training, and opportunity, but the attributes that contributed most to my success in developing our brand were passion and performance with a purpose. Mentors and advocates played a significant role in building confidence, and as experienced advisors, they were critical for ascending to positions of power and authority. The challenges I faced early in my career were a management style and business model that did not conform to traditional ways of thinking, at least within the media industry and our corporate environment. I adopted a management style that is more transformational or interactive, a style associated more with women than men. It’s a style characterized by innovation, building trust, and empowering team members, as well as a participatory and collaborative leadership to get results. It’s a business model that took a holistic approach to media brand development and the integration of communication channels within an industry. As reported by the research organization, Catalyst, in the book, Women Take Care, Men Take Charge: Stereotyping of U.S. Business Leaders (2005), both men and women perceive a sharp gender difference in female and male leadership. They report that more women than men are effective at rewarding and supporting, while men are better at delegating and influencing upward. Ironically, the same attributes that contributed to my success in brand development were also challenges to overcome. There were few women in top management positions when I started with Bill Communications (now known as Nielsen) and over the years I began to learn that qualities women share are different than their male counterparts. The challenge for me was to build on my management strengths within the context of a corporation to maximize financial performance. In terms of adaptability, the lesson learned was that the integration of best practices, new thought processes, and traits more prevalent among women can contribute to a higher rate of performance. According to Claire Shipman and Katty Kay in their book, Womenomics, “Generally speaking, women

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - July 2010

Hospitality Design - July 2010
Contents
Online Contents
From the Editor
People
Sketchbook
Interview
Profile
IIDA/HD Product Design Competition
Outdoor Finds
The Power of Women
Success: What it Takes
Women of Influence
Back Space
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Intro
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Hospitality Design - July 2010
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Cover2
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 1
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 2
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 3
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 4
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 5
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 6
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Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 12
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 13
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 14
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 15
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 16
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Contents
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 18
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Online Contents
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 20
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 21
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 22
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 23
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 24
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 25
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - From the Editor
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 27
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 28
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 29
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 30
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 31
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 32
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Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 37
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 38
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 39
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - People
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 41
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 42
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 43
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 44
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 45
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 46
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 47
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 48
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Sketchbook
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 50
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 51
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Interview
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 53
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 54
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 55
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 56
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Profile
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 58
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - IIDA/HD Product Design Competition
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 60
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 61
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 62
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 63
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 64
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 65
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 66
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Outdoor Finds
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - The Power of Women
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 69
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 70
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 71
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 72
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Success: What it Takes
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 74
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 75
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 76
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 77
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 78
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Women of Influence
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 80
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 81
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 82
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 83
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Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 102
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 103
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Back Space
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Cover3
Hospitality Design - July 2010 - Cover4
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