Women's Empowerment Tools

If you've ever felt undervalued in the workplace as a woman, you shouldn't. Women are becoming more and more prominent in work environments and even have special skills that can help them succeed even in a male-dominated career. Recognizing the natural self empowering tools for women, that women already possess, can be very powerful.

Women have natural talents, but may feel as though those talents are not relevant to a place of business. This is incorrect. It is true that women, just like men, still need to master practical and technical business skills in order to succeed, but when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder, they have unique skills that organizations value. By simply tapping into these skills, women can empower themselves to obtain anything and everything they want.

Let’s start with communication – a skill that is vital to success. Women are natural communicators. Have you ever noticed how a mother “just knows” how important it is to talk and interact with her children, using appropriate language and phrase-structure that a child can understand. This same skill, slightly adjusted, works perfectly in a business environment. For instance, a woman who is managing other people must know how to communicate with each person individually in a manner that each person can understand.

Helen Fisher, author, The First Sex: The Natural Talents of Women and How They Are Changing the World, refers to this as a flair for language. Fisher describes the increasing need for the ability to communicate with written and spoken words. To quote her, "At talking, women have the edge." Fisher describes how the female gender, even at very young ages "excel at... verbal fluency - rapidly finding appropriate words, phrases or sentences." Fisher writes "Women are, on average, more articulate at saying what they say." Women embracing this knowledge and trusting their natural language talent in communication will find their confidence building.

In terms of teaching or coaching, women also have an advantage. The nurturing characteristics that come more easily to women make it possible for women to help children learn and develop. The right combination of encouragement, discipline, freedom and boundaries will lead to a child whose confidence and abilities are very mature and continue to exceed that of other children. When this type of situation is applied to the business world, a woman can do the same thing for employees.

Once again Helen Fisher's research as presented in The First Sex states, "Women are, on average, more interested in cooperation, harmony, and connections - a network of support." She further writes, "Women characteristically believe everyone can succeed in business; they take a win-win attitude in the office world."

Many women are also skilled at multi-tasking or multi-focusing. Juggling people, reports, deadlines and all the necessary resources become critical to the success of the teams' results.

Helen Fisher references that human's evolution, even back to ancestral times, show a woman had to rear helpless and long-dependent babies under highly dangerous conditions demonstrating the need for multitasking even then. I lover her description: "In order to rear helpless infants, ancestral mothers needed to do a lot of things at the same time. Watch for snakes. Listen for thunder. Taste for poison. Rock the sleepy. Distract the cranky. Instruct the curious. Soothe the fearful. Inspire the tardy. Feed the hungry. Mothers had to do countless daily chores while they stoked the fire, cooked the food and talked to friends."

Of course, not all women have mothering skills and not all women are the same, but all women have the ability to identify the skills they possess and use them for personal and professional empowerment. Women can be just as effective at business leadership as men. If figuring out what makes you a successful woman interests you, why not make a list of all your personal attributes - those natural talents and empower yourself to soar to new heights of success.

Looking Fabulous – With Accessories!

Many women seem to have a "thing" for shoes, designer handbags, fancy scarves and high-end fashion jewelry. However, many women do not realize the powerful weaponry they have in their arsenal with these fashion accessories. Most women either buy pieces to go with a single outfit or to be a slave to a seasonal fashion trend. They rarely consider how the fashion accessory complements their appearance, whether it will go with other items in their wardrobe collection, how many uses they'll gain from the item and how many different ways they can wear the item.

My goal is to help you understand the important role your fashion accessories play in creating your "look" and how you can easily set yourself apart to emphasize your uniqueness. Yes, you heard me right – accessories are meant to play up on your individuality and uniqueness, which is, if we admit it or not, our true yearning as a woman. We want to be different and unique. Accessories can help you achieve this by bringing attention to your face, hiding those flaws you want to hide, or just making a statement about your individuality without your having to say a word.

Let's look at fashion accessories that you can easily play up on and create playful variances with:

A neckerchief scarf can be worn as a:

* Headband

* Neck scarf with a collared shirt, V-neck, round neck T-shirt

* Bracelet by wrapping around multiple times and creating a cuff-type bracelet

* Tied around a plain handbag strap to add a splash of color and flair

A long rectangular or wider square scarf can be worn as a:

* Belt

* Neck scarf loosely draped as a shawl, a wrap or with various types of knots

* Top in summer

* Skirt on the beach

A brooch can be worn as:

* On the front of your pair of favorite jeans or chinos

* At the bottom of a long or short strand of pearls as a pendant, or clipped off-center on a double-stranded set

* An addition to a scarf where it overlaps

* A decoration to an evening bag

* A cluster at the lapel or shoulder of a denim jacket

* At the bottom of a V-neck

A necklace can be worn as:

* Part of a number of layered necklaces with varied lengths

* A belt if a longer necklace.

* A bracelet with multiple wrappings around the wrist

* A basis of creating a new look with a brooch

Fashion accessories are such a powerful arsenal in creating your own unique style. Start looking at each accessory you have as to how to can create different variations. Also, when purchasing new accessories, concern yourself with how many different ways you'll be able to wear the accessory and whether the item or items will complement other wardrobe items you already own. Don't become a slave to the seasonal must-have's. Please also keep these five things in mind, when playing with your new look:

1 It's okay to mix silver and gold.

2. Focus on one key accessory, such as a necklace or handbag, and keep the other accessories light.

3. Stay within a certain color family when accessorizing.

4. Your handbag color and shoe color can be different colors.

5. Most importantly – keep it simple, chic and feminine.

Adorn your uniqueness – look fabulous with fashion accessories!