Hard workers are passé

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(Published on page J4 of the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 30, 2008, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

Welcome the smart workers

HARD WORKERS ARE OBSOLETE. Proof: job advertisements are gradually deleting ‘hardworking’ as candidate qualification.

It used to be that a worker slaved away in the office to get things done, get noticed and eventually promoted. The ideal worker then was one who dedicated his entire life to the company, rose through the ranks, retired and enjoyed his pension. Never mind if he missed living his life in the process, reasoning that enjoyment will commence only at retirement. It was a worklife pattern entrenched by the Industrial Age. The hard worker is a now relic, a reminder of a predictable past. The modern economy has rendered hard workers irrelevant. The knowledge economy, characterized by breakneck competition and ever shifting fortunes, has spawned smart workers. Don’t dwell in the past, be a smart worker. Here’s how.

Stand out. Expertise will no longer get you ahead. There are just too many experts in too many fields it is already confusing. What will make you lead is being first. You will remember only a few vice presidents in your lifetime. The presidents are the ones who stick in your mind. And you don’t need to become a president either, at least no yet. How can you be first? Be the first in a lucrative field, say, trainer-on-call – one who runs superb corporate trainings on very short notice. Do not conform to established work patterns. Create your own shtick. Reinvent yourself from time to time.

Tune in. While having a master’s degree, learning from trainings and receiving guidance from coaches and mentors are already significant steps, you can go even further. Cultivate ‘spotters’ across industries and countries. They are the ones who will feed you information that is critical in finding fresh opportunities. Of course, don’t gather intelligence just to stay updated. Analyze them for possible business implications. You never know, you already impressed your next employer through a conversation where you casually ‘brainshare’ vital information.

Manage expectations. Smart workers perform and oftentimes exceed the responsibilities detailed in their job profiles. But they do not say yes to every demand. Do not over-commit because it will only result in stress and underperformance. Be judicious in agreeing to requests. Further, agree to expected outputs (results) only when inputs (resources) are specified and adequate.

Remove the blocks. Don’t just hurdle the blocks, root them out completely. These blocks are mostly negative thoughts and actions that climax in career self destruction. These are unfounded fears that present themselves in statements such as “I can’t do that,” “That’s impossible” and “They might think I’m stupid.” It is the box being alluded to in the dictum “Get out of the box.” Shattering the box is the start of spawning bold ideas that will propel your career and the business.

Be super efficient. Efficiency means exerting minimum effort and producing maximum impact. How? Be wise about time, optimize technology and delegate. Propose alternative work arrangements such as telecommuting if it will make you more productive. Efficiency is about getting things done while avoiding wastage.

Get connected. Smart workers are not chained to their desks. They go out and meet people. Don’t be a parasitic networker. Proactively offer help. Join industry e-groups and professional associations. Do not merely lurk in the shadows. Offer something useful – volunteer to organize events, be a resource person, share opportunities. The smart worker is not isolated, he is strategically connected with people here and abroad.

Team up. Vanish your insecurities. A smart worker is confident enough to share what he knows and to solicit other people’s insight. His dynamism to work independently and in a group helps him accomplish his goals. His drive and people skills fuel his chemistry with others. For a smart worker, asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a badge of maturity.

Wield influence. Find your way into the boardroom. You are not a smart worker until you are able to make significant decisions. Not yet a board or management committee member? Earn the trust of one and offer solutions that will help him make decisions. Smart workers never manipulate, they influence. If being employed won’t give you this leeway, become a consultant or establish your own company.

Loosen up. Smart workers live full lives. Unleash your humor and practice de-stressing techniques. They will help you manage the demands of work. Smart workers do not believe in the dichotomy of work and life but in the harmonious melding of the two. After all, how can something on which one spends an average of 40 hours a week be separate from life?

Smart workers are globally competitive – they are at par with the best in their fields. Best of all, they enjoy their lives as much as they love their work. They attract and create opportunities. They release success pheromones that signal “I have arrived” or “I’m on my way.” Don’t become obsolete. Be a smart worker. In time, job advertisements will learn to catch up.

Build a high impact e-persona

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(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 30, 2008, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

Log into your virtual best

THE ACCESSIBILITY OF INTERNET technology is boon to jobseekers and employed professionals alike. Its many benefits include the opportunity to create high-impact cyber personas that can enhance one’s career prospects.

Two sets of actions shape one’s e-persona: creating consumer generated content and engaging in other online activities. The first is proactive – you decide what to present to your audience. The second is reactive – you act on what is being presented to you. The internet is constructive to those who know how to leverage its benefits. Learn from these tips in creating a power-packed cyber persona:

Personal site as infotainment. The career-enhancing character of personal websites and blogs is indisputable. They allow you to market yourself to practically the whole world while you express your feelings freely. This freedom comes with a responsibility. Never upload contents that can jeopardize your career potential. Career-busting contents include online boss-bashing, lewd photos, profane language, scandalous videos and links to porn sites. Sanitize your site but don’t be dull. Provide value-adding content such as tips and how-to’s, publish an e-zine, upload your “in action” photos and videos, update regularly, feature your accomplishments, and include a feedback mechanism and other forms of interaction. You can even incorporate humor, as long as it’s inoffensive. Complete the package with a simple and tasteful layout and a catchy site name. Find the correct balance between information and entertainment and your site will enjoy loyal following that will result in favorable buzz.

Strategic networking. Social networking sites abound. You can choose from Friendster, Multiply, Facebook, LinkedIn and a host of others. Professional networking is not about quantity but quality. The saying “Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are” is a good reminder to those who delight in expanding their online network wantonly. Screen your connections well. Choose only those who you think can broaden your professional prospects. But as I always say, don’t be a parasitic networker. Professional networking is a reciprocal relationship. Reminder: beware of ‘notworking,’ meaning wasting time and money on social networking sites. There is a more effective form of online networking: joining egroups. Become member of active egroups that cater to your industry or interests. Egroups are ideal sources of useful information, leads and contacts. Once a member, be active – participate in discussions, post helpful messages and attend virtual and physical fellowship activities.

Practice workplace ‘netiquette’. Your office intranet was established to facilitate workplace communication. You defeat the purpose if you choke your officemates' inboxes with unprofessional material such as YouTube clips, repulsive jokes, weird photos and quizzes. There is a great chance that you are spreading viruses so do not hit the send button gratuitously. Establish personal online time by checking your inbox only three times maximum within the day, and only for one hour each time. Regulating your online time will discipline you to avoid aimless web surfing. Set a turnaround time for answering emails, say, within 24 hours from receipt at the latest.

When sending emails, always make sure that

(a) you're sending the right document to the right person,

(b) attachments are in order,

(c) the subject is indicated in the subject line,

(d) the message is free of spelling and grammar errors, and

(e) that all intended receivers are included in the address lines.

If you commit a blunder, admit it and institute remedies quickly. Never apply for a job using the office internet account. Last but not least, never peruse cyberporn. The people in IT department – they know what you do everyday – can be summoned to present evidence of questionable internet use.

Beware of split personality. With its magical properties, the internet helps us transform ourselves into more beautiful versions – slimmer, more engaging, more desirable. Or it could be the other way around: some choose to rebel against their poised and politically correct selves at work by becoming reckless online creatures. The anonymity the internet provides allows us to breathe life into our fantasy alter egos. The internet is public domain, it is globally accessible. Human resource professionals playing detectives trawl the internet to discover clues about your personality, especially when you are up for job interview or promotion and your resume is intriguing. If you cannot reconcile your physical and virtual personalities or if you insist on maintaining a potentially compromising online account, at least be discreet. Lock it with passwords, hide behind an alias and set other restrictions to protect your privacy and your reputation. Be careful of leaving virtual footprints that can lead to career suicide. In the interest of furthering your career, spew venom only when you’re sure you’re protected.

The image you project online leaves enduring imprints on the minds of your audience. This image precedes any actual physical impression. It becomes the basis of how people perceive you. In impressions management, it is boom or bust. Your e-persona can either strengthen or sabotage your professional life. Be it in the physical or virtual realm, always present yourself in the best light. Think well next time you log in.

Are you ready for teamwork and team play?

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(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 9, 2008, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

Assess your teamwork quotient

NEVER DISMISS ‘TEAM’ as just another four-letter word. Successful companies swear by the effectiveness of teams in propelling business. That is why when companies look for new employees and select candidates for promotion, one’s ability to work well in a team is given primacy as a desirable ability. Are you fit for teamwork and team play? There are only five questions to ask in assessing your teamwork quotient.

Do you have a specific competency? Do not join a team only because it is an elite assignment. Do so when you know you have something solid to pitch in. Your usefulness to the team depends on your unique contribution to the collective effort. Only when you possess at least one competency for which your skill is at resource person level that you can claim indispensability. You are deadweight to the team if you are mere copycat of another team member. Define your relevance – identify your expertise and how it complements the efforts of fellow members in fulfilling team objectives. If the team will function properly without you, then you are not needed.

Are you committed? Being in a team invariably results in extra work. It uproots you from your routine and forces you to squeeze in a special demand on top of regular demands. Team membership demands commitment – to the team, its goals, its members. Your time management skills, sense of humor and patience will play critical roles in ensuring your resilience in the face of detailed work, pressure and temperaments. Find motivation that will help you give sustained peak performance.

Do you relate well with people? A team is composed of several members working as one to fulfill a common purpose. Through his undesirable attitude, an anti-social member isolates himself from the rest of the team. One has to have the basic social skills that will enable him to interact with others in a manner that brings out their best productive selves. This is not to say that conflicts have to be avoided altogether. What are to be avoided are dysfunctional conflicts that tend to block team success. What is more challenging is being socials-savvy when you are in a virtual team where members do not have physical facetime as they engage one another only through emails, phone conversations and other technology-supported channels. In any case, effective communication skills and professional decorum are very important. Build unity in diversity. Bonding occurs when team members work and play well with one another.

Are you trustworthy? Teams are based on trust. Difficult to earn and easy to lose, trust is the delicate element that cements the relationship among team members. In a team environment, trust is not built by pledging loyalty to a faction. Trust is earned by performing responsibilities. Be accountable to the team. Trustworthiness is generated when proper communication channels are used. Being candid about feedback and accepting constructive criticism are preferred over gossiping and griping. Trustworthiness is increased with openness about asking for and giving help and with graciousness in sharing credit with others.

Are you a passionate advocate? It is a conscious management decision that individuals from different backgrounds and of varying competencies are gathered to form a team. The intention is to collect an array of ideas and perspectives. Each team member is duty-bound to offer ideas and solutions. Each is expected to passionately argue the case in favor of his ideas. You have to be mature and courageous enough to challenge others’ ideas and to dislodge groupthink that leads to complacency and arrogance. In the same manner, be aware that teamwork abhors bloated egos. Back down and compromise if your intentions do not help move the team forward.

Expertise, dynamism, result-orientedness and engagement are individual qualities that promote teamwork. Equally important, teamwork requires leadership traits. It doesn’t matter whether you are a team leader or member because team leadership is not a solo event. It is the sum total of group dynamics. With the proper motivation, the gains in joining a team include material and social rewards and career development. Now that you know your teamwork quotient, are you ready for teamwork and team play?

3 steps to better time management

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(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, January 13, 2008, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

CONGESTED TRAFFIC HAS BECOME the favorite whipping boy for chronic lateness. Traffic is but a proxy justification. The real culprit is time mismanagement. Vagueness about priorities and underdeveloped decision-making skills are the major causes of time mismanagement. It results in lack of direction, burnout, ruined relationships and untapped opportunities among others. The net effect is failure.

An real professional knows a number of options of circumventing traffic conditions, one of which is leaving the house early. This part of 2008 is an excellent occasion to resolve to be a better time manager. Three steps are suggested:

Step 1 – Prioritize

Understand your busyness. Many of us are busy about nothing in particular. According to the Pareto principle, 20 percent of daily activities account for 80 percent of productivity. This means that everyday 80 percent is squandered on time thieves such as procrastination, clutter, inability to say No, lack of planning, aimless internet activities and gossip.

The solution is to have SMART goals that provide direction. Identify priorities. What are authentic priorities? They bring us closer to our life vision and mission. Authentic priorities help us articulate our various roles in life as professional, parent, friend, sibling, learner and other value-adding roles. Scale up engagement in important concerns, reduce time spent on matters that are merely urgent and adopt zero tolerance for time wasters. Successful people are proactive not reactive.

Step 2 – Schedule

Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each of us gets 24 hours a day but only a select few are able to optimize the time given. Scheduling means planning how to use available time to achieve identified goals.

Schedule strategically. Plan on a weekly basis, use a planner with a one-week spread. For peak performance, dedicate primetime – time of the day when you are most energetic – to top priorities. The essence of scheduling is organizing and performing around priorities. In the words of Stephen Covey, “put first things first.”

Using the remaining time, which is your discretionary time, schedule rest and recreation activities. Rest is a priority. Warning: don’t over-schedule that you rob yourself of the joy of spontaneity.

Step 3 – Commit

Promise yourself and believe that you will become an excellent time manager. It takes all of 21 days of daily practice and repetition to form a new habit pattern. Tell a friend and a family member about your resolution. At the outset ask them to call your attention quickly when you appear to be sliding back. Celebrate your time management successes

Time management is defined as managing one’s activities during a given time by specifying desired results and actions required. Simply, it is wise use of time. Aside from cultivating planning skills, self discipline and goal-orientedness, time management results in work-life balance and success.

Stop blaming traffic. For starters, don’t be late in 2008.

New Year’s resolution for working people: Career happiness in 2008

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(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 30, 2007, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

TRY HAPPINESS AT WORK as New Year’s resolution.

Unhappiness at work is damaging to both the worker and the business. At the individual level, such unhappiness can result in absenteeism and other forms of inefficiency. At the group level, it can lead to crises that can warrant drastic measures and attract government intervention.

There are various causes of unhappiness at work: job mismatch, obnoxious boss, irritating officemates, lousy work conditions, misunderstandings due to miscommunication, low salaries, delayed salaries, chronic fatigue and so on.

We spend a huge amount of time at work that, inevitably, it has spillover effects on other aspects of our life. Left unchecked, unhappiness at work can adversely affect our relationships with our family and friends. It can also damage our health. It can paralyze us to a point where we are no longer able to function properly, let alone optimally.

Martin Seligman, one of the founders of positive psychology (psychology that focuses on wellness rather than on illness), explains that happiness has three components: positive emotions, complete engagement, and purpose in life. Based on results of global happiness surveys, this school of thought believes that happiness is not dependent on material trappings. Let us apply Seligman’s framework to experience happiness at work starting in 2008.

Positive emotions
What are negative emotions? The major ones are complaining, criticizing, competing and comparing. One is inviting unhappiness if he is engaged in these destructive emotions. In fact, in the case of comparisons, what makes people feel miserable is the Grass is Greener syndrome – the unbearable thought that others are better off than them.

What are positive emotions then? Oppositely, they are commending, affirming, cooperating and supporting. A person of courage and maturity accentuates the positive, demonstrates appreciation, works with competitors and expresses gratitude.

The mind is infinitely powerful. Napoleon Hill’s book “Think and Grow Rich” is an authoritative reference on positive thinking. As Hill says ‘thoughts are things.’ Happiness is first a creation of the mind that the body consequently articulates. Stop a negative thought as soon as it occurs. Do not allow negativism to dominate your work life.

Creating and maintaining positive disposition is vital to productivity. A cheerful worker radiates an energy that uplifts others. Tasks become lighter as well.

Complete engagement

Have you tried focusing on your job such that you got completely absorbed in it? This state of being is otherwise called peak performance. It demands presence or ‘being there,’ meaning that your mind, body and heart are synchronically attuned to the activity.

Take for example the mundane act of eating. Our taste buds become more receptive when we focus on the food. We are able to authentically appreciate the meal and stay fuller longer. Those who read, talk, watch television or surf the internet while eating diminish the health benefits of the food.

It would be to our advantage if we are able to rally all our senses to the demands of the occasion. Barring distractions, work becomes easier and enjoyable.

What we focus on is equally important. Lest we expend our energies on insignificant concerns, let us revisit Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” where the author distinguishes ‘urgent’ from ‘important’. According to Covey, something that is urgent demands immediate attention and is oftentimes irrelevant to the achievement of real goals. On the other hand, something that is important requires discernment and contributes to the achievement of vision, mission and goals. In other words, urgent matters force as to be reactive while important things require us to be proactive.

To sustain peak performance, and therefore happiness at work, stay committed to the things that are important and veer away from those that are merely urgent.

Purpose in life

What is your mission in life? Do you have a personal mission statement? A mission statement is your compass as you march along your career path. Covey calls it a Personal Constitution. A mission statement is life-defining.

Having a personal mission statement illustrates self leadership. With it you are able to discern the relevance of your work to your life. It is not enough though to have a personal mission statement. It is likewise important is to spell out how the mission is to be fulfilled.

Is your mission aligned with that of the company? Many would dismiss this as human resource hokum. One’s skills set may be what the company is looking for but dissonance in missions will ultimately result in job dissatisfaction. A proactive professional examines his personal mission and the corporate mission to determine their complementation. Of course, while changing a corporate mission is a major effort, a personal mission should be easy to modify anytime to fit emerging developments. Flexibility is a mark of a happy person.

What does a personal mission have to do with happiness? A personal mission serves as the anchor that will keep you steady in a sea of uncertainties. It becomes a source of stability. It gives you meaning.

Starting in 2008

The advent of a new year provides us with opportunities of renewal and fills us with optimism. Resolving to be happy at work is part of career stewardship. A happy person is a productive person. Here are supplementary reminders:

1. Don’t be unfair to yourself by insisting that you’ll be happy only when you’re done toiling. Be happy right at the moment, right where you are. Be grateful for even the littlest graces, unleash your sense of humor and laugh heartily.

2. Recognize when you are happy. Avoid the tendency of magnifying and verbalizing only unhappiness. Identify the causes of your unhappiness and work on ways how to overcome them. Prioritize unhappiness factors that are within your control. Seek the support of family, friends and colleagues.

3. Acknowledge that you cannot be happy all the time. But with determination, you can be happy most of the time. To avoid disappointment, do not romanticize reality or set impossible standards.

4. Initiate lifestyle changes that will support happiness at work and in life in general. Strive for work-life balance.

5. Have a spring in your step as you wake up to start each workday. It said that as a race Filipinos are predisposed to be happy. Use that to your advantage.

HAPPY New Year!

Numbers to help you succeed in the workplace

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(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 2, 2007, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

NUMBERS HELP PEOPLE understand what is happening around them. Numbers help express and execute ideas better. Numbers can help measure experiences. Here are numbers from different disciplines that can help you excel in the world of work.

Communication

Effective communication is a key leadership skill. You may be gifted with verbal precision – using the right words at the right time – but this gift is squandered when your speech and body language are not in harmony with each other. While voice tonality accounts for 38 percent of your communication, body language represents an astounding 55 percent. Your choice of words adds in a mere seven percent. Communicate with impact by synchronizing your speech with tone and body language.

Presentations and conversations become dull after 20 minutes – that is the maximum length of time a person can stay focused. Rapid talking is not advisable though. We comfortably hear from 150 to 160 words per minute. Pace yourself well. After two days, your audience will retain only 20 percent of what they heard. Aid memory retention by making your every utterance count: use keywords, visual aids and exercises.

Time management

Only 20 percent of your activities account for 80 percent of your productivity. Inversely, 80 percent of your activities contribute only 20 percent to your productivity. The unproductive bulk is spent on time wasters such as gossip, YouTube, Friendster and other distractions. Stop wasting time by setting goals and planning ahead. If you resolve to always come early to the office remember that it takes all of 21 days of daily practice to form a new habit pattern.

First impressions

Thirty seconds is all it takes to establish your first impression. Within those precious seconds, 13 judgments about you are made. Poor image can kill your career. Impressions management is indeed important.

An impressed supervisor will probably tell his superiors and colleagues about your outstanding performance. A disappointed boss will certainly relay his frustration to as many persons he can reach. In customer care, it is estimated that bad service reports outnumber good service reports by as many as 5:1. Translated to impressions, these could be termed ‘criticisms versus praises.’ With the help of technology, bad news travels at the speed of light.

In consumer behavior, personal recommendations remain the most trusted information.
Good or bad, others are bound to know about you. Through word of mouth, it will take only three personality types to spread your reputation. They are, as described in Malcolm Gladwell's book "The Tipping Point" -- the connector who is respected in broad networks, the maven who analyzes information and shares his knowledge with other people for better decisionmaking, and the salesman who has excellent people skills. Reaching enough number of people, these three movers will be able to build a tipping point that will decide the fate of your career.

Lifelong employability

Good reviews are not an assurance of your staying power. For more than a hundred reasons including outsourcing, redundancy and obsolescence of competency, 100 percent of jobs are mortal. What is important is lifelong employability not lifetime employment. A lifetime of professional desirability will be attained with continuous retooling. Of course, attitude – towards yourself, towards others and towards your work – makes 100.

Working wonder women

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(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 16, 2007, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

Raising women from the rank and file

WORKING FILIPINAS are harvesting world acclaim. A 2007 Thornton International Business Report study ranked the Philippines on top of 32 countries in terms of number of women in senior management positions. The same study noted that 97 percent of businesses in the Philippines have women in senior management positions – a remarkable rate compared to the global average of 59 percent. In a related development, Fortune magazine’s October 15, 2007 issue ranked SM Investments Vice Chairman Teresita Sy-Coson number 41 in its prestigious roster of 50 Most Powerful Women in Global Business.

Studies explain that women excel in the workplace because of their perseverance, creativity, dedication, attentiveness to detail, flexibility and emotional intelligence. My work oftentimes requires working with women executives who effortlessly demonstrate their sense of direction and purpose, passion, intellect, empathy and sense of humor.

The Department of Labor and Employment reported that in 2006 there were 2.3 million women in supervisory positions. If there is this many women managers, there are more women among the rank and file. Whether inspired by their high ranking sisters, driven by personal ambition or by economic necessity, a good number of women in the rank and file aspire for management positions. Career planning and outstanding work performance is their legitimate vehicle for reaching the desired destination. Management and HR can help propel the careers of worthy women with the following:

Build a diversity-friendly workplace. Many Fortune 100 companies, Chevron among them, are employers of choice because of gender mainstreaming. Your company does not have to be in any prestigious list to build a diversity-friendly workplace. Start by being open to its added values, among which are: attracting talent, knowledge sharing, boosting employee morale, diversity awareness and improved public perception. The idea is to create a work environment of productive codependence on the strength of men and women’s equal dignity and value. Ensure that physical and organizational structures support the needs and aspirations of women employees. Conducting gender sensitivity seminars will help inculcate respect and eliminate harm and exploitation.

Spot potential early on. Use performance appraisal metrics to identify potential candidates for talent development. Observe the employee’s achievement orientation, decision-making, leadership and teamwork, and communication skills among others. These are reliable predictors of future managerial performance. Target, say, those belonging to the top 20 percent high potential women workers for career development.

Develop, demand, recognize. Having identified high potential women, it is time to ask them to submit a simple plan that identifies their development needs. In response, give them necessary training and mentoring. Encourage them to embark on self-initiated development to supplement company-sponsored learning opportunities. Assign more challenging tasks to them and acknowledge their accomplishments. Create feedback mechanisms.

Equal opportunity promotion. Being an equal opportunity employer is a start. Once inside the organization, men and women should be enabled to enjoy equal salaries and compete for promotions based on clear qualification criteria. The glass ceiling – the invisible barrier that, on account of gender stereotypes, prevents women from reaching the top of the corporate ladder – has to be shattered.

Celebrate working women. Organize the company’s women into a group that can contribute to the wellbeing of its members, the company and society. It can be the company’s major social responsibility. Organize fun activities aimed at recognizing women’s participation in the company. These activities can be conducted on a monthly or quarterly basis, with major activities during Women’s Month, which is celebrated in March. They should include learning sessions where women executives and those in rank and file can interact. Women leaders from various sectors can also be invited for lectures.

The call to action is not for companies to give special treatment to women but to eliminate gender-based workplace biases that deprive women and companies they work for of tremendous benefits. As the world congratulates the Philippines for the success of its women managers, Filipino companies should support women in the rank and file by developing them into second liners, future managers and business leaders.