How to move up: Tips from the C-suite
Ready or not, speak up. That is the advice of panel members at the Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium on the “Elevate your career: Views from the C-suite” session.
One of the considerations Jeannette Bankes, president and general manager, global surgical franchise for Alcon, has when considering someone for promotion is whether that person has confidence to do the job.
“You’re going to be able to do this because of a foundation, something you’ve done in your past,” she said. “Speak up.”
Bankes said she recommends a “lean in” attitude.
“You need to take a little bit of risk. You need to ‘lean in,’” she said. “And if you’re not completely ready, you can’t fake it to make it your entire career. You have to actually build skill sets along the way. But don’t think you need to know 100%.”
With skills and confidence, even though it may not be clearly articulated, “Tell your manager or your boss what you want to do,” she said. “I have female and male employees in my org, and I have males who tend to tell me what they want to do next and etcetera, and on average, my female employees just come in and say, ‘OK, what do you need me to do?’ No, no, no. What do you want to do? I start with the conversation: What are you developing? What do you want to do? Tell me your navigation. So, let’s change the conversation,” Bankes said.
Nancy Lurker, MBA, president and CEO of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, also suggests taking risks.
“Here’s what I want to encourage,” she said. “You’re never going to be 100% ready for the next step, but if you’re 75% ready, go for it because people expect that you’re going to have a learning curve. That’s OK, so take that risk.”
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Elevate your career: Views from the C-suite. Presented at: Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium; Aug. 21-23, 2020 (virtual meeting).
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