Spring was in the air recently and
New Yorkers were happy to come out from an especially
harsh winter. Inside the W Hotel, the mood was
even more festive as New York Women in Communications,
Inc. (NYWICI) held a 75th anniversary
conference to celebrate their many years of service
and support to women communications professionals.
In a day that aptly started with “A Breakfast
at Tiffany's” (after all, diamonds are the
traditional gift for 75th anniversaries)
and went on to a series of informative panels at
the hotel, attendees learned from those who had
reached the pinnacle in their fields, engaged in
networking, and delighted in all that women have
achieved. The advice and comments based on the
experiences of the “movers and shakers” who
made up the panels were directed at women in communications
but could be just as useful to others, especially
students about to embark on careers.
In a discussion of attaining fulfillment
along with success, the importance of family life
was stressed. Ann
Moore, chairman & CEO of Time, Inc. reported
that her company has a childcare center. “If
we can afford it in the expensive space in Rockefeller
Center, everyone can afford it,” she said,
adding, “It makes the whole company more
cheerful to see kids in the cafeteria.” The
possibility of being a good parent and a good businessperson
was addressed, with an emphasis on lowering stress
levels and integrating parenting and business abilities.
It should be okay to discuss these matters in the
office, all agreed. As for success, “No career
goes straight up. There are twists and turns along
the way and many paths.” Pamela Thomas-Graham,
president & CEO of CNBC.com, NBC, Inc., mused, “You
learn the most from a job with lots of challenges.
That's when you find out what you, your boss, and
your team are made of.” Moore regretted that “so
many people end their careers badly. There are
so many things to fix out there.” Touting
the concept of a second career, she praised Schools
Chancellor Joel Klein for leaving the law “to
fix New York City schools.”
A
panel about the meaning and use of power touched
on the double standard applied to men and women
as they assert themselves. Nancy Barry, president
of Women's World Banking, an organization that
provides financing to women, noted that, “power
is worth having because it can help you change
the way the world works.” Karen Elliot House,
senior vice president, Dow Jones & publisher,
The Wall Street Journal, said, “Power is
an overrated word.” Of real importance is
the ability to “persuade”, to “influence” and “affect
an outcome.”
A
highlight during a day with many special moments
was a delightful conversation over lunch between
broadcast journalist Donna Hanover and director/choreographer
Susan Stroman. The winner of five Tony awards
including ones for “The
Producers,” “Contact,” and “Crazy
for You,” Stroman spoke of growing up with
a piano-playing father in a house always filled
with music. Calling herself “a writer of
dance,” she explained that choreographing
for theater is different from that for ballet because
she must be guided by the plot and “move
the story forward.” She does research on
the period and region of the play and immerses
herself in its world. She “thinks in story terms” as she observes the
life around her. “The more prepared you are
for any project, the more you can improvise when
you get there,” she advises. She has been
asked by Mel Brooks to direct the movie version
of “The Producers,” which will star
Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Nicole Kidman,
an exciting opportunity for a charming, vivacious,
and very talented woman who grew up in a house
filled with music. Joannie C. Danielides is president
extraordinaire of New York Women in Communications,
Inc.#
