Defining the “dtkMindset”

Recently, I received a thank you note from an executive in response to the professional development series she invited me to deliver to women in her industry. The note excitedly championed the “dtkMindset” I imparted to the group — a dtkSignature and a perfect term which I thank her for coining.

What did she mean by the “dtkMindSet,” especially as it pertains to professional women?

In a nutshell, it’s decidedly NOT a palliative fix, road map, template or formula — there are plenty of those around for the undiscriminating consumer — but rather it’s a way of thinking that deploys the power of and desirability of women’s innate brain wiring. ‘Getting’ the MindSet was already exciting but what was exciting to me was witnessing participants’ making the leap from MindSet to MindShift.

And it’s that shift in women’s thinking that is so critical to improving women’s professional experience as well as their progress. The fact is the number of women in leadership positions — 17% — is dismal and the needle has been stuck there since I started tracking this in 2005. Between 2005 and 2015, smart people have tried to crack this but the problem is that sadly, their institutional or male-reliant remedies only address the externalities.

Instead, it’s the shifting to a dtkMindset that’s critical especially for professional women interested in advancing through the ranks and into leadership positions. In addition to women’s more actively managing their own careers, the dtkMindset shows women that it’s the inside-out work that will ultimately make the difference.

Women and confidence

Confidence is a recurrent theme with women and with those who have something to sell. But the truth is that there hasn’t been a helping professional yet who can magically instill it. Nor can they empower anyone. I actually avoid the word empowerment whenever I can because it implies that somehow, power and/or confidence are to be received or bestowed: NONSENSE! Women have more power than we think we do and the idea is to strengthen what we do naturally (while also acquiring/honing three essential skills) so the power, the confidence comes from within. This, in contrast to the uniform, one size fits all patches that companies offer, is inside-out work and, as a consequence, is yours to hold and keep.

Career success for women

But career success stems from more than just the knowing. Women must learn to take up more space and take their rightful seat at the table. To do that requires a ‘presence’ and, all things being equal, presence can be the difference between being moved up or being passed over.

Developing presence requires, in addition to some very real skills, a mindfulness which, for some, includes being aware not only of workplace hurdles and skill deficits but also of the traps we create for ourselves. I refer to these as ‘girl traps, as they’re endemic among women, regardless of position or rank. They’re not the same for everyone and we’re often not aware of them but call them out we must. Often, these behaviors are hard wired so the work starts with creating awareness and then focuses on developing strategies to get out of our own way, jump over or around hurdles and shut down the noise that fills us with self-doubt.

In the end, women must feel comfortable — and look for opportunities — to take center stage. Because of how so many of us and the men around us have been socialized, we fall into the trap of diligently doing the work under the hood but then taking a back seat when it comes to leading the parade and taking credit. That is totally learned behavior which, with real work, can create real results in real time.

Shift happens!