>> we have a blockbuster panel talking about issues with women in the workplace as we talk about this week's pennsylvania conference for women. let's get the inside story. >> good morning i'm tamala edwards welcome to inside story and boy is this a treat. look at all the lady around this table. let's me introduce you to who we have. leslie styles the board president for pennsylvania conference of women. good morning. >> good morning. >> executive vice-president qvc beth rabino non-profit executive sharmain turner and state gop renee amore and this side erica glad inand joanne rider executive vp of beneficial bank and christine flowers and journalist nia meeks.

this is a table. let's jump in and get started with you leslie. you've been doing this 11 years putting on this conference. explain what does the conference offer and if a woman is attending how does they get the most out of it. >> well, this is going to be an extraordinary day of personal and professional development. 7,000 women we want each and every one to walk out this conference stronger and better for going there. so, we want them to be open. we want them to communicate with each other. and because that's very important we're stronger when we mentor each other. and we also want them to listen very carefully those tracks on health care and climbing the corporate ladder and entrepreneurship and finance all those things that are very important for twom survive and really thrive in what has become a very challenging environment. >> we shew say this conference is all day on thursday, october 17. and opening it up to everybody,

'lot of these conferences women walk out with a purse full of business cards. when it's all done how do you keep it going and get the most out of going to an event like this? >> technology is helpful nowadays. especially if you have the business cards take a picture with your smart phone upload it into your contacts and send that e-mail right away. follow up with people. make a quick call, hey, can we schedule a time to fol he up to have lunch coffee and continue that conversation and dial up. don't let it wither on the vine. >> women are traditionally not limited to just those cards. i mean we have the ability to create friendships and connections i don't want to say more quickly than men that's not true i grew up with brothers they can do that as well instinctually we reach out to other women and we take that away from the conference as well. >> and keep it going the whole idea is to keep it going. if you keep it going we'll come back to you more than you expect it. >> turning to you, erica, from

cisco how would you describe things change over time. how owe would you describe the glass ceiling today an how does a woman get to the c suite. >> that exits when you look at corporate boards representation is under 5% for women in those corporate boards globally. at the same time as you think about corporations a company like the one i work for only 25% of the senior executives are women. there's definitely a glass ceiling. breaking through it i do believe has a lot to do with sponsorship. there's fantastic articles for the center for talented invasion that talks about the fact that women and men have the ability to get to know each other differently and when they have relationships. those relationships are fostered by sponsors and a lot of time those sponsors make a difference in awd yen in closed room setting where different kchks are had. we all know they happen right those conversations go on. if you have conversations and you need someone to add indicate, and sponsor for you,

and will it ever go away? that's the optimistic point of view here. at the same time because it's still existing and we have corporate america for quite sometime one has to believe you have to use different tactics. sponsorship is the one i seen incredibly well it's been fantastic for me. >> don't get amen tore get a sponsor. >> important. >> women work so hard to get the executive levels and say i'm too tired with this i'm giving up and what that means. how do you make sure you reignite rather than burn out. >> make sure you have people around you that you can talk to that you can go to to support you. you have your allies and you're not always going to have a good day. maybe you all do but -- i'll make that clear. you have to page sure you have somebody you can call that you can network with and that will really be there for you 24/7 you can make it you know you can keep it going. and that's real, real important. if you don't, then you will burn out and you really need to know when it take space and time and

a lot of times we as women want to be everything to everybody and that's not really good. you got to know when it take your vacation and know when it take a sick day and when it stop you know and take a breather. we don't do that all the time we have to keep practicing and nudging each other to do that. >> you have advisers around you to do that. we all get caught up. you're in midst of things and worried if i don't take on the project i'll be overlooked orfy make this road or take this turn or if i don't do blah, blah, blah, we need people to help plot out our career paths and it's really important that that issue of sponsorship versus mentor women are often told got amen tore and get amen tore and that's great for one level. but we don't talk about sponsorship and it's in corporate america and business and all non-profits and government and it's across the field. but we are just getting to that point where we're actually saying, i need someone in the room speaking on my behalf. >> all right. >> let's ask about that i was

told for recommendations make sure you know what's in the letter before you ask somebody to write it. how do you know you get somebody to say the right things about you. it may be great for face to face how do you know you're getting the right sponsor. >> because you spend time with people and have a sense and understand where they're coming from. and a lot of times when people really get to know you, you're remembering your you're spending time to get to know hymn them. and you have an understanding that you have been in other rooms with them and heard what they had to say and about other people who are in their network and that will help you determine whether or not they're going to say and be there for you and having more than one person who really is there for you. sometimes you have people who sort of fit certain kinds of roles in your life and that's okay. >> don't look to everybody. >> i wants top note about the time of taking off. there's nothing wrong with sabbaticals when we talk about academic -- educational world we

talk about the fact that people take time off to refresh, to study, to take time to figure out what they want to do next. the same thing is true in a lot of other fields whether it's men or women. we're going to need to make sure we're refreshing and relearning throughout our career. >> and women have a tendency to want to take control of everything because we have juggled so many different things, jobs, family, and so it's very difficult for us to step back and say, i'll let somebody else takeover because we figure out we're going to fill in that void and it's important to take that refresher. >> i have to takeover and get this next question in. you're a vp of human resources. so it's your job to bring people in and evaluate them. and branding is huge these days. how when somebody comes in the door how what makes you look at them and go that person has it they're going to do well here? >> right. well, i always challenge myself and the team to always get in the touch with my own your own

tup super power. what is your unique super power and if you're not sure about that even ask people that are close to you and that usually get that confirmed and mine happens to be just really again unly enjoying people and enjoying watching them grow and learn and develop and getting to know them. so in the field of human resources that's a good fit for me. but once you identify your super power then also connect it to your values and when your values and super power are really connected it really helps you to shine. and what i find when i am interviewing with people people that can look me in the eye, be gene un and themselves and not sitting there trying to be somebody they're not those are people i connect with. if i can connect with them they'll connect with others once they swroynt company and i find people again un and really good listeners and in it for the team, and company and not them seevlz are the ones that get to the top the fast sgleingt ladies

you're at companies that have quite a few workers somebody thinking i'm lost in the sauce what do they need to do to rise above and that they're being noticed in the right ways for right reasons. >> sure. >> i think that people need to to campaign for themselves and they're leaders and talk about accomplishments of their team. you have to differentiate yourself in branding and it's important for you to allow people to give you the complements, accept the complements women have a hard time doing as well and then also go out and give pub accomplicety for teams and the things you accomplished. >> i agree with what joanne said. it's important to have a point of view. we don't have one. that's how you make decisions and people get to know you and people assess you and in addition to what joanne said at the end of the day the best thing to be caught doing is demonstrating expertise and ensuring people understand the

again unness behind that. one of the best ways i see people do that it came from a great book i didn't read and it's entirety one little part i didn't like the title called never eat alone. i want to eat alone i'm on the road all the time. there are 66,000 of us at cisco. however the point was you got to let people know what's going on. you also have to express your point of view. for me many of our employees in our culture is to let someone know what you think. read a voicemail you helped an executive that doesn't have 66,000 employees anyone letting him or her know what you think about initiative and what you think can be done differently instead of sitting around the water cooler explaining of things have a point of view, share it. demonstrate the expertise and you differentiated yourself in a way that you are not over promoted yourself and who you are as an individual. >> joanne let's come back on smxingt lots of women go towards the speakers at the end of these things with business cards.

you're great i need amen tore will you please be my mentor. cheryl sanburg says she hates that moment it sends a chill down her spine. the reality she doesn't know that person we're not going to have that relationship what say way to come out and find tat person, mentor, advocate that sponsor rather than trying to be one of 100 people getting the person on the stage. >> i think it's very important for you to have a relationship with your mentor and sponsor. they have to know you, you have to know them. you need to respect and seek out people you respect their tnz and think you can learn and grow from. i have many mentors inside and outside of organization. some are colleagues some bosses some are people i work with. some are vendors and i think it's a natural relationship that we built and i make it a point to spend time with them and schedule you know regular, monthly, coffee conversations where we can discuss some issues i'm facing and then give me

their advice. i never approached someone i didn't have a relationship with and i think it's important to really seek out those folks you have a relationship with. >> it seems as though you shew know it doesn't have to be somebody in your company, your age, younger, old e., 'friend, but it doesn't have to do with your company. >> do we need to expand what we think of mentor. >> it's important for women not to think back in terms of promoting themselves and mentoring, i'm working so hard everyone knows that. my boss knows that. to assume people know it and understand it, this promoting yourself is wonderful, wonderful piece of advice. you have to be your own marketing agency. you have to brand yourself. and in getting amen tore, it's about relationship building. if you can build relationships

you'll be successful not only in business but own personal life as well. success is really dependent on relationship building so you build the relationship first and then people fall into mentoring or sponsorship category. >> and it seems in terms of being mentor people don't realize what's in it for them. it's not a work of charity if you do it right. >> that's rights. >> one of the things i've done over the years is i find that they're wonderful people who ask me to be their mentor and five or sim of them may ask and what do i is bring them altogether and we begin to sort of create a little group and begin conversations and over the years i found that many of them have stayed in contact, have created friendships and relationships and mentored each other and helped them along the way. there's other ways that you can really begin to create impact not just one-on-one but really

they're wonderful groups and a lot of people who don't know each other and making that connection with each other is important as connecting with me. >> you know what, tam, to follow up on something sharmain said i used to teach high school years ago in all boys school and in all girls school to this day 20 years later i have people reaching out to me on facebook or if they see me in the street or e-mail me if they read something i've written miss flowers or mad mow sell flowers i want to thank you for this or this or this sometimes mentoring doesn't have to be a conscious act it's the way we live our lives or as beth was saying express values and as erica saying i'm glad to put that out there and it's unfair to make the stereotype and we want to please.

we want to be accommodating and sometimes we don't come back and say, this is where i stand. this is what i feel. and then so, so crucially important to have that points of view and people come back later and thank you for it. >> this is where i stand we have to take a break. if you did n >> welcome back to this special

edition of inside story. i'm tamala edwards, talking

about women now micro so the of ceo of microsoft he had interesting thousand dollars how women deal with races. >> it's not about asking fort raise but knowing and having faith the system will actually give you the right races as you go along that's good karma. it will come back. because somebody is going to know that is the kind of person that i want to trust. that's the kind of person that i want to really give more responsibility to. and in the long term efficiency things catch up. >> i would say that's the kind of person who gets walked all over and never gets a raise. >> he's the kind of person getting on my nerves. >> legalities be clearly have faith but not faith in everybody -- >> you didn't feel the karma. >> it's up realistic unfortunately. >> what's realistic and this is a tricky, tricky topic for women. who is the best way for a woman, and it's different for us than men, to ask for a raise. >> well i think first number one you really do have to do your homework and make sure you

really sort of understand what is the you know pay range and whether or not you sort of see in the data whether or not there's a differ ep shall between how men and women are being paid and i think once you start of are equipped with the information you go in as anyone else would go in and say look these are the things i accomplished and this is what the market is paying for this particular role and i think that i deserve ebb it. and i think as long as you're clear and you don't come off as being defep receive you have a good shot at getting a raise. and as boss you sort of listen to me and ask me for races that's what i like. >> as' bosses you are wonderful budget are tight it's terrible time in the economy we appreciate what you're doing there's not money right now. >> sometimes that happens it's true. i run a non-profit. i would love to be able to pay people top ranges. a lot of times we don't have dollars available. i'm certainly not making a

different decision for women in my organization and anyone playing them differently across the board. either you have value then we needed to make sure we have equal pay. >> it's a good point. >> and truth of the matter is unfortunately you still have a lot of people that believe men need more money. women well someone will help awe long the way. your husband or eventually someone will help you pay more bills and so this person they are taking care of more people. and it's sad but it really is true. you have to have a psychological profile of the person awe approach. you have to kind of understand how do they make decisions and little bit more than strategy all to your point of understanding compensation package and scale. but also do homework and you know ask around. ask around with colleagues and try to get a sense of some things and be armed with that conversation because it is difficult otherwise. >> cheryl sanburg famously at lien in said this is tricky for women. dinged as deemed as confrontational the same way a

man might be and counter offers are tricky. people expect loyalty out of women you say i have another offer can you nach and they do but then they're mad what do you do? >> you have to have perspective of what you want to be and who your values are. if you come into discussion around salary with intention to negotiate and not willingness to walk away you're disadvantaged. at the end of the day you're talking to your boss, sharmain's case she's running system equitable process. satyavathi has opportunity to run a process he's the bus. the system will catch up. we're looking forward to microsoft system. he's in charge of the platform. at the ends of the day as a woman if awe approach it or map if awe pretty much with perspective maybe i'll stay maybe i'll go you're out positioned. >> you also have to understand this is not an even playing field. many young people think in fact it is. to realize that you're climbing

uphill when you ask for a raise you have to understand that we are still as women making 23% less than men for doing the same job. >> but we also have to understand and think about where we are, where we want to go and how we get there and also marketing ourselves before we go on the raise. >> to many people a lot of folks come in they're there a year and they want a raise. what have you done? if we're not clear in doing our own stuff like i said earlier and communicating would we are and what we're doing and producing, then it's not going to happen. we have to think of those things. >> it's not about payoffs it's also about the benefits. what are benefits and perks women -- some of you have seen executive package what's are guys asking for women shew be asking for too. >> there's always a long term stake in any position. any groups i worked for if you're interested in being part of long term success of company

as renee said promoting value and marketing yourself they need you and your value proposition of the company. the longer you're there the performance of the company shew increase. if pe ratio is right and stock market performing correctly you shew be advantaged whether stock performance or some other form of equity pay. things are critical. >> again goes to research. you have to do all this before you go in there. too many of us are sometimes not sure of ourselves. when we go in we're not sure what we're asking for. all i'm saying women be clear what you're asking for what do you rally want. me i want everything i want shares i want the whole thing. >> are there certain companies that you shew be looking at certain profiles if you know i want to have time i have children and elder parents are there certain metrics of a company you shew look at rather that hoping they'll work with you down the line. >> i think there's a lot of research and information out there with best places to work. i think you shew seek out companies that have flexible

benefit for women. i think you can get that information off the web site. >> all right. we'll take a short break and come back for another segment and we want to let you know we're going to keep this conversation going even after the end of the show on the web. we'll take a break and come the end of the show on the web. we'll take a break and come right back. party on people! blinds to go's 60th anniversary sale continues celebrating with 20% off the entire store. you heard right, 20% off the entire store. we're talking employee pricing baby! hey, you need 'em, you want 'em, and now there's no better time to get 'em. blinds to go. blinds for life.

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can think of next year in terms of the fact this is yearly conference. they can, of course, you know apply as attendee early. and there are also all kinds of vehicles that are going to be put out after the conference by the conference on this web site. and speeches are going to be repeated. access to tools these tools we talk about for success that's all going to be on the web site. i woulden turj these women to go on the web site -- encourage these women to go open the web site and during the conversation and follow us on twitter. we're very active in social media and do that as well and there's ways to get the experience. >> not every woman out there who is interested in a high ranking high paid person what would you say the mitdle class working women are interested in these

topics. >> um i would encourage them to go. we're not only talking about executive issues we're talking about healthcare. we -- these women care for everybody else and in variousably we forget to care for ourselves. if you are sick climbing that corporate ladder becomes very, very minor compared to getting well. >> well we have more we're going to talk about and keep talking about it on the web. make sure you check out 6abc.com. i'm tamala edwards, thank you for joining us on this special edition of

starting right now on abc's "this week" -- breaking right now, ebola emergency. a health care worker in dallas tests positive for the killer virus. the first possible transmission of ebola on u.s. soil. how did it happen? are we at greater risk than we thought? full analysis, all the breaking details from our dr. besser and on the ground in dallas. isis gaining ground. new fears for the iraqi capital baghdad. is the terror group about to score a major victory? >> we're not going to allow that to happen. >> the chairman of the joint chiefs weighs in. and -- >> i've got a piece to speak. >> mr. smith goes to washington. the hollywood classic turns 75. how it influenced the country and the commander in chief.