This week we share with you three factors that support our definition of Visibility: How are you articulating your vision?  How do you define your value message and what is your strategy to get this message in front of senior leadership?

A recent Harvard Business Review article highlights the ways that digitized networks have fundamentally changed how all networks operate, human as well as technological, and that change is having profound consequences for the way work is done and value is created throughout the economy.  Your visibility is more important than ever.

Look for our continued series on Emerging Leaders, as we look further into both the definition of leadership, and the concept of  Navigation in future posts!  As always, we value your input whether on our Facebook page, via Twitter and LinkedIn, or comments here on the blog!

We would like to start off by taking a look at how different types of leadership can play a factor in the development of an emerging leader.  How would you define different kinds of leadership?  Has one been more important than the other, and why?

As always, we value your input whether on our Facebook page, via Twitter and LinkedIn, or comments here on the blog!

By 2015, Millennials will comprise the majority of the workforce, surpassing Generation X, and virtually taking the reigns from Baby Boomers. Is your organization prepared for this?

Please join JBC on the “Generational Diversity at Work Grows Up” webinar hosted by Diversity Best Practices tomorrow, February 18, 2010, at 11:00am-12:30pm ET. To register, follow this link …  http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/node/497

We know that generational demographics are shifting, but has your company taken the time to plan? How does your workplace need to adapt in order to be inclusive of these diverse generations? What would your next generation workplace look like?

Jennifer Brown moderated this panel on generational workplaces at 4 GENZ 4 BIZ.

The diversity in generations manifests itself in the way different generations: approach work, relate to authority, view work/life balance, display different work styles, seek feedback, etc. Companies need to prepare themselves to manage this level of diversity in order to recruit, develop, promote and retain the best talent. This will require a new way of thinking about diversity in the workplace. It will also necessitate creating new platforms and processes in order to provide the customized work “experience” employees will demand.

Embracing generational diversity is as much about diversity as it is about the war for talent. Due to the tough economic times over the last several years, many employees have remained in positions and with companies that might not offer the entire package that suits their working needs. Therefore, once the economy improves there, there is a shift projected in the talent market because Millennials, most likely, will be the first to look for new jobs. Can your company afford to lose this talent?

If you would like to gain winning strategies and new insights into:

• Organizations like American Express, Toyota, and Boehringer-Ingelheim and how they have created innovative programs to engage all generations of workers
• Learn about generational workplace trends
• Learn best practices to capitalize on generational diversity in the workplace

Cross-posted in our Webinars section.

We provide clients with high-touch, customized experiences that address the needs of program leaders, no matter
what their stage of development. We are experts in translating the impact of diversity and inclusion to organizational leadership and facilitating with the latest web 2.0 technologies…

A roundup of tweets regarding today’s webinar on Engaging ERG Membership presented by NALC through Diversity Best Practices.

# That concludes our LIVE tweeting of the Webinar today. Thank you for following along and let us know if we can answer any questions! 2 minutes ago from web

# Mark your calendar for October 20th in San Francisco NALC West co-designed by Jennifer Brown Consulting! 2 minutes ago from web

# We have over 60 sites logged in to our webinar today: includes sites with multiple attendees! 4 minutes ago from web

# Webinars and teleconferences can help include virtual workers in your ERGs. 6 minutes ago from web

# Another reason to encourage involvement is the benefit of networking with senior executives. Take leadership roles in resource groups! 7 minutes ago from web

# Regarding succession planning – how to motivate? E&Y: get support of leadership to give formal credit for fulfilling goals: skills. 8 minutes ago from web

# Tie Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Council groups to national organizations that can support accomplishments + increase memberships. 10 minutes ago from web

# At ING: Virtual chapter leadership book discussion conference calls + Breakfast with executives like Speed-Dating + Diversity Symposiums. 12 minutes ago from web

# What is the legwork needed to set up ERGs? ESPN: Present to Senior executives & partnering with Jennifer Brown to present focus group data. 14 minutes ago from web

# Operating guidelines needed in order to make sure that ERGs are realistic and successful! #bestpractices #diversity Approval (HR) important. 15 minutes ago from web

# ESPN also says that there can’t be 30+ ERGs, they had to put a cap on the number and tie to the business case to be successful. 16 minutes ago from web

# ESPN’s answer: just starting out each ERG gets same amount and required to present at end of year on how they met their business goals. 16 minutes ago from web

# ESPN on how they budget money toward ERG groups & events: have a set amount. Audience wants to know what their financial support looks like! 16 minutes ago from web

# Succession Planning – how do you entice people to take on more challenging positions? 17 minutes ago from web

# Don’t assume that just because you sent the newsletter that its being read. Provide something that people want to forward and share often. 17 minutes ago from web

# We don’t see growth ONLY when we don’t execute what we say we are going to do and when we don’t create opportunities to communicate. 18 minutes ago from web

# Get leadership involved, communicate through creative channels (Facebook!) 18 minutes ago from web

# E&Y takeaways: creativity to align to decision maker values, encourage active participation, always comes back to communication & awareness. 18 minutes ago from web

# Membership grew by 100% just by partcipating in one LGBT event. #corporate #diversity 18 minutes ago from web

# At E&Y: Leadership was actively involved in events, cheering them on. Added to the learning and the success of ERGs (LGBT ERG especially). 19 minutes ago from web

# BEYOND: In 2003 they were just an email list of 50; when marriage equality became news, the group became a resource for direction. Now 1600+. 20 minutes ago from web

# Challenges at E&Y: Decentralized population, how to communicate, how to define “resources” differently in this economy. 20 minutes ago from web

# Next up is Ernst & Young talking about inclusiveness and specific issues tackled by their ERGs, sharing about BEYOND: LGBT & Allies group. 21 minutes ago from web

# Develop a standard for measuring ERG progress and success (membership #s, sponsored events, awards, impressions, community service). 21 minutes ago from web

# Share stories with other employees of ERG highlights and reach across to other biz units. 21 minutes ago from web

# Multi-site event coordination (video teleconference web conferencing) allows ING to share events among chapters of the same ERG. 22 minutes ago from web

# To encourage membership, make meetings interesting with speakers and events not just information. Branding + reporting also important. 43 minutes ago from web

# Each ING ERG has national, chapter, and local officers ultimately reporting to the Office of Corporate Responsibility & Corporate Affairs. 44 minutes ago from web

# 50% of ING employees are #women, 2 females report directly to the CEO. Need to continue to develop women and encourage their engagement! about 1 hour ago from web

# ING is proud of their LGBT members in 20 + countries worldwide. #diversity #corporate about 1 hour ago from web

# ING is on deck to start presenting on engaging ERG membership on our webinar! Best practices of a mature ERG membership. about 1 hour ago from web

# Senior executives sometimes join ERGs in support of people their family who may identify with that group such as challenged or LGBT groups. about 1 hour ago from web

# Word of mouth is still an effective tool for recruiting ERG membership. ESPN started with 200 people after first event had 400, now 700! about 1 hour ago from web

# Membership drive is ongoing: internal HR newsletter promotes events going on through ERGs and leadership info. #diversity #corporate about 1 hour ago from web

# Use logos to tie branding for Employee Resource Groups with your corporate brand. #diversity #marketing #branding about 1 hour ago from web

# Loving the names of the 8 inaugural ESPN ERGs, chosen by members of each group. Join the webinar to find out what these are! #diversity about 1 hour ago from web

# ESPN shares some of their best practices with their parent company Disney. #diversity #corporate #leadership about 1 hour ago from web

# When designing the function of their ERGs, ESPN asked for business proposals from membership groups before selecting the final groups. about 1 hour ago from web

# ESPN raised awareness on ERGs by throwing an Expo for two days: booth to provide information for people to start to get involved. #diversity about 1 hour ago from web

# Stephanie is speaking on how JBC conducted focus groups then presented an executive summary to help ESPN plan ERG development. #diversity about 1 hour ago from web

# Stephanie from ESPN is now presenting on what their goals have been to meet diversity as a core value: Created ERGs + diversity council. about 1 hour ago from web

# A trend we have seen is that Gen Y workforce are more comfortable in a multi-cultural group than a race or gender-based group. #diversity about 1 hour ago from web

# We have to work laterally to make sure we are giving the most impact to the business case. Collaboration is key! about 1 hour ago from web

# Keys to ERG membership in the JBC perspective: generational motivators, regional balance w/HQ, succession plan, hybrid groups + biz impact! about 1 hour ago from web

# Now more than ever it is critical that we inspire leadership development. about 1 hour ago from web

# Goal of Employee Resource Groups: Get involved, take leadership roles, and drive business values. about 1 hour ago from web

# We are going to be LIVE-Tweeting the inaugural NALC webinar, getting started right now: Presentations by ING, E&Y, and ESPN moderated by JBC about 1 hour ago from web

Once considered merely a social network to support diverse member needs, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) today take on business initiatives that add value to the bottom line. These groups typically take the form of affinities by gender, background, regional group… you may have worked somewhere and been part of “The Women’s Network” or something similar. Its a hard thing to describe if your workplace doesn’t have one, but if you’ve seen them, then you know.

We are finding that now more than ever, our clients are looking for ways to tap in to the power of social networks. Many are re-thinking the way they tap into their talent – and their diversity. Employees know that networking within affinity groups can be a great boost to their careers. For instance, joining a formal networking group that spans roles from new employees to senior executives can give you great “face time” you would never have otherwise. We’ve helped our clients – leaders looking to tap into new, resourceful business initiatives – see that Employee Resource Groups work are best used when tied to business initiatives.

Employee Resource Groups can help inform marketing and strategy in a cost-effective way. For instance, if your business is looking to develop marketing catering to women, wouldn’t the Women’s Network be a great place to start asking important questions?

Taking your ERGs to the new level of business partner requires leadership engagement and a plan. JBC has designed a series of steps to help ERG leaders, their advisors and executive sponsors transform ERG networks to strategically support organizational goals. While every organization’s roadmap is unique, our critical “milestones” are designed to help ERGs, at any stage, develop and deliver on organizational challenges. We are excited to be developing these practices and sharing them in upcoming webinars.

We would love to hear some of your stories about Employee Resource Groups, or Affinity Groups that you may be a part of. These can exist formally (sanctioned by your employer) or informally. Many of our clients have both types!

“Women of my generation, perhaps more than others, understand that leadership doesn’t necessarily mean a linear path of promotion after promotion. Leadership for us means the ability to own something that we care about owning. It’s the opportunities that we make for ourselves both inside our working roles, and outside, in the professional associations we choose to relate with.”

As women, we often hear the phrase that the “glass ceiling” is slowly eroding, or that our presence in the workforce is inching ever closer to matching that of our males counterparts. The truth is, among many of the silver linings of this current economic downturn, is the great opportunity to demonstrate that there doesn’t need to be a glass ceiling for us, as women, as individuals working in the fast moving world of corporations. Countless are the examples of board rooms empty of women, or picture after picture of male executives in the management pages of many Fortune 100, 200, 500 companies. Still more are the methods and strategies meant to facilitate the potential of leadership for a woman. But the problem is this: by focusing our attention on that which is outside of our immediate realm of experience, we are not empowered to change our own, personal circumstances. So I challenge you to look within your own experience, and see where you are empowered as a woman in the workforce.

In my own experiences, I’ve found that yes, women do need to network, but finding the right professional connections can come from more avenues than the traditional “networking over drinks.”  Breakfast networking events, like those sponsored by 85 Broads in New York, are great ways to meet and network with high-achieving women while still running the busy schedule that today’s working woman is known for. For young working women, opportunities for leadership can come in disguised ways, but it’s up to us to take advantage of this opportunity. One such example might be taking the lead on a community initiative that you’re passionate about, or maybe writing a proposal for that new program that is entirely new to your company but you know would be wildly successful if only it were implemented. Women of my generation, perhaps more than others, understand that leadership doesn’t necessarily mean a linear path of promotion after promotion. Leadership for us means the ability to own something that we care about owning. It’s the opportunities that we make for ourselves both inside our working roles, and outside, in the professional associations we choose to relate with.

So what I want to leave you with is this: leadership for women of the twenty first century doesn’t have to be the illustrious breaking of the glass ceiling. Perhaps it’s the breaking of a glass wall, or a glass window.  Or maybe, it just means knowing that as a woman, I am perfectly capable of being a leader. It is up to me to choose how, where, and in what capacity, I choose to be so. In my experience, successful leadership seems to spring from passion, and passion is something that cannot be learned. So yes, be a leader, because we definitely need young women leaders, but be one with passion towards her cause. Then, breaking that glass is only secondary; living your vision comes first.

Fallon Casper

About Fallon Casper: As a young twenty-something, Fallon has worked in a variety of corporate settings as a Management Consultant for a top International Consulting firm, and has more recently developed her own consulting practice in Sustainable Living. She is passionate about social enterprise, women’s leadership, and can be found around the streets of New York searching for the best vegan foods. She holds a B.A. in International Economics & Leadership from New York University.