How I Did It
Joyce Mullen, Director, SMB Services
Dell Computer Corporation Joyce Mullen, current director of SMB Services at Dell, had no idea she was going to pursue her MBA after graduating from Brown University with a degree in International Relations. In fact, she laughs, she didn’t even know what an MBA was or how it could help her. This all changed after she went to work for a small start-up venture. She soon found herself managing more than 40 staff members and realized she had innate talent when it came to managing people and developing business. She did not know how to read a balance sheet, however, or many of the other fundamentals necessary to be successful in business. On she went to Harvard University for her MBA. Joyce has networked throughout her career. Although she found her first post-MBA position at Cummins Engine Company through an on-campus interview, she networked extensively within the organization and held several director-level positions during her tenure there. Most of her networking was very informal meeting people while taking part in activities at Cummins, through volunteering and taking advantage of all the opportunities presented to her. “Every single person you meet teaches you something. This makes you more valuable to your company, to your people and to your profession,” Joyce says. After more than nine years at Cummins, a good friend and former colleague suggested Joyce travel to Dell to get to know the company. “People who you know, who know you and make suggestions for your career that you might not have thought of,” Joyce says is what her network of contacts and resources is all about. The friend was right Joyce loved the culture and people at Dell and moved her family to Austin after she accepted their job offer. Since joining the Dell team, Joyce has been asked to co-chair WISE (Women in Search of Excellence), which is a group developed to empower women within Dell. In addition she is Forté Foundation’s co-chair. She finds herself frequently coaching other women in business and sharing her experiences with them. What is the most important thing Joyce wants to convey to other businesswomen? She thinks back to one of the reasons she has been successful. She tells her colleagues to “dig deep” to determine what is really important to each of them. Joyce asks, “What will make you successful? What do you want to learn? This leads to a very individualized definition of success and a discussion of how to build the skill sets that will support this definition.” To read about more successful women in business, visit the Featured Women in Business page on fortefoundation.org. Coming in June! An opportunity to ask questions of Joyce Mullen LIVE at Forté Foundation’s On-line Chat! Watch Forté Foundation's website for more information.
TOP The Knowledge Corner
For years business professionals have utilized golf outings, lunch meetings, cocktail hours and professional organizations to expand their network of contacts. The purpose is obvious the more people you know in your organization and field, the more opportunities will come your way. But does networking still work? And if it does, what are some of the best ways for women in business to meet? Networking still works. In fact, most jobs found in a challenging economy are found through a network of friends, colleagues and professional acquaintances. Elissa Ellis, in her introduction, tells us that she would not have received the same caliber of promotions at the University of Texas if it were not for her base of contacts that reached well beyond her typical reporting structure. And as Connie Duckworth (Goldman Sachs’ first female partner) said in a recent Fortune article, “Networking is the glue of all business … you can ask someone for something and they’ll ask for something back, and that’s a norm and an expectation, not an infringement.”¹ What are some of the ways women in business should network? Becoming active in organizations such as Forté Foundation is a very good start. Get involved and stay involved. Start with the Women’s Business Club or alumni association at your undergraduate institution or at a local college or university. One of several goals the Michigan Business Women club (the women’s business club at the University of Michigan) works toward is to provide networking opportunities with alumni and other professional women. Jessica Habicht, President of the Michigan Business Women club says this goal and other goals are achieved “through a variety of activities such as the Annual Women in Leadership Conference, Fireside Chats, Mentoring Office Hours, Cocktail Connections, and Diva Dinners.” Many companies today have a women’s employee network. Check out the resources at your company. Join Toastmasters and other company-sponsored clubs that will enable you to meet people within your organization that you ordinarily would not meet. There are several books that are very helpful as well. The first is published by Catalyst and is titled Creating Women's Networks. Another is co-written by Connie Duckworth titled, The Old Girl’s Network: Insider Advice for Women Building Businesses in a Man’s World. TOP | 
The launch of this newsletter is a continuation of the exciting and focused path Forté Foundation has embarked upon. We chose a theme of “networking” for this first issue because solid networking skills are the foundation of a successful career. Were it not for my own networking activities and the base of contacts I developed, I could not have started as Director of Alumni Relations seven years ago and currently be the Assistant Dean of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. Networking is synonymous with opportunity.