SPW 2005-2006 Kick-Off Event "Women Don't Like to Negotiate,
so Why Even Bother?" Dr. Margaret A. Neale, Stanford GSB Professor of
Organizations and Dispute Resolution
Our kickoff event was sold out, resulting in an excited,
packed crowd that was fortunate to have registered early
enough to be educated and entertained by Dr. Margaret
Neale. Dr. Neale is the John G. McCoy-Banc One Corporation
Professor of Organizations and Dispute Resolution at
the Graduate School of Business, and her major research
interests include bargaining and negotiation, distributed
work groups, and team composition, learning, and performance.
SPW Board Members Mae O'Malley,
Janis Ahmadjian-Baer, and Buffy Poon
with Dr. Margaret Neale
The topic she guided us through, negotiation, was one
that often causes fear in women and brought up many
cultural stereotypes. She helped us understand the costs
of not negotiating (hint: the difference in lifetime
earnings can involve six zeroes). Though it wasn’t
unexpected that women negotiate much less often than
men (7% vs. 57% in one study on starting MBA salaries),
it was interesting to learn that the difference was
actually more attributable to how much power the person
felt they had versus their gender.
We learned how changing our perceptions about ourselves
can help us become better negotiators, as well as how
women need to negotiate differently than men to optimize
their negotiations. As serious as the topic was, the
uproarious laughter throughout the presentation showed
that we could have some fun with it.
SPW Executive
Speaker Series @ Stanford Alumni Center "Lifelong Financial Security: Planning For Your
Retirement in the 21st Century" Professor John Shoven, Director of the Stanford Institute
for Economic Policy Research
Dr. John Shoven, the director of Stanford Institute
on Economic Policy Research, provided a thought provoking
discussion of a critical topic for all professional
woman-the future of Social Security and Medicare and
what it means to us for retirement planning. Professor
Shoven was able to translate academic research on these
topics to an easily understood format and entertained
many questions from our members following his talk.
He started out his presentation in the context of good
news- we are living longer !!! In fact, as each new
group of retirees becomes eligible for Social Security,
their life expectancy increases one month relative to
prior year's cohort.
Dr. John Shoven (center) with
SPW Board President Janis Ahmadjian-Baer (left)
and SPW Board Member Mary Bobel
However, we learned that this increased longevity has
posed challenges for both Social Security and Medicare.
Dr. Shoven outlined the problem of rapidly increasing
costs for both programs relative to payments into the
system and suggested alternatives such as indexing benefits
to wages or to prices. He also expressed genuine concern
that this non-partisan issue would not be solved quickly
in Washington.
Conversation over wine and appetizers before the talk.
While Dr. Shoven saw Social Security as the easier
problem to solve, Medicare remains problematic. New
drugs and technologies are resulting in cures for diseases
that were once life threatening but these breakthroughs
are not free. He suggested that since it is unlikely
we will choose to ignore the medical options available,
and it is equally unlikely we would sacrifice our standard
of living for these options, our only viable alternative
will be to work longer than our parents' generation.
But as he ended, the good news is we are living longer!
SPW Regional Dinners Potluck dinners and informal networking in small
groups at members' homes on the Peninsula and beyond.
Gypsy Achong (left), Kelsey
Lynn (center) with hostess Karen Chin (right) at a Palo
Alto regional dinner hosted by Karen.
December 2005
Holiday High Tea
Lisa's Tea Treasures, Santana Row, San Jose
SPW's 2005 annual holiday high tea was a great success!
A sold-out crowd of thirty-two gathered on Sunday, December
4, at Lisa's Tea Treasures in Santana Row. All enjoyed
warm and lively conversation, in addition to mingling
in the reserved and private room held for SPW. Sumptuous
Scones, Sandwiches, Petits Fours, and a traditional
afternoon tea were served in a unique and authentic
Victorian Tea Room. Old World elegance abounded in the
atmosphere of this beautifully furnished shop. The tables
were set with a full array of traditional accouterments;
linen tablecloths, delicate fine china, tea cozies,
strainers, and of course, gourmet loose-leaf tea served
in style and grace by servers in full 19th century Victorian
costume.
