Building Confidence, Connections and Careers for Women at Duke

Jenness has been working at that Staff Assistant position for more than a year, thanks to nudging, celebrating and encouragement from August.

August, now a Senior Communications Specialist in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, said she was just trying to repay what another female friend had done for her.

With Women’s History Month in March, Working@Duke asked a handful of female leaders at Duke what they’ve learned throughout their careers about creating a supportive workplace network.

A close, inner circle of female friends

Women helping women in the workplace is not only vital for empowerment, but also for overall achievement. Studies find that women, more than men, benefit from collaboration and that women who support women in the workplace are more successful.

Harvard Business Review found that there’s a difference between the networks of successful men and women in the workplace. Women need an inner circle of close female contacts, the study found, in addition to a network of people in varied groups because they often face cultural and political hurdles that men do not.

A close, female network helps women navigate the interview and job-search process when they can have honest insight into company culture and expectations.

That’s what happened for August more than six years ago. Her book club friend Natalia Silva Harwood recommended August for a different position in Duke’s Psychology and Neuroscience department when August was making a career change. Even though the job description didn’t sound exactly like what August was looking for, Harwood assured her that the position included the writing duties she desired.

“When Natalia shared insight about the role, I believed her,” August said. “I knew that what she was telling me was authentic and true, and I could trust her. And when I did the same for Mimi years later, she trusted me.”

Harwood is now a Senior Career Specialist in Trinity College. Although only Jenness still works in Psychology and Neuroscience, all three women credit the department with creating an empowering environment.

“There’s this kind of ‘pay it forward’ energy that Natalia started,” August said. “I do think it’s kind of contagious. Natalia helped me and I learned from that. So of course I’m going to help Mimi, because Natalia helped me.

“Why wouldn’t I keep passing that on?”

Yakut Gazi, Vice Provost for Learning Innovation and Digital Education

Yakut Gazi has been at Duke for 2 1/2 years and has 32 years of experience in education spread across eight institutions.

Gazi, who is responsible for the development and execution of pedagogical innovation and digital education strategies, calls herself a “nomad” who has used that peripatetic existence to develop an entrepreneurial approach to her career. She takes calculated risks to constantly do something new and has acquired adaptation skills that help her thrive.

All that has allowed her to create such a broad network, and she views LinkedIn as her main form of social media.

“And with the advanced advances in technology, it's just become easier and easier to carry your network with you,” Gazi said. “It's become a little bit easier to maintain relationships and continue to learn from each other.” 

She finds herself still leaning on senior women in her network – like the colleague who gave her negotiation advice when she came to Duke – while also fostering her connections with women in junior positions.

To show her personality and build connections, she skips form emails when declining job candidates. Instead, she writes a personal note, acknowledging the tough decision and encouraging them to keep going.

“I've been seeing such positive response from the candidates because a lot of times it's not about your own qualifications,” Gazi said. “It’s more about ‘right time, right place,’ that kind of thing. And it’s very reassuring for especially women to hear that.”

Maggie Epps, Secretary to the Board of Trustees and Chief of Staff to the President

Maggie Epps knows how easy it is to get caught up in the workday. She’s the same way. She gets focused on her tasks that she rarely stops to take a break unless she really has to.

But being intentional about taking time to build and nurture workplace relationships is invaluable, said Epps, who serves as the chief liaison between the Board of Trustees and the administration, faculty and students. That means coffee breaks to catch up with colleagues and attending networking events even when her schedule might seem jammed.

“It’s worthwhile to carve out the time to do those things just to have an opportunity to talk with people, to step away from your desk, step away from your office and nurture your network,” Epps said.

For Epps, that often means giving attention to the network she’s built since she started her career at Duke in 1999. It’s one that was seeded by early mentors and has grown and flourished in the years since.

“It's important to find a good mentor early in your career and then continue throughout your career to seek out new mentors,” Epps said. “One way of expanding your network is getting to know people through the people who mentor you. They open a lot of doors and introduce you to a lot of people.”

Stelfanie Williams, Vice President for Community Affairs

As a Duke alumna whose career has centered on connecting higher education and communities across North Carolina, returning to Duke and Durham six years ago as Vice President for Community Affairs has been a culminating experience for Stelfanie Williams.

That might be why Williams believes in creating a network of different professional contacts throughout academia, business and community settings.

“Contacts and knowledge across multiple sectors are beneficial,” said Williams, who guides Duke’s community engagement and partnership efforts. “From students and early professionals to community elders and seasoned leaders, I draw from various perspectives for understanding, accountability and partnership.”

While leaders early in Williams’ career were predominantly men, she’s always sought to cultivate women in leadership and stewardship roles across Duke and the region. And when advising how other women can best build a network, she encourages them to determine not only what they are seeking but what they have to offer.

“Be clear on areas of alignment and interests – whether it is relational, technical or a combination,” Williams said. “I try to make myself available as a resource to other women and have benefitted greatly from those relationships and friendships.”

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