Pot Holes and Pit Falls Overcoming Career Challenges

1
Pot Holes and Pit Falls - Overcoming Career
Challenges

• Deborah L. Grubbe, P.E.
• E.I. duPont de Nemours Co., Inc. - Retired
• Vice President - Safety BP
• 24 March 2005

2
Setting the Stage..

• BS ChE - Purdue
• University of Cambridge - England
• Three summer internships
• 27 years with DuPont
• 17 assignments, 5 different businesses
• Starting position with BP
• Community leadership positions

3
Personal.

• Solid education - continuously learning
• Married to DuPont Exec who raised his daughter as
  a single parent
• Can have it all, just not at the same time
• Big jobs require big time

4
The Glass Ceiling

• Is real
• Is there for men, too
• Is there because others put it there
• Is there because YOU put it there!
• Sometimes requires you to go around it
• Is always broken from the top - never by banging
  on it from the bottom

5
The Early Years

• Be yourself
• Know your stuff
• Look for the good in people/situations
• Think positive change
• Do not let folks run over you
• Listen - Think Gross, Speak Net
• Find mentors
• Understand insecurities - in you, in others

6
The Later Years..

• Two kinds of people - those that MAKE dust and
  those that EAT dust!
• Work SMART and work HARD!
• Friends come and go, and enemies accumulate.
• You have two ears and 1 mouth use them in that
  proportion.
• What goes around, comes around.

7
More for the Later Years.

• Many people have failed in life because they had
  wishbones when they needed backbones.
• The view only changes if you are the lead dog..
• Get to know others who are different from you -
  life will be more fun!
• Be BAAAAADDD to the bone!

8
And even more

• More mentoring
• Beware of poison people
• Keep your life in balance - or your work will
  fall apart
• SMILE and keep em guessing!
• GO FOR IT!!!!!