Former VP for Training, Kaya Lewis-Baltimore experienced a self-awareness “Ah-Ha” moment in 2012. This shift in thought gave her a new perspective. She reflected, “Sometimes, changing your life is about changing your mindset.” Lewis-Baltimore realized she had a vibrant career path in front of her and began to take ownership of it by earning a college degree, completing the Administrative Professionals Excellence (APEX) Program at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and taking advantage of various detail opportunities.

In 2015, she attended her first  National Training Program  (NTP) hosted by
Federally Employed Women (FEW). “I believe in FEW’s mission and what it
stands for.” As a result, she quickly joined the organization and became a force for change at the USPTO. Lewis-Baltimore co-founded the Bright Knights Chapter in October of 2015; the successful launch propelled her Federal and FEW careers.

Lewis-Baltimore emphatically stated, “It’s not about what FEW can do for you, it’s about what you can do for FEW.” She used FEW’s platform to rebrand herself by gaining confidence and pushing beyond her comfort zone. Through FEW, she has cultivated new skillsets that have proven valuable in her career. She encourages members to volunteer and lead programs. “I developed essential skills such as project management, event planning, public speaking, and the ability to network with prominent executives throughout the federal government and private sector.”

She deeply believes, “What you put in FEW is what you will get out of it.” Her gifts of building new relationships and motivating others led her to recently win FEW’s prestigious Allie Latimer Award. This overall achievement award recognizes an extraordinary grassroots effort working
to achieve FEW’s mission. Latimer was the first women and the first African American to serve as general counsel of a major U.S. federal agency. To bring federal government into compliance with the Civil Rights Act, she founded FEW.

In her 2018-2020 term, Lewis-Baltimore held three concurrent positions in all three-tier levels at FEW. She served as the Immediate Past President of the Bright Knights Chapter, Regional Representative for the D.C. Metro Region, and National Vice President for Training. Presently (2020- 2022). She continued to serve as the Vice President for Training (2020-2022) and served as the National Training Program National Event Chair of 2022. In addition, she also served as the Training and Education Chair for the Bright Knights Chapter (2020-2022).

During her journey with FEW, Lewis-Baltimore reestablished or created new programs that continue to advance the careers of countless Federal employees:

• In 2017, she co-developed the Administrative Support Empowerment Program for non-supervisory positions GS-3 to GS- 12 at the USPTO to assist employees in taking charge of their professional careers. The program, which started as a pilot, has helped more than 250 employees to date.
• In August 2018, her idea to celebrate Women’s Equality Day with an outdoor rock concert received national recognition and an achievement award.
• She expanded the FEW National Shadow Program, which engaged more than 30 participants and gained five new members. “One of Kaya’s gifts is that she is a good trainer,” says Shabiki E.C. Clarke, VP for Congressional Relations. “She sees certain things to bring out of everyone. She gets the best out of people.”
• In February 2020, she orchestrated a homebuyer workshop to empower and promote the message that federal employees can afford purchasing a home at almost any Federal pay grade level.
• In July 2020, she volunteered to lead FEW’s first Virtual Leadership Summit. The online forum generated more than 900 attendees. She received praise from the National Board of Directors, the D.C. Metro Region, and her peers.

Lewis-Baltimore plans to remain active on all levels to help move FEW, its mission, and herself forward. “At each level, you learn more about yourself and the people you serve,” she adds. “The mission is still relevant and so am I. We need to blazing trails for others.”

About FEW

FEW helps more than one-million women in the military and civilian workforce become strategic leaders with its four-pillar program:

training, legislation, diversity and compliance. Since 1968, the nonprofit has
advocated for equity and diversity for women.

All leaders, regardless of title, have the capacity to be great.

Influential leaders inspire and motivate talent, which can turn any organization into a winning team.

“A transformational leader understands the significance of influence and inspires others through a genuine interest in them,” says Walter Anderson, CEO of Anderson Consulting & Training. “Influential leaders create productive and contagious workplaces when everyone understands the invaluable skill of influence.”

Anderson provided training on “The Power of Influence” a skill set that speaks to leadership at any organization, during Federally Employed Women’s Virtual Leadership Summit II. Workshop attendees learned to:

• Explore the three myths of influence  
• Identify the characteristics of an influential leader
• Define how to lead without authority
• Explore the behaviors required to create a contagious culture 

According to Anderson, here are four ways people lead with influence:

Build Relationships

Everything begins and ends with relationships. Your influence at work is no exception.

When it comes to building relationships, it’s important to remember two things: 1) People do business with people they like, and 2) People like people who help them.

Building rapport with your colleagues will play a big role in them accepting your vision—or not. And they will be more inclined to help you along the way.

Listen To Others

The most important part about communications isn’t talking. It’s listening.

In fact, when you actively listen to someone, you will actually know what to say when you start speaking.

Listening to others gets them involved with you and your ideas. That’s critical because involvement—the new buzzword is “engagement”—is the secret to commitment. If you want someone to commit to you, to support you, you must get them involved with you.

Listening is a good first step.

Lead By Example

Practicing what you preach goes a long way.

When team members see you roll up your sleeves and do things no one else wants to do, like working nights, weekends and holidays, it goes a long way. It will encourage some team members to follow suit and give a little extra to support the cause.

This is how “me” becomes “we.”

Become an Expert

Everybody knows the score.

When you present yourself with confidence and back it up with expertise, people will respect you. Once you have earned their respect, you will be able to influence and lead.

To become an expert, you will need to have an honest conversation with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. What are the high-value skills needed to do your current job? How about your next job?

Identify degree programs, webinars, training and certifications that will bolster your current knowledge and place you in a position of authority.

Women made 82.3% of men’s annual earnings last year.

And that’s not the most concerning bit of news, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report that reviewed the pay gap based on gender.

Today, women’s earnings still trail men in more than 350 occupations. To make matters worse, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed women’s participation in the workforce back by 30 years. In February 2021, women’s labor force participation rate was 55.8%, which was the same rate back in April 1987.

Michael C. Fallings, a partner at law firm Tully Rinckey PLLC, says there has been a recent uptick in Equal Pay Act cases due to societal movements and employers’ failure to conduct full reviews before setting pay.

“Federal employed women can ask for desk audits of their current position to determine if they are being paid appropriately,’’ Fallings says. “They can also file claims so that the agency can conduct an investigation into the pay discrepancies.”

According to Fallings, federal employees may file claims under the Equal Pay Act (EPA) directly in federal court.  

EPA claims against the Federal government amounting to more than $10,000 must be filed in the Court of Federal Claims.  A federal action under the EPA must be filed within two years of the last discriminatory paycheck or, in cases where there is willful conduct, three years since the last discriminatory paycheck.  This option should allow the claims to be processed quicker but does not provide an investigative record to rely upon.

Federal employees may also file claims with the EEO office at their agency.  If the EPA claim is first filed with the agency, the federal employee must allow the agency 180 days to complete the investigation of the claims before moving to federal court or an EEOC Administrative Judge. These claims must be filed within 45 days of the last discriminatory paycheck.  This option may take longer but allows an investigation to help gather evidence to support the claims. 

Federal employees can prove an EPA claim by establishing that they engaged in substantially similar work as an employee of the opposite sex and were paid less than the employee of the opposite sex.  The burden then shifts to the Government to prove that the discrepancy in pay was for a reason other than sex.  The key difference between the burden of proof under the EPA versus Title VII claims is that the EPA does not require the complainant to prove intentional discrimination.

Key Factors in Equal Pay Act Claim

The EPA considers content of a job, not its title, to determine whether jobs are substantially equal.

There are several factors that establish a job’s content:

• Skill: This factor considers experience, ability, education and training required to perform the job. It does not consider the skills that the individual employees may have.
• Effort: The amount of physical and mental effort needed to perform the job is considered.
• Responsibility: The level of accountability would also be considered in performing the job.
• Working Conditions: Factors include various characteristics, such as temperature, ventilation and possible hazards.
• Establishment: The distinct physical place of business is a key part of the mix.

Differences in pay are allowed in certain situations when they are based on quantity or quality of production and seniority.

As a trusted partner of FEW, Tully Rinckey PLLC promotes professional development, leadership and equity for the inclusion of women.  FEW and Tully Rinckey have a Memo of Understanding, and with this agreement, FEW members are entitled to one free half-hour telephone consultation each year with one of Tully Rinckey’s experienced attorneys, and members who pursue their legal claims with Tully Rinckey will be entitled to a 10% discount in legal fees. For more information or to schedule a consultation with a Tully Rinckey attorney, please call (888) 529-4543, or visit www.tullylegal.com. 

Motivation is a more insightful factor when forecasting career success, compared to intelligence, ability and salary, according to research. Here are four time-tested, science-supported ways to motivate other people so you will have a winning team:

Pay Them With Purpose

Research tells us that rewards work. In fact, they tap into perceived self-interest and account for about 75% of personal motivation toward accomplishment. However, this tactic tends to be successful when the task is tied to manual labor.

When the job calls for more creativity and analytical thinking, a reward can hinder results. To be clear, you should pay your team members enough to stop them from thinking about money. Once that happens, you can motivate them with autonomy, mastery and purpose. As a leader, it will be up to you to create those environments.

Sell Them on an Emotional Level

Feelings are powerful motivators.

The human brain is set up to do what we feel.

To motivate others, you will need to make them feel something long before they think something.

The recipe is simple in theory: Feel + Think = Believe. This equation is how you change people’s minds and their behaviors. Think about all the things that you believe. It’s because you feel it with the emotional side of your brain and it’s because you think it with the logical side of your brain.

In the workplace, if you address your team members’ feelings, you can change their behavior.

Show Them Progress

When it comes to motivation, progress is the most powerful factor.

As a leader, facilitating progress for your team members is a big part of your job. In fact, satisfaction is 22% more likely for individuals with a steady stream of minor accomplishments than those individuals who only express interest in major “wins”, according to research.

Persistent people, who continue despite challenges, think about what they have accomplished twice as much as the amount work that remains.

Unfortunately, motivation dies when team members believe their effort is useless and the objective is meaningless.

Tell Them a Story

Stories bring people together and give meaning to work.

It’s been said that, “stories are the most powerful weapon in the leader’s literary arsenal.”

A story is a form of currency, which begs the question, “How will you spend it?”

To get the biggest bang for your buck, start your storytelling with the motivation behind the task. Great stories begin with why, not what or when.

People are more interested in why we do things, as opposed to what we do. Make them believe in the mission by telling them a story.

Federally Employed Women will soon empower the public sector to motivate more women to undertake careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

FEW’s free virtual event, Back2STEM, will be held September 22 virtually from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To register, visit www.few.org/stem today.

Several federal agencies, such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are supporting this ground-breaking event.

“At FEW, we pride ourselves on being part of the solution,” said FEW National President Karen M. Rainey. “We are grateful to bring a large swath of the federal government together with entry-level professionals, as well as college and high school students to focus on technology. We must always build tomorrow today.”

Although women are catching up to men in STEM professions, they still lag. Women make up 48% of all employees, but only account for 27% of the jobs in the STEM sector. 

Women accounted for only 32.4% of all STEM degree recipients, even though the top STEM professions can generate seven-figure incomes:

• Petroleum Engineering (Median Salary: $129,990)
• Computer Engineering (Median Salary: $111,730)
• Mathematics (Median Salary: $111,110)
• Aerospace Engineering (Median Salary: $107,830)
• Nuclear Science & Engineering (Median Salary: $102,950)
• Software Development (Median Salary: $100,690)

Back2STEM is a full day of training and live demos with an interactive career fair focused on sharing a wealth of information in key science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies. The event is geared for entry-level professionals in STEM careers or related STEM careers, STEM colleges and universities, as well as high school juniors and seniors with an interest in STEM.

There will be several cutting-edge topics that will be featured during the action-packed day:

• Aviation
• Climate Control & Meteorology
• Cybersecurity
• Drones
• Engineering with Special Emphasis in Robotics
• Exhibit Hall & Career Fair
• Information Technology & Space
• STEM Career Pathways in the Federal Government & College Readiness

To register for this unique event, visit www.few.org/stem today.

FEW Helps Federally Employed Women

Federally Employed Women (FEW) helps more than one million women in the military and civilian workforce become strategic leaders with its four-pillar program: training, legislation, diversity and compliance. Since 1968, the nonprofit has advocated for equity and diversity for women. FEW works toward advancing women in government with cutting-edge training, nationwide networking and invaluable insight. For more information, please visit FEW.org.

Consider how the association’s experience helps advance its members:

• Training: FEW provides members with knowledge about 1) the federal system, 2) career development and planning techniques and 3) personal effectiveness and awareness of the broader issues that impact women. The nonprofit produces nationwide training on the national, regional and chapter levels.
• Mentoring: FEW offers mentoring opportunities to advance professional development and leadership skills through the year.
• Networking: FEW delivers opportunities for members to network and develop mutually beneficial, professional relationships that will help them advance in their careers.
• Community Outreach: FEW provides countless community outreach opportunities on the chapter level that give back to communities, sparking fellowship among members. 
• Legislation: FEW represents federal employees’ concerns and interests before legislative and judicial bodies. We also produce a “scorecard” that recognizes congressional members who support FEW’s agenda.
• Diversity: FEW develops strategies to identify and eliminate barriers and increase diversity by examining the demographics of the workforce, including socioeconomic status, communication, thinking styles and family composition.
• Compliance: FEW works with federal agencies to help deliver a more equitable and diverse workforce. We monitor the progress made by the federal government in achieving equal employment opportunity evidenced by its adherence to statutory civil rights protections. 
• Member Benefits: FEW offers various member benefits ranging from a job bank, legal consultations, a newsletter and discounts on training.

To join our special community and advance your career, please visit our website today.

Virtual Leadership Summit II Set for August 9-13

In the workplace, leaders have the responsibility of managing the well-being of an organization, while reacting in real-time to developments going on around them.

Leadership roles are defined yet evolving constantly.

So how are you doing?

As part of the Federally Employed Women’s Virtual Leadership Summit II, Mallary Tytel, PhD, of Healthy Workplaces, will provide training on leadership development, a skill set that speaks to today’s and tomorrow’s bottom line for any organization.

It’s also a timely skill that is in great demand. According to a recent Gallup survey, only 22% of teams believe leaders have a clear direction for their company.

Tytel’s workshop at the Virtual Leadership Summit II, August 9-13, will accomplish the following:

• Explore a common understanding of leadership and leadership development.
• Practice an opportunity for individual assessment and feedback.
• Identify and explore the critical skills and competencies of leaders.
• Understand the concepts and implications of problem solving, decision making, adapting to change, communication, and planning.

“Leadership is more than position or title,” writes Tytel on her website. “It is a participatory process that acknowledges the importance of taking a proactive position: mutual responsibility and accountability, learning and growth, informed decision making, inclusion, and creating economic, political and social change. We work to optimize personal leadership and maximize the success of both the individual and her organization.”

An experienced, hands-on CEO, Tytel has a unique blend of business, government, education, and community-based practice spanning more than 20 years. She is a skilled architect in start-up, turn-around, and acquisition situations, with expertise in human systems dynamics, complexity science, culture change, strategy, and leadership development. Effective at diagnosing key issues and problem solving, she has a strong track record and commitment to excellence, innovation and results. Most recently, her work is devoted to leveling the playing field: supporting women leaders at all professional levels and building diverse, inclusive, and equitable communities.

Tytel is the former CEO of an international nonprofit behavioral health and human resource development corporation. She has served as a key advisor to senior-level civilian and military personnel within the U.S. Department of Defense and she has provided oversight for three Congressionally mandated pilot programs in 16 communities across the country as well as delivered an innovative leadership training program in more than 40 diverse communities worldwide.

Tytel offers a checklist on how managers can be begin nurturing and developing leadership at their respective organizations:

• Start a formal, high-level succession-planning process that includes senior executives, HR, and external experts. Outline specific activities and cascade it through the company.
• Create leadership development programs that bridge gaps in your company’s talent pool to ensure a deep bench for critical positions within the organization.
• Although HR can be a great resource for development tools, business units themselves should own the leadership development activities.
• Reshuffle rising stars throughout the company, taking care that “A” players are exchanged for other “A” players.
• Make sure that your leadership development program is in sync with your strategy, reinforces your company’s brand, and has support from your managers and employees.
• Be sure that your board of directors and top management are visible and vocal in their support and commitment to leadership development. 

To sign up for Tytel’s training about leadership development, click on the registration page for the Virtual Leadership Summit II.

Project managers should be comfortable with data.

So let’s start with some numbers that underscore the need for you to learn some project management skills:

• $1 million is wasted every 20 seconds, which equates to $2 trillion a year, by organizations globally because of shoddy implementation of business strategy from poor project management practices, according to a global survey by Project Management Institute.
• A pending shortage of project managers may result in a $207.9 billion GDP loss by 2027.

That’s why you should register for this year’s Virtual Leadership Summit II event.

Federally Employed Women (FEW) will deliver a premier experience, August 9-13, that will help their members advance their careers. The week-long, online training event will offer more than 100 specialized courses on a variety of topics, including EEO, human resources, information technology, project management, as well as management and leadership. All courses align with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Executive Core Competencies (i.e., leading people, leading change, business acumen, result driven and building coalitions). FEW’s virtual platform also will have interactive exhibition features and plenty of opportunities for networking. Registration is open.

As part of this year’s offerings, “Introduction to Project Management Basics” will be available to attendees. This introductory course will provide an overview of project management, explain the five phases of project management and explain basic tools that can be used to manage any project. The participants will get a chance to actively practice completing a simple project plan during the course. The target audience for this session includes human resources professionals, managers, supervisors or those preparing for leadership roles, those new to project management, those who have not managed projects recently and those who have never taken a formal approach to project management.

Sheryl Vogt of Vogt Consulting Inc. will be the instructor for the upcoming training course. Citing a recent trends piece in Forbes magazine, she said project managers will embrace customized or hybrid project management approaches and methodologies. “To be prepared for this trend, anyone who is managing projects should be aware of and comfortable using recognized project management methods,” she says. “This course will introduce new project managers to the five phases and relevant tools for traditional project management. With this introduction, new project managers will have the basis to start using this method and tools in their own projects and also will have taken the first step toward understanding what they will need if they want to advance their project management skills for larger projects.”

Vogt has been working with process improvement programs such as Lean and Six Sigma since 1996 when she was trained as one of the first Black Belts at the General Electric Co. After working successfully as a Black Belt and Master Black Belt in manufacturing, engineering and service areas for General Electric, she began work as an independent consultant in 2000 and started Vogt Consulting Inc. in 2002.

As a consultant, she has assisted numerous organizations in all aspects of their continuous improvement efforts, including developing deployment plans with organizational leaders, mentoring and training individuals and facilitating improvement teams. She has developed and delivered Lean Six Sigma programs for manufacturing, service, health care and government organizations and has trained and mentored hundreds of Black and Green Belts on their projects.

Vogt holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University.

Register today for FEW’s Virtual Leadership Summit II and start advancing your career with more than 100 training opportunities.

Federally Employed Women will present its new premier training event, Virtual Leadership Summit II, on August 9-13 to help its members advance their careers.

The week-long, online training event will offer more than 100 specialized courses on a variety of topics, including EEO, human resources, information technology, project management, as well as management and leadership. All courses align with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Executive Core Competencies (i.e. leading people, leading change, business acumen, result driven and building coalitions). FEW’s virtual platform also will have interactive exhibition features and plenty of opportunities for networking. Registration is open.

“It’s always the right time to improve yourself and soar to new heights,” said FEW National President Karen M. Rainey. “Our online event, Virtual Leadership Summit II, will help attendees develop their skills in countless ways without the expense of lodging and travel. Now is the time to rise and create new opportunities for a richer life—from the comfort of your home.”

The Virtual Leadership Summit II offers a range of invaluable workshops, including:

• Workplace Civility
• The Human Dimension of Leadership
• Critical Thinking: A Focused Path to Problem Solving
• Introduction to Project Management Basics
• Building Your Beach – Keys to Building a Leadership Pipeline

About Federally Employed Women

Federally Employed Women (FEW) helps more than one million women in the military and civilian workforce become strategic leaders with its four-pillar program: training, legislation, diversity and compliance. Since 1968, the nonprofit has advocated for equity and diversity for women. FEW works toward advancing women in government with cutting-edge training, nationwide networking and invaluable insight.

FEW members experience a comprehensive program that positions them for professional development and a fulfilling career in the federal workforce.

Consider how the association’s experience helps advance its members:

• Training: FEW provides members with knowledge about 1) the federal system, 2) career development and planning techniques, and 3) personal effectiveness and awareness of the broader issues that impact women. The nonprofit produces nationwide training on the national, regional and chapter levels.
• Mentoring: FEW offers mentoring opportunities to advance professional development and leadership skills through the year.
• Networking: FEW delivers opportunities for members to network and develop mutually beneficial, professional relationships that will help them advance in their careers.
• Community Outreach: FEW provides countless community outreach opportunities on the chapter level that give back to communities, sparking fellowship among members.
• Legislation: FEW represents federally employees’ concerns and interests before legislative and judicial bodies. We also produce a “scorecard” that recognizes congressional members who support our agenda.
• Diversity: FEW develops strategies to identify and eliminate barriers and increase diversity by examining the demographics of the workforce, including socioeconomic status, communication, thinking styles and family composition.
• Compliance: FEW works with federal agencies to help deliver a more equitable and diverse workforce. We monitor the progress made by the federal government in achieving equal employment opportunity evidenced by its adherence to statutory civil rights protections.
• Member Benefits: FEW offers various member benefits ranging a job bank, legal consultations, a newsletter and discounts on training.

For more information about advancing your career, please visit FEW.org.

When podcast host Alex Tremble recognized unsung heroes of federal service for their leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, he bestowed his honor on several worthy individuals who shined during a time of uncertainty in 2020.

But he made one exception. Tremble also honored one organization for its ability to adapt and serve its members. And that award went to Federally Employed Women (FEW).

Out of more than 500 write-in nominations, FEW was the one organization that people chose as their unsung hero.

“This organization is on fire!” Tremble proclaimed on “The Alex Tremble Show” as it honored FEW.

During a national shutdown in 2020, FEW quickly adapted and moved its operations online so its members—stretched out over 10 regions and 90 chapters across the country— could continue to network, train and communicate.

FEW’s National President Karen Rainey, who appeared on “The Alex Tremble Show” to accept the honor, said the pandemic ultimately motivated the organization to expand its reach globally by shifting its operations online.

Oddly, the organization found itself in the right place and right time. Rainey’s strengths in project management, IT and communications positioned FEW to help more people when more people were searching for a lifeline.

“I’m a servant,” said Rainey when asked about her purpose. “I try to assist as many people in the world to find their purpose and their dreams. That is my purpose—to elevate people to achieve more to conquer more to dream bigger—and that’s why it’s so exciting to serve as president of FEW.”

Rainey said the contributions from members have made FEW a successful organization that continues to advance women in government for 53 years. FEW is open to new volunteer members who are willing to give their time and talent to something bigger than themselves.

“When you volunteer, you are gaining relationships,” Tremble said. “You are building skills.”

As a lifelong member of FEW, Angela Lewis made the decision to invest in herself and develop her professional skills so she could advance her career. Earlier this year, Lewis used her drive and determination to shatter a glass ceiling, when the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane’s Division promoted her to technical director. She is the first women to hold that position.

As the senior civilian at the command, she leads 3,800 military and government civilians, providing the Navy with multi-domain, multi-spectral, full life cycle support in the mission areas of Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. 

From Lewis’ perspective, helping FEW means helping yourself.

“It’s great to see what the organization can do for you, but it can only be as strong as the people are willing to give,” Lewis said. “They will only get out of it what they are willing to invest.”

FEW helps more than one million women in the military and civilian workforce become strategic leaders with its four-pillar program: training, legislation, diversity and compliance. Since 1968, the nonprofit has advocated for equity and diversity for women. FEW works toward advancing women in government with cutting-edge training, nationwide networking and invaluable insight. 

“I help people soar,” Rainey said. “To soar, you have to climb first.”

If you are ready to climb so you can develop yourself, join FEW today and begin the journey.