Power of women: Dr. Erin Fluegge-Woolf encourages businesswomen to support one another

Having fun at work was the theme of Dr. Erin Fluegge-Woolf's Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Florida. It's a concept she says she embraces in her workplace and her classes.

Fluegge-Woolf, who earned her undergraduate and master's degrees at Southeast Missouri State University, returned to her alma mater as a faculty member in the department of business, teaching classes such as management and negotiation.

She says it's important for women in the business world to support one another, an idea she promotes through work with the Power of Women Luncheon and the Women Inspiring Entrepreneurship (WIN!) initiative at Southeast's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

We talked to Fluegge-Wolf about the lessons she's learned in the workplace, and the ones she shares with her students:

BT: First things first, tell me a little bit about your education and background: How did you get to where you are professionally?

Fluegge-Woolf: I fell in love with business while completing my bachelor of general studies degree at Southeast. I decided to go for an MBA, and I also earned that degree at Southeast. While enrolled in the MBA program, I was a graduate assistant in the Department of Mathematics and had the opportunity to teach two sections of algebra per semester for two years. After teaching my first class (at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday!), I was hooked! I knew right then that I wanted to teach at the university level, so I began to make plans for continuing my education and obtaining a Ph.D.

My husband and I got married in 2004, and then moved to Gainesville, Fla., that fall for me to start the Ph.D. program at the University of Florida (my degree is in business with an emphasis in management and organizational behavior). The next four years were full of rigorous research training, tough yet rewarding class work, and opportunities to work with and learn from some of the best researchers in my field. I made time for fun, too, though: UF won several national championships in various sports which we thoroughly celebrated, and every day I would lovingly admire the palm trees outside my office. The occasional beach trip was a must, and we really enjoyed our time in Florida.

Around my third year in the program, I noticed an advertisement for a faculty position at Southeast in the Department of Management and Marketing. I applied, interviewed, got the job, and then spent my last year in Florida writing my dissertation (it's about having fun at work -- a concept that I embrace at my workplace and in my classes, too). We moved back to Cape Girardeau in 2008, and I've been enjoying my life at Southeast and in Cape ever since. Being an alum makes for a fun connection to have with my students, and it's also a treat to work with some of my favorite professors who inspired me along the way.

BT: You did a study about motivating employees that involved Legos. How did that idea come about and what were some of the key findings of the study?

Fluegge-Woolf: The study was actually the idea of Kimberly Elliott Donovan, one of my former students, who worked on the project as an undergraduate student and then turned it into her applied research project for the MBA program at Southeast. We worked on the project for about four years. I helped with the data collection, provided basic guidance along the way, and took the reins and revised the many drafts of the manuscript.

The main goal of the project was to develop an experiential exercise to highlight basic characteristics of job design that impact various psychological states and work outcomes. We are very excited because we just found out that the paper will be published in the Journal of Management Education. I'm excited about the publication for sure, but the best part is to have been able to work with and mentor such an exceptionally talented student.

BT: You teach management courses: As this is the Women in Business Issue of Business Today, what extra challenges come with being a manager and a woman? How can women overcome these?

Fluegge-Woolf: I've had the privilege of working with some amazing women through the activities in which I am involved, which includes, but is not limited, to: the VintageNOW fashion show, the Washington University Women's Leadership Forum, the Women Inspiring Entrepreneurship (WIN!) events and the Power of Women Luncheon. There's just a special magic that happens when women get together, and I believe we will all be more successful if we decide to empower each other. Sure, competition is part of any business world, but there is a way to collaborate with grace and lift each other up in the process.

In my negotiation class we do an activity about gender differences in negotiation styles and related outcomes, and all of the students are usually pretty riled up by the end of the session but admit their eyes were opened by the discussion. Thus, it's good to recognize differences, and be aware of potential issues that affect and impact both women and men. It's important for everyone appreciate the values that all people bring to the workplace, so the focus should be on how to best capitalize on our differences and make a stronger workforce.

BT: You are involved with the Power of Women luncheon and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has the Women Inspiring Entrepreneurship (WIN!) initiative. Why is it important for businesswomen to support one another as well as the next generation?

Fluegge-Woolf: Businesswomen should support each other and the next generation because it's important to continue the work that women before us began and to continue to empower each other. Even so, it's necessary for women and men to appreciate the different strengths and challenges that any person regardless of gender brings to the workplace.

As part of the Wash U Women's Leadership Forum, we talked a lot about sponsorship, a unique form of mentorship in which the mentor actively advocates on the protege's behalf. There was a fairly recent New York Times article about the importance of women finding sponsors (who are women or men) who will support and encourage their protgs which yields an even greater return than a simple mentorship, although those types of relationships are important too and result in a variety of beneficial outcomes.

I would encourage all people to find sponsors and mentors who can support and uplift them both personally and professionally.

Here's a link to the article: www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/jobs/sponsors-seen-as-crucial-for-womens-career-advancement.html?_r=0

P.S. Mark your calendars: The Power of Women Luncheon is scheduled for March 12, 2014!

BT: What advice do you give to women entering the business world?

Fluegge-Woolf: In short, my advice to anyone entering the business world is to be yourself, do your research, and make time for networking. Self-awareness to me is a key ingredient of good leadership, so I would tell all people entering the workforce to be strong and confident and to be proud of their skills. In addition, it's so helpful to be open to new learning experiences and challenges and to constantly seek opportunities with people and experiences that can broaden and/or sharpen your repertoire of skills.

I have had the privilege of working for and with some remarkable women, so to the women, I say all of the above and also add: support each other.

BT: What's the best piece of professional advice you ever received?

Fluegge-Woolf: I have two answers for this, one given to me, and the other I have picked up along the way. Both are short statements with a lot of meaning packed into them.

One of my high school teachers, Mr. Haring, signed my yearbook in red ink and said, "Always work to your potential." This has stuck with me through the years, and I've always appreciated this simple, yet direct and powerful advice he gave me.

Another favorite piece of advice is "Do what you say you will do." This little nugget of advice comes up a lot in the leadership readings and teachings I use in my classes, and it's also the way I try to live my life.

Don't get me wrong though, these two pieces of advice are what I do my best to live by, but of course there can always be extenuating circumstances that also require readjustment of your course of action as well as a little negotiation (which is another favorite course of mine that I teach).

BT: What attracted you to teaching? What do you enjoy most about it?

Fluegge-Woolf: I am and always have been a performer, so I love entertaining people and being in front of a crowd, which has without a doubt attracted me to teaching. I also enjoy creating and trying new things, so developing an activity or trying an exercise in class is rewarding for me too.

My students are my favorite part of teaching. I learn so much from them, and they inspire me every day. They are so full of life and energy (well, most of the time -- finals week is always stressful), and it's amazing to watch them progress and develop their skills in my classes and over time at the university. I also see my students everywhere -- it's nice to know they are actively involved in the community.

BT: What's the most important lesson you try to convey to your students?

Fluegge-Woolf: The most important lesson I try to teach to my students is to be self-aware. Thus, all of my classes are designed to be voyages of self-discovery while learning the required information along the way. It's nice to try new things in the safety of a college classroom environment, and I constantly encourage my students to push outside their comfort zones and learn something new. We have quite a bit of fun along the way, and I always try to make all of my classrooms -- virtual and face-to-face -- an open and inviting place for my students to learn about business while discovering so much about themselves throughout the process.

BT: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Fluegge-Woolf: I love to stay busy, even in my spare time. I enjoy volunteering and am active in various capacities with Leadership Cape, Leadership Missouri, the VintageNOW fashion show, iluvlocalplaces.com, and the Southeast Alumni Association. These activities give me a chance to give back to the community and to support some really tremendous causes.

Other fun stuff for me includes running, cooking and family time. I run a lot -- it clears my mind and makes me feel great. Training for races is really exciting for me too; my first marathon is Nov. 23, and I am super excited about it. Cooking is a passion for me, too, so trying new recipes or fixing a giant meal for my friends are both things I really enjoy. I also enjoy hanging out with my husband, Rob, and my boxer dog, Zo.

BT: What do you love most about Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri?

Fluegge-Woolf: The people! Our community is filled with so many fascinating and friendly individuals who all work together to make Cape Girardeau a great place to live and who also make me proud to be from Southeast Missouri. In all of the activities with which I have been involved in the area, it never fails to impress me how much coordination and cooperation are present in this city and region.

That said, I have some fun news to share: I am very excited to have the honor of representing our city as Mrs. Cape Girardeau in the 2014 Mrs. Missouri pageant to be held in Kansas City on March 1, 2014.