Two weeks after donor contact information was given to committee members, I e-mailed committee to see how they were doing with their calls. Below is one of responses.

“Things have been crazy busy at work and I have not been able to make calls yet and I'm leaving on vacation after tomorrow until Monday which means I will have a lot to catch up on when I get back. I will try to make calls as soon as humanly possible.”

What did this woman really want to say? She wanted to say she was sorry, but had over committed her time and would not be able to make calls. Instead, she made herself sound like a frazzled mess who placed calls at bottom of her To Do list.

It would have been so much more powerful if she had just admitted that she had over committed and simply couldn’t make calls. Listing all things that made her day busy and more important than calls, also made her appear unprofessional.

A more effective way to handle situation would have been to say, “I apologize for not finishing calls as promised, unfortunately, I have over-committed my time. These calls are important and shouldn’t be put off any longer. Is there someone else on committee who has some additional time to make them?”

Some say glass ceiling is just a figment of imagination while others are sure it is a real blockade created to prevent women from reaching corporate success. So, is your glass (ceiling) half empty or half full? In other words, are you going to be kept down by something you can’t even see or are you willing to do what it takes to crack through and shatter this issue?

If you’ve decided that as a woman it will be impossible for you to reach corporate business success, then you are right. That thought process will get you nowhere but where you are right now. On other hand, if you are part of growing group of women who want to break through to their own successes and remove glass altogether, then keep reading.

To move forward, you must analyze your own communication skills and be brutally honest with yourself about your skill level. Weak and ineffective business communication skills are often primary reason women feel held back in their careers and in their lives.

Review this list to help determine where your skills stand. 1. Do you ask for raises? 2. Have you ever asked for a promotion or an improved job title? 3. Do you negotiate effectively for yourself? 4. Are you able to specifically explain value you bring to your company or clients? 5. Are you an effective presenter or public speaker? 6. Do you apologize for things that aren’t your fault or are out of your control? 7. Review your email or other writing. Do you start sentences with word “I”? 8. Do you see negotiating as a barrier to getting what you want? 9. Do you have difficulty saying “no,” even when you really want to? 10. Are you overwhelmed or consumed by stress? 11. Do you have difficulty explaining things or getting people to understand what you are trying to say?

If you answered “no” to any or all of first five questions, then your assertive skills need an overhaul. If you answered “yes” to any or all of questions six through 11, then your communication skills are ineffective in helping you advance in your career. Essentially, you could be creating your own glass ceiling and holding yourself back.

Often, we are our own worst enemies.

To help put yourself back on right track and stop constructing transparent blockades to your own success, review three following PowHERful skills that will help put you on top. 1. Ask for it If you want something, then ask for it. Make it clear what you want and you are more likely to get it.

A university study of 40 employees found that men are more likely to ask for things when they want them – AND they are more likely to get what they ask for. Of 20 women, only one asked for a raise when first offered a job. She was granted hike in salary. Of 20 men, 18 of them asked for a raise and all 18 were given it.