02/17/97 'HOW DO YOU GET THE BOYS TO PASS YOU THE BALL?'

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'HOW DO YOU GET THE BOYS TO PASS YOU THE BALL?'

Carla R. Alani had the right credentials--a graduate business degree and impressive experience. What Alani, an associate director of finance at Colgate-Palmolive Co.'s oral-care division, lacked was the confidence to toot her own horn. When opportunities arose, she hoped management would think of her. At meetings, she would fold her arms or slump into her seat. ''That sends the message, 'Why should you listen to little ol' me?''' she says.
That was before Colgate spent $3,000 to send Alani to Women's Organization for Mentoring, Education & Networking (WOMEN) Unlimited Inc., which teaches women how to navigate male-dominated business waters. Instead of focusing on generic leadership and management skills, the yearlong, once-a-month program caters to women's specific needs, such as how to communicate in all-male situations or when to say no. ''Women need to understand what men appreciate in leadership and then try to incorporate that into their particular styles,'' says Jean M. Otte, who founded the program in 1994. ''It's like being the new kid on the block. How do you get the boys to pass you the ball?''
Otte's program hooks up participants with a senior male or female from outside their companies. Mentors point out students' weaknesses and address career issues. Cynthia Jones-Hundley, now at Andersen Consulting, learned that her aggressive nature might be turning off co-workers--a remark a less distant observer may not have had the nerve to make. ''I don't get in people's faces as much anymore,'' says Jones-Hundley, adding that she also learned to interpret body language.
An analysis of the first graduates by Amy S. Gonzales, then a doctoral student and now a vice-president of WOMEN Unlimited, found that they were 37% more likely to get job promotions than women of comparable rank who were not in the workshops. Alani, for one, has been promoted twice since attending the program in 1994.
Now, Prudential Insurance, Novell, and Polaroid have enrolled their female fast-trackers. The appeal is simple: Participants become sharper managers, and employers win more astute and loyal employees. ''I'm very impressed that my company would do this,'' says Sheila O. Clark, a participant from software maker Adaptec Inc. The rest is up to her.
By Linda Himelstein in San Francisco

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