Networking, Financial Planning, and Saying No
Tamara Sniffen, an authentic, high-energy, and highly accomplished executive, shares her unique insights and experiences in networking, financial planning, saying no, and more.
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Tamara’s personal brand is rooted in a unique blend of operation optimization, organizational governance, financial expertise, culture change, and strategic vision. She is the VP of Commercial Excellence at Stryker and as the president of Stryker’s Women's Network, she's championed company-wide policy changes and diversity training and cultivated an inclusive work environment.
In this blog post, we’re covering the following:
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1) Career Advice for Middle Management
If you are stuck in a middle management role but are trying to move to a more executive position, Tamara has some advice for you.
“The first thing you need to do is take that step forward. You can't stop. You can't be paralyzed. You've got to figure out how to do something different than what I've done before.” - Tamara Sniffen
She recommends reaching out to your network.
“Who do you have in your network that has someone in their network that they can ask to spend time with you?” - Tamara Sniffen
Tamara explains that having the courage to ask your network to tap into their network is going to open up those pathways for you to move forward.
2) How to Build Your Network
Tamara explains that there are so many instances where people offer to help us or mentor us but we don’t acknowledge the offer.
This is something Archita has seen in her own experiences. She gives a talk to the graduating class of Michigan Tech who come through Germany and while she tells them to reach out to her, usually only one person from each class will reach out.
Take people up on their offers to help you! There is so much value in doing this.
Pay attention to the people who have taken others under mentorship or had conversations with them, and reach out to them.
“The executives aren't scary. They want to help. They have their own story. You're going to find that the majority of them want to lean in. They want to give advice. Execs want to talk about themselves.” - Tamara Sniffen
Tamara encourages us to be curious because more often than not, when you ask someone to tell you their story or share some advice, they will say yes.
3) The Gift of Feedback
Tamara explains that many women have perfectionist tendencies, so they are scared of receiving feedback because it means they’re not perfect.
“I'm a true believer that feedback is such a gift.” - Tamara Sniffen
The times that Tamara has gotten feedback have stuck with her and changed the way she shows up.
She recalls how 20 years ago a CEO in her executive MBA program explained how she was exceptionally talented and had great thoughts, but if she took the time to listen more to what other people say before speaking out, she would be even better.
“I took that feedback to heart and have developed that over the years to sit back, let my thoughts just percolate a little bit, get stronger. And I have realized that by taking that time, listening to others, then my thoughts are even richer for the conversation.” - Tamara Sniffen
That feedback was 20 years ago, and she still thinks about it all the time.
If you want constructive feedback, Tamara recommends asking very specific questions rather than open-ended ones. This way you will get feedback that you can grow from.
For example, ask someone what resonated with them the most from your presentation rather than if they liked your presentation.
However, it is important that you trust the source of the feedback.
This is especially important because women are often held to much higher standards than men in the same position.
“Early in my career, I felt like we had to operate within this box. And it was a really small little box. And if we were too strong, we would be called bossy. Or if we were too cynical we would be called the B word. Whereas men could explode in meetings and that was okay behavior.” - Tamara Sniffen
As Tamara has gotten older she has started to care less what other people think and to operate from authenticity.
“That's really freeing. And I encourage folks to try to feel that or find that earlier. As long as you're being respectful, you're living true to integrity and values that are true to you, I just think we need to be ourselves and not live inside this little box that sometimes we feel we need to.” - Tamara Sniffen
4) Operating from Authenticity
How do you know what authenticity truly means to you? This is not an easy question to answer.
“The question I ask myself is what matters most.” - Tamara Sniffen
What matters most?
Tamara wanted to have a successful career but she also wanted to have a successful marriage, make sure she was there for her kids, and have a lot of close friends.
“When I hit 50 and looked back on my career, on my life, and what mattered most, that was family and friends and mentoring women and all these things that were really true to me.” - Tamara Sniffen
There is pressure on women to be likable at work which can make being authentic feel risky.
Tamara explains that it all goes back to what you value and staying true to those values even though that may be in opposition to what the rest of the room is thinking.
“What are those values? Write them down for yourself. I think that, at the root, is what authenticity is. These are my values and I'm going to live by them.” - Tamara Sniffen
5) Getting Paid for Your Worth
If you are unsure if you are being paid what you are truly worth, Tamara’s recommendation is to be respectful but to get curious.
Ask your HR partner what the pay range for your position is, where you are in that range, and if there is any opportunity for negotiations.
In larger companies, there may be less room to negotiate a pay rise if you are at the top of the salary range because they often have strict regulations around this.
“I want to get to the next level, what would the pay range look like at the next level? Be curious. Ask those questions.” - Tamara Sniffen
Getting this data helps set you up for more successful workplace negotiations.
Tamara and her husband have recently put a property on Airbnb. Every single man who has booked the Airbnb has negotiated with them for a lower rate while every woman that has booked the Airbnb has just accepted the given rate.
“ I’ve been using Airbnb for years. Never once have I thought to negotiate.” - Tamara Sniffen
We are so afraid of rejection that we don’t even ask.
We have to have courage and learn to have conversations around money so that we can start to negotiate and get paid what we are worth.
6) Financial Planning
Tamara and her husband went and spoke to a financial planner when she was around 40.
The financial planner asked them to rank the big things they want to spend their money on in order of priority.
“Did we want to pay for our kid's education? Yes, we did. Is that more important than our retirement? Probably not because we don't want our kids to have to pay to support us when they're adults. So let's get ourselves set for retirement, and then number two would be paying for their education. Number three then would be our dream house. So we had to put the dream house on hold for a few years to work on number one and number two.” - Tamara Sniffen
These are extremely healthy conversations to have in your household especially if you are sharing money with anybody.
Once you understand your financial priorities and goals, it will be so much easier for you to go after the raise or promotion you want because you have set goals in mind.
If you are not clear on your financial goals, all your asks are arbitrary and you will be less likely to follow through on them.
7) How to Say No
In Tamara’s career, she has been offered roles that did not align with her future or been asked to do things that she did not have the capacity for by people she respects. Even now, she is struggling to manage all her mentees and she will have to turn away people who ask her for mentorship.
She finds it extremely hard to say no in situations like this and many others do too.
Tamara’s advice is to offer up some advice or a solution when you say no. The word AND here is extremely important.
Here are some examples:
“No, I can't do that role, AND I can think of three people that would nail it.”
“No, I can't take you on as a mentee right now, AND I can think of three people who can who I think would be an amazing fit for you.”
At the same time that Tamara is saying no and protecting her boundaries, she is also potentially helping other women rise by advocating for them in the same breath.
8) The Importance of Community
Tamara has done a lot of work around DEI. Many people are feeling uncertain or nervous because of the status of DEI at the moment.
If this is you, Tamara has some advice:
“ There are a lot of people that care about you, that love you, that respect you, that are here for you. Find the people that serve you, that make you feel good, and walk away from the ones that don't.” - Tamara Sniffen
“There are tons of people right now that are ready to put their arms around you. Find them, make them your friends, make them your community.” - Tamara Sniffen
If you enjoyed this conversation, here are a few more episodes you might like:
Episode 66: Mastering Workplace Negotiations
Episode 62: Honoring Your Nos and Embracing Your Yeses
Episode 54: Changing the Face of Wealth: Empowering Women in Financial Literacy
To hear the full conversation, scroll all the way up and tune into episode 82.
About The Hosts: Archita And Olivia
ARCHITA
Archita Sivakumar Fritz is the Host and Producer of the Embracing Only Podcast. Archita is a MedTech and Life Science Strategist. She is a LinkedIn Top Voice for her insights into product strategy and nonprofit management, and the creation of inclusive cultures that champion a 'speak up' philosophy.
Following a successful 19+ year corporate career she now helps C Suite across organizations as a Fractional Product Marketing Leader through her company Ready Set Bold.
She works with individuals with 10+ years of corporate experience to find new paths away from toxic or underappreciative environments, enabling both personal fulfillment and broader organizational impact.
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OLIVIA
Olivia Grant Cream is the host and producer of the Embracing Only podcast. Nothing makes her happier than providing a platform to women who are changing the world.
Olivia is a proud US Veteran and HR Leader who is passionate about changing the face of corporate America by helping underrepresented people reclaim their power and live the life of their dreams.
She is an advocate for transitioning military members seeking second careers in the corporate landscape.
Olivia is a proud Jamaican and enjoys mentoring, coaching, classic cars, and nature. The way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
→ You can work with Olivia here: www.oliviacre
→ Book her as a keynote speaker or moderator for your next ERG or company event.