Mary Shapiro

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Specialization

Communication Strategies, Career Strategies, Public Speaking, and Team Leadership

Bio

For more than 20 years as a consultant, executive trainer, and faculty member, Professor Shapiro has worked with public and private companies to develop the infrastructure and competencies critical to reaching organizational goals. She joined the Simmons MBA faculty in 1993, and has developed and delivered Simmons Executive Education programs since 1988. Shapiro specializes in four areas: team building and intervention, communicating in a diverse and virtual environment, personal effectiveness in influence and motivation, and strategic career management. In 2009 she began teaching undergraduates, including study-abroad trips exploring the careers of women leaders in socialist/capitalist countries.

She developed "The Communication Styles Diagnostic," a tool that has been used by thousands of managers to improve their effectiveness with individuals and teams. She co-authored two books—Your Job Interview: An Easy, Smart Guide to Interview Success; and Take Charge of Your Career with SOM colleague Dr. Cynthia Ingols—which extend an understanding of interviewing and work strategies to include the nuances of gender and many dimensions of diversity. She continues her research in the area of women, their careers, their approach to risk-taking, and their relationship with power. .

Throughout her professional career, Shapiro has consulted with public and private Fortune 500 clients, such as ESPN and Merck Pharmaceuticals, working with Boards and teams to create vision and mission statements, and strategic plans; launch teams with process infrastructure and project plans; facilitate planning with Balanced Scorecard and other tools; and intervene with teams in crises. She continues to create and deliver an inventory of seminars and serve as an executive speech coach.

Current Course(s)

• Career Strategies (MBA)
• Communication Strategies (MBA)
• Introduction to Management and Principled Leadership (UG)
• Organizational Communication and Behavior (UG)

Publications

Academic Articles (Peer Review)

• Shapiro, M., Ingols, C., & Blake-Beard, S. (2011). Using power to influence outcomes: Does gender matter? Journal of Management Education, (in press).
• Shapiro, M., Ingols, C., & Gentile, M. (Fall, 2011). Helen Drinan: Giving voice to values, Case Research Journal.
• Blake-Beard, S., O'Neill, R., Shapiro, M., & Ingols, C. (2010). Social sustainability: Flexible work arrangements and diverse women, Gender in Management.
• Maxfield, S., Shapiro, M., Gupta, V., & Hass, S. (2010). Risky business: Women, risk-taking, and risk-aversion, Gender in Management.
• Shapiro, M., Ingols, C., Blake-Beard, S., & O'Neill, R. (December, 2009). Making sense of women as career self-agents: Implications for Human Resource Development. Human Resources Development Quarterly.
• Shapiro, M., Ingols, C., Blake-Beard, S., & O'Neill, R. (November, 2009). Canaries in the mine shaft: Women signaling a new career model. People & Strategy.
• Shapiro, M., Ingols, C. , & Blake-Beard, S. (March, 2008). Confronting Career Double Binds: Implications for Women, Organizations, and Career Practitioners. Journal of Career Development.

Books

• Shapiro, M. & Ingols, C. (2005). Taking Charge of Your Career, Silver Lining Press.
• Shapiro, M. & Ingols, C. (2003). Your Job Interview: An Easy Smart Guide to Interview Success, Silver Lining Press.

Professional Publications

• Gupta, V., Maxfield, S., Shapiro, M., & Hass, S. (2009). Risky business: Busting the myth of women as risk-averse. CGO Insight #29, Center for Gender in Organizations, School of Management, Simmons College, Boston, MA
• Shapiro, M., Ingols, C. & Blake-Beard, S. (2007). Optioning In Versus Opting Out: Women Using Flexible Work Arrangements for Career Success, CGO Insights, No. 25, Center for Gender in Organizations, School of Management, Simmons College, Boston, MA.

Invited Articles/Reviews

• Shapiro, M. (2006). Branding Your HR Department. Hr Magazine.

Research

Women's career choices, impact of race and ethnicity on women's careers, women facing gendered career dilemmas, high performing work teams, and women's relationship with power and risk-taking.

Presentations

• "Can There Be Flexibility in the Unionized Public Sector?" to the Massachusetts Municipal Association Convention, January, 2008.
• "What's Their Problem? Why Don't They get it? Understanding Communication Styles" to CASE Conference, Boston, MA, February, 2008.
• "Creating Credibility and Authority" to The Exchange's 2008 Women's Lyceum, April, 2008.
• "Changing Career Paradigms," The Exchange's 2008 Women's Lyceum, April, 2008.
• "Taking Charge: Establishing Credibility and Authority," The National Council's 2008 National conference, May, 2008.
• "Latinas and Career Management: a conversation with IBM" a teleconference to IBM La Red Familiar, Boston, May, 2008.
• "The Impact of Ethnic Identities on Career Management" to Madrinas, Boston, MA, May, 2008.
• "Creating Credibility and Authority," The National Council, May, 2008.
• "Creating Credibility and Authority," Supply Management Institute National Convention, San Antonio, TX, February, 2009.
• "Influence without Authority," Women's Foodservice Forum, National Convention, Dallas, TX, March, 2009.
• "Women as Visionary Leaders," Chamber of Commerce, Boston, June 2009.
• "Getting the resources you need: Influence in this economic downturn," NERCOMP Regional Conference on "Leadership for Change under Economic Turmoil," November, 2009.
• "Influence without authority," Wellington's Women Forum, November, 2009.
• "Influence without authority," Women's Foodservice Forum, November, 2009.
• "Blended learning and FWAs: What can they learn from each other?" Pottruck Technology Center Speaker Series, Boston, November, 2009.
• "On-line teaching: What can we learn from women and their careers?" Blended Learning Institute, Boston, January, 10, 2010.
• "Influence without Authority," podcast to EMC, February, 2010.
• "Influence without Authority," podcast to Northern Trust, March, 2010.
• "Women and the Vision Thing" to Genentech, National Conference of Women's affinity group, San Francisco, March, 2010.
• "Women and the Vision thing" to Genzyme, Boston, May, 2010.
• "Women and the Vision Thing" to Genentech, SanFrancisco, June, 2010.
• "Risk, Changing Financial Institutions, and Women," Credit Suisse/AON Women's Forum, Panel Moderator, September, 2010.
• "Accepting Leadership," 85 Broads Conference, September, 2010.
• "Giving Voice to Values," New England Human Resource Association, December, 2010
• "Women Accepting Leadership," Genentech's Women's Forum, San Francisco, 2010.
• "Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times," SunLife Financials, May, 2011