Written by: Sarah Needham, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
What do unconscious bias, embarrassing twitter bots & amazing stories have in common?
IWD2022 so what have we learnt?
A bot can embarrass a lot of businesses to start taking action rather than putting out nice words once a year! Twitter @paygapapp.
Our conscious & unconscious bias is still thriving! AND there is a willingness now more than ever to start the uncomfortable journey to awareness (hopefully then followed by action). We all need to learn to have uncomfortable conversations on gender, race, disability, neurodiversity to open these up & look for opportunities to create more inclusive cultures where employees feel psychological safety!
Women have a lot to say & so do their Allys! We need to share these stories every day not just on IWD!!
There is a lot of good work going on but the needle is not shifting quickly enough. This is not just a problem in Tech but in the world as a whole because of the structures (& power structures) that are still being reinforced consciously by some & unconsciously by the majority of the rest of the world.
We need to listen more to women & other minorities who do take the courage to speak up. AND we need to engage a more diversity of voices, especially from those who may normally stand back. This will ensure that opportunities are not missed or important voices are not heard.
So what can tech businesses take away from IWD 2022?
There is a massive opportunity you can unlock by promoting more diverse leadership in tech but you need to start being ok with promoting uncomfortable conversations where you are ok with not being right! To do this you need to change how you promote people & how you support your women & other minority groups within your business.
Do you want more innovation? Do you want a more profitable business?
Then stop promoting “yes men” (or women) or people that look & sound like you!
Start seeking out those people in your business who challenge you rather than trying to avoid them. The less they think like you the more opportunity you have to create an innovative solution to a wicked problem.
Accept that this is a process like any other change journey it needs your constant attention but your attention will be rewarded as the statistics show. There is no point in doing half a job… you may as well not bother!
Do you need to get out of your team's way? ..to let them do what is right for the future of your business. I am not necessarily saying resign but I am saying that you need to look yourself in the mirror & decide if this is a journey you want to take, that you are willing to engage in fully. Are you all in?
If not give your business a chance to thrive & step out!
You will be admired if you step aside because you care about the long term growth of the business & you know you can find another job!
One of my C-level clients put it nicely:
“The board need to get out of their own way to allow us to live the values & achieve the company’s vision! The worst bit is they just don’t see it!”
So there you have it! That’s my take, let’s hear yours!
Bottom line – we need to give everyone in this world the tools to start having more courageous conversations about what matters most. We need to let emotions inform us in a work context & step into where being right is not the intention! The intention is to create a thriving & sustainable future for life on earth!
Sarah Needham, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sarah helps female leaders in tech stop apologising for being different and step boldly into their unique strengths to create positive change so they feel excited and energized each day! You see she is a coach with an extraordinary vision: “To create a world where everyone feels they can stand up and engage in discussion about what matters most”. She wants us all to take off our invisibility cloaks; to share courageously what we think and feel and then create the space to listen to other perspectives. Sarah believes that we are all unique for a reason and we should challenge ourselves to step proudly into our uniqueness, our own SUPERPOWER! As a coach, she challenges herself to inspire people & building supportive communities where people can thrive. Sarah’s work brings together her three core values: technology, sustainability and challenging others to embrace their uniqueness. She speaks boldly & shares courageously about what is important to her in creating a more sustainable future for life on earth! Sarah is an engineer with many years as a leader at one of the world's leading global engineering corporations. She is British ex.pat living in Potsdam, Germany with her husband, two adopted daughters, two cats and dog!
