Image via Shutterstock
Guest contributed by Lisa Levey
In the challenging work of supporting diversity in the workplace – and diversity as it relates to social justice more broadly – allies play a critical role.
But before exploring why allies make such a difference, it makes sense to begin with the question: what exactly is an ally?
The definition that most accurately captures my vision of a diversity ally is a person who joins with another in a mutually beneficial relationship. While ally relationships can sometimes be framed as a more powerful individual helping a less powerful one, my belief is there is much to be gained on both sides.
Why Do Allies Matter?
Allies matter on both a micro level and a macro level. For an individual, an ally can literally change the direction of someone’s life and in so many cases does: that teacher who believes in a student who is struggling at home against huge odds or that manager who gives a young woman the confidence to imagine reaching her most aspirational goals.
On a macro level, allies change the game by collectively redefining what is normal and acceptable. The 1960’s Freedom Riders were an important piece of the puzzle leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the engagement of those who are heteronormative has played an important role in expanding LGBT rights in recent decades.
Allies provide much needed help in shouldering the heavy load of driving societal change. They provide inspiration, energy, protection, resources and validation. They send the message that you are not alone.
What Does an Ally Look Like?
There is no one recipe for being – or becoming – an ally. Allies do a wide variety of things and come in many different packages. There are allies who are bold and confrontational and those who fly under the radar, quietly driving change.
Male allies described myriad ways in which men support gender equality, responding to problematic situations as they arise as well as working proactively to change norms. With the goal of stopping a male colleague from regularly interrupting women in meetings, a male ally could call out the situation in the moment or reach out to the individual in private at a later time.
Alternatively he could create meeting ground rules that normalize not interrupting others or make it a habit to pick up the thread of conversation and return the floor to the woman after an interruption.
What Do Allies Do?
While there is no one formula for being a diversity ally, there are clear behaviors and activities that are characteristic, as outlined below. You’ll also find examples with ideas for someone seeking to become a diversity ally.
1. Seek to understand the experiences of others:
Allies communicate interest in wanting to listen and learn, doing so in a way that’s respectful and honors the lived experience of others.
Examples: Read articles about families and consider the extent to which these articles reflect the experience of LGBT women and men. Ask women in your life how, if at all, gender has affected their work lives. Conversely, ask men how gender has, if at all, affected their role as a parent.
2. Observe with a fresh eye:
Allies seek to pay close attention, often beginning to develop a new lens and seeing things that previously were invisible. They see the power that systems and structures play in driving outcomes, previously seeing only individual choices and situations.
Examples: Watch who speaks and who listens in meetings at work. Think about the last five to ten people who have been promoted at work and see if there is a pattern.
3. Practice humility:
One of the biggest challenges in discussing inequity is the guilt people feel, or fight mightily to not feel, which puts them on the defense and unable to listen. Allies have a willingness to move out of their comfort zone and to manage their emotional responses so that they can listen to understand rather than to respond.
Examples: Consider what thinking about – racism, sexism, heterosexism – brings up for you and how you can put it in context. Participate in an activity where you are out of your comfort zone and reflect on how that makes you feel – powerful? effective? successful?
4. Are willing to reflect:
Allies observe their own thinking patterns and default assumptions. Becoming conscious of their own internal biases and tendencies enables them to interrupt automatic patterns, think more critically, and respond more effectively.
Examples: Take an Implicit Bias Test to explore your thinking biases. Realize bias is how everyone’s brain is wired and awareness is the first step to disrupting the pattern.
5. Engage as partners:
Allies get involved but are conscious to not take over. They engage in the spirit of walking beside those they are seeking to support and helping to amplify their efforts.
Examples: Attend an employee network meeting at your company to show your support and to learn. Participate in an activity for a group you want to support such as walking in a Pride Parade or attending a conference such as Fatherhood 2.0.
6. Avoid contributing to the problem:
With greater understanding of the challenges of diverse groups, allies become far more conscious of how their own behaviors may contribute to the problem, and act accordingly. If they are unclear about the impact of their behaviors, they ask for feedback.
Examples: Don’t get on the band wagon of stereotypes, woman always do this or men always do that.
7. Work to empower others:
One way allies do this is by responding as an advocate, in both subtle and more overt ways, particularly when others marginalize individuals [or groups.]
Examples: Don’t give oxygen or attention to the guy who consistently cracks sexual jokes. As a team leader, be proactive in ensuring women of color in the group [who face major challenges to advancement] get their fair share of stretch assignments.
8. Provide resources:
Allies might provide monetary resources to groups or causes they care about, but they also contribute their time and energy. They demonstrate support by sharing their social capital.
Examples: If someone’s viewpoint in a meeting is being silenced, interrupt and say, “I’d look to hear more about this issue.”
9. Support changes in policies, practices and legislation:
A powerful way to be an ally is to help change the structural norms that reinforce inequality.
Examples: Support equal rights for LGBT men and women. Look at suggested interventions focused on combating sexism, and suggest to your manager or leader an experiment to try one with your team.
10. Identify and act on where they can have impact:
No matter what one’s role, there are many ways to be an ally. The goal is to determine where you can use your influence to make a difference.
Examples: As a parent think about what messages you send through your words and actions about gender roles. As a manager, understand how much you impact the people that work for you. Step back and consider what would you change if your goal was to be an ally.
In a nutshell, allies educate themselves and work to proactively make a positive difference!
LGBTQ: Inclusion Means Being Visibly Valued, Not Just Accepted
Career Advice, Featured, LGBT celebrationBy Aimee Hansen
Last year, theglasshammer covered how corporations are taking the unexpected lead role in advocacy for LGBTQ rights, amidst the debasing of governmental protection and condoning of discrimination.
As companies continue to do so – for a multitude of reasons possibly as a direct response to the regressive approach that the Trump administration has taken. The Fenway Institute concludes that, “on balance the Trump Administration has pursued policies that will likely increase discrimination against LGBT people.” This includes repealing non-discrimination regulations that provided protections to LGBT people, encouraging religious refusal discrimination through executive branch actions and “vastly reshaping the federal judicial landscape in a way that is very concerning for LGBT people.” And, in the US, 28 states still lack basic protections in employment (and housing) when it comes sexual orientation and gender identity. Fear and phobia are arguably the central agency of political action and inaction on the LGBTQ front, nationally and internationally. But public opinion around the validity of equal rights for same-sex marriage has never been higher at around 62%.
So, with progressive corporations taking the lead, what does real LGBTQ inclusion look and feel like?
Increased Corporate Adoption of LGBTQ Friendly Policies
In HRC’s Corporate Equality Index 2018 annual assessment of employer’s LGBTQ workplace policies, a record-breaking 609 companies earned perfect scores, up by 18% from 517 last year. 83% of U.S.’s Fortune 500 companies offer clear protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, an increase from 3% just 15 years ago in protection for gender identity. Over 90% of CEI-rated businesses include both sexual orientation and gender identity employment protections for their U.S. and international operations. The results demonstrate that “business has not waited for a legal mandate to become LGBTQ-inclusive,“according to Beck Bailey, deputy director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, because it’s both the right thing to do and good business in creating diverse and attractive workplaces. ”They aren’t waiting for federal civil rights laws to change; they’re adopting their own inclusive policies and practices.”
“Good employers don’t simply cut paychecks every two weeks. They have to model good citizenship–not just in words but in actions–in the communities where their LGBTQ employees live and work,” wrote Ineke Mushovic, executive director of the Movement Advancement Project, in Fast Company.
Mushovic urges companies to do four things to advance LGBT rights: push for non-discrimination laws, declare that you’re open to all, fight discriminatory ‘bathroom bills’, and build a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
The Tangibility Gap Between Policies and Practice
OutNEXT/PwC surveyed 231 LGBT+ high performance employees, and 28 corporate leaders among mostly Out Leadership companies, for their report “Out to Succeed: Realising the full potential of LGBT+. The report sought to better understand how organizations can support high-performing LGBT+ employees. The majority of employees and employers agreed that having an openly supportive focus on LGBT inclusion has given the organizations wider access to the best talent and improved the organization’s place in the market. Additionally, 60% of employees believed that “being out at work has improved their ability to do business and engage with customers.” The report also noted some gaps between employers and employees, and gaps between the existence of policies in companies and whether LGBT+ employees experienced them as being present, visible and realized.
99% of employees indicated “reputation as a fair and equal employer (e.g., known for being LGBT+ friendly)” as important to making a company attractive as an employer. Only 57% of employers saw this as a key factor, a clear gap. Also according to the report, “Nearly 90% of employees believe that visible LGBT+ leaders within a company are important, though a high proportion of organizations don’t have senior LGBT+ leaders who are visible.” The report authors also shared that “while employees valued both inclusive action focused on recruitment and career progression, many were unaware even when companies claimed to have these programs.”
Only 35% of employees were aware that their companies had programs focused on recruiting LGBT+ employees, though 60% of businesses claimed to have them. And “while nearly 60% of employers take steps to create a pathway to senior management for LGBT+ people, only around 40% of employees believe this is the case.”
Further, about 40% believed that their organizations weren’t doing enough to encourage LGBT+ diversity. Over a third felt that despite the talk, opportunities weren’t really equal for all. The authors note, “It’s telling that nearly 40% of employers agree.”
OutNEXT/PwC found that over 80% of these “high-performing, high potential developing leaders” felt comfortable being out at work, yet more than half knew junior colleagues or even peers that were not out.
Stonewall found that in Britain, 35% of LGBT+ employees still hide their identity out of fear of discrimination. According to Psychology Today, “Two in five LGBT workers (40 percent) report feeling bullied at work.”
“For too many LGBT+ employees, many organisations still feel closeted. This hinders not only the organisations in recruiting and retention, but, more importantly, this hinders the careers of LGBT+ professionals,” says Bob Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC. “All of us need to create inclusive environments where LGBT+ talent can feel safe, free to be their true selves, and fully participate in the workplace.”
The Importance of Being Visible & Valued, Not Just Accepted
In its third year and with an active alumni network, Stanford’s LGBTQ Executive Leadership Program supports experienced applicants to catapult their careers into the C-Suite. The week-long program offers, among other benefits, to help participants learn the influences of their LGBTQ identity on their leadership style and how to become a more authentic leader (or be their ‘genuine self’).
“I’ve always been out at work, but I think Stanford helped me to embrace the idea of not just being out, but being visible,” said Beth Parker, public relations director at PwC in Washington, D.C. “It was transformative for me because it was sort of an awakening. I became keenly aware of the responsibility that I have to other people in the LGBTQ community,” said Parker. “It made me want to mentor people, it made me want to lead more in that space and be more visible.” Other alumni have also shared how the program encouraged them to stop trying to be heteronormative and to speak out visibly about issues of sexual identity in the workplace. Set against a political backdrop of dismissal of rights and encouragement of discrimination, the real bar of inclusion isn’t just acceptance. It’s cultivating a culture which allows LGBTQ individuals to show up as our whole selves at work, not feeling the need to pass or cover. It’s feeling invited, visible and valued, and to see it play out in our leaders and in our opportunities.
Companies can more demonstrably show LGBTQ employees what inclusion really looks and feels like. LGBTQ leaders and individuals can more visibly claim their inclusion.
The Game Changing Power of Allies
Career Advice, LGBT celebrationImage via Shutterstock
Guest contributed by Lisa Levey
In the challenging work of supporting diversity in the workplace – and diversity as it relates to social justice more broadly – allies play a critical role.
But before exploring why allies make such a difference, it makes sense to begin with the question: what exactly is an ally?
The definition that most accurately captures my vision of a diversity ally is a person who joins with another in a mutually beneficial relationship. While ally relationships can sometimes be framed as a more powerful individual helping a less powerful one, my belief is there is much to be gained on both sides.
Why Do Allies Matter?
Allies matter on both a micro level and a macro level. For an individual, an ally can literally change the direction of someone’s life and in so many cases does: that teacher who believes in a student who is struggling at home against huge odds or that manager who gives a young woman the confidence to imagine reaching her most aspirational goals.
On a macro level, allies change the game by collectively redefining what is normal and acceptable. The 1960’s Freedom Riders were an important piece of the puzzle leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the engagement of those who are heteronormative has played an important role in expanding LGBT rights in recent decades.
Allies provide much needed help in shouldering the heavy load of driving societal change. They provide inspiration, energy, protection, resources and validation. They send the message that you are not alone.
What Does an Ally Look Like?
There is no one recipe for being – or becoming – an ally. Allies do a wide variety of things and come in many different packages. There are allies who are bold and confrontational and those who fly under the radar, quietly driving change.
Male allies described myriad ways in which men support gender equality, responding to problematic situations as they arise as well as working proactively to change norms. With the goal of stopping a male colleague from regularly interrupting women in meetings, a male ally could call out the situation in the moment or reach out to the individual in private at a later time.
Alternatively he could create meeting ground rules that normalize not interrupting others or make it a habit to pick up the thread of conversation and return the floor to the woman after an interruption.
What Do Allies Do?
While there is no one formula for being a diversity ally, there are clear behaviors and activities that are characteristic, as outlined below. You’ll also find examples with ideas for someone seeking to become a diversity ally.
1. Seek to understand the experiences of others:
Allies communicate interest in wanting to listen and learn, doing so in a way that’s respectful and honors the lived experience of others.
Examples: Read articles about families and consider the extent to which these articles reflect the experience of LGBT women and men. Ask women in your life how, if at all, gender has affected their work lives. Conversely, ask men how gender has, if at all, affected their role as a parent.
2. Observe with a fresh eye:
Allies seek to pay close attention, often beginning to develop a new lens and seeing things that previously were invisible. They see the power that systems and structures play in driving outcomes, previously seeing only individual choices and situations.
Examples: Watch who speaks and who listens in meetings at work. Think about the last five to ten people who have been promoted at work and see if there is a pattern.
3. Practice humility:
One of the biggest challenges in discussing inequity is the guilt people feel, or fight mightily to not feel, which puts them on the defense and unable to listen. Allies have a willingness to move out of their comfort zone and to manage their emotional responses so that they can listen to understand rather than to respond.
Examples: Consider what thinking about – racism, sexism, heterosexism – brings up for you and how you can put it in context. Participate in an activity where you are out of your comfort zone and reflect on how that makes you feel – powerful? effective? successful?
4. Are willing to reflect:
Allies observe their own thinking patterns and default assumptions. Becoming conscious of their own internal biases and tendencies enables them to interrupt automatic patterns, think more critically, and respond more effectively.
Examples: Take an Implicit Bias Test to explore your thinking biases. Realize bias is how everyone’s brain is wired and awareness is the first step to disrupting the pattern.
5. Engage as partners:
Allies get involved but are conscious to not take over. They engage in the spirit of walking beside those they are seeking to support and helping to amplify their efforts.
Examples: Attend an employee network meeting at your company to show your support and to learn. Participate in an activity for a group you want to support such as walking in a Pride Parade or attending a conference such as Fatherhood 2.0.
6. Avoid contributing to the problem:
With greater understanding of the challenges of diverse groups, allies become far more conscious of how their own behaviors may contribute to the problem, and act accordingly. If they are unclear about the impact of their behaviors, they ask for feedback.
Examples: Don’t get on the band wagon of stereotypes, woman always do this or men always do that.
7. Work to empower others:
One way allies do this is by responding as an advocate, in both subtle and more overt ways, particularly when others marginalize individuals [or groups.]
Examples: Don’t give oxygen or attention to the guy who consistently cracks sexual jokes. As a team leader, be proactive in ensuring women of color in the group [who face major challenges to advancement] get their fair share of stretch assignments.
8. Provide resources:
Allies might provide monetary resources to groups or causes they care about, but they also contribute their time and energy. They demonstrate support by sharing their social capital.
Examples: If someone’s viewpoint in a meeting is being silenced, interrupt and say, “I’d look to hear more about this issue.”
9. Support changes in policies, practices and legislation:
A powerful way to be an ally is to help change the structural norms that reinforce inequality.
Examples: Support equal rights for LGBT men and women. Look at suggested interventions focused on combating sexism, and suggest to your manager or leader an experiment to try one with your team.
10. Identify and act on where they can have impact:
No matter what one’s role, there are many ways to be an ally. The goal is to determine where you can use your influence to make a difference.
Examples: As a parent think about what messages you send through your words and actions about gender roles. As a manager, understand how much you impact the people that work for you. Step back and consider what would you change if your goal was to be an ally.
In a nutshell, allies educate themselves and work to proactively make a positive difference!
Five Top Tips for Effective Working from Home
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!, Guest ContributionImage via Shutterstock
Guest contributed by Anna Whitehouse
Finding it hard to focus?
Don’t despair, as it’s perfectly possible to make telecommuting or working from working a success if you follow these five handy tips.
1. Create a dedicated space
Separating work from family life is the key to effective home working. A desk in a spare room or study is ideal, as you’ll find it easier to switch off if you can close the door at the end of the day. Alternatively, if space is tight, try setting aside a corner of your bedroom or living room.
Having a dedicated work space also tells family members and friends that you are actually working and that they need to leave you in peace. Avoid working on the sofa or at the kitchen table at all costs, as you’ll be constantly interrupted.
2. Structure your day
It’s very easy to become distracted when you’re working from home, but sticking to a familiar structure will help you to focus. We suggest adhering to set hours, so that your clients know when to contact you and your family and friends know when you’re free to socialize.
Worried about a tight deadline? While it’s tempting to just keep on working until you’ve finished the task, doing this regularly will have an impact on your physical and mental health. Instead of risking burnout, we recommend punctuating your day with regular breaks, as these will keep you motivated and help you to produce better quality work.
If you find that you’ve finished a project and you’re waiting for feedback, resist the urge to turn on the TV and use the time to catch up with admin, update your portfolio or approach potential customers.
3. Banish distractions
Checking social media and emails every five minutes isn’t helpful when you’re working at home, so why not restrict yourself to checking them during your breaks? Seeing this as a reward can be motivating.
Turning off the radio and television could also help you to focus on your work, as a recent study found that clerical workers in a noisy room were less motivated to complete tasks and had elevated stress levels compared to those in a quiet room.
If you find that you’re too distracted by jobs that need doing at home, try spending the occasional morning working in a local coffee shop, library or co-working space. We guarantee that you’ll return to your desk feeling motivated and refreshed.
4. Eat well
While home working means that you don’t have to resist the constant round of staff room treats, you’ll still have easy access to another source of temptation; your fridge. To stay energized, stock up on healthy snacks like dried fruit, nuts, oat cakes and dark chocolate.
Whether you prefer sushi, salad or a sandwich, always make yourself a proper lunch, as this will help you to be more productive. Try to include some protein packed lean meat, eggs, beans or nuts and a serving of salad or veg. Oily fish is also a great choice, as supplementing your diet with omega-3 fish oil could boost your concentration. If you need some lunchtime inspiration, check out the delicious recipes available at The Freelancer’s Cookbook.
If you’re keen to stave off hunger and prevent an afternoon slump, make sure that you stay hydrated. This means limiting the amount of tea and coffee you drink and opting for plain water, water with a slice of lemon in it or water sweetened with a little sugar free squash.
5. Get out and about
Working from home can get lonely even if you’re an introvert, so it’s worth getting out of the house for a change of scenery now and again. Joining a monthly networking group, having lunch with a friend or meeting a client for coffee could all help to combat any feelings of isolation.
Getting out is also good for your physical health, as sitting for long periods of time slows down your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure. However, recent research states that it’s possible to reduce the effect of sitting still if you exercise. So how about going for a brisk lunchtime walk or trying out an online yoga session?
Take our tips on board and we guarantee that working from home will become an enjoyable and productive experience. You’ll achieve more, feel healthier and be able to relax properly at the end of the working day.
What are your top tips for home working? We’d love to know!
Anna Whitehouse writes for Inspiring Interns, which specialises in finding candidates their perfect internship. To browse our graduate jobs, visit our website.
Voice of Experience: Beth Brooke-Marciniak, Global Vice Chair of EY
LGBT celebration, Voices of ExperienceWhen Beth Brooke-Marciniak first started her career, she found she was intensely focused on the job at hand, rather than paying special attention to building relationships along the way.
But she soon learned the importance of building those by giving to others. “If your relationships are built based on what you can do for the other person, it’s like putting pennies in the bank, and there will be a cumulative effect later in your career,” she says.
Finding an Intersection between Business and Public Service
Beth always urges young women to find a place where they can experience an entrepreneurial culture and have the chance to advance on their own merits. “In a firm like mine, you can take as much responsibility as you can handle, which is an environment that is particularly suited for women who can take control and go all in with good sponsors and mentors. The key is figuring out life as it comes, rather than anticipating issues and standing back waiting to be tapped.”
Brooke-Marciniak has spent nearly four decades at EY, except for a brief stint in public service during the Clinton administration. She started her career in the Indianapolis office in the auditing department, but soon segued to the tax practice. She relocated to D.C. to run the insurance tax practice, and it was in that capacity that she was known to the Clinton administration. They were interested in the unique blend of experience she had gained working on healthcare clients since managed care was new at the time and the tax policy was confusing.
She said she would give two years which she says were a fascinating journey “on the front lines of the legislative experience in a great administration that was trying to change the world.”
During that time, she found there was often a disconnect in how business and government worked together. She realized that the world needed someone with the patience and diplomatic skills to figure out where CEOs were coming from on issues and what society needed — and join them.
It was with that vision that Brooke-Marciniak sat down with EY executives and told them that she didn’t want to go back to the tax practice. The chairman invited her to come back to be part of the senior team, even though her role and title weren’t yet clearly defined. She trusted his word and was soon immersed in strategy work, until the Enron situation happened, shaking public trust and confidence in the industry’s work. She knew that the field needed to build a long-term effort to restore credibility, and she took on the task of leading the profession through those changes.
“I’m proud of how far we’ve come and how we pulled together after Enron and worked cooperatively with our competitors on matters of public policy to restore the industry,” she says.
Beth continues to see society looking to business to fill the gaps being left by government, yet noticing there remains some reticence to trusting business fully. And, business has to work hand in hand with government incentives that must be in place. “Business will do what’s in its self-interest, and we can’t solve everything, but by working together diplomatically all of society will benefit,” she says.
Embracing Differences Publicly
As proud as she is of her professional achievements, not much can match the impact of her coming out, which was far from ordinary. She had been asked as an ally to help with a video designed to reach teens who were contemplating suicide. But when she started filming it, she realized she didn’t want to stay in her role of “straight ally,” but wanted to be honest about who she was. “It just poured out of me: I wanted to tell these teens they are valuable because they’re different, not in spite of it,” she says.
And Brooke-Marciniak knows how it feels to be different. First, she was one of few women in a profession where her politics were different than most of her colleagues, Furthermore, she was an introvert in a sea of extroverts. “Although these qualities all made me feel very different, EY embraced me. I never felt unwelcome or excluded, and I realized that I was very lucky to work for this organization where I was valued for my differences. That was my ‘aha moment’ — that everyone is different and feels different.”
At that moment, when she came out, she says that her world went from black and white to life in full color. Once you are living an authentic life, colleagues can now engage you as a whole person, and you can be a whole leader, she says. And she adds, it’s even more challenging to be a closeted introvert because it feels dangerous to engage people one on one. “I was seen more as a loner and aloof which wasn’t true at all,” she says.
At EY, she has been instrumental in starting a global LGBT partner group and she works behind the scenes with the World Economic Forum on the LGBT agenda. “Social bias is an intractable process, but we are making headway,” she says.
However, these ongoing challenges underscore why Brooke-Marciniak shares with younger professionals that her best advice is to pay attention to the culture you are joining. “Anyone can learn what you need to learn, but if the culture doesn’t work, you’ll self-select out or they’ll kick you out,” she says, noting that cultures are not created equally. For her part, EY has been the perfect fit since all ideas are welcome and challenging the status quo is encouraged. “Our culture appreciates that better decisions are made through different ideas,” she says.
Brooke-Marciniak first knew her wife as a business colleague – neither of them knew one another was gay at the time they met. When the Wall Street Journal ran a story about the lack of gay CEOs and profiled Beth, her now-wife came to her and said she was closeted and wanted to discuss the struggle and risks. They had dinner to talk it through and the rest, as they say, is history — they now live happily ever after with two cats and two dogs.
Mover and Shaker: Virgen Tracey, Senior Team Leader, WEX
Movers and ShakersKnowing and understanding that it’s ok to take risks because that’s how you will grow and learn has helped forge a successful career path for WEX’ Virgen Tracey.
She is quick to point out that there’s never a dumb or perfect idea, and just because you’ve been somewhere longer, it doesn’t mean you have all the answers. In fact, the best ideas often come from fresh thinking.
“I always tell my team that you can’t learn if you don’t make mistakes, and it’s true for me, too. Realizing that the next time I’ll better know what to do has allowed me to grow in my career and as a person,” she says.
For Tracey that 20 years of growth has brought a thriving career at WEX as a leader, taking on diverse roles within the contact center that have allowed her to conquer a new challenge every day.
“Being able to take risks in my role has been a huge learning point for me. We think outside the box every day, not only from a professional standpoint, but as a rapid-growth company, we must be able to embrace change,” she says. Tracey credits her ability to lead by example, to “walk the walk,” as a key force for building credibility and trust and having a followership that has made her a successful team leader.
Leading the Contact Center To Success
Joining WEX fresh out of college, Tracey knew she would have to work hard, but also learn to be open to change to make the most of the startup environment. And, at the forefront of her mind was the realization that the company had earned a great deal of respect and customer trust that they would deliver excellent service, and her role was to stand by those ideals. She appreciates that she has been there throughout the growth of the company, fulfilling her belief that her hard work would pay off.
Right now, she’s excited to be working on supporting with implementation of the Salesforce service cloud application into the contact center. They are currently piloting it with 50+ employees across the organization, and she says it has been a game changer for how it’s going to increase efficiencies and gives insight into how to better support the customer to provide a better agent and customer experience. “Using this tool allows us to increase the information we have at our fingertips, directing us to what we need to change and enhance for better employee customer satisfaction and efficiency.”
After the full roll-out to more than 130 employees in the South Portland contact center, she will then support with spearheading the roll-out in the contact center in Ogden, focusing on ensuring the impact is minimal.
Mentors Lead the Way
To Tracey, a role model is someone she can look up to, but is also a mentor who can provide support and feedback to help her grow based on what they’ve seen in their interactions.
Over the years she says she has been honored to work with many successful individuals who have helped show her the ropes, in both IT and leadership roles. “If I wanted to know how others got to where they are today, I had to seek out the opportunities to network and find mentors,” she says. She credits a willingness to being open to listening to their stories about the best practices that worked for them and how they got on the path that led them to their end result of success.
And now she is focused on being a role model to others, taking what she’s learned by seeking out opportunities to learn from others and sharing that knowledge. “I can’t wait for the moment that I report to many of my team members whom I have helped nurture to a place of leadership,” she says.
Currently she is part of the pilot of WEX’ mentoring program where she is paired with a mentee, which has helped give her confidence and also will expose her entire team tåo the many benefits of formal mentorship to encourage new styles and ways of thinking.
Melding a Busy Professional and Personal Life
With three kids, ages 6, 15 and 19, there is never a dull moment, particularly when travel softball is part of the picture. “I love watching my 15 year old daughter play, and notice her development and how she gives 100 percent on and off the field. It’s such an inspiration as a work ethic,” Tracey says, noting that watching her hard work and openness to coaching is a lesson she herself can bring back to work.
Aside from giving “200 percent” to work, which has paid off in being tapped for her fifth upcoming President’s Club, Tracey always takes time to be present in her family life…but admits with a laugh that she also will never turn down a trip for shoe shopping. Most importantly she loves spending time with her husband and kids and enjoying any free time they have together.
Reluctant Leaders – Why You Might Be Readier to Lead than You Think
Career Advice, Guest ContributionGuest contributed by Sarah Dixon
Ann thought that she knew herself well.
At 45-year-old, she’d been tested by life often enough to know her strengths and weaknesses. She’d done a few personality tests over the years and had a handle on how she worked most effectively at work.
Then Ann’s firm called in team-building experts, who carried out personality evaluations on the whole team. As Ann read her report, she saw something that she’d never considered before. She had tested well for leadership ability.
Ann had never thought of pursuing more responsibility in her career. Work, for her, had always taken a second place to looking after the children. But with the kids at university, Ann began to think about the possibility. Once she turned thought into action, it wasn’t long before she started rising through her organisation.
This shouldn’t be surprising to anyone, let alone to Ann. Many of the qualities that make a good leader are gained through the sort of life experiences that women deal with day in, day out. There are examples of these kinds of experiences throughout this article, but these are not the only way those qualities can be acquired. Hopefully they will enable you to identify a similar experience in your life, if you have not had that particular one yourself.
Empathy
There have been many studies over the years which have shown that women are more empathic than men. While this empathy is sometimes perceived as a weakness, when you’re building a team being able to understand your staff and find ways to motivate them has obvious advantages. Rather than adopting a dictatorial style, it allows you to build a deeper connection with staff which pays dividends in terms of loyalty and commitment.
Empowerment
Girls compete, women empower – or so the meme goes. But this isn’t just about feminism and giving your fellow females a leg-up. Managers who delegate tasks within their team, and give their staff the tools they need to excel are more successful than their more controlling counterparts. As women, we spend a lot of our time facilitating for others. Whether it’s our partners, children, or friends we are used to supporting others to achieve for themselves. Carrying this instinct into a leadership role brings you a loyal, talented and effective team.
Resilience
Whether it’s banging your head on the glass ceiling, or dealing with the sorts of experiences highlighted by the #metoo campaign, women have a head start in continuing in the face of adversity. Resilience doesn’t mean bullishly pushing on regardless of what comes your way. Cassandra Stavrou of Propercorn wrote in The Telegraph explained how for her, resilience was about thinking strategically rather than simply being strong. It led her to develop recognisable packaging to ensure that her boxes were not lost in vast warehouses.
Communication
Because women take on the burden of emotional labor, we also become adept as communicators. Being well organized, and finding the right words to get things done are skills that we often overlook, simply because they are taken for granted by society as a whole. But if you’ve ever had to talk down a toddler who has been given triangles of toast when they wanted squares, you’ve been prepared for negotiation. Handling relationship breakdowns gives us experience in making deals, even when the stakes are high. Life teaches us the importance of saying what we need to say.
Accountability
Ultimately, a good manager needs to be able to hold their hand up and take responsibility if things don’t go to plan. If someone on your team screws up? The buck stops with you. But, doesn’t it always? Whether it’s birth control, avoiding sexual assault or many other issues women are constantly being asked to stay accountable for the actions of others. While those expectations are often unfair, perhaps the silver lining is that they prepare us to be willing to shoulder the burdens of our team.
No Better Time
There is perhaps no better time than the present to look for more responsibility. The world is changing. Women’s voices are finally being heard and men are beginning to really see the equality problem. We can hope that the coming generations will find their lives so much easier, their paths to leadership more assured.
But for those of us who find ourselves standing on the threshold of management via a more circuitous route, we can take comfort in the fact that while the journey may not have been easy, it has at least prepared us for what is to come.
Sarah Dixon writes for Inspiring Interns, which specializes in sourcing candidates for internships and graduate jobs.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views of Guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com
Time to look for a new job
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!So you figured out that you need a new job!
There are many ways to start a job search yet sometimes it can seem so daunting to start the process.
There are general strategies to job hunting, such as if you know vaguely the target companies that you would like to interview with then start investigating the opportunities there. LinkedIn is a great way to see if you know anyone directly or indirectly at your preferred firms and a good place to start is to mine your current network to build your future one. Apply to job postings but know that any personal connection will probably help you so it is worth checking your network and refreshing your relationships with coffees and lunch with influencers and mentors.
What people don’t tell you is that what you will want to do in the hunt matters. What you tell yourself and your own perceptions of yourself will also matter as does your confidence and level of extroversion.
If you don’t know what is next, it is worth working with a coach ( such as myself and the vetted coaches who partner with theglasshammer) to help you refine what is the next stage of your career and help you secure the job you want, whether it is within your current industry or perhaps a pivot into something new altogether?
Contact nicki@theglasshammer.com is you would like to hire an executive coach to help you navigate the path to optimal personal success at work.
Voice of Experience: Rupa Briggs, Counsel, Capital Markets, Shearman & Sterling
Voices of ExperienceIf you’re interested in doing something, be proactive and ask for it, recommends Rupa Briggs, who was just promoted to counsel as of March 1.
She notes that when you first start out you should work on as many different projects as possible to figure out what you like, and focus on building a strong reputation because competence begets more work. “Sometimes we tend to be ‘good girls,’ and don’t necessarily ask for opportunities, but you can’t be passive about your career. You must be in the driver’s seat,” she says. Because while people may have good intentions and want to be helpful, only you can plan the road map to get to your next steps.
Growing Her Career at Shearman & Sterling
After starting her legal career at a different firm, Briggs joined Shearman & Sterling in 2016, impressed with its capital markets platform and seeing vast opportunities for advancement and growth.
Over the years, she has become a trusted advisor to her clients, the professional achievement she is most proud of so far. “As a junior associate, you spend most of your time learning the deal process and how you fit into the larger picture, but as you continue to develop as an attorney and your knowledge of the substance of your practice grows, your interactions and client relationships begin to change,” she says. “It was so satisfying and rewarding when clients were directing questions to me in the first instance, instead of to a partner or senior associate,” she says, adding that it was very confidence building.
Currently Briggs is working on a couple of healthcare-related IPOs, which she finds exciting and interesting since it’s such an important milestone in these companies’ evolution to help them reach the next step in commercializing their drug or product. The space she is working in is cutting-edge and includes smaller biotechs focusing on, in some cases, rare diseases and medtech companies with innovative products for large patient populations.
“For me it’s tremendously satisfying because you see the impact these drugs or products will have on individuals, and you know that even in the context of an IPO, you are making a difference by helping the company raise the capital they need to get to the next level.”
Other exciting areas that will impact the world of business and financial markets are blockchain and artificial intelligence. Briggs sees that regulatory issues related to these emerging technologies will continue to evolve, and she watches with interest to see how clients will integrate these technologies into their own businesses and how Shearman & Sterling can help them navigate the challenges from a regulatory standpoint.
Women Need To Advocate Together
Briggs has found that it can be more challenging for women to develop the informal networks that men generally have. Because law partnerships tend to be male-dominated, many women face a dearth of role models. She encourages women to focus on building their own informal networks. “We put our heads down and work hard, but there are other skills and elements that are necessary to become successful that we don’t always know about.”
One ally is the firm’s WISER (Women’s Initiative for Success, Excellence and Retention) group, which she co-chairs, that offers both the opportunity to network and to learn more about these informal norms, while also building the professional development skills that women don’t as easily pick up, from building your brand to establishing and maintaining trusted relationships with clients.
She believes that men might naturally have more avenues to learn these skills and market them – so it’s important for women to support one another in creating those paths if they are not emerging.
On that note, she recommends building networks with both senior and junior women and urges senior professionals to pay it forward and serve as a mentor that a junior person can turn to for advice. “Being available and engaged with other women is the key to retention,” she says. She looks forward to helping further build the WISER program as it continues to focus on providing women at the firm with the tools to build their careers and professional relationships.
As mom to an active preschooler, Briggs says she focuses less on achieving work/life balance than just making sure she’s doing her best. “It’s easier to manage what’s going on and integrating work and life when you are engaged. The personal and intellectual satisfaction I receive from the practice spills over nicely to make all the parts of my life blend successfully.”
Voice of Experience: Helena Yoon, Principal, Assurance, PwC
Voices of ExperienceSometimes you have to take risks and run toward the fire, says Helena Yoon, a Principal at PwC, a philosophy that has helped her create a rich and varied career.
Building an Agile Career at PwC
Yoon started as an intern at PwC more than 20 years ago. Although the common thread throughout her career has been a focus on clients, her roles have been in a wide variety of departments. Each time she left for maternity leave, she transitioned her portfolio to others on her team, and then would reinvent herself each time she returned, coming back to a different role. This allowed her to gain experience in compliance, regulatory audit and consulting.
“The strategy bolstered my career by forcing growth and change agility,” she notes, adding that her career success is proof of how she’s been able to handle the challenges.
“When I returned from my first maternity leave, I encountered some challenges and wondered how I could succeed professionally. Fortunately, I had a mentor who rallied around me and helped me work through how to balance and achieve what I wanted. Now, I see what a benefit it was to learn how to reinvent myself – the change agility has been invaluable to my career.”
Today she serves a mix of audit and non-audit clients in audit and consulting roles. The crux of everything she does is helping others maximize their potential, whether they’re clients or her internal team. “I’m proud that others can be more effective because of the work I do,” she says.
Yoon is fascinated by the changes that will be brought about by applying automation and analytics to her teams and clients, and seeing how business will be transformed as a result. Historically, large volumes of data sat in disparate locations, but now, there’s a way to pull the pieces together and turn data into meaningful information that can be applied to improving business.
Empowering Women in the Workplace
Yoon recommends women take the time to invest in relationships. “My tendency early on in my career was to put my head down and focus on the work at hand, and as a relational person, I wish I had known to nurture and invest in others right from the start.” Sometimes women tend to be comfortable in what they’re doing, but Yoon says we need to disrupt that, especially in professional services.
“A world of opportunity is open, but I spend a lot of time with younger women, and one theme I consistently hear is that they don’t see as many role models as males do, which makes it harder to envision the future three or four jumps ahead.” Fortunately, she says, advances are occurring that will make professional services more accessible to women. As one example, recently PwC announced the firm is expanding parental benefits, which will make a great difference for returning moms. The new and creative addition is that they will follow eight weeks of paid leave with four weeks of a reduced work schedule at one’s regular full-time pay.
“I creatively eased my way back myself, but now it’s an official program, which I think will really help retention,” she says.
As a wife and mom to four children ages 12, 10, 8 and 6, Yoon loves the dynamics and relationship between them. For example, her oldest went away for a youth group retreat, and the others missed him so much, they cried. Yoon was moved by the degree to which her children relied on one another and valued their time together as a family.
In addition to nurturing her close-knit family, Yoon says they love to entertain and take family vacations. She is also very actively involved in her church and is a board member at the Stamford Symphony.
Forget Work-Life Balance – Try Work-Life Harmony Instead
Career Advice, Guest ContributionGuest contributed by Rae Steinbach
More than ever, the importance of finding and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is being talked about.
However, at times the somewhat elusive goal of perfect equilibrium between our work and personal lives can seem to be unobtainable, especially in a world where we are constantly connected and always available via various forms of technology.
This availability and connection can obscure the line between work and play. Are you working when you check your emails over a morning coffee before making your way to the office? Is attending to personal needs during work hours your prerogative?
These days, delineating where work ends and your personal life begins is even more difficult. However, you can also leverage the transforming expectations and more easily integrate work with life, and vice-versa. Instead of being concerned with how taking a midday break to go to a workout class will affect your performance appraisal, be more comfortable in embracing how this is important in maintaining work-life harmony and stay later at work that day if necessary.
Explore What Harmony Looks Like
According to some experts, achieving a balance between work and the rest of your life has little to do with an equal distribution of your time. Rather, it is about prioritizing achievement and enjoyment each day. Instead of treating your job as a strictly metered necessity to pay for the other elements of your existence, try aiming for harmony. This means working more when needed to achieve business goals, and switching focus and energy to yourself and family when necessary.
Many of us are already taking this tactic to reduce stress and get more out of each day. A recent survey by Randstad found that around half of us deal with personal matters during work hours and work responsibilities in our personal time. Furthermore, more businesses are happy for their workers to do this, as long as the work gets done.
By allowing for the fluidity of life, we are able to find a more harmonious flow to our day that is also a benefit to the company. For example, prioritizing a morning exercise class can keep our minds sharper in the office, and attending to emails in the evening once our house is quiet ensures we are ready for the next day’s priorities.
The Ideal Life
Thanks to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it’s easy to think that almost everyone you know is living the dream. The truth is, most of us present our best side to the world and the less attractive parts of our existence are glossed over or completely left out.
While many of us curate the content we expose about our lives, research has found that more than 75% of people on social media lie about their lives. It is helpful to keep in mind that the carefully curated images and updates from others’ lives leads to negative self-comparison, and the extent of social media interaction can undermine our meaningful, real-life experiences.
To avoid the negative impact of aiming for perfect balance in our lives and competing with misleading social media updates, it is important to focus on the important things: creating harmony between our work and personal lives, making time for fun, achieving our goals, and acknowledging that the rhythm of our lives has little to do with the lives you are viewing through the filtered lens of social media.
Don’t get hung-up on a perfect work-life balance. Instead, dance to your own tune of work-life harmony. Integrating the two creates a healthier coexistence that will let you thrive more easily in both aspects of your life.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com