INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Adriana Gascoigne
Contributor
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Adriana Gascoigne is founder and CEO of
the global nonprofit Girls in Tech, which is dedicated to empowering, educating and mentoring women in the technology industry.
As we
welcome 2020 with ambitions set high for greater diversity and inclusion in the workforce, it provides us with an opportunity to reset our
goals for the year ahead.
Girls in Tech is committed to leveling the playing field for women in STEM, helping tens of thousands of
individuals every year achieve their greatest professional potential
I founded the organization more than a decade ago after I — as the lone female executive working at a Silicon Valley startup — endured
daily discrimination and harassment simply because of my gender
Out of the helplessness grew a passion to help other women navigate the male-dominated industry.
While many organizations — notably arts
and entertainment institutions influenced heavily by the Me Too Movement and Time Up movement — are striving for 50/50 gender equality by
2020, the unfortunate reality is that the tech industry has a long way to go to get anywhere near this number
It predicted the tech industry won&t near gender equality until closer to 2025.
But progress ishappening
Many organizations now have leadership positions focused on Diversity and Inclusion (D-I); take Lesley Slaton Brown, Chief Diversity Officer
of HP, Inc., who, for more than a decade, has helped make HP one of the most diverse and inclusive organizations in the tech industry
Another great leader in the space is Twitter VP of Diversity and Inclusion Candi Castleberry Singleton, who aims for organizational change
that builds D-I into core business practices
With the leadership of executives in D-I roles and companies that are committed to embracing change, we can get there.
There is good reason
A recent study by BCG suggests that &increasing the diversity of leadership teams leads to more and better innovation and improved financial
performance.& BCG looked at 1,700 different companies across 8 different countries, with varying industries and company sizes
The study found that increasing diversity directly impacts the bottom line
In fact, the report found that companies with more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenue due to innovation.
This finding is huge
for tech companies, startups and industries where innovation is the engine of growth
Clearly, D-I is more than just a metric to tick off on a list of &to-dos,& but it an integral part of a profitable business
Simply stated, more diversity equals to more money.
So how do we get there as individuals? I&ve learned a lot during my journey from startup
exec to founder and hope these tips will be useful as you embark on your own career.
Recruit a &personal advisory board& of experienced
professionals to act as mentors, therapists, and cheerleaders for you
They can be tremendously valuable guides to lean on when you&re faced with important decisions, complex challenges and unique workplace
People to consider for your board may include a former boss, a peer within your industry, a family friend who has relatable experience and
maybe even a willing college professor
Meet with them regularly, in-person, over the phone, or via video conference to talk about the highs and lows of your career
They can help reality check you when it comes to sticking to your own goals
And they can be immensely valuable when it comes to needing a little extra guidance in otherwise sticky situations.
Seek employment
opportunities with companies that have high &culture scores,& including compensation parity, D-I initiatives, training and benefits
Find a culture score using online sites like Comparably
If you&re looking to be with an organization that accommodates disabilities, look up their score using the Disability Equality Index
Use sites like to LinkedIn to scan your network to find connection points inside the organization you can talk with in advance to learn more
And, consider checking any number of online resources like Glassdoor that offer anonymous reviews of companies from current and former
When you score the big interview, query about the culture with detailed questions that address these areas
Every recruiter will tell you their company has a &great culture,& but ask the tough questions that really prove they&re putting their money
where their mouth is.
Speak up in the boardroom or conference room
Don&t be afraid to share them and join the debate
Ask questions and seek clarification if you don&t understand what being presented & chances are you aren&t the only one
Also, take a seat at the table…literally
I&ve seen many women choose the seats against the walls, instantly sending the message that you&re &lesser than.&
Stand up to bullies
Bullies come in many shapes and sizes, both women and men
Squashing bullies can be one of the hardest things to do in your professional life
It important to not be guided by your emotions
If you&re bullied, take a deep breath, count to three and collect your thoughts to determine your next move
You may say, &may we have a moment in private later this afternoon to discuss this?& This puts the bully on notice and ensures you address
the behavior in a timely manner… while still giving yourself time to collect your thoughts
If someone is using emails to bully you & don&t respond right away
Instead, wait a few hours to respond
Also, consider responding to a email by picking up the phone or stopping by in-person to continue the conversation
You&re likely to find that bullies hide behind emails and are disarmed when confronted with two-way dialogue
Finally, if the problem persists, document the offensive interactions by jotting down the date, time, and details of the bullying
Use this information to seek guidance from the Human Resources team
If HR isn&t helping to solve the problem and the harassment and discrimination persist, consider enlisting assistance from an employment
lawyer to help defend your rights
This is particularly advisable if you have been dismissed from an organization without cause
And, if you&re the boss, do not tolerate bullying of your team
It important to stop the behavior immediately for the betterment of your team and the entire organization.
Take yourself seriously and make
Rethink all those exclamation points and smiley faces in emails — while they&re fine in certain situations, they can also come off as
cutesy and unprofessional
Women, in particular, tend to &soften& conversations by these typographical shows of emotion
Know your audience and how to motivate them — if you&re in charge of planning the week softball game, you may want to use exclamation
marks to get the team excited, but it entirely different to use exclamation points when you&re asking for project status
When it comes to verbal communications, pay attention to all the nonsense words like &just& or &uhm& that can undermine your leadership
Inflection, too, can play a role in how others perceive your confidence
A statement is a statement so don&t present it like it a question.
Don&t default to saying &it ok& or &no big deal& unless you really mean
For example, if someone is late or does something that doesn&t sit well with you, consider saying &I understand that happens sometimes.& Or,
if they preemptively apologize, say &apology accepted.& This way, you aren&t dismissing the impact their action has on you
And you&re not inadvertently giving permission for the action to happen again.
And finally, remember to throw the ladder back down and help
other young women reach for the stars by sharing the resources and insights you&ve learned along the way
Volunteer to be a mentor at the company where you work
If there is no formal mentorship program, offer to help create one
Look for opportunities outside the organization to help other women — there are countless non-profits that could your help
As Gandhi said, &be the change you want to see in the world.&
