Yes it’s true, March was Women’s History Month and we have moved into April. But entering a new month does not mean conversations about womxn in the workplace should end! Thematic months are excellent, but only if they produce real awareness and change.
In case you missed it, the Capital P in People Work podcast held a live panel and Q & A session in which Gabby Lubin (Founder & CEO of Spark This Day) sat down with 4 incredible womxn to discuss:
How people can authentically support womxn in the workplace
How to be bold in the workplace to make strides for womxn in organizations
What is missing in the workplace to make significant change
In this discussion, all those who identify as womxn are included, which is why womxn with an “x” versus an “e” is used. This spelling includes both trans and nonbinary womxn who are often left out of conversations, but are equally as deserving to be a part of it since 46.6% of workers in the U.S. are womxn.
In addressing the main topic about what supporting womxn in different stages in the workplace looks like, the common sentiment shared among all panelists was bringing forth a workplace culture rooted in the values of being open-minded, empowering, and intentional.
According to Olivia Jaramillo (Director of Public Outreach of Equality Utah), it is crucial that we are intentional about listening to understand instead of listening to reply or respond. Oftentimes we forget to take in what is happening in the moment and jump to react. This can contribute to a workplace culture that does not foster an environment that allows people to learn and grow from their mistakes or lack of education on a particular subject.
Related, Robin Schooling (Director of Talent Strategy at Humareso) talks about “setting the stage” at work and in our personal networks by providing opportunities for visibility. In doing so we should ask ourselves:
Who can we intentionally uplift and support?
How can we work with others to provide them with opportunities they might not have otherwise been afforded?
How can we include others in safe conversations about empowering womxn in the workplace?
Barbara Cavness (CEO of (un)Common Logic) reminds us to ask for help from people in our network. There is often a stigma associated with this kind of behavior, but Barbara talks about the importance of reserving judgment and building one another up through having conversations about topics that make us uncomfortable. We must remember that it’s not about knowing all the answers. And that’s more than okay.
Diana Maldonado (Austin, Texas political and public figure & CEO and President of Maldonado Strategies LLC) talks a lot about representation and using our voice. Not only for ourselves but for the womxn around us. It’s all about sincerely acting on that innate desire for human connection. Doing so can bring others into the conversation so there is constant opportunity for change and improvement.
The primary take-away from this conversation is:
“We need to be kinder people. We need to be nicer people. We need to be more open-minded.”
-Gabby Lubin (Founder & CEO of Spark This Day)
Oftentimes in the workplace we separate our “work-identity” from our “everything-else-identity”. However, COVID-19 has challenged us all to think more critically about work-life harmony. This is where Spark This Day comes into play. In navigating your journey to attaining work-life harmony, Spark This Day offers support at every step of the way.