Today we are going to talk about steps you can take, regardless of your level, to lift and support your women colleagues. Find the show notes on my website at Poweryourimpact.com/12.
Traditionally we are taught to be competitive with one another because there are fewer opportunities as you rise in an organization. Remember movies like Mean Girls and Clueless?
Reality is, however, that women benefit from collaborating versus competing. Studies have shown that women who support other women are more successful.
Regardless of your level of experience you can help other women realize their true potential.
I recently read an article by a female CEO that really resonated with me. The overall theme was to make sure ambitious women are given as many opportunities to succeed as possible.
She shared 7 tips on how each one of us can support other women in the workplace:
- Recruit and hire women.
Make sure your job postings sound exciting for both men and women. There are gender decoder apps available to help you identify where tweaks may be needed.
- Welcome and mentor women.
Cheer women on while also being a safe sounding board.
- Call out a woman’s brilliant ideas.
If you hear a brilliant idea that is being overlooked in a meeting, bring it up again and give her the credit.
- Look for opportunities to help promote or stretch your female colleagues.
Be the “connector” for both internal and external opportunities.
- Bring her along.
When you get an amazing opportunity for yourself, consider if it’s possible to bring a plus one with you.
- Advocate for better company trainings and policies.
Identify who in your organization can make change happen, share your thoughts, and volunteer to help drive the change.
- Don’t tolerate unconscious bias in the workplace.
Changing people’s habits requires awareness.
Women at all levels of the organization can help each other succeed. No one can get there on their own.
Have you made a purposeful decision to lift and support other women in your organization?
