Two Women and One Man Walk into the Grace Hopper Celebration…
Meaningful insights from three very different GHC attendees
The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC) is the world’s largest gathering of women technologists. Started in 1994 and held annually, the conference supports and recognizes the hard work of women (historically underrepresented) across the entire tech industry, reminding them that they are not alone. Over the weekend, three of our colleagues attended and contributed to panels, presentations, and informal meetings on the 2018 GHC theme: “We Are Here”. Their experiences at the GHC prove that everyone can benefit from fostering a more inclusive tech community.
Diversity beyond the data
By: Joanna Ngai, UX designer
In high school, I felt pressured to do well in advanced classes because I was Asian-American and therefore had to be high achieving. My identity was supposed to align with what was pre-defined for me in the eyes of others (#ModelMinorityMyth). Stereotypes are powerful because the narratives we tell ourselves are powerful.
In tech, if companies start the diversity and inclusion conversation by purposefully including more women on a board, we send a message to girls and women that a company values the complete human experience of its workers. As technologists, we love to be data driven. We rely on numbers to tell us how well or poorly we’re doing in structured, measurable ways. This data is a good start, and it’s one of the ways we can hold companies accountable for their commitments.
But we can do better. The places we fall short can’t always be documented in a report or said aloud in a board meeting. Discrimination can surface as feelings of isolation in a room full of people who doubt your abilities. It can be dismissive comments stemming from unconscious bias that make you feel like your voice doesn’t matter. It can be the absence of role models in leadership who have been in your shoes and can relate to the challenges you face.
From diverse teams building products that help as many people as possible to trailblazers like Anita Hill who challenge the structures that uphold discriminatory traditions in the workplace, I’ll remember these powerful voices. GHC showed me the power of women in community and the value of the stories we share. I saw powerful reminders to look around and speak up so we can build a future that will benefit everyone.
When is it OK to cry at work?
By: Evan Paras, video producer
When my sister picked me up from the airport, she asked how the Grace Hopper Conference was. I told her about a presentation by Sofia Shepard that was about how to cry at work, to which my sister replied, “in the bathroom.”
Crying is human, so how did it become part of our jobs to hide it so others don’t feel uncomfortable — or worse, because it may hurt your career?
Sofia Shepard, project and product manager at Axon, told a story about when she first cried in front of her manager, who reacted by forbidding her to do that again. Later in her career, Sofia cried in front of a mentor, who then simply asked, “Why are you crying?”
By not reacting negatively to her emotional state, the question allowed Sofia’s logic to kick in and help her explain the source of her frustration. Sofia and her mentor worked through the issue instead of embarrassing Sofia and derailing any chance of solving the problem at that time.
Research shows that teams with a strong sense of psychological safety — that is, teams that create a safe space for communicating through emotional responses such as crying — perform better than teams without that psychological safety.
I worked with someone who would try to hide tears, but not well enough that everyone else didn’t feel it. If you asked them what was wrong, they’d say “nothing.” This gave the team two options: allow this behavior to affect them so they are also upset or ignore the teammate’s behavior, invalidating the teammate’s real feelings in the process. This threw a wrench in our team’s productivity and trust.
If everyone was encouraged to express all emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, and work through it, imagine what a well-oiled machine that would be. No awkward bathroom breaks or losing concentration because you’re berating yourself for being weak.
Being an ally
By: Victor Bahl, Distinguished Scientist
I have known about GHC for almost two decades. When a colleague invited me to GHC 18 to speak on a panel about post-PhD employment, there was no way I was going to let this opportunity pass.
As a panelist, I was impressed by the thought-provoking and sometimes difficult questions the audience asked. I also did a few hours of booth duty, answering questions on a variety of topics, and hosted a dinner for about two dozen graduate women in the final stages of their PhDs.
At all these events, I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming these women were and their willingness to share their stories. Even though I was part of a tiny minority at GHC 18, I did not feel out of place. Everyone I talked to seemed genuinely engaged, energetic, and enthusiastic.
Men have had generations of training on how to navigate and succeed in the tech world. They have plenty of role models who have shown them the path. While women have also succeeded, their numbers in the leadership ranks are still relatively low. But this year’s conference theme, “We Are Here,” evokes a hopeful solution to this gap. The theme speaks to the many women already in tech, ready to take on important roles and support one another.
I have firsthand knowledge of how a diverse workforce helps develop great solutions to difficult problems. GHC made me even more aware of the depth of talent we have among us and I feel invigorated by this. I plan to double my effort to identify and hire more women into my organization. If both men and women help build up women leaders, our future will be very bright.
Did you attend the Grace Hopper Celebration this year? We want to hear from you! What were your biggest revelations from the weekend? If you weren’t able to attend, check out their daily recaps and let us know how you are helping to make the tech industry more inclusive.
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