Women Leaders Must Support Each Other - Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation - page 147

and personal lives. The good news is our women's teams do the same things.
While our objective (and focus) is clearly to win, we're also interested in under-
standing the importance of “our win.”
The bottom line about teams is this - you're on the team anyway. Whether
you believe it or not, there are people in the organization and society that have
“put” you on the team. For “Women of Color,” you're on a second team. It's the
African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, or Native American Team! In some
cases, we even get to choose a couple of these teams! Yes, it's true. You've been
“teamed” up by society, your company, and the world. The smart thing for us to
do is to recognize where we are, know the team can be good for us, and learn
how to be a good team member. This means understanding what it means for the
team to win and recognizing that when the team wins we all win.
Fear #4: If women spend our time working for and thinking about other women
we will become ghettoized and marginalized.
Reality #4: Being on the team is not about limiting our opportunities, but about
creating force in numbers to jointly increase access, opportunities, and recog-
nition of our strengths. Evans tells a story of how she created a daytime show
while at CNN that would allow women to discuss significant issues of the day
from politics to education and of course women-specific issues. Much to her
surprise, most of the men loved the show and gave it a green light but many
of the women began to panic as they feared this type of show would remove
women from the main discussions and “lock them into a half hour program.”
[5] Evans argued that the show would not do that and instead would increase
the profile of the women and position them to appear in other venues once the
industry saw them showcased as articulate, smart women in this format. Despite
resistance, the show proceeded, was a success, and in no way marginalized or
ghettoized the women. Many of these women went on to become media stars as
a result of their participation in this program.
Fear #5: There isn't enough time to do our work and join the team.
Reality #5: Women often don't go out with co-workers to have a cocktail after
work because there's so much work at the office and then even more work at
home. But women must do this - not necessarily drink - but socialize with
co-workers outside of the office. Maybe if it doesn't work for you to do it after
work, you can try lunch, afternoon coffee, or walking together to the next meet-
ing in a nearby facility. This time together builds the types of relationships that
build trust, enhance confidence in your abilities, and become the pathway to
new opportunities within your company. It also allows your colleagues to see
you in a different light and gain insight into your strengths.
I recall my first few years as an assistant professor seeking tenure, at the
University of Central Florida, while raising my high school daughter, focus-
ing on being a wife and adjusting to a new community. If it had not been for
the wisdom and guidance of an insightful and supportive boss, Dr William
Swart, I too may have thought this type of socializing wasn't necessary or work.
At least three times a week, he'd call his three new, nervous female assistant