#ChooseToChallenge

The theme of #IWD2021 (International Women's Day) is #ChooseToChallenge. I ask each of you today as you read this to consider, what are you going to purposefully challenge, and what actions will you take this year to truly live your challenge? Here is mine:

“I #ChooseToChallenge for a world where my daughters are considered for their leadership potential regardless of their gender." - Hilary Borndahl, CEO, Miix Analytics

Yes, I raise my hand firmly to challenge the bias and slow action we continue to see in the movement for equality. But what am I going to do about it?

1. Explore new ways to recruit talent to join Miix Analytics as we grow. I was heart-broken by the lack of female talent applying for our first senior role. Out of 90 applicants, only 6 were female. I will always stand by hiring the right individual for the role, but I want to get at the root of why only 6 women compared to 94 men felt qualified enough to apply.
2. I am already committed to hiring a diverse pool of talent, I've seen the benefits as I've built previous teams. The action step I promise here is that the compensation of my team will be equitable and based on performance. Miix Analytics will never be a company where pay gaps exist based on gender or minority status. We are in the process of signing the Call for Equity Pledge organized by wearepocam.com. I encourage other agencies to join in this initiative, here: https://www.wearepocam.ca/call-for-equity/
3. As a female leader, I will use my voice to raise other women. Unfortunately for me, when I look back at my career so far I have had 13 managers and only 2 of them were female. I was very lucky to have many incredible male allies on this list, men who truly raised my profile in each organization and supported my progression in leadership. I'm grateful for that and I hope each of them knows what that meant for me. However, the list of men who have supported me is longer than the list of women. When I really think about it, it was a lack of women in leadership roles that was the limiting factor. The women who were certainly helped me out, but the absolute number of women at SVP/Director level or higher were few and far between. We all need to play our part to get more women in positions of influence.
4. Like the sales funnel concept, we need to support pipelines of female talent in our organizations. I am committed to raising awareness of the awesome careers available for women in STEM roles including Analytics. From my time with Girl Guides to getting involved in my children's school, guest lectures, volunteering in my community, and with the Network of Executive Women (NEW) Toronto Chapter, I am committed to building awareness that the industry wants women to pursue careers in STEM and they will be fantastic and make amazing contributions.
5. Finally, I am committed to helping on a more personal basis through mentoring. I have mentored and coached other women for many years in both formal and informal settings. Personally, it's wonderful when you see individuals catch their wind and soar. Imposter Syndrome hits all of us in our careers at various points, some more than others. Women need to feel supported to raise their hands, book that meeting to ask for the raise they deserve, speak their voice at the table, and know their worth. If you need a mentor for this I encourage you to reach out and if I'm not the right personal fit for you I will find someone in my network to support you ;).

As we look towards March 8th, 2021, I ask you again, what do you #ChooseToChallenge and what ACTIONS are you committed to making to "be the change you wish to see in the world?" (Mahatma Gandhi). Because, as Oprah says, "we can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are."

If you are looking to learn more on this topic, please join me with NEW Toronto at our #IWD2021 event, #ChooseToChallenge, this Wednesday, March 3rd. I am honored to be introducing the day and moderating a fantastic panel of leaders to discuss this very topic.

Register here: https://lnkd.in/gbAgTGh

~ Hilary