Lend Me Your Voice!

On International Women’s Day 2021 we are asked to #ChooseToChallenge.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, here’s mine:  

I’m lending my voice to women.

We all know awesome women who have experience, expertise or passion to burn but they are reticent about speaking up or putting themselves out there, whether that be in meetings, interviews or in professional networking situations.  And without their voice, many feel as though they are invisible.

I’m giving women a voice by -

• welcoming women into my networks: no one should ever feel alone in a professional setting.
• being a sounding board for women: we all need to feel comfortable with, and empowered by, hearing and knowing the sound of our own voice.
• engaging women in meetings by -

1. inviting their input when agendas are circulated (so they can be prepared)
2. amplifying not only their message but their ownership of it by asking them, where necessary, to repeat what they’ve said for the benefit of those who didn’t hear it the first time (!)

• speaking for women who aren’t in meetings by -

1. sharing their successes and ensuring appropriate attribution
2. asking for matters to be stood over until they can be present or otherwise make a contribution.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, I challenge you to lend your voice to women too.

Together, we can take women from INVISIBLE to INVINCIBLE.

#IWD2021

#ChooseToChallenge