Management Matters

Nothing will change the culture of a company faster than replacing Management.

I saw today that a company I worked for made a Top-10 Workplace list and it brought me to a place of deep reflection on the last decade of my life, and how I got here.

It all started with my Mima.

If I had told my Grandmother when I was younger that women would be holding positions of power in the workplace she would have laughed. She never would have imagined it. Before she passed, going on 13 years ago, we had a conversation I will never forget. We were on the phone talking about how things were going at work - I was chipping away in an entry-level position in #corporateamerica and she asked me if I was happy. It took me by surprise because honestly, I hadn't given my happiness much thought. I was young, ambitious, and had my eyes set on the position above mine. There hadn't been much time in my career to think about job satisfaction as the pace was fast and I was likely to lose out if I was caught dreaming for even a moment.

Was I happy? Was I supposed to be happy at work? These questions ran through my mind over and over again, and truthfully I wasn't sure how to answer them.

At the time the industry was absolutely dominated by men. I will never forget the day I went in for my interview for the position and the hiring manager assumed my end goal was to become a "great Administrative Assistant". I chuckled, naive and unaware he was serious and told him that the job I wanted was his. He raised his eyebrow, laughed, and brushed me off. He put me in front of a computer, asked me to type a few lines, and said, "Good enough!" I realized then that I had my work cut out for me - as I was young, inexperienced, and completely unaware of the battle ahead.

Working in an industry surrounded by men twice my age was daunting at first. I was afraid to toe the line with any of them - which I would learn later on was the only way I'd make any progress. They were kind but didn't give much thought to the potential that one day I might be gunning for their job. I plugged away for nearly two years in that entry-level position learning how to do my manager's job, and then essentially doing it for him. Halfway through my first year, I asked my boss if I could start training for the next position. He gave me a few hopeful words and brushed me off. After my first year, I started to lose hope that I was going to get anywhere.

One day a few VPs came around for a yearly check-in with our location and sat in on a meeting with our group. I sat quietly in the back, taking notes voraciously, hoping that I could gain some insight into what I needed to do to move forward. One of them noticed. When they were done I was invited to sit in a private meeting, where I was asked about my experience with the company and what kind of career track I wanted. Not surprisingly the VP interviewing me was a woman. I was honest in my feedback and told her I felt that I was being isolated and I was having trouble getting both feet in the door. She offered me some motivational words and told me to keep putting in the effort and it wouldn't go unnoticed.

I went home that night with a renewed sense of purpose - I was going to win. I was going to move up, and make an impact whether they wanted me to or not. With fire in my belly, I went into a meeting with my supervising manager the next day armed with reports that laid out exactly what I had contributed, testimonials from people I had worked with, and proof that I was ready for the next step. He looked at me, surprised as hell, and said, "Well, look at you." He looked around, took a deep breath, and told me that he'd start me in the training program for the next position. (A position I was already qualified for.)

I could have given up, but I was like a dog with a bone. Fortunately, a few months later there was a management change and my career propelled forward. I was promoted to the next rank quickly, and then a very short time later I was promoted again to the spot I'd earned. It wouldn't be long after that until I would be promoted to that same management position. Thinking back now I can't imagine how my life would be different if the management hadn't changed, or if I hadn't fought so hard for what I wanted.

Today, at 38, when I think back on that career I realize how much easier I would have had it if I was a man. It makes me smile to consider what my Grandmother would think if she could have seen that ten years and how my location went from all men with one woman, to eventually all women with just a few men. Now, at 38, I am holding not one but two successful careers, chasing a degree and raising a strong daughter (with an incredibly supportive partner) and it's all because I never took "no" for an answer.

So, what's the point?

Management matters. Change matters. Growth matters.

While we have made massive strides over the last decade or two in the workplace we still have so much growth to do to further #equality and #inclusivity. I'm grateful my company identified poor management and made big changes, allowing growth and transformation but I hope they continue to grow because like so many companies there is still a toxic corporate culture that many are struggling through.

As you reflect on your own journey I encourage you to celebrate your wins and share your stories. Lean in to change, and strive to create a workplace that embraces #diversity and makes REAL #equalopportunity the core mission - not just because you should but because you truly understand its worth.