Take the Mic

On Tuesday this week I attended a women’s networking event hosted by Odgers Berndtson to hear Shari Graydon share on how women can speak boldly. I found the night’s topic fascinating as a few weeks earlier I had attended a session on creating a culture of inclusion. (I still need to write about my takeaways from that session!). Was it by coincidence these two events were shaped around similar topics. And that my own fundraising campaign committing towards building schools in Ethiopia with Imagine 1 Day is focused on my Women Leader Shareback Evenings on November 22 and December 13, 2017. Our shareback evenings are intended to inspire attendees by creating a dynamic connection amongst women leaders on topics and insights that deeply concern women.

Shari addressed the top 7 reasons why women should speak up:

1. To counter persistent sexism.
2. To focus attention on issues that men are less affected by or inclined to raise.
3. To provide role models for other women.
4. To challenge injustice in all its forms.
5. To voice the concerns of those who cannot.
6. To position yourself as an authority and increase your influence.
7. Because greater diversity of perspectives will benefit us all.

** This list is taken from Shari Graydon’s recent book “OMG! What If I Really Am The Best Person?”, 2016.

Shari coaches women on how to speak boldly and to willingly accept opportunities to speak on a panel or present on a vested topic in front of small or large audiences. She shared that more often than you’d expect women do not accept offers to speak publicly. In fact, they will commonly recommend a man to speak as their replacement. We all laughed when Shari coined the term “manals” and that all women need to inspire each other to ensure conferences and meetings are evenly distributed between the sexes.

In a study of 7 Canadian Media Outlets during 2015 women were only quoted 29% in 1,467 news stories and interviews compared to men at 71%. Based on these numbers, when we are reading about social, political, economic and/or environmental issues, we aren’t getting the whole story when we don’t include women’s voices. Women will often respond when asked with, “I’m not really the best person.”, “I don’t have the right experience.”, or “I’m too busy.”.

Having been in the media outlets for several decades, Shari declared that women who shut down an offer to speak publicly, either at a conference, on a panel or to a journalist, should consider the following:

1. Many journalists will actually only have time or space for one brief quote. If a journalist has identified you as having pertinent expertise, the chances are really high that you have enough knowledge to provide some relevant context or useful insight that will enhance the story. (Graydon page 49)
2. If you turn down a journalist, chances are they will go to the office next to you or down the street and call on the expertise of another guy.
3. There is no mythical best person.
4. Because you are a women, your life experiences will differ from your male colleagues. Again, if our news and information from past periodicals and manals came from a male perspective, aren’t we ready for a shake-up and have differing perspectives integrated into our information portals.

So here’s what you say instead the next time you get asked to speak on a panel or are interviewed for a publication, “I’m happy to see if I can help.” It opens the door to a conversation in which you may be able to add value.

In addition, here are a few ways you can intentionally “take the mic” and support women speaking boldly:

• Make a point of asking women panelists or meeting presenters a specific question. Increase their shine-ability especially when they are sharing the panel space with men.
• Mentor women with your organization or industry. This doesn’t have to be top down mentorship. I think peer mentorship groups are fantastic. Start one up today by inviting a few women you know and don’t know well. Pick a topic and discuss/debate boldly over a coffee break or lunch hour.
• Start a special interest group like Black Women Inclusion Group or Women Coders Group. Meet regularly to recognize accomplishments of one another.
• Drop the likeability penalty. I’m so tired of being assessed by other women as intimidating when I am speaking boldly. Every women needs to be comfortable speaking boldly with one another and stop confusing speaking boldly with likeability.

Begin now! Write ideas on the following and commit to do 2-3 of them by March 2018

• Things I know and could speak about…
• People who might benefit when I share my informed opinions…
• Women I know who might benefit from my advice on how to speak boldly…

I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing from more women speaking boldly on panel discussions I attend in 2018.