Wake-Up Call

A few years ago, I walked into a conference room in Lincoln Square to deliver a customer presentation and noticed that I was the only woman in a room with fifteen men. It certainly wasn’t the first time, but for some reason, I just couldn’t ignore it. I mentioned the ratio, creating a truly awkward moment for all of us. Thanks to Katy Brown for joining me and upping the count to 2:15.

That night, I was sharing the day’s highlights (or lowlights, rather) with my husband. I felt uncomfortable about the situation, especially how I handled it. He listened and asked an important question: “Kate, why now? Why did it take so long for you to say enough!”

I wasn’t sure I knew how to answer his question. And in our marriage, that’s a rarity. ??

He offered a hypothesis: “Could it be that Zoe is looking for internships, and you just can’t stand the idea of your daughter dealing with the same gender representation and bias issues you dealt with for the past few decades?”

Smart dude. I think with Zoe’s impending entrance into the workforce, my heart was nudging my brain to get more engaged on this issue: Do something! Being the only female in a room full of male colleagues can create complex social and emotional dynamics, and like so many other women, I had learned to suppress my feelings - and sometimes my voice - as a coping mechanism. Until that moment. Thank you, Zoe Johnson, for the wake-up call!

We can’t afford to ignore the gender gap anymore. If we are ever really going to see the gender balance and equality that we need for a truly diverse and inclusive workplace, we need more leaders to step up as allies to women. Of course, we can’t wait until we’re in a room full of people to start to think about diversity and inclusion…the hard work has to happen long before that. It has to happen every day, in big and small ways.

As I thought about my role as an ally, I thought back on those who have helped me throughout my career:

• Stacey Goodman gave me my first “real” job and coached me every step of the way
• Elizabeth Crain helped me get my first big promotion by coaching me and then gave me a memorable celebration
• Joanne Rohde gave me the confidence to take my first big risk and taught me the power of talking a walk before sending an emotional email…
• Mark Salser taught me not to sweat the small stuff (and made me laugh really hard in the process)
• Keith Block taught me the power of focusing on driving individual account executive productivity as a way to drive transformation
• Jeff Immelt and Beth Comstock taught me how to use systems thinking to drive influence inside and outside of big companies
• And so many Microsoft executives who have provided support throughout my experience here.

Each one of my allies had a major impact on my growth and development. Their positive reinforcement and belief in my capabilities gave me courage and inspiration. To all of them, I want to say THANK YOU, not only for helping me, but for teaching how to help other women. You are my heroes!

In celebration of International Women’s Day, let’s give shout outs to all the people who have done amazing things to help women grow and develop in professional settings. Have you had any wake-up calls like mine? Who helped you? And even more importantly, who have you helped? Share your stories with me!