The glass ceiling is a metaphor that speaks to the invisible barrier to professional advancement that women and minorities face in the workplace.
But, is the barrier really invisible? Statistics show that it’s not.
According to 2018 U.S. Census data, women make about 80 percent of what men make in terms of pay. Whether that’s due to pay discrepancies between men and women who hold the same position, higher promotion rates for men over women, or several other workplace inequities, one truth remains: it’s time to chip away at that ceiling until it shatters.
And there’s a great number of women in the workforce who are doing just that. According to Shannon Fraser, senior account manager at Convoy, in order to really break the glass ceiling, it’s up to women themselves to make it a priority to challenge the status quo and set a new standard. Zoe Clelland, VP of product at Nintex, said that women can do this by embracing what makes them successful and impactful — personally and professionally.
Built In Seattle caught up with Fraser, Clelland and a few other powerful women across the city to hear more about how they are challenging the norm and chipping away at the ceiling.
For women who are working on a male-dominated team, Senior Account Manager Shannon Fraser said the best thing to do is to challenge that bias. She noted that actively challenging gender bias allows for people to become better leaders and team members to their peers.
What is the greatest challenge you’ve experienced being the only woman on a team? What did you do to overcome that challenge?
Gender bias exists even within the most well-intentioned individuals. When gender biases are challenged or when someone breaks the conformity of gender stereotypes, it can make others extremely uncomfortable. The biggest challenge I have faced is being expected to accommodate that discomfort because of someone’s rank or ego. While making others uncomfortable is by no means an enjoyable experience, I felt secure in knowing that the best thing I could do was to continue to challenge that bias. It would make them better leaders for the company and better team members for their peers. If I softened my perspective, I would only be pushing the bias down the line for some other female to endure later.
Diversity is one of the most impactful contributors to any high performing team.”
What's the most important lesson you learned from being the only woman on a team, and how have you continued to apply that lesson in your professional and/or personal life?
Diversity is one of the most impactful contributors to any high performing team. It drives innovation, effective decision making and efficient problem-solving. When I am the only woman on a team, I am reminded of how limiting it is to pull from just one set of experiences and perspectives when trying to solve a problem. This lesson crosses my mind every time I look to bring on a new member of my team. The question goes beyond just “Can this person do the job?” and extends to “Can they do the job, can they teach the team, and can they challenge our current way of thinking?”
What is the best piece of advice you’d offer to other women working on male-dominated teams?
I have two pieces of advice. First, if you find yourself on a male-dominated team, you must be the most well-prepared, well-thought-out perspective in the room, always. Fair or not, your ability to lead will be scrutinized more than others. Therefore, leave no doubt.
Second, if you find yourself on a male-dominated team, fix it. The glass ceiling is a primary driver of gender inequity in the workforce. Therefore, when you break through and you find yourself in a male-dominated group, make it a priority to actively change that balance.
Sofia Desenberg, a full-stack engineer at Auth0, said that being confident in yourself and your work is a great way to stand out as a woman on a male-dominated team. For example, speaking up when an idea sparks or challenging another idea if there is room for improvement.
What is the greatest challenge you’ve experienced being the only woman on a team? What did you do to overcome that challenge?
I find that women tend to naturally include others more often, and men don’t necessarily do extra work to ensure that others are included. If you find yourself feeling a bit alone or excluded, actively try to insert yourself. If two people are pair programming, say, “I would love to join as well.” If there’s an ongoing project, ask stakeholders, “Would you like to meet to discuss this further? I have some ideas about this.” If you are not invited to review a pull request but feel qualified, review it anyway.
Speak up when you have an idea or notice something could be improved instead of keeping it to yourself.”
What’s the most important lesson you learned from being the only woman on a team, and how have you continued to apply that lesson in your professional and/or personal life?
Others will constantly second-guess you and your work, so if you second-guess yourself, you are doing yourself a disservice. Sometimes in life, it’s good to be humble and question yourself, but the tech workplace is not one of those times. Be confident in the work you put out, and be prepared to defend it. Speak up when you have an idea or notice something could be improved instead of keeping it to yourself.
What is the best piece of advice you'd offer to other women working on male-dominated teams?
Remove certain passive phrases from your vocabulary and use ones that are more straightforward. For example, instead of saying “I was wondering,” say “I want to know.” If anything, this will at least help build confidence within yourself and reframe how you view your own contributions.
Jasmine Park, director of product at Axon, lives by the mantra, “Be the change you want to see.” This not only guides her personal life but also her professional life when it comes to navigating the waters of being a woman in a male-dominated industry. It allows her to figure out what she can do to attract and retain other women in order to set a new industry standard.
What is the greatest challenge you’ve experienced being the only woman on a team? What did you do to overcome that challenge?
Being the only woman on a team or in a conference room means I stand out visually, just at a glance. Of course, that should imply nothing about my ability to lead that team or engage in that meeting. I realized early in my career that I could embrace that visual difference and control how I present myself to the world. I happen to be interested in fashion, and I’ve always enjoyed putting thought and care into my clothes — they can enable me to stand out positively from my teammates. I feel good wearing a smart outfit in a sea of company-logo T-shirts, and I think it has helped people take me more seriously.
Spend your time and energy in places where your positive thinking and doing can flourish.”
What’s the most important lesson you learned from being the only woman on a team, and how have you continued to apply that lesson in your professional and/or personal life?
If I let myself get resentful and stew about those lone-woman situations, I would drive myself mad. Instead, I try to live by the mantra of “being the change I want to see,” which has helped me flip those situations around. This allows me to figure out what I can do to attract and retain other women so non-diverse teams become the exception instead of the rule. This has led me to take on additional jobs at every company I’ve gone to.
For example, mentoring women, participating in women-focused events, and improving interview processes to diversify interviewer representation and reduce unconscious biases. I also do this extra work as a way of paying it forward, because other women (some of whom barely knew me!) have done so much to nurture my career. Even something as small as being especially welcoming toward other women and minorities when they join your team can go a long way.
What is the best piece of advice you'd offer to other women working on male-dominated teams?
Develop a spidey sense to avoid toxic men. Don’t work for anyone you can’t respect. Spend your time and energy in places where your positive thinking and doing can flourish. It’s been said that championing diversity is about two key things: the policies and the people. Work for a place that supports both in their efforts toward equality.
Although it can be intimidating being the only woman in a room full of men, Zoe Clelland, VP of product at Nintex, emphasizes the importance of staying true to yourself. To stand out and make a difference in the workplace, Clelland said that women should embrace everything that makes them successful and impactful.
What is the greatest challenge you’ve experienced being the only woman on a team? What did you do to overcome that challenge?
The biggest challenge for me has always been how to “fit in” with a room full of men. It’s tempting to just follow the lead of the men in the room and adjust tone, volume and ego to match what I am hearing or seeing. However, inevitably, that approach starts to erode what makes me valuable and effective and can result in an inauthentic persona. Several years ago I worked with an executive coach, who happened to be female, and she was instrumental in helping me sort out the difference between knowing my audience and sacrificing my authentic female self. I continue to practice that every day.
What’s the most important lesson you learned from being the only woman on a team, and how have you continued to apply that lesson in your professional and/or personal life?
Embrace everything that makes you successful and impactful, including being female. While we certainly must adjust our communication styles according to the audience in any room, including the boardroom, understanding your own boundaries is critical. You might adjust your energy to match the room, but you don’t adjust your conviction. You might adjust the language used to make it easier for others to understand, but you don’t adjust what you know to be true. You might challenge ideas that don’t align with the business goals, but you always debate with rationale and respect. Not because you are a woman, but because you are an amazing human being — full stop.
Embrace everything that makes you successful and impactful, including being female.”
What is the best piece of advice you'd offer to other women working on male-dominated teams?
Know yourself well, don’t downplay the skills and intelligence that brought you to the table in the first place, and don’t sacrifice how awesome you are in order to make others feel more comfortable.
