By Jasmina Muller
Did you know that August 18th, 2020 marked 100 years since women were allowed to vote and get started in the workplace? That is insane, right? How have we come this far and still not believe that we can have it all?
I sometimes need to stop and take stock in what I have achieved in the last few decades of my life. And, now and again, I am in awe. I know it’s not “PC” to be a little proud of one’s achievements in life, but then we must question, why not?
There is something about women’s DNA makeup that dictates we should be far more demure, subtle about our achievements and not at all self-promoting for fear of coming across as arrogant. And we seem to be our own worst enemies. Instead of promoting, supporting and celebrating successes with other women, some of us react with catty disdain and even sabotage.
Surely, if we all succeed, this world would be a nicer place.
Who better to pave the way than a multitasking mother? Being a mother teaches you so much that can be used in the workplace if given the opportunity. Raising a human, running a household and juggling a partner, hones skills like dedication, learning and training that can benefit most businesses.
If you have ever been that mother whose kid forgot to tell you that tomorrow is “dress-up day” at school, you know how problem-solving can come to the fore. Whipping up an outfit out of regular household items for an award-winning costume in a few hours is an incredible feat by any standard!
I believe that given the opportunity, skills that we’ve perfected in the home can be implemented in the office environment without a hiccup. It’s just a matter of asking the right person the right question.
If we don’t take the time to find the right question to ask, we can sometimes miss out on the most important answers. Encouraging more women in the workplace to speak their minds in a safe space where their job security will not be jeopardized is one sure-fire way to start finding solutions to problems that you have not even thought about yet.
In his book, “Leaders Eat Last“, Simon Sinek outlined the importance of staff feeling valued and secure in their roles in the company, and in turn, give more than what was required to support the business. I can see this fear rolled out in many female co-workers who hold back their experience being a mom, for fear it will be seen as a negative trait, instead of promoting their skills from the rooftops.
It’s time to change the narrative and bring those conversations into the boardroom to change the working environment to be a more effective and inclusive space. Watch out for the stream of wonder women coming your way!
About the Author
Jasmina Muller is an accomplished channel executive with more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. She is the Vice President of Channel Partnerships at Everbridge. Previously, she held sales and channel leadership positions at 8×8 and CenturyLink Business. Muller has been an active member of the Alliance of Channel Women for the past three years. She was elected to the 2020-21 ACW Board of Directors and serves as Chair of the ACW Sponsorship Committee.