DM Coaching and Development

Stop Quibbling over Who's a "Real" Techies, Scientists and Mathematicians

2010-02-10T05:04:00+00:00

In a recent post for WITsend, the Computer Weekly blog, Rebecca Thompson complained about something I have often noticed. When talking about women in traditionally male areas of IT and Science, I often hear both men and women say "she's not a real scientist or techie". I have seen female scientists on the telly criticised for going into science communication, and not "real science" whereas their male co-presenters are applauded for making such technical areas accessible to a wider audience and for "keeping it real". As explained by blogger Rebecca Thompson: "Irrespective of whether they climbed the ranks of developer or programmer jobs, the fact is these women work in technology. They have brought their skills, experience and ability to the technology industry. They should be applauded, not sneered at". The reasons behind these views, it seems, is that women are seen to operate on the "lighter" or more managerial sides of technology, working within the IT sphere in a portion of some wider business aims, such as in marketing and advertising or business consultancy, rather than working as code writers, developers or IT support technicians - professions that are seen as more stereotypically techie. Still, ladies we will get much further together, not by tearing each other down.

Does "Geeky" Environment Put Women Off Computer Science?

2010-02-08T06:28:00+00:00

I am always impressed by the women I meet when I go to events featuring women in technology. These women are sharp, fun and love their jobs. However, the stereotypes about what it means to work in technology fields still reflect images that have little bearing on the industry. These images are still putting off young women from studying the field according to new research from the University of Washington. " The stereotype of computer scientists as geeks who memorize Star Trek lines and never leave the lab may be driving women away from the field, a new study suggests. And women can be turned off by just the physical environment, say, of a computer-science classroom or office that's strewn with objects considered "masculine geeky," such as video games and science-fiction stuff. "When people think of computer science, the image that immediately pops into many of their minds is of the computer geek surrounded by such things as computer games, science-fiction memorabilia and junk food," said lead researcher Sapna Cheryan, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington. "That stereotype doesn't appeal to many women who don't like the portrait of masculinity that it evokes." Female role models who meet young women before they make their course choices is vital in engaging the next generation of both male and female technologists.

Couples that Share Chores Together, Stay Together

2010-02-05T05:34:00+00:00

It is a well known fact that while men's participation in housework has been on the increase in recent years, women still spend many more hours on housework and with children, whether they also work for pay or not. My own husband and I share chores pretty evenly, with some differentiation - I do all the laundry and he does the hoovering for example, but I think that is more based on what we like more. We share the cooking, with him whipping up 4-5 dinners a week, he's actually the one who inspired me to learn to cook. All this sharing certainly makes the time we spend together more equitable, but I was heartened to hear it might also be a factor in keeping us together over the long haul. According to the article "DIY: the women are doing it for themselves" in The Times "After 19 years studying more than 50,000 adults in Canada, Rod Beaujot, of the University of Western Ontario, reveals that dividing chores often makes for happier relationships than those in which one person works more and another takes on the lion’s share of the home duties. He focused mostly on housework and childcare, rather than specifically DIY, but his theory is clear: if both parties knuckle down to boring household jobs, couples are less likely to fight over them". Could men hoovering lead to marital bliss? It wouldn't hurt to find out....

Amazing Offer of Free Coaching for Research Project

2010-02-03T10:58:00+00:00

One of my colleagues, Kelly Holland, a International Coach Federation qualified professional, is undertaking a research study on coaching and professional women. In exhange for being able to create a confidential report on a client is offering up to 10 hours of coaching between now and May...FREE OF CHARGE to one exceptionally lucky individual! As someone who has been coached by Kelly myself, I know this an amazing offer and will go quick. Please get in touch with me at suzanne@doylemorris.com if you are interested.

Sex Bias or "Best and the Brightest" in University Selection Boards?

2010-02-01T08:58:00+00:00

It seems that the war for equality among high school age students is being won - with a previously unseen impact on college application boards in many US Universities. Because women are outperforming men at high school level in the US, there are many colleges, including my own Alma mater, St. Mary's College of Maryland, among them, where the applicant pool is now 60% women. An article in the Washington Post "Sex Bias Probe in Colleges' Selections" explained "Over the past 40 years, women have gone from underrepresented minority to overrepresented majority on U.S. college campuses, where they outnumber men by a proportion approaching 60-40. Barriers that kept women from college have been swept away, and scholarly focus has shifted to the impediments facing men, who are more likely to drop out of school and more apt to go into the military, manual-labor jobs or prison.", In an effort to keep colleges attractive to women, many colleges want to keep the ratio to 50/50 - as they feel too many women in attendance will be a deterrent to new female applicants. Funny that - when men were the over-represented group in universities in the not too distant past, no one argued that we should let "lesser abled women" in as they make a university more attractive to men. Rather it was explained as "we only take the best and the brightest" - and if they so happen to be men, well then so be it. Interesting to see the rationale shift, now that the shoe is on the other "high-heeled foot".

Flexibility is Good for Working Mothers .....and Fathers

2010-01-25T09:58:00+00:00

I saw a talk recently given by a working father who recommended the book on working parents and workplace discrimination, "Fatherhood Reclaimed" by Adrienne Burgess, which I have started to read. The speaker argued that for far too long, flexible working has been seen as a right for working mothers only and the evidence seems to bear him out - requests for flexible working from men are more often turned down than those requests from women. I agree, and think that the sooner flexibility is seen as a human issue, the more readily it will be adopted rather than be marginalised as a "woman's issue". According to Richard Reeves in The Observer " The real change needed now is in the lives of fathers. Men are more engaged in their children's lives than ever, despite the pressures of being the main breadwinner in most households. But their working patterns have not altered significantly. For women to have more equality at work, we need more equality at home; in this struggle for equality, fathers and feminists are on the same side." I liked the sound of that - fathers and feminists on the same side.

Are you a "Woman of Substance"?

2010-01-22T07:07:00+00:00

Two of my favourite organisations for professional women - The European Professional Womens Network and womenintechnology, are among the hosts for a great evening event happening next Wednesday, the 27th at the Royal Institute. A host of great speakers will discuss how women can interact with the world of science, engineering and technology to make their every day lives easier, to bring about change in the workplace and to make the world a better place. “How can we empower the next generation of women to become scientists, engineers and technologists?” I'll be there and if you would like to come too, please register at www.womenintechnology.co.uk/women-of-substance

High Profile Opportunities in the Office - Are they Fair Game or Safely Guarded Secrets?

2010-01-20T06:43:00+00:00

Interesting, the week after we discussed how to seek profile-raising speaking opportunities on the Beyond the Boys Club Boot Camp, two of the professional women who sought them out reported in their one to one sessions, how they were rebuffed from speaking opportunities where they offered to do them. In both cases, their bosses wanted to keep the chances to present at industry events to themselves - in one instance, even when the boss couldn't attend the event in question! This was the proof that the Boot Campers needed in seeing the high value senior people place on such opportunities ...and how getting them yourself, with a bit of preparation, is one of the surest ways to take your career forward. In both cases, we are looking for ways to work "around" the gatekeeper to get them on side eventually. If this sounds familiar - the next Boot Camp starts on March 12...what would you get out of it?

The Nom de Plume: Why One Female Writer Used A Male Name for More Money

2010-01-18T06:27:00+00:00

If you have been looking for a short-cut to better pay and greater respect away from the glass ceiling- you have to read the article by James Chartrand, the copyblogger - a female writer who for years chose to work under the name "James" simply to earn more money. It is shocking how much more money and better-received her work (as a professional female!) was when she simply changed her name. She writes "The answer was plain. Without really thinking much about it, I tried an experiment when I chose my new pseudonym. Taking a man’s name opened up a new world. It helped me earn double and triple the income of my true name, with the same work and service. No hassles. Higher acceptance. And gratifying respect for my talents and round-the-clock work ethic. Business opportunities fell into my lap. People asked for my advice, and they thanked me for it, too." I won't spoil the rest of her great blog piece, but it is one of those stories that you don't know whether to laugh at her ingenuity or cry at the lack of justice in it all.

The Fallacy of the the 20 Year Career Plan

2010-01-15T18:30:29+00:00

So I just finished the first 1 to 1 telephone coaching sessions with my "Beyond the Boys Club Boot Campers", which I am loving. The issue of career direction came up for one client and it is amazing how many of us assume everyone else around us has a grand plan for their career for the next 5,10 and even 20 years. Like everyone else has a clear, concise and passionate answer to that infamous interview question "what do you see yourself doing in 5 years?" Just looking at how true that assumption - that everyone else has it all figured out, actually is, can be very reassuring and a liberating point to start thinking "okay, what DO I want from my career?" Boot Camp is going great, and the second round for another 6 proactive women starts again on March 12. Visit the Boot Camp page of www.doylemorris.com if you'd like to join me in March.