Release:
February 3, 2021

Women of NATE Today Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 2

When you take a moment to evaluate who you are and how you became the person you are today, it is largely shaped by your past role models. The diversity of these role models is especially important in supporting our ability to succeed in Tech & Engineering.

As a child, did you have a close bond with someone who made you feel confident that you could accomplish those then perceived insurmountable tasks such as tying your laces, mastering sight words, learning your times tables, or riding a bike?

As an adolescent, was your confidence shaken by all the changes in your body, but that special someone believed in you when you were struggling with algebra, simple machines or the difference between ionic and covalent bonds?

As a young adult, was there someone who guided you through the turmoil of trying to decide if you were going to complete post-secondary schooling or enter the workforce right away?

As a new entrant into the workforce, who was the person who motivated you to try harder, produce quality work, and get things completed on time and cost effectively?

The above phases of our lives are critical building blocks of not only our personalities but our character development. Whether these role models are family members, friends, educators, or employers, we rely on these life coaches to help us develop our confidence in what we can accomplish.   

Role models have played an instrumental role in the success I have achieved so far. At a young age, I was raised by a nurturing mother who worked full time and still found time to significantly give back to our community. Throughout elementary school, I recall several passionate female teachers who made a tremendous impact on myself and my peers though their engagement in after school learning and extra-curricular clubs. In high school, I had a male guidance counsellor who spent endless hours coaching students in understanding the opportunities in STEM careers.

Upon starting my career originally in Environmental Engineering, I had the privilege of working under a male supervisor who coached me in understanding decision making in the best interest of the company instead of solely for myself. This was evident when he asked me to take a position supporting the leadership team in the IT division. While I knew very little about IT at the time, he instilled confidence in me believing I had the right skills to contribute to the team’s success.  While working with the IT team, I worked alongside a dynamic, highly driven executive, who climbed the proverbial corporate ladder from the ground up and was the first female partner in the firm. Her enthusiasm for the division’s success was unparalleled to anyone I’d previously met.

Since 2011, when I moved to telecom as a co-owner of P-SEC (now TEP Canada), I have been exposed to countless new role models, each with something different to offer. One of the pillars of the Women of NATE is to connect those who want to be role models and those in need of a role model. This is the corner stone of our Mentorship program. If you haven’t joined already, please reach out to the NATE office today so we can contribute to building your confidence for achieving success. All the best for 2021 and I look forward to seeing you all in person soon!

Jeanne Piercey is a member of the Women of NATE Committee and the VP of Operations in Canada for Tower Engineering Professionals. She can be reached at jpiercey@tepgroup.net.

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For Release: 
January 21, 2020

NATE Congratulates Jessica Rosenworcel on Designation as Acting FCC Chairwoman 

(Washington, D.C.) - NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today congratulated Jessica Rosenworcel on being named Acting Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by President Joseph R. Biden.

“NATE offers our heartfelt congrats to Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel and looks forward to continue collaborating with Jessica and her staff in her new role,” stated President & CEO Todd Schlekeway. “NATE member companies continue to be on the front lines of deployment from coast to coast and look forward to working with the FCC on a diverse array of issues ranging from broadband coverage, next generation networks and technology, spectrum policy, workforce development and industry safety,” added Schlekeway.

Role Models Are Key In Gender Diversity – Especially In Tech & Engineering

IT’S NOT ABOUT CHANGING WOMEN BUT ABOUT LEVERAGING
WHAT WOMEN BRING TO THE TABLE.

Of course, you hear all the time that women need more role models, and that one of the main reasons women aren’t choosing tech & engineering is the lack of role models. But even if you are committed to making sure you have more visible female role models, it isn’t necessarily easy. Where to find these women that can act as role models? How do you encourage them of being a role model? And what does ‘being a role model' even involve? 

Let me show you why role models really can have a big impact on gender diversity and what you need to do to get the most impact from them. 

Why role models in gender diversity work

Studies* (listed below) show that role models are an incredibly effective way to encourage women to make different choices. Their effect is based on the concept ‘Seeing is believing’, and interestingly this works at multiple levels. 

WOMEN GET INSPIRED

Typically people get inspired to do something when they see others like them do it. When women see other women in roles they find it easier to imagine themselves in those roles and are more likely to put themselves forward. In addition, when they see women in leadership positions they are more likely to speak up themselves. Female students are more likely to choose a major in STEM when they are assigned a female professor instead of a male one. Retention of junior-level female employees is highly correlated with the number of female supervisors. 

MEN SEE WOMEN CAN DO IT

Regardless of how many scientific studies are cited, it’s hard for men to imagine women would be good CEO’s if they don’t see many of them. When I was at university, a male friend of mine used to say, ‘If women were really that good at electrotechnical engineering, then why do I not see them taking it?’ It’s that simple. When men see women do it, they know it’s possible. In a study during a women’s leadership project in India, they found that men that had been exposed to a minimum of two female village leaders were more likely to vote for them. 

PEERS AND PARENTS SEE DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES

Women are often discouraged by others to follow a particular track. Female engineers regularly hear discouraging remarks at parties such as, ‘Gosh, an engineer that is unusual?’ and ‘I am sure that is difficult’. 

These remarks don’t help. It’s like when you are running a marathon and instead of getting encouragement and people cheering you on, you get people doubting your choices and pointing out how hard it is the run a marathon. It makes it harder to keep on believing you will actually get to the finish line. 

When others see more women doing those jobs, these stories change. In the same study in India mentioned before they found that after seeing a minimum of two female chiefs, parents were more likely to want their daughter to study past secondary school.  

How to get role models in gender diversity right

Over the years I have seen clients work with role models, seen many women being picked as role models and have even been one myself at some point. Here is what I have learned. 

1. CHOOSE A ROLE MODEL THAT IS CLOSE

It turns out that inviting highly successful female speakers can sometimes have the wrong impact; it discourages women. They look at the successful person, and it is so far away from their own experience that they can’t imagine themselves in that position. When you choose role models, include ones that are 1 or 2 steps ahead of your audience. 

2. MEN CAN BE ROLE MODELS FOR WOMEN TOO

An all-women Lean-In group at LumesseLearning invited a male executive to one of their meetings. He talked about the challenges and pressures he experiences, and how he finds solutions to them. He is a father and loves cooking, and has to make choices he is not happy with. It was a real eye-opener, and it allowed women to imagine themselves in the role of CFO. They are now considering inviting male colleagues to some LeanIn meetings too. 

A range of organizations I have worked with find – just like LumesseLearning - that actually, men can be role models too. Women often like to know what the next step involves, or what experience is needed to get there. When men openly share their own fears, the issues they had to overcome, and what it’s really like to be in their position, it’s just as powerful to convince women it may be for them. 

3. MAKE THE ‘WAY TO GET THERE’ VISIBLE

Women often think they are not ready for something or don’t have the right experience. It can help to make the path to a more senior role more transparent. For instance, women sometimes believe there is only a linear path to the top, and it helps to show them that it’s not like that for everyone. Ask your role models to talk about their path to the top. 

5. VISIBILITY

It’s important to work specifically on making role models visible. Organizations can look at creating a gender balance in images they show on their website, on social media, and in the company magazine. But it is also key to go beyond that. Check if you have gender balance in both internal and external speakers, presenters, trainers and forum members. Check if there is gender balance in the speaking time allotted as well. 

When creating visibility it can work well to think of ways you can challenge gender stereotypes on purpose. Show for instance a male nurse and a female doctor or place interviews with men that are working flexibly. 

6. SHOW A VARIETY OF ROLE MODELS

Not all women are the same. It is helpful for women to see that there is a wide variety of (female) leadership styles. 

7. ENSURE THERE IS SOMETHING IN IT FOR THE ROLE MODEL

Senior women – especially those in male-dominated organizations – are often asked to be a role model. They may well spend a considerable amount of time on tasks related to this, rather than on their own career. Ensure they are adequately compensated, and look wider at who could be a role model, e.g. by looking at women a couple of levels below them too or by looking at men. 

Andrea Miles, Executive Director at LumesseLearning, mentions that when she is invited she goes as a ‘leader’, rather than a ‘female leader’, and is keen to not just focus on women but encourage both men and women to be good leaders. She mentions there is a lot of stigma around female leaders and being asked as a woman can seem as if ‘you haven’t earned it’. 

In fact, Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook, once advised women to accept any invitation, regardless of why you were invited, and make the most of the situation by getting a key point across. 

8. WHERE TO FIND THE RIGHT ROLE MODELS

Even when you look wider in the organization, it can sometimes be hard in male-dominated industries to find someone who can act as a role model. Sometimes you have to create your own. In the NextTechGirls project, they arrange internships in tech for secondary schools then ask the girls to make videos of their experience and post them online. This has created a valuable database of stories that is incredibly powerful in attracting more young girls to tech internships. 

Sometimes you can tap into initiatives of others. A number of companies went along with the #iamanengineer campaign, where they asked women to post an image of themselves on Twitter with a sign #iamanengineer. Intel, for instance, encourage the campaign internally.

You can also look at bringing women in from the outside, such as external speakers, trainers, subcontractors or clients. 

*Studies to see the impact of role models include Seeing is Believing: Exposure to Counter Stereotypic Women Leaders and it’s Effect on the Malleability of Automatic Gender Stereotyping or Successful female leaders empower Women’s Behaviour in Leadership Tasks

Many thanks to Iris Bohnet, as some content and ideas in this blog are drawn from the book ‘What Works – Gender Equality by Design’ by Iris Bohnet.

Please send recipes with photos to Nikki Gronau at nikki@natehome.com.