October 12, 2020

Hello,

It's almost time for our October meeting! Join the Zoom call this Tuesday, October 13th at 5:30PM PST/8:30PM EST to discuss The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You by Lydia Fenet. The level of enjoyment that this book has given me was totally unexpected and I put several of her pieces of advice to work right away. If you don't have the time or inclination to read, here's a quick Skimm for you.

If you didn't receive a Google calendar invite for the meeting, let me know so we can get you squared away in time for the conversation. As always, feel free to join late, join for ten minutes, leave early, join if you didn't read, join if you didn't like the book, etc. All are welcome :)

The Weekly Three

1. Something about Remote Networking as a Person of Color: Pros of social distance networking include no longer having to travel to inconvenient locations, less conflict with other obligations, and the literal expenses associated with events being attended. A negative pointed out by Laura Morgan Roberts is that physical isolation "can exacerbate the 'invisibility conundrum' that many professionals of color experience as being one of very few people like them in their organizations or fields." Which is why, she argues, "it is so important for professionals of color to ensure regular contact and interaction with their manager and their peers — and why managers and other industry leaders must proactively stay in contact with their colleagues of color as well." 

In this article from the New York Times, it's pointed out by Tina Shah Paikeday that “most minorities are left out of informal networks and might not have been invited out for drinks or lunch...[but] the Zoom meeting is intentionally planned, and managers feel very intentional about inviting everyone.” However for some, the difficulty of speaking up when attending an event or meeting can be exacerbated by the digital space. 

Joy Fitzgerald, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Eli Lilly

photo and caption from The New York Times

2. Something about indigenous women in business: Depending on where in the US you're located, Monday is either officially called Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day. Modern Woman in the UK featured this article for UN’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (9 August). Most of the articles that came up during my research were pre-COVID and even those were scant. 

3. Something from Lydia Fenet about finances: Guess what I'm really uncomfortable talking about. Money! As Fenet says in her book, she thought talking about money was to be avoided "because it's rude. It's insensitive [and] it makes people uncomfortable" (see my statement above). She emphasizes the need for us to erase those beliefs and take ownership of your finances in every possible way. Find out how much your skills are worth, talk to coworkers or other people in your field, do the research. Then be confident enough to ask for it, knowing that your money is your responsibility and that "you are going to be compensated adequately only by negotiating for what you deserve". No more Tiara Syndrome!

Photo from Business Insider

Thank you for reading and see you Tuesday,

Amber