General Motors CEO Mary Barra has taken on many tasks at the automaker, but one of them has been to ensure women receive more representation in the workplace.
Not just any jobs, but leadership roles, engineering roles and prominent spots in hot industries to propel the careers of the future forward. Barra sat down alongside Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and both discussed and dished out advice to women looking to climb the ranks.
Specifically, both echoed a similar thought: jump in and don’t remain on the outside. By being actively involved with projects and taking on tasks, both female executives felt it’s absolutely necessary to showcase value in an organization. Of course, hard work and proper education also help significantly.
Have a look at the interview in the video below.
Comments
I have to admit, after many years in Information Technology, I have never worked with an above average female. Most women I worked with were poor to extremely poor. How these 2 women got their jobs is unknown?
Your sample size is limited (to your experience) and biased by your perceptions. Statistics bear out that women are just as capable as men in STEM related fields. My wife was the valedictorian of her high school class and graduated with highest honors from a top engineering school. She also did programming, and her code was almost always better than anyone else’s- no glitches or problems, the stuff just worked without errors. I am sure she is not completely unique in the field.
You realize you cancel out your own reply in your opening statement right?
Your antidotal experience with your wife hardly trumps or marginalizes his collective life experience in Info Tech.
All studies show women SHOULD be just as capable in STEM. Yet the reality is, they aren’t…period. The reason is well known as well. Women, generally they have no interest in it. And it is also repeatedly demonstrated in reality, that most females in the field occupy the extreme ends of the spectrum. Really good, or terrible.
Combine that with the extremely low numbers of women in the STEM fields, and it suddenly appears there is some conspiracy, or obstacle to women succeeding in STEM. The reality is sexual dimorphism between males and females means there will be unequal representation in nearly every situation in which males and females interact.
My opening statement referred to STATISTICAL evidence based on large scale studies, not my own limited experience. And I do not infer that ALL women might be STEM capable based on how exceptional my wife has been in the field.
My point- long term societal limitations and expectations are likely a major factor in the low numbers of women succeeding in these fields. We might know more in 100 years, but you and I won’t be around to see how that plays out.
“My point- long term societal limitations and expectations are likely a major factor in the low numbers of women succeeding in these fields. We might know more in 100 years, but you and I won’t be around to see how that plays out.”
Agreed; except, that this to ignore thousands of years of historical, practical, and real-world evidence to the contrary. Men do not seek to limit female achievement. In fact quite to the contrary men encourage and facilitate it. In fact every major women’s advancement of the 20th century has been because men listened to women’s complaints, them sought to rectify them.
Also I may add, it was a MINORITY of women who demanded such changes.
I’m certain things won’t be much different 100 years from now than they are now. Anyone with an eye for historical patterns notices that while history may not repeat itself, it sure as hell rhymes.
These same complaints and discussions between men and women have been going on since the beginning of time. We just like to conveniently forget real-world reality and hard won, time honered, lessons from time to time.
A left-wing Larry’s wet dream.
Right, Sean?