Speaker: Sheryl Sandburg
TEDWomen 2010
Date: December 2010
Location: Washington, D.C.
Description from TED website:
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg looks at why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions — and offers 3 powerful pieces of advice to women aiming for the C-suite.
My Review / Notes / Thoughts
The thought-provoking question that Ms. Sandburg asks in this talk is really a question that we should still be deeply considering even a decade later. The numbers she discusses at the introduction of her speech show that women are not rising through the ranks. So she asks:
“[H]ow are we going to fix this? How do we change these numbers at the top? How do we make this different? I want to start out by saying, I talk about this — about keeping women in the workforce — because I really think that's the answer.”
She goes on to state that her talk is about what to do if you (a woman) want to stay in the workforce and she provides three points to consider.
- Sit at the table
- Make your partner a real partner
- Don’t leave before you leave
“[W]omen systematically underestimate their own abilities … Because no one gets to the corner office by sitting on the side, not at the table, and no one gets the promotion if they don't think they deserve their success, or they don't even understand their own success.”
Honestly, Ms. Sandburg presents so much information in this short talk … all of which really hit home for me as a woman in the workforce.
If we are to tackle the issue … we have to tackle it individually and together. We each have to do our part, and we have to encourage others to do their part as well.
As a woman who struggles with the issues she presents, I must push for a seat at the table. I need to ask questions and make my voice heard.
It will require stepping out of my comfort zones … but that means growth, right? We can all use a little growth.
So what steps will you take to stay in and/or encourage women to stay in the workforce?
Until next time … live long life-learner!