Don't get me wrong, I love being a bloke and I don't want to jump on any bandwagon, there's enough of those. You can see me in the camp of "Once you see it, you can't not see it." In this case, about a lack of women presenters at big (often vendor) events. Here's my quick litmus test. Up to 3 speakers, no women - perhaps fair enough. The event was built around particular speakers, or they were the only people available. Maybe check if anyone asked anyone beyond the "we went with who we always go with," and if they didn't, then maybe just do that. Up to 6 speakers, no women - starting to be dubious here. When I ran the programme for Travel Forward, I simply asked "Do you have any women spokespeople?" The answer was often, "Oh, yeah! There's ABC, she's great!" And off we went with a much more interesting mix of speakers than a series of old blokes with similar attitudes. Beyond 6 speakers, no women - sorry, nah, I don't buy it. This isn't some need to check a box, it's going with the default, reducing the energy, making the event more bland. We don't need women to prove a point, we need women because we need the perspectives women bring. Plus, women still need the opportunities created when we all think a bit harder at planning time. That takes to the broader picture of diversity, for sure, but we're not even getting over the threshold if we can't find a single non-bloke in a two-day event agenda. Rambling rant over, thanks for reading :)
THIS!!! As someone who has had opportunities to at least be a breakout session presenter or to speak on smaller stages we also need to ensure we set women and other diverse folks up for success. Being a great presenter takes ongoing practice, clear feedback, and opportunities to get better. We can't expect folks to headline a major conference without ensuring they have opportunities throughout their career to gain the skills and confidence to claim that space on the stage and know they're going to knock it out of the park. It's why we need diversity in leadership at all levels. Why we need effective leadership training and support from your front line leaders all the way up to the C-suite. We need allies at all levels to put forth folks names to speak at the team meeting, department meeting, or internal town hall to get practice on a lower stakes stage. I have so many feelings about this and want to see this change happen.
Puni Rajah
2w
Isn't this where the hard work/friction sits - "We don't need women to prove a point, we need women because we need the perspectives women bring." Different perspectives are scary/hard work, just easier to say we could not find qualified speakers - not trying is really code for avoiding the issue altogether, right? Being open to perspectives from neuro-diverse speakers is another point - heaven knows we have enough candidates in the IT industry - but, hey, they don't comply with the accepted norm for speakers 🤷🏽♀️
Monica Sasso
2w
There is something innately human (and tragic) about hiring in your own image or selecting in your own image. I have been guilty of it, but it is just lazy in 2024, we all know better!
It's a wild ride to read the fake women speaker saga about Devternity from last year heh.
Yes 💯 and THANK YOU for calling it out 🙏
Thanks for your allyship, Jon! I strongly believe companies/people should refuse to participate on panels without diversity. A good way to focus the organisers' minds...
I’ve been running analysts events for over 20 years and maybe I was lucky to work at IBM back then but then and since a whole male lineup has been a no no. Diversity is still a challenge thought in tech -including ageism etc. But I’m richer that my own small business is quite diverse.
Beth Hespe
2w
It is sad that it's a problem in 2024. Going back 20+ years ago in pre-mobile phone and social media days, I worked with a woman tech CEO. It was harder than anything to get her speaking opportunities at tech events. Some of the barriers put up by large organizers included previous experience. And, these organizers required proof that she was a good speaker with video. It was difficult to find her local venues for speaking that would be acceptable. You can do your own mobile phone recordings and social media to validate your talented women speakers. I'd encourage anyone who wants to participate at tech events to cultivate your video and online presence. Start with smaller in person events (including panels) and include social media and podcasts as a venue to gain that valuable experience to bring to larger events. LinkedIn videos are a great place to jump start your public speaking.
Something about this is niggling in my brain. I've been reading Othering Without Belonging by john a powell and Stephen Menendian and participating in the book group through the OBIU (https://obiu.org/obiu-home) affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley. In the the book he points out a difference between inclusion and belonging. Inclusion brings equity, but it has a notion that the group is already there and established, they're letting you, the outsider in, but the expectation is that you conform to the established group's norms. Simply bringing in a woman or 2 to speak at a conference may be inclusive, but it alone doesn't actually accomplish the goal. In contrast, belonging is about co-creation. It's about evolving or reestablishing norms that are designed with all participating groups in mind. This is a very different thing and to where we theoretically would like to be - if we're sincerely trying to increase visibiity and participation of others outside the core group. I believe then, that at least in part, what you are pointing to is that you experience that difference and furthermore it is worth doing, not just for the women themselves but for everyone else in the group.