International Women’s Day
Today is International Women’s Day and if you need inspiration for a work meeting or even to inspire yourself, then you are at the perfect place!
After spending a year and a half in an HR position that involved a lot of employee motivation and working one on one with Senior Management with business needs, I began to see a trend with our employees… A lot of these young women lacked confidence in their abilities and were afraid to speak up. I’m not going to lie and say that I am the most confident person. I am finally, on the verge of 50, finding my own voice. This is in thanks to the young women that I worked with on a daily basis, and as I began to stand up for them, I needed to begin to stand up for myself.
Last year to celebrate International Women’s Day, around 15 of us squeezed in to our conference room that was intended for 10 people. Women all giggled when maneuvering around and were excited to have a moment without Senior Management around as intimidation. I started the meeting with telling them how thankful I was for all of them and how each made a difference in my day. I looked at each one and brought up a positive aspect, whether it was the spark they had during the interview, or how they helped out another co-worker. I was vulnerable for a moment and gave a bit of my personal background and assured each one that they had what it takes to succeed. “Because, if I can make it in life, so can you.”
I then brought up six talking points in hopes that it would make a change in our office, and slow down office gossip. It was important for these women to see that if we support each other, we will all feel empowered.
Celebrate each others strengths and give praise. It’s contagious! I began to see women cheering for each other or walking by someone’s desk telling them “great job” or “thank you”.
Back each other up in meetings. This is a powerful one. During my meetings with Management, I was often the only woman in there. I understood what it felt like to not have an ally.
Include less experienced women in your projects. How else are we going to learn and expand our roles if someone doesn’t teach us?
Be approachable and offer help. One of the best compliments I had from an employee is when she told me that she told another employee, “Go see HR. She isn’t just there to hear work related things. She has really helped me in my personal life, also.”
Be open about your own vulnerabilities and failings. We think that successful women “just got there” or that they are special. Knowing the lengths that other women had to take to get to where they are inspires other women to know that their hard work will pay off.
Accept and embrace each others individuality. If everyone was the same, how boring would that be? Learn about other people and their cultures, hobbies, lifestyle. Keep learning.
What I did next seemed like a typical move for me, but my employees were not expecting it. I printed out the quotes below and had each one on individual pieces of paper, folded up, placed in a jar. As a firm believer in how things work out the way they are supposed to, I told each lady to reach in and grab the piece of paper that felt right to them and those would be their words. When it was over, it was truly amazing how each woman identified with “their” quote and several of them taped their quotes to their computer monitor as a daily reminder.
Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength. G.D. Anderson
There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself. Hannah Gadsby
The most important thing one woman can do for another is expand her sense of actual possibilities. Adrienne Rich
We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced. Malala Yousafzai
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Eleanor Roosevelt
We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead. Beyoncé
I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.
Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on. Serena Williams
She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword. Atticus
Above all, be the heroine of your life. Not the victim. Nora Ephron
Girls should never be afraid to be smart. Emma Watson
A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink. Gina Carey
Your life isn’t yours if you constantly care what others think. Unknown
If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. Margaret Fuller
A successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at her. Unknown
A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult. Melinda Gates
We all have a ‘Wonder Woman’ inside of us. Unknown
I want every girl to know that her voice can change the world. Malala
Real queens fix each other’s crowns. Unknown
There’s something about a woman with a loud mind that sits in silence, smiling, knowing she can crush you with the truth. R.G. Moon
A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everyone else. Unknown
You can always tell who the strong women are. They are the ones you see building one another up instead of tearing each other down. Unknown
She overcame everything that was meant to destroy her. Rumi
It’s okay if you fall down and lose your spark. Just make sure that when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire. Colette Werden
What’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? That since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that convinced her she did not. Rupi Kaur
I know what I bring to the table… So trust me when I say I’m not afraid to eat alone. Unknown
Be the woman you needed as a girl. Unknown
And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back, because her passion burned brighter than her fears. Mark Anthony
I left that company seven months later. In fact, so did several other women as they became confident enough to speak up for themselves. The great thing is, I still hear from several of them as they have secured better jobs and found themselves deserving of a better life. I hold each of these ladies dear to my heart and although the company was awful to work for, these ladies helped me find myself and my voice and in turn, I helped them.
