First, But Not The Last

Today, I watched Kamala Harris make history as the first woman, first Black, and first Asian-American to be sworn in to the office of Vice President of the United States. As an Asian-American woman raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, I see a lot of similarities in our background. I feel proud that there is finally someone like me in one of the highest offices in the country.

I’m sure that I’m not alone in feeling the weight of the moment. One of the most popular quotes shared on social media after the election results were announced was, “Make sure to wear shoes, ladies. There’s glass everywhere.” Breaking the glass ceiling is a milestone to celebrate and savor.

And yet despite all of the celebration, there’s still a lot of work to do. Although she was referencing broader issues, Michelle Obama’s tweet following the election results couldn’t be more apt. “Let’s remember that this is just a beginning. It’s a first step. Voting in one election isn’t a magic wand, and neither is winning one.” It’s estimated that the pandemic has set women back by 10 years in the workforce. CNN recently reported that the U.S. economy lost 140,000 jobs in December 2020, and shockingly, women lost 156,000 jobs while men gained 16,000 jobs. We are losing ground as we gain ground.

Being a female and a minority, I recognize that I have a responsibility in my leadership journey to help make the path for others behind me a little less rocky. But females and minorities can’t shoulder this burden alone. Glass ceilings don’t break just because of one person’s will. It takes a whole network to help. It takes allies. As Harris said in her acceptance speech, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.” It’s incumbent upon all of us, not only females and minorities, to make this happen.

If you’ve ever wondered “How can I help?,” then use M.B.A. to be an ally to womxn and BIPOC.

Anyone can be a MENTOR

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that:

You can only be a mentor if you’re at a certain seniority level
You can only be mentored by someone that is more senior than you
Only women can mentor other women

This creates multiple problems. If you’re only matching to gender and seniority level, then you’re missing the most important ingredient: what you want to learn from a mentor. And if you’re only matching to gender and seniority level, then the relatively few senior women get overwhelmed by requests to mentor every junior woman in the company.

A better way to match is on skills. Tess Peppers had recently transitioned into product management when I became her mentor. On top of that, her company went through a layoff and she became the only PM left standing. Over the course of three months, I helped Tess uncover the hidden strengths that she brought to the role, navigate common PM scenarios, and hit her groove as a PM. Sadly, because our first meeting was scheduled the week that shelter-in-place began, we have yet to meet up in real life, but we have developed an ongoing friendship and expect it to feel like a reunion.

If you’re a mentee in search of a mentor, start by clearly defining what you want to learn. Then, brainstorm who you know that’s really good at what you want to learn. Keep an open mind with considering peers or someone more junior to you. Finally, ask them for an initial meeting so that you can share what you want to learn and discuss expectations for frequency and timeframe for the mentor relationship. Remember that you don’t need a company sponsored mentorship program to form mentor relationships. Some of my best mentor relationships have come about organically.

If you’re a mentor in search of a mentee, develop an understanding of what your strengths are. Then, think about who you know that has expressed interest in growing in that area. Finally, be proactive and reach out to them to see how you can help. You can help break glass ceilings by mentoring others, and helping them improve their skills to reach their potential.

Anyone can BELONG to interest-oriented groups

*1st Cohort of Product Speaker Idol. Photo Credit: https://www.productleadersummit.com/product-speaker-idol*

Nope, I’m not asking you to donate money to PACs and special interests. What I’m calling “interest-oriented groups” are small groups or communities that form around a shared interest.

When I began my public speaking journey, I was fortunate enough to earn a spot in Product Speaker Idol. Through the program, I’ve formed lasting relationships with Archana Ramamoorthy, Parul Goel, and Elizabeth Douglas. We’ve spoken together on panels, recommended each other to conference organizers, and introduced each other to more women product leaders like Subha Shetty that share our interest. We are allies for each other.

I’ve found similar fit with groups like Founder Institute that have connected me with entrepreneurs that I can share my product expertise with, and mom’s groups that have helped me learn the ropes when I was a new parent. For you, it could be playing in an ultimate frisbee league, participating in Toastmasters, or volunteering on church missions. Bonding over shared interests is a great way to simultaneously give and receive, and to authentically build a network that lasts. When you become aware of opportunities, you can turn to your networks and share these opportunities with them. You can help break glass ceilings by putting your network in the path of opportunities.

Anyone can ADVOCATE for diversity

*Unconscious Bias Workshop hosted by the StubHub Women’s Initiative Network*

Don’t wait for the authority to be an advocate. Instead, take a leadership mindset. When you find problems and see a solution, advocate for them.

When I first joined StubHub, we didn’t have any employee resource groups (ERG). Elainea de Vera saw a need to have a group for women and pitched our president, Chris Tsakalakis, on it. Elainea wasn’t on a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion team. She didn’t have a mandate to create ERGs. Instead, she took initiative and advocated for it, which paved the way for others, like myself, Lindsey Colli, and Devra Davis to carry on the torch. Groups like this can help accelerate careers, but they only form because someone advocated for it.

Aside from ERGs, there are many ways that you can influence diversity-friendly decisions. Even if there’s no org wide policy around it, hiring managers can set the requirements on how you want your search to run. You can request that you want both a diverse slate of candidates, as well as a diverse panel of interviewers. You can help break glass ceilings by being an advocate for diversity.

And if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in a position where you control decisions about organizations and policies, then say “yes.” Say yes not only with budget, but also with elbow grease. The best executive sponsors for StubHub’s women’s group were the ones that actively participated in discussions with our group’s leadership and got hands-on, even if it meant something as tactical as sending emails to their team to encourage them to participate in a meaningful event. And lastly, for employees that are contributing in other ways outside of their day job, recognize the work that they are doing.

* * *

Anyone can be an ally to womxn and BIPOC by using M.B.A.: mentor others, belong to interest-oriented groups, and advocate for diversity. Don’t feel bad if you are not able to do all of these things at once. You can prioritize where to focus your effort by thinking about how you like to engage: 1-to-1, small groups, or at scale.

Mentoring largely occurs through 1-to-1 engagement. It provides personalized feedback and coaching that enables you to make a deeper impact on an individual, but it doesn’t scale because it takes the most time.
Interest-oriented groups are small groups and have better network effects than mentoring because group members can support each other’s growth.
Advocating for diversity has the largest surface area by affecting organizational makeup or diversity policies, but is the least personal.

However you choose to engage, it will be the right decision because you will make an impact. Let’s celebrate Kamala Harris for being a first, but do everything we can to make sure she is not the last.

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