As we wrap up Women’s History Month, I‘m reminded of this year’s International Women’s Day theme: #ChoosetoChallenge. Such a fitting theme for the time we are living in. Women everywhere are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even the UN has warned of its adverse impact on gender equity. Yet women have risen to the challenge, continuing to break the glass ceiling and owning a seat at the table. In early 2020, Fortune announced that there are more women at the helm of Fortune 500 companies than ever before: 37 out of the 500 CEOs are female. According to Lean-In, 21% of C-suite leaders today are women, but just 1% are Black women. It is truly a privilege to be able to challenge—and I started to question what it takes to have that privilege, to be valued for who you are and what you can do to make a difference.
As Nielsen’s leader for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), I can challenge the status quo, ask uncomfortable questions and pave the way for change. But for many working women, getting to a role like mine feels more like a pipe dream. While DE&I has become the latest corporate buzzword, the most successful companies have a common denominator: a CEO or leader who is passionate about infusing DE&I throughout the company and acts to drive change. Nielsen has our CEO David Kenny, who until recently, played the dual role of CEO and CDO so that he could act quickly to improve representation. Find people who share your passion and will trust and empower you to do what is right for the company.
Ketika saya pertama kali datang ke Nielsen pada akhir tahun 2019, saya melakukan tur mendengarkan dan mendengar begitu banyak karyawan yang beragam, termasuk wanita, yang merasa bahwa mereka telah dilewatkan untuk promosi dan bahwa mereka tidak memiliki pendukung karena hanya sedikit pemimpin senior yang seperti mereka. Seringkali mereka adalah wanita kulit hitam seperti saya, yang mengatakan kepada saya bahwa mereka dipandang sebagai "wanita kulit hitam yang pemarah" dan merasa terjebak-jika mereka tidak angkat bicara, tidak ada yang berubah, dan jika mereka bicara, mereka akan distereotipkan. Saya juga mengalami hal ini sepanjang karier saya, tetapi saya belajar bahwa ada cara yang benar dan salah untuk berbicara. Menemukan sekutu dan membangun hubungan sangatlah penting. Mentor yang memiliki posisi yang tepat dapat membantu mengadvokasi Anda dalam mendapatkan peluang besar berikutnya. Di awal karier saya, saya sengaja memilih pelatih eksekutif pria kulit putih yang dapat berbagi sudut pandangnya dan menantang saya. Saya belajar bagaimana dia melihat saya, dan bagaimana menggunakan kekuatan saya untuk mengajak orang lain, bukannya menolak mereka. Temukan mentor yang tidak seperti Anda.
Another aspect of choosing to challenge is having the courage to challenge. It’s why I’ve made DE&I my life’s work. We must have courage to present things that people don’t know to help them to see things differently. While programs like breaking bias training is important, you can’t train people to change their minds. What’s more impactful is creating experiences and having direct conversations with people so they feel differently about a particular topic or group. I recently heard from several White employees who challenged our use of “White privilege,” saying that they, too, have had to struggle to get ahead or work hard to get where they are at. It took a direct conversation and courage to share my personal experiences of discrimination as a Black person to help them understand. It was one conversation, but you will change someone’s life and they are going to multiply that when they share that story with others.
Mengubah persepsi orang di sebuah organisasi global yang besar membutuhkan waktu. Saya berada di titik di mana saya berada dalam posisi yang istimewa dan di mana saya dapat memilih untuk menantang diskriminasi, secara langsung berdampak pada kehidupan ribuan karyawan, dan meneruskannya untuk mengangkat kelompok-kelompok yang kurang terwakili. Menjadi Chief Diversity Officer Nielsen adalah tempat yang tepat bagi saya saat ini.
