What He Said, What He Meant

FountainBlue’s May 8 When She Speaks event on the topic of ‘What He Said, What He Meant’.  

Our panelists represented a broad range of backgrounds and roles, but they had much in common:

• They shared a passion for growing people and companies.
• They work with leaders and managers to create a culture which is vibrant, inclusive, and growth-oriented.
• They think deeply about human and business issues, and solve problems big and small, focusing on creating meaningful, strategic outcomes.

Below are some of their suggestions for improving communications between men and women in the workplace.

• Be straightforward, direct, structured and specific in communication with men, especially if they are engineers.
• Speak to the problem statement rather than the emotions.
• Be plan-ful, have an agenda, know what you’d like to accomplish and why it must be done.
• Own any communication challenges or hurdles. Address any confusion directly, immediately, calmly, respectfully.
• Do well by others, for others, and help them to spread the word about how and why to work with yourself or your team.
• Be specific with an ask, and clear on why you’re asking for something, what’s in it for others, what success looks like.
• Welcome all dimensions of diversity – not just race and gender and age, but also disability, child-status, culture, etc.,
• Know your audience – not all men, not all people are built the same. What are their motivations? 
• Prove and know your value, your worth, then communicate this with confidence.
• Be confident in your communications, comfortable in your own value, your own skin.

In closing, our panelists recommend that you be the type of leader who:

• invests in relationships and people, focusing on the needs of each individual;
• helps get teams and leaders productive and un-stuck;
• facilitates forward momentum, forward movement;
• is a community organizer, standing for the individual and the team and the organization;
• is vulnerable and authentic and a good story-teller; and
• embraces a larger vision, acts with high-integrity, focuses on continuous learning and collaboration.

Resource:

• Connected Commons, September 19 article: How Successful Women manage their Networks www.connectedcommons.com

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Please join me in thanking our hosts at Oracle and our panelists for FountainBlue’s May 8 When She Speaks event on the topic of ‘What He Said, What He Meant’:

• Facilitator Linda Holroyd, CEO, FountainBlue
• Panelist Marilyn Becker, Senior Director, People Analytics, Western Digital
• Panelist Carina Fang, Director, Program Management IoT Division, Synaptics 
• Panelist Regina Lawless, Global Director, Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, Micron Technology 
• Panelist David Ortiz, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, Oracle 

• Panelist Stacey Porter, VP of People Operations and Strategy, Outset Medical Inc.

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