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I especially appreciate seeing this kind of tool + level of self awareness, as a woman working in tech. For everyone here who's asking how to get their coworke
by litttle_b 4y ago
I especially appreciate seeing this kind of tool + level of self awareness, as a woman working in tech.
For everyone here who's asking how to get their coworkers using something like this, there's a similar feature in Sesh (web app https://sesh.com/ https://sesh.com/ and zoom app https://marketplace.zoom.us/apps/lmZj36WWSJut8-hAaUJrhQ https://marketplace.zoom.us/apps/lmZj36WWSJut8-hAaUJrhQ ) that gives everyone equal opportunities to speak (and plays you off oscars-style when you go too long), and another feature called "talk time" that shows how long each person spent talking at the end of each meeting.
At it's core, it's a really useful meeting agenda app, so sharing it is less "hey you talk too much" and more "let's make our meetings better and more equitable".
I work there & am happy to demo or answer any questions about it :)
Again, really love that you made a version of this that individuals can spin up for their own accountability without the need for whole-team buy in. The design is great too!
- mulmen 4y agoDo you mind elaborating on why this is especially important to you as a woman in tech?
- litttle_b 4y agoI'm going to do a bit of "show, don't tell" here, because if you're asking this I'm assuming you're open to learning more about the sexism and bias that typically cause men to dominate conversations in tech/workplaces: https://www.indy100.com/news/victorias-secret-model-lyndsey-scott-instagram-coder-apple-resonse-8534446 https://www.indy100.com/news/victorias-secret-model-lyndsey-... https://www.fastcompany.com/40456604/these-women-entrepreneurs-created-a-fake-male-cofounder-to-dodge-startup-sexism https://www.fastcompany.com/40456604/these-women-entrepreneu... https://hbr.org/1995/09/the-power-of-talk-who-gets-heard-and-why https://hbr.org/1995/09/the-power-of-talk-who-gets-heard-and... https://janicetomich.com/women-speaking-while-female/ https://janicetomich.com/women-speaking-while-female/ https://time.com/3666135/sheryl-sandberg-talking-while-female-manterruptions/ https://time.com/3666135/sheryl-sandberg-talking-while-femal...
- actfrench 4y agoAs another woman in tech, I thank you for your effort putting together these resources. Hopefully it will raise awareness and those men who support equality in the workplace and more importantly, see the value of women’s ideas - ideas that they perhaps do not hear because they are not giving time for them to speak them- will benefit.
- mulmen 4y agoThanks for sharing. I’m aware of talking over people and the dimensions on which it biases. I ask to uncover “unknown unknowns” of some other (unknown to me) behavior that might also need to be addressed. To be more specific, I am also afraid of over-indexing on inclusion. Do I call on female coworkers more often to speak up in areas where I know they are experts because I know they may not do so themselves? Is that fair to them? Does it make them feel inadequate or is it appreciated or does it not even register? If I ask Susan to elaborate on a sprint update but don't ask Frank does that signal that I don't trust Susan? What if I am really just interested in her task? I know the cliches about confident white men in tech. Talking over people, the white savior, etc. But, as a confident white man in tech I need input from everyone to be better. So, thanks for sharing.
- spdustin 4y agoI’m not a female, but work for a women-owned tech company with a predominantly female staff, and I don’t speak for women when I say this: yes, in my experience, you should call on female coworkers to share their opinions or insights. It’s fair, and often appreciated, but don’t do it expecting gratitude. Do it because you know their input matters. Many—not all—women have had it ingrained in them since childhood to defer to men, especially men in authority. If it’s appropriate, don’t make it an imperative statement like, “Susan, tell us your thoughts.” Respect their agency, and ask, “Susan, is there anything you’d like to add” or “do you have an update to share on your task?” This applies to your male co-workers too, of course. Because, at the end of the day, none of this is about you. It’s about what’s best for the team, right? Knowing when to step up and when to step back and elevate others is one of the hardest things to learn about being a leader. But fostering a culture of open curiosity and collaboration is the best antidote to a culture of quiet resentment because someone feels ignored or left out. Not to mention the loss of productivity that imposter syndrome can cause…but that’s a whole different thread. Anyway, just my experience on the matter. I personally think it’s important to help men understand how their view of team dynamics may be exclusionary to women. I’m not speaking on behalf of women at all. If there’s any question about how to best include any specific person in your organization, there’s an easy way to get that question answered: ask them.
- akhmatova 4y agoBecause it has been observed that if someone is talking too much at a meeting (and especially if they're talking about nothingburgers) -- usually it's a dude (at a rate disproportionate to their prevalence within the group).
- tetraca 4y ago> that gives everyone equal opportunities to speak (and plays you off oscars-style when you go too long), and another feature called "talk time" that shows how long each person spent talking at the end of each meeting. As someone who'd rather not speak I dislike this. Now I can't just sit back, relax, and let the talkative people run out the clock. There's now a metric to punish my quietness. :P
- gardenhedge 4y agoYeah, not everyone has to talk in every meeting. Sometimes people will be taking in info and need time to absorb it.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]