Women are unique! But to they need bespoke skilling to top the arena? What is needed to aspire and learn?

WOMEN! We, ‘THE MULTI-TALENTED’ breed constitute close to 50% of the global population. As per a recent statistic from Teamstage the global numbers are not in favor to our community. The report states that:

Only 27.1% women are managers and leaders.

For past 20 years, the number of women in the field of software engineering has gone up by just 2%

48% of women occupy entry-level roles.

It is a known fact that women are unique and have our own way of handling things. Agreed, we are good at multi-tasking, we are more empathetical and build better relationships, we are more dedicated and never give up until we reach our goals. With all these attributes, why does the numbers above not look appealing? What is that ‘little something’ we are missing?

So, yes, skilling is the key to bring in the change so that the numbers look good.

Making the right choice:

In a recent interview, tech evangelist Mr. Nandan Nilekani rightly said information overload is a bigger epidemic than the pandemic. Rightly said! With all that knowledge available just at the tip of our fingers, identifying what we need is quite a challenge.

In my opinion, networking would really help in making the right choice once we understand what we really need. Connecting with like-minded people will save us being lost in the plethora of options available and help us in making the right choices. Mentoring groups and channels can be sought after to make a wise choice.

Custom made skilling:

There is no one size fits all concept in learning these days. The needs of one would vary based on their job roles, the amount of time they would be able to dedicate on the activity and many more.

The learning needs of a sales manager would not be the same as that of an architect. Similarly, the needs of an architect who is an unmarried woman is different from an architect who is also the mother of two kids. 

Thanks to the Online mode of self-paced learning. The system is very supportive and caters the need of both the groups. The courses offered are of wide range and hence one has the flexibility to choose what they need based on the time they have and job roles they play.

Though the options available for us to develop our skills are plenty, I would say, first thing that would be needed to keep the energy going is breaking the woman mindset. I would like to focus on two main attributes of us.

The Guilt Monster:

Do you know? As per studies conducted by the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State, women feel 4 times guiltier than men! Research shows that being guilty is a women attribute.

Continuous learning would demand dedicating time and energy in improving oneself. This means we may also have to ask the family to live on Maggi occasionally! It also means focusing more on us forgetting our other priorities occasionally! It also means we are feeling guilty for not being able to do the best for the family always. 

Whatever we do and whatever we get we will end up being guilty. As stated by ex-CEO of Radio city 91.1 FM and author, Apurva Purohit, in her book ‘Lady, you’re not a man!’, “If you are going to feel guilty anyway, why not do so for something which will also make you feel good about yourself.” In our case, it is spending that extra time on improving our skills.

The Diffidence Factor:

Data shows that women systematically underestimate their own abilities. A study by HP found that women only applied for a promotion when they believed they met 100% of the qualifications listed for the job. Men were happy to apply when they thought they could meet 60% of the job requirements.

As they say, “The first step is to believe that it’s possible”. Hence, it is time to stop being the worst critic of ourselves start being our own best friend for our own sake!

With the right mindset and the right skilling platforms identified the journey to success is well begun. And, well begun is half done! But how do we ensure that the remaining half would as well be well done?

Do it as a TEAM: 

Together Everyone Achieves More! As stated previously, building small groups of like-minded people, setting common goals, and helping each to achieve those goals will ensure that the target is always hit. When one loses track, there will always be rest of the group to bring us back to the pitch.

Delegate:

Anything that does not need our full attention can be delegated which will in turn save time. Be that taking the kids to the park or asking another person to take that morning stand-up call at work. There is no need to feel shy in asking for help. In the end, all that matters would be whether the task was done or not.

Plan and Prioritize:

For a woman, the priorities always keep on changing. If today, family is top of the list, tomorrow work might be topping, some other day it would self-improvement and another it might be just do nothing at all 😊 Whatever tops the list, it should be such that we are the one who sets it based on what is needed at that point of time. No one else will be able to do it better than us.

Overall, with proper planning and execution we are sure that the numbers will improve for good within next few years. It is the conscious decisions each one of us take time to time that matters the most!

References:

https://statisticstimes.com/

https://teamstage.io/women-in-the-workforce-statistics/

https://ssri.psu.edu/news/us-women-feel-guilty-about-men-dont

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18366014-lady-you-re-not-a-man

https://janebenston.com/women-underestimate-their-abilities/