We heard from our panelists practical advice, examples, and their perspectives on how mentorship and inclusion starts with each one of us taking action to 1) address how we speak, listen and hear and 2) how we can create our own safe spaces to push barriers, ideate, and positively engage.
Conversation Highlights
Three (3) key actions to invest in your upward mobility & inclusion
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- Build Confidence: prepare and practice often
- Seek Allies: solicit feedback from peers, colleagues, and managers –embrace differing perspectives
- Step Up and Give Back: exceed expectations, invest in what you do well, check in & align with management, help others navigate hurdles, don’t wait — act
Start with simple steps
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- Grab a coffee with a subject matter expert whose expertise is of real interest to you. That person may sit next to you or work in another department.
- Shadow for a Day. Katie shared how walking in anothers footsteps provides you not only a new perspective but can help form lasting connection(s).
- Bring your best self to the table. Select the ‘word’ that describes you and make it work for you. Are you outspoken, like Shiney? Because Shiney spoke up a company wide mentorship program exists at Nest today.
- Be self aware of how you come across. Sometimes it’s not what you say, but how it’s heard.
- Continuously Learn. Whether you read bestsellers or attend conferences or seminars or participate in certification programs your professional development needs your investment.
- Embrace an Accountability Partner: share goals, take action, check-in, support and motivate each other.
More on our expert panelists: Shiney Rossi, Engr Mgr, Nest Thermostat, Ghazal Asif, Vice President, WW Channels at AppDynamics, Cisco, Katie Juran, Senior Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Adobe, Suzanne Fletcher, Stanford Start-X Fund Manager, Molly Heekin, Sr. Director of Internet of Things Product, Digital Solutions, Visa
A big thank you to our event sponsor — Adobe.
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