I was in a class for executives in my company geared towards increasing our financial acumen, and getting us comfortable with using the financial tools and skills to drive every day results. It was an excellent class! Finance had not been my strong suit as a formally trained electrical engineer and IT professional, and I was looking forward to getting this part of my personal development plan addressed.
We were broken up into teams and the goal was to learn and deliver results at the same time: while we were taught key financial principles, we had to make financial decisions on a fictitious company. At the end of the 3 days, the team that created the most profitable business by making the most sound fiscal decisions with positive impacts to customer service and employee satisfaction indices, would be crowned the winner. There were 5 teams in the class.
I was coupled with 3 males (1 Indian, 2 Caucasian), two of whom were very confident, perhaps borderline arrogant about our chances of winning because of their familiarity with the subject matter. Thankfully, the third teammate was very grounded and down to earth, although it was evident over time that he knew his stuff, and he eventually came up with the idea for a killer project that helped our team place second overall at the end of the course. Throughout each round where we had a finite amount of time to make fictitious investments and take risks based on little known parameters (as most businesses do), I found myself having an interesting out of body experience:
- I saw me being ignored by two of the teammates when I asked clarifying questions or asked them to slow down and explain a concept I didn't understand.
- I saw me many times on the defensive, explaining why I made a statement, after they gave me a look that implied it was a dumb statement. They would later apologize and say I was right.
- I saw me taking several breaths and pushing through to explain why I thought we should make different decisions, challenging the status quo and encouraging the team to focus on the goal - win the game.
- I saw me initiating dialog with our fictitious CEO after the first round, and encouraging him to be a firm leader and make a decision, even though others may not agree with him. That was his role as CEO and not be afraid.
- I saw me being encouraging despite my perception that he had been subtly condescending and almost dismissive towards me in many ways.
I guess expending all of this energy asserting myself, defending my ideas, and pushing for risk for results took a toll, because by the time we got to the final day when we had to present our Fictitious Company's results to a team of REAL Senior Executives at our REAL company, my self esteem and self confidence had been whittled to almost nothing.
As we stood, the four of us, getting ready to present, I surveyed the room and realized first of all, I was the only one to wear any color: everyone else had on grey, navy blue (the new black!) or black and I had on mustard, beige and brown! I must say, I liked how I looked. Yet, I asked myself, "What are you doing here? Are you kidding yourself, thinking you can speak the financial jargon like these guys? Look at you, you even LOOK different! Finance people don't wear colors, look at the executives on the panel!" (They too were in traditional dark corporate colors).
As the negative thoughts crept into my head and the team began to make their presentations, I realized I had to make a conscious decision. No, that earlier that morning I HAD made a conscious decision - to wear color. I knew everyone else would be in the typical dark colors, but I had wanted to send a message that innovative ideas and great results can come from different and sometimes unexpected sources. Even places of Colour, pun fully intended! I said a quiet prayer and finding that inner strength, decided that I had every right to belong there, just as the other people did even though they had been practicing these terms for a longer time. I didn't feel it very much, but the decision was enough for me to crank my engine and kick into high gear.
When it was my turn to speak, I spoke with my gift of positive energy and recognition, giving kudos to the attorney on our team who came up with the project winning innovative idea and the financial benefits to our fictitious company. I remember the energy I expended convincing my teammates that his idea was a good one, and how we could craft it into a winning solution. They had even told me then, that maybe I should be in sales because I convinced them to go along with the idea!
When our presentation was complete, I received a lot of positive feedback about the presentation. It made me think about the challenges that women often have in a male dominated workplace, and the extra layer of energy and self confidence that we mine and unearth to sometimes prove our worth, defend and sell that winning idea - the one that no one else knows or sees yet, but you know it is an absolute winner.
When businesses are able to make their everyday cultures gender and race neutral, and are not only open to, but energetically go in search of ideas in the most unconventional and diverse places, then they will experience their greatest ROI (return on investment - how's that for using the principles I learned?). The best leaders are those who are able to create such cultures within their organizations. Until then, women and minorities will continue to have to find that layer of energy to share and sell their ideas to make their companies great. Why? Because we are leaders who want the best for our companies, even though they may not realize the pot of gold sitting right in front of them.
I look up to the hills, but
where will my help really come from? My help will come from the Lord, the
Creator of heaven and earth. He will not let you fall. Your Protector will not
fall asleep.
- David, King of Israel, 1040–970 BCE
GO HIGHER. DO MORE.
