Date post: | 12-Feb-2017 |
Category: |
Technology |
Upload: | amazon-web-services |
View: | 712 times |
Download: | 3 times |
Women in Technology: Supporting Diversity
in a Technical Workplace
August 11, 2016
Laura Grit, Sr. Principal Technologist, AWS
Sarah Zamith, Software Development Manager, AWS
Neha Shetty, Software Development Engineer, AWS
AWS: unleashing untapped potential
Growth of
AWS
Innovators
Career development
for innovatorsRole models attract
more innovators
Innovation
leaders
Circle structure
Circle members – employees at relatively the same stages
in their career (or other commonalities)
Sponsor – senior employee typically 1-2 levels above circle
members
Circle membership
Common
• All women
• All part of the same organization
Diverse
• Diverse levels of experience
• Diverse roles: managers, product managers, software
engineers, systems engineers
• Diverse cultural backgrounds
Circle member responsibilities
Circles are member-led
• Schedule meetings
• Define agenda
• Lead discussions
• Plan activities
Sponsor responsibilities
Create environment where people are comfortable
expressing thoughts, sharing experiences, and asking
questions
Creating trust in the circle
Create a safe environment for learning
Develop strong relationships among members
Facilitating the circle
Hold regular meetings
Leverage existing resources
Establish circle members as leaders
Facilitating the circle
Hold regular meetings
Leverage existing resources
Establish circle members as leaders
Provide feedback, encouragement
Learnings: Circle structure development
Stay connected
Adjust circle formula to meet the needs of your circle
Allocate a budget
Make time for retrospectives
Learnings: Circle member development
Advocate for each other
Develop circle members as leaders
Limit the size of the circle
Continue other types of mentoring and development
Learnings: Circle sponsor development
Build relationships
Accelerate the virtuous cycle of growth
Fuel passion for myself and others
Have fun!
Get members out of normal work environment
• Blackberry picking
• Happy hour
• Lunches
• Pottery painting
• Hiking
Personal learning: Communication strategies
Communication changes impact perceptions
Remove lessing language
• Just
• Sorry
• Try
Personal learning: Gaining confidence
Previously
• Limited participation in meetings
• Being a follower instead of leader
Personal learning: Gaining confidence
Currently
• Organizing circle sessions
• More involved with hiring
• Mentoring
• Host for Amazon S3 tech talks