Mistakes Women of Color Make in the Corporate Workplace and How to Fix Them

Are you dealing with challenges at your workplace? Studies say women of color, especially Black women, experience huge barriers, unfair treatment, and lack of opportunities in the corporate workplace. 

Today, we speak with Linda Taliaferro, successful corporate executive and career advisor, about strategies to successfully navigate the workplace in corporate America, especially as a woman of color.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Imposter Syndrome at the workplace and how to deal with it
• Examining the relationship between personal lives and professional lives.
• How important are “work friends”?
• How are we preventing ourselves from succeeding in the workplace?

QUOTES

• “Negative self-talk can be a career-killer” – Linda Taliaferro (6:05)
• “We should be eager, and understand the responsibility, of shifting the landscape.” – Linda Taliaferro (29:15)

RESOURCES MENTIONED

drgenevaspeaks.com

lindataliaferro.com

[email protected]

Linda Taliaferro is the Vice President of Global Quality for Meritor, Inc.  Meritor Inc. is a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking, and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industry markets. Linda has oversight for 38 sites and joint ventures located in 18 countries on 5 continents.

Linda is the Founder of The TEE – The Extra Effort, LLC, a career advisory service-based business helping women of color professionals shift their mindset, successfully leverage their strengths to be seen as a leader, positioned to get their shoulder tapped for the next level opportunity.

Before joining Meritor, Linda held the position of Global Quality, Environmental Health, and Safety Director at Littelfuse, Inc.  Before joining Littelfuse, Linda held the position of Ford North America Advanced Quality Director at Johnson Controls.  She has held positions of increasing responsibility within Hayes Lemmerz, Inc., which is now Maxion Wheels.  Director of Quality for both the Suspensions and Powertrain business units, Director of Quality, Operational Excellence and Program Management in the Wheels business unit, a Global Director position.  Linda has also worked for Bosch, BMW MC, Detroit Diesel within Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and Supplier Development throughout her extensive career. 

In December of 2020, Linda was awarded the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation Industry Achievement Award.  In February 2020, Linda was named one of Michigan Chronicle’s Women of Excellence Honorees.  She was named one of Savoy’s 2019 Most Influential Women in Corporate America.  In the same year, out of over 30 candidates, she was selected one of 3 women named Alternative for Girls Role Model of the Year.  In 2017, she was awarded Woman Worth Watching in STEM by Profiles in Diversity Journal.  In 2015, Linda received the Women of Color STEM Special Recognition award.  From 2016-2018 Linda was President of the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation (AWAF) and now serves on their Executive Advisory Council (EAC). Linda is a board member of Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan, a member of the American Society of Quality (ASQ), member of Inforum Women’s Professional Alliance and Women in Manufacturing (WIM).  Linda is a member of Jack and Jill, Inc, a member of the Greater Wayne County Chapter of The Links, Inc., and Pi Tau Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  Linda was born in New Castle, PA.  She has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.  She holds a certification as a Six Sigma Greenbelt and is proficient in German.

Linda is married to Christopher L. Taliaferro.  Her daughter and AKA Soror Alexis C. McCullough, is a summa cum laude graduate of Howard University and is currently enrolled in law school.