Parity Podcast

Women have had the right to vote for 100 years, but most experts believe that we will not achieve workplace parity for another 135 years! 135 years is a long time, friends, to wait for gender equality and a level playing field at work. The goal of this podcast is to accelerate this change by being a coach, mentor, and trusted friend for all of you who are ready now.

Mental Health and Getting Well in the Workplace, with Vivia Chen 05/25/2024

The Backlash: Unpacking the State of DEI 04/07/2024

Believing in Yourself, A Conversation with Angela B. Freeman 02/17/2024

Pipeline Problems and Strategies for Women, 2023 Year in Review 01/14/2024

We're Not Going Back 11/05/2023

What's In It For Me? 10/12/2023

Bringing Men to the Table with the Good Guys 08/29/2023

GERI, Where Women and Men Talk Gender 08/27/2023

Privilege: Breaking Down Defensiveness and Opening Up Dialogue 07/16/2023

They said what?!: Calling Out and Calling In Bias 06/10/2023

Allies Wanted: A Discussion with Julie Kratz 05/16/2023

The Broken Rung, Headwinds, and Women’s Leadership, 2022 in Review 01/10/2023

The Price of Masculinity Norms with Guests Dr. Ronald Levant and Andy Cooper 11/05/2022

Sexism, Lies, and Fairy Tales: A Conversation with Dr. Anne Beall 09/25/2022

There’s an Eruption in My Living Room! The Care Economy, Part 2 09/01/2022

There’s an Eruption in My Living Room! The Care Economy, Part 2 Caregiving is a second economy that requires a skilled workforce all its own. Yet, in the absence of acknowledging the scale and critical relevance of this economy, the main drivers and load-bearers of this economy remain women. We simply cannot achieve gender parity without more support and without others taking on their share of the load. Dr. Nithila Peter joins us in a 2-part series to discuss solutions. You can so you don’t miss any episodes! Time-stamped show notes are below. You can find a transcript of today’s episode If you would like to learn more about today’s topic: The Price of Motherhood; Why the Most Important Job in the World is Still the Least Valued, by Ann Crittendon, (2001) , the Founder and CEO of , is a good resource 1:00 Women are disproportionately responsible for the caring of others 1:30 2:36 Today is about solutions 2:45 Part 1 discussed lack of support system 3:32 Part 1 discussed society places a low value on caregiving, no support systems were put in place when mothers entered the workforce, and modern feminism forgot about mothers 4:18 Mothers face bias 4:50 Inaccurate that mothers are less committed 5:35 Mothers earn $.69 for every $1 earned by men 6:30 Motherhood penalty 6:50 Men’s standing increases when becoming fathers 8:20 Women gain skills when becoming mothers 10:40 Emotion, mental, and physical toll of trying to do it all 11:00 Lessons from Indian, Latin, and Indigenous cultures 11:50 Mothers have high cultural value in India 12:25 Story of Nithila’s Indian (South-Asian) family helping to raise her children 13:30 Nithila’s family and extended network enabled her to complete her PhD 14:00 Workplaces should value unique skills of parents 15:20 Obama’s made caregiving more visible through Marian Robinson 18:00 Asian culture offers solution but is a hard model for families stretched thin 19:15 Motherhood is more visible in India for actors, politicians, and others 21:00 Mothers have also been wartime leaders 21:10 Overturning of Roe v. Wade puts additional pressure on the care economy 22:22 18 year old had twins - what support does she have? 23:00 Appalled by mother’s lives now at risk 23:30 Dobbs further reduces mothers’ power in society 24:30 Will gender parity be extended due to Dobbs? 25:30 Difficult to make this prediction 27:50 One solution is more legislative support like paid leave 28:30 Family planning needs more attention 29:09 Flex and hybrid arrangements should stay in place 32:15 Celebrity male leaders do not have reputations for being good caregivers 33:00 We need more caregivers and those with empathy in leadership roles 34:30 We all have equal opportunities to grow caregiving skills 34:45 Many economic successes during pandemic while workers were at home 35:25 Focus on organizational culture Where You Can Find Us Website: Follow us on Co-Hosts: and Email with questions or comments /episode/index/show/workingwomenparity/id/24233499

There’s an Eruption in My Living Room! The Care Economy, Part 1 08/07/2022

There’s an Eruption in My Living Room! The Care Economy, Part 1 Caregiving is a second economy that requires a skilled workforce all its own. Yet, women are its main drivers, leaving us tired and worn out, and making it nigh impossible to compete in the workplace. We cannot achieve gender parity without more support. The pandemic showed us that caregivers and those we tend to deserve better. Dr. Nithila Peter joins us in a 2 part series to discuss solutions. You can so you don’t miss any episodes! Time-stamped show notes are below. You can find a transcript of today’s episode If you would like to learn more about today’s topic: , the Founder and CEO of , is a good resource 1:00 Women are disproportionately responsible for the caring of others 1:41 Definition of the care economy 2:20 Women have less time and energy for our careers 3:06 Pandemic made matters worse 4:07 Society doesn’t value caregiving 5:08 6:04 Connection between emotional intelligence and the giving of care 9:15 Caregivers make the best employees 10:03 Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft 11:20 Mentors, coaches, and managers are or should be caregivers 12:06 The pandemic caused many caregivers to collapse 13:35 View of caregiving as “women’s work” 14:29 Students equated caregiving skills to the skills of a janitor 17:30 Caregiving should be more equitably handled by all genders 19:13 We all need to be open to learning these important caregiving skills 21:30 Parents grow skills by being caregivers 23:30, 25:10 Providing care is akin to rocket science 27:22 Stop gender stereotyping 28:12 Lack of support systems for people who want to be caregivers and breadwinners 31:00 How the Indian culture offers support for caregivers 35:00 High cost of caregiving keeps some women home 37:25 Some women don’t have power in their own homes to allocate resources to caregiving 38:40 Women must have equality at home to have equality in the workplace 40:33 Iceland supports caregivers 41:15 Iceland is the most gender equal country in the world 41:51 Organizations can provide support if governments do not 42:00 Former CEO of Pepsi, Indra Nooyi supports more visibility of caregiving at work 47:15 Role of feminism in the care economy 48:34 Most women are breadwinners and caregivers 50:10 Working stands in the way of caregiving vs. caregiving stands in the way of working 51:00 Woman leader published article saying women should reconsider having children 53:45 Sheryl Sandberg did not tell us to lean into motherhood 54:50 Caregiving needs to be more visible 55:25 Pipeline of women talent is completely broken due to caregiving pressures 58:05 We need to talk more about caregiving responsibilities at work Where You Can Find Us Website: Follow us on Co-Hosts: and Email with questions or comments /episode/index/show/workingwomenparity/id/23983737

P is for Practicing the Art of Respectful Communications 07/03/2022

P is for Practicing the Art of Respectful Communications Workplace communications are powerful - they can make and break careers, incent us to give our all, or cause us to run for the hills and join the Great Resignation. In this episode, we discuss inclusive communication tips for everyone including leaders and allies, as well as strategies when you find yourself in cultures where it is difficult to be seen and heard. You can so you don’t miss any episodes! Time-stamped show notes are below. You can find a transcript of today’s episode at If you would like to learn more about today’s topic: 2:10 Importance of workplace communications 3:16 What is a successful communication 3:49 As a reminder, SCRIPT stands for: S: Stop Trying to Change Women C: Create Diverse Teams R: Recognize Unconscious Bias I: Intentionally Include P: Partner With Men to Be Allies T: Talk About The Issues We believe that a combination of each of these factors will help women advance and compete with men on a more level playing field. 5:02, 6:10 Communication skills are learned 7:39 Example of a miscommunication resulting in mayhem 9:50 Emails vs. face to face communications 10:12, 11:10 Delivering constructive criticism 13:29 Communications can foster positive workplace cultures (or not) 13:57 Gender differences impact communications 14:25 In today’s episode, we will discuss: -What is a communication -General rules for communicating -Special considerations for emails -Meta-communications (aspects of a communication that are never expressed but we all get the message anyway) 16:00 What is a communication 17:25 Importance of praising peers and direct reports for a job well done 20:00 Respect is key 20:40 Influential Internal Communication by Jenni Field stresses: -Focus on the audience -Set a clear goal & tone -Keep it simple -Make your point -Consider the medium 21:55 Avoid I and Me and instead use the words Us and We 22:45 Unthoughtful or rushed communications 23:07 Microaggressions and biased communications 23:35 Email tips 24:00 Don’t deal with sensitive information via email 24:30 Don’t complain or criticize a person via email 26:11, 27:05, 27:45 Be fair 29:18 Avoid shaming 30:25 Meetings and call etiquette 30:50 Avoid the dog and pony show 31:05 Enforce equal air time 31:30 Form alliances so that you are heard 33:35 What is a meta communication 35:14 Disrespectfulness of wordsmithing or a total re-write 37:35 Respect communications differences - this is one goal of DEI 38:30 Strategies to deal with the guy who thinks he’s the most important person in the room 39:55, 41:13, 41:35 Communications should intentionally include 42:33 Parity in Play 44:25 Tips for allies in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade Where You Can Find Us Website: Follow us on , and Co-Hosts: and Email with questions or comments /episode/index/show/workingwomenparity/id/23598860

Solutions for a Workplace Welcoming to All, Part 2 of a Conversation with Karen Catlin 06/01/2022

Solutions for a Workplace Welcoming to All, Part 2 of a Conversation with Karen Catlin After 25 years as a senior leader in tech, Karen Catlin saw a decline in the numbers of women in tech. Frustrated but galvanized, Karen became an author and coach focusing on helping women navigate the male-dominated tech industry and coaching men to be better allies. In this episode, we discuss hiring for a “culture add” and other tips to create a more inclusive workplace. Time-stamped show notes are below. You can find a transcript of this episode on our webpage (link below). If you would like to learn more about today’s topic: Today’s guest is - this is part 2 of a 2-part conversation 1:09 Do women need to explain bias in different ways so male allies better understand 2:17 What should male allies do if a woman discusses her experience with gender bias 3:40 How to move from being a bystander to an upstander 4:13, 7:37 Does the U.S. being so litigious hamper conversations about gender bias 5:50 Story of a male boss who says “my wife will be jealous if I interact with female colleagues," how this view helps men get ahead of women, and strategies to counter 9:25 Job description best practices 10:10 Rethink whether a college degree is necessary for all jobs 10:45 Check job descriptions for masculine word choices like rockstar, driven, aggressive, and “right-hand man” because some women won’t apply 12:40 Use diverse hiring panels so applicants see themselves on the hiring team 13:51 It’s not challenging to find women applicants if you look in the right places and have the right hiring practices 14:50 The difference between a “culture fit” and a “culture add” - we need more “culture adds” and less “culture fits” in organizations today 19:18 Per , HBCUs are excellent places to find Black women for STEM and other roles 17:40 Women receive less actionable feedback than men 18:45 The danger of “benevolent sexism” and “gatekeeping” 19:45 Story about male employee saying that a woman wouldn’t want a role because of her young children 21:48 Strategies when people are resistant to change - focus on what you can do and don’t worry about everyone else 22:35 How to be a “ripple” within your organization 23:25 How to incent people to be better allies through compensation and bonuses 24:21 25:20 Strategies to adapt the workplace to be more inclusive of all instead of pressuring women and other people who are underrepresented to change 30:15 Confirmation hearing of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson 30:45 Harmful effect of extra credential questioning to try to cast doubt on qualifications 32:38 Women and other people who are underrepresented face “prove it again” bias Where You Can Find Us Website: Follow us on , and Co-Hosts: and Email with questions or comments /episode/index/show/workingwomenparity/id/23293172

Privilege, Parity, and Pie: Part 1 of a Conversation with Better Allies Author Karen Catlin 05/11/2022

How to Spot and Snuff Out Gender Bias 04/19/2022

How to Close the Gender Pay Gap with TEA 03/25/2022

How to Break the Bias with Guests Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah and Ashia Johnson 03/06/2022

How to Break the Bias with Guests Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah and Ashia Johnson We’ve been called bellicose, belligerent, and bombastic, and connected with male allies at banana stands, and through these experiences, we have solutions for you to break the bias. Together with guests Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah and Ashia Johnson, we offer over 20 ways that you can break the bias, the 2022 International Women’s Day theme. Time-stamped show notes are below. 1:54 Introduction of Guests 2:15, Born and raised in Ghana Plastics engineering degree from Current position is an applications engineer at a life sciences company Host of new podcast to be launched by - 2:30, 3:33 - she, her, hers Moved 7 times growing up so she is accustomed to building relationships and starting anew Currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and does CSR and Sustainability work for Mother is a role model Co-Host of International Women’s Day 7:37 2022 theme is #breakthebias - see 7:50 We need more attention on unconscious bias Stories of Bias 9:32 Interruptions during meetings and calls 9:40 Feeling of invisibility during meetings 10:45 Being called bellicose, belligerent, and bombastic 11:36 Suggestion that men do the heavy lifting with the woman doing the simple task 14:25, 17:05 Male boss thinks you are pretty 17:32 Mindset of women as we dress for work 18:45 Women face a double bind: we need to show up with make-up at work but we can’t show up with too much make-up at work 19:10 Expectations of how women show up on camera during the pandemic 20:14 Intersectionality of Sexism and Racism 20:36, 21:20 Difficult or impossible to disentangle sexism vs. racism 21:40 Intersectional experience 21:48 Focus on what you can control Tips to Break the Bias 22:42 Manage your own bias - start with the 24:00 Create diverse teams 24:35 Use diverse hiring panels and diverse pools of applicants 25:26 Educate yourself and others on unconscious bias - don’t try to solve the problem without understanding it first 26:09 Bring men into the conversation - lean in male allies 27:00 Focus on inclusion and equity 27:30 Give everyone an opportunity to speak up 27:34 Create a culture of psychological safety 28:11 Lead with empathy - be emotionally and mentally open for change 28:41 Be an active listener 29:15 Build relationships with people who are different from you 30:14, 32:19 Be a mentor to someone who is underrepresented - give guidance and career advice 30:14, 32:26 Be a sponsor to someone who is underrepresented - be an advocate, help with promotions, say our names in rooms where we are not present, help move our careers, pull women up as allies move up 34:45 Male allies should first consider the possibility that a woman experienced bias 36:36 A women should develop a plan before discussing that she experienced bias 38:48, 40:43 When dealing with trolls, first protect yourself - consider blocking or reporting trolls when the comments occur repeatedly 42:50 Don’t feed the trolls 43:50 Remind people that DEI is about inclusion and not exclusion or throwing anyone out 45:40 Discuss bias after “the heat of the moment” - don’t turn the other cheek every time 46:50 Beware of bullies particularly during the early stages of a career 49:42 Don’t let the bully intimidate you or impact your work performance 50:09 Consider the power dynamic before taking on a bully Where You Can Find Us Website: Follow us on , and Co-Hosts: and Email with questions or comments /episode/index/show/workingwomenparity/id/22303502

Unconscious Bias, a Stick of Dynamite, and More As We Look Back on 2021 12/14/2021

The World Is Bigger Than Your Backyard, Interview of Tracy J. Edmonds 11/09/2021

How to Discover and FLEX Your Authenticity at Work 10/11/2021

Only Wonder Women Need Apply: Solutions for Working Moms 09/12/2021

8 Signposts of Cultures Where Women Thrive 08/22/2021

The Treasure Trove of Emotional Intelligence: An Interview with Dr. Nithila Peter 08/01/2021

5 Steps to Achieve Increased Leadership by Women 07/07/2021

How Male Allies Can Lean In for Measurable Gains to Achieve Parity 06/06/2021

Parity Podcast

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