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Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) for many of us isn’t a new topic. Whether we’ve participated in training, worked individually on unpacking what it means to us personally, or heard the term in passing, the need to better understand, create, and foster a more inclusive environment is no longer optional — it’s critical to the success of the human race.
Before we get into it, let me set the stage:
I was raised in a low-income household.
I am a first-generation college graduate.
I am a white female working in a technology sales organization.
I am a mom.
These are the pieces that make me who I am. They have shaped me, my views, my beliefs and energy and will continue to be a foundation for the future.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion isn’t suggesting that any of the pieces I’ve listed above are wrong, or make me more or less qualified to be a part of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive group. Instead, it allows me to use my experiences to shape the world around me and identify where I may have blindspots to others' experiences.
I once joined a team of exclusively men. As a female who has spent her career in technology, I can tell you this wasn’t the first time, nor was it the last. Looking around the room I saw intelligent, powerful, well-spoken men with years more experience in the product than I had. They were spitting out acronyms and technical jargon that made my head spin, and for a second had me wondering if I had what it took to make an impact on the team. It didn’t take long before I started digging in, asking questions, and making sure my voice was heard. More importantly, I noticed almost immediately that many of the demonstrations we were conducting were using primarily male personas.
While it would have been easy to latch on to the story already being told and run with the personas that were detailed, I decided to make a mark and shift one of the primary male personas female. In my eyes this shift was miniscule. It didn’t take much effort; it certainly didn’t impact the story I was telling — but this small change made me feel seen, alongside every other female in every demonstration from then on.
As an individual contributor it is possible to move the needle no matter where your organization is on the DE&I meter. Here’s how:
- A small change to help your audience identify with your demonstration persona will go a long way.
In moving the demo persona from male to female, not only was I more comfortable with the story I was telling, but it allowed my audience to connect more closely, identifying with the persona being used.
- Bring equity to the top of the conversation.
Imagine being in a position where you knew you’d be given fair opportunity? While every organization might not have figured out equity for all employees yet, you can certainly place equity in the passenger seat on your career ride by bringing it to the top of your conversations with leadership. Ask questions about job descriptions, provide feedback, and come to wage conversations with the research and preparedness to support your points.
- Don’t back down.
Have a question? Ask it. Afraid it’s too controversial, or that it will open up a bigger conversation? Ask it even louder. One way we can all contribute to DE&I is by asking the hard questions. Questions like, “Have we considered using a female for this persona?” force us to be honest with each other about our bias and can help forge a healthy environment for hard conversations, especially those focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
About Carly Whitaker
Carly is a Commercial Solution Consultant at Veeva with a career dedicated to almost exclusively serving the life sciences industry. She currently serves as a 2023 PSC Ambassador and is energized by contributing to shaping the future of solution consulting both for Veeva and beyond. Outside of work, Carly is a mom to a 1-year-old boy and a 6-year-old labradoodle, a murder mystery addict, and a mediocre baker.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) for many of us isn’t a new topic. Whether we’ve participated in training, worked individually on unpacking what it means to us personally, or heard the term in passing, the need to better understand, create, and foster a more inclusive environment is no longer optional — it’s critical to the success of the human race.
Before we get into it, let me set the stage:
I was raised in a low-income household.
I am a first-generation college graduate.
I am a white female working in a technology sales organization.
I am a mom.
These are the pieces that make me who I am. They have shaped me, my views, my beliefs and energy and will continue to be a foundation for the future.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion isn’t suggesting that any of the pieces I’ve listed above are wrong, or make me more or less qualified to be a part of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive group. Instead, it allows me to use my experiences to shape the world around me and identify where I may have blindspots to others' experiences.
I once joined a team of exclusively men. As a female who has spent her career in technology, I can tell you this wasn’t the first time, nor was it the last. Looking around the room I saw intelligent, powerful, well-spoken men with years more experience in the product than I had. They were spitting out acronyms and technical jargon that made my head spin, and for a second had me wondering if I had what it took to make an impact on the team. It didn’t take long before I started digging in, asking questions, and making sure my voice was heard. More importantly, I noticed almost immediately that many of the demonstrations we were conducting were using primarily male personas.
While it would have been easy to latch on to the story already being told and run with the personas that were detailed, I decided to make a mark and shift one of the primary male personas female. In my eyes this shift was miniscule. It didn’t take much effort; it certainly didn’t impact the story I was telling — but this small change made me feel seen, alongside every other female in every demonstration from then on.
As an individual contributor it is possible to move the needle no matter where your organization is on the DE&I meter. Here’s how:
- A small change to help your audience identify with your demonstration persona will go a long way.
In moving the demo persona from male to female, not only was I more comfortable with the story I was telling, but it allowed my audience to connect more closely, identifying with the persona being used.
- Bring equity to the top of the conversation.
Imagine being in a position where you knew you’d be given fair opportunity? While every organization might not have figured out equity for all employees yet, you can certainly place equity in the passenger seat on your career ride by bringing it to the top of your conversations with leadership. Ask questions about job descriptions, provide feedback, and come to wage conversations with the research and preparedness to support your points.
- Don’t back down.
Have a question? Ask it. Afraid it’s too controversial, or that it will open up a bigger conversation? Ask it even louder. One way we can all contribute to DE&I is by asking the hard questions. Questions like, “Have we considered using a female for this persona?” force us to be honest with each other about our bias and can help forge a healthy environment for hard conversations, especially those focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
About Carly Whitaker
Carly is a Commercial Solution Consultant at Veeva with a career dedicated to almost exclusively serving the life sciences industry. She currently serves as a 2023 PSC Ambassador and is energized by contributing to shaping the future of solution consulting both for Veeva and beyond. Outside of work, Carly is a mom to a 1-year-old boy and a 6-year-old labradoodle, a murder mystery addict, and a mediocre baker.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) for many of us isn’t a new topic. Whether we’ve participated in training, worked individually on unpacking what it means to us personally, or heard the term in passing, the need to better understand, create, and foster a more inclusive environment is no longer optional — it’s critical to the success of the human race.
Before we get into it, let me set the stage:
I was raised in a low-income household.
I am a first-generation college graduate.
I am a white female working in a technology sales organization.
I am a mom.
These are the pieces that make me who I am. They have shaped me, my views, my beliefs and energy and will continue to be a foundation for the future.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion isn’t suggesting that any of the pieces I’ve listed above are wrong, or make me more or less qualified to be a part of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive group. Instead, it allows me to use my experiences to shape the world around me and identify where I may have blindspots to others' experiences.
I once joined a team of exclusively men. As a female who has spent her career in technology, I can tell you this wasn’t the first time, nor was it the last. Looking around the room I saw intelligent, powerful, well-spoken men with years more experience in the product than I had. They were spitting out acronyms and technical jargon that made my head spin, and for a second had me wondering if I had what it took to make an impact on the team. It didn’t take long before I started digging in, asking questions, and making sure my voice was heard. More importantly, I noticed almost immediately that many of the demonstrations we were conducting were using primarily male personas.
While it would have been easy to latch on to the story already being told and run with the personas that were detailed, I decided to make a mark and shift one of the primary male personas female. In my eyes this shift was miniscule. It didn’t take much effort; it certainly didn’t impact the story I was telling — but this small change made me feel seen, alongside every other female in every demonstration from then on.
As an individual contributor it is possible to move the needle no matter where your organization is on the DE&I meter. Here’s how:
- A small change to help your audience identify with your demonstration persona will go a long way.
In moving the demo persona from male to female, not only was I more comfortable with the story I was telling, but it allowed my audience to connect more closely, identifying with the persona being used.
- Bring equity to the top of the conversation.
Imagine being in a position where you knew you’d be given fair opportunity? While every organization might not have figured out equity for all employees yet, you can certainly place equity in the passenger seat on your career ride by bringing it to the top of your conversations with leadership. Ask questions about job descriptions, provide feedback, and come to wage conversations with the research and preparedness to support your points.
- Don’t back down.
Have a question? Ask it. Afraid it’s too controversial, or that it will open up a bigger conversation? Ask it even louder. One way we can all contribute to DE&I is by asking the hard questions. Questions like, “Have we considered using a female for this persona?” force us to be honest with each other about our bias and can help forge a healthy environment for hard conversations, especially those focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
About Carly Whitaker
Carly is a Commercial Solution Consultant at Veeva with a career dedicated to almost exclusively serving the life sciences industry. She currently serves as a 2023 PSC Ambassador and is energized by contributing to shaping the future of solution consulting both for Veeva and beyond. Outside of work, Carly is a mom to a 1-year-old boy and a 6-year-old labradoodle, a murder mystery addict, and a mediocre baker.
