It was early 2020 and I had just lost dad.
I was lost and torn. In a typical manner (that I don’t recommend) I thought I could fill my time to the brim with things to do.
So that I don’t have to think about what I didn’t want to accept.
I volunteered to be part of the core team to drive the site start-up engagement and happened to sit next to P Ramani who led the initiative.
As they say, what follows is history. He was and continues to be a mentor, guide and friend. I haven’t seen another who exemplifies being an Ally, as much as he.
This is his story. I am forever indebted for all that you continue to do to – with authenticity and passion 🙂
“I will start with a short story.
20+ years ago I was a rookie manager.
A women employee in my team walked into my office and said she wanted to resign. She and I grew the ranks together.
Always considered her my friend and colleague more than employee. She had her 3rd baby. As we started talking, I realized between the cost of day care and the time she had to spend with the family she wasn’t able to continue to work.
I asked her what will she do few years down the road. Of course none of us knew DEI or broken rung in those days. It was just me trying to figure out how not to lose her.
I asked her if she would consider going part time and see if that works before taking a call on quitting. She was okay to try that but the company had no policy on this. I went and talked to my VP and HR. Initially both were skeptical but came around to this and said we can try this on a trial basis for 6-months.
We did this and later did some adjustments to her comp too. At the end of the trial period we extended this. I relocated to India. She is still with the company.
We had earned her trust and supported her when she need it the most and she repaid it by sticking with the same company!
As a manager it is very easy to say there isn’t a policy for this. Or it is easy to point to a faceless organisation called HR and say they are not allowing it. However, as a manager we play a very important role in fixing this broken rung problem. As a manager this is what we signed up to do.
That is, be there for our team, be prepared to challenge status quo, develop empathy and truly understand our teams needs and find ways to help them”
Is there a story you have to share as an Ally to drive inclusion at your workplace?
This is part of the series to get #100WomeninManagement as a personal goal. Have a story or leader to feature, DM me.
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#licreatoraccelerator LinkedIn for Creators, #brokenrung
Episode – 8 of #100WomeninManagement
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