Making IT Better for HER
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Transcript of Making IT Better for HER
Making IT Better for HER
Prajakta ThakurMBA, CSM, CSPO, CSP
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd
Persona:- Indian woman- Mother of a 3 year old- Stays with In Laws- Works for a renowned IT Firm in India with a US Client- Has a packed daily routine from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm- Responsible for household chores, childcare, family responsibilities and hectic project work- No Me Time- Playing PO role for 3 yrs and not able to get role progression
Sarika, the Scrum Product Owner
Sarika’s Goal: Maintain Work Life Balance & Achieve Career Progression
Emotional State: - Stressed, - Always on the run trying to Have it All, - No focus on Self, - Lack of motivation,
Challenges faced by working women like Sarika
Household & Family Responsiblities
Working Hours
Organizational Policies
Lack of Adequate Role Models
Lack of Support, Network & Mentorship
Statistics: http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders?language=en
Exercise: Male or Female?
Scenario 1Sarika as Product Owner delivered a successful release. She was instrumental in gathering requirements, preparing release plan, collaborating with her team of 4 developers and testing all deliverables, even playing Scrum Master responsibilities for her team. Client has sent a big appreciation email specially focusing on Sarika’s attention to detail, how effectively she managed the release and helped the team to give on time delivery with quality
Mr Sharma, Business Relationship Manager:Congratulations Sarika!... You did a great job with ABC project. Client is very happy with your work. Keep it up!
Sarika, Product Owner:Thank you, but the success was all due to my team…Luckily we did not face any major issues with release…. Also it was a simple project and small team , so easy to drive
Mr Sharma:Would you like to take up the upcoming project, it is very challenging and big team to manage.
Sarika thinks to herself :I have never managed this big a team… I don’t think I am ready… I was lucky that the last release went fine… things fell in place… my team was very good… I dint do anything… I don’t deserve all this… I don’t think I can manage a bigger challenge…
Imposter SyndromePauline Rose Clance & Suzanne Imes researched on this in 1978
Recent study on this says, 70% of people experience Imposter SyndromeHigh achieving women have it more frequently and deeply
Statistics: http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/04/03/impostor-syndrome/
Scenario 2There is an upcoming assignment. Business Sponsors on this project are very demanding. It is a first experiment within client organization when Oracle Apps project is being implemented in Scrum. Business Relationship Manager wants to immediately identify IT Product Owner and Team for this project
Portfolio Lead, Suresh has never worked with Sarika but has worked closely with Kapil. Suresh, also mentors Kapil and they take lunch together
Mr Sharma, Business Relationship Manager:Suresh, this project is a challenging assignment and I would like to make it into a success story for our account. I want team to be staffed immediately. Do you think Sarika can play the PO role for this?
Suresh, Portfolio Lead:I have never worked with Sarika directly. But, If you suggest I will talk to her.
However, I believe she may not be able to manage hectic deadlines and the occasional travel that this project has. She has a toddler to look after, afterall
Also the sponsor Mike is very aggressive. In our last assignment with Mike one of our POs Rupa, was not able to negotiate effectively, which resulted in ineffective release planning, schedule slippage and major escalations! So I don’t think Sarika is a good choice! How about Kapil? Kapil is a good negotiator and also he will be fine to travel anytime
Stereotyping
SOURCE: dilbert.com
Familiarity Heuristic
Result?
Overlooked
Demotivated
Self Doubting
Stressed
Under Valued
What inspiration can we draw from
Scrum?
Finding Solutions for Sarika
1. Prioritization
Prioritize your TO DOs – Urgent Important Matrix
Low ImportanceHigh Urgency
Low ImportanceLow Urgency
High ImportanceHigh Urgency
High ImportanceLow Urgency
Urg
ent
High
Low
Low High Important
Do Now
PlanEliminate
Delegate
1
24
3 Laura Vanderkam in her book, I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time
- They plan their toughest tasks for early in the morning- They plan ahead- They think 168 hours, not 24- They take real breaks- Track Your Time- Sneak in some me time for your health and hobbies
2. Focus
When youFOCUSON WHAT YOU WANT,everything else
falls away
Focus on Yourself – Do a Personal SWOTStrengths
o Positive self & public image
o Education o Rich work experienceo Technical knowledge in
specific fieldo Communication skillso Leadership skillso Networking and contactso Interaction with
professional organizations
Weaknesses
o Negative personal characteristics ( lack of discipline, lack of motivation, poor health, indecisiveness, shyness)
o Lack of networking o No goals and objectiveso Negative self and public imageo Lack of work experienceo Lack of technical knowledgeo Lack of communication skills,o Lack of leadership skills
Opportunities
o Growth, globalization in your field of choice
o Technical advances in your field of work
o Trends needing your kind of skills
o Chance to target more specific job goals
o Chance for advancement in your field
o Location is at your advantage
o Strong network
Threats
o Downsizing your chosen fieldo Off trends in your field of
worko Cut throat competitiono Tough competitions from
young Competitors with superior skills, experience and knowledge
o Lack of advance education or training facilities in your area
o Limited advancement in your field
o Companies are not hiring
Strengths
Opportunities
Weaknesses
Threats
Inte
rnal
Exte
rnal
Helpful Harmful
S W
O T(Capitalize) (Manage)
(Take Advantage) (Minimize Impact)
3. Accountability
It is not only what WE DO, but also what WE DO NOT DO for which WE are accountable
• Invest in Relational Capital
• Target Decision Makers
• Make your network multidimensional
• Put yourself out there
Take Accountability – Build your Network
will readily acknowledge that "who you know" counts for a lot, or at least as much as "how well you do your job
believe that long hours, hard work, and education lead to promotion rather than key connections
77% Women
83% Men
Few tips from Rebecca Shambaugh(Internationally recognized Leadership Expert, Author, Keynote Speaker)
Statistics: Catalyst’s research, also referred in Rebecca’s book Make Room for Her
4. Communication
Communication. It’s the first thing we really learn in life. Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking, the harder it becomes to know what to say. Or how to ask for what we really need
Take credit where credit is due
Don’t take things personally
Negotiate effectively for what you deserve
Communicate Effectively
Sit at the Table
Alone we can do so little, Together we can do so much
5. Collaboration
Collaborate
• Make your partner your true partner
• Create your support system @home & @workplace
• Engage with Organization HR to understand policies
• Be part of women’s network or forum to draw inspiration from role models and peers
SOURCE: TCS video channel
6. Inspect and Adapt
The easiest thing in the world is to find fault with others, the toughest is to find our own faults
• What is working well ?• What is not working well and needs to change?
Competencies Aspiration Work Life Balance Priorities Health Relationships Finances ……..
Retrospect
Gather Feedback
Thank You
Prajakta ThakurMBA, CSM, CSPO, CSP
Tata Consultancy Services [email protected]
https://in.linkedin.com/pub/prajakta-thakur-csm-cspo-csp-mba/b/b15/782