Executive women have proven themselves capable of breaking down the barriers and reaching the top of their organizations. However, the rate at which women are being promoted is far too slow.

Because women are still highly underrepresented in leadership roles in the martech industry, the growth potential for women in entry and mid-level positions in the industry is stalled. Women leaders need to lead from the front and strive to be open to, supportive of and collaborative with  fellow women in the workplace. By emphasizing the importance of collaboration over competition and investing time in training, mentoring and personal development, female leaders can help women in the martech industry amplify their visibility and recognition. 

Include Her In Meetings & Updates

One of the easiest ways executive women can be advocates for other women on their teams is to nominate them for Women of Martech (WOM) Success Spotlights. WOM Success Spotlights help WOM promote and amplify the experiences, contributions, successes, achievements and innovations of women in the martech industry. WOM aims to increase the recognition of the power of women and their contributions to innovate and move the martech industry forward.Click hereto nominate a woman on your team for a WOM Success Spotlight.

Whether in person or virtual, meetings are times when decisions are made, ideas are discussed and employees have opportunities to learn and increase their visibility. Not every meeting can have an open door to everyone. However, when appropriate, executive women in leadership roles have opportunities to elevate other women by including them as meeting participants. 

Inviting women on your team to join you in more meetings is a great way to identify them as people with great promotable potential, providing them with opportunities to increase their exposure to other company leaders or industry partners and deepen their understanding of important topics and issues.

Encourage Her Ambition & Inspire Her To Aim Higher

As women in entry, junior and mid-level positions seek out more responsibility and opportunities to shine, they may be great candidates to join you and take notes during various meetings, even if they cannot have speaking roles. Inclusion in meetings may also help women leaders foster professional cultures committed to inclusion, respect for ideas and diversity of thought.

As an executive, your time is likely spread very thin. However, if you have the opportunity to provide other women with helpful feedback, do it. Women in non-executive or non-leadership roles who are striving to improve their skills and enhance their positions often benefit greatly from direct feedback, encouragement and positive reinforcement. If you become aware of a woman who went the extra mile or had an incredible predictive week, take a moment to let her know you are aware of her good work. Also, if your schedule allows, connect with junior and mid-level female staff and provide them with tips on how they could improve their work. Likewise, if you become aware of a female team member’s goals or ambitions, try to provide her with an opportunity to pursue related tasks that may help accelerate her growth. Sometimes, even a small project could provide invaluable experience and exposure. Similarly, don’t wait until an employee’s annual review to provide helpful insight that could shape them to be a candidate for internal growth. If you do not have ample time to engage with the women on your teams, consider introducing these women to other leaders in the company to provide professional critiques and recommendations for improvement and growth. 

Be An Advocate For Women Climbing The Ranks

Many women struggle to find a network of supportive women with whom they may openly discuss their goals and challenges. Access to sponsors and mentors are vital for career growth among women in martech. Sponsors, otherwise known as advocates, are simply individuals who are in a position to provide advancement opportunities and take action to do so. In a recent McKinsey study, 60% of female respondents said that, if they could relive their careers, they would actively seek out more sponsors. According to an article by Harvard Business Review (HBR), the issue of under-sponsorship is one contributing factor stalling the rate at which women are promoted to executive positions. The HBR article describes three ways executives could serve as sponsors for other women: 

• Strategizer: A strategizer shares their “insider knowledge” about how to advance in the organization. They strategize with the women they sponsor about how to get ahead and how to fill any developmental gaps that might block progress.
• Connector: A connector makes introductions to influential people in their network. They talk up the women they sponsor with peers and use those interactions to learn more about how she is seen by others and help enhance perceptions.
• Opportunity Giver: An opportunity giver offers high visibility projects or promotions (within the scope of roles under their control) to the women they sponsor. 

One of the easiest ways executive women can be advocates for other women on their teams is to nominate them for Women of Martech (WOM) Success Spotlights. WOM Success Spotlights help WOM promote and amplify the experiences, contributions, successes, achievements and innovations of women in the martech industry. WOM aims to increase the recognition of the power of women and their contributions to innovate and move the martech industry forward. Click here to nominate a woman on your team for a WOM Success Spotlight.