Christie Coplen recently joined Gentherm’s Women Network for a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities for women in the workplace. Here, she offers some ideas for what both men and women can do to help ensure more females are in the leadership pipeline. View the video or read the transcript below:
Video: Gentherm Women's Network
Transcript
I've got three- and five-year-old girls. I think young girls opt out of math and science starting around grade four and five. And so I think the key is just building confidence and keeping them engaged, females specifically, in STEM topics. I think it's this exposure to others that are doing it and mentors that look a lot like them.
On the men's side, you guys [in the room ] are doing it — this is it. It's just awareness and talking about what is the problem and how do you solve it as a team? Being aggressive is great advice and having a seat at the table is exactly what I would want to hear, and what served me well.
But then on the inclusive culture side, reward that behavior if that's what you want to see. If women are given a hard time, then counterbalance that hard time with praise. And praise in public, shame in private. So if it went too far, then correct it privately.