[PDJ : Part 2 in a Series]
To Women Everywhere: We must advocate for ourselves By Bhavana Bartholf, Chief Digital Officer for Microsoft Commercial Solution Areas (Global)
I
’m grateful to have the opportunity to share this story with you as Part 2 of my Advocating for Yourself series in Profiles in Diversity Journal. As I shared in my last story, over the past year, I have been on a journey of self-reflection— reigniting my sense of imagination and drive; continuing to build clarity on my brand, ambition, and needs; and most important, advocating for myself and being a voice for others. Earlier this fall, I shared my list of ideas on this topic, and today I’m excited to share that my list has evolved (yes, the more I live, the more I learn!). As I continue on my journey, I find myself gaining more and more clarity. Today, I’m excited to share my latest thinking with you regarding my 5 Steps for How to Advocate for Yourself: 1. Believe in yourself 2. Be proud of your journey 3. You always have a choice 4. Be brave and ask for what matters 5. Find your pack
34
2021 Fourth Quarter
Believing in yourself and being proud of your journey isn’t always easy. And, Diversity and Inclusion matter—to everyone! People want to be seen, heard, and feel welcomed, no matter who and where they are. We all can learn so much from everyone—including children— as I recently experienced with my own 12-year-old son. One day, I picked him up from school, and he got in the car and broke down. The immediate inner dialogue in my head was, “What happened, who did it, and who do I need to go tackle?” But I gave him the space to just feel safe. My son is in 7th grade, younger and the smallest kid in his grade. And he had just finished two days of basketball tryouts. So, from his reaction, I knew he didn’t make the team. The reason I wanted to share this story was because he wasn’t upset that he didn’t make the team. He was upset because he said the coaches didn’t even try to “SEE” him! He said, “I was written off as
being ‘too little’ as soon as I walked in the door!” He said he realized that on Day 1; on Day 2, he played his hardest, and kids he played against complimented him, but he said he was still “INVISIBLE.” Later that night, he said, “I wish I would have been brave and spoken up and been clear to the coaches what was important to me and why I was there.” But he said he didn’t think of it at the moment. And here’s the saving grace: he knows that WHEN this happens again (and he knows it will), he will be ready to speak up, so he can change the experience for someone else. Many people experience this every day and if we all tried to be intentional about speaking up, supporting someone, and giving someone a chance, the world would be a whole lot more diverse and inclusive. The journey isn’t easy for me either! People always have asked me how I do it, but the reality is I’m a work in progress, too. So let’s get real. Have you been wondering
www.diversityjournal.com
