Empowered Women in IT

You sense your team has issues simmering beneath the surface.  But no one talks about them, including you. It's easy to hope they'll just fade away. But have you ever wondered what ignoring them really costs? Your high performers will start planning their exit.  Productivity will take a nosedive. And you’ll continue to lose your team’s respect.  Imagine the shift you could make if you ha...

The organization you work in sets the cultural tone and operational standards. Your values determine how you choose to lead within it. There was a time in my career when it was the norm to: Call someone out publicly if they made a mistake Make organizational changes without speaking to those impacted Shut someone down in a meeting because they didn’t agree  I observed these behaviors modeled by se...

Midway through my career, I stepped into a new management position with a new director. A few months in, a pattern developed. Every Sunday evening, I’d get a text message from him—something “urgent” that needed to be handled first thing Monday morning. Here’s the part I didn’t say out loud at the time: Sundays were sacred to me. A day of worship, rest and time with my family. But I didn’t push bac...

Throughout my IT career, I've seen women often underestimate their skills, convincing themselves they couldn’t progress beyond their current position.  Despite wanting to advance, they self-disqualify by focusing on every job requirement they don’t fully meet. Meanwhile, men apply for roles they aren't fully qualified for and often get them. Women can be overly critical, letting past mis...

Do you ever feel lonely as a woman leader in IT? It can feel like being on an island–isolated and overlooked. I spoke recently with a woman leader in IT who felt this isolation deeply.  She was the only woman manager in her organization and longed for a network of peers who truly understood her challenges. Without this support, who do you turn to when you need encouragement or a listening ear?  It...

As a woman leader in IT, you’re the person responsible and accountable for your team’s performance. I know, that might seem heavy at times. But, you’re the leader your management and customers look to when deliverables are late or milestones missed. Conversely, you’re also going to receive high praises and respect when you implement solutions to the problem. Exploring team accountability issues is...

Is delegating work something you struggle with? What is it that makes you uncomfortable? You may be concerned that someone else can’t meet your expectations or quality standards? Maybe you feel it’s just easier to do it yourself than to teach another person? Or, are you afraid of letting go of something you now have control over? Sure, I get it –  you might be really great at performing the work,...

Have you ever noticed how you can walk into a room and sense the emotions of the attendees? Often it is not what people say, but how they say it that makes all the difference.  Are they saying ‘yes’ just to appease their manager when they really aren’t behind the decision at all? Is there enthusiasm and conviction in their voice? What is their body language telling you? Are their arms folded, eyes...

When I first started my career in IT, I worked as an intern doing software development.  I enjoyed my work, but still had a lot to learn in the professional world. My first project included migrating an application to a new platform. My assignment was to design, develop and test all the reports using the new software.  My team was the first in the organization to blaze the trail using this new tec...

You hear through the grapevine that a reorg is about to happen. Assumptions are shared through chats, emails, and water cooler discussions. As time passes, employees get anxious awaiting the news. You assure your team that everything will work out regardless of the new manager.  The time arrives for the announcement of the reorg. You feel the tension as employees await the news. The org chart is d...

Many times throughout my early career I expressed concerns or suggested an idea only to have it fall on deaf ears in IT.  Why? It’s not because I wasn’t smart enough or didn’t have great ideas.  It had everything to do with being a woman in a male-dominated field. Men listen to other men in this culture. But what if your customers could become one of your most powerful allies?   You create innovat...

A requirement for my CIS degree was an organizational development course. It covered topics like organizational change management, talent and performance management, improving team dynamics, and continuous improvements.  I loved the class and found the content relevant and applicable in my work environment. What made the course even better was the professor’s teaching style. She made a comment one...

Is giving constructive feedback to your employees hard for you?  What is it that makes it so difficult? Are you afraid it will change your relationship? Or maybe you haven’t yet learned how to give feedback and you’re worried about how it might go? Regardless of the reason, giving constructive feedback to employees is truly a gift.  Without feedback, employees make assumptions that everything is g...

Have you ever felt that your hard work, no matter how remarkable, went unnoticed by your manager? Maybe they have a Type-A personality or perfectionist tendencies—setting expectations that feel impossible to meet. They might not have learned how to give praise or feedback for improvement. It could also be that because you’re one of few women in IT, your efforts are habitually overlooked. Your mana...

What made you decide to go into IT? Was it the attraction to technology, innovation, the quick-paced environment, or perhaps customer service?  In this episode, I'll share personal experiences and pivotal moments that transformed me during 30 years as a woman leader in IT. My challenges in IT sparked my passion for empowering other women. From navigating a male-dominated field to standing in...

This podcast— Empowered Women in IT— is hosted by me, Tina Chapman, Women Empowerment Specialist. The show offers practical guidance and inspiration to women leaders in IT who love their work, but struggle to get their ideas heard and respected by men in their organization. Episodes will cover how to rely on intuitive wisdom for intentional decision-making, develop an influential network of allies...