Women’s History Month: Personal Reflections of a Working Mom

Reflecting on my journey in the workplace

Women’s History Month is a time of reflection and progression. It’s a time for people to acknowledge the female trailblazers who paved the way for women’s equity and equality. Although we have progressed as a society, there is more work to be done to move the needle forward for women. Particularly, women in the workplace. In today’s post, I am sharing reflections from my journey in the workplace as well as insights as to the road ahead.

Women’s History Month

During March, time is set aside to honor women’s contributions to history and society. What started as a weekly celebration became a monthly celebration, by Presidential Proclamation. Each year, the National Women’s History Alliance creates the annual theme.

The 2024 theme celebrates “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” This theme recognizes women who understand the need to eliminate bias and discrimination from individuals’ lives and institutions.

Source – Women’s History Month 2024 – Dates, Facts & Quotes | HISTORY

Let’s continue to honor this month in the workplace and within our respective communities. I find this quote by Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State to be truly inspiring, “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”

Personal Reflections

As I reflect on my journey in the workplace, I am humbled by my journey. It has been one of resilience, ambition, ebbs and flows, and myriad emotions. I take nothing for granted and embrace the lessons learned. Through resilience, I’ve learned the importance of planning and managing my time effectively. Delegation has helped me to manage the ebbs and flows that come naturally with life and as a result of having a high-impact career. Overcoming challenges along the way, I’ve emerged as a confident leader, driven by diverse experiences and the desire to create a better future for myself and my kids.

How my journey evolved

My career started in financial management. Early on, I enjoyed working by myself in a cubicle left to analyze my spreadsheets for insights, explanations, and validation. As I grew in my career, I grew in the area of influential leadership. Over time, I realized that I have the gift of leadership and desired to grow my career in this direction. What this meant was stepping outside of my comfort zone (ie. my cubicle and spreadsheets) to learn about people, culture, and organizational management.

I took on a stretch assignment to further develop as a leader. It wasn’t a structured process, instead, it developed into a growth opportunity for me over time as a result of ambition (80%), purpose (10%), and “chance” (10%). Side Note: this formula was not developed scientifically 🙂

You can read about these opportunities in this blog post – 7 Key Benefits of Stretch Assignments – Career Mom Community

Over time my career evolved and I took a role as a Chief of Staff for a technology organization. The mix of strategic planning and organizational operations was an excellent fit for my career. I’ll share more about my journey here on the blog, my Facebook page, and my Podcast.

The Road Ahead – Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month serves as a reminder of the ongoing journey toward gender equality. Ensuring that we, as a society, continue to amplify women’s voices, will help to shape our collective future. Continued discussions about gender biases and challenges that women still face in the workplace promote awareness and drive actions towards creating a more equitable workplace.

I remain hopeful about the road ahead. Since I started my career until now, I have personally observed a difference in the treatment and support of women. I remain hopeful for my children who have several year before they join the workforce (although time will fly by).

I invite you to share your reflections and insights in the comments.

Happy Women’s History Month!!