Washington, DC. The only session I was able to get to was the panel on Women Leaders in Technology.
45% of the federal workforce is over the age of 50. A lot of people will be retiring in the next
several years. Can we capture that
knowledge?
Employees under 30 years of age account for only 7.1 percent
of the federal workforce. – Fed Figures 2014, Partnership for Public Service, April 24, 2014.
Panelists said that mentoring was the key to encouraging
young people to work in the federal government.
Leaders and managers need to learn how to work with younger workers who
have a different approach to work and tackling projects.
Thoughts - This is a challenge. Young people have ideas and energy but often
their ideas are shot down by older, longer-serving workers. Many agencies are Microsoft shops and because
of IT security concerns, they are aren’t flexible or open to Open Source
software and other systems. Many Gen-X,
Gen-Y and Millennials grew up using Apple products in their schools. They can work with Microsoft – but often
prefer the Apple systems.
Social Media:
It is pervasive and business and government is making use of
it. Amazon runs all product launches
through social media. This saves money
that can be put back into services and products. They are also using social media to
communicate within their organization.
Government agencies are issuing alerts and news releases and
other updates via social media.
Thoughts – Social media is perfect for business. Consumers interested in products are always
on the lookout for news about the products that they like. Government cannot rely solely on social
media. Not everyone uses social media or
is necessarily following every agency.
News services track social media, but they have to confirm before they
broadcast and not everyone is tuned into news media (television, online or
print) 24/7.
Women in the IT World
The moderator asked about the experience of being a woman in
the IT/Computer Science world. Three of the
panelists are also women of color.
Debora Plunkett of NSA said that she was given the advice to
know that you belong. Learn to be okay with being the one and only. Conduct yourself with
honesty, integrity and transparency. Be
happy about what you do.
Other women spoke of the influence of a particular teacher
or mentor. They went on to suggest that
we conduct outreach to STEM students in high school and college – but maybe we
should focus on elementary school to get women and minorities interested in careers
in IT.
You own your career.
Your boss is not responsible for helping you to move ahead – it is your
responsibility. If you aren’t happy
where you are, go to where you can be happy.
Teresa Carlson said that we should build our EQ as well as
our IQ. Our EQ is our emotional
quotient. Learn to handle changes within
the workplace. Be resilient.
The Aha Moment
One of the speakers mentioned that her Aha Moment was when
she realized that she could create a place for herself by finding a need and
filling it. When we encounter a hole we
have options: walk around the hole, jump over it, turn around, or fill the
hole. If we find a way to fill the hole
in our organization, we show that we are part of the team and we can meet a
need – provide something that was lacking.
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