Everyone talked about having a schedule for SX but also keeping a fluid like approach to this schedule. Be open to what may come your way and embrace the unexpected. As a Type A, over-planner, anxious person this was a bit of a stretch for me but I wanted to keep an open mind. The best creators, thinkers, and do-ers are in Austin for 10 days. If we don’t keep ourselves open to what may happen, we may never know the beauty that is SXSW. Some of the best opportunities and moments happen when you least expect it. And so far, SX has not disappointed. The kindness of everyone here and the excitement to just be surrounded like-minded people is infectious. I get why people would pay $1,000+ of their own money to come to Austin once a year. If you are debating about attending, just do it. Get your pass now while it’s still “cheap.” The bug has certainly bitten me and I hope I can attend in the coming years as well.
Cut back to Day One. I decided to attend DISRUPTERS: Gender Equity Strategies for 2018 led by Dr. Patti Fletcher. We featured her session in our Top 5 Sessions Focused Around Female Empowerment in the Workplace. I didn’t have her book but it sounded like an interesting discussion centered around women disrupting the system and how to approach breaking the mold when it comes to women in the workplace. Embracing the opportunity and walking into this talk certainly did not disappoint. Dr. Fletcher is not only an incredible speaker, she brought an energy to the room that lights your fire to get out to there and create change. It’s also encouraging to hear from someone who not only has lived through gender bias. She doesn’t blame anyone but rather the system itself.
Maybe it’s not women’s fault and dagnammit maybe it’s not men’s fault, maybe it’s about the system.
As Dr. Fletcher stated, we are in a 150 year old system that isn’t quite working the way it should when it comes to women in the workplace. The goal here is to change the system rather than placing blame on someone, some gender, or some particular person. It is refreshing to hear about getting to the bottom of the actual issue rather than focusing on a band aide. Corporations are currently focused on diversity but as this is a buzzword, it is not achieving anything but numbers and data that appear to be working. Yet the problem isn’t really solved. Dr. Fletcher went on to talk about how we live in a world of “or” when we should be living in a world of “and.” Inclusion only makes a company stronger. Inclusion leads to culture which leads to mindset. Changing the system and focusing on the mindset rather than the numbers of diversity is where the focus should lie.
Following Dr. Fletcher’s session, we migrated over to the SX bookstore where we had the opportunity to purchase her book, talk more, and get our book signed. Below is a clip of Dr. Fletcher talking about gender equity in Europe with a woman from Sweden.
To read about the success stories and get more actionable items on how you can approach this at your job, you can purchase Dr. Fletcher’s book here: Disrupters: Success Strategies from Women Who Break the Mold.