by Sheena Downey - one of the AWSN Brisbane Chapter Leadership Team
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The IT world has, to date, been hugely dominated by men, from the likes of Steve Jobs, Woz and Bill Gates to the modern, young, stereo-typical hairy, girl-shy developers hiding away in mum’s basement, hacking into government secure servers trying to uncover who really shot JR.
Whilst there has been any number of strong successful women beating down the doors and breaking through the glass ceilings, many more women have simply walked away and found other careers, different directions or alternate industries.
We’ve been advised to dress and act like men in order to fit in and succeed. Then been accused of being aggressive and bossy. We’ve been advised to use our “womanly wiles” then accused of dressing inappropriately or worse ! |
I was accused of being “scary” after an argument with a junior team member repeatedly failed to do his job whilst he was blameless.
But, throughout my career, I have done 1 thing, and 1 thing only
I have been me !!!!
If I was “scary” when I argued with my team member, at least he actually did his job after our conversation.
I wear trouser suits – I like trousers, I’ve even been known to wear cufflinks – they’re pretty and a little bit “different” – I like that too ! I swear – a lot and have long, painted nails - And I look after the people in my care, my team, my customers, my stakeholders.
So, if you want to succeed in a man’s world - Be yourself, it’s the best thing you can be ! |
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This post has been written by Sheena Downey
An 18 year old rebel trapped in a significantly older body, Sheena has been a PPM professional for almost 20 years and has a passion for all things Business Continuity Management focussed. Ex-RAF, working mother and specialising in IT, Sheena has made a career out of telling men what to do and holding them accountable when they don’t do it.
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| (c) AWSN 2017 |
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, organisation or association.
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