Curiosity Is The Spark

Curiosity. That's what sparked it.

Way back in my early years I recall my father tinkering with electronic gadgets or anything else that stimulated his imagination for hours on end. Whenever he wasn't working or at church, he would come home rest, eat, take care of any family issues, and tinker. He must have had every version of 8-track players in existence. Most of the time he was borrowing parts from one gadget to make another gadget work. He invented things - lots of things. He once made a pair of electric gloves to keep his hands warm during the winter only to find out that the gloves were too clunky to be useful. He was undeterred by the 'f' word (failure) or by naysayers . "Can't" wasn't part of his vocabulary. He just kept on creating - and creating. He was curious and creative.

My mother was also curious and creative. Unfortunately she passed on when I was just 3 years old. To the amazement of my father and my siblings, I remember her vividly. Over the years I learned more about her from my family and from many others who knew and loved her. She was focused on faith, family, and education - demanding that every one of her children receive a solid education - girls and boys alike. She kept the family clothed and fed with the money that my father brought in. Those were simpler times - I suppose - when women were primarily homemakers and men were breadwinners (it wasn't that long ago!). She stretched pennies to make dollars. It's possible, but I'm not sure how she did it - keeping our family going while also making room to help others as well.

My parents together created a large family of creative individuals with me at the end of the line - the youngest of 16 siblings (13 girls and 3 boys). As the youngest, I had the greatest advantage of watching with wide-eyed curiosity as my siblings grew up and went away to build lives of their own. I saw what worked and what didn't. Somehow I knew that I was destined to be fiercely independent and innovative, but I wasn't clear where this realization would lead me. My DNA - literally - drives me to be creative, compassionate, innovative, and fiercely independent. Curiosity is the spark. I'm curious about everything. I ask the next question. I ask the question before the question. I ask the question after that question. I imagine possibilities and link ideas that don't seem to be related.

Curiously, my career and my life are the alignment of my parents' natures. My curiosity makes me pull things apart to see how they work so that something better can be created and my compassion makes me care deeply about the impact of technology innovations on people's lives. I've studied and worked on both sides of the chasm as an Electrical Engineer supporting the creation of faster, better, more amazing technologies - and as an Industrial and Organizational Psychology Practitioner evaluating the future of work and the kinds of roles that will drive prosperity and well-being in the knowledge economy.

Going forward my contributions will focus on building bridges between these two areas in order to tackle significant challenges for:

• Women in Technology
• Women in Leadership

I've been very fortunate in my career. It's not easy to advance and no one says that it should be. However, gender inequality will choke the life out of our economy if we don't set about resolving the issues systematically - and fast. Without knowing any more, consider the implications if ~50% of the population is not leveraged at it's peak potential while simultaneously being impacted by the explosion of new technologies and global dynamics. What does this mean for us collectively in 5 years, 10 years, +? What can be done about it? How long do we have to make a difference? I'm curious - and nervous - not for me as much as for my daughter and for the next generation of women and girls.

The cure for curiosity is mediocrity - keeping things as they are or allowing them to deteriorate. I don't care much for the curiosity cure, but I do care to push the boundaries in education and in the workplace. I'll continue creating and innovating in these areas until I can no longer do so. Our DNA makes it possible - and somehow necessary - to build faster, better, more amazing technologies. We can also exercise compassion in the process. Curiosity is the spark. Taking action is the next step.

I'm curious - what actions will you take and how can I help?

Are Women the Real Power Behind Social Media Platforms?

Social media platforms are a tremendous phenomenon that even passionate technocrats like myself didn't envision when I entered the tech arena many years ago (I won't say how many years ago). Before I went into the military or went to college I was absolutely smitten by the possibilities that would some day come from the work that I would perform as an Electrical Engineer.

After graduating I relished in the challenges that came my way and immersed myself in the work of testing the earliest versions of ferro-electric thin-film capacitors and wireless data technologies. Wow! - I'm still amazed. I spent countless hours evaluating system designs, testing product releases, building and selling technology solutions, and creating an ever expanding awareness of the economics of leadership and human capital along the way - always digging deeper to create better, stronger, faster, more efficient systems and solutions for the companies where I worked for and more broadly for humanity in general. I still believe in the whole good of technology and what it does for us.

With all of my passion for technology and the good that it does, I'm deeply bothered by the gender gap and its impact over time - even more so after Oxford's research study. Much research has been done and initiatives have re-started to turn up the volume on this topic. I'm still perplexed about the 'how' and 'why' of the gender gap and of course I continue to examine ways that I can use my talents and capabilities to help close the gap just a little more. The urgency is real!

Social media platforms provide us with ways to connect, interact, and innovate at the speed of light. All one needs is an idea and a computer and the world is literally at your fingertips. Technology, education, and barriers to entry have virtually disappeared and market disruptions are everywhere as a result. The great equalizers - internet and education - are free making it possible for the entire globe to participate in reshaping our world. Yet the economic distance between men and women remains galaxies apart.

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There are two equalizers in life - the internet and education

John Chambers

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cisco

World Economic Forum (2014)

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Social Media Platforms - Owners versus Users

Mashable's article reviewing the Top 10 Highest Rated Tech CEOs prompted me to think about who "owns" social media platforms versus who "uses" these platforms - and whether there is a way to leverage these platforms to dramatically change gender dynamics. To ask the question a different way - can women leverage time spent on social media platforms to help secure stronger leadership roles in companies or as influencers of policies that will drive the desired changes in leadership? There are may ways to answer this question, but the simplest answer is 'yes'. Alone social media platforms aren't the only answer and it would be silly to think so. There also must be 'push', policies, programs, and participation from the target audience - women - to change the trajectory.

 

Will Social Media Become Girl Territory Soon?

That's the question at the bottom of the infographic. If women use social media platforms to build and launch personal brands, to run their own businesses, and to add massive value beyond shares, likes, and comments - then yes - social media will soon become girl territory. If not, then social media will continue to provide even greater ownership and leadership opportunities for platform founders, leaders, and businesses without maximizing the opportunities at women's fingertips.

"Bossy" Is Only One Leadership Indicator

The "Ban Bossy - Encourage Girls to Lead" campaign is a super step forward for women and girls around the globe.  I'm excited (almost giddy) to see this level of engagement and visibility on the topic of girls and leadership - especially in partnership with Girl Scouts. I have a Girl Scout and she's the apple of my eye so I pay close attention to the messages that she's given about virtually everything - even from me. Okay I admit it - I'm an overprotective parent. Sue me! ;-)

We know that what we say is often interpreted differently by children than as intended so let's take "ban bossy" for a spin. If I'm a "bossy" girl, this statement tells me that I'm great and I have what it takes to lead. If I'm not "bossy", what message do I receive? Does it mean that I'm not a leader? After reviewing the site with my daughter and listening to her questions, it became clear to me that the message has to be expanded in order to be positively received by all girls. It's not just the "bossy" girls who have what it takes to lead.

The confidence gap starts early. Between elementary and high school, girls' self-esteem drops 3.5 times more than boys'

Bossy holds girls back. Girls are twice as likely as boys to worry that leadership roles will make them seem “bossy.”

Girls get less air time in classrooms. They are called on less and interrupted more.



http://www.banbossy.org

 

Alternative to "Bossy"

My daughter is a kind-hearted peacemaker. She was awarded her school's first Peacemaker's Award in 2012 for her brilliance in negotiating solutions between her classmates.  She abhors conflict and making peace is a natural part of her personality. She's not "bossy" yet she is a leader. I tell her often that she'll win the Nobel Peace Prize someday. She smiles and takes it in...

I absolutely agree that girls must be encouraged to lead and I wouldn't have it any other way. However, I think it's important to ensure that girls are also shown different types of leadership models so that they don't flip the script and turn this positive campaign into a negative reflection of themselves.

Take the pledge to "ban bossy" but don't stop there!

Technology's Devastating Impact on Women's Jobs

March 8th, tomorrow, is International Women's Day - a day for celebration of women's accomplishments.  The official UN theme for this year is "Equality for Women is Progress for All".

Before diving into the details about the pending challenges regarding women's jobs, take a look at the International Women's Day Doodle video for this year. Celebrate and acknowledge outstanding women. Ah hem - that would be ALL women.

Technology's Devastating Impact on Women's Jobs

 
Topics like are never pleasant to examine, but looking away from them won't change reality. Awareness is the first step towards change, right? Since the changes and challenges are already in progress, it's time to determine next steps.

As I reviewed the recent Oxford study which concludes that 47 percent of US jobs may become computerized in 10 or 20 years, I wondered about impacted demographics like as gender, age, and race - with a sharp focus on women. A close look at data tracked by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2010 (the same year used in the study) shows how devastating the reality may be for women if a fundamental shift in skills doesn't occur.

According to our estimate, 47 percent of the total US employment is in the high risk category, meaning that associated occupations are potentially automatable some unspecified number of years, perhaps a decade or two.

The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Computerization?

 C. Frey, M. Osborne; Oxford University (September 2013

Why my focus on women in particular? Well - because women's productivity is the backbone of the global workforce - clocking 66% of all working hours on the planet. Simply put women's productivity drives global economies.

Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, and produce 50 percent of the food, yet earn only 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property. Whether the issue is improving education in the developing world, or fighting global climate change, or addressing nearly any other challenge we face, empowering women is a critical part of the equation.

Former President Bill Clinton 

Clinton Global Initiative (September 2009)

...The challenges to gender equality just got a whole lot more complicated.


Disruptive Technologies Are Disrupting Women's Jobs

Disruptive technologies will impact the most susceptible occupations in services, sales, administration, construction, and transportation. Most of these jobs are currently performed by women.

• Services jobs are being replaced by personal and household robots at a pace of 15% to 20% per year.
• Sales and related administration jobs are rapidly succumbing to automation and software advancements.
• Industrial robots may automate 15% to 25% of tasks associated with jobs in construction, maintenance, and manufacturing by 2025.

And on the story goes...


A straight-across look at the percentages by gender and job category show significant challenges for women who hold a majority of roles in sales, office, and services occupations. As if the flags weren't red enough in general, they are particularly red for women.

 

SALES-OFC - Sales and office occupations

SVCS - Services occupations

MGMT-PROF - Management, Professional, Related occupations

PROD-TX-MAT - Production, Transportation, Material Moving occupations

NR-CONST-MNT - Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance occupations

Now what? It's time to retool for the knowledge economy.

Social Media Is Not Just "Social", It's Big Business

Social Media is not just "social", it's business - BIG business!  Unless you've been sleeping for the last five years you already know this. The number of technologies, apps, and platforms supporting the engagement, measurement, nurturing, and conversion of contacts into employees, customers, partners, clients, acquaintances, and friends continue to explode. Women and men alike devour content as fast as it gets generated and still want more. The 'free line' has moved. The free line is the boundary between the amount of content products, or services that are given for free versus what customers will pay for. Companies scream louder and louder to get the attention of potential customers - and we've gone deaf. Or have we?


Social Media Intelligence Reports Crazy Growth

RPV (revenue-per-visit) continues to shatter previous records. Whether you're on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn or any other social media platform, you undoubtedly see an increase in the unique types of ad traffic that's designed to get your attention. Reviews of CTR (click-through-rate) or CPC (cost-per-click) provide insight into whether a shift in strategy is warranted. Goldman Sachs recently increased its valuation of Facebook ads due to higher confidence in Facebook's ad ROI (return-on-investment) and mobile strategy.

Social media channels are picking up steam and have their eyes on capturing a greater portion of search dollars. The real race will not be between social media channels, but between marketer's allocation of dollars across search, display, and social.

Social Intelligence Report

Adobe Digital Index Q4 2013 

Internet Ad Revenue Tops $20B at HY 2013

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report on internet ad revenue generated from more than 600 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online ads in the US and is considered to be the most accurate measurement of revenue in this space. According to the IAB press release, internet ad revenues topped $10.7B USD in Q3 2013, a 15% increase over Q3 2012. Growth into 2014 and beyond is expected to accelerate.

Digital has steadily increased its ability to captivate consumers and then capture the marketing dollars that follow. Mobile advertising's breakneck growth is evidence that marketers are recognizing the tremendous power of smaller screens.

IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report

2013 First Six Months Results October 2013

Battle of the Sexes in Social Media

So what do we do with all of these social media outlets? You might imagine that women and men use them differently and you'd be right. Take a look at how the battle of the sexes plays out on social media platforms.  If you're planning on using the platforms for business or for pleasure, it's helpful to know who is listening.

Humans and Technologies Collide When It Comes to Jobs

 

For years I searched for details that would show the rate of change between technology innovations and the rate of decline or shift in the number of jobs. I had seen information or predictions circulating about IT jobs, but what I was looking for was an in-depth scientific study that would reveal substantive results across industries. At the time I wasn't in a position to do the research myself. Well - I should be careful of what I ask for.

A recent study by Carl Frey and Michael Osborne (September 2013) examined interactions between 702 job types as defined in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2010 data set, Machine Learning (ML), and Mobile Robotics (MR). Their results are shocking, but realistic.

According to our estimates, about 47 percent of total US employment is at risk.  We further provide evidence that wages and educational attainment exhibit a strong negative relationship with an occupation's probability of computerization. 

The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Computerization?

 C. Frey, M. Osborne; Oxford University (September 2013)

Probability of Computerization

Technology innovations such as industrial robots, friendly robots, data analytics, low cost sensors, vehicle automation, and prefabrication will continue to impact jobs in transportation, manufacturing, farming, construction, administration, sales, and services in the near term.  These are the areas of greatest concern - the 47%. One has to simply catch snips from daily news feeds to confirm the facts. The study cites a plethora of examples showing that the world as we know it has already changed - past tense.

How do we navigate this type of significant shift? By rapidly defining and gaining new skills - skills that aren't in the cross-hairs of ML or MR. The 10,000-Hour Rule (Gladwell, M. (2008); Outliers pp. 35-68) is a challenge but we have time if we start now - right now - to figure out what new skills are required to maintain a sufficient standard of living as the world continues its transformation. Areas requiring a high degree of social and creative intelligence have yet to be conquered by technology. However, it may simply be a matter of time - and human ingenuity - before jobs in these areas also become computerized.

There's a bit of humor in the infographic below, but consider it well. The world has changed.

Everyone Will Become an Entrepreneur [INFOGRAPHIC]

A. Vital, A. Unak; Funders and Founders (September 2013)

Women in Leadership - Call to Action

Gender equality and pay equity are front and center as human rights issues (as well they
should be!) thanks to The Clintons and many other powerful voices like Bill and Melinda Gates.  In recent weeks, prominent global leaders and concerned citizens all around the world have spoken out about the inequalities that plague women after centuries of challenges.  As a woman in technology, woman in leadership, woman veteran, woman of color, and any other type of "woman" label that can be attached to me, I'm greatly concerned. 

I'm concerned for my daughter.  The outlook for her reaching the top leadership ranks in traditional work settings is grim though not impossible.  My daughter has tremendous advantages that many others don't (for one she has me).  However, one or two or 50 making it thru the "eye of the corporate needle" on any level is just not good enough.  I've learned over my lifetime that challenges for others who are like me equal challenges for me.  With that in mind I've recently re-awakened to add my time, my talents, and my treasures to the cause.  The bottom line is that we have families to raise - and a world to run.  The question now is "what's our next move?"

Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, and produce 50 percent of the food, yet earn only 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property. Whether the issue is improving education in the developing world, or fighting global climate change, or addressing nearly any other challenge we face, empowering women is a critical part of the equation.

Former President Bill Clinton addressing the annual meeting of the Clinton

Global Initiative (September 2009)

Of course there's something seriously wrong with this picture.  I pray that the data was and is wrong.  Not much has changed in the areas cited since 2009 - in very small part because of the global economic crisis.  If the data is right, then we're way beyond simple questions and answers.  The United Nations Millennium Development Goals provide concrete steps for navigating our way out of the craze.  I'm looking forward to a new data set from The Clinton's New Women's Global Initiative in partnership with Google and the World Bank.

In the meantime my focus is on Big Data, the integration of technology and humanity, and people at work.  Big Data is getting bigger - leading to deeper insights and faster decision-making, technology innovations are speeding up - converting expensive challenges into cheaper-better-more accessible solutions, and the world of work may become computerized at alarming rates.  Why is this a concern for women?  Because many of the roles that are currently performed by women are in the crosshairs for computerization.

For those of us who have our heads down taking care of our families, there is a "work" tsunami approaching that may knock us off balance, leaving us wondering what our next move should be.  The alarms are sounding so please pause to hear the follow-up announcement and then decide if it's OK to keep doing what you're doing - or if it's worth your time to acquire additional strategic skills to help you get ahead in the new economy.