The answer may be yes and the key to your businesses endurance and future success may depend on you getting it right.

If you’re not focused on the Inclusion part of Diversity & Inclusion, then you’re doing it wrong. Having diversity in your organization is only half of the equation. Inclusion is what makes it meaningful. Verna Myers, Diversity & Inclusion expert and consultant says "Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance," If you don’t ask all of your employees to dance, you are not providing a work environment where your employees and customers can thrive, and you’re not building a sustainable business.

Belonging...what does the word evoke for you? Who gets that uneasy feeling, like they don’t belong when they are in a new situation, or when they are outside their tribe? What’s your experience? For most of my life, up until about 12 years ago, I’ve hidden a big part of who I am. I’ve always felt like an outsider, and this feeling caused me to put up a wall that I let very few people through. I was gay and didn’t want people to know so I didn’t let them in, didn’t let them get close.

I get it, sometimes (often, if we’re truthful) we women are not comfortable speaking up. The reasons are as varied as we are:

• We don’t think we know enough on the topic

• We don’t want to appear pushy

• We don’t want to appear to be bragging

• We haven’t been invited into the conversation yet

• What’s your reason?

And so on…I have news for you, we’re not doing ourselves any favors by not speaking up, offering our opinion, or (god forbid) taking charge of the conversation!

In this article, I will provide some tidbits that will help you get over your “what ifs” and speak up.

Women in the tech industry often feel like they have to work twice as hard to get even a little of the recognition they deserve. They are always in the minority and almost always working for a male boss. Having worked in tech for 20+ years, I’ve certainly experienced it myself! So, is it true that we need to do more, stay later & shout louder, in order to be seen and heard? Read on to get some answers and maybe pissed off enough to do something about it!