Learning outcome: Examine methods for overcoming stereotypes and barriers for women When you meet someone, what are your initial assumptions? Do these assumptions impact the way you interact with them? Our brains naturally place people in larger groups or categories based on the situation. In business, subtle biases can become major roadblocks to fair and inclusive diversity practices. These perceptions can have a real impact on career trajectories and cause contributions to be ignored and diminished. Join us as we discuss how women can help build and support each other’s rise to the executive level and avoid undercutting each other. At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to: 1. Explore actions and attitudes often expressed in the workplace. 2. Identify ways to advocate for women leaders and leaders from other under-represented groups to build each other up, not tear each other down. 3. Examine common concerns and challenges for women in the corporate world. 4. Discover methods for building a diverse workplace that helps erase roadblocks for women. 5. Describe methods for building support, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.

2. Optimize Diversity, Equity
& Inclusion in the Workforce
Seminar 1510
Super Mega Ultra Women:
Build Up, Not Tear Down
Saturday, October 9, 2021
10:00 – 11:15 am
COL Antoinette R. Gant, Moderator
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

3. Why is it important for
Women to support Women?
While any and all support is important, there is a special
understanding that women share - making it vital for us to
advocate for each other. ... When women support each other
there's almost nothing we can't do. As women, we are
nurturing to others and aim to improve the lives of those around
us.

4. Super Mega Ultra “Superpower”:
QUEEN OF MULTI-TASKING
2020 Women of Color
All Star Technology Award

5. Super Mega Ultra “Superpower”:
MANAGING TALENT
2020 Women of Color
PRESIDENT’S AWARD RECIPIENT
2011 Women of Color
MANAGERIAL AWARD RECIPIENT

7. Ways To Support Each Other
 Build a Support System
 Assess Your Strengths and
Weaknesses
 Always be Polished (ABP)
7

8. METHODS FOR BUILDING A DIVERSE WORKPLACE
THAT HELPS ERASE ROADBLOCKS FOR WOMEN
 Compelling communicate the status of women
in key focus areas to a Senior Level Leadership
Groups of your organization
 Actively advise Senior Level Leadership Groups
throughout your organization of possible policy
solutions to pipeline challenges
 Exhaustively execute/coordinate solutions to
throughput and pipeline challenges. 8
A HIGH LEVEL VIEW

9. METHODS FOR BUILDING A DIVERSE WORKPLACE
THAT HELPS ERASE ROADBLOCKS FOR WOMEN
DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST
Provide overarching insight into the lives of today’s
women (storytelling is powerful)
Understand the pipeline management and career
development philosophy of your company
Gain insightful knowledge about your organization’s
construct, to include what is being managed
Coordinate a safe space for honest, open and candid
communication
Identify focus areas for improvement; their why and its
individual, managerial and organizational gains 9

10. METHODS FOR BUILDING A DIVERSE WORKPLACE
THAT HELPS ERASE ROADBLOCKS FOR WOMEN
Perform in advisory and support role to a Senior Level Leadership
Group of your organization
 Enhance cultural education and awareness in regard to
diversity and inclusion
 Identify career progression barriers and special issues from a
women perspective
 Assist in efforts to improve women representation in
management, leadership and senior ranking position
Foster a organization-wide collaborative network to facilitate
information sharing and ‘lessons learned’ pertaining to ‘moving up’
the career ladder
Enhance mentoring and motivation of the women talent pool to
prepare for and pursue senior management and leadership
opportunities
Partner with other diversity and inclusion advisory groups, as there
is consensus and strength in numbers
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE ACTIONABLE STEPS
10

11. METHODS FOR BUILDING SUPPORT, DIVERSITY,
AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT FOCUS AREAS/GOALS
FOR WOMEN
 Enhance engagement of women workforce members in career
planning/development opportunities; and promote career growth
and developmental opportunities.
 Amplify focus on existing hiring activity through innovative
recruitment strategies leading to success in improving new
employee pipeline flow into your organization’s workforce.
 Intensify company efforts necessary to find solutions to pipeline
issues related to attracting, developing and retaining females in
the workforce; and communicate the career experiences to
positively enhance retention.
 Identify extant issues and prospective solutions associated with
career field pipeline constraints, limiting diversity within high grade
talent pools and selections.
11

12. BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE CURRENT
STATE OF WOMEN
Recruitment
 Is our recruitment pipeline (PL) adequate?
 What metrics do we need to capture?
 Qualified applicants vs. offers made
Career Planning & Development
 Define metrics to capture – How do measure this PL?
 Define key courses and assignments.
Development & Retention of Women
 Define metrics to capture – How do measure this PL?
 What are the challenges?
High Grade Talent Pool Pipeline
 What are the challenges in development of this PL?
METHODS FOR BUILDING SUPPORT, DIVERSITY,
AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES CONTINUES
Measures & Metrics
12

13. Integrate
Current/Future
Skills
Skills/Experience
Assessment
Gap Analysis Talent Management
Candidate Pool
LEAK
LEAK
Current and
Future Work
Requirement
Documents
13
A CALL TO ACTION: TALENT MANAGEMENT PIPELINE
13
The Business Case: To the extent in which we are not diverse, we are weak.

14. Let’s Have a
Dialog!!!!!
14

16. Panelists
Adrienne Somerville
adriennesomerville2@gmail.com
Zanhka Patel
zankha.patel@abbott.com
Moderator
COL Antoinette Gant
antoinette.r.gant.mil@mail.mil