Oracle Corporation
05/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/17/2024 11:41
Commanding the room: a leader’s advice for women in tech
Oracle was a gold sponsor of this year's Women in Tech Global Conference, where our team of industry leaders, technical experts, and recruiters showed participants how women thrive in our community. One of the expo's top moments was the powerful main stage keynote delivered by Senior Director Bo English-Wiczling, who heads developer relations for Oracle Database. Here's what she had to say to women in tech.
Only woman in the room
Photo of Bo English-Wiczling
Bo English-Wiczling
Senior Director, Head of DB DevRel
Oracle
Bo began her keynote speech, "The Only Woman in the Room," with some personal background. She was born in Korea and immigrated to the United States at age four. Her family was very poor back then, and they struggled with basics like food and shelter. Furthermore, English was not her first language.
"These struggles have made me who I am," she said. "Throughout my career, I have consistently been the only woman in the room, overcoming misconceptions and redefining what it means to be a female leader in tech."
With more than 27 years in the industry, Bo has created cutting-edge products and started engineering teams of over 450 people from scratch. She's found creative solutions to challenges she was told couldn't be solved-and done so in record time. While the journey was difficult, it gave her valuable insight into workplace inclusion.
Better workplaces
Women, especially those who fall into other minority groups, have been underrepresented in tech careers, leadership roles, and degree programs. While the numbers have improved over time, it's crucial to keep driving progress. Why?
"Because workplaces with gender diversity are better, and studies have proven this."
Bo highlighted some of these benefits, including higher work productivity when women are represented in leadership. Inclusive companies also have bigger financial returns, make better business decisions, and drive more innovation.
Be aware
Gender inclusivity makes workplaces better, so what can women in tech do to overcome barriers and succeed at work? Bo shared her top tips, starting with awareness of microaggressions.
"A microaggression is a verbal, behavioral, or environmental slight that communicates hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups," she explained.
For example, a manager might pass over a woman's idea only to congratulate a man who later verbalizes the exact same idea.
"Microaggressions cause stress, they make you dread work, they make you shrink into yourself. But you have to learn to confront them effectively. Take them aside and say, 'I couldn't help but notice that you…'"
She reminded us that the goal is not to embarrass people but to help them understand how their actions may come across to others-in turn, creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
Do what scares you
Bo's next recommendation? Do what scares you. She cited her own experience as a natural introvert. Sharing her opinion in meetings terrified her, especially when she was the only woman in the room. However, she learned that not speaking up resulted in others getting credit for her ideas. Rather than viewing her as a leader, they viewed her as quiet and timid. So, she started speaking up.
"I practiced again and again with friends, colleagues that I trusted, and even my husband. First one person, then five people, and eventually I was giving talks in front of 1,000 people at a conference," she shared. "Confront and do the thing that scares you a little every day until it doesn't scare you anymore."
Build alliances
Building alliances is key to climbing the career ladder. For Bo, having the right people in her corner made all the difference when she was laid off from a role.
"I had worked for months building relationships, finding other people in my company that I liked, looked up to, and trusted, and I reached out to them immediately. Within two days, I had a new job in a new team."
Work allies vouch for you, shield you from obstacles, and go out of their way to help you move forward. But how can you know who to rely on? According to Bo, people will tell you who they are-but not necessarily with words. Watching what others do can be more effective than listening to what they say, and trusting your instincts is essential.
At the same time, she warned that spreading negativity at work sets all women back.
"Workplace competition is normal, but hating on each other is not okay. Creating a world that represents all of us takes each of us to do what's right."
Invisible no more
There are more opportunities than ever for underrepresented communities to thrive in tech. But success isn't just about getting in the door; it's also about feeling truly visible in the workplace. As an Asian woman in leadership, Bo knows the struggle firsthand. That's why she hosted a follow-up session called "Invisible No More" to help women assert themselves and be seen at work.
"How many of you have ever thought, 'I don't know if I should be in this meeting' or 'I'm not qualified to apply for this job'?" she asked the audience. "Do you ever diminish your accomplishments or get uncomfortable when someone introduces you as an 'expert'?"
All of these thoughts are classic examples of imposter syndrome. The first step in correcting the issue is understanding how you cope with imposter syndrome. Bo outlined each of the different coping mechanisms:
Perfectionism: setting very high standards and diminishing yourself when you reach the goal
Procrastination: holding back on making decisions or focusing on the outskirts of a project rather than actively working toward the goal
People-pleasing: not having boundaries and giving away your time, money, or energy for free
Paralysis: pretending responsibilities don't exist and relying on stress and adrenaline to complete things last-minute
Conquering self-doubt
She then shared reliable strategies to combat these behaviors. Firstly, acknowledge and challenge negative thoughts.
"The first moment a negative thought happens, ask yourself if it's really true or if it's self-doubt talking. If it's really true, write it down and make time to do something about it later on. If it's not true, learn to ignore these sabotaging thoughts."
With practice, you'll start to overcome negative thoughts as they occur and eventually prevent them from occurring at all.
Next, develop self-compassion.
"When you start to notice those negative thoughts that you've determined are true, stop and ask yourself, 'What would I say to my best friend if they were experiencing the same thing? Now, say that to yourself over and over until you start to believe."
Another great strategy is celebrating your achievements-something Bo still struggles with.
"I'm constantly telling myself how I could have done something better or sooner or differently," she admitted. "One way that I got out of this was to ask my friends and trusted colleagues to say nice things to me."
Finally, don't be afraid to seek professional support. Therapists can be a great resource to learn how to conquer self-doubt and resolve the underlying causes of imposter syndrome.
"When you can overcome this, you can speak up, share your opinions and ideas, be okay with being the only woman in the room, and become the confident leader that you are."
Do you want to grow your tech career with a community that prioritizes inclusion? Explore our open roles and create the future with us.
Oracle Careers Editorial Team
The editorial team is comprised of members of the Oracle Talent Advisory group, with a wide-range of employer branding responsibilities. They partner with employees across Oracle to capture stories that showcase our company, culture and career opportunities, and help candidates envision their #LifeAtOracle.