Episode 306

In this episode of the Unscripted podcast, host Sarah Nicastro shares what’s on the hearts and minds of the Future of Field Service community when it comes to International Women’s Day 2025 and its theme to #AccelerateAction.

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Episode Transcript:

Sarah Nicastro (00:04):

Welcome to the UNSCRIPTED podcast. I'm your host, Sarah Nicastro. Today's episode is the International Women's Day 2025 episode, and I'm going to be sharing with you contributions from the Future of Field Service community. International Women's Day this year is on March 8th, and according to the website, International Women's Day has been around for over a hundred years, as have many of the issues still impacting women's advancement since 1911. International Women's Day belongs to all who care about women's equality.” Each year, international Women's Day sets a theme for the year, and this year's theme is #AccelerateAction. So as I thought about how best to cover International Women's Day this year, there was a lot on my mind, certainly creating content around the topic wasn't in question, it was just a matter of how best to do. So I became very curious what is on the hearts and minds of the community.

(01:23):

There is a lot going on in the world right now, and it made me really ponder a bit more what everyone's thinking and feeling versus in the past years, sometimes we've just featured a specific woman's story. Other times we've done different topical things. This year just feels a bit different, and so I was really curious how the community might be feeling. So I posed the question on LinkedIn and had some great response, some people that were more than willing to share their opinions and feelings about some different prompts that I asked them to comment on, as well as welcoming them to share anything and everything that is on their mind. So I'm going to share some of those thoughts with you, along with some of my own, in today's podcast. I did edit a bit because I didn't want this episode to be too, too long, but I plan to release sort of an extended article on this topic, including everyone's full input around the date as well.

(02:50):

So keep an eye out for that. But for now, let's get started. I tried to categorize this input into some different themes that we're going to talk through together, and the first is that while we have come a long way, it's indisputable that there's still so far to go and biases stand in the way of making the progress that we need. So Catherine Coulter Wood, who is the Senior Manager for Service Optimization and Transformation at Compugen weighed in on this point. She said, “gender equality in the workplace has really come a long way, but women still face real challenges in STEM, particularly I see a lot of capability bias. The results of this bias are hiring disparities, leadership inequality and more. But the why is that there is an unconscious hiring of men over women or of promoting men over women to leadership roles.

(03:53):

At its core, there is a capability bias. There are many historical and societal reasons which have created this unconscious and sometimes very conscious belief that men are more intelligent or capable than women, particularly in areas of stem. Multiple studies and ample testimonies of people's lived experiences show that when there are two candidates with the same qualifications, credentials and experience, the man is generally viewed as more capable. This is an area where we can accelerate action.” Catherine suggests determining a way to make capability bias more visible so that we can critically analyze how to change it and measure progress. So when we think about biases and how we start accelerating action to identifying those and overcoming them, representation and visibility become very important. We need to see examples of that capability bias being proved false. Chantelle King, who is Managing Partner at Woola says, “we need to accelerate action in industries that have historically been male dominated, especially in trades operations and leadership roles.

(05:14):

Representation matters and we need to actively encourage and support more women in these spaces through mentorship, sponsorship, and leadership development programs.” Alyce Peterson, who is the Product Marketing Manager at ServicePro by MSI data says she's heard from many women, other women in the service space at industry events across the country that agree fully that women need more visibility. And this is impossible to dispute if you simply attend one of these events like I have for the last many, many years. Again, going back to the earlier point that Catherine made, there has been progress, but there is still a long way to go. I remember at one of my first field service events, I was one of two or three women out of a couple of hundred at the entire event, and that ratio has certainly grown, but it is nowhere near equal.

(06:24):

Alyce says, “we need more women in leadership and for others to help pass the torch. There are so many ways to get women not only a seat at the table, but also to become deeply integrated leaders into their organizations.” When it comes to how we get there, allyship is critical and came up quite a bit in people's responses. Carolyn Haggstrom Markland, who is the Managing Director and Vice President for Customer Services in the Nordics at Vattenfall points out that with intent, allyship doesn't have to be hard. She says, “for me, from a personal point of view, what's been most impactful in terms of support has been allyship, and I try to pay that forward as often as I can. It's not hard. Just be mindful of sharing your space and putting people forward within your networks.” Jayda Nance, who is the Delivery Project Executive Leader for AI Development and Innovation for Client Experience at IBM shares an important reminder that there is no allyship without action.

(07:39):

She says, “allyship is more than acknowledgement. It's action. It's men stepping into women's worlds, not as saviors, but as advocates. Too often society assigns women the easy tasks mistaking consideration for fragility, but we don't want saving. We want opportunity, a voice, a seat at the table with a steak. I've been fortunate to work with men who have spoken my name in rooms I wasn't in advocated for me when it mattered and celebrated my accomplishments publicly. The hard truth. Sometimes things happen simply because a man said so that's the reality. And while we work toward a future where all voices carry equal weight, we must also recognize the opportunity within this dynamic. Behind many accomplished men are women who played a pivotal role in their success. So lift us up with you when you rise, bring us along. That is allyship, that is impact.” Chantel of Woola echoes that allyship, especially from men is impactful saying, “having male allies who actively space for women in discussions advocate for their advancement and push back against biases has been incredibly impactful.

(09:04):

Leadership needs to be intentional about fostering inclusion.” KM Manickam, who is a Customer Support Manager at BD said he's focused on doing just that. He said, “One impactful way I've supported a woman at work was by advocating for her during performance reviews and promotion discussions by highlighting her achievements and contributions, I helped ensure she received the recognition and opportunities she deserved.” When you think about what he's saying, this person he's referring to, these were her achievements, they were her contributions, the recognition was deserved. But the reality is sometimes despite all of that, it still won't happen if allies aren't taking the initiative to be conscious of looking for the people around them that are in marginalized groups that need that allyship and making it a priority to essentially just share the realities of the hard work that they're doing. Another incredibly important mechanism for change is the many ways that women are supporting women.

(10:22):

This is near and dear to my heart and it came up in many of the responses which I absolutely loved. So the first example of that is from Danielle Waterworth, who is the Vice President for North America AG Dealer and Customer Support and the Global Vice President for Parts and Service AG Maintenance and Services Development at CNH. These long titles are incredibly challenging, but I think I'm doing okay. Danielle says, “while I have learned and enjoyed working for all of my prior leaders, I have found the relationship with my first female executive to be different in that she sees things in a different lens. Our relationship has grown to be open and reciprocal where we do not bullshit one another. We are transparent when we are disappointed in the other's opinion or work and we are open with one another when it comes to growth and leadership.

(11:19):

Also, when I have a problem, it is her problem too. Having a leader that you trust to be truthful and that has your back is something all should have. But especially women helping another woman as they know how to balance the various aspects or jobs that our life entails from employee to wife, to mother to friend and volunteer, but do not question how or if you will be successful still in accomplishing what they expect of you.” So they know the juggling act and know that regardless of what might come up, your ability to be successful and accomplish what you need to is not in question. And I can understand how much comfort there is in that. To have a relationship with someone who understands what you are trying to balance and has confidence in you, that no matter what all of that is, no matter what hurdles might come up, you have what it takes to get the job done.

(12:27):

Erica Marois, who is the Senior Manager for Content and Community at Informa says, “I was fortunate to have many other women take me under their wing in my twenties and gently nudge me out of my comfort zone while also championing my work. I didn't realize it at the time, but they were planting the seeds of confidence I needed to grow both personally and professionally. Society loves to pit women against each other, but when we take it upon ourselves to offer support, kindness and understanding to others, those small acts can make a huge difference. Give other women a seat at the table by speaking positively about their work and contributions even when they are not in the room. It's such an easy way to pay it forward.” This is such an important point because this really comes back to this idea of a scarcity mentality or a mentality of abundance, right?

(13:22):

And this concept that if we as women lift other women up, are we risking what we could be achieving? And it's such foolish thinking and really holds us back from our own true and full value because we're all on this earth to help other people. And hearing these examples of women supporting other women just shows you how much more impact you can have when you expand your lens beyond your own struggle, your own challenges, your own journey and look around you for other women to lift up. There's what's the saying, this isn't pie. There's a piece for everyone. And so looking for those opportunities to speak positively about your coworkers, to showcase their accomplishments, to offer your support or your mentorship or sponsorship, these are all actions of allyship and they can be done by men for women. They can also be done by women for other women, and they should be.

(14:42):

And it's really great to see that they are. So I loved hearing that while allyship and the one-to-one mentor examples are incredibly powerful, the respondents also pointed out how much value there is to be found in community. Dot Mynahan, who is the Senior Director for Safety and Workforce Development at National Elevator Industry, Inc. stresses the role of employee resource groups as one important form of community. She says, “I think there's a need to accelerate action around employee resource groups. There's a great guidance document assembled by 16 state AGs called Multi-State Guidance concerning diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility employment initiatives that stresses the important of employee resource groups providing an inclusive and supportive space where employees of particular backgrounds or common experiences feel value and heard According to the document, ‘When employees feel that their identity is recognized and supported within the organization, they're more likely to stay long-term.’ Dot has been on the podcast before when she was with Otis Elevator and she was responsible for starting Otis’s Women's Employee Resource Group, I believe called Forward and it has had an incredible impact on the organization.

(16:11):

So I understand why she's passionate about bringing up the value of these groups, and I've also seen many other examples of how these employee resource groups can have a great impact. And also to point out, I think with hers and others, it's not only a space for women to come and be in community, it is also a space for allies to come and to understand what the challenges and opportunities are to better understand how they can support the women that are in these groups. So very good point. From Dot. Alyce from ServicePro touches on the good that can come from making time for in-person engagements. She says, “onsite networking events, workshops and discussions are not just nice-to-haves. They're crucial for women to have the space to be heard and connect in such large rooms. Some of these women invite you to be mentored, be on boards, attend other events, speak in other ways.

(17:13):

The networking is invaluable.” I think this is another very good point that sometimes it can be very helpful to step out of your own bubble, whether that is connecting with more folks on LinkedIn, whether that is attending an industry event or a women women-focused event. There are some of those as well. Getting out there and getting the perspective of other people who are in similar and different circumstances can be very helpful. And again, that's where a lot of these connections can be made that gives women the opportunity to support other women and allies, the opportunity to support women as well. So these points have all been very helpful to illustrate some of the ways that we could think about accelerating action, which is the theme for this year. But there is a lot in question up for debate and at stake at the moment, particularly in the United States with a YouTube video recently published by the White House claiming ‘DEI is Dead Under the Trump Administration.’

(18:29):

It is concerning to say the least, what could happen to the pace of progress we've made not only with women's equality but diversity and inclusion of all kinds. This is a touchy subject of course, but it is something that I could not create this podcast without bringing up because in the conversations I have on a day-to-day basis with service leaders in different parts of the world, I have been asked certainly weekly if not more frequently since the change in leadership about what all has been going on. And there is a lot of impact not only in the United States but in other places coming from some of the decisions that are being made and some of the debate and hesitancy and changes in policy that it is triggering around DEI. So it wasn't something that I could not bring up. You can also understand though it is a topic where some of the respondents preferred to remain anonymous.

(19:48):

One saying, “Of late, I have been so frustrated by the fact that DEI initiatives have been undermined even before the current administration by what is perceived as having swung over to the other extreme where they see women being appointed for more leadership roles over men in a given organization, for example, and thereby the constant assumption that she got hired because she is a woman. I do understand that in a micro situation, one may perceive that as being unfair, but I also believe that if we don't change things today, then we will never get to the point of equity. We have suffered through decades of being undermined at the workplace due to stereotypical expectations from women. And the action to change needs to come. Now it's not just good and fair for women, but also better to prepare humankind for a future where all segments of society are represented and in fact utilized optimally.”

(20:51):

Another person weighed in saying, “I'm very worried about how this administration's policies will undo so much of the progress we've made in recent years. Their stance on DEI is alarming and the sweeping RTO mandates are impacting so many of the women that I know. Covid was a tipping point for the family structure in the US and for the first time we started to see moms and dads share the load more evenly. It feels like all of that is in jeopardy now and women are left to figure out how to make it all work. I expect that we'll see a lot of women pushed out of work in the years ahead, which is deeply sad to me.” Caroline of Vattenfall, who did not request to be named anonymously, is based in Stockholm, I believe, says she's getting a lot of questions from her organization about the developments in the United States.

(21:44):

And her thoughts are, “I get questions from my organization about the developments in the US when it comes to DEI at large and what it means for us. And if this means we're going to change something in the way we do things here, and the clear answer is no, nothing will change other than that, we will prioritize our DEI agenda even higher. We do this because we truly believe in it. Equal rights and opportunities are a core belief and not something will change just because the wind blows in another direction.” So while what is currently happening is unsettling to say the least, when it comes to the topic of today's podcast, accelerating action around women, Carolyn's stance must be the stance. Organizations that have committed to DEI because they genuinely and firmly believe in the value of a diverse, inclusive, and fairly treated workforce must continue to take steps to create just that in all the ways. We're speaking today about women because this is an International Women's Day podcast, but that statement is across the board.

(23:05):

So I like her perspective. I think that there's always this element of accepting what you can't control, making change and having impact where you can. And I think that each and every company has an opportunity to continue to take the appropriate actions and to accelerate action in whatever ways they can and should in their respective businesses, regardless of what is going on in news headlines or with YouTube videos. So my hope is that many, many people will do just that. And finally, while we navigate what this next phase of accelerating action may look like, those who weighed in also shared reminders of the need for women to believe in themselves, advocate for themselves, and look out for themselves. Jennifer Dye, who is the Director of Power Services, West Region at Schneider Electric says, “I have taken many roles in my career in which I was the first or the only in the room, sometimes simultaneously, some with extreme levels of support from others and some where I knew the ones who wished they'd been chosen for my seat and they had struggles understanding why I was the chosen one.

(24:33):

The latter are who I spent a long time trying to justify my successes to until I reached a point in my career 9and within an incredibly inclusive culture of leaders and company mission) that I finally realized I'm in the room because I deserve to be. I owe nobody my proof of entry and the only one who is allowed to question my worth is me. And, I'm very familiar with imposter syndrome in excess. Once I realized this for myself, it's been a mission of mine to challenge others with this same mentality, inclusive and constantly curious. I think strong cultures, teams, companies, et cetera, have succeeded when they encourage challenging the norm as a form of endearment and crucial to future success, not a limiter to an outcome.” I love this point and I love Jennifer's conviction around doing the work to recognize and own her value.

(25:37):

The most important point to me in what she shares here is that that firm belief in your worth and your right to be in whatever room you're in, in whatever seat you're in, in whatever role you have earned, can exist simultaneously with imposter syndrome and self-doubt, and often does. So those two things can be in parallel, but I would love for more women to get to the point Jennifer has where she keeps them in parallel. Like she says, that I owe nobody my proof of entry and the only one who is allowed to question my worth is me. I absolutely love that. Erica of Informa talks about the importance of setting boundaries. She says, “I used to think I needed to put in more hours and always be available to prove my worth. With age, perspective, and out of necessity as a mom, I've learned that setting boundaries isn't only an act of self-care, but an act that commands respect.

(26:43):

Saying no to the things that don't drive value and protecting my calendar allows me to work more effectively and deliver better results. A mentor once said to me, if you don't set your boundaries, someone else will set them for you. And that's so true.” Chantel of Woola says, “one of the most beneficial actions I've taken as a woman in service and at work is advocating for myself. This includes confidently taking on leadership opportunities, ensuring my contributions are recognized, and making my voice heard in meetings and decision-making processes. I've learned that speaking up even when it feels uncomfortable is crucial for growth and visibility.” I think these are great reminders that there is, again, there are always elements of this equation that we can control and these reminders of working on your own vision of your self-worth, working on your belief in yourself, working on your courage to speak up and speak out, working on your awareness of lifting other women up.

(27:52):

These are all things that as women we can do to help accelerate action. My hope, obviously is that other people will listen and take actions beyond that. So from an ally perspective, from an organizational perspective, making sure that just because DEI is “dead” (in quotes), the efforts around it don't need to be diminished. And more importantly, most importantly, the value of it is still just as valid. So that is what I had to share with you all today for our International Women's Day 2025 podcast. And I will, like I said, put together a piece to run on the website that has everyone's contributions in full because it was very hard for me to decide what to take out for the sake of brevity, but I will do that and share that as well. I appreciate everyone so much that took the time to share their thoughts anonymously and by name. This was very interesting for me to take a pulse of the perspective on this topic of our community. And I know you are all very busy women (and one man!), so I really appreciate you taking the time to weigh in and share. And, also, thank you for listening! You can find more at the home of the UNSCRIPTED podcast by visiting us at futureoffieldservice.com. The podcast is published in partnership with IFS. You can learn more at ifs.com. And as always, thank you for listening.