Author: Angelica Roiz, Partner, Grant Thornton

How can women support other women in the workplace/in their organizations?

One of the ways that I’ve found women can support other women in the workplace/in their organizations is by sharing their personal stories and experiences. What shaped their career paths, how did they overcome challenges/obstacles and celebrate their successes, who is their mentor and how are they available to mentor others, etc.! By telling their stories, women leaders can make a huge impact on the next generation of leaders as well as on their peers, many of whom will be able to relate/aspire and see themselves in the women at the organization. Being vulnerable and sharing (good and bad!) can make a huge difference that should not be underestimated.

Have you ever experienced gender-related roadblocks in your career and, if so, how did you overcome them?

Yes, but they were all ones that I believe were from people close to me and with positive intentions. There were a handful of times as a new working mother that I found co-workers purposely excluded me from meeting invites or presentations/etc., because they didn’t want to overwhelm me or knew that the meetings were falling during early morning or evening times when I was with my newborn daughter. Overtime, I realized what was happening and took it upon myself to tell my teammates and my clients that I’d rather decide on my own whether I should attend, and then plan accordingly! As a new mother, I was still very keenly focused on building my career and it was important to me to let others know that so that they didn’t make any assumptions about me, even though they were doing so with the best of intentions. I realized that to progress and overcome obstacles and foster inclusion, it was up to me to be vocal about what I wanted to do and how I was prepared to work out my schedule to do so! Because of this, I was able to capitalize on some great opportunities in my career and never feel like I was taking a step back, unless it was on my own terms.

How important is it to have a mentor to grow as a leader?

It is critically important to have a mentor (or mentors!) to grow as a leader. In addition to having a mentor who you can trust for advice and to serve as a sounding board, it’s also critically important, I’ve found, to have a sponsor. Someone who pushes you out of your comfort zone, nominates you for important projects, and challenges you to take the opportunities that you might not feel like you’re ready to take on. Having a mentor and a sponsor in your circle allows you to learn from others and see what you’d like to emulate, do differently, and/or pass on to your own mentees overtime.

How do you balance career, personal life and passions? Is there such a thing as balance or is it more about integration? What are the pros and cons?

There is no such thing as “balance” in the perfect sense, but there is a balance in knowing that and doing your best each day to achieve everything you can (whether at work or at home). My advice and what I’ve learned over many years of trial and error is that being present is the key. As a working mom of two girls under two, I found myself at the time rushing home from work to pick them up from daycare and make sure I spent time with them. Only to spend the evening anxiously checking my work emails and thinking about what I didn’t finish that day…and counting down till bedtime so I could hop back on the computer! What I learned is that it’s better to spend that extra time at work and get to a good spot before switching gears and turning to home/personal life matters so that those can get your full attention as well. Although I pride myself on being an expert multi-tasker, I’ve learned that it’s not always the best thing and that sometimes focusing keenly on work and then on personal life is a more effective way to excel at both and be able to compartmentalize in a healthy way!  

Where will we find you on a Saturday / Sunday morning?

On a Saturday morning you’ll find me at one of my kids’ activities/classes! The latest is basketball with my 3 ½ year old son who loves to “dunk!” When I’m not with my kids (which is rarely on Saturday’s and Sunday’s), I love to make time for a yoga or meditation class, catch-up on some reading, or take a walk with my husband (even if just around the neighborhood). My career keeps me very busy with work, and has for years, so I’ve found that the best way for me to unwind is extra time with loved ones on the weekends (without checking work emails!) or some quiet time for myself (which I’m slowly getting better at scheduling).