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The Dads Developing The Future Women In Tech

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So much of the desire to work in tech begins at a young age.

Parents are vital in developing the women in technology of the future, and more fathers are becoming vocal about helping their daughters study tech or join the industry.

JJ DiGeronimo, president of Tech Savvy Women, an organization that works to attract, retain, celebrate and promote experienced women in tech, tells me she is hearing from more fathers who - like mothers - want to know how to assist their girls in pursuing tech studies and a tech career.

Self-Efficacy

An essential factor, she says, is developing their daughters’ ability to work hard and be efficient.

“Fathers can be a source to foster self-efficacy which is often necessary to succeed in these high impact technology careers,” she tells me.

Self-efficacy, or the ability to organize and execute a task with focus, is “important and relevant”, she says, with various studies linking it to academic and career achievement.

Getting Up And Trying Again

In order to help their girls develop such skills from home, there are a number of steps fathers can follow.

“Creating environments where a child can stretch in new directions, with support and understanding that they will likely fall and even fail,” are essential, DiGeronimo says.

No matter what happens, “focusing on getting up and trying again” is every bit as vital as the activity.

It is vital to encourage daughters (as with sons) to try new things, even when they are likely to fail - and to stick at a task, “not allowing them to quit just because they are bored, not good at it, or their friends have taken other paths”.

Alongside this, as girls grow older their fathers can give them responsibilities “where their contribution matters: without it the consequences have a direct impact, such as paying bills, putting gas in the cars, grocery shopping, getting a job or leading a project”. By developing such responsibilities, and the thought processes needed, they are shaping the right skills for the future.

No girl should be alone in her pursuit of tech studies, and DiGeronimo encourages fathers to lead by example. “Be a role model, discuss your goals and share your highs and lows of achieving it – especially situations that show you overcoming situations and pushing toward your goals.”

Changing The Workplace

It is equally up to fathers to question the diversity in their organization, and help foster change when it is needed.

DiGeronimo suggests that they consider and act on the following questions:

·         Assess your work environment - what does your professional landscape look like today inside specific teams, levels, and initiatives?

·         Are there noticeable commonalities, behaviors and choices that engage or disengage people of different backgrounds, genders, cultures, age groups or beliefs?

·         Would your daughter, niece, or sister be accepted, engaged and given the same opportunities you have been given within this culture?

·         What enhancements in your culture could more effectively engage thought-diverse individuals?

·         How could these improvements benefit your culture and your business?

·         Whose buy-in is necessary to sponsor these improvements? (Leader engagement is mandatory in these culture shifts)

·         How can you break them down into action-oriented activities where many people can get involved and aligned to the outcome?

·         How will you measure these activities?

Making The Change

Fathers, as with mothers, can help nurture their daughters’ abilities and strengths in tech, when they identify a skill or desire to pursue such studies.

By working with their daughters’ self-efficacy, while helping change the workplace as needed, they can help develop exactly the skills and environment needed for their daughters to succeed with their dreams.

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