Inside Edelman is an ongoing series that spotlights our colleagues who are doing extraordinary work across our network. This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #BreaktheBias and throughout the month of March, we’ll be highlighting strong voices from across the network who are championing women in the workforce, re-defining what “success” means and committing to a more gender equal world.
What does the word “success” mean to you?
To me, success means living a life of purpose, integrity and balance, and acting as a positive force/light to those I meet along the way.
What advice do you have for women with regard to finding “success”
You can only find success by first understanding who you are and by committing to being authentically you. When you try to be something you’re not, any “success” you achieve won’t really register because it is inauthentic to you, and you will always feel like there is more or that something is missing. Understand who you are because there is something incredible that only your true self can achieve, and when you do achieve it, you (maybe not everyone else) will call it success.
Have you ever experienced bias in your career? If so, how did you overcome it?
Yes. I had to confront it by speaking to the right person in leadership. I’d like to point out that the right person is the one who can either affect change or can raise it with someone who can.
It’s important to understand that many people, for one reason or another, have unconscious biases. For that reason, I’ve always tried to approach situations like these believing the best in the other person and treating it as a reflection moment, rather than an accusation. Most important of all is to have the conversation. When we don’t speak up, we are essentially saying that we give the other party permission to continue behaving in a certain way.
What steps do you think businesses need to take to #BreaktheBias?
Businesses need to continuously educate all employees on stereotypes and the types of bias that exist, as well as be as transparent as they can in their processes. They also need to take action where bias is identified. Many companies will do the work of collecting and analyzing the data, believing that they have already demonstrated action, but that’s just phase 1. If there is no follow through, trust is broken, and employees feel more demoralized than before, leading to retention challenges.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t be in such a hurry to get to whatever future you’re looking forward to. Enjoy the journey. Soak in the “now”. Also remember that everyone is learning something at a different point in their life.
Corazon Sefu is Managing Director of Edelman Kenya.
