Mind the gender gap! Agile seduces women in (to) IT

@ Software Architect 2015 1

Image: 4pt5.com

Summary of part I 2

Maryse 3

Lean and agile addict

In IT since 2007

Architect (agile, of course)

“Manager” (agile, duh )

Advocate of craftmanship

Learning to code

Working at a company with a slogan

meaning as much as “for people”

Lean In supporter and feminist

Mother to a splendid 4 year old

@lean_architect

So…What is this gender gap? 4

In tech… ouch! 5

And what about management…? 6

Gender gap @ work… 7

Image: computerweekly.com

Huge (long term) gap – we’re not hanging around 8

Image: Jayde Lovell (diversity in science journalism)

So we leave because… 9

So what. There is a gender gap. Does it matter? 10

Image: jobisjob.co.uk

11It would be a waste to leave women out…

Image: womenrockscience.tumblr.com

It matters, IT matters

Because IT is all around us and we are all part of it

If we want to take part in shaping this world around us we need to step up!

Code is everywhere, everything is code

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Made with code… it is all around us 13

Made with code from youtube

Women aren’t abundant in IT – why?

Women don’t want to work in IT or they leave because of:

Hostile, macho workplace culture

(perceived) unsustainable pace

Diminshed sense of purpose

Feelings of isolation (perception: typing away at your

computer all alone)

Lack of peers and mentors

Feeling “stalled” or “stuck” at career path

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Well… How does agile help? 15

Great picture by Lynne Cazaly

Agile: a key, a secret

Agile Software Development is founded upon values that

challenge such dysfunctions in order to build self-

organizing, collaborative and highly productive teams. In a

high functioning Agile practice, developers engage each

other, product owners and sponsors in a shared concern for

quality, predictability and meeting the needs of end users.

Ken Judy, Agile Values, Innovation and the Shortage of Women Software

Developers (2012)

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So what can a company do…

Be agile, adopt agile (or lean) as a company

philosophy

Facilitate your agile teams

Position your company as an agile company

Agile recruitment

Agile role models

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What else…

Womens network within your company

Mentors, peers

Hire some female managers (so one woman won’t

be alone!)

Mind your recruitment, your job adverts

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When it comes to management… 19

Recruit young women

Foster mentorship and support

Establish hiring policies

Provide training, esp. to reach the top

What can women do… 20

Network (within AND outside companies)

Speak up

Step up too (don’t step away, don’t leave

before you go)

Get a tech degree

Learn your girls how to code

Be a role model and show yourself

What can men do… esp. In agile teams!

Listen! More closely and more often, and be patient

Don’t interrupt

Don’t step in to explain

Be supportive and encouraging, not domineering

Watch your body language

Be a mentor

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What we can all do together

Educate(young) girls on a STEM a possible career

path and on agile / lean values – like @VHTO (in

the Netherlands)

Learn to code, early on in life

Don’t be a jerk, be nice

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Together… let’s make it so! 23

In short… (please share) 24

Image: insightdice.com

Questions? Now, later, anytime!

And… please… :25

Image: washingtonpost.com@Lean_architect

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