Melanie Bonsu
Updated: February 6, 2023
Viewpoint
Viewpoint: Uplift people with different experiences
By Melanie Bonsu
A lot has changed since I wrote this opinion column for WBJ’s last Women in Leadership edition, as I’ve done every year since 2019. After reading my contribution in 2022, my friends could sense the burnout I was experiencing, and most weren’t surprised when I announced I was departing from my long-time job, and career, in the nonprofit world at the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts. By switching jobs and industries, in some ways it appeared I was taking an easy way out from my personal commitment to better my community; but I can tell you, the decision wasn’t an easy one to make. I was leaving an organization with a mission of female leadership development to a predominately male-led industry for a Global 500.
Every year I check the Women in the Workplace report from business consultant McKinsey & Co., in partnership with LeanIn.Org. At the time of my transition, only 4% of C-suite positions were held by women of color (it’s now 5% for 2022). This weighed heavy on me; would I have a voice in the room? I remember sitting in the first management committee meeting in my new job at Saint-Gobain Abrasives - North America, and I was more nervous than is in character for me. Out of the 15 people in the meeting, only four of us were women and only one was a woman of color (me). I brought this up with my other half that night, looking for assurance I made the right decision (He is my biggest cheerleader). As the weeks went by and my confidence and comfort level grew, I knew it was the right jump. It wasn’t anything I did personally, but it was practices, processes, and attitudes allowing me to contribute as my authentic self within Saint-Gobain.
The Harvard Business Review published an article in 2019 stating while women of color have the confidence, qualifications, and aspirations to reach leadership positions, the lack of support in the work environment stifles their ascent. I think of my own experience these past nine months and encourage other companies to look at how they can include their women of color teammates.
If you hire someone to do a job, trust that you made the right choice and allow them to get it done: Don’t micromanage, and make sure to acknowledge their contributions. New, outside perspectives should be welcomed. Everyone has different lived experiences. Embrace the fresh set of eyes and allow opinions to be heard. Make sure to invite them along, even if you think they’re not interested; I accompanied our environment, health, safety, and sustainability team for a Mass. Department of Environmental Protection visit, even though it didn’t pertain to my job. I appreciated the invite and learned something new.
If your company’s culture is set up to support women of color in leadership roles, you’ll attract more candidates. Being the “only” in a room is tough. It’s up to companies to ensure the “only” in the room isn’t the “last.”
Melanie Bonsu community relations manager for Worcester manufacturer Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Inc. - North America.
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