“I hate board meetings. The line for the men’s room is always too long.” A male colleague once said to me.
“Well, maybe we should have more women on the board,” I countered.
“That’s funny!” is how he decided to reply.
Well, ladies, it's 2020. The time is now to make our bathroom lines longer at work and sit at that boardroom table!
Obviously, I am kidding about the bathroom lines, but a little diversity never hurt anyone. Especially regarding compliance, diversity is critical to managing risk and decision making. Things are easily missed when everyone in the room thinks the same way. Other than that, it’s boring, ineffective, and advancements can’t be made.
It can be tremendously difficult to find leadership roles for women in compliance. Whether it is coming up the ranks on an all-male trading floor or falling into a compliance role due to a legal background, the paths might not be smoothly paved or easy to navigate. Women tend to not apply for jobs because they believe they are unqualified, and that approach of thinking needs to change. It is important to note that no person ever steps into a job knowing everything. There is always something to learn, and therefore it’s always worth taking the risk. It’s all about gravitas- own that room. Make people want to listen and follow you while commanding respect from peers.
March is Women’s History Month, and I thought it would be nice to take a step back and think about how grateful I am to work at IMP. I have experienced something that I find to be rare in the industry, a company made of mostly women and where the men work with us as allies. There is a collective mix of women from all walks of life, experiences, and thought processes who thoroughly enjoy collaborative work. There have been so many times in my short tenure at IMP that our owner, Jane Stabile, will call us into her office to brainstorm. She values all experience levels and opinions and ideas fly openly around the office, which has helped her and her team develop CLEAR Compliance™. Here your value isn’t measured by your gender but by your skill level. Skills and knowledge depth are measured and tested frequently, and at times it can be tough, but it is refreshing to know that career and individual growth is a core value of the company.
If you are interested in working with the most talented, knowledgeable, and dedicated staff I’ve worked with – reach out to IMP!
