On Tuesday I caught up with 3 women of what I refer to as "my old toxic area". They can see the change in me. How I am a lot more relaxed and confident - even while at the same time I am kind of freaked out at how big a task I've taken on in my job in my new area (seriously, it challenges me in 7 different parallels, some of which it's just hilarious how opposing they are to my former work and natural tendencies trained into me how to deal). And I was asked a couple of times, as I was hotdesking on the floor I was previously on, if I missed the old workplace and I replied honestly that yes there were parts I did miss.
Anyway my friends at lunch stated clearly that no it wasn't just me, there are culture problems back in that old area, even (and first) the person who tends to be most cheerful and smiling over it and I've never heard her say it quite so bluntly before. Another of us women (not at lunch) is rotating out for 6 months and the bet is on she won't come back. My longest term friend is due to rotate I could hear in what she was telling me just how hurt she has been since the reorganisation last year - their efforts at complying with diversity efforts just making the problem worse. I don't think the area she is rotating to is that much more culturally better but at least it's away so she'll be given some emotional distance from the day to day in order to sort out in her own mind what is going on and what she can work out what she wants to do. She is so smart. Seriously she's wonderful - but she's been this background person for years and they either just ignore her or treat her like crap. My one attempt at sticking up for her got me in serious trouble and then she got seriously angry with me for it - I sensed fear maybe? She told me it had had negative consequences for her so I was sorry for sticking up for her as I didn't want that to happen. She's a very private person. I'm glad she's forgiven me. I wasn't sure if I should invite her to lunch but she responded yes really quickly and I think I'm going to try to catch up with her in our holidays. See how we go.
So I was wondering about inviting these people to that private corporate forum sub group thing I mentioned earlier. And... basically I've discovered after that HR person pissed in that group, what's the point? It's not a safe space. So the next thing is looking for external safe spaces. I might see if I can discover more about the Google Women Techmakers thing. However I discovered chatting from staff at the event last Friday that all the large tech companies have a similar program and given Google's horrendous diversity record (the regulator is taking them to court right now because they won't release diversity data from 2015 onwards lol) maybe that is pointless as it's just another tickbox.
They've been shoving down our throats a lot lately diversity this, diversity that. Every fricking team meeting practically since last year. It's been proven that diversity programs don't work and in fact make things go backwards. So as the rare number of women in the group when they go on and on about it you sick there and you feel uncomfortable and you figure you only got your job because of some diversity policy - and so do most of your team members.
Seriously why on earth is my corporate doing this? Do they want it to fail? All this effort for what exactly? Do they actually want to make it worse for us? They do know why we don't raise issues yes?
Just yesterday over new section pizza I was told of the team who works right next to us work the strict 9 to 5 be at your desk hours and a grad in that area, female, was told no she may not go to lunch in the city or work there as it would take too long. Stunned. I did not think that style of working still existed after all their programs and leadership things. The grad this affected was told complain to HR. She has elected not to and just suck it up for another 3 months. I was really surprised anyone would take any other action than what she has done (mind you this was a young white male who said this - he'll learn).
In an interesting state of affairs one of the other women from my old toxic area has done one of the promotional videos for the area that the new wonderful GM is encouraging to change the culture, and it was commented on positively from the GMD. This is a great and good thing. I'm really glad and good on her. It's so rare when women get called out positively specifically for their work and it doesn't come across as a token thing.
Possibly the worst way things are made less diverse is by a passive ignoring. An active inclusion on things that actually matter is so positive.
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