When all you know is lack, you only have one weapon in your arsenal – hard work And it’s unfortunately not enough. When you have been raised in an environment where all you know is lack. The only thing that is in your control is hardwork, not networks, not strategy but plain hard work. WhenContinue reading “When all you know is lack”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
The glass ceiling is cracking but what about the ‘broken wrung’.
A lot has been said about the glass ceiling that keep women from reaching positions of executive leadership in the workplace. In South Africa, this seems to be changing. Examples like Yolanda Cuba (MTN) and Phuti Mahanyele (Naspers) in the private sector, in higher education; Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng (UCT), Prof Puleng Lenkabula (Unisa) and DrContinue reading “The glass ceiling is cracking but what about the ‘broken wrung’.”
Survivor’s guilt and the fear of success
Most of the successful black women are the first in their home. The first to graduate university, the first to work in corporate, the first to own a car, the first and sometimes the only. Even though this can lead to a sense of accomplishment. The fulfilment of a vow that every black child whoContinue reading “Survivor’s guilt and the fear of success”
Shared black trauma and the fear of success.
Black people share a history of trauma. The trauma transcends our upbringing. Even if you have grown up in a wealthy family, with parents who loved and nurtured you in all the ways that a child needs. You still share the ancestral trauma of slavery, colonialism and apartheid. I don’t know about you but whenContinue reading “Shared black trauma and the fear of success.”
Different yet worthy
One of the beliefs that hold black women back from successful careers in the workplace is the belief that they are not good enough. If they are qualified enough then they don’t have enough experience, or don’t know enough, or any other reason that they give themselves for why they can’t have the kind ofContinue reading “Different yet worthy”
Mistakes I have made
I have just finished reading a book called ‘Mistakes I’ve made at work’ by Jessica Bacal. It is a collection of stories by very successful women like Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild, Carol Dwek author of Mindset: the new psychology of success and many others of mistakes they have made in their careers. There areContinue reading “Mistakes I have made”
Dis-engaged from your job and feeling stuck?
It is towards the end of another year and as much as COVID19 has shaken the foundation of job security for most of us. Leading to a short term spell of gratitude for having a job. Often the end or the beginning of a year brings about a period of reflection about where we areContinue reading “Dis-engaged from your job and feeling stuck?”
Is the fear of making mistakes slowing down your career?
Black women do not enjoy the luxury of assumed competence. They are in-fact considered incompetent until they can prove that they are. I know many senior women who had at least one instance where they we assumed to be a junior employee. In my experience in working with white people I was often fascinated byContinue reading “Is the fear of making mistakes slowing down your career?”
Negotiate for a Yes not a NO
You might be looking at this title and think of course I am negotiating for a yes, why would I negotiate for a no? Well you might be surprised. Even though the world has changed and it is now commonplace that women will have careers. Women are still raised to be wives and mothers, whichContinue reading “Negotiate for a Yes not a NO”
Are the results of hard work real for black women at work?
s black women we are often told that no one expects us to be competent, therefore we have to work harder than everyone else to be noticed. Although research does show that man and white people are easily assumed to be competent than black people and women. Black women find themselves at the intersection betweenContinue reading “Are the results of hard work real for black women at work?”
Black Women in the Workplace 