For Women of Color, Mentorship Matters

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Did you know women of color make up only about 4 percent of C-suite executives? Despite efforts within many well-meaning organizations, and corporations to create more diverse and inclusive spaces, there is so much more work to do.

But how can we change for the better—and for good?

Whether you're looking to prepare young Black women (and all women of color) for the future ahead upon graduation and entering the workforce or to continue your efforts in diversifying your organization and increasing your training and development programs, inclusion strategists and mentorship trainers, Denise Hamilton and Watchen Nyanue, can help.

As founder and CEO of WatchHerWork.com, Denise Hamilton has archived the experiences of hundreds of professional women, building a library of over 6,000 videos that serve as an invaluable resource to educating women of all ages and backgrounds with the tools they need to succeed. She's also developed workshops and programming she's shared with women all over the country, empowering their lives and leveling up their careers for good.

In her piece with CNN: Three Ways Executives Hold Black Women Back In The Workplace, Denise outlines what to keep in mind to counteract the challenges faced by women of color in the workplace. These include:

  • We’re equal employees, no symbols - Repeatedly calling out a person of color’s perspective creates tremendous pressure in a work environment, and failure will reflect poorly on an entire community.

  • Additional time constraints - Asking women of color to serve in diversity representations roles outside of their position can be overwhelming and detrimental to their work success.

  • Myth of the ‘strong Black woman’ - This trope can keep managers from checking in on employees and skew their ability to spot signs of stress and anxiety. Reaching out equally and individually, even if helpful doesn’t seem needed, can ensure a greater sense of community.

More from Denise:

As founder and CEO of career development agency I Choose The Ladder, Watchen Nyanue serves as an advocate for Black women in the workplace. She helps corporations develop—and keep—their high-performing Black female talent, sharing her expert strategies in professional development workshops, curated events, and within digital resources.

Recently featured in BLACK ENTERPRISE: Meet the Marketing Executive Helping Black Women Takeover and Climb the Corporate Ladder, Watchen shared the origin story of I Choose The Ladder and how she was unaware that her own network, mentors, and resources were not reflective of what most women of color have access to. After being called out for this misunderstanding, she saw the opportunity to help support Black women and the companies they work for by ensuring their was more access to mentorship and visibility for those who need it most.

More from Watchen:

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Outspoken Agency is a women-owned speaking agency representing leaders, founders, public intellectuals, authors and entertainers for paid keynotes, workshops and panels at in-person and virtual events. Learn more about our female founders here.