Did you take your kids (or a borrowed one or two) to work last week?  Were you surprised by their questions and insights?  Maybe, like me, you sometimes think about the things you wish you had known about work when you were in Grade 9?

I was delighted when a couple of young women were part of our Winnipeg Catalyst Connects event,  a lunch meeting where only women’s voices were heard exchanging ideas, debating, and learning from each others’ experiences.

They heard from  some terrific women who are pursuing fulfilling careers, and balancing the demands of busy families.  They heard about jobs that they may not have known existed.  And they heard that individual careers are built on hard work and relationships with others: sponsors, mentors, co-workers, friends, and families.

Not your typical work day!  We all know that most women are more likely to bolt a sandwich at their desk or squeeze a multitude of errands into their lunch time.  And women are often a minority at meetings, where men lead the agenda.

I hope they learned that women can reach the top, that they can succeed and share that success.  I hope they also sensed the impact of the barriers that these women had to overcome to achieve their professional success.  And that the barriers that can do the most damage are the invisible ones.

I was reminded of the reaction of a teenage friend of mine to our Catalyst Canada Dinner video. She didn’t understand what was stopping those women in mid-stride.  In some ways, that’s good.  When you anticipate success, it breeds success.  But it was also a teaching moment about glass ceilings and other barriers still facing women in the workplace – in effect, a reality reset.

Taking them to work not only offers our kids a peek into what we do, where we work and with whom. It also helps them understand the challenges.

Because, just maybe, if they’re prepared to see them, our kids will also be prepared to topple those barriers!

We hope that you and your kids will take the time to share a story about how you saw the workplace as a child and join the conversation started by our Research Director Christine Silva at our Catalyst LinkedIn group.  Or add your thoughts to our comments section below.

Friends and I were talking about the “bad old days” recently.  The days when one of my early managers – after asking a senior woman lawyer to get him coffee—could grumble, “It’s so confusing. The secretaries look like lawyers, and the lawyers look like secretaries.”  The days before employment equity standards and a broad understanding of the value of a diverse workplace. 

Changes in policy and celebration of diversity in the workplace came about because leaders —in business, in politics, and in the community—stepped up and changed things. 

That kind of leadership continues to be crucial to the advancement of women in business.

Recently I met a young mother of three who had withdrawn from a competition where she was clearly the most qualified candidate because the more senior position would not accommodate her flexible schedule.  At that point, the CEO intervened.  Based on her proven record of success, she got the promotion, and kept the flexible schedule she needed to fulfill her family obligations.

That CEO was willing to change some of the rigid rules and expectations in order to get the best person for the job.  In doing so, she made it clear to other women that this firm was one that valued talent and performance,  one where their aspirations could be achieved. 

Yes, we’ve made strides toward a more equal workplace.  Women and minorities have legal recourse against overt discrimination.

But women are also finding leaders with the vision to  recognize that company policies create barriers for the advancement of talented and capable women—and the courage to change those policies.

Recently, sorting through a box of high school mementos, I found notes for my 12th grade debate: be it resolved that women earn the same as men.  

My 17-year-old self would never have guessed that almost 30 years later, my work and career would focus on creating a world where women have equal opportunities in the workplace. 

Finding that report reminded me of the advice I received from one of my first mentors: look for work that you’re passionate about, work for an organization that you are proud to be part of and with people you respect and can learn from. 

As a mentor, what would I say to that young woman? 

I would tell her that she was embarking on a journey that would be driven by her passion to make change in the world.

I would tell her to never be afraid to ask for help or for a new challenge.  That having the confidence to take risks would lead to career opportunities in government, consulting and nonprofit sectors. That she would grow stronger from facing her challenges head on.

I would tell her that the greatest satisfaction she’d experience in life and work would come from the times when she was true to herself and the things that mattered most to her at that very moment.    

And finally, I’d tell her that she would have the great fortune of building a support system of friends, family and mentors who would offer the encouragement and wise counsel that she needed to achieve her dreams.