The Power of Shouting “I Got It!”

"I got it!" is what players typically shout when they want to catch the ball in a team sport, such as softball. This common shout is very powerful; when you do it, all eyes turn to you and you better not miss. 

I play in a mixed softball league (the minimum per team is one woman and yes, you guessed it, many times I am the only woman on my team) and in my last game this yell got me thinking a lot about gender diversity, equality and inclusion. Today, I want to share with you three topics that crossed my mind while waiting for my turn at bat:

Reflection 01: On Shouting ‘I got it!’

The first few times I played in  the softball league after several years of not playing, I felt really nervous, even though I was not a rookie and I knew the rules perfectly well. But every time I stepped onto the field, I felt my heart beating fast (well, this still happens to me).

When I was younger I used to pitch and sometimes played as second base. I was always an infielder. After my long pause, I got to play  the position of extra fielder, a position that is neither infield nor outfield. It is position 10, which can feel like a made up position. 

In the first innings of the game, every time a ball came into my zone, I felt so insecure that I thought, "I hope someone else gets it," and I made little effort to reach it. Meanwhile, the other fielders were running extra meters to cover me and make sure the team didn't miss the opportunity to make an out. 

The moment of truth arrived: a ball was coming straight at me. I had no choice but to catch it. I didn't yell “I got it!”. I stayed quiet, focused, as I listened to my teammates yell "use your two hands," worried that I was going to drop it. Luckily, I caught it. The team began to trust me. And so did I. 

It took me several games, but now I'm happy to yell "I got it!" and do my best to catch those balls. I've even been moved to more important positions, leveling up. 

Why do I say this made me think about diversity, equity, and inclusion? Because I see something similar in companies with DEI initiatives. It's a requirement of the league that the team has at least one woman, so I get to play because of my gender. But that they trust me and that I feel confident enough to give my best is another thing altogether. 

The same thing happens in corporations. It is not enough to give women a job (let them play on the team), managers and coworkers need to trust them, let them play a position and empower them to give their best. 

How many positions and vacancies are women missing out on because they don't yell, "I got it!”? How many will doubt themselves because of the same lack of confidence expressed by their peers?

Reflection 02: On ‘The Quota’

When you enter a team "we need a woman," talent is truly questioned. "If she's here as a mere requirement, send her to right field, where it’s less likely for a ball to be hit there, and we won’t risk the game." 

As a company, let's reflect that if we put women on the team, we should put them in positions where they can really show their talent, not where we are simply "covering the quota." Dare to go beyond the areas of service, administration, human resources and increase the quota in operational areas, logistics, in the plants, in systems — in boards!

And as a woman, you must dare to ask to be placed in a more interesting position: how can you demonstrate your talent if you are where the least of the balls go to? And once you make it, avoid making any mistakes. Because we know that if you make it to those other positions, you will be evaluated harder because "she's here just because she's a woman."

Reflection 03: Using Bias to Our advantage, or ‘The Surprise’

When it's my turn at bat, I often hear the opposing team say, "Pull forward, there's a woman batting," assuming I won’t make a hit. If I get a good hit, I take them by surprise and I get to first base. The funny thing is that for my next turn at bat, I see them move away because "she hits hard, stay where you are" and I take the opportunity to bunt and get back in the game. 

As a company, what I would tell you is to let women bat, even if you doubt them; they can pleasantly surprise you. 

Bottom Line

Work is a team game. Let the players, all of them, men and women, have the opportunity to perform. When it comes to gender diversity, be aware of biases, your own and that of others. It is one thing to bring women to the team, to invite them; it is quite another to trust them and empower them to do their best. 

At Momlancers we have an army of women who are ready to get back to work. I invite you to give them a chance in your company and let them surprise you. Use our “Óyeme” (female career counseling via chat) to support and empower them.