How to foster Women leadership in Tech and in the Product Marketing field?
Let's break barriers with Hester's insights, Group PMM at Decathlon
Hello 👋
In this new special episode, Hester Van Gool, Group PMM Plaform and E-commerce at Decathlon deep dives into the critical topic of :
→ Woman leadership in Tech companies
→ Their place within the Product Marketing function
→ Diversity
She shares her experiences and insights, providing valuable advice for :
Women looking to excel in their (PMM) career
Anyone willing to promote diversity at a strategic level with strong impact
In this article you will find the key takeaways of the interview.
🔎 Focus on the key learnings
The importance of diversity in Tech 👐
Understanding diversity
Diversity goes beyond gender representation. It encompasses ethnic backgrounds, social backgrounds, sexual orientation, and more.
Diversity is crucial because it leads to better outcomes and ensures that the products and services a company offers are representative of its diverse consumer base.
Strategies for promoting diversity
Hester emphasises on 3 ways to foster diversity in a company.
Implement quotas: You can agree or not on this, but quotas help mainly at the beginning to get diverse representation at senior leadership levels.
This can help break the glass ceiling and promote a more inclusive environment.
Enhance affinity groups and internal training
Establishing affinity groups and providing training on unconscious bias can raise awareness and educate employees, fostering a more inclusive workplace.
Embed diversity in company structures: It's essential to take diversity seriously at every level of the organization and integrate it into the company's structures and processes.
What about the place of Women in Product Marketing? 🦸♀️
A gender-balanced role, why?
Hester noted that the PMM function is one of the most gender-balanced functions in tech.
This balance is partly due to the generalist background of many product marketers, who come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds. Additionally, B2C product marketing, which emphasizes brand marketing, tends to attract more women.
We can call it a “pink ghetto”, you already have by nature females that have and education or background that would apply for a role.
Best Practices to empower all female PMMs
Build confidence, speak up
One of the greatest assets for female product marketers is their ability to gain knowledge and insights through discovery. However, it's crucial to build confidence and gain assertiveness.
I think saying no, is never the right way. Ask them what is behind it. if you know the question behind the question, you can then move it into more of a product marketing, deliverable or action that would fit into the role more. So it about asking the good questions.
Master the art of negociation
For you to have fun in your role, you need to know how to negotiate.It's really good to be ambitious. But also it's a journey and you really need to enjoy the journey. Because it's about learning. You need to get more comfortable to have a friendly and light conversation to ask the question that can make you feel unconfortable like your salary.
Focus on high-quality work
Hester advises focusing on one thing and doing it (very) well rather than spreading oneself too thin.
Be aligned with company values
I realize now that I've grown a bit older that just having fun allows you to be more authetinc, get deeper conversations with your stakeholders. But of course being able to have fun at it has some requirements, right? So I think it's super important to find a place where he feels safe and at home.
Deal with senior stakeholder management 💡
To ensure that your voice is heard as a product marketer, it's important to understand the goals and struggles of senior stakeholders. Asking the right questions can provide valuable insights into their perspectives.
Build Confidence
Confidence and the ability to work independently are crucial in gaining respect and influence among senior stakeholders. Leading with high-quality work and finding ways to incorporate additional tasks into the go-to-market strategy can also help.
📚 The book recommended by Hester
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
It's a story about females trying to have a career, in a time where that was not very normal, you had to be a housewife.
I've listened and read a lot of business books, but I think my tip would be : reed for relaxation and for joy. ✨
That's all for today!
We'll meet again next week for the last episode “Inside Decathlon Digital” with a topic about Product Marketing career path.
Carlota. 💜