Prosekians Share How They Will #BreaktheBias this International Women's Day
Jennifer Prosek, Thomas Rozycki, Josette Thompson, Emily Tracy, Abby Rex-Groves, Emily Roy, Ben Shapiro, Karen Niovitch Davis, Kearney Dewing , Andy Merrill, David Wells, Kelly Smith Aceituno, Madeline Monaco, Allison Devaney, Amanda Powers, Joan Vollero
In celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day theme – #BreakTheBias – we asked Prosek managers to share what they’ll do to break the bias at work.
See our responses below, and tell us, what will you do to #BreakTheBias?
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“I will work to break the bias by more intentionally calling on my female colleagues during meetings to ensure that everyone has a chance to and feels comfortable speaking up and sharing their ideas.” – Emily Roy, Vice President
“I will seek out female leaders across my life to learn different perspectives and develop a strong group of diverse voices to share advice and counsel.” – Ben Shapiro, Associate Vice President
“Biases can come from external sources, but in my experience, they’re often internal, too. I pledge to empathetically coach my colleagues to recognize some of their own internal biases – from how they write emails, to how they approach conversations about career advancement. It’s something I constantly work on myself, so my hope is that having open dialogues will make us all more cognizant and change oriented.” – Madeline Monaco, Vice President
“I will break the bias by being unafraid to ask questions about other cultures in pursuit of a better understanding of others.” – Abby Rex-Groves, Vice President
“For me, breaking the bias is all about listening and making others feel heard. In communications, we often feel the need to speak up and add something to the conversation. But it’s so much more important to actively listen to our colleagues and peers and learn from them.” – Emily Tracy, Managing Director
“I will talk less and listen more.” – Tom Rozycki, Managing Director
“I will aim to break the bias by continuing to speak out against microaggressions and exclusive behavior.” – Josette Thompson, Managing Director
“I will work to break the bias by getting to know my teammates’ learning and collaboration styles and intentionally adapting my approach to meet their needs.” – Allison Devaney, Account Supervisor
“I will work to break the bias by helping the young women I work with and manage find confidence in their voices and leadership styles as they advance in their careers.” – Amanda Powers, Vice President
“I will work to break the bias by fostering a dynamic among clients and colleagues that encourages challenging the mold, listening to one another no matter the volume of voice, and building upon ideas that make a difference.” – Kearney Dewing, Associate Vice President
“Research has shown that even in a modern era, men and women equate strong leadership skills with attributes typically ascribed to men – competitiveness, ambition and assertiveness. While more feminine traits are considered less essential – collaboration, empathy and patience. That couldn’t be further from reality in today’s post-COVID workplace. I will support the break the bias movement by embracing the diversity and talents of my teammates and championing their unique qualities.” – Kelly Smith Aceituno, Senior Vice President
“I will work to break the bias by volunteering as a Girl Scout troop leader who doesn’t just push cookies, but teaches the girls about the importance of concepts like financial literacy and women’s history.” – Joan Vollero, Vice President
“We can break the bias by creating opportunities for women to speak, in the press, at conferences and on social media. We must turn up the volume in sound and cadence. The dial should be at ten, and there should be opportunities to match.” – David Wells, Partner
“I will work to break the bias by making it a priority to promote and celebrate diversity in leadership and the better organizational outcomes that result.” – Andy Merrill, Partner
“I will break the bias by continuing to promote strong female leaders at Prosek and making sure I take the time to push them, sometimes out of their comfort zones, but into their true potential. Nothing gives me more psychic income than that!” – Jen Prosek, Managing Partner
“I will break the bias by instilling confidence in women from the very beginning of their careers, helping them to find their voice and know that nothing is out of their reach.” – Karen Niovitch Davis, Partner and Chief HR Officer 