Announcing the Womxn@Sage colleague success network!

Timely for Women’s History Month and today, International Women’s Day, Sage announced Womxn@Sage, our new network of colleagues who collaborate to promote colleague engagement and the hiring, mentoring, and retention of women. I am honored to be the executive sponsor of this Colleague Success Network (CSN)

In thinking about why our Womxn@Sage program matters, I’m reminded of a quote from Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State. She wrote, “I think that it is very important for women to help each other. It is hard to be the only woman in the room. Having a support system is very important. So, I think there has to be a sense that once you have climbed the ladder of success, you don’t push it away from the building. You are only strengthened if there are more women.”

When I was approached about being the executive sponsor of the Womxn@Sage initiative, I jumped in without hesitation. You see, I am deeply passionate about programs that add to the colleague experience, and – specifically – those programs focused on providing a framework for women to explore their development and ambition.

Ambition is a tricky thing. A bit of a loaded word. Sometimes, as women, we are made to feel that too much ambition is not a good look. It took me a long time to get comfortable with openly sharing my ambition, despite recognizing it – burning in my belly – for years.

I am happy to say that now, finally, I can openly confess to a lifetime of being ambitious, of wanting, scratch that, of needing to stretch and grow. And now that I’m here, I want to ensure that the women around me also feel safe and comfortable with their ambition.

Womxn@Sage will help build bridges between women on all levels through networking, mentoring, and knowledge sharing. These bridges will assist with women’s advancement, improved work-life balance, and workplace satisfaction.

And while the benefits to program participants are clear, I think that as a company Sage will also benefit  from this initiative. When women pause to share their own leadership experiences, and to reflect on how those experiences were shaped by the culture and environment in which they operate, the company also gains valuable insights. I continue to be impressed at how Sage prioritizes evolving the workplace in order to better serve all its colleagues in a diverse and inclusive way.

Simply put, I see this initiative as a total win-win. Participants can improve their skills, grow their networks and increase their influence, and Sage can improve its overall colleague experience.