1. Get qualified. You have infinite opportunity. Establish credibility by attending the best schools and earning your “smart card.” Workplace gender bias is rare today, but some female stereotypes still exist. Overcome them by setting the example, not by following it.

2. Be resilient. Men are taught to rely on their instincts, while women tend to second-guess themselves and seek reaffirmation. Take risks, be a lifelong learner and welcome opportunities that challenge you to learn a new part of your business. In a male-dominated industry, positive feedback may be uncommon, so develop a thick skin. Criticism at work isn’t personal — accept it gracefully and move on.

3. Be your best you. Early in my career, I tried to fit in and be ‘one of the guys.’ My advice? Don’t. Faking it will harm your performance and affect your well-being. Display confidence while speaking and when making decisions and others will follow you.

4. Do the right thing. Ever heard the phrase, “don’t do anything you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of the Washington Post”? Women in male-dominated industries receive increased scrutiny, so be an example of integrity, accountability and respect.

5. Don’t give up. My mom taught me that having a dream isn’t enough — success takes effort. A single parent who read me bedtime stories like The Little Engine That Could, she taught me that challenges are inevitable, but to see them as opportunities and persevere.

6. Leverage your emotional intelligence. Female brains excel at making connections across the hemispheres, naturally integrating intuitive and analytical information. These integrated thinking skills are beneficial to leaders in nuanced industries, with complex responsibilities that require creative solutions. Our value as female leaders is in how we are different, so make an impact by leveraging skills from outside the office — being a working mom of five taught me a lot about conflict resolution and time management!

7. Embrace the unknown. Change is sustained by emotional engagement, so most women operate well in a change environment (I change my clothes a few times before I even walk out the door!). Mix things up by streamlining processes or changing a team’s structure to enhance a service. Business needs change as technology evolves, and many companies now offer telecommuting and flexible schedules — a huge boon for women, especially working moms.

8. Focus on the present. Some seminars and books encourage building a career plan and defining career goals (“be a vice president by age 30!”), but I’ve found that when you do good work, opportunities present themselves. Focus on delivering exceptional performance, not distracting career goals.

9. Build a support team. Don’t do it alone. At ArchTam, I’ve been able to network with many successful female leaders. Find a community (or build your own) for engaging those with similar skills or interests (ArchTam’s Technical Practice Network is a great place to start!).

Watch Jill’s winner acceptance speech:

Jill Bruning is executive vice president and general manager in ArchTam’s intelligence community and services department. She is an accomplished speaker in the Washington, D.C., area, was selected for the Leadership Foundry in 2012 and won the Women in Technology Leadership award for large business in 2011. She and her husband, Jeff, own a farm in rural Missouri. They have five children and four grandchildren.
LinkedIn: Jill Bruning

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I believe we all have experienced unconscious bias — an implicit association or attitude (about race or gender, for example) that operates beyond our control and awareness, informs our perception of a person or social group, and can influence our decision-making and behavior toward the target of the bias. It is a normal part of how our brain filters information, which is not necessarily a bad thing; however, in the workplace, this can lead to bad decisions if we are unaware of our filters.

In my 35-year career, there has been a lot of progress in gender diversity in engineering companies, and we can celebrate that women can now be more authentic in their work lives. I don’t think anyone intentionally tries to be discriminatory. But once you are aware of it, you need to take action and spread awareness to start the chain of making a difference. Fortunately, we are now working at a time when it is okay to have conversations about unconscious bias. It is important that we take advantage of this opportunity if we want our companies to thrive in the long-term.

Gender diversity is not just a feel-good thing; data confirms that gender-diverse teams improve business performance. Inclusiveness and diversity create business value as organizations with the most gender diversity at the leadership and board levels have higher shareholder return, higher revenue, more customers, and greater market share than homogeneous teams.

My advice related to unconscious bias includes:

• Once we become aware of unconscious biases, we can talk about it, make changes and take action. Don’t be afraid to bring your own personal biases into your awareness and confront them.

• If your group is stuck in decision-making, consider bringing in someone who can offer a different perspective. Diversity can include gender, age, global experience, background and/or ethnicity; we have so many ways to engage our diversity.

• Consider diversity when composing teams. There are many studies indicating that diverse teams are more innovative, more productive, and more likely to stay on schedule and budget.

• Be an advocate for inclusion. Sometimes it just takes one person to say something. This is a conversation we need to be comfortable having.

As a member of ArchTam’s Global Diversity + Inclusion Taskforce, I am continuously pushed to examine my own thinking and to have serious conversations about unconscious biases within the company and with our clients. I am passionate and committed to diversity and inclusion at ArchTam and believe we are progressing in this space. I am a strong proponent that an increased focus on diversity and inclusion will not only improve our company, but will make the world a better place.

Jill Bruning is executive vice president and general manager within ArchTam’s intelligence community and services department. She is an accomplished speaker in the Washington, D.C., area, was selected for the Leadership Foundry in 2012, and won the Women in Technology Leadership award for large business in 2011. She and her husband Jeff own a farm in rural Missouri and have five children and four grandchildren. 

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