Winter 2020 – All Together

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The woman engineer and physicist largely responsible for the nonglare transparency of our eyeglasses, camera lenses, windshields, windows, and telescopes was born in Schenectady, New York, in 1898. Katharine Burr Blodgett, Ph.D., followed her early love of physics to Bryn Mawr, earned an M.S. in chemistry from the University of Chicago, then became the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge University. She spent most of her career at General Electric Company (GE), where she was the company\u2019s first woman scientist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Collaborating with Irving Langmuir, Ph.D., Dr. Blodgett became an expert in monolayer thin films. By 1938, she had invented nonreflecting glass, coating its surface with a barium stearate film only 44 molecules thick, by stacking layers one-molecule thick, one at a time. Where typical glass is visible because light reflects from its surface, Dr. Blodgett\u2019s coating, whose thickness was one-fourth the wavelength of white light, rendered the glass \u201cinvisible,\u201d while allowing 99% of light to pass through. She followed this by developing a \u201ccolor gauge\u201d to measure the coatings\u2019 thickness within one-millionth of an inch, earning six U.S. patents for technology that is still used today.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Her groundbreaking coating, essentially a transparent soap film, inspired others to experiment with harder coatings that would adhere permanently, sparking a whole new way to improve lens quality in movie cameras, microscopes, and later, computer screens. Drs. Blodgett and Langmuir continued their long collaboration, developing, among other things, protective smokescreens for troops in combat and methods for deicing aircraft that saved many lives in World War II.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Among Dr. Blodgett\u2019s many awards was the 1951 American Chemical Society\u2019s Francis P. Garvan Medal for her research in surface chemistry. She died in 1979 at the age of 81, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Getting the moon shot<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
$\"History\u2019s$ <\/p>\r\n
On July 20, 1969, at 9:30 p.m. Houston time, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, Sc.D., set foot on the moon, planting an American flag in the lunar dust. Back on Earth, an estimated 600 million people watched, rapt, as history unfolded on live television.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Getting a television camera to work on the moon meant subjecting it to the same rigorous safety and reliability testing as every rivet, tube, and wire on the Apollo spacecraft \u2014 and on a tight schedule. It had to tolerate extreme temperature swings, from 121\u00a0\u00b0C (250\u00a0\u00b0F) in daylight to \u2212157\u00a0\u00b0C (\u2212251 \u00b0F) in shade.\u00a0Power could not exceed 7 watts, and its signal had to fit into the narrow bandwidth on the lunar module\u2019s\u00a0S-band\u00a0antenna.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Key to the lunar camera\u2019s safety and reliability was engineer and supervisor Naomi McAfee, F.SWE, who worked with NASA, which had commissioned Westinghouse to develop the camera. In a 2010 interview for the IEEE History Center, she discussed the challenges her team faced. \u201cThe thing we were looking at was, can we make it reliable so it will do what they want it to do? How do you seal it to make sure there is no out-gassing when you get it into the capsule? How do you screen the parts to make sure they will work for the period of time that you want?\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n $\"History\u2019s$ A detail from Marie Van Brittan Brown\u2019s 1969 patent for a \u201chome security system utilizing television surveillance,\u201d what we now know as CCTV.[\/caption]\r\n
McAfee noted that the programs were challenging because the technology was so new. \u201cYou had to develop new techniques, new ways to predict what was going to happen. Those things were all fun, a lot of fun to do.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The lunar camera came in at 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs.), pulled 6.5 watts of power, and was equipped with interchangeable wide-angle and lunar day lenses. It filmed at 10 frames per second in monochrome.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to describe the anticipation and the anxiety that one felt hearing them land on the moon, and then knowing that they were going to be coming out, and that when they did step onto the moon, that that camera would take the pictures and transmit them back to the Earth,\u201d McAfee said in a 2003 SWE interview. \u201cJust waiting to see if it would work created quite a bit of stress. And when it worked, it was sort of like a big \u2018whew\u2019 from everybody who was there.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
McAfee also worked on environmental measurements experiments, including the measurement of micrometeorite bombardment on objects in space; her research informed the design of the Apollo spacecraft\u2019s hull. Her team\u2019s work was so robust that results of its two-year research program are still in use, 50 years later.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe could see that what we did today, 10 years in the future people would be doing things like putting it into cars, toasters, TV sets,\u201d McAfee said in a 2016 SWE oral history. \u201cI think the greatest satisfaction in the career that I had was the fact that we were always on the leading edge of technology.\u201d\u2002<\/p>\r\n","post_title":"History\u2019s Viewfinder: Women in Camera Technology","post_excerpt":"From photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White to Annie Leibovitz, many women have used cameras with daring and artistry. Less known are the handful of women who developed camera technology with remarkable inventiveness and skill. Here are three with lasting impact on how we view our world \u2014 and the worlds beyond.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"historys-viewfinder-women-in-camera-technology","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-07 12:40:04","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-07 17:40:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/alltogether.swe.org\/?p=28524","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":28520,"post_author":"132","post_date":"2020-01-25 11:31:40","post_date_gmt":"2020-01-25 17:31:40","post_content":" $\"A$ A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence Is Redefining Who We Are<\/strong>\r\n\r\nBy Flynn Coleman, J.D.\r\n\r\nCounterpoint Press, 2019 | ISBN-10: 1640092366 | ISBN-13: 978-1640092365\r\n\r\nHardcover: 336 pages\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThis book about artificial intelligence (AI) is both enlightening and disturbing. This is not a book about how to code machines with an algorithm for being human; rather, this book imparts information about ethics, history, humanities, and philosophy, as they relate to our future and AI.\r\n\r\nThe author, international human rights attorney Flynn Coleman, J.D., describes how algorithms, and their related dangers, such as cybercrime and personal data breaches, are already part of our lives. She then provides some history of technology, starting from the first tools developed by humans, and how technology continues evolving faster and faster. Coleman reminds us that, \u201cWe\u2019ve had more than forty years to adapt to the Information Age. We are not going to have that much time to acclimatize to the Intelligent Machine Era.\u201d\r\n\r\nShe defines the human algorithm as \u201cthe philosophical center of ourselves. It\u2019s our personal and collective ethos; it\u2019s the DNA of our humanity; it\u2019s our conscience.\u201d There is too much information in the book to summarize adequately in a short review, but following are highlights.\r\n\r\nColeman\u2019s hope is \u201c \u2026 to convince you that we must acknowledge the science, face our technological fears, debate our present and future human and civil rights, and marshal the moral courage to create intelligent machines that reflect our humanity in all of its diversity.\u201d\r\n\r\nA key takeaway for me is the importance of having AI developed by a diverse, inclusive collection of people, with open, robust public discussion. In addition to AI technology professionals, we need to include others in the process. According to the author, \u201cThere are still far too few humanists, rights advocates, social scientists, and others with diverse (and perhaps helpfully contrarian) viewpoints involved in the discussion.\u201d One of the things we can all do is support organizations such as SWE that are promoting diversity in the STEM fields, with an emphasis on inclusion in AI technology.\r\n\r\nColeman also makes a good case for acting now, because if we wait much longer, it will be too late to go back and fix what we have done. One idea presented is the need for a national strategy for approaching AI in an open, planned, and collaborative way. If we continue to develop AI in secret silos of effort, we risk developing intelligent machines that create a more hostile world, rather than a world that reflects our true humanity. The author includes this quote from Stephen Hawking, Ph.D.: \u201cAI is likely to be the best or worst thing to happen to humanity.\u201d\r\n\r\nAnother interesting idea proposed in the book is having something similar to the Hippocratic Oath doctors take, but for AI developers. (In a similar vein, members of the Order of the Engineer must sign the \u201cObligation of an Engineer.\u201d) The International Bill of Human Rights is also mentioned, and the importance of AI that reflects those concepts.\r\n\r\nThe book covers thorny topics such as the rights of AI beings, cyberwarfare, and the potential for an AI arms race much like the Cold War \u2014 one important aspect being the dangers of autonomous weapons, including drone swarms, and the need for an international agreement on autonomous weapons.\r\n\r\nColeman is not alone in her concerns \u2014 I\u2019ve heard some of them echoed in various places, including the platform of one presidential candidate. AI is often the topic of articles in IEEE publications.\r\n\r\nThe author intends the book to be \u201ca cautious statement of hope that, in the end, technology will reveal who we are \u2014 resilient and vulnerable, curious and creative, abounding with potential for genuine connection with ourselves and with others \u2014 and that it presents an opportunity to code these traits into our future, to bend collectively toward the light. Much of the journey into the Intelligent Machine Age is still in front of us, but I am confident that in our quest to build a digital soul, we will find our own.\u201d\r\n\r\nI highly recommend this book, especially to those working in the AI world. There is much food for thought, and it will take all of us being aware and doing what we can to ensure AI enriches, rather than destroys, our world as we know it.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nMarcie Mathis graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in electrical engineering. She has spent most of her engineering career as a civilian U.S. Navy employee and works at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Washington. She joined SWE in 1988 as a student and serves on the multicultural committee and as a member of the editorial board.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n\"Media: A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence Is Redefining Who We Are\" was written by Marcie Mathis, SWE Editorial Board. This article appears in the 2020 Winter issue of SWE Magazine<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n ","post_title":"Media: A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence Is Redefining Who We Are","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"media-a-human-algorithm-how-artificial-intelligence-is-redefining-who-we-are","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-07 12:39:57","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-07 17:39:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/alltogether.swe.org\/?p=28520","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":28516,"post_author":"132","post_date":"2020-01-25 11:09:37","post_date_gmt":"2020-01-25 17:09:37","post_content":"When I was quite young, my parents decided that my sister and I had to learn to type. The result of this decision was hours and hours spent playing a computer game that \u2014 in addition to teaching me that \u201calfalfa\u201d is a real word \u2014 eventually taught me to touch type.\r\n\r\nBefore that final triumph, though, before I could type without looking at a keyboard, I spent a decent amount of time looking at the keyboard and asking questions. Where are my fingers meant to be when they aren\u2019t pressing a key? Why can\u2019t I move my hand to the other side of the keyboard? Where is the \u201cF\u201d key, because I really, really<\/em> need to spell \u201calfalfa\u201d before this zombie pops out of this box?\r\n\r\n $\"Close-up$ In all that looking and asking, I became particularly bothered by two raised bumps I found on my keyboard, on the \u201cF\u201d and \u201cJ\u201d keys, respectively. I called my father to where I was sitting that day, and said something to the effect of: \u201cPapa, I think there is a problem with this keyboard. It has bumps on two keys.\u201d With a chuckle, he said, \u201cKiddo, look at every keyboard you can find. They all have the same marks on \u2018F\u2019 and \u2018J\u2019 \u2014 they help people who are blind orient their hands on the keyboard so they can type just like you.\u201d\r\n\r\nNow, years later, any time I hear variations of the statement that \u201ceverybody wins\u201d when we make the world more accessible, the keyboard is the first example that comes to mind. After all, without ever realizing, I used \u2014 and still use \u2014 those bumps on the keyboard to help with my own touch typing.\r\n\r\nOnce I became aware of this small gesture to make the English keyboard more accessible, I started seeing accessibility features in the physical world everywhere, such as the tactile pavement system created by Japanese engineer Seiichi Miyake in 1967. These yellow or white blocks of raised dots or lines appear on train platforms and sidewalk crossings, and allow those with visual impairments to detect curves in the sidewalk or the end of a platform by feeling the raised bumps by foot or using a cane.\r\n\r\nIn the same way that designers and engineers have found innovative ways to make the physical world more navigable to everyone, as the world becomes more dependent on the internet, it is important to recognize the digital world as a space that we must design for accessibility.\r\n
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Now, years later, any time I hear variations of the statement that \u201ceverybody wins\u201d when we make the world more accessible, the keyboard is the first example that comes to mind. After all, without ever realizing, I used \u2014 and still use \u2014 those bumps on the keyboard to help with my own touch typing.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\nThe World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), as written on its website, is \u201can international community that develops open standards to ensure long-term growth of the Web,\u201d and in 1999, W3C\u2019s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) published the first set of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines have an impressive coverage over various types of content, such as text, images, and video, and how the information can be conveyed through various means. For instance, there are guidelines for color ratios for text and images, requirements for alternative text to be present for any nontext information, and captions to be present for videos.\r\n\r\nBeyond making the content on a Web page accessible, WCAG standards ensure that the content can be accessed or reached in various ways. If a person does not have visual impairments, they might navigate to a login screen for a website and immediately identify the input text box for a username and password, and the button to log in. Someone with visual impairments, however, might rely on keyboard navigation and a screen reader to inform them of the layout of the page, and when they reach a component they might interact with.\r\n\r\nW3C\u2019s Web Accessibility Initiative also published Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) standards, which would allow assistive technology to convey information about the states or metadata of more complex controls, such as an \u201cadvanced settings\u201d button that expands to show more inputs, and collapses to hide them.\r\n\r\nW3C and WAI do incredible work in setting the standards of Web accessibility, but the burden of building accessible<\/em> environments still falls to those building those environments. This process starts with more engineers and designers becoming aware of accessibility standards, building products that meet them, and then improving and iterating on those standards.\r\n\r\nIf the topic of accessibility piqued your interest, the theme of our next issue is \u201cenabling environments.\u201d We look forward to bringing you an exploration of the many facets of making spaces and content more accessible, both in the physical and digital worlds.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nA member of the SWE editorial board, Ambika Dubey is a software engineer at Microsoft, where she works on Azure AI. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018 with an undergraduate degree in computer science and a minor in the Hoeft Technology and Management program. A SWE member since 2014, she has held local leadership positions and attended conferences.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n\"Reinvention: Accessibility Standards in Digital Spaces\" was written by Ambika Dubey, SWE Editorial Board. This article appears in the 2020 Winter issue of SWE Magazine<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n ","post_title":"Reinvention: Accessibility Standards in Digital Spaces","post_excerpt":"While the work of building a more accessible Web environment falls to engineers and designers, everyone in society benefits when we make the world easier to navigate.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"reinvention-accessibility-standards-in-digital-spaces","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-07 12:39:54","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-07 17:39:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/alltogether.swe.org\/?p=28516","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":28465,"post_author":"132","post_date":"2020-01-24 15:31:31","post_date_gmt":"2020-01-24 21:31:31","post_content":"Reports from experts are chock-full of recommendations on processes, with checklists of to-do items: Set up training and skill-building workshops; root out unconscious bias; educate leaders on the economic benefits of gender equity; and ask the company\u2019s leadership, \u201cWhere are the\u00a0women in our talent pipeline?\u201d\r\n\r\nWhile these are laudable goals, the workforce reports are largely silent on how to broach the delicate topics of how, exactly, to achieve a more meaningful and equitable workforce, and how to deal with day-to-day issues.\r\n\r\nTwo books about leadership give tips on what looks to be one answer, and in the process, give credence to a new business buzz-phrase: \u201cradical candor.\u201d The Busy Leader\u2019s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive<\/em>, written by small-business adviser and former health care executive Quint Studer, pinpoints real issues that can imperil any attempt at change.\r\n\r\nThe second book, Radical Candor,<\/em> by CEO coach and Candor Inc. co-founder Kim Scott, outlines \u201cperformance development\u201d \u2014 as opposed to performance management \u2014 and describes the \u201cradical candor\u201d it requires.\r\n\r\nIt explains the philosophy of Candor Inc., a Silicon Valley-based executive education company that focuses on, as Scott explains in her blog post, \u201ckindly, clearly and immediately\u201d telling employees how they are performing, even when it\u2019s difficult to do so.\r\n\r\nScott recommends \u201cimpromptu guidance conversations\u201d that help an employee develop the necessary skills to do his or her job, as well as what she needs to do less of and more of. \u201cImpromptu conversations should be happening multiple times a week and be focused on coaching a person to do more of what\u2019s good and less of what\u2019s not,\u201d Scott wrote in the blog post.\r\n\r\nThe result? No surprises when performance review time rolls around.\r\n\r\nCandor Inc.\u2019s other buzzwords include:\r\n
\r\n \t
Ruinous empathy \u2013 when you care but don\u2019t challenge<\/li>\r\n \t
Obnoxious aggression \u2013 when you challenge, but don\u2019t care how your words are received<\/li>\r\n \t
Manipulative insincerity \u2013 when you neither care nor challenge<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe motivations of both the advice giver and the feedback receiver ideally are intrinsic, Scott said. \u201cThe motivation to solicit guidance and to act on it is the desire to improve, to grow, to do good work and then make it better, to build strong relationships and then make them stronger,\u201d she wrote. \u201cThe motivation to give guidance is mostly altruistic \u2014 to help another person and the team as a collective flourish.\u201d\r\n\r\n $\"Career$ \r\n
CREATING A DRAMA-FREE ENVIRONMENT<\/h3>\r\nSo what happens when employees \u2014 after all, we\u2019re all human \u2014 create workplace drama? Studer says that those who create workplace drama aren\u2019t always doing it intentionally. It can be driven by insecurity, fear, or other undealt-with emotional issues. But, most often, he says, it stems from people not knowing how to handle conflict or have tough conversations.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhatever the reasons, great leaders take a zero-tolerance stance against drama,\u201d said Studer. \u201cTheir behavior and their words let employees know they value a drama-free environment where people cultivate healthy, respectful, collaborative adult relationships.\u201d\r\n\r\nStuder offers the following tips for shutting down drama:\r\n\r\nModel the behavior you want to see.<\/strong> Don\u2019t participate in drama yourself. Don\u2019t gossip or badmouth anyone. Strive to always be aboveboard, fair, respectful, and positive. Be really careful about even small things: for example, copying someone you don\u2019t need to copy on a sensitive email. Never stop examining your own motives and hold yourself to the highest standard. The leader always<\/em> sets the tone for workplace behavior. If it\u2019s okay for you to do it, employees assume it\u2019s okay for them. Be aware of the messages you\u2019re sending.\r\n\r\nThe same applies to co-workers and peers, Studer said in an interview.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen a co-worker says something, if you\u2019re silent, they think you\u2019re supporting it,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat are the standards of behavior that we\u2019re going to agree to live on? What behaviors are in and what\u2019s out? Gossip is out; being negative is out; talking behind someone\u2019s back is out. You have a game plan in front of you. You\u2019ve got to create the transparency.\u201d\r\n\r\nBe as transparent as possible. <\/strong>Drama thrives in secretive environments. This is one of many reasons it\u2019s a good idea for organizations to be open about everything from financials to performance metrics to changes that might be coming in the future. The less people have to speculate about, the less likely they\u2019ll be to gossip and repeat hearsay. Leaders need to be transparent, too. The less you have to hide, the less you\u2019ll have to worry about whom you told and whether they will repeat it.\r\n\r\nAsk for specificity. <\/strong>\u201cPeople make mistakes,\u201d Studer said. \u201cYou don\u2019t say, \u2018You\u2019re a bad person.\u2019 Instead, be specific and don\u2019t accept generalities. If an employee says, \u2018Gee, I\u2019ve never seen morale worse. We\u2019re short-staffed,\u2019 I would reply, \u2018Okay, tell me why you see it that way right now. Be specific.\u2019\u201d\r\n\r\nStuder said when he used this process as head of a hospital, he found out that one specific nursing unit needed help.\r\n\r\nStop repeating the story.<\/strong> Encourage employees to keep the story in the group that needs to hear it. <\/strong>When something happens that gets people upset, they may feel the need to tell their story over and over. Usually this is because they want support or attention. Leaders need to be careful not to do this and to let employees know how destructive this can be. When leaders repeat stories over and over, they become larger than life and perpetuate negativity throughout the organization.\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\u201cDon\u2019t give oxygen to misinformation,\u201d Studer said.\r\n\r\nStop someone from carrying someone else\u2019s message.<\/strong> If someone complains, but then says, \u201cI can\u2019t tell you who told me,\u201d that\u2019s a no-no. \u201cUnless it\u2019s unethical or illegal, people have to learn to carry their own message,\u201d Studer said. \u201cOtherwise, we\u2019re creating an immature workplace. It\u2019s like middle school, where people go tell on each other but say, \u2018I can\u2019t tell you who said that.\u2019 We have to be careful not <\/em>to create adult-child workplaces. Tell me who. If you can\u2019t, then I guess it\u2019s not important,\u201d he said. \u201cOr help me understand what I can do so that person feels comfortable coming to me.\u201d\r\n
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\u201cWhatever the reasons, great leaders take a zero-tolerance stance against drama. Their behavior and their words let employees know they value a drama-free environment where people cultivate healthy, respectful, collaborative adult relationships.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
\u2013 <\/em>Quint Studer, <\/em>author, The Busy Leader\u2019s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive<\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\nEncourage employees to talk out issues among themselves, too. <\/strong>If an employee comes to a manager complaining about a third party \u2014 whether it\u2019s a peer or an immediate supervisor \u2014 ask, \u201cHave you spoken to this person directly?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cA big part of creating an ownership mindset is teaching employees to work out their own conflicts and advocate for themselves rather than \u2018telling on\u2019 people,\u201d Studer said.\r\n\r\nHold open conversations about real issues.<\/strong> When there is an issue, the goal is to get it fixed, not go behind people\u2019s backs and complain. Far better to approach the person and have an open conversation. Back up your statement with data. For example: \u201cIn the past month, you have missed three deadlines. Can we talk about what the problem might be?\u201d Often, addressing the issue openly will help you uncover a root cause.\r\n\r\nOnce you zero-in on the factor keeping the employee from doing his or her job properly, you can work with them to find a solution. \u201cA manager must ask employees every day: \u2018Do you have what you need to do your job today?\u2019\u201d Studer said. \u201cMost managers play defense. They don\u2019t play offense.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhat are the odds of an employee coming up to a manager and saying, \u2018My co-workers are phenomenal. I feel rewarded and recognized. Thank you so much for giving me feedback on a consistent basis?\u2019\r\n\r\n\u201cPlay offense. Say to yourself, \u2018Who can I recognize today?\u2019\u201d\r\n\r\nTry to understand others\u2019 motivations. <\/strong>\u201cSometimes an employee may create drama unintentionally,\u201d Studer said. \u201cHis or her motive might be pure, but the delivery or process is broken. Maybe she really does need something fixed but doesn\u2019t know how to go through the proper channels to get it done,\u201d he said. \u201cUsually, by having a probing conversation with the person, you\u2019ll be able to figure out their motivation. You can then use it as a teachable moment, explaining how he or she might better handle similar situations in the future.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cDon\u2019t assume someone has bad motives. I find most employees want to do a good job. Let\u2019s figure out what\u2019s in the way,\u201d Studer said. \u201cIf I\u2019m acting out, it\u2019s normally my own insecurity. When I\u2019m gossiping, it\u2019s truly to make myself feel better. Let\u2019s deal with what\u2019s really going on with this person. I may not know what\u2019s going on in their life. Not that it\u2019s an excuse for someone to misbehave. But, somewhere, there was this crazy myth, we\u2019re supposed to separate work and home. People can\u2019t do that. It\u2019s impossible.\u201d\r\n\r\nA classic example is how people react to change. \u201cWhen people push back on change, it\u2019s because they don\u2019t know what that\u2019s going to do with their lives,\u201d Studer said. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on? Absolutely, it\u2019s fear. Senior executives have the same fear as everyone else. They can send that down the line with their own anxiety.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe had a manager saying, \u2018We\u2019ve got to hit our numbers.\u2019 But the department was already meeting its goals. So that caused a feeling of insecurity. Managers have to be really careful about the messages they send, both verbal and nonverbal. It adds to drama.\r\n\r\nMost of it is subconscious.\u201d\r\n\r\nShut down trouble immediately. <\/strong>If you see that someone is intentionally engaging in bad behavior or stirring up trouble, take a two-pronged approach. First, don\u2019t join in the conversation. Next, narrate to the person (and everyone) that drama is unacceptable. \u201cTell them this cannot be tolerated,\u201d Studer said. \u201cOne of the biggest issues is when managers fail to take action on difficult employees or lower-level managers for not doing their jobs. The sooner you nip things in the bud, the better.\u201d\r\n\r\nExtend grace. Let people back in the fold.<\/strong> If someone has made a mistake, give them another chance. Don\u2019t hold a grudge or, worse, turn the company against them. We\u2019re all human and we all have bad moments and bad days. \u201cIn general, discourage self-righteous or \u2018I'm done here\u2019 attitudes that assume the worst of people and make it okay to give up on them,\u201d Studer said. \u201cRecognize the humanity and fallibility of others. In your words and actions, demonstrate that extending a little grace to people when they stumble is a good thing.\u201d\r\n\r\nReward and recognize people who get it right. <\/strong>We all learn by example. \u201cFor instance, when you see someone handling conflict in a positive way, thank them and acknowledge them publicly,\u201d Studer said. \u201cLikewise, admit it when you get it wrong. If you do something that creates or perpetuates drama, own it and apologize. People respect leaders who are vulnerable and honest about their flaws.\u201d\r\n\r\n
**\r\n\r\n\"Taking a Look at Radical Candor\" was written by Sandra Guy, SWE Contributor. This article appears in the 2020 Winter issue of** SWE Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n ","post_title":"Career Pathways: Taking a Look at Radical Candor","post_excerpt":"Studies of women\u2019s roles and challenges in the workplace reveal that leaders need to work harder to hire and train women as managers, from entry level to the C-suite. Absent from many of these recommendations is just how to do so. Could the \u201cperformance development\u201d and \u201cradical candor\u201d approaches provide an answer?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"career-pathways-taking-a-look-at-radical-candor-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-07 12:38:48","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-07 17:38:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/alltogether.swe.org\/?p=28465","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_9"};

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McAfee also worked on environmental measurements experiments, including the measurement of micrometeorite bombardment on objects in space; her research informed the design of the Apollo spacecraft\u2019s hull. Her team\u2019s work was so robust that results of its two-year research program are still in use, 50 years later.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cWe could see that what we did today, 10 years in the future people would be doing things like putting it into cars, toasters, TV sets,\u201d McAfee said in a 2016 SWE oral history. \u201cI think the greatest satisfaction in the career that I had was the fact that we were always on the leading edge of technology.\u201d\u2002<\/p>\r\n","post_title":"History\u2019s Viewfinder: Women in Camera Technology","post_excerpt":"From photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White to Annie Leibovitz, many women have used cameras with daring and artistry. Less known are the handful of women who developed camera technology with remarkable inventiveness and skill. Here are three with lasting impact on how we view our world \u2014 and the worlds beyond.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"historys-viewfinder-women-in-camera-technology","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-07 12:40:04","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-07 17:40:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/alltogether.swe.org\/?p=28524","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":28520,"post_author":"132","post_date":"2020-01-25 11:31:40","post_date_gmt":"2020-01-25 17:31:40","post_content":" $\"A$ A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence Is Redefining Who We Are<\/strong>\r\n\r\nBy Flynn Coleman, J.D.\r\n\r\nCounterpoint Press, 2019 | ISBN-10: 1640092366 | ISBN-13: 978-1640092365\r\n\r\nHardcover: 336 pages\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThis book about artificial intelligence (AI) is both enlightening and disturbing. This is not a book about how to code machines with an algorithm for being human; rather, this book imparts information about ethics, history, humanities, and philosophy, as they relate to our future and AI.\r\n\r\nThe author, international human rights attorney Flynn Coleman, J.D., describes how algorithms, and their related dangers, such as cybercrime and personal data breaches, are already part of our lives. She then provides some history of technology, starting from the first tools developed by humans, and how technology continues evolving faster and faster. Coleman reminds us that, \u201cWe\u2019ve had more than forty years to adapt to the Information Age. We are not going to have that much time to acclimatize to the Intelligent Machine Era.\u201d\r\n\r\nShe defines the human algorithm as \u201cthe philosophical center of ourselves. It\u2019s our personal and collective ethos; it\u2019s the DNA of our humanity; it\u2019s our conscience.\u201d There is too much information in the book to summarize adequately in a short review, but following are highlights.\r\n\r\nColeman\u2019s hope is \u201c \u2026 to convince you that we must acknowledge the science, face our technological fears, debate our present and future human and civil rights, and marshal the moral courage to create intelligent machines that reflect our humanity in all of its diversity.\u201d\r\n\r\nA key takeaway for me is the importance of having AI developed by a diverse, inclusive collection of people, with open, robust public discussion. In addition to AI technology professionals, we need to include others in the process. According to the author, \u201cThere are still far too few humanists, rights advocates, social scientists, and others with diverse (and perhaps helpfully contrarian) viewpoints involved in the discussion.\u201d One of the things we can all do is support organizations such as SWE that are promoting diversity in the STEM fields, with an emphasis on inclusion in AI technology.\r\n\r\nColeman also makes a good case for acting now, because if we wait much longer, it will be too late to go back and fix what we have done. One idea presented is the need for a national strategy for approaching AI in an open, planned, and collaborative way. If we continue to develop AI in secret silos of effort, we risk developing intelligent machines that create a more hostile world, rather than a world that reflects our true humanity. The author includes this quote from Stephen Hawking, Ph.D.: \u201cAI is likely to be the best or worst thing to happen to humanity.\u201d\r\n\r\nAnother interesting idea proposed in the book is having something similar to the Hippocratic Oath doctors take, but for AI developers. (In a similar vein, members of the Order of the Engineer must sign the \u201cObligation of an Engineer.\u201d) The International Bill of Human Rights is also mentioned, and the importance of AI that reflects those concepts.\r\n\r\nThe book covers thorny topics such as the rights of AI beings, cyberwarfare, and the potential for an AI arms race much like the Cold War \u2014 one important aspect being the dangers of autonomous weapons, including drone swarms, and the need for an international agreement on autonomous weapons.\r\n\r\nColeman is not alone in her concerns \u2014 I\u2019ve heard some of them echoed in various places, including the platform of one presidential candidate. AI is often the topic of articles in IEEE publications.\r\n\r\nThe author intends the book to be \u201ca cautious statement of hope that, in the end, technology will reveal who we are \u2014 resilient and vulnerable, curious and creative, abounding with potential for genuine connection with ourselves and with others \u2014 and that it presents an opportunity to code these traits into our future, to bend collectively toward the light. Much of the journey into the Intelligent Machine Age is still in front of us, but I am confident that in our quest to build a digital soul, we will find our own.\u201d\r\n\r\nI highly recommend this book, especially to those working in the AI world. There is much food for thought, and it will take all of us being aware and doing what we can to ensure AI enriches, rather than destroys, our world as we know it.\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\nMarcie Mathis graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in electrical engineering. She has spent most of her engineering career as a civilian U.S. Navy employee and works at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Washington. She joined SWE in 1988 as a student and serves on the multicultural committee and as a member of the editorial board.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n\"Media: A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence Is Redefining Who We Are\" was written by Marcie Mathis, SWE Editorial Board. This article appears in the 2020 Winter issue of SWE Magazine<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n ","post_title":"Media: A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence Is Redefining Who We Are","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"media-a-human-algorithm-how-artificial-intelligence-is-redefining-who-we-are","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-07 12:39:57","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-07 17:39:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/alltogether.swe.org\/?p=28520","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":28516,"post_author":"132","post_date":"2020-01-25 11:09:37","post_date_gmt":"2020-01-25 17:09:37","post_content":"When I was quite young, my parents decided that my sister and I had to learn to type. The result of this decision was hours and hours spent playing a computer game that \u2014 in addition to teaching me that \u201calfalfa\u201d is a real word \u2014 eventually taught me to touch type.\r\n\r\nBefore that final triumph, though, before I could type without looking at a keyboard, I spent a decent amount of time looking at the keyboard and asking questions. Where are my fingers meant to be when they aren\u2019t pressing a key? Why can\u2019t I move my hand to the other side of the keyboard? Where is the \u201cF\u201d key, because I really, really<\/em> need to spell \u201calfalfa\u201d before this zombie pops out of this box?\r\n\r\n $\"Close-up$ In all that looking and asking, I became particularly bothered by two raised bumps I found on my keyboard, on the \u201cF\u201d and \u201cJ\u201d keys, respectively. I called my father to where I was sitting that day, and said something to the effect of: \u201cPapa, I think there is a problem with this keyboard. It has bumps on two keys.\u201d With a chuckle, he said, \u201cKiddo, look at every keyboard you can find. They all have the same marks on \u2018F\u2019 and \u2018J\u2019 \u2014 they help people who are blind orient their hands on the keyboard so they can type just like you.\u201d\r\n\r\nNow, years later, any time I hear variations of the statement that \u201ceverybody wins\u201d when we make the world more accessible, the keyboard is the first example that comes to mind. After all, without ever realizing, I used \u2014 and still use \u2014 those bumps on the keyboard to help with my own touch typing.\r\n\r\nOnce I became aware of this small gesture to make the English keyboard more accessible, I started seeing accessibility features in the physical world everywhere, such as the tactile pavement system created by Japanese engineer Seiichi Miyake in 1967. These yellow or white blocks of raised dots or lines appear on train platforms and sidewalk crossings, and allow those with visual impairments to detect curves in the sidewalk or the end of a platform by feeling the raised bumps by foot or using a cane.\r\n\r\nIn the same way that designers and engineers have found innovative ways to make the physical world more navigable to everyone, as the world becomes more dependent on the internet, it is important to recognize the digital world as a space that we must design for accessibility.\r\n
\r\n
Now, years later, any time I hear variations of the statement that \u201ceverybody wins\u201d when we make the world more accessible, the keyboard is the first example that comes to mind. After all, without ever realizing, I used \u2014 and still use \u2014 those bumps on the keyboard to help with my own touch typing.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\nThe World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), as written on its website, is \u201can international community that develops open standards to ensure long-term growth of the Web,\u201d and in 1999, W3C\u2019s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) published the first set of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines have an impressive coverage over various types of content, such as text, images, and video, and how the information can be conveyed through various means. For instance, there are guidelines for color ratios for text and images, requirements for alternative text to be present for any nontext information, and captions to be present for videos.\r\n\r\nBeyond making the content on a Web page accessible, WCAG standards ensure that the content can be accessed or reached in various ways. If a person does not have visual impairments, they might navigate to a login screen for a website and immediately identify the input text box for a username and password, and the button to log in. Someone with visual impairments, however, might rely on keyboard navigation and a screen reader to inform them of the layout of the page, and when they reach a component they might interact with.\r\n\r\nW3C\u2019s Web Accessibility Initiative also published Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) standards, which would allow assistive technology to convey information about the states or metadata of more complex controls, such as an \u201cadvanced settings\u201d button that expands to show more inputs, and collapses to hide them.\r\n\r\nW3C and WAI do incredible work in setting the standards of Web accessibility, but the burden of building accessible<\/em> environments still falls to those building those environments. This process starts with more engineers and designers becoming aware of accessibility standards, building products that meet them, and then improving and iterating on those standards.\r\n\r\nIf the topic of accessibility piqued your interest, the theme of our next issue is \u201cenabling environments.\u201d We look forward to bringing you an exploration of the many facets of making spaces and content more accessible, both in the physical and digital worlds.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nA member of the SWE editorial board, Ambika Dubey is a software engineer at Microsoft, where she works on Azure AI. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018 with an undergraduate degree in computer science and a minor in the Hoeft Technology and Management program. A SWE member since 2014, she has held local leadership positions and attended conferences.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n\"Reinvention: Accessibility Standards in Digital Spaces\" was written by Ambika Dubey, SWE Editorial Board. This article appears in the 2020 Winter issue of SWE Magazine<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n ","post_title":"Reinvention: Accessibility Standards in Digital Spaces","post_excerpt":"While the work of building a more accessible Web environment falls to engineers and designers, everyone in society benefits when we make the world easier to navigate.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"reinvention-accessibility-standards-in-digital-spaces","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-07 12:39:54","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-07 17:39:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/alltogether.swe.org\/?p=28516","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":28465,"post_author":"132","post_date":"2020-01-24 15:31:31","post_date_gmt":"2020-01-24 21:31:31","post_content":"Reports from experts are chock-full of recommendations on processes, with checklists of to-do items: Set up training and skill-building workshops; root out unconscious bias; educate leaders on the economic benefits of gender equity; and ask the company\u2019s leadership, \u201cWhere are the\u00a0women in our talent pipeline?\u201d\r\n\r\nWhile these are laudable goals, the workforce reports are largely silent on how to broach the delicate topics of how, exactly, to achieve a more meaningful and equitable workforce, and how to deal with day-to-day issues.\r\n\r\nTwo books about leadership give tips on what looks to be one answer, and in the process, give credence to a new business buzz-phrase: \u201cradical candor.\u201d The Busy Leader\u2019s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive<\/em>, written by small-business adviser and former health care executive Quint Studer, pinpoints real issues that can imperil any attempt at change.\r\n\r\nThe second book, Radical Candor,<\/em> by CEO coach and Candor Inc. co-founder Kim Scott, outlines \u201cperformance development\u201d \u2014 as opposed to performance management \u2014 and describes the \u201cradical candor\u201d it requires.\r\n\r\nIt explains the philosophy of Candor Inc., a Silicon Valley-based executive education company that focuses on, as Scott explains in her blog post, \u201ckindly, clearly and immediately\u201d telling employees how they are performing, even when it\u2019s difficult to do so.\r\n\r\nScott recommends \u201cimpromptu guidance conversations\u201d that help an employee develop the necessary skills to do his or her job, as well as what she needs to do less of and more of. \u201cImpromptu conversations should be happening multiple times a week and be focused on coaching a person to do more of what\u2019s good and less of what\u2019s not,\u201d Scott wrote in the blog post.\r\n\r\nThe result? No surprises when performance review time rolls around.\r\n\r\nCandor Inc.\u2019s other buzzwords include:\r\n
\r\n \t
Ruinous empathy \u2013 when you care but don\u2019t challenge<\/li>\r\n \t
Obnoxious aggression \u2013 when you challenge, but don\u2019t care how your words are received<\/li>\r\n \t
Manipulative insincerity \u2013 when you neither care nor challenge<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe motivations of both the advice giver and the feedback receiver ideally are intrinsic, Scott said. \u201cThe motivation to solicit guidance and to act on it is the desire to improve, to grow, to do good work and then make it better, to build strong relationships and then make them stronger,\u201d she wrote. \u201cThe motivation to give guidance is mostly altruistic \u2014 to help another person and the team as a collective flourish.\u201d\r\n\r\n $\"Career$ \r\n
CREATING A DRAMA-FREE ENVIRONMENT<\/h3>\r\nSo what happens when employees \u2014 after all, we\u2019re all human \u2014 create workplace drama? Studer says that those who create workplace drama aren\u2019t always doing it intentionally. It can be driven by insecurity, fear, or other undealt-with emotional issues. But, most often, he says, it stems from people not knowing how to handle conflict or have tough conversations.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhatever the reasons, great leaders take a zero-tolerance stance against drama,\u201d said Studer. \u201cTheir behavior and their words let employees know they value a drama-free environment where people cultivate healthy, respectful, collaborative adult relationships.\u201d\r\n\r\nStuder offers the following tips for shutting down drama:\r\n\r\nModel the behavior you want to see.<\/strong> Don\u2019t participate in drama yourself. Don\u2019t gossip or badmouth anyone. Strive to always be aboveboard, fair, respectful, and positive. Be really careful about even small things: for example, copying someone you don\u2019t need to copy on a sensitive email. Never stop examining your own motives and hold yourself to the highest standard. The leader always<\/em> sets the tone for workplace behavior. If it\u2019s okay for you to do it, employees assume it\u2019s okay for them. Be aware of the messages you\u2019re sending.\r\n\r\nThe same applies to co-workers and peers, Studer said in an interview.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen a co-worker says something, if you\u2019re silent, they think you\u2019re supporting it,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat are the standards of behavior that we\u2019re going to agree to live on? What behaviors are in and what\u2019s out? Gossip is out; being negative is out; talking behind someone\u2019s back is out. You have a game plan in front of you. You\u2019ve got to create the transparency.\u201d\r\n\r\nBe as transparent as possible. <\/strong>Drama thrives in secretive environments. This is one of many reasons it\u2019s a good idea for organizations to be open about everything from financials to performance metrics to changes that might be coming in the future. The less people have to speculate about, the less likely they\u2019ll be to gossip and repeat hearsay. Leaders need to be transparent, too. The less you have to hide, the less you\u2019ll have to worry about whom you told and whether they will repeat it.\r\n\r\nAsk for specificity. <\/strong>\u201cPeople make mistakes,\u201d Studer said. \u201cYou don\u2019t say, \u2018You\u2019re a bad person.\u2019 Instead, be specific and don\u2019t accept generalities. If an employee says, \u2018Gee, I\u2019ve never seen morale worse. We\u2019re short-staffed,\u2019 I would reply, \u2018Okay, tell me why you see it that way right now. Be specific.\u2019\u201d\r\n\r\nStuder said when he used this process as head of a hospital, he found out that one specific nursing unit needed help.\r\n\r\nStop repeating the story.<\/strong> Encourage employees to keep the story in the group that needs to hear it. <\/strong>When something happens that gets people upset, they may feel the need to tell their story over and over. Usually this is because they want support or attention. Leaders need to be careful not to do this and to let employees know how destructive this can be. When leaders repeat stories over and over, they become larger than life and perpetuate negativity throughout the organization.\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\u201cDon\u2019t give oxygen to misinformation,\u201d Studer said.\r\n\r\nStop someone from carrying someone else\u2019s message.<\/strong> If someone complains, but then says, \u201cI can\u2019t tell you who told me,\u201d that\u2019s a no-no. \u201cUnless it\u2019s unethical or illegal, people have to learn to carry their own message,\u201d Studer said. \u201cOtherwise, we\u2019re creating an immature workplace. It\u2019s like middle school, where people go tell on each other but say, \u2018I can\u2019t tell you who said that.\u2019 We have to be careful not <\/em>to create adult-child workplaces. Tell me who. If you can\u2019t, then I guess it\u2019s not important,\u201d he said. \u201cOr help me understand what I can do so that person feels comfortable coming to me.\u201d\r\n
\r\n
\u201cWhatever the reasons, great leaders take a zero-tolerance stance against drama. Their behavior and their words let employees know they value a drama-free environment where people cultivate healthy, respectful, collaborative adult relationships.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
\u2013 <\/em>Quint Studer, <\/em>author, The Busy Leader\u2019s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive<\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\nEncourage employees to talk out issues among themselves, too. <\/strong>If an employee comes to a manager complaining about a third party \u2014 whether it\u2019s a peer or an immediate supervisor \u2014 ask, \u201cHave you spoken to this person directly?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cA big part of creating an ownership mindset is teaching employees to work out their own conflicts and advocate for themselves rather than \u2018telling on\u2019 people,\u201d Studer said.\r\n\r\nHold open conversations about real issues.<\/strong> When there is an issue, the goal is to get it fixed, not go behind people\u2019s backs and complain. Far better to approach the person and have an open conversation. Back up your statement with data. For example: \u201cIn the past month, you have missed three deadlines. Can we talk about what the problem might be?\u201d Often, addressing the issue openly will help you uncover a root cause.\r\n\r\nOnce you zero-in on the factor keeping the employee from doing his or her job properly, you can work with them to find a solution. \u201cA manager must ask employees every day: \u2018Do you have what you need to do your job today?\u2019\u201d Studer said. \u201cMost managers play defense. They don\u2019t play offense.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhat are the odds of an employee coming up to a manager and saying, \u2018My co-workers are phenomenal. I feel rewarded and recognized. Thank you so much for giving me feedback on a consistent basis?\u2019\r\n\r\n\u201cPlay offense. Say to yourself, \u2018Who can I recognize today?\u2019\u201d\r\n\r\nTry to understand others\u2019 motivations. <\/strong>\u201cSometimes an employee may create drama unintentionally,\u201d Studer said. \u201cHis or her motive might be pure, but the delivery or process is broken. Maybe she really does need something fixed but doesn\u2019t know how to go through the proper channels to get it done,\u201d he said. \u201cUsually, by having a probing conversation with the person, you\u2019ll be able to figure out their motivation. You can then use it as a teachable moment, explaining how he or she might better handle similar situations in the future.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cDon\u2019t assume someone has bad motives. I find most employees want to do a good job. Let\u2019s figure out what\u2019s in the way,\u201d Studer said. \u201cIf I\u2019m acting out, it\u2019s normally my own insecurity. When I\u2019m gossiping, it\u2019s truly to make myself feel better. Let\u2019s deal with what\u2019s really going on with this person. I may not know what\u2019s going on in their life. Not that it\u2019s an excuse for someone to misbehave. But, somewhere, there was this crazy myth, we\u2019re supposed to separate work and home. People can\u2019t do that. It\u2019s impossible.\u201d\r\n\r\nA classic example is how people react to change. \u201cWhen people push back on change, it\u2019s because they don\u2019t know what that\u2019s going to do with their lives,\u201d Studer said. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on? Absolutely, it\u2019s fear. Senior executives have the same fear as everyone else. They can send that down the line with their own anxiety.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe had a manager saying, \u2018We\u2019ve got to hit our numbers.\u2019 But the department was already meeting its goals. So that caused a feeling of insecurity. Managers have to be really careful about the messages they send, both verbal and nonverbal. It adds to drama.\r\n\r\nMost of it is subconscious.\u201d\r\n\r\nShut down trouble immediately. <\/strong>If you see that someone is intentionally engaging in bad behavior or stirring up trouble, take a two-pronged approach. First, don\u2019t join in the conversation. Next, narrate to the person (and everyone) that drama is unacceptable. \u201cTell them this cannot be tolerated,\u201d Studer said. \u201cOne of the biggest issues is when managers fail to take action on difficult employees or lower-level managers for not doing their jobs. The sooner you nip things in the bud, the better.\u201d\r\n\r\nExtend grace. Let people back in the fold.<\/strong> If someone has made a mistake, give them another chance. Don\u2019t hold a grudge or, worse, turn the company against them. We\u2019re all human and we all have bad moments and bad days. \u201cIn general, discourage self-righteous or \u2018I'm done here\u2019 attitudes that assume the worst of people and make it okay to give up on them,\u201d Studer said. \u201cRecognize the humanity and fallibility of others. In your words and actions, demonstrate that extending a little grace to people when they stumble is a good thing.\u201d\r\n\r\nReward and recognize people who get it right. <\/strong>We all learn by example. \u201cFor instance, when you see someone handling conflict in a positive way, thank them and acknowledge them publicly,\u201d Studer said. \u201cLikewise, admit it when you get it wrong. If you do something that creates or perpetuates drama, own it and apologize. People respect leaders who are vulnerable and honest about their flaws.\u201d\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n\"Taking a Look at Radical Candor\" was written by Sandra Guy, SWE Contributor. This article appears in the 2020 Winter issue of SWE Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n ","post_title":"Career Pathways: Taking a Look at Radical Candor","post_excerpt":"Studies of women\u2019s roles and challenges in the workplace reveal that leaders need to work harder to hire and train women as managers, from entry level to the C-suite. Absent from many of these recommendations is just how to do so. Could the \u201cperformance development\u201d and \u201cradical candor\u201d approaches provide an answer?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"career-pathways-taking-a-look-at-radical-candor-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-07 12:38:48","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-07 17:38:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/alltogether.swe.org\/?p=28465","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_9"};

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Winter 2020 Stories

Scrapbook: The Journey Toward Inclusion

My Community … My SWE

This Is Your Brain on Green Buildings

CAMERAS: Altering the Way We See Reality

CAMERAS EVERYWHERE: Examining the Conflict Between Technology and Human Rights

Using the Past to Inform the Future: An Interview with SWE Archivist Troy Eller English

History’s Viewfinder: Women in Camera Technology

Media: A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence Is Redefining Who We Are

Reinvention: Accessibility Standards in Digital Spaces

Career Pathways: Taking a Look at Radical Candor

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