Industrial Automation Magazine India

I have seen a lot of opportunities being offered to men first

Published on : Tuesday 08-03-2022

Simble Johney, Group Head with Isobar, Dentsu India.

Can you recall your early days – say the first few days at work – and anything you would like to mention about that?
Early days of work were like going for an exam every day. I was new to work so I had no idea how things function and somehow everyone around me was working in this uptight hierarchical structure that took one a long time to figure out who is ‘accessible’ to speak with and who is not. My boss was an inspirational woman who was always vocal about her opinions, but people would talk about her personal life behind her back and attributed her ‘aggression’ (which now I realised was assertion) to her personal problems.
 
I was clueless who was conditioned to believe that you can’t leave before seniors leave, it is not wise to ‘agree to disagree’ and whatever work is given to you has to be done within the day. I remember that I was asked to write a concept and I didn’t know any better – I literally spent the entire day asking different team members what it means and since nobody was really sure I ended by trying something on my own.
 
Those first few days were the most challenging, but I love how I was so receptive to new learnings. 
 
For a woman, it is a matter of finding the right balance between the jobs and managing the home – how do you manage this?
I am not married so managing for me is how it would be for any gender, really. Having said that, I started living alone 5 years back and I have struggled for years to find the right balance, especially because of the nature of my work. My healthiest days have been spent in Advertising, where I would return home at odd hours and just eat whatever comes my way.  Hours of sitting on chairs added to this and I got PCOD. 
 
Now this means I got into a spiral of constant weight gaining which I tried to crunch with a lot of various diets, and to a certain extent I managed. But when you are living alone, there can only be one focus. Weekdays that you get (most times), can only account for a few household chores, mix that with a lot of tiredness and really the weekend feels like a blink of an eye. 
 
So, in a way, working from home was a big respite because you cut down on working hours. Also, over the years I have been working on myself to set work boundaries with my team. I feel this is a game changer. It made me realise that I can do a lot of things during weekdays, I can spend time on personal care, and I still complete the tasks at work.
 
What challenges (or privileges) do women stereotypically face, based on their gender?

The ‘boy gang’ culture is prevalent in a lot of workplaces. Some roles are expected to be better performed by men, when I have met the most inspiring women in my career. All of them have been in great positions but when you step down to the floor where the work is happening, women are asked to dress up nicely for a client meeting. Honestly, I can only imagine how the lines blur further in other industries. 
 
I have had my married women friends give interviews where they are asked about their ‘future plans’, because having a baby could create a hindrance. Men don’t have similar criteria and from how aware we are as a society about sharing responsibilities at home, women are still bearing the brunt of it in some way or the other. 
 
Have you ever missed a career opportunity or promotion due to gender?
Fortunately, no. Or if I did, I have never known the reason. But I have seen a lot of opportunities being offered to men first, just because it is assumed that they can perform better. I remember I was on this call once, where there were three other men who were seniors. I had to literally shout to be heard in that conversation, and I could just feel I was not being taken seriously. 
 
Are workplaces today more sensitive to gender issues than say, a decade ago?
It has come a long way. Disparities still exist but I have seen so many inspirational women around me in leadership roles. I also feel it has a lot to do with more open platforms where women have been able to voice their problems and a lot of companies are listening. They are extending maternity leaves, working towards flexible hours and even have programmes that allow mothers on break to come back and resume with full force.
 
I have also been grateful to see a lot of inspiring families that support these women. Men who share household chores and parents who don’t pressurise women to give up their career and marry. While I may represent a certain tier of society with these examples, I hope that the effect trickles down because of the work of many others who are working towards bringing gender equality in workplaces.
 
Are there areas at work that still restrict women when it comes to leadership roles?
Like I said there have been a lot of changes made to make workplaces inclusive, we still have a long way to go. In comparison to women in leadership positions all across the world, India exhibits a low count. A lot of it has to do with managing work and home together. Especially during the pandemic, the load on women increased when they had to manage everything around with the bigger stress of how the world came to a halt.
 
Then of course the stereotypical idea of attaching certain professions to men or positions to men, which makes it extremely challenging for women to break through. This means their representation is stuck to certain job roles. This mixed with personal commitments also make women less likely to network than women, often missing doors where opportunities are being discussed. 
 
What women-related myths or taboos need to be broken?

I think to begin with, women who are assertive should not be referred to as ‘pissed’. If a man raises a voice in a room, it is considered authority, but when a woman does it, it is considered aggression. This needs to change, because it is this image that makes women think twice before getting into a healthy debate with a group of men.
 
Women are high on emotional quotient but that does not mean that they lack analytical skills or financial knowledge. Times have changed and this image of a woman who should only be called in a room if a beauty brand is discussed and should be marked out of mails because numbers are beyond her knowledge – is a big deterrent. 
 
Do you have a mentor or a role model? If yes, you may state briefly how it inspired you.
I have been fortunate enough to learn from so many amazing women in my life. They were constantly pushing me to be better and I have been inspired by each of them. I think I’d like to point out some qualities from each of them. One of them was this amazing leader who would walk in a room full of men, and I was this junior at that time just watching her give it back to each of them, unapologetically.
 
Then one of my previous mentors, who turned out to be a great friend. She was given two dogs by a friend, and this is in the middle of crazy work in one of the agencies. I didn’t see her sitting over this big problem of managing two little pups and that insane amount of work. She found her way around working with us, running home, taking care of them and again turning up to work the next day like she knows what she is doing.
 
What would be your message to the youth who are just starting their career?
I would say don’t think of an employer as someone who is doing you a favour by keeping you there. You are hired because of your skills, so trust them. I feel the traditional methods of competition in a workplace is being replaced by collaboration and with that spirit in mind, I feel the work is way more productive. 
 
This is why, while it is great to be in that corporate fast paced world, working hard, going the extra length to complete a project, networking, growing, learning and unlearning but at the end it is important to keep your heart in the right place. Being empathetic to those around you is so much more important than being authoritative. 
 
Describe yourself or your aspirations, dreams in 3 words.
Gratitude. Passionate. Kind.
 
An author and an advertiser – I have been exploring the power of writing through various mediums. I work as a Group Head with Isobar, Dentsu India and have been helping build brands with various agencies since the last 8 years. I am also the author of a children's book 'Appropriate rhymes for inappropriate times' where I have rewritten popular nursery rhymes to spread awareness against sexual exploitation in kids. For I believe, a strong foundation full of awareness can help them react appropriately in inappropriate situations. I have also been spreading awareness about corporate toxicity and the need to bring a change in the most effective manner. While my contribution to creating awareness has covered various areas of work, I have always done it through the power of words. With the motto of not letting life 'happen to you' but making conscious steps in creating the journey you wish for, I continue to help question the ills of society in whichever capacity I can.