To meme at work or not to meme at work, that is the question.
Memes are a big part of our digital culture. They are an online extension of ourselves and play a key role in our social expression. They also make it pretty easy to fall into Internet wormholes that have the power to make domestic cats famous (RIP Grumpy Cat) and our coworkers chuckle.
Sure, memes are meant to be funny, but they can also provide a simplistic, visual approach to important human rights issues in the most highly shareable format possible (did someone say viral?!). It also goes without saying that there are plenty of memes out there that don't show women in the most positive light.
So how can we make sure those fun feminist memes we love and find ourselves thumbing through are the ones going viral and those not so fun memes stay hidden from the interweb altogether?
Tiffany Shlain, cofounder of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and founder of the Webby Awards, practices something called "Growing Up the Internet" - redesigning how we receive and share our internet findings.
Her main tip? Saturate your feed with content that empowers and inspires you each and every day - block the ones that don't. Hashtags like #EmpowerWomen, #GenderGap, #WomenInTech are great starts. Our personal "meme time" on the internet can also be full of positive images.
Check out some of our team's favorite feminist memes to keep you motivated - & LOLing - at work.
Let us know what memes inspire you and make you your most productive self at work.
Tweet us your favorites @powertofly and we'll add them to the list!
Meme-ology:
As we work to break the gender gap together, women in biz/STEM gotta stick together.
PowerToFly Hot Tip:
Get inspired on how to support your fellow female colleague by listening to the Confessions of Successful Asian Women podcast.
Meme-ology:
EQUALITY over everything.
PowerToFly Hot Tip:
If you want your company to reap the benefits of diversity, then you need to breakdown implicit bias and stereotypes, not reinforce them. Revisit our "Gender neutral language in the workplace" post for more.
Meme-ology:
We are diverse women. Embrace your uniqueness in the workplace so that you can take innovation to the next level.
PowerToFly Hot Tip:
You don't need to hide who you are at work! Watch Michele Cantos, Director of Fullstack Academy's Grace Hopper Program, explain how you can be your authentic self at work and leverage your unique background and experiences.
Meme-ology:
Self-confidence is key - if you believe in yourself, anything is possible!
PowerToFly Hot Tip:
Check out this provocative self-help book on our 2019 summer reading list to develop more self-confidence in your professional and personal life.
Meme-ology:
Self-love, self-care, and body hair. Embrace yourself. You are enough.
Ready to change your mindset? It's easier said than done, but our own Diversity & Inclusion Consultant Jamie Lipiner knows a thing or two about self-love! Check out her tips here.
Meme-ology:
Find your professional peers and embrace the sense of community that comes with it. There are people out there who are willing and want to support you!
If you are making a pivot in your career and need some guidance, this chat and learn is sure to help you embrace your strengths and weaknesses to "Repurpose Your Purpose!
Meme-ology:
Real talk.
PowerToFly Hot Tip:
It's not easy working two full-time jobs, but having an employer who supports you and your family can make a big difference. Check out these 15 Companies With Childcare Benefits hiring now.
Meme-ology:
Taking on inclusion means focusing on building meaningful relationships. When it comes to marketing, there are companies who value transparency, open-mindedness, and authentic outreach. The trick is filtering through the content that arrives at your fingertips to see if your best interests are being served, or if it's a tacky attempt to win you over - LGBTQ+ community or otherwise.
PTF Hot Tip:
Finding ways to include diverse and underrepresented voices is important to us at PowerToFly. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by coworkers who either identify with the LGBTQ+ community or don't, yet still value our voices and community engagement processes.
Unfortunately, there are companies who lack that authentic perspective but may just as well be curious as to how to reach the LGBTQ+ market. Check out this book by LGBTQ+ business strategist Jenn T Grace to help navigate this highly nuanced demographic – sensitively and profitably. Grace shares stories that illustrate the do's and don'ts of doing business with the LGBTQ community.
Meme-ology:
Feminism (n): the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.
PTF Hot Tip:
The literal definition of feminism is EQUALITY of the sexes. Just because I advocate for my fellow female colleagues at work doesn't mean I hate men, in fact, studies show that diverse teams perform better - not just female teams.
Meme-ology:
Stereotyping is not cool. If you're curious to learn more about your teammates, ask HR for some employee engagement team building activities to break the ice and understand each other better.
PTF Hot Tip:
Listen to the Creating Espacios podcast on our list of recommended podcasts. You'll find an episode with Nathalie Huerta explaining how vulnerability, community building, and Google helped her build The Perfect Sidekick Gym, the first queer gym in the nation. "Nathalie works tirelessly to create safe spaces for those in the LGBT community in a life-changing way." -Creating Espacios
Meme-ology:
Not every leader develops overnight - and not every woman wants to lead.
PTF Hot Tip:
Sure, we're living in a day and age where the call for female leaders and role models is louder than ever, but not every woman wants to be a leader - and that's ok! If you're in a leadership position now, check in on the women below you, ask them if they need some help, and what their career goals are. If they are interested in leadership - awesome! Have them check out this video and support them along their way. If they aren't interested, that's ok too. They still need the support and advocacy of other leaders to propel them into the best individual contributors they can be!
Meme-ology:
Teamwork makes the dream work!
PTF Hot Tip:
We recognize the importance of inclusion in the workplace. As the LGBTQ+ community fights for equality and inclusion at work (for trans employees to be able to use the bathroom, for example), officials like presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand are working hard to protect this girl's trans mom, and the LGBTQ+ community in general.
Meme-ology:
"Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There's no how-to road map to style. It's about self expression and, above all, attitude." —Iris Apfel, businesswoman and fashion icon.
PTF Hot Tip:
Are you looking to build a workplace culture with a certain buzz about it? Where employees are thriving and engagement survey scores are through the roof. Where people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities are hired and set up for success—and they all want their friends to work there too, because it's so awesome.
One secret to creating this kind of workplace is allyship. And it's something anyone can do! Check out our recent Chat & Learn with Author of Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces, Karen Catlin. She'll help guide you to make your workplace more inclusive!
Meme-ology:
I've always just accepted that the universal 'woman' sign depicts a 'woman in a dress'... but why?
PTF Hot Tip:
I don't need to remind you that unconscious bias is a real thing… but it exists, and you have one whether you mean to or not (ask your colleague to draw a female stick figure - I bet I can guess what they'll draw). If your company doesn't offer training that allows you to check-in on this bias, take it upon yourself to do it on your own and encourage your colleagues to join in.
Meme-ology:
Stop saying "I'm sorry" at work.
PTF Hot Tip:
This is a tough one, but it's something we really push ourselves to do at PowerToFly - cut "I'm Sorry" from your vocabulary. You shouldn't apologize for your passion, emotions or human behavior at work. If you don't understand what's being asked, ask. If something wasn't successful, find out how you can do it better next time. Stop apologizing.
Meme-ology:
Work-life balance, people!
PTF Hot Tip:
There is only so much time in a day, and only so many days in your life. That email that you forgot to send today most likely isn't going to solve world peace, and can absolutely be handled tomorrow. Need a little help putting things into perspective? Watch this Chat with Amy Adams about practicing gratitude - I promise you'll be feeling better in no time.
