WSC Kickoff

<write/speak/code>Kickoff Meeting - 2/11/15

While You’re Waiting…

• Fill out your name tag In 2015, I hope to…

• Write down five accomplishments (we’ll use these later)

• Add your Twitter handle to bit.ly/wsc-handles

Overview

• 6:30pm Introduction by W/S/C Founder, Rebecca Miller-Webster

• 6:45pm Impostor Syndrome Presentation

• 7:30pm Expertise Presentation

• 8:00pm Write, Speak, Code Discussion

• 8:45pm Closings

Visit bit.ly/wsc-handout for our agenda and slides

Why <write/speak/code> ?

http://bit.ly/wsc-video

Technical Conferences

http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Percentage_of_women_speakers_at_technical_conferences

Average: ~10%

Impostor Syndrome

Have you ever thought…

“Oh crap! !

Everyone is going to realize I have no idea what I’m doing."

Described Accomplishments Using…

• “just”

• “only”

• “well…”

• “good timing”

• “luck”

What is Impostor Syndrome?

• Inability to internalize accomplishments

• Feeling of “I shouldn’t be here”

• Convinced you are a fraud

• Dismiss successes

Think of a self-deprecating thought you’ve had.

Women attribute:

Diversity at work: Research issues in vocational development. Fassinger, 2001.

Success External Factors: Luck, Help, Task difficulty

Failure Themselves: Ability, Effort

Stereotype Threat

Being at risk of confirming, as a self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's social group

(Steele & Aronson, 1995)

Girls and Math• Group A: Girl watching a boy

do math

• Group B: Boy watching a girl do math

• Girls in A added numbers more slowly and with less accuracy than B.

• No affect on the boys scores

What do we do about it?

I’ve realized almost everyone is a fraud, so I try

not to feel bad about it.

!

Tina Fey

Look at the data

• Positive feedback

• Measurable Progress

• Accomplishments

Language

• “Just, only, well…”

• “Sorry…”

• “I’m not sure about this, but…”

Amy CuddyYour Body Language Shapes Who You Are

https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are

Body Language• Smiling

• Power poses

Thank You Exercise• Find a partner

• Describe one of your accomplishments

• Partner compliments you

• Receive compliment with a simple “Thank you”

• Switch and repeat

• Repeat again (try it with more accomplishments)

Expertise

What does it mean to be an expert?

What do you know?

• languages (HTML, Java, etc.)

• frameworks (Django, CakePHP)

• tools (make, rake, Wordpress)

• documentation, testing, project management

What have you done?

• jobs

• internships, volunteer positions, organizations

• education

• projects (work or personal)

On Thought Leadership

• teaching

• sharing

• narrating history

• modeling behaviors / social responsibility

What knowledge can you share?

Pick an M&M

• Red: A bug you solved recently

• Yellow: Bad advice for beginners

• Orange: A project you’ve worked on

• Blue: Your goal for 2015

• Green: Favorite tool/technique/module/etc.

• Brown: Something you could teach

Answer the question corresponding to your color:

Brainstorming

!Pink: Things you’d like to accomplish related to Write, Speak or Code !Yellow: Things that impede you !Blue: Things that could help you

Grab some Post-its!

When you’re done, stick them to the whiteboard

Future Meetups

Agenda

• 6:00pm - Food and Networking

• 6:15pm - Intros and Lightning Talks

• 6:45pm - Presentation, if applicable

• 7:30pm - Small Group Sessions / Workshops

• 8:45pm - Closing

Rotate each month between Write, Speak, and Code

• Topic generation and feedback

• One on One draft reviews

• Small Group draft reviews

• Crafting a compelling bio

• Guest speakers:

• Researching topics

• Getting published / promoting posts

March, June, September, December

Write

• Lightning Talks

• Present in front of a small group, get feedback

• Head Shots

• Guest speakers:

• Writing a CFP

• Finding the right conference

• Storytelling / Improv

• CFP Selection Panel

April, July, October

Speak

• Break into groups by language / project

• Get set up on an Open Source project

• Guest Speakers:

• Facilitated bug bash

May, August, November

Code

Want to get more involved?• Co-organize

• Speak

• Host

• Sponsor

• Join our Google Group: bit.ly/wsc-group

• Attend Write/Speak/Code ConferenceMarch 19-21, NYC