The SOapBox Series | Season 1 Special Episode: International Women's Day

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In honor of International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, SOapbox Series host Mindy Prefling sat down with Lars Gloessner, Associate Director, Energy & Infrastructure Recruitment at Spencer Ogden, to answer exactly this question.

It’s a short yet impactful episode, with Mindy and Lars discussing what it means to be an ally, how this manifests itself in the workplace, and how men can be better supporters of women both within and outside of the professional space.

This timely discussion highlights the importance of prioritizing women’s rights throughout the year and inspires listeners to put talk into action.

What does being an ally mean to you?

[Timestamp: 01:46 - 03:07]

Lars: Being an ally is a couple of things. One, and I think that's where it starts for me, is to be able and willing to listen and be able to listen to other voices and give them the room to speak and express themselves. The second point for me is to be supportive and encouraging of women in the workplace and in the environment that I work and live in. The next point for me is to be a promoter, a sponsor, and champion of women in the workplace - not always in an obvious and loud way, but sometimes in a subtle and supporting and encouraging way. Then last but not least, is to be a mentor and be a connection and a sounding board for women in the organization. To offer them support, advice and be there for them to help them with their development, their career and move forward in the organization

Why is it important to be an ally to women at work?

[Timestamp: 03:30 - 04:11]

Lars: We want to have a more equal and more even workplace where management teams aren't just all male, our team leaders and managers aren’t all male, where we have an equal balance between women and men in the organization. There’s a lot of value to having different opinions, having different viewpoints and having multiple profiles as part of a leadership team and the company in general. These are all of the things I think that are important for me when it when it comes to being an ally to women in the organization.