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Have you observed a glass ceiling in the independent telecommunications industry?
Does your telco work to promote women into the corporate ranks?
If so, how?
What advice would you offer for women who want to aim for top positions in the independent telephone business?
Emma Nutt was the first woman telephone operator. When she applied for her job in 1878, only men were deemed capable of handling the incredible new telephone technology. Ma Bell dared to hire her, and after 33 years of service, she retired at the esteemed rank of chief operator.
Certainly things have changed since Ms. Nutt's day. But while women today occupy all types of positions in the telecommunications field, they've yet to break into the top ranks in significant numbers.
If you look at the NTCA membership, about 8 percent of NTCA's telephone company members have women managers. Women are in a clear minority. Why are more women not filling the most senior level positions? Is there a glass ceiling in the independent telecommunications industry?
We thought we'd find out by asking the general managers of five NTCA members:
Shirley Manning Lincolnville Telephone Company (Lincolnville Center, ME)
The glass ceiling never has been an issue with me, maybe because it has never been in my way. The fact that I am a woman has not held me back in this industry. I was president of both the Telephone Association of New England and Telephone Association of Maine. I've chaired all kinds of committees, and I'm on the NTCA Industry Committee. Often, when I go to a meeting, I'm the only woman there. But I've never encountered a glass ceiling, and I don't see that as an obstacle. I have heard stories from other females in the industry -- mostly in larger companies - that have run into the glass ceiling. Most said that they were having trouble getting promoted beyond a certain level - and that level was not top dog.
We do work to promote women into the corporate ranks. But if a person is qualified, it wouldn't make a difference to me whether that person was female...