Banter Bites

Celebrate Today. Change Tomorrow.

Sounds like a vicious circle – how do you get more women into decision-making and leadership positions if they're not already in decision-making and leadership positions?

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Don't get us wrong, it's great that there's an International Women's Day, and we love this year's theme of "Women in Leadership."

But think about it. Is there an International Men's Day? And a theme of "Men in Leadership" would be redundant as most people in leadership and decision-making roles are already men. Although, it might make for an interesting Saturday Night Live skit.

But, when you look back over the last year, in our war against COVID-19, you'll see example after example of women in critical roles at the front lines but not as many women in leadership or policy-making roles as you'd hope and expect. So, we both think the International Women's Day 2021 theme – "Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world" seems appropriate, although we wish it weren't necessary (for an assortment of obvious reasons). As Black explained to Red,

Going back decades, to my days in the male-dominated oil and gas industry, I have seen first-hand the social and systemic barriers to women in leadership roles, policy-making positions, and even in the decision-making process. But fast-forward to today. We should be past that. Especially when you realize the magnitude of the contributions made by women to help fight – and recover from – the pandemic.

Red couldn't agree more, but then reminded her sister that at the same time women have been contributing so much, they've also been facing more than their fair share of burdens … made worse (sometimes to the extent of being life-threatening) because of COVID-19. Not only (unpaid) caretaking, unemployment, and poverty, but also increased domestic violence and mental health issues.

In writing this post, we both realized …

International Women's Day belongs to us all. And what could be a better way to make a positive difference and honor the theme of "Women In Leadership" than a personal pledge by every woman, of all ages, to be a leader in their daily lives and help other women? Whether in the workplace or at home. Whether our daughters (and nieces), our mothers, our sisters, our friends, our co-workers, or even strangers in our community?

“A Dictator & His Mistress” might have been a catchier title, but that doesn’t change the fact that the combination of history and food makes this one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites. While Black loves the leadership lessons (from a dictator?!). Curious? If so, read on …

Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.

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Today’s technology may be very different from when we first ran this four years ago, but it makes  communication skills even more critical, and Effective Communications Month is the perfect time to acknowledge it’s a superpower …

Talking isn't the same as communicating. And hearing isn't the same as listening. Think about it.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Being an effective communicator, whether in our personal lives or at work, is a critical skill but one-size-doesn't-fit-all as we each use very different methods and styles … ranging from lots of words and talking stuffed animals (Red) to bullet points and racing flags (Black).

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What better way to celebrate May Day than bringing back one of Black’s favorite posts? A little history (for Red), mixed with fertility and workers’ rights (no, we’re not kidding), and a reminder that sometimes "pole dancing" doesn’t only happen in clubs …

If you’ve never thought about May Day, don’t worry, most of us haven’t.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red appreciates that some holidays have historical significance, some have ancient traditions, and some are opportunities for one of Black’s unexpected, but often amusing and clever, comments, but May Day checks all those boxes.

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