Shanoy Harris Coombs, CEO, Infinity Integrated Communications Limited
“What is one key change you believe needs to happen — whether in the workplace, community, or society —to create real progress for women, and how can you (or have you) contributed to making it happen?”
A key change that needs to happen to create real progress for women is that of empowering all categories of women to be able to share their unique perspectives.
Even within the workplace, based on where some women sit on the organisation’s hierarchy, they can feel restricted around contributing to meaningful progress. Women at all levels must genuinely feel that their ideas, emotions, and perspectives are valued and will be taken seriously in shaping and implementing policies that affect them.
I believe that everyone with a leadership role in society and the workplace can play even a small but significant step to create real progress for women, by creating space for diverse perspectives.
Externally, the work we do here at Infinity IMC includes working with clients who are constantly championing gender progress in different industries. A significant part of our role is to ensure project beneficiaries tell their own stories, free from fear, interference and staying true to their own circumstances. This often sees them expressing how they are affected by daily issues such as domestic violence, economic challenges, parenting, and more, as well as their proposed solutions.
Internally, I also work towards real progress for women through daily interactions with members of my team. Backed by training in intercultural communication and social and behaviour change, every day is seen as an opportunity for introspection and to assess the unique needs of each woman on the team. Thus, each woman – the interns, the new university graduates and the long-serving team members – can truly feel that their ideas, concepts and approaches matter.
My favourite way to start planning sessions is to remind the women on my team that they are all individual experts in their own unique ways, and should feel empowered to share ideas accordingly. This in turn helps these women to feel valued within the workplace. It is my hope that this reassurance is also being transferred into their broader lives. While real progress often takes time, it can begin with simple steps—such as being open to truly listening, understanding, appreciating, and embracing perspectives different from your own.
Meet Shanoy
Shanoy Harris Coombs is a development communications specialist and CEO for Infinity Integrated Communications Limited, where she leads significant projects that use communications for good. She has led development communication processes for projects by several international organisations over the past 18 years, often across cultures. She is also an intercultural communications and public speaking trainer and utilises knowledge of cultural differences to positively advance the communication and collaboration process.
Harris Coombs is a Chevening Scholar; Prime Minister Youth Awards nominee in the academic category; Principal scholar (UWI, Mona) and has been acknowledged under the Governor General’s Programme of Excellence for “making a lasting contribution through community service”.
