DEI Archives - Alana M. Hill, PMP - The Ms. Engineer Way

From Inner Critic to Inner Coach: Reframing the Voice Within
From Inner Critic to Inner Coach: Reframing the Voice Within

From Inner Critic to Inner Coach: Reframing the Voice Within

We all carry a voice within us — that persistent inner monologue that often tells us we're not good enough, smart enough, or talented enough to pursue what we truly desire. For many of us, especially women navigating leadership, entrepreneurship, and personal growth, this "inner critic" can be the loudest voice in the room. But what if I told you that this inner critic could also be your inner coach? What if, instead of silencing it or letting it hold [...]

By Alana Hill|2025-03-13T15:47:10-05:00March 13th, 2025|DEI, Healing, Leading, Lifting|0 Comments

The Door of No Return: Honoring Those Who Couldn’t Contribute
The Door of No Return: Honoring Those Who Couldn’t Contribute

The Door of No Return: Honoring Those Who Couldn’t Contribute

Last summer, during my trip to Ghana, I had the solemn privilege of visiting Cape Coast Castle—one of the many sites that served as a final holding place for enslaved Africans before their forced journey across the Atlantic. Within its walls lies the Door of No Return, a small, narrow passage through which countless men, women, and children were taken—forever severed from their homeland, their culture, and the futures they might have built. Walking through that space was an overwhelming [...]

By Alana Hill|2025-02-27T09:49:16-06:00February 26th, 2025|DEI|0 Comments

The Tale of Three Interns
The Tale of Three Interns

The Tale of Three Interns

When I was a project manager leading global change initiatives, I had the opportunity to mentor interns and add them to my team. My first intern, we’ll call him LM, performed well, exceeded my expectations, and presenting his work to executives at the end of the summer. This young student from an HBCU showed everyone what young Black engineers were capable of (I didn’t need convincing, but I knew my peers did). The next summer, I had another Black engineering [...]

By Alana Hill|2025-02-05T13:56:49-06:00January 30th, 2025|DEI|0 Comments

Want to be an ally? Just ask!
Want to be an ally? Just ask!

Want to be an ally? Just ask!

Fear stands in the way of well intentioned people when it comes to allyship in the workplace. Many senior managers and executives are wary of doing and saying the wrong thing. So they stay quiet. High profile missteps and misfires have contributed to a miscalibration in how allyship efforts are perceived. It doesn’t have to be this way. New research has found that advantaged groups greatly underestimate the positive effects of allyship in the workplace. On average, attempts at allyship [...]

By Alana Hill|2024-06-23T05:39:56-05:00June 23rd, 2024|DEI, Leading|0 Comments

The DEI burden problem – and how to fix it
The DEI burden problem – and how to fix it

The DEI burden problem – and how to fix it

There’s an ongoing and overwhelming burden on black people to drive DEI efforts in organizations. This is part of the problem – not the solution. […]

By Alana Hill|2023-08-01T09:18:18-05:00March 14th, 2023|DEI, Leading|0 Comments

Can there be equity without empathy?
Can there be equity without empathy?

Can there be equity without empathy?

As Black History Month comes to an end, I wanted to share an important resource for advancing equity and anti-racism in organizations. The Conversation, by social psychologist Dr Robert Livingston, is a guide to jump-starting dialogue on racism and bias, and to ultimately transform well-intentioned statements on diversity into concrete actions. In his book, which is based on decades of research and lived experiences, Dr Livingston advocates for a powerful combination of facts and feelings (empathy) based on the three [...]

By Alana Hill|2023-08-01T09:18:19-05:00February 21st, 2023|DEI, Leading|0 Comments