1/ So somewhat related to last night's debate, but a broader discussion: Women do get talked over in meetings. It's common. It's easy to help stop that.

2/ My male colleagues have always been my allies. Years ago, when I was running a large project for developing a fairly complex software-driven electromechanical device (20+ engineers), we had a meeting with the Fortune 500 client. Abt 10 people in the room, I was the only woman.

3/ I was the furthest from the door, 2nd most senior in room, yet when the client walked in he looked around the room & thrust a stack of docs at me & said 'here sweetheart, we need copies of this for everyone'.

4/ What did I do? I got up to make the damn copies, because the goal wasn't to make sure I was being treated as an equal, but rather to keep the client happy. Swallowed my tongue, smiled, and walked out to make the damn copies.

5/ I'm at the copier mumbling to myself & 30 seconds later, the most senior person in the room (VP of R&D) elbowed me aside. Randel took the docs from me, said 'Get back in the room, you're needed there more than I am'.

6/ After I'd left the room, he'd fixed the problem: He said to the room 'I'll go make the copies, we need her here'.

The client was educated without being embarrassed, my position was underscored, things proceeded as they should.

7/ Now if I'd said 'How dare he ask me to make copies!!!', I know plenty of men would have said 'Oh geez, we're all asked to make copies sometimes' to invalidate the experience. I would have been 'overly sensitive, maybe that time for month or something.'

8/ But because a VP noticed it and responded, everyone took it seriously.

So in the workplace, notice if your female colleagues are being sidelined. It's really easy for you to help fix the problem without requiring them to always be the one to speak up.

9/ Side note: My son had a female mgr & he was frustrated because she was always irritated w people after meetings. I suggested to him that he just tell her that he was unaware when she was being sidelined, but that if she signaled him, he was there for her & would step in.

10/ Basically he was telling her that he was her ally. So they had a signal, there were times he saw he should step in. But another thing happened: He was able to hold an open discussion with her about her sometimes faulty perceptions because he established she could trust him.

11/ And he, of course, became more sensitive to the micro agressions that women experience every day.

Typed all this because we're all in this together. Help your female colleagues, listen to what they're telling you. You have wives, mothers, daughters ... Be that ally.

12/ Aww, one more story (because one of the people is here on twitter, a fellow Roadster owner - he might not even remember, but I do). It was very early in my career.

13/ Meeting w a hardware vendor plus me, & my two male engineering colleagues. I'd ask a question. The vendor would look at Howard or @photoSteveZ & answer. I'd patiently ask another question. Repeat.

14/ Steve finally said 'She's asking the questions, why are you looking at me? Answer HER'. (Thanks Steve. That made my day that day.)

... And that, folks, is how you let your female colleagues know you value them.