Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Ms Jennifer E Clift Of The Naval Surface Warfare Center On …

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Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Ms. Jennifer E. Clift Of The Naval Surface Warfare Center On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

From left to right, Jennifer Clift, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) Chief Technology Officer; Dale Sisson, Jr., SES, NSWCDD Technical Director; Dr. Soriano Molla, Program Director for Partnerships for Innovation at the National Science Foundation; and Karen Smith, NSWCDD Deputy Chief Technology Officer; discussed technology partnering and collaborative research opportunities during Molla’s visit to NSWCDD in May 2022.

…Accept bad news with patience and grace. In all honesty, I’m still working on being better at this one, but do recognize how important it is. Bad news does not get better with time. I’ve always encouraged my team and colleagues to share bad news as soon as possible. Avoid surprises! It is essential that your team knows they can come to you with a problem as soon as it occurs. If your response is always punitive, you will never know about problems or issues until it’s too late to help mitigate them. Earlier in my career, I had a team who had a major safety incident during a test event, which could have resulted in severe injury or even death. I did not find out about the incident until a senior executive contacted my department head (my supervisor’s boss). While it was totally unacceptable for the project lead to withhold this information, they did so to avoid my reaction. Lesson learned!

As a part of our series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Jennifer E. Clift.

Ms. Jennifer E. Clift serves as a senior scientific technical manager and Chief Technology Officer for Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. In this capacity, she is responsible for driving the advancement of the Navy’s technical capabilities through investments, partnerships, and education to foster innovation and shape the future of Naval Surface Warfare. She oversees the warfare center division’s science and technology portfolio, innovation laboratory, academic partnering, and technology transfer efforts.

Thank you so much for doing this with us Jennifer! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Well, it certainly was not a straight or easy path. I have had so many wonderful people throughout my career who encouraged me, asked me to reconsider my initial career plans, and pushed me to continue my education and pursue a career in STEM. Honestly, if it weren’t for some really great mentors, leaders, and advocates, I’m not sure I would be in the position I am in today.

After completing an undergraduate degree in business, my supervisor encouraged me to go back to school to pursue education in STEM. He saw something in me that I did not see in myself at the time. I’m so glad that I listened to him! I spent two more years serving as his secretary while I went back to school. At the end of the two years, I was promoted to a Navy scientist. Several years later, I continued my education, completing two graduate degrees and I am currently pursuing a doctorate in engineering at George Washington University. This was all thanks to someone taking the time to encourage me to reach my full potential.

I’m so grateful for the opportunities that I have had; and that I was willing to go back to school and put in the work because someone saw that I had what it takes to be a technical leader. I hope that I can have that same impact on others.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at the Navy?

Honestly, one of the more interesting stories that has happened to me since I began a career with the Navy is that I started out as a GS-5 secretary. Through graduate STEM education and a lot of hard work, I’m now the Chief Technology Officer for the largest Naval Surface Warfare Center in the Navy. I have one of the very best jobs at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, and am thankful for it every day!

If that does not show everyone that the sky is the limit if you are willing to put in the work, I don’t know what does!

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I have made a lot mistakes throughout my career. This one does not really qualify as funny, but it is a mistake that I still think about, and definitely learned from. This particular mistake dealt with me being really out of touch with a senior leader’s perspectives and not listening or communicating very well. I was interested in a position at another Command, and was told by a colleague that the senior military officer in charge was very interested in meeting with me and that the job (what I thought was a temporary one-year detail) was mine if I accepted it. I inaccurately assumed that the meeting was just a formality, and that the military officer had already been told about some of the “conditions” I had for the detail, like my start date and the length of the assignment. By the time I finally realized that 1.) The position was “not mine”, 2.) He knew nothing about me other than seeing my resume, and 3.) He did not consider the position temporary, nor did he have any experience with the concept of temporary details; I knew I had made one of the worst first impressions in my entire life.

I came off as very self-centered as I explained when I was able to start (several months away) and when I needed to return to my home position. I explained family needs and schedules I needed to adhere to, to a senior military officer who regularly had to spend time away from his family! He finally stopped me and said “let me give you some advice….” and really put me in my place. It was a painful lesson, but one that I learned a lot from. Once I was able to explain what I thought I was applying for and what I thought he had been told, as well as provided some information on temporary assignments, we both realized where the miscommunication had occurred. We both apologized for the misunderstanding. He even followed up with a really nice email. But — I did not get the position. It was a difficult, but very valuable lesson.

What do you think makes the US Navy stand out? Can you share a story?

The United States Navy is the most powerful and capable Navy in the entire world, and it protects and preserves our freedom every day. I am incredibly proud to work for the Navy. Over the last 27 years, I have had the opportunity to work on ships, conduct testing of Navy systems before they are deployed, oversee the development of critical defense systems, and work alongside some amazing men and women in uniform to ensure that the operational environments and scenarios they experience, are fully considered as systems are being designed and developed for them. Some of my fondest memories involve supporting Navy Special Forces. We conducted rapid prototyping to provide tactical hardware solutions for them to test and evaluate in relevant scenarios, and then received word that the technologies our team designed were just what they needed. There is nothing better than knowing that your efforts are making a difference, and that you are helping protect the great men and women who put themselves in harm’s way for us every day. We should all be incredibly grateful for all servicemen and servicewomen!

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

I’m blessed to be working in some really exciting technology areas and with some exceptional people! I get to work alongside some of the brightest, nationally recognized scientists and engineers in the Department of Defense, and from universities such as Virginia Tech and Carnegie Mellon University in areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning. The research and new discoveries being made in this area will have a significant and positive impact on future naval capabilities.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?

I’m not exactly sure what the status quo is for women in STEM. I think more young women need to pursue STEM education and STEM careers. I believe we have the exact same opportunities as our male counterparts, but there seems to be fewer of us pursuing education in these STEM disciplines.

My advice would be to encourage little girls and young women to pursue STEM. As female leaders, I also think we have to do more STEM outreach and provide the type of encouragement and support my supervisors have provided to me throughout my career. I think young girls need to see female scientists and engineers in their classrooms, serving as examples of what they can achieve through hard work and education. Sometimes you just have to let someone know that you have confidence in them and want to see them push themselves, and be successful. Most will put in the hard work and are up for the challenge if they know that you believe in them.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM or Tech that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?

Honestly, I think it’s a lack of confidence. I was once asked by a Senior Executive to consider applying for an executive leadership position. My first response to him was that I was not sure that I was qualified or ready for the position, with a long list of reasons why. His response to me was that he only hears this from women, and that my male counterparts, some with less experience, always step up to the challenge and never say they lack the skills or qualifications for that next promotion.

I’m not really sure how to address this. I was never told that I was not good enough or smart enough to accomplish whatever I set my mind to. So, I’m not sure why I lack confidence in certain situations, or question my abilities. Perhaps the best way to address it, is to call attention to it when we see it happening. The Senior Executive asking me to consider the leadership position did not have to share his observations on the differences in male and female responses to these opportunities. He did not have to tell me that I was absolutely qualified for the position and continue to encourage me to apply. He could have accepted my response and pursued someone else with more confidence and assertiveness. I’m blessed that another great leader was put in my path and continued to coach and mentor me.

Today, every time I am presented with a new challenge or opportunity, I go back to that conversation. Instead of contemplating the reasons I’m not ready, I first start with the reasons that I am. Since we are always growing and improving, we need to realize that we will grow into the areas we may be lacking. We also need to remember that we have a ton of support around us that will help us succeed. We just need to step up to the plate and give it our best swing!

What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

  1. Be consistent and predictable. If you aren’t consistent and predictable, it will be incredibly difficult for people to work with you. I once worked for someone who did not possess these traits. To compensate, I spent way too much time preparing for what should have been easy updates or conversations because I was concerned about what the response to a particular topic would be. Direction seemed to change too frequently and it was difficult to know whether I was meeting objectives or not. Even if your team knows that your position or response will be unfavorable, at least they aren’t guessing when they walk in your office to deliver the news.
  2. Reward hard work. You have to show your team you appreciate their hard work and dedication to the organization. I have very high expectations for my team, but do take every opportunity to promote and reward those who meet expectations, and especially those who go above and beyond. Take time to recognize deserving people with awards, promotions, and bonuses whenever you can. Always have the team’s back. If something goes wrong, the leader takes the responsibility and blame. Also, make sure you are working as hard, if not harder, than your team. If you have high expectations and expect your team to go the extra mile, you need to show them that you are running alongside of them and willing to help carry the load. I’m usually the first one in and the last one out. You must show your team that you are committed to the organization.
  3. Trust, but verify. This is very important. I have learned this the hard way a few times. Trust, but verify does not mean that you have to micro-manage a task. It does mean that you have to verify that the objectives are being met. Routine updates and checks to verify progress are critical. I have had a few unfortunate occasions where I trusted a lot more than I verified, and was disappointed to find that the job was not getting done.
  4. Accept bad news with patience and grace. In all honesty, I’m still working on being better at this one, but do recognize how important it is. Bad news does not get better with time. I’ve always encouraged my team and colleagues to share bad news as soon as possible. Avoid surprises! It is essential that your team knows they can come to you with a problem as soon as it occurs. If your response is always punitive, you will never know about problems or issues until it’s too late to help mitigate them. Earlier in my career, I had a team who had a major safety incident during a test event, which could have resulted in severe injury or even death. I did not find out about the incident until a senior executive contacted my department head (my supervisor’s boss). While it was totally unacceptable for the project lead to withhold this information, they did so to avoid my reaction. Lesson learned!
  5. Always do what you say you are going to do. If I say I’m going to do something, it is going be done. You will lose credibility and respect with your team if you don’t follow through on promises. If you do fail to carry out a commitment, be sure to recognize your lack of follow-through, and circle back with your team to apologize or explain.

What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team and have that team thrive?

It is okay to have high expectations, and it’s really important to reward those members of your team who meet or exceed those expectations. It’s also important to hold people accountable.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?

I have been blessed with so many wonderful mentors, advocates, coaches, and supervisors. However, the person I owe the greatest thanks to, is Mr. Dale Galyen. He was one of the very best leaders I have ever worked for, and I credit him with where I am today. I was Dale’s secretary for three years, and he is the reason I pursued a career in STEM. He is the one who convinced me to go back to school. He was willing to promote me to a business-related position once I finished my undergraduate degree, but asked me to consider pursuing a career in STEM instead. It would mean that I would spend another two years in school, and another two as his secretary. I trusted his judgment and advice, and knew that if I did the work, he would help me reach my goals. No one has ever provided so much encouragement, and so much support to me professionally. He made me feel like I could do anything and gave me the push, the tools, and support that I needed to get there. I am so blessed and honored to have worked for him.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I’m proud of the work we are doing in the areas of STEM outreach at the K-12 and university levels. We recently partnered with the University of Mary Washington to host a robotics innovation challenge for nearly 100 high school students across our region. We are actively establishing new STEM programs, enhanced curriculum, and technology labs to support our teachers, students, and surrounding communities, and to inspire today’s youth to pursue education and careers in STEM.

We are also working with the University of the District of Columbia to host similar programs and events in the Washington, D.C. area. I am confident that Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and our university partners are making positive contributions to STEM education that will have a lasting impact on our community and our nation’s future technical leaders!

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

It aligns with our efforts in STEM. We MUST make sure more kids have access to technology and STEM education. We also need to do a lot more to support our teachers. Our current plan is to partner extensively with our community leaders, local governments, colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, industry partners, and other DoD teammates to tackle STEM outreach and education together. This includes innovation challenges, STEM equipment donations, teacher workshops, camps, and support in the classroom. While our individual efforts have been great, I have to believe that together we will make a much stronger impact. Let’s all work together, pool our resources, and make a lasting impact!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” — General Colin Powell

I think this quote needs to be on every wall of every classroom. It needs to be in our colleges, universities, and in our homes and offices. There is far too much entitlement in the world today. If you want something, you have to work for it! I think the harder you work to achieve something, the more you appreciate it. We also can’t forget the servicemen and service women who fight for our freedoms, so we have the opportunity to turn our dreams into reality. That should make us all want to work that much harder.

We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

Dr. Condoleezza Rice. I was always so impressed by the way she communicated her position and the confidence she exuded. The way that she remained so calm and collected in tense situations is something I wish I could emulate. She is a true leader that we could all learn from!

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.


Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Ms Jennifer E Clift Of The Naval Surface Warfare Center On … was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.