GenderSmart Solutions » Recruiting & Retaining Women

Challenges for Women in Leadership

Jsanders — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:23:17 +0000

Tina Vasquez for The Glass Hammer writes about the “Double Bind” for women…they are viewed by male leaders as either not tough enough, or, if they adopt masculine the characteristic of aggressiveness, then they are inappropriate. A study Tina discusses confirms my position in my article of several years ago..The Double-Edged Sword.”

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Assertiveness and Paychecks

Jsanders — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:55:19 +0000

The Glass Hammer has yet another great article, reviewing and commenting on a study comparing men’s and women’s “agreeableness” and how that affects their pay levels. Agreeableness in this context really means negotiating skills. Definitely worth reading!

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Leadership – What Men Can Learn From Women

Jsanders — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:30:26 +0000

The Washington Post discusses studies from several universities that clearly indicate women more naturally foster collaboration, openness, inclusiveness and respect. These qualities have been identified as necessary for leadership success in the 21st century. As Carol Kinsey Goman writes, “Any leader can do that.Female leaders just already do it more naturally.”

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Eye-Opening Study on Women’s Leadership Obstacles

Jsanders — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:56:16 +0000

The Glass Hammer reports: A new study by McKinsey has shattered the notion that women aren’t rising to the top in significant numbers because they don’t want to be leaders.

In fact, the report showed, women in middle management very much want to reach senior executive levels – even moreso than women in entry level corporate jobs. The study, “Unlocking the full potential of Women in the US Economy” showed that while 79% of women in entry level roles agreed or strongly agreed that they “desire[d] to move to the next level,” 83% of women in the middle management said the same.

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Coaching Helps Women Reach Executive Level

Jsanders — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:45:12 +0000

Joann Lublin in today’s WSJ writes that “Inadequate career development has kept women from reaching the top ranks of the corporate ladder, according to a report set to be released Tuesday by management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.”

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10 Steps to Help Ensure Gender Equality

Jsanders — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:51:53 +0000

Financial News reports: “It’s not just about having a balance of strong voices at the top level; women should be fairly represented throughout a company.” Here’s 10 things the authors suggest to help achieve this worthy goal:

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5 Ways to Keep Women’s Initiatives On Track

Jsanders — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:26:12 +0000

The Glass Hammer writes “It’s no surprise that throughout the economic downturn, companies’ resources have become scarce, and issues of diversity and gender inclusion tend to take a backseat to shrinking profit margins. Despite these ever-increasing challenges, some businesses and organizations have managed to navigate these and other distractions. Keeping their women’s initiative at the forefront of their business growth and on the road to success, they share some of their insight through these 5 tips.”

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Women Advisors Big Part of Future

Jsanders — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:24:52 +0000

The good news is that the future of women in the investment advisor industry is strong. Women live longer than men and they handle more of the money. The next step is to ensure all firms hire women and create a pipeline for young women to enter the industry, through internships and mentoring programs.

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Ways to Increase Women’s Power

Jsanders — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:42:03 +0000

“Women often try to fulfill what they believe is society’s version of an acceptable type of power for women, which is much nicer, much more accommodating. This leads to what Catalyst calls “The Goldilocks Syndrome.” Women find themselves in situations where they are perceived as either “too hard” or “too soft,” but never just right for that top job.” says Henna Inam for The Glass Hammer.

Why Women Make Good Leaders

Jsanders — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:54:22 +0000

Research conducted by McKinsey found that women apply several positive leadership behaviors more often than their male counterparts. Developing people is consistent with helping others achieve their full potential in life. It’s part of nurturing.

Employer Attitudes Changing About Working Moms

Jsanders — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:17:26 +0000

Attitudes have changed toward mothers who do go back to work after having children, said Laurel Ann Jones, a licensed clinical social worker at Psych’d On Main, 951 Main St. in Grand Junction. Jones, who primarily sees working women, said she hears few complaints anymore by working mothers about employers concerned about missed work time.

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Women Need Sponsors and Mentors

Jsanders — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:09:58 +0000

Research by Catalyst discovered that while women have mentors, men more often have the higher-level sponsors who champion them. Mentoring, or having someone who offers career guidance and advice, is not as effective as is sponsorship — when someone at a high level with clout advocates for your advancement.

Women – A Huge Business Opportunity

Jsanders — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:06:05 +0000

companies and governments can ill-afford to ignore a woman’s needs when it comes to balancing her work and home life. With 60% of the university graduates in the United States and European Union being women (with many other parts of the world following suit), women are an important resource. In order to tap into their potential, governments and companies have to think of ways to facilitate having a family and working at the same time.

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Women Execs Twice As Likely to Leave Jobs

Jsanders — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 14:11:53 +0000

Oregon State research shows that there is no one reason why women executives are twice as likely to leave their jobs just before reaching the top, but we do know for certain that a woman’s traditional role as primary caretaker still plays a major part.

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Companies Lack Women Leader Development

Jsanders — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:15:01 +0000

Despite organizations’ efforts to achieve a diverse workforce, the majority (70 percent) do not have a clearly defined strategy or philosophy for the development of women into leadership roles, according to the new Women’s Leadership Development Survey conducted by Mercer in conjunction with Talent Management and Diversity Management magazines.

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