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Headlines the past few weeks have been-almost ad nauseum-about boardroom quotas. You would have to be living under a rock in the middle of the forest not to notice the lack of women in boardrooms and executive positions. Germany, Hong Kong and the United States are all in the same spot – hovering around 8-12% representation of women on boards. No country is exempt except Norway.
Pundits have provided reasons and catch-all titles for the disparity; a glass ceiling/sticky floor, organizational cultures, Off-On ramps, and the hard driving, male dominated work environment. All make sense, some are right, others questionable, a few are predictable, and the same story and same reasons have been around for decades.
Despite greater awareness, research, and policies, little has changed, and according Facebooks’s COO, Sheryl Sanderberg, the numbers are on a downward trend.
The visible lack of diversity is fuelling the quota debates- but why do we keep looking in the same places, examine the same things, only to return lukewarm solutions?
Fact: women are the majority of the workforce, overtaking men in university, and a sizeable percentage of middle management. Moving past management, the numbers drop off dramatically – in some organizations the drop off is steep- from 30 to 3%. Looking at the numbers, it’s time to broaden our scope of inquiry on boardroom quotas. It is nearly impossible to achieve board targets for women if their representation dissipates beyond middle management.
Look under the well worn corporate carpets for answers, and also ask the few women lingering on the fringes. Last year, I did just that and discovered two [seemingly] unrelated forces colliding that sheds light on the prevailing discussions.
What are these forces? One is Organizational change and the other is Mid-way career cycle. When the two meet head on, women (more than men), reflect, review and reconsider career choices.
To better understand the duality and dynamic, we need to review Jungian psychology. Jung viewed life in two halves. The first half focuses on finding a place in the external world and in the second looks inward to find self.
We have all heard the jokes about a mid-life crisis. The stereotype for men is the new sports car, leather jacket, gelled hair, or new paramour-or all. For women, midlife is internal struggles, questioning life and purpose. While midlife and mid career discussions occur at the same for men and women, the impact is shown and acted on very differently.
An organizational change on top of midlife creates introspection and evaluation of choices – to stay or leave. During such uncertainty, employees cope with upheaval, power shifts, and turf battles. These power struggles go well beyond turf, and include choosing sides, loyalty, new and old teams, location, and gossip borne of the unknown. That ‘perfect storm’ where bias and nepotism triumph rational thinking.
Small wonder that often the best and the brightest are the first to exit during change – of course, organizations can dig deep into their pockets and provide long term financial incentives to stay.
If midlife is a period of intense self-reflection and self-awareness is a critical leadership skill, is it not gravely important to secure this talent before, during and after a restructuring? Not only do organizations run the risk of talented women leaving, these women leave at a critical period of leadership ascension. Midpoint for women is roughly between the ages of 35 – 55 . Which is, of course, the sweet spot of career and for organizations the two decades in which to make ones mark.
Five executive women I interviewed last year shared harrowing stories about calamities during a business restructure. All five were prominent business executives, stellar careers, multiple promotions, exemplary performance with bonuses to match. All were either moved on or decided to leave.
The details of the stories would make any sane person’s blood boil and have all the markings for a great thriller. Three of the five had similar stories but weren’t working for the same company. These three had over fifteen years tenure with their respective companies, and all were called to a meeting to discuss what they thought was the restructuring–only to be introduced to a new boss.
Each new boss had substantially less experience and knowledge about the function, but they had all mentored their [now] new boss, and he had been elevated to a position above them. All five sought legal advice and all were told they had solid cases to litigate. None moved forward with any legal action.
These women and their respective organizations had spent years preparing them for leadership roles. Once they were nearly there, a few too many restructures ended five great careers on a bad note. Who loses in this situation? Everyone.
Organizations cannot evaluate every employee’s mental state or map out the political landscape before a restructuring exercise, but capturing the hearts and minds of employees in midcareer is incredible financial value and goodwill.
Yet too often the engagement focus and concern rests with the (typically male) senior team. One, two or sometimes three levels below – the bulk of management are women. Instead of debating the value of quotas, organizations need to tap into individual potential, motivation and engagement – particularly women.
It’s not about board room quotas, it’s all about understanding motivation of mid-career women before they walk out the door.
Who’s saying what about you? The politics of perception. Talking to friends is one way to find out what’s being said about you. Beyond friends, reach out to an unsuspecting group, your adversaries.
And, if the perception is not flattering, find ways to change it.
Warning, it’s not easy.
A manager viewed as a brillant strategist but abrasive with staff or detail oriented but not strategic, may carry this label forever. Perception lingers.
Once you know what’s being said, you can build a plan to change. And, don’t be disheartened by negative feedback, this information is valuable. More importantly, it’s not always about the change process, but it is all about who knows your making this change.
Talking about yourself plays a big role in perception management. And, yes, there’s a fine balance – if you talk too much or try too hard, you will be seen as insincere. Sincerity is key. If you don’t say anything at all, perception remains and nothing changes.
Here are 3 ways to challenge the perceptions swirling around you:
- Think like a brand manager – manage your reputation, judiciously
- Improve your relevance – let others know what you do
- Construct reality – use word of mouth marketing
And, borrow from Facebook, LinkedIn or Amazon each one asks for recommendation. Why not use the same strategy and ask someone to recommend you for the new skill you just acquired?
IQ for students
EQ for managers
PQ for leaders
What’s PQ? The ability to navigate corporate politics, positively.
Adept at EQ – to build your Political Quotient -watch, follow or work with a savvy leader.
PQ secrets simplified:
- Build your profile as a leader, expert and knowledge source
- Connect with influential people, information and opportunities
- Be visible and talk about what you do
- Move beyond silos, connect with the broader community, rise above turf battles and watch power plays
Now that you know this…
Discover who really gets things done by mapping the informal structures inside your organization. Parallel to formal structures, these informal networks are communities where decisions are made and new ideas executed. The unofficial, informal network of relationships and coalitions. Understand this part of the organization and you will understand how power and influence works.
Ask yourself, “how connected are you to these networks?”
Last week, a relatively new Finance Manager told me she went out of her way to build a strong relationship when a new leader of Asia Pacific was appointed. While going over the finances, she provided this leader with market insights, competitive landscape, and information on the informal networks inside the company. Having access to this information and sharing this knowledge, helped her gain credibility – quickly.
Build your PQ – sniff out the informal networks and make connections today.
Woody Allen said “80% of success is showing up.”
How do you enhance your personal impact and build savvy skills? Show up and have something to say.
I used to watch one manager running through the hallways at the office – always late for a meeting. He thought this gave the impression he was busy – the reality is, he looked stressed, hassled and unorganized.
Avoid the rush. Arrive a few minutes early. Avoid being seated in the back of the room far away from anyone of influence.
You won’t have to elbow or jostle your way to sit next to the senior executive or CEO. But if you happen to sit next to the CEO, have something to say. You should have your, “Who Am I” story ready. Annette Simmons in her book, The Story Factor states there are six stories every leader needs to know how to tell, “who am I” is just one of them. Practice it.
Many organizations provide high potential talent with the opportunity to sit next to the CEO – yet, some of the talented managers are unprepared. One manager told me he was seated next to the CEO and when the CEO asked what he did, he said, “I work here.”
Deinitely a missed opportunity.
Think about advertising tag lines and how they grab your attention – when you’re seated next to someone of influence and asked what you do – how about responding with, ”I drive innovation” or “I’m a start up specialist” – both are conversation starters.
What’s your tag line?
