Spotlight on Asia: Gender Diversity is Both Catching Up and Leading

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By Aimee Hansen

During the month of August, The Glass Hammer will be focusing on Asia, featuring profiles of senior level women who are showing up to challenge the gender gap in Asia with their own journeys to leadership.

Here, we take a wider look at gender dynamics in business in Asia, where the picture painted is both paradox and progress. When it comes to women representation in business leadership, Asia is at once behind and ahead. For all the societal factors holding women back, marketplace and cultural dynamics are also pulling women into leadership and the C-Suite.

Behind in The Boardroom

A recent Korn Ferry Diversity Scorecard study tracked board composition in the largest 100 publicly listed companies in ten Asia Pacific economies, and found that on average 10.2% of board members in Asia Pacific are women (9.2% if exclude Australia), compared to the United Kingdom (26.1%), the European Union (20.8%) and the United States (18.7%).

All-male boards in Asia Pacific decreased significantly from 53.2% (2012) to 39.0% (2014), but it will take ten years of growth at current pace to be on par with benchmark Western economies.

From the perspective of boardroom representation, Asia is behind, and gender gaps are often costly. The World Economic Forum has reported that failing to rectify the gender gap in the workforce costs Asia $42 to $47 billion a year.

On the other hand, bringing women into the boardroom is financially advantageous. The Korn Ferry study found that Asia Pacific companies with at least 10% female board members delivered a return on equity (ROE) of 14.9% compared to 12.6% for those with fewer or none.

When it comes to boardroom gaps, the gap is often attributed to a limited supply of top level candidates related to inequality in access to education (eg. rural China), lower wages, infant survival rates, and sweeping societal disadvantages for girls and women. According to female leaders in China, this includes being seen as the sole caretakers and the deeply ingrained belief in the Asia psyche that women are used to “taking instructions,” especially in countries like Japan.

Korn Ferry’s report stated, “Beyond the statistical gap, we also observed that Asian boards seem to adopt a more systemic and collective ‘blindness’ to the value of diversity based on a more traditional patriarchal approach. Without a fundamental change in attitude, the diversity agenda will continue to be hampered and discourage qualified women at the leadership and board level.”

Leading at Executive Level

Here’s the paradox. When it comes to executive leadership, the picture reverses, and female representation is ahead in many countries in Asia.

A 2014 global study by Grant Thornton showed that the proportion of women in senior management was much greater in China (38%) and Indonesia (41%) as well as Southeast Asia, than in the US (22%) and European markets like the UK (20%) and Germany (14%).

According to Fortune, “though 126 of the top 300 companies in China lacked female board members (42%), only 31 of those companies lacked a female senior executive (10.3%)” in early 2015.

An IRC study found that as a percentage of total CEOS, Asia and Australia have more women CEOs (11.8%) than Europe and Americas (7.8%), and one study has shown that China has a greater proportion of female CEOS than the US. China has the most female self-made billionaires in the world. Looking at China alone, boardroom representation is 12.9%.

Women are not represented at executive level in all countries or business areas. For example, India has only 14% women executives, and Japan has only 9% (as well as only 3.3% boardroom representation).

When it comes to finance, Oliver Wyman found that 13% of execs and 14% of board members in finance are women in Asia, compared to 21% and 23% respectively in North America, and 16% and 24% in Europe.

But there is an increasing women executive presence in Asia. Even when the boardroom is considered, the recent two year momentum in getting at least one women on boards is impressive when compared to pithy gender diversity advancement on boards in the US.

Momentum towards Leadership

Many factors are allowing women to advance into management in Asia.

In Southeast Asia, 35% of senior executive positions are held by women. The Grant Thornton report states that free, in-built childcare as a result of tight-knit family units is partly responsible.

In China, radical urbanization and increased opportunities to further education have empowered women, while the defunct one-child policy has encouraged access to education for girls and entry into the workforce. The ratio of females to males in tertiary education is now at a 111 index in China and 107 in East Asia.

One of the most powerful factors in women’s advancement is rapid economic development of the private sector.

A study out of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business found a direct correlation between emerging private companies and increasing recruitment of women and hiring women as CEOs.

During a nine year tracking period from 2000-2008, the researchers found that women CEO participation rose from 4% to over 8% in the private sector, increasing over time and at a faster rate, while remaining flat in state-controlled firms.

The researchers compared the marketplace to government initiatives in driving change: “Studies have shown that competitive forces are generally more effective in bringing women managers into companies, because market mechanisms may be better at identifying and rewarding strong performers. When you face competition, you have to remove bias and focus more on bottom-line issues.”

The researchers speculated that competition may be driving a more gender-neutral approach to top management, making traditional networks less relevant and leadership skills more appreciated in private firms.

“As the Chinese economy becomes more balanced in terms of state-owned and private firms, and as state-owned enterprise reforms deepen, more and more female business leaders are likely to emerge,” stated the researchers.

Looking Ahead

With a wider pool of women in executive roles in Asia, it seems the case that boards lack top-level talent to choose from has an expiration date.

The underlying psyche of inequality will need to catch up with a changing reality in Asia, and boards will need to mix up their selection process.

While the market and changing cultural dynamics may be putting women into leadership, the next step are seats in the boardroom, while more fundamental inequalities still seek to be addressed in many regions including rural China and countries like India and Japan.

But changes are happening. Increased boardroom representation in Australia, India, and Malaysia were aided by government initiatives, while pressure in Japan has been increasing the presence of female directors.

According to the FT, some prestigious business schools in Hong Kong and China are looking at how to move advanced education from gender blind to gender sensitive, exploring options such as early-career masters programs that gain more female enrollment. Research shows that 72% of women graduates in China hope to become C-level executives.

Over the next few years, we stand to witness a fascinating phenomenon in gender equality where Asia is both catching up…and leading.

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Can You See A Promotional Path At Work? Leaving To Go Up The Ladder

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Woman-on-a-ladder-searchingBy Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

This summer we have talked about the scenarios that tend to create catalysts for talented people to seek out career coaches to help them navigate the promotional pathway which sometimes means leaving your current team or firm.

When I am coaching, I often hear that my client does not see a clear promotional path and this can be due to many elements but it always involves politics and people.

Sometimes the lack of vision to what the next internal move is is simply due to rigid corporate structures and a perceived lack of places to be promoted into. The old adages “Dead Men’s Shoes” or “Not enough pie to go around” are often mentioned here. Sometimes that is true, but sometimes you need to realize that space will be made for the “right” people. (* the phrase right people could be a whole article in itself, but that is for another day later this summer on unconscious bias, keep reading this column.)

In other instances, what companies sometimes do not grasp is that ambition does vary person to person but having systemic grind due to bad organizational development creates a pebble in everyone’ shoes that simply de-motivates even the most focused players over time. Can this be addressed? Yes. Is it usually addressed in firms? No. Sadly, due to the slightly invisible nature of company and team culture, the average manager cannot start to solve these issues.

Sometimes wanting to leave is about an individual manager or team member, but proper organizational development work can eliminate many of the bad behaviors that can be practiced by less than desirable coworkers. Bad behaviors appear when survivalism is the culture so some of these same folks might be quite nice colleagues in a different environment. Lewin’s theory suggests that behavior is a function of personality PLUS environment, or in other words, the perfect storm can occur in any firm for hellish behaviors to become commonplace.

Either way, it really is about leaving to get a promotion and work in a better culture.

Culture is “how we do things around here” and that is why we coach here at the glasshammer as we think we have the secret weapon for our coachees- we focus on you the individual but we understand the organizational structures and cultural markers so that we can help you pick the right firm and the right opportunity as your next promotion is everything! Call us for 8 sessions (over 18 months) for an introductory price of $2500 and watch your career take off.

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Gender diversity – lessons from the UK boardroom for 2016

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BoardRoomBy Nneka Orji

A mere five years ago in early 2011, few of us would have looked to the UK Public Limited Company’s boardrooms as beacons of gender diversity. Female representation in FTSE 100 boardrooms was just 12.5% and although many leaders in business and politics acknowledged that something had to be done, it was not clear what or how. Five years on now in 2016 women now fill 26% of FTSE 100 board roles – just over double their representation when the Davies Review (Women on boards) was launched. If we didn’t know before, we certainly now have a better idea about what it takes to turn the dial on this opportunity.

The Davies Review proved a successful catalyst for gender diversity in UK boardrooms; with a clear target and public commitment from senior leaders to achieve at least 25% representation over the course of five years, board directors were incentivised to proactively address unconscious bias in board selection and nomination processes among a number of other obstacles female leaders face on their journey to the boardroom.

Yes there has been progress – which we should be proud of – but it’s by no means time to congratulate ourselves. While a number of organisations now have female representation of 25% or more on their boards, some industries have a way to go. As identified by the New Financial’s most recent report, UK-regulated financial services companies have more work to do – both in the boardroom where women fill 23% of roles and in executive committees where they fill only 14% of leadership roles.

The Davies review focused on listed organisations, with the aim for other non-listed organisations to adopt the recommendations, so it is no surprise that more progress has been made by UK-listed companies. Unlike the boards of listed companies, only 14% of board positions of privately held financial services companies are filled by female board directors. For those still not convinced by the widely discussed benefits by advocates of gender diversity, why not consider what board directors have experienced as a result of enhanced diversity?

Chairs and board members say this isn’t just a nice-to-have; they continue to see the value of more diverse boards in the richness of board discussions particularly when it comes to making critical decisions, and they are less likely to be hit by scandals. In the current business landscape with increasing scrutiny of boards and greater focus on the importance of business’ role in society, surely this is welcome news? From a commercial perspective it also makes sense; research conducted by the index provider MCSI found that companies with more women “delivered a 36% better return on equity since 2010 than those groups lacking board diversity”.

The US may also do well to consider some of the progress achieved in the UK. According to the recently published “2015 Catalyst Census: Women and Men Board Directors”, female representation across S&P 500 stands at just 19.9%. Of even greater concern is that the glacial pace of change is likely to continue given new directorship appointments, of which 73% were held by men and 27% by women. Deborah Gillis, CEO’s President and CEO, stated; “Our new Census shows little progress has been made at the board level, and even less progress has been made in the pipeline for women officers and directors—suggesting women are nowhere near the path to parity with men. Men continue to be overrepresented, holding more than their fair share of board seats and, in some cases, all the board seats.”

The New Financial’s report also points to exemplary countries which others should aspire to – including countries in the Nordic region, France and Germany where female representation is 34%, 29% and 27% respectively.

These reports and others point to the merits of diversity and encourage leaders – both in business and government – to take bold action. What does bold action look like?

In the UK, the government commissioned the Ghadia Review which sought to make specific recommendations for UK financial services organisations to address gender diversity at both board and executive level. The Review recommended clear targets and enhanced transparency (including the disclosure of diversity data), increased accountability across all leadership levels within organisations, and the linking of remuneration to progress against gender diversity targets. New Financial found that only 26% of the financial services organisations included in the research sample disclosed gender diversity targets – and of these only 10% disclosed gender representation at board level, and 24% setting targets with deadlines.

It’s not enough to talk about gender diversity – it’s a case of committing to specific goals and maintaining the focus required to deliver against the goals. While aspirational targets show some level of acknowledgment of the need to address gender diversity, being specific and time-bound is more likely to have the desired impact. The Ghadia Review recommends 12 data points, including gender ratio of employees promoted and the percentage of maternity, paternity and shared parental leave returnees.

Just as importantly, targets need to be stretching. One of the five recommendations in the “Davies Review Five Year Summary” was around increasing the female representation target for FTSE 350 Boards to 33% – continuing with the voluntary approach. Incremental progress will only result in the next generation having the same debates we are having today. We owe them more.

To build on the progress made to date, we must look to the next generation of aspiring board directors, the behaviours we advocate and development opportunities we provide to both women and men. According to New Financial, women are better represented (36%) in support roles, but continue to be very under-represented in the roles that serve as springboards to board positions – CEO (6%), other C-suite roles (10%), and budget owners (9%). Without losing momentum on progress being achieved in the boardroom, there is a clear need to focus on female representation at the executive level.

This doesn’t just apply to Financial Services – although particularly acute in Fintech. According to a recent Deloitte report including participants across the globe, boards of financial services organisations in the UK lead manufacturing, and energy and resources industries.

Despite what many would deem as slow progress by boards in terms of gender diversity, it turns out that we have some positive lessons to learn from boards if we are to turn the dial on female representation at executive level: specific targets, enhanced transparency, public commitment, and role modelling desired behaviours.

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Finding a New Job While Doing Your Job Well

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Is it time to change jobs, change firms or leave the industry? (F)By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Pyschologist

Last week we identified the lack of trust as a reason to leave your current job or firm and trust is everything at work just as it is at home. And a few weeks ago, we talked about how the biggest key for individual and team performance was in fact having psychological safety at work so in many respects this ties into that topic.

There might be reasons to stay and build that trust but I hesitate to give advice over the internet in this column as each case will be different and very personalized to the players and the situation.

Instead, I am going to say it straight; if trust is lacking and cannot be built then leave. Of course, the trick is to do your job well while you are securing your next ( better) role in a different team or company.

Do not “stay and quit”.

Remember, every project you do, or skill you acquire can be talked about on your resume and in your job interviews. Use the time wisely and find a firm where trust is abundant. How do you know that? Ask questions like” What gets rewarded here?”. “What gets tolerated?” and “How does the task (insert your type of tasks that you do) get done around here?”.

Best of Luck!

If you are looking for an executive coach to help you navigate your career then please contact nicki@theglasshammer.com for a no obligation conversation

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Is it time to change jobs, change firms or leave the industry?

By NIcki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organisational Psychologist

Is it time to change jobs, change firms or leave the industry? (F)

Image provided by Shutterstock.

If you have been feeling like you need a change of scene for a while or even if that feeling has just begun then you have to firstly listen to it and then secondly distill what is really going on.

This series of three posts over the next three weeks discusses the triggers that can make us want to leave and they are worth understanding for each of you if they are just triggers or actually accurate instincts that you should follow. Often when I am coaching there are three scenarios that are happening when someone comes to me with a “ I want to leave my job” instinct.

Scenario 1: You do not see a path for promotion at your current job

Scenario 2: There is a lack of trust in the people in your team/your boss to do the right thing or be competent.

Scenario 3: The company and /or industry is in flux. Let’s discuss this scenario this week.

The thought of yet another reshuffle or round of layoffs have my coachee anxious and they want to pre-empt being on the receiving end of an HR conversation by finding a new job first. The politics involved in surviving can be exhausting and some people have the right personality to ride it out without it eating them. The reality is that most people do not have quite the capacity for not getting sucked into the politics at play when the heat is on. In fact sensitive people can be worn out to a point of burnout so it is absolutely necessary to know oneself and your endurance levels. All my long term coaching clients do a personality test called the Hogan which does give us an indication for their natural ability to ride out these messy company restructures and mergers.

However, I think that sometimes it is perfectly valid to leave when you want to leave and get a head start on your vision for your next career job before the market is flooded with laid off employees. To this end, it is fairly important to understand the external environment and your specific industry niche or job niche so that you do not end up wondering what happened to the segment. Keep thinking about the transferability of your skills and update them regularly as well as keeping your network strategic and up-to-date.

Finally, if you do decide to go, know that proactivity and first mover advantage is always rewarded and with the element of choice on your hands you can choose your next job wisely since you have a job and therefore in a position of strength in the talent pool.

If you are looking for an executive coach to help you navigate your career contact nicki@theglasshammer.com for a no obligation conversation to discuss how we may help

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Reverse and Peer Mentoring – How Can It Help Your Career

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mentorsBy Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Pyschologist

If you are managing a team, chances are that the team is already diverse. It may be made up of mixed age groups as well as perhaps having other social identity differences such as gender, ethnicity, nationality, LGBT status etc.

So, have you thought about breaking out of the traditional structure of looking for or being a senior person mentoring a junior person? Instead have you thought about getting a peer mentor or even a reverse mentor? A reverse mentor can be a junior level person mentoring a senior person or can be someone who is reverse to you (gay/straight for example).

The point of the interaction (at least in my opinion) is to learn things that you normally do not have access to. Experiences differ, so create a space where you can hear about them. It will make you a better leader, manager and probably person but only if you can listen without prejudice or judgement. Open your mind, heart and ears!

If you are interested in hiring an executive coach to help you navigate your career contact nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com to discuss further

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How to maintain your professional network

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Professional-networking-advice featuredBy Zoe Anderson

You’re busy all the time. Between your career goals, life, friends and family, you don’t even have the opportunity to reward yourself for all of your hard work with a pedicure or a glass of wine. How do other women do it? It seems like so many succeed without ever needing to take time out for a breather. The answer is: having a strong professional network to lean on. Keeping in touch with important, influential individuals means you won’t have to work so hard to know of upcoming opportunities to advance your career.

Be easy to find

If you aren’t easy to find, people aren’t going to find you. No one wants to go out of their way scouring the earth for you, but there are plenty of people who would like to build connections with you, provided that you’re in their line of sight. Keep contact with former co-workers and connect with as many key players as possible.

Value quality over quantity

Agonizing over your relationship with a file clerk is going to be a drain on your energy, unless you really enjoy that person’s friendship. A large number of networking acquaintances doesn’t necessarily improve your prospects – it’s more about how said acquaintances can help you. Prioritize your business relationships with influential people, and don’t worry so much about those who won’t be able to provide you with much assistance.

Regularly update on social media

You need to keep yourself fresh in everyone’s minds. If you have a LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook that you use specifically for professional purposes, don’t just scroll through everyone’s updates and log out. You need to take time to interact with people. Retweet, like, share, and make plenty of your own relevant posts. You want people to feel like they know you, and like you have a reliable rapport. When an opportunity comes up and they have some information to spread, you’ll already be on their minds!

Make yourself an authority

There is no better way to gain clout than to build a reputation as an industry leader and voice of authority. Always stay abreast of industry changes and trends. Read about new technology and innovations. Create a blog with helpful resources such as infographics, FAQs, and archived interviews that your colleagues can reference. Regularly updating your content not only strengthens your authority in your field, it can also boost your SEO presence, which allows the right people to find you. If you’re present enough online, opportunities may present themselves to you without you having to go out and find them.

Speak highly of others

Speaking highly of others is a cornerstone of mutually beneficial relationships. If you know someone who needs work done, or a specific kind of consultation, you should be thinking about which person in your professional circles you can refer them to. Sending customers and clients in the direction will help people perceive you as a great knowledge resource to tap, whilst simultaneously creating a high level of respect for your opinions and views. They’ll be more likely to remember you when the time comes if you’ve done something to improve their livelihood. Consider who is worthy of your honest personal recommendation, and always take multiple business cards to hand out from those you believe are worthy.

Make plans

It always helps to put a face to a name. The internet has taken over a lot of business affairs, and because of this, we mostly know people by their profile pictures and the content they post. Try to arrange to do something in person with your network, bimonthly at the very least. Seminars, meetings, or company parties are helpful ways to strengthen your networks and put a name to a face. You may find events you can sit in on, or even a corporate softball game you can attend. This gives you the opportunity not only to help keep you top of mind, but also to make some great first impressions.

Most of these things are easily achievable. They don’t require a ton of effort on your part if you can create an environment that’s beneficial for everyone. Since you can do most of these things from home in your free time, this means you’ll still be able to order some takeout, watch Netflix, and catch a little bit of a break from your exhausting life.

Zoe Anderson is a marketing assistant at StudySelect. She’s keen on learning about new branding strategies and digital marketing tools.
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3 Tips On How To Manage Your Career During the Dog Days of Summer

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woman in a field at summer featuredBy Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Pyschologist

Things are finally slowing down as we head into the summer holiday season and yet this is a great time to spend time on managing your career. Here are 3 ways to enhance your skills from the office or even the beach.

Tip #1 Summer reading- pick 1-3 books that you want to read this summer that are career focused or can help you in some way. Text books can be dry, so if books are too much, pick articles (we have 5000 on glasshammer2.wpengine.com) that are research backed and you can read the research for deeper knowledge.

Tip #2 Have Lunch and coffee with your network- refresh your relationships and hear what others are up to professionally with iced coffees and a bite of lunch. Also, use this slower time at the office to secure a lunch with important sponsors and new people for your network.

Tip #3 Recharge a little yourself, so that you are ready for the fast-paced flow of work and meetings once the dog days of summer are over!

Happy Summer! And Happy Independence Day in the US!

If you are interested in hiring an executive coach to help you navigate your career please contact nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com to discuss further.

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Alyssa Cowley of Shearman & Sterling Talks About Why She Feels It Is Important to Co-lead Sterling Pride and What She Hopes to Achieve

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Alyssa CowleyThe world was a much different place a decade ago when Sterling Pride, Shearman & Sterling’s LGBT inclusion network, was formed. As a former history major, my mind tends to go to the story of a place or group first. I wonder about the conversations that sparked the idea, and discussions involved in becoming one of the first law firms with an in-house LGBT inclusion network. In June 2006, the firm readily took the first step in giving its LGBT lawyers a voice in how to foster an inclusive environment for LGBT lawyers and staff by creating Sterling Pride. Shearman & Sterling didn’t have to be a leader, but it chose to be.

In 2006, while those conversations were taking place at Shearman, I was a junior at a north Texas high school. That year, my classmates threw around the word “gay” as a synonym for “dumb” or “worthless,” and the Gay-Straight Alliance at my high school was effectively dead on arrival. My best friend, a bisexual man, and I whispered about our “different-ness” backstage during after-school musical rehearsals. The concept of being bisexual barely existed, let alone had achieved any level of acceptance with our peers.

Ten years later, I am so grateful to begin my career as an attorney at a place with a true commitment to the LGBT community and to diversity more broadly. Beginning with the on-campus recruitment process, the visibility of Sterling Pride lawyers signaled to me that Shearman & Sterling was a place that I could focus on growing as a lawyer without the distraction and pressures of having to “cover” as a straight woman. It can be easy to feel a little lost as a first-year associate in a large New York office, but in Sterling Pride, I felt as though I had a built-in community. Being a member of Sterling Pride has connected me to a network of mentors, deepened my connection with my colleagues, and has given me opportunities to meet clients and lawyers across the city. Furthermore, my colleagues, whether partners or first-year associates, have consistently been reflective and engaged, both formally and informally, about how to make the firm’s environment more welcoming, more fair, and more of a meritocracy. I have been able to thrive because of the strong foundation that Sterling Pride members and allies have built.

Now, as co-chair of Sterling Pride (and as the first woman to serve in such position), I am honored to be an ambassador for our inclusive atmosphere, but I also know that there is work to be done. Women are underrepresented in the law—particularly in the ranks of senior leadership. Women are also underrepresented in LGBT spaces—bisexuals even more so. It is true that bisexual women tend to benefit from invisibility and passing, and thereby enjoy a level of privilege that others within the LGBT community do not. However, for that same reason, they are uniquely positioned to challenge stereotypes and to carry messages of inclusion into hetero-normative spaces. I believe that cultural change is achieved one person at a time, one connection at a time. As we continue to diversify the voices around the table, we reaffirm the value of each individual’s contributions.

Importantly, being a part of Sterling Pride has been a way to begin giving back to—and investing in—the firm that has chosen to invest in me. As part of a firm with a global presence, we have a distinct opportunity to set the tone in all of our offices and to make sure all of our lawyers and staff can grow in their careers regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. As the work of organizations such as Out Leadership and the Williams Institute have shown, diversity makes business sense. Inclusive environments retain talent, increase productivity, and allow employees to be more fully engaged at work. Discrimination is costly, both in terms of underemployment and in expending resources to combat the mental toll that discrimination takes on those who are victimized. Furthering Sterling Pride’s reach within the firm strengthens it overall, making us more competitive in and more adaptive to the changing conditions of the global marketplace.

In closing, I turn back to the history of the firm once again. John William Sterling, one of the firm’s two co-founders, never married but lived together with his best friend and companion, a man, for nearly 50 years. While it is impossible to know what Sterling might think of the firm’s commitment to the LGBT community today, I believe he would be proud of the firm and the enormous progress we have made in supporting LGBT issues in the century since his death. Hopefully, we will all be even prouder in the next hundred years.

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How to be a good Sponsor and Champion to LGBT people in their careers

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LGBT flag featuredBy Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Pyschologist

Following on from last week’s career advice and staying with the LGBTA theme for the month since June is Pride month, today I am going to talk about how to be an Ally, Champion and Sponsor to your LGBT colleagues and co-workers. I come across many people who want to be an inclusive leader and ensure that their team members get to focus on work and not on fitting it or assimilating instead. However, many leaders and managers with the best of intentions still do not have many LGBT mentees or sponsees. Tips to ensure your portfolio of people that you mentor is diverse can include:

Do not be afraid of offering up supportive statements to indicate you are an Ally. Gay team members often do not know where you stand on the topic as a concept because sadly the topic is still at ‘concept’ level ( there are still millions of overtly homophobic people out there some more covert than others, how do we know that you are an ally if you don’t tell us!)
Don’t presume you know them just because you know one other gay person (or even several) because like racial bias, you are stereotyping whether you realize it or not.
Respect their individual personality on how much they want to talk about their spouse and family just as you would any other coworker, not everyone wants to share regardless of their identity. Equally, ask them the questions you ask your other team members ( like: hey how was your weekend, how are the kids etc?)
Coach other less exposed/less evolved executives on your team and know you are a culture carrier.

Know that you have the ability to advance people individually but also change the system so that future generations can truly come to work and not have to come out everyday and fear mixed reactions.

Contact nicki@theglasshammer.com if you want to hire an executive coach to help you navigate your career

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