Jack Ginter, President, Abbot Downing, a boutique wealth business of Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment Management

Jack Ginter“Nobody does it alone. Strong relationships are critical. The biggest thing men can do, is engage in the topic, be a mentor and a mentor who becomes a sponsor is even better,” says Jack Ginter, President of Abbot Downing.

Ginter recognizes that mentors and sponsors including “two very strong women” were the people willing to speak up for him on his behalf throughout his career. He has been in wealth management for more than 25 years and risen through the ranks having client facing, portfolio experience as well as significant management experience. Ginter was part of the team that founded Abbot Downing in 2012 merging three businesses previously known as Calibre, Lowry Hill and Wells Fargo Family Wealth and now manages employees and serves clients across all 50 states.

Ginter is inspired to lead from the front on creating an inclusive workforce that runs on meritocratic principles. Personally, he is passionate to build opportunities for talented women, and is motivated to use his voice, power and position to drive change.

Ginter wants to ensure that everyone gets the chance to understand that diversity is a topic for everyone and encourages everyone to do the work that is needed to clear the deck for honest conversations.

“We have spent time here at Abbot Downing on unconscious bias and what microaggressions are. Men have to engage as allies and really dig deep into the topic to move the needle.”

He urges women to seek out men who get it.  Engaging with others who want to embrace the talent within the organization is essential to personal and professional growth.

“I have a daughter who is 19 and I have nieces that I want to have opportunities different than a decade ago. We have incredibly talented women on my current team who I want to see succeed and get to the next level. These women have had a significant impact on our business and the wealth industry.  I believe the success of our business depends on contributions from individuals who have different perspectives and innovative ideas.”

Jack participates in supporting women and creating change as an adviser to the Wells Fargo Women’s Team Member Network, a program that is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture at Wells Fargo for women through personal and professional development, mentoring, leadership engagement, networking and community outreach opportunities.

He is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Council which spans all Wealth and Investment Management. He recounts how years ago, a female mentor of his team told him something that stuck with him.

“She told me that if I had a voice that has power, I have to use it. I have never forgotten that. Sometimes it is not easy to have uncomfortable conversations but men need to be engaged in the conversation. It is hard to own the fact you might have had privilege, but the overarching message here is that you have to engage and be direct in calling out behavior that needs to be called out.”

Holding People Accountable

Ginter is convinced that leaders can commit and engage in inclusive behaviors that attracts others who also believe to ensure a strong future with a complete understanding of what progress looks like. He believes in always having diverse slate of candidates when recruiting talent, a diverse hiring panel and understanding what a good culture looks like for real retention.

“We need a strong, healthy and diverse team. That is the future of our business.”

Ginter believes reverse mentoring, where a senior leader is mentored by a member of the broader team, has been a successful way for him and other leaders to really learn and listen. In this role, Ginter says he had to trust, be transparent and open with his mentor. Through difficult discussions he was able to work through communication and style issues and discuss common interests and goals.

When Ginter reflects on what advice would he give his younger self, regarding diversity and the narratives and needs of other people’s lives, he offers,

“I think looking back, I would tell myself to be more curious, listen more to other people and most importantly to never take away the other person’s decision making power.”

/by

Men Who Get It: Andrew Glincher, CEO/Managing Partner, Nixon Peabody

Andrew Glincher
“Each time I receive a diversity award, I think to myself that we will know we’re doing the right thing when we’re no longer giving out awards for doing the right thing,” says Andrew Glincher, CEO and Managing Partner of international law firm Nixon Peabody LLP.
Understanding Diversity Through Personal Experience

As the head of Nixon Peabody, Glincher leads 1,500 colleagues, including more than 650 attorneys who collaborate across practice areas in cities throughout the U.S. and with alliance firms around the world. But he came to this lofty position from a humble background, as a first-generation college graduate who grew up in less affluent circumstances than many of his peers, paying for his education 100 percent through work, scholarships and loans. “That different socioeconomic background gives me a heart for underdogs and a great appreciation for anyone who has had challenges,” he says.

Glincher brings a business background to the field, including teaching for 23 years for the business school at his alma mater Boston College. While he’s been at Nixon Peabody his entire career, he says that it has been about five different firms during his tenure, growing from 60 to 1,500 professionals. He has been the CEO for eight years and prior to that was the managing partner in Boston, the firm’s largest office, for seven years, at Peabody & Brown, NP’s predecessor. He was also elected to the firm’s executive committee when he was elected equity partner.

The Business Case for Diversity

Glincher believes that different perspectives yield better results and better teams, but they also makes the workplace more fun. “I enjoy bringing out the best in people, and it’s easy when you’re working with people you like, who have tremendous skills to succeed and that you want to be successful. Our team here is passionate about what they do, and that engagement makes my job a lot easier,” he says, adding that it reminds him of the two decades he spent teaching. “When you’re engaging with different types of people and personalities, it makes the workday so much more fun, and better outcomes are a great byproduct.”

His belief is that when all else is equal, it’s important to support the diverse person. “That can be controversial, but it’s necessary until we have a diverse workforce that mirrors our clients. Once we are caught up and are fully diversified in a way that’s representative of our client base then maybe we are there,” he says. But he notes, lawyers focus on what’s measurable, so requirements for diversity keep people accountable.

Seeing Blind Spots Clearly

A supporter of mandatory implicit and unconscious bias training, Glincher says it’s important for everyone to realize we all have blind spots since we’re a function of our perspectives and how we grew up. “It’s something to be aware of, but not ashamed of, but understanding your biases can help you overcome them.”

He says that while he wouldn’t hesitate to politely mention a bias on display…such as if someone made a remark about a woman candidate that they wouldn’t have made about a male…he finds that it’s almost always due to ignorance rather than intent. “I want to create awareness, but not embarrass people.”

In evaluating talent, he always looks toward the end game. “It’s not fair to compare someone who is just starting out to where another person is ending when you are looking for a replacement. I will often point out that someone else was in the exact same position themselves when I promoted them.” He learned early on that it’s key not to look at what someone has accomplished to date since that might not be a fair yardstick for comparison, but instead their potential. “You wouldn’t compare a new Minor Leaguer to a Major League baseball player at the end of his career. You have to give talent an opportunity to show what they can do, rather than comparing them to the success of someone in a role they’ve not yet held.”

Promoting Work/Life Balance

And of course, women can be their own worst critics, such as when they ask to be considered for counsel rather than partner, but Glincher will encourage them to live up to their potential and then figure out how to make it work. The firm’s policies help, as they are proactive in helping women—and all employees—achieve a better work/life balance. That includes generous maternity and paternity leave policies and supportive on-ramping when women return. For example, even if they come back at full-time pay, new mothers are only required to do 80 percent of the work for the first six months. “They can take that time to figure out how they are going to balance, and then we are open to other arrangements if they decide they need that,” he says, adding that the firm has made partners from associates who work part time.

“Our priority is to attract, retain and promote diverse individuals by creating more opportunities for attorneys from all backgrounds, races, genders and religions. Having a variety of perspectives enables us to create even more innovation for our clients,” he points out.

/by

Why Gender Equality is Good for Men | Part One

,

gender pay gap

Guest contributed by Lisa Levey

Gender equality is one of those loaded topics that can bring conversation to a halt.

Women’s empowerment has been portrayed as a link to all that men have lost, whether its perceived loss of professional opportunities or loss of the privilege of not having to deal with housework or childcare. There is a fear that expectation of females being subordinate dissipates with equality, which is an outdated expectation to have in modern society to start with but surprisingly present still for some families.

Women’s rising power has left many men seething and many more with a gnawing fear that gains for women mean losses for men. The incredible irony is: the culprit is not gender equality but misguided thinking about masculinity which is shared by both genders and that exacts such a high toll on men.

Read on to discover why based on research, rather than hyperbole, gender equality is a gift for men that keeps on giving.

Gender equality benefits men’s physical health

Gender is highly linked with health risks and outcomes and men continually draw the short stick. But men’s health challenges are substantially driven by their own attitudes and behaviors [which they can change.]

Men who espouse more traditional beliefs about gender make less healthy choices. They drink more alcohol, smoke more, and are more likely to take drugs as well as paying less attention to eating healthily or getting enough sleep. They’re less likely to seek medical care for preventive reasons or to follow their physician’s instructions when they do seek care. Real men don’t seem to think they need to cut their portion sizes as they age, limit how much beer they drink, or spend precious time going to the doctor but they make these decisions at their own peril.

Gender equality benefits men’s marital satisfaction

Alongside women’s influx into the workforce over the last half-century, there’s been a shift in how men experience marriage. Marriages became more unstable – at first – as women began evolving from a more subordinate to a more egalitarian role. In the 1980’s the divorce rate among couples where the woman was more highly educated exceeded that for couples where this was not the case. Yet through time there has been a profound shift. Beginning in the 1990’s, women’s higher educational attainment no longer predicted elevated divorce rates and the marital stability of educational equals rose.

A professor at Brigham Young University studied the division of labor for married couples and those living together across 31 countries. She found couples with a more shared approach to caring for their children and homes were happier in their relationships than couples with a more specialized approach.

Based on my research with parents who sought to proactively share the load at home, both men and women described the power of walking in each other’s shoes and having each other’s backs. They saw themselves on the same team, spending their precious energy on navigating the challenges of equality in a still highly-gendered world, rather than on arguing with each other.
Across the U.S., states with a higher percent of couples in traditional marriages report escalated divorce rates compared to states with a higher percent of dual earner families. Data indicates changing gender norms and family values go hand in hand.

Gender equality benefits men’s relationships with their children

Society has been terribly unfair to men by invalidating the importance of their parenting role. This messaging has no doubt seeped into men’s thinking and worldview. Ironically, both men who live paycheck-to-paycheck and men with incredible wealth similarly perceive prioritizing time away from work to bond with a new child as a luxury rather than a necessity.

Yet if fathers knew how vitally important they were to their children’s lives, they might make different choices. When fathers are involved early and often, their children benefit in critical ways. Positive father involvement from the outset translates into better academic outcomes, more favorable social behavior, fewer discipline issues and greater happiness. The effects of fathering – both good and bad – stay with children far beyond their youth, manifesting during their adult lives via career success and the ability to manage stress, among other ways.

Based on the inaugural 2015 State of the World’s Fathers study, infants attach to both of their parents from the outset if both are actively involved with their care. Paternal engagement is a protective factor for kids who are close to their dads with children being half as likely to suffer from depression during their youth. In other research, fathers who assume a more egalitarian partnership at home raise daughters who are more ambitious.

Not only do fathers influence daughters but daughters influence fathers. A study highlighted in the Harvard Business Review reports men with daughters run more socially responsible companies, particularly with regard to diversity. Men should hope to work for a company where the male CEO has a first born daughter because if he does, he’ll see more money in his paycheck than if the first born is a son.

Gender equality gives men more flexibility and freedom

Men have been saddled with the primary breadwinning role for too long. And while the bias toward men as primary providers persists, a Pew study suggests there may be change afoot. While more than 70% of women and men reported it was very important for a man to be a good provider, women identified their breadwinning responsibility – and that of other women – as far more important than men.

It’s understandable why many men struggle with not being the primary provider, a role for which they have long felt acute responsibility and received social and financial reward. Yet many men fail to see how their partner’s earning capacity provides not only far greater security for the family but also far more flexibility for them. With a financial teammate, men can more easily contemplate starting a business, leaving a bad employer, or push for a promotion. Gender equality helps men to not feel stuck and without options.

Multiple research studies document that men in more egalitarian relationships report lower levels of work-life stress. What may seem counterintuitive for men is that devoting more time to their lives outside of work actually minimizes their work-life stress. The same has not been found to be true for women so really isn’t it time for men to see and talk about the benefits of getting on board with gender equality.

Tune in next week for the second installment of why gender equality is good for men.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

/by

Men Who Get It: Bob Miller | Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton

Bob Miller

By Cathie Ericson

For Bob Miller, family has helped drive the realization that leaders play a key role in championing diversity.

He has heard stories from his wife, a Hispanic professional, about subtle challenges she has faced in the workplace in the past as a woman and as a minority.

As a father to a son and daughter, he finds the idea that his daughter would face challenges in the workplace that his son would not face to be unacceptable; likewise, he finds the thought that either his son or daughter would face unfair challenges based on the color of their skin to be unacceptable.

A Diverse Career Path Helps Create an Open Mind

Miller has held a wide variety of roles over the years, including seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, three years working for a small construction company and three years working for a small consulting firm prior to coming to Booz Allen Hamilton, where he’s been for 16 years. Throughout his 29-year career, he says he has been privileged to supervise and work for and with a diverse, talented staff.

“I believe that by building diverse, highly functioning teams, you can achieve outstanding results,” he says, adding that staying balanced and building strong and loyal teams has allowed his teams to prosper regardless of market conditions.

Over the years, he has routinely worked with and been an advocate for women, often in traditionally male-dominated fields including the military, construction, engineering and government consulting. “I have always believed in ‘fairness,’ and the idea that hard work should pay off, and have been surprised to learn that is not always the case,” Miller says.

“Hard work, talent, drive and results should be what matter regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or identity.” Therefore, he believes that executives must utilize their positions to ensure that talented people have opportunities to excel and meet their career goals as well as achieve work-life balance.

Keys to Effective Mentorship and Talent Development

Over the years, he has had the opportunity to both mentor and sponsor several women and has also volunteered to be the diversity and inclusion champion for his current business unit of 1,300.
That entails evaluating and promoting opportunities to further diversify talent. A diverse and inclusive environment takes into account all levels of your organization, including recruiting and hiring. Cultivating a diverse initial talent pool can be achieved by targeting specific universities and employee resource groups, as well as ensuring that your organization is attractive to diverse candidates. “You have to be able to proudly discuss your company and its commitment to diversity to attract the kind of candidates you seek,” he notes.

Then, it’s crucial to retain talent by making sure you tailor your mentorship, guidance and leadership to all individuals to make sure they feel valued and are getting the support they need through robust programs.

A seasoned mentor and sponsor himself, Miller says a key component is understanding where your employees are in their career and where they want to go. “Help the person envision a path to achieve their goals and then support them on the journey,” he says, which can sometimes entail tough love. “It will not help the person if you gloss over weaknesses or blind spots.”

Part of a manager’s role is recognizing that talent comes in many forms and fashions; for example, someone quiet and reserved may be best in a given role even though they don’t command the spotlight in the same way as others.

And then make sure that talented individuals see themselves reflected at all levels of an organization so they can envision and realize a path to achieve their goals.
Also remember that as career paths and goals change, sometimes you no longer are the person who can do the best job as a mentor. By revisiting the relationship over time, you can be sure you are on the same page throughout the journey or even be willing to suggest another sponsor if that is appropriate given changing circumstances.

The Role of Unconscious Bias

Miller recently participated in training in unconscious bias, which was insightful in illuminating times he had unwittingly showed unconscious bias. One example involved a talented mid-level leader with enormous potential for upward mobility who recently became pregnant with her second child. Miller initially considered assigning the managing role for an upcoming major proposal to another capable leader, specifically to protect this female employee from the stressful and long hours of the proposal. However, upon reflection, he realized that she needed to be given the opportunity to decide whether she could take on that role or not, rather than depriving her of a career-developing opportunity without giving her a voice.

What Leaders Can Do

Leaders have a key role to play in ensuring an inclusive environment. The first step is to make sure the environment is safe and respectful for everyone, including men, women, multicultural staff, and people of varied religions, beliefs and different sexual orientations. “Respond quickly and decisively when you see evidence to the contrary,” he says.

It’s also important to take a look at the roles you assign people; for example, mix up who takes notes at a meeting.

Then, expand opportunities throughout your team. “Many times we have our ‘go-to,’ people and we end up overly stressing a few and not realizing the potential of others,” Miller notes. “We need to make a conscious effort to constantly step back and think about all the talented people on our teams and afford opportunities for those staff to prosper.”

Make sure the firm has policies that support an inclusive environment. “Try to find a way to offer a ‘yes’ in work schedules and work-life balance, especially for employees who are caring for children or elderly parents. Don’t make employees choose between work or life. Find ways they can have both.”

Finally, he advises that leaders give credit where credit is due. People will be more apt to speak up with diverse opinions if you don’t just reward people who parrot the ideas presented by others.

“We achieve better results when we avoid group think and have honest and open dialogue where everyone knows their opinion has merit, and they are not afraid to share,” Miller says.

/by

Men: It’s Easy to Be a Workplace Ally – Here’s How

,

happy man with women

Guest contributed by Deborah Pine and Trish Foster

By now it’s no surprise to read that, in 2017, women still face more workplace challenges than men.

According to McKinsey’s 2016 Women in the Workplace report, more than 75 percent of CEOs include gender equality in their top ten business priorities, but progress is still frustratingly slow.

While women can and do make progress alone, more and more companies are discovering a secret weapon to achieve gender balance – male allies. Men, if you truly want to support women in the workplace, there are practical (and relatively easy) steps you can take immediately. Remember that even incremental changes in your behavior might help the women you work with. Here’s how you can help.

Recruit women

In doing so, recognize that some of the best candidates might not come to you – you might need to seek them out. Why? Because while men apply for jobs when they meet 60 percent of the hiring criteria, women wait until they think they’ve met them all. So search for female candidates via LinkedIn, references, internships, and by making sure your hiring committees put women and other diverse candidates on the slate.

Actively promote women and raise their visibility

Encourage them to apply for jobs with more responsibility even if they haven’t met all of the requirements. Why? Because women tend to get promoted based on their accomplishments, men more so based on potential. And a McKinsey/LeanIn.Org report shows that men get promoted at a greater rate than women in the first few years of their careers. Research suggests that women benefit by seeing strong female role models ahead of them in the pipeline. Help make that happen by raising the visibility of women in your organization.

Evaluate performance fairly

Start by being aware of gender bias in performance reviews, since research shows that male performance is often overestimated compared to female performance. In fact, gender-blind studies show that removing gender from performance-based evaluations improves women’s chances of success. Provide constructive criticism and be honest and fair, just as you would with a man.

Be aware of unconscious bias

It’s now well-established that all of us are biased. That’s why so many companies use unconscious or implicit bias training as an essential step in developing men as allies programs. You can tap into plenty of online resources to learn more about implicit bias on your own.

Be a mentor, or better yet, a sponsor, to a woman

Data supports the notion that women who have both female and male mentors get more promotions and higher pay. In addition to mentoring, consider actively sponsoring a woman – remember that sponsors go beyond mentoring by creating tangible workplace opportunities for their protégés. For example, don’t be afraid to take a female colleague to lunch or invite her to an outing, as you would with a male colleague. Professional opportunities often arise in such social settings.

If you have parental leave, take it

We can’t achieve gender parity if women are the only ones taking child-care leave. As Liza Mundy writes in The Atlantic, “The true beneficiaries of paternity leave are women.”

Establish accountability metrics

Set personal diversity and inclusion goals, and encourage your company to establish diversity and inclusion goals for all managers, tying them to reviews and compensation. Accountability produces results!

Don’t ‘manterrupt’ when a woman is speaking

Research shows that men interrupt women far more than they interrupt other men. Actively work to listen more than you speak, and even better, visibly solicit and affirm input from women in meetings.

Be an advocate

Have your female co-worker’s back when she’s not in the room and call out unfairness and bias when you see it. Talk to other men to raise awareness about gender diversity and remember that silence can be misinterpreted as support for the status quo.

Share the housework at home and the office

For women to succeed, they need an equal division of labor at home and at work. Honestly evaluate whether you are sharing chores at home ranging from childcare to cleaning, and do the same at work, raising your hand for the tasks women so often assume, like organizing social events.

Your actions have the potential to make a major, positive difference not just in the lives of your female peers, but in your own life, your work environment, and your company’s success.

Deborah Pine is executive director and Trish Foster is senior program director for the Center for Women and Business at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

/by

Sexual Harassment: How Can Men Help Prevent it?

,

sexual harassment

Guest contributed by Jim Morris, WMFDP, Chief Curriculum Officer

In our current political and cultural context women are emboldened – on an historically unprecedented level – to call out the toxic behavior of male colleagues.

What many men are now learning about second hand through the news is a reality women have lived with since entering the workforce over a century ago. Now that the floodgates have opened there is a reckoning taking place: As more and more women speak-up about their harassment experience, others feel supported in coming forth with their stories. This has led to a wave of solidarity, where women are also communicating more with each other on how to approach this problem. One example is the 13 million dollar legal fund for women in low-wage jobs, that was recently announced by a coalition of women in the entertainment industry.

Many of the women who are coming forward were offered financial settlements in exchange for their silence. This sends an unmistakable message that their employers were willing to tolerate harassment without real consequence. What would have been the response had these men committed an equally egregious ethical or procedural breach of another type, like misappropriation of funds, or ignoring a safety issue? Would it have been overlooked, swept under the rug, or treated as confidential? Instead of creating organizational cultures that have a true zero tolerance policy for sexual assault or harassment, we’re living in a world where, until now, it’s been acceptable to quietly collude in a cover up if the perpetrator has enough money, status and power to make the issue go away. This is privilege run amok. Proposed legislation in California that would benefit non-disclosure agreements in these settlements is one possible solution.

So how did we get here? One aspect is the cultural conditioning men receive from a very young age, which entails gaining prestige by cultivating a “cowboy” atmosphere that excludes and often diminishes women. This can range from simply favoring men for leadership roles or drowning out female voices in meetings, (labeled “loudership” in a Harvard Business Review article), to outright objectification, harassment or assault. It’s a systemic issue that is bigger than a few bad actors. Though it’s easy to point a finger at the egregious offenders who make headlines, what about the role that other men play in perpetuating the culture that allows this behavior to flourish? This is a time for men to ask ourselves individually how we have contributed to an environment that has allowed a large number of high profile men to engage in this behavior, over the course of careers that often span decades.

One of the more insidious dimensions of this is unconscious bias. Confronting this requires cultivating a mindfulness of the way one’s own culture and identity shapes behavior and perception. It calls for working with discomfort and sitting with those feelings. At White Men As Full Development Partners, we approach unconscious bias by suggesting the real work before us is to better understand our own privilege and the way other factors like gender and racial conditioning impact how we feel about and view each other. For example, white men don’t typically pay as much attention to their appearance at work, and they are rarely judged as being incompetent because of how they dress. Yet we know from research that the perception of a woman’s competence at work is much more connected to their appearance than their male counterparts. Women are under a lot more pressure to literally “look the part” in order to establish credibility at work. (4)

Another skill that’s crucial to develop is the courage to identify problematic behavior, and speak up to disrupt it. This gets back to the importance of fostering an awareness of how perceptions and realities differ depending on different aspects of your identity. Something that might seem innocuous to a man might actually be experienced as intimidating or inappropriate to a woman or member of a marginalized group. Recognizing that everyone has the right to feel safe and valued in the workplace (and beyond) sets the stage for this approach. The idea is not that men are fundamentally flawed, but rather, are in need of some perspective on how other groups experience life in a white male dominated culture.

Though it’s tempting to think this issue can be addressed with a two hour workshop or online learning module, the reality is that it’s an ongoing process and a long-term commitment. The research, however, says that behavior change isn’t fixed by “training” alone; it’s fixed by helping people learn to first courageously examine and then consciously shift their mindsets. Individual behavior change is a lengthy and deeply personal process. The assumption that training will eradicate a culture of collusion and protection isn’t realistic. Instead, our approach is to begin by examining how the power, privilege and status that each of us wields may impact the way we lead and partner with others. You can’t change behavior without shifting mindsets, and there is no ‘quick fix’ when it comes to that work.

We also need to ask ourselves what men can do to help prepare the next generation? What can be taught to children by men (and women) to preempt some of the sexual harassment endemic to our culture? This behavior starts at a young age because boys want to connect and want to gain status with each other, so we need to find ways for them to do that in positive ways, where there’s space to be vulnerable. Traditionally, discussions on sexual harassment have tended to frame this as a “women’s issue,” and changing that perception is crucial to this process. This entails examining the impact this behavior has on men as well as women, and on the success and health of systems we work within and depend on, from the private sector to government and beyond.

About White Men As Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP):

WMFDP is a diversity and leadership development firm founded in 1996 by Bill Proudman, Michael Welp, Ph.D., and Jo-Ann Morris in Portland, Oregon. WMFDP takes an unorthodox approach towards eradicating bias and discrimination in the workplace. Its client list includes Alaska Airlines, Dell, Lockheed Martin, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation, Chevron Drilling & Completions, The Nature Conservancy, MassMutual, and others.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

/by

Tech Sector’s Lack of Diversity is About More Than the Lack of Numbers

, ,

Guest Contributed by Bill Proudman

It is no secret that the tech sector, for all its innovation and well-intentioned plans to work the problem, suffers from a serious diversity problem. One that will not be solved if they only focus on numbers –as in representation of marginalized groups.

The numbers only reflect underlying cultural problems within the tech sector. In hiring for example, an HR director or manager who only hires people who resemble the director or manager – looks, talks, acts, similar background, etc. – is missing the whole point of diversity. The situation is cultural, engrained, and usually unconscious. Systemic bias is prevalent in our society and its roots run deep into the corporate world. Only with our sleeves rolled up, working to change mindsets from CEO on down, do we begin to see a tangible cultural shift in the workplace.

So while the “numbers” are alarming, fixing the numbers alone is not enough. In their 2016 report, Diversity in High Tech, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for enforcing anti-discriminatory laws, concluded “Despite rapid transformation in the field, the overwhelming dominance of white men in the industries and occupations associated with technology has remained.”

The EEOC found that tech companies employed 7% African Americans vs. 14% for other industries, 8% vs. 13.9% for Hispanics, and 36% vs. 48% for women. The disparity was more pronounced for executive positions: 83% white, 2% African American, 3% Hispanic, 10.5% Asian American, and 20% occupied by women.

In Silicon Valley, the microcosm of the tech industry, within the top 75 tech firms, African Americans, Hispanics and women made up 3%, 6% and 30%, respectively. By contrast, it was 24%, 22% an 49% for non-tech firms in the same area.

If it were only a “pipeline problem,” one could concentrate on that and it’d be solved, but evidence points to something intrinsically awry within the sector. In one survey, 716 women who had resigned long-term positions in tech companies were asked what motivated them to make such a difficult decision. 192 women (27%) cited discrimination in the workplace related to an array of issues such as gender, age, race, sexual preference, an unsupportive environment, motherhood and childcare.

The ramifications of all this are felt not just morally, but in the company ledger. Replacing an employee costs $5,000 to $10,000, while for executives it’s $50,000 to $100,000. And that is all in addition to the devastating effects of lawsuits and damaged reputations.

White Men As Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP) was founded 20 years ago in order to confront and engage top level white male leadership across the spectrum of corporate America. Fortunately, most leaders are thrilled at the prospect of dismantling cultural bias. When we went to work for Dell, for example, we were met with a stellar level of cooperation.

As Chairman Michael Dell has stated, “A diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences is the catalyst for innovation. That is how we deliver better results for our customers and our team members. For us, a diverse and inclusive culture is a competitive advantage.”

Marie Moynihan, Senior Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition, Dell EMC expanded further by saying, “I’m a very strong believer in the value of diversity. It forces a more challenging conversation and ultimately better decisions. I do think things are changing for the better for women in leadership. Companies are just paying a lot more attention to the evidence that’s out there now which says that a more diverse team can result in better return on equity.”

To address the obvious pipeline issue, one of the most ambitious projects I’ve encountered is called #YesWeCode. Founded by prominent activist Van Jones, #YesWeCode has the goal of teaching computer coding to 100,000 youth from inner cities and underrepresented minorities. Partnering with tech monoliths Google and Facebook, “Yes We Code aspires to become the United Negro College Fund equivalent for coding education,” Jones said. “Yes We Code exists to find and fund the next Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg in communities you would never expect to find them.”

By 2020, it is estimated that the tech industry will need another 1.4 million jobs filled, but only 400,000 US workers will be qualified to fill them. #YesWeCode and other forward-thinking organizations are taking advantage of this massive opportunity to diversify the tech industry, and in so doing create a paradigm shift in America.

Whether you intend to disrupt an industry, make a ton of money or save the planet, the disparity in high tech and other sectors serves as a lesson for the entrepreneur. I am confident that startups and companies that embrace diversity and inclusion, that challenge themselves and others, will emerge as the definitive leaders. That is because a diverse world calls for a diverse workforce of brilliant minds.

Recognizing our differences and similarities leads to new ways of breaking down problems, enlightening conversations and innovative solutions.

In an often turbulent world, that’s exactly what we need.

About Bill Proudman:

Bill Proudman is WMFDP co-founder and CEO. He pioneered white-men-only workshops in the ’90s after noticing white male leaders repeatedly disengaging from diversity efforts. Bill’s provocative work led to founding White Men As Full Diversity Partners. For over 35 years, he has served as a leadership development consultant, coach and facilitator to countless organizations on issues of team effectiveness, cultural competency, and diversity.

Save

/by

Men Who Get it: Lance A. LaVergne, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Talent Acquisition Strategy & Practice, Wells Fargo

,

 By Cathie Ericson

Numbers talk, say Wells Fargo’s Lance LaVergne, and one of the most powerful ways to point out the importance of diversity is through the data. “The numbers can tell a compelling story and show you where you have areas of opportunity,” he says.

His approach is to start with the baseline assumption that the company recruits great people, so if these smart, capable people come in and then have an under-performing experience, a company really needs to consider other environmental factors .  And if data doesn’t work, he appeals to hearts and minds: “To be effective, all your people need to be experiencing the organization in a positive way.”

With enough of these conversations and effective solutions, people will commit, he says. “If you are trying to promote meritocracy and are significantly  represented in one particular group, chances are we’re missing some of the best people available,” he points out.

A Career Built on a Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Currently a senior vice president within enterprise talent acquisition, LaVergne leads the strategy and practice team, which includes targeted recruitment of diverse groups such as veterans and people with disabilities. In this role, he oversees all recruitment marketing, advertising and employer branding, including social media and candidate experience, as well as the assessment team, which builds out their online and written assessments.

But his diversity journey began in 2000 when he joined Goldman Sachs as the diversity officer for the investment management division, holding a number of diversity and recruiting roles since then. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he spent three years as chief diversity officer for NY Life and also headed talent acquisition at Alcoa.

He has seen the industry evolve from the mid-90s when his employer Merrill Lynch was engaged in diversity activities, but it wasn’t until he took the role at Goldman that he came to appreciate the value and importance of diversity and the impact that this type of work can have on individuals and the broader organizational ecosystem.

“My goal is to help level the playing field and create an equal set of opportunities for all demographic groups, as I have seen how the connection between diversity and inclusion and talent management is inextricable,” he says. “If you’re effective at diversity and inclusion, then more than likely you’ll be good at overall talent management.”

Over the years, he has observed the challenges that people from underrepresented groups face in large organizations, which is why he has been committed to addressing the issues and helping people overcome those challenges. “Typically, diversity initiatives start with gender and ethnicity, and then as the analysis broadens, you are able to identify other differences in people’s backgrounds that can inhibit their progression and success in an organization, such as sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or generational difference.”

When thinking of gender equality, LaVergne notes that even in industries and companies with broad representation of women, it often still remains a pyramid, where the closer you get to the CEO, the lower the gender representation becomes.

He finds that as companies analyze the experiences women have, they recognize the need to understand why women are either not progressing or are opting out at certain career inflection points and to implement programs that address the declining representation curve. “Once you understand the issues, then you can design initiatives that specifically focus on those issues.”

The strategy has to be two-pronged: greater visibility and talent development for women as they are progressing and then fixing the institutional barriers that exist. They have to happen simultaneously, he points out.

At Wells Fargo, 33% of its Board director nominees are women and the company has a strong record of recruiting, promoting, and rewarding women at all levels of the organization.

Coaching Men and Women

Because he works in HR, LaVergne has ample opportunity to mentor women within his department, but he also advises women in other lines of business on how to navigate the culture and different work situations. And since male perspectives may be different, he finds he’s often called on to provide insight into how to interpret interactions. He also frequently serves as a network broker to help plot strategies for garnering better visibility.

When working with leaders to help them appreciate the experiences of those from underrepresented groups, LaVergne knows it’s important to have a variety of tactics available to address blind spots, employing different strategies based on his relationship with the person. If he knows them well, he can be direct about dynamics and approach the situation head-on.

But if it’s not someone with whom he has a relationship, he employs a more diplomatic approach: He’s found it helpful to share analogous situations that help them appreciate the circumstances. “When you start to make it a little personal, people can better understand  the issues you are trying to discuss,” he notes. A favorite example is asking men if they’ve ever been to a women’s club meeting where they were the only guy, and to recall how it felt to stand in a corner by yourself because no one talked to you. “When I say, ‘Imagine if you had to do that every day,’ they really start to understand how it feels to be a woman in an often male dominated industry.”

Finally, he believes people must be mindful of language. One of his least favorite “proof points” for the importance of diversity is “It’s the right thing to do.” That’s because, unfortunately, when times get tough and hard decisions are made, people get real focused on business and the “right thing to do” can get lost in conversation.

On that same note, he says that it’s important to use language that affirms a group’s ability to succeed, cautioning others to avoid any language that undermines or questions the capabilities of underrepresented groups.

“We don’t have enough women,” or “We just need to hire more minorities,” can indicate that the company is making concessions or compromises to achieve diversity. “Instead we need to talk about the value of diversity and the skills, attributes and achievements different people bring,” he says. “We have to recognize the success that comes when we incorporate different viewpoints and backgrounds.”

LaVergne also went on to say,

“At Wells Fargo, we aspire to hire the best talent that reflects the diversity of the customers we serve because a workplace that leverages both our similarities and our differences is a competitive advantage in the marketpace .”

/by

What Skills Differentiate Women Who Make It To The Top?

, ,
top

Image via Shutterstock

Guest contributed by Steven Stein

What does it really take for women leaders to make it to the top in the business world? Over the past 20 years, we’ve compiled the world’s largest database of testing results on emotional intelligence—approximately 2 million people worldwide. The Emotional Quotients Inventory (EQ-i 2.0) is the first and most widely used emotional intelligence test in the world. One of the areas we look at is the relationship between emotional intelligence and success at work. In addition, we’ve looked at the role gender plays in how these emotional skills are expressed.

We were the first to document the differences between men and women’s emotional intelligence profiles. Interestingly, the results were consistent around the world. And while there’s no significant difference in overall emotional intelligence scores, there were differences in the types of emotional intelligence. Men scored higher in independence, stress tolerance and problem solving. Women, however, scored higher in emotional self-awareness, emotional expression and empathy.

Building on women’s strengths

In the early days of reporting on my organization’s emotional intelligence and organizational success research, I was challenged by a number of businesswomen. They told me that to be successful in the male corporate environment, such as in financial institutions and the tech industry, it was important to be tough. They thought that they had to be tougher than the men in order to succeed. Being aggressive, they said, was rewarded and the way to get ahead.

I thought differently. I suggested that women were generally better in interpersonal skills, empathy and emotional expression, and they should leverage these skills. While the traditionally male-dominant traits of stress tolerance, independence and using appropriate emotions in solving problems were important qualities for leaders, women’s skills in these areas did not lag behind the men’s. And to get ahead of the curve in leadership, the skills women already excelled in were the ones to focus on improving even more.

Women are moving the needle on defining leadership traits

One of our current research samples includes 280 executives who are about to be or are currently on boards of directors. These high-level executives, most of whom have worked their way up the organizational ladder, have acquired the skills one needs to make it to the top. The sample shows that women have essentially closed the gap in the areas where men traditionally score higher—independence, stress tolerance and problem solving. They have had to deal with stress throughout their careers and, at this stage, are more balanced in dealing with difficult situations. Also, they’ve been at a decision-making level for a significant amount of time and can manage the decision-making process well.

But the data also shows that women who make it to the level of senior executives moving onto boards bring some extra skills with them to the boardroom. These women outscore their male counterparts in emotional self-awareness, emotional expression and empathy. These skills have now emerged as defining future leaders.

What difference does it make having females on the board of directors?  The New York Times reported on a study by Credit Suisse looking at gender differences of board members. They examined almost 2,400 global corporations from 2005 to 2011, including the years directly preceding and following the financial crisis, and found that large-cap companies with at least one woman on their boards outperformed comparable companies with all-male boards by 26 percent.

The report continued, “Some might assume that there was a cost to this as well, that boards with women must have been excessively cautious before the financial crisis of 2008… Not so. From 2005 to 2007, Credit Suisse also found, the stock performance of companies with women on their boards essentially matched performance of companies with all-male boards. Nothing lost, but much gained.” Unfortunately, the number of women getting to the boardroom is still much lower than men.

Increase your emotional intelligence

Whatever your emotional intelligence strengths, you can develop and enhance the three specific traits exhibited strongly by women in leadership roles.

  1. Cultivate self-awareness. Practice can help you become more emotionally self-aware. Through activities like meditation and mindfulness, you can learn to focus more on what you’re feeling and why you’re feeling that way. Knowing yourself better will help you become more balanced and centered when dealing with stressful situations and people.
  2. Find the balance for emotional expression. Being emotionally expressive comes naturally for many people. There’s nothing wrong with letting others know when something is bothering you or when you’re pleased with someone’s work. Be honest and authentic. Expressing your feelings can make you more real and likeable as a person, especially when you learn to manage it well. On the other hand, being overly expressive or under expressive can lead to trouble.
  3. Make empathy your secret strength. Great leaders are empathic. They are able to listen to others and understand where they’re coming from. But don’t mistake empathy for believing you must give in to everyone’s wants and needs. Understanding another person’s situation helps you make better decisions about what feels right for you.

*  *  *

Steven Stein, Ph.D., is a leading expert on psychological assessment and emotional intelligence. He is the founder and CEO of Multi-Health Systems, a leading publisher of scientifically validated assessments. Dr. Steven Stein is the author and coauthor of several books on emotional intelligence, including his new book, The EQ Leader: Instilling Passion, Creating Shared Goals, and Building Meaningful Organizations through Emotional Intelligence

Disclaimer: The views and advice given by our Guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

/by

Women Leaders as Agenda Movers: Leveling the Playing Field

, ,

female leaderGuest Contributed By Samuel B. Bacharach

Recently I was asked to give a talk to a forum attended by fifty women executives. The topic was based on my new book and was titled, “The Agenda Mover: When Your Good Idea Is Not Enough.” Two days before the talk, two invitees objected, or at least questioned, my legitimacy, and pointedly asked the organizers “What does a man know about women and leadership?”

My response was that, indeed, I had no expertise that was unique to the challenges of being or aspiring to be a woman leader. My expertise is in the micro-political skills that any leader—no matter what their personality, background, age, gender—needs in order to move their ideas, their agendas, and their change efforts forward.

I am the first to admit that every leader brings to their agenda mover challenges their unique voice, their unique skills, and their unique narrative. Leaders face different burdens. While, for some, due to societal expectations and pressures, the burdens are greater, the core skills of leadership are ubiquitous.

If you want to succeed in an organization, if you want to move your idea forward, if you want to drive your career—to lead any effort, you need to have mastered political competence. That is, you must acquire and develop the micro-skills overcome resistance, mobilize support, and go the distance. Leaders of all stripes need to understand that a good idea is simply not enough. As a leader, you need the skills of political competence.

Having trained leaders at all levels of numerous organizations, I have determined that there are four fundamental agenda-moving skills:

1. Anticipate. When innovating and creating change, your idea is inevitably going to impact others. You have to anticipate how others will react to your idea. You need to know whom you’re dealing with, interpret their intentions, gauge their resistance, and expect the arguments that they will make against your idea.

Successful leaders spend as much time formulating their plan as they do mapping the political terrain and working out how they will present and justify their ideas to others. They expect resistance, and have made plans to overcome the naysayers.

2. Mobilize. You can’t do it alone. To achieve results, you have to work with a coalition of supporters who share your goals. Coalitions not only lighten the workload, but they reinforce your credibility and protect you—and your team—against unexpected setbacks.

To mobilize others, you must be careful to focus your message, be smart about timing the release of your messaging, astute about language, and perceptive about your audience. Support can be weak or strong, or middling, and politically competent leaders know when lukewarm support is enough to get their agenda accomplished, and when they have to press harder for a greater degree backing.

3. Negotiate. You have to negotiate support. You have to show others that there is little risk in joining you in your effort. Give a sense that you are fine without them, but it would be nice to have them along on the effort. Show prospective coalition members what they can gain from aligning their interests with yours. Getting the buy-in is about shifting your focus from your passion to really seriously thinking about where others are coming from, and what would motivate them to join your effort.

4. Sustain. You have to keep working after your coalition is in place. It falls on your shoulders as the leader to maintain traction, create short-term wins, create short-term victories, supply resources, and reinforce an optimistic outlook.

Sometimes agenda movers make the mistake of front-loading their effort on the coalition creation stage, and slack off once the coalition is formed. You can’t let your enthusiasm flag as you head toward the finish line. Make sure your coalition becomes a focused, agile, coordinated, forward-moving team.

After my talk, one attendee came up to me and said that the agenda moving skills were something that she learned late in life. She also mentioned that young men are taught the ropes of the political games well before young women. Isn’t that the sad truth?

Considering the challenges that women face, mastering the skills of an agenda mover is just but one more step to leveling the playing field.

About the author

Samuel B. Bacharach is the author of THE AGENDA MOVER: When Your Good Idea Is Not Enough (Cornell University Press, 2016). He is also co-founder of the Bacharach Leadership Group, which focuses on training leaders in the skills of the Agenda Mover, and is the McKelvey-Grant Professor at Cornell University.

Disclaimer: Views and opinions of Guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

/by