Gallup has polled Americans on their male or female boss preferences for over six decades now. It took until this century for “no difference” (46% in 2014) to consistently become the top answer– an answer which men (58%) are much more likely to express than women (34%).
During all previous years of the study, it’s no big surprise that preference for a male boss took the top spot. Among those with a preference today, men and women still prefer male bosses.
Among men, 14% prefer a female boss and 26% prefer a male boss – which means that among preferring men, 65% pick a male boss. Among women, 25% prefer a female boss and 39% prefer a male boss – which means that among preferring women,61% pick a male boss.
Women are more likely than men to prefer a female boss, but also more likely to prefer a male boss. Gallup points out that total preference for a female boss has never surpassed 25%.
Gallup indicates one of the measures that may contribute to the female boss bias is still too few female bosses. Only 33% of respondents currently had a female boss. But “those who have a female boss are more likely than those with a male boss to say they would prefer a female boss if they got a new job (27% vs. 15%, respectively).”
The Bias Behind Our Preferences
A recent study by Powell & Butterfield published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior sought to understand what drives preferences around male or female bosses, or the lack of preference.
The researchers note that the overall male bias is likely a complicated mix of pervasive gender stereotypes, leadership traits being associated to men, role congruity, societally conferred male status, and think manager-think male prototypes. Other sources speculate female preference in particular for male bosses may lie in fear of the “queen bee syndrome”, bullying by other women, reports of increased stress when reporting to female bosses, or that women bosses get penalized for supporting other women’s career advancement.
But the researchers wanted to investigate how gender identity plays a role in preferences. They asked 455 undergraduate (median age 20) and part-time MBA students (median age 36) about their boss preferences and had them complete a tool that measures gender identity, or to what extent people identify themselves as having (stereotypical) “masculine” traits and (stereotypical) “feminine traits.
Similar to Gallup, they found the majority of participants had no preference about the sex of their boss. But sex-typed respondents (those self-identifying either highly masculine or highly feminine based on stereotypical traits) were more likely to express a preference – and that preference was likely to be consistent with their own gender-identification.
“Feminine” respondents preferred a female boss more than “masculine” ones. “Masculine” respondents preferred a male boss more than “feminine” ones. “Undifferentiated” or “androgynous” respondents, less defined personally by gender, were less inclined to express any preference for their bosses too.
According to Powell, “Our study supports the similarity attraction paradigm that suggests people are more interpersonally attracted to the idea of working with and being around people whom they see as being like themselves.”
If we extend these findings, our preferences or lack of them for the sex of our boss may reflect something about how we gender-identify within. It would seem that more strongly embracing our own feminine traits could open us up more to embracing female bosses.
Women are Better Managers
There are a lot of reasons to embrace female leadership. A recent Gallup “State of the American Manager” report focused on, despite the male boss bias, “why women are better managers than men.”
Fostering Engagement
Gallup found female leaders (41%) are more engaged than male leaders (35%), and make more engaging bosses. This enables them to lead high-performing teams.
The report found “Employees of female managers outscore employees of male managers on 11 of 12 engagement items.” Employees who work for a female manager are more engaged (on average 6%). The highest engagement levels are among female employees reporting to female managers (35%) and the lowest engagement is among male employees reporting to male managers (25%).
Cultivating Potential
Gallup found that employees who report to a female manager rather than male manager are 1.26 times more likely to strongly agree that “There is someone at work who encourages my development.”
The report noted, “This suggests that female managers likely surpass their male counterparts in cultivating potential in others and helping to define a bright future for their employees.”
Another aspect in which female bosses shined was in attention to employee progress. Employees reporting to a female manager are 1.29 times more likely to strongly agree that “In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.”
According to the report, “This suggests that female managers, more so than male managers, tend to provide regular feedback to help their employees achieve their development goals.”
Providing Recognition
When employees do make progress or realize achievements, female managers are more likely to acknowledge it too. The Gallup study found that employees reporting to a female boss are 1.17 times more likely to strongly agree that “In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.”
According to the report, “In addition to encouraging associate development through regular conversations about performance, this suggests that female managers surpass male managers in providing positive feedback that helps employees feel valued for their everyday contributions” and they are more likely “helping their employees harness the power of positive reinforcement.”
“Overall,” the report states, “female managers eclipse their male counterparts at setting basic expectations for their employees, building relationships with their subordinates, encouraging a positive team environment and providing employees with opportunities to develop within their careers.”
Gallup’s recommendation? Companies need to get more female managers in place through use of the great hiring and promoting equalizer of, wait for it: “talent.”
Overall, many advantages exist to having a women as your manager. It’s time both men and women took stock of them.
Update: Professional Women in South Korea and the Landscape for Working Women
PipelineHow easy is it for South Korean woman to climb the corporate ladder in modern day South Korea? Today’s South Korea is undeniably behind the rest of the world in its prevalence of women in professional positions. Most of Korea’s female workforce finds employment as secretaries or in low paid blue collar work. Compared with a worldwide average of 10.5%, Korean women hold only 1.9% of director level positions in Korea. This systematic inequality at corporate and managerial levels of Korean society resulted in South Korea scoring the lowest of all industrialized nations on The Economist’s glass ceiling index. But with the election of Park Geun-hye as president in 2012, change is on the horizon for South Korea’s career oriented women. Through Korea’s rapid development, women today have opportunities their mothers could only dream of at the same age.
Read more
Update: Professional Women in India and the Landscape for Working Women
PipelineBen Rozon
This article is part of theglasshammer.com’s annual women in Asia feature running throughout the month of August.
Read more
Voice of Experience: Pauline Ho, Assurance Leader, PwC Malaysia
People, Voices of ExperienceSince 1993, Ho has worked for PwC in the Malaysia office, augmented by a two-year international assignment with PwC UK, working with clients in the energy and utilities sectors among others. She became Partner in 2005 and almost immediately learnt that she was pregnant with triplets. Confined to bed rest towards the end of the pregnancy, she worked from her hospital room until her doctor banned her from conference calls. “I am not one to take it easy. However it is a choice,” she says.
When she did return, she decided to take on client work that didn’t involve much travel demands in addition to taking on what she felt would be a more stable position overseeing Human Capital and Methodology for the Assurance practice.
After three years, she relinquished the Methodology duties in order to oversee larger clients, eventually leading to being asked to lead the Assurance practice for Malaysia – the first female Assurance Leader in Malaysia.
She names this as the professional achievement she is most proud of, overseeing 1,200 professionals which is roughly half the firm in Malaysia.
Right now she is focused on working with PwC on building trust in a competitive marketplace, noting that Assurance is the foundation for that trust. “The audit market is very mature, but we are working to change mindsets to view assurance in a broader lens, to demonstrate the value we can bring to our clients.”
Learning to Take Risks
As she has progressed throughout her career, Ho says that she has learned that it’s ok to make mistakes because trying new things is how you learn. She says that in the past she had taken the approach that if she wasn’t certain about something, she’d better not do it.
That held her back, she says, but as she progressed she had mentors who pushed her along and helped her take on more courageous roles and new challenges.
She cites one time when her Managing Partner asked her who would be suited to take on a new role, and she offered three names, excluding her own, and explained why those people could do the job. When he asked about her, she said that it had never crossed her mind because she wasn’t ready. When he said I think you are the person, I agreed,” she remembers, reflecting on a conversation playing in her mind about other times she had turned down a role because it required too much travel or otherwise was outside of her comfort zone.
Making Strides In Equal Representation
Ho is proud that the firm has excellent female representation at all levels – 60 percent of its graduate intakes are women, along with 40 percent of partners and directors, and even two of the nine executive board members, including Ho.
One area where it is trickier to maintain equality generally, but desired by female millennials, is in mobility since it is more challenging for women to take their family overseas in the Asian culture than men.
She also sees that many women take a break when they have children and it is challenging for them to return. The firm is addressing that by supporting the national “Back2Work” program, where they help women re-acclimate, and the firm also offers flexible working arrangements, which allows people to work a minimum of three days a week..
The board level is another place where she sees women can have an impact. “When people retire from board positions, they try to find others whom they know to take their places, so it’s important for women to remember to do the same for women.”
She is also a believer in mentoring, and recently volunteered to help in a pilot program to mentor young, high-potential women called “Womentum,” an idea that came from her Markets Leader, another female partner on the executive board of PwC Malaysia. “Women need to help each other more, share their stories and let people see that there are successes and failures, and it’s ok to do something out of your comfort zone,” Ho says.
She herself benefited from a mentoring program earlier in her career, when she was fortunate to be assigned by the firm’s former chairman to a female CEO of an international bank in Malaysia, whom she says was instrumental in helping her prioritize what was important and how to make it happen.
Away from the Office
Ho’s triplets, now nine, keep her busy away from the office with their sports and activities. The family also prioritizes quarterly holidays – whether to the beach or the slopes to enjoy family time.
Update: Professional Women Japan and the Landscape for Working Women
PipelineHow easy is it for Japanese woman to climb the corporate ladder in modern day Japan? With the establishment of Japan’s Equal Opportunity Law in 1985, Japanese women have become a fixture on factory floors and construction sites across Japan. In universities, Japanese women consistently perform to the highest international standards and are viewed as one of the best educated female demographics in the world.
Read more
Despite Our Bias Against Them, Gallup Says Females Make Better Managers
Career Advice, Office PoliticsDuring all previous years of the study, it’s no big surprise that preference for a male boss took the top spot. Among those with a preference today, men and women still prefer male bosses.
Among men, 14% prefer a female boss and 26% prefer a male boss – which means that among preferring men, 65% pick a male boss. Among women, 25% prefer a female boss and 39% prefer a male boss – which means that among preferring women,61% pick a male boss.
Women are more likely than men to prefer a female boss, but also more likely to prefer a male boss. Gallup points out that total preference for a female boss has never surpassed 25%.
Gallup indicates one of the measures that may contribute to the female boss bias is still too few female bosses. Only 33% of respondents currently had a female boss. But “those who have a female boss are more likely than those with a male boss to say they would prefer a female boss if they got a new job (27% vs. 15%, respectively).”
The Bias Behind Our Preferences
A recent study by Powell & Butterfield published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior sought to understand what drives preferences around male or female bosses, or the lack of preference.
The researchers note that the overall male bias is likely a complicated mix of pervasive gender stereotypes, leadership traits being associated to men, role congruity, societally conferred male status, and think manager-think male prototypes. Other sources speculate female preference in particular for male bosses may lie in fear of the “queen bee syndrome”, bullying by other women, reports of increased stress when reporting to female bosses, or that women bosses get penalized for supporting other women’s career advancement.
But the researchers wanted to investigate how gender identity plays a role in preferences. They asked 455 undergraduate (median age 20) and part-time MBA students (median age 36) about their boss preferences and had them complete a tool that measures gender identity, or to what extent people identify themselves as having (stereotypical) “masculine” traits and (stereotypical) “feminine traits.
Similar to Gallup, they found the majority of participants had no preference about the sex of their boss. But sex-typed respondents (those self-identifying either highly masculine or highly feminine based on stereotypical traits) were more likely to express a preference – and that preference was likely to be consistent with their own gender-identification.
“Feminine” respondents preferred a female boss more than “masculine” ones. “Masculine” respondents preferred a male boss more than “feminine” ones. “Undifferentiated” or “androgynous” respondents, less defined personally by gender, were less inclined to express any preference for their bosses too.
According to Powell, “Our study supports the similarity attraction paradigm that suggests people are more interpersonally attracted to the idea of working with and being around people whom they see as being like themselves.”
If we extend these findings, our preferences or lack of them for the sex of our boss may reflect something about how we gender-identify within. It would seem that more strongly embracing our own feminine traits could open us up more to embracing female bosses.
Women are Better Managers
There are a lot of reasons to embrace female leadership. A recent Gallup “State of the American Manager” report focused on, despite the male boss bias, “why women are better managers than men.”
Fostering Engagement
Gallup found female leaders (41%) are more engaged than male leaders (35%), and make more engaging bosses. This enables them to lead high-performing teams.
The report found “Employees of female managers outscore employees of male managers on 11 of 12 engagement items.” Employees who work for a female manager are more engaged (on average 6%). The highest engagement levels are among female employees reporting to female managers (35%) and the lowest engagement is among male employees reporting to male managers (25%).
Cultivating Potential
Gallup found that employees who report to a female manager rather than male manager are 1.26 times more likely to strongly agree that “There is someone at work who encourages my development.”
The report noted, “This suggests that female managers likely surpass their male counterparts in cultivating potential in others and helping to define a bright future for their employees.”
Another aspect in which female bosses shined was in attention to employee progress. Employees reporting to a female manager are 1.29 times more likely to strongly agree that “In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.”
According to the report, “This suggests that female managers, more so than male managers, tend to provide regular feedback to help their employees achieve their development goals.”
Providing Recognition
When employees do make progress or realize achievements, female managers are more likely to acknowledge it too. The Gallup study found that employees reporting to a female boss are 1.17 times more likely to strongly agree that “In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.”
According to the report, “In addition to encouraging associate development through regular conversations about performance, this suggests that female managers surpass male managers in providing positive feedback that helps employees feel valued for their everyday contributions” and they are more likely “helping their employees harness the power of positive reinforcement.”
“Overall,” the report states, “female managers eclipse their male counterparts at setting basic expectations for their employees, building relationships with their subordinates, encouraging a positive team environment and providing employees with opportunities to develop within their careers.”
Gallup’s recommendation? Companies need to get more female managers in place through use of the great hiring and promoting equalizer of, wait for it: “talent.”
Overall, many advantages exist to having a women as your manager. It’s time both men and women took stock of them.
Will Gender Equity happen because of Millennial Professionals?
Office PoliticsMany senior women have talked to us at theglasshammer.com about the challenges of understanding and motivating younger team members. Since there have been academic and anecdotal studies noting the differences in approaches to work between the generations, it is easy to see that our readers are not alone in their experience.
Read more
Career Tip Of The Week
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!Know the difference between a stretch assignment or an opportunity to develop your skills and over-promising work that you don’t have time, support or perhaps the skillset to do since this affect your reputation.
Work with your boss and sponsors to secure useful projects or tasks that are supported. Ask yourself about time, skills and institutional support as a checklist before you say yes.
Welcome to Career Tip of the Week. In this column we aim to provide you with a useful snippet of advice to carry with you all week as you navigate the day to day path in your career.
By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist
Contact nicki@theglasshammer.com is you would like to hire an executive coach to help you navigate the path to optimal personal success at work
Voice of Experience: Frances Janis, Senior Partner, Pomona Capital (the private equity arm of Voya Investment Management)
People, Voices of ExperienceJanis knows that this path will pay off: her career in the venture capital industry has been the result of seizing new opportunities and taking calculated risks along the way.
She was first introduced to the field when she filled a six-month gap between university and graduate school as a receptionist at a venture capital firm. It just happened to be one of the most prolific VC firms at the time, one that had backed Apple and Genentech, and Janis recognized her good fortune to be working with great people doing exciting things. She sought employment at the firm after completing business school, and while there were no current opportunities there, one partner who had left to start his own firm hired her. She worked for him for 11 years and continues the relationship today — he remains her mentor and is on the board of a fund for which she is the portfolio manager.
Her next move was to join her current partner at Pomona Capital, who was launching a new concept at the time — buying out the interest in funds from investors who needed liquidity. “It was a mad cap idea, but he was very convincing and he really had foresight in a market that was not yet evolved,” she says. “It’s been an amazing ride. Neither of us could have dreamed it would become as big of a business as it has,” says Janis. The 21-year partnership has spawned a business that manages $8 billion and has 45 employees in three global locations.
For Janis, building the business is the achievement she’s most proud of. These days, her main functions are in an upper management capacity, rather than making investments. She recently was intricately involved in overseeing the development of a recently launched retail product, which will be distributed by Voya. It will create an entirely new market for Pomona Capital, since all its previous products have been institutional.
“I love being involved in strategizing how to make sure that the business is moving forward on lots of different fronts. The industry has changed and evolved so much, and we are constantly faced with exciting new challenges.”
Finding the Right Talent and Right Fit: A Two-Way Street
For Janis, one of those recurring challenges is managing the people side of the business. As a small firm, it’s critical that new hires fit in to the collegial culture since each person affects the dynamic. The interview process typically includes having the potential candidate meet with a cross section of employees to check that personality fit. “From senior-level employees down to junior, it can be hard to get it right,” she says.
Once selected, her firm aims to keep associates engaged so Pomona is constantly considering how to offer new experiences. For example, just recently a younger associate who valued international experience spent time in the firm’s London and Hong Kong offices; another will go to Hong Kong in September.
Much of a candidate’s future success has to do with how they respond to the smaller, less-structured environment. Janis recommends that all professionals realize that bosses prefer employees who are self-starters and ask how they can help, rather than sitting and waiting to be tapped on the shoulder.
Janis stresses that long-term career satisfaction comes from finding something you love to do. She knew from her first position that she loved private equity – being around smart people and the excitement of hearing about new businesses and strategizing on their behalf. She also says that she knew a big bank wouldn’t be a good fit for her; for her part, she preferred the smaller environment, where she was spending a lot of time with people who become like family.
“You have to understand what the right environment is for you: Are you a self-starter? Do you need hands-on management? You have to be an active manager of your own career, and while you shouldn’t be impatient and jump before you fully understand the opportunities a certain position might offer, you shouldn’t stay at something too long if it’s not fulfilling your needs.”
Success in a Man’s World
Janis notes that the financial industry is still predominantly male – and that much of the networking happens on golf outings and during other sports-oriented events.
“While that remains a barrier and it does not always provide the most comfortable networking environment for women, that doesn’t mean one can’t have a successful career in the financial services industry; you just have to accept that these venues exist.”
She says that there are many successful women in the industry – she points to her firm which has two female partners and women heading up finance and marketing, but notes they are not always as vocal about their achievements. “These women both have roles of significant responsibility, and you usually don’t hear about them. Women tend to be more low key and modest and don’t get as much recognition as men choose to take.”
As the mom of two boys, ages eight and 13, her home life can be a “man’s world,” as well. She loves nothing more than having breakfast with her sons, and spending as much time with them as she can. “I leave work and turn into a mom,” she says.
And lastly, in addition to Janis’s role as a Senior Partner of Pomona, she serves on the board of trustees of her alma mater, Northeastern University.
Men Who Get It: Larry Ostendorf, Senior Director Business Development, Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company
Men Who "Get It", People“We’re all in this together; it doesn’t matter what your gender, race or creed is.”
That is the philosophy of Larry Ostendorf, who oversees business development for the aerospace and defense market for Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company. With only a few competitors, the sales environment is largely based on the relationships he builds with his customers, which include aerospace and defense companies, the U.S. government and foreign customers. “My role is to make sure we’re well thought of, to make sure that we have the opportunity to share our capabilities.”
Ostendorf graduated from West Point and spent five years on active duty in the US Army, then he earned his MBA. He’s spent over 15 years in the corporate world as a project manager and business development professional. He has augmented his leadership background with 15 years in the National Guard holding various command and staff positions along the way.
No Rank in Civilian Life
Ostendorf says the corporate world is different from the military because it is a level playing field. He acknowledges that championing diversity has a generational component, and has found that millennials have a different approach than he does, as does the generation ahead of him. “Part of it is how you were brought up, which you can’t help; but also your influences.”
At his current positon, Ostendorf makes sure that all his team has a voice. “They are all successful professionals so I view my role as someone who can be there to guide them rather than give them a lot of direction. To me a major factor of inclusion is that everyone has a say, and that’s how my department runs.”
Ostendorf acknowledges that it is a challenge to find women to join the team. The aerospace and defense industry lacks diversity overall with too many men that have a military background or who have spent their whole career in the aerospace and defense industry.
When looking for candidates, he encourages leaders to broaden their search, reaching out, for example, to the Women’s Society of Engineers or other alternative places to find diverse candidates.
Another example of tapping a non-traditional hiring network occurred when his company was looking to fill a finance position and sent out a request through his National Guard leadership. His company ended up hiring a female soldier from his command, whom he otherwise wouldn’t have thought about. She has blossomed at the firm, and as Ostendorf says, “It’s about opening the door, and then they make it what they want. Diversity is about opportunity. If they don’t run with it, then that’s on them, but if you don’t ever give them the chance, you could be missing out on someone special.”
Standing up for Diversity
Given that it’s a small industry with few women, Ostendorf says that actually provides a lot of opportunity for women to stand out and make a name for themselves. At the same time, he sees that there remains the potential for the “double standard,” where men can perceive strong women negatively.
“We have to make that go away, and to do that, you have to set a good example in the organization. We have to have the courage to stand up and say, ‘Hey! Time out!’ and police our own ranks rather than letting it go, even if it’s a bunch of guys in the room after the woman leaves.”
As a leader, Ostendorf knows that his example influences others, through informal coaching and acting as a resource to help others navigate the job.
Advice for Other Leaders
His main advice for other leaders is “not to play old tape.” In other words, he thinks there’s a blind spot where leaders might pigeonhole people and not see their growth, even after they have changed roles.
He challenges leaders to take a hard look at their interaction and make sure that they are not inadvertently sabotaging others. “Are you cutting off women? Not treating them the same? We have to really examine our behaviors and see where we can make a positive change.”
He says that time and again in his career, he knows that issues in leadership will permeate the organization and manifest themselves as problems at the lower level. “If there are things going wrong, you have to examine the leadership climate. Whether it’s a company or a military organization, you can peel the onion back and see that problems beget problems,” he says. “It all comes back to leadership – the people who are in charge set the tone.
“We all have differences, but we need to embrace those and be sure we’re leveraging the different strengths everyone offers, because at the end of the day, it comes down to whether accomplishing the mission.”
By Cathie Ericson
Intrepid Women: Moira Forbes, EVP of Forbes Media
Intrepid Women Series, PeopleForbes says, “We were always involved in the business from the time we were young.”
After graduating from Princeton and the Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development, she joined the marketing team of Forbes Europe in 2001. After a few years in London, she returned to New York in 2013 where she had the opportunity to work with Forbes Life, a division of the magazine that has more to do with the best ways to spend your money, rather than how to make it. Forbes comments,
“It was really important for me to start on the sales side of the business. It allowed me to get to know my clients and understand why our brand was so compelling to business leaders from around the world.”
After proving herself as more than competent in the cut and dry game of sales’ quotas where “success is evident in a very transparent way”, Forbes was named the Associate Publisher of Forbes Life. In 2008, she helped launch ForbesWoman, a section of the online magazine meant to look at the experiences of female leaders.
Forbes talks of the mission of ForbesWoman. She adds,
“The stories weren’t always about women, but I think women were looking for community with other people who had taken a similar path. Now, ForbesWoman is one of the highest traffic sections of the site.”
In addition, Ms. Forbes serves as the EVP of Forbes Media, helping to build new strategies to grow Forbes Life.
Redefining power as a pathway to change
2013 saw the first time occurrence of one of Forbes’ proudest accomplishments: the Forbes Women’s Summit. There are many conferences that can pass like weddings. People gather—in this case, 250 of the most extraordinary female businesswomen, scientists, artists and groundbreakers from around the world—for a couple of days. They make new friends and reconnect with forgotten loved ones. There are hugs when it’s time to depart and promises to get together again, but those promises are rarely kept. Moira Forbes did not want to plan a wedding; she wanted to ensure this Summit would plant seeds that could grow conversations forceful enough to last 365 days a year.The summit seeks to find lasting solutions to the most critical issues facing the world today. Forbes asked herself how she would scale the conversation beyond the 250 women in the room when she found herself thinking about power. She has come to the following conclusion,
“Power is the ability to shape dialogue, and use our influence to effect change in all areas of our lives. When you define power as influence, you must look outside of your industry and approach the issues from unique vantage points.”
The summit strives to represent women from a variety of backgrounds in order to bring together as many different eclectic ideas as possible. When asked who she invites, she comments that she tries to find the people who are doing extraordinary things in their field, and ‘those who would be really cool to talk to’ she adds with a smile.
Perspective is everything
With all of the pressure, and excitement, of surviving and growing in the publishing industry today, Forbes feels that it is important to stay as relaxed as possible by trying not to worry about the small things. On success she comments,
“We are our own toughest critics. If we are lucky we will have many chapters and experiences. There will be bumps along the way, but you will get through them.”
Forbes acknowledges that social media and the online media landscape brings an exciting opportunity for the publishing industry that comes with many challenges and even a few “sleepless nights”. But the ability to “feel the pulse of the audience, in real time, through social media is a powerful opportunity to create relationships with our readers.” Despite the fast rate of change and disruption, the strength of the brand anchors her work in a strong sense of purpose.
Goals and benchmarks are useful for achieving more than we think
Forbes has a somewhat unique vantage point for considering the different barriers that face women in the business world today, as her own work allows her to interact with women from several different industries.
“I think women are challenged to really plan and think about their careers. We set benchmarks and define indicators of success in our professional lives, but we fail to do it in our personal lives. I talk to so many women who are afraid to set a plan and say, ‘This is where I want to be in 3 years’, and then back track from there to figure out what they need and how they might get there.”
For this reason, she is a strong believer in helping women develop career plans—and that this is something that needs to be hardwired into the company culture. There are many times women will assume they have to hit the pause button because they just aren’t sure how to navigate the dual obligations of work and family.
“The cost of losing such high potential talent is too high. Transparent conversations about how the organization can help bring their employees to the point they are looking to get can remove the stress that sometimes leads women to taking themselves out.”
It is easy to see that Forbes is a product of her own good advice.
She says, “Nobody else is thinking about you twenty-four hours a day. You are the only one who knows what you want. People aren’t mind readers. If you don’t ask for what you want, you won’t get it.”
She encourages women to raise their hand when it’s time for a promotion or a project lead, even when they don’t feel 100% ready.
“There are so many lessons that are learned on the job; experience is the greatest teacher.”
By Rebecca S. Caum