Contributed by Tracey Carr of Eve-olution.net
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 74 percent of companies have diversity programs in place. That’s a good start, but it sidesteps perhaps the most striking diversity component in the workplace: the personality differences between men and women. This is where we need Gender Intelligence, or GQ™ .
For every person in the workforce, man or woman, one of the following situations is familiar (if not frequent):
- It’s a professional setting and all the men are shaking hands firmly. But, they either don’t shake the women’s hands, or they do with a limp, modified handshake.
- It’s a meeting with two men and a woman. The men are focused on each other’s thoughts, while the woman is just trying to be heard.
- A meeting starts and one of the male executives suggests that a female colleague be the note taker.
These examples are not meant to be biased against men. Rather, they’re just specific examples of the scenarios many female executives encounter on a daily basis. Either knowingly or unknowingly, both men and women fall into specific patterns and stereotypes in professional settings. When this occurs, the results are damaging for everyone involved, particularly for organizations that are denied potential returns from rounded, balanced teamwork.
This is exactly why we need to improve our GQ™ . Gender Intelligence is the ability to respond with finesse and savvy to gender generated issues. And here’s a shocker: many corporations are not ready to hear that men and women have different communication styles that can seriously impact their ability to work effectively together.
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Breaking The Glass Ceiling in Florida
Breaking the Glass CeilingNew data from Florida supports a disturbing trend. The number of women in top corporate jobs and on boards of directors in Florida’s top public companies has dwindled over the past few years according to the 2008 Census by Women Executive Leadership. The census studies gender diversity in the executive suite and boardroom. It was conducted by WEL (Women Executive Leadership), a Florida-based organization that advocates, educates, and connects women, in conjunction with The University of Miami School of Business Administration. WEL last conducted the survey in 2006.
According to the report, the number of board seats held by women in the top 150 Florida companies was flat compared to 2007 but slightly down compared to 2006. Last year and in 2007, women held 7.4 percent of board positions compared to 8.7 percent in 2006. That means men hold more than 92 percent of the board seats in the top 150 Florida public companies. The number of female executives rose slightly from 5.4 percent in 2006 to 7.0 percent in 2008. When comparing census data from 2004, the changes are even more dramatic. In 2004 women held 67 executive positions at Florida top public companies but in 2008 they only held 49.
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GQ for Women Leaders
NewsIn a two day leadership programme you will discover the confidence to enhance your GQ™, or Gender Intelligence (download some GQ™ tips here), study the six distinguishing characteristics of female leaders, and be able to:
• Manage multiple priorities and balance different roles
• Manage conflict and politics
• Build instant rapport and trust with anyone
• Learn about Gender Intelligence in the workplace
• Learn the key to maximising performance and enjoying sustainable success
• Turn fear into power
• Learn the essence of leadership: self leadership and authenticity
Business benefits are tangible, immediate and long lasting. Previous delegates report increased motivation leading to inspired, confident leadership. For help making a business case to obtain budget to attend this seminar click here
Email us now or call our event management team on 0870 8031434 to reserve your place, and download the booking form from here (Word format, 330k).
Managing Information Technology In Tough Economic Times
NewsWITI New Jersey
Regional Network Event:
Managing Information Technology In Tough Economic Times
Please join ADP as our Chief Information Officer, Michael L. Capone, discusses “Managing IT in Tough Economic Times”. Mr. Capone will also address other relevant topics such as Green IT and IT Security.
Zena Brand, Senior Vice President for Product Strategy at ADP, will lead a discussion on Service Oriented Architecture and ADP’s Product Strategy.
Don’t miss this exciting program. Save the Date and Register today!!!
Space is limited; we encourage pre-registration to guarantee admission.
Take me directly to the registration form.
Got Your GQ?
Expert AnswersAccording to the Society for Human Resource Management, 74 percent of companies have diversity programs in place. That’s a good start, but it sidesteps perhaps the most striking diversity component in the workplace: the personality differences between men and women. This is where we need Gender Intelligence, or GQ™ .
For every person in the workforce, man or woman, one of the following situations is familiar (if not frequent):
These examples are not meant to be biased against men. Rather, they’re just specific examples of the scenarios many female executives encounter on a daily basis. Either knowingly or unknowingly, both men and women fall into specific patterns and stereotypes in professional settings. When this occurs, the results are damaging for everyone involved, particularly for organizations that are denied potential returns from rounded, balanced teamwork.
This is exactly why we need to improve our GQ™ . Gender Intelligence is the ability to respond with finesse and savvy to gender generated issues. And here’s a shocker: many corporations are not ready to hear that men and women have different communication styles that can seriously impact their ability to work effectively together.
Read more
Ask-A-Recruiter: Handling Performance Reviews
Ask A RecruiterSome companies have regularly scheduled reviews, but some don’t. Furthermore, in this chaotic market, even regular reviews might get pushed off. With the downsizing and restructuring in today’s market, your job may have changed significantly. You may have more responsibility or completely different tasks added to your plate. So you want a review to make sure you’re on track to meet your goals (and to confirm what these goals are in this ever-changing market). It is important to use these reviews to your advantage – as a chance to make adjustments in your approach, identify blind spots and figure out how you can contribute value-added to others.
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Safeguarding Your Career in a Recession
NewsThe current credit crisis and recession is enough to make even the most confident professional woman uncertain about what the future holds in 2009. Instead of panicking, attend this highly interactive coaching workshop which will help you regain a sense of control over your career.
During this evening workshop you will regain a sense of confidence as you focus on what you do have control over, even during an weak economy. We will look at how you communicate and with whom you engage to ensure that your career is safeguarded and even developed during this turbulent period. You will learn steps to raise your profile and take control of the image you project to your boss, colleagues and those you haven’t even met yet, which will make you a treasured asset rather than the top of a potential redundancy list.
This course will be facilitated by Dr. Suzanne Doyle-Morris:
Dr Suzanne Doyle-Morris is an executive coach with a passion for helping female professionals succeed. She has a Ph.D. from Cambridge University that explored the experiences of successful women in male-dominated fields, and a background working with women at UBS, Cisco, Clifford Chance, O2 and Microsoft. She is uniquely qualified to help female executives succeed, particularly in traditionally male-dominated industries and is publishing a book on this fascinating topic in spring 2009.
If this course is of interest to you, please email Sarah Lilley on slilley@womenin.co.uk or call on 020 7422 9213.
The Glass Hammer featured on MyVenturePad.com
NewsCheck out the podcast at: https://myventurepad.com/MVP/49418
Bumps on the On Ramp
ReturnersStay at home mothers (SAHMs) are looking for work and facing some good news/bad news. A combination of factors is sending these SAHMs back to work. Some need to replace the income of spouses who have been laid off. Others need the additional money to combat increased living costs. And still others are merely ready to return after taking time to care for their families.
As we have been reporting on The Glass Hammer, the good news is that it is no longer considered impossible to re-enter the work world. Several years ago, the mainstream media was full of stories that said women who had taken time off to raise families had very slim chances of being rehired. Employers just didn’t value the skills women cultivated as heads of households and PTO volunteers, the stories said.
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Furloughs, Reduced Work-Weeks & Flexible Work Arrangements: The Law of Alternative Work Arrangements
Managing ChangeRead more
Women Share How They “Ignore Gender” to Achieve Success
NewsJust as success means different things to different people, obtaining success for women involves diverse choices and paths. According to a recent Huffington Post article, while some women believe it is necessary to navigate through the gender dynamics in business by focusing on gender when necessary, others actually ignore gender as a blatant strategy for success. In order to understand the trend of “ignoring gender” as a means to achieve success, we spoke to several women about their own paths to success. Of course, “ignoring gender” means different things to different people.
For Marlene Mitchell Gordon, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for Burger King Corporation , “ignoring gender” means treating each person as a human being rather than male or female. She recalls how one male colleague seemed uncomfortable with her. When she realized that he had never before worked with a woman of color, she proceeded to ignore gender and race by working to build a relationship with him focused on getting to know him as a person and allowing him to get to know her. By taking initiative to learn about his background and experiences and sharing her background and experiences with him, they found that they shared common experiences. This led to them forging a strong business relationship based on mutual respect and trust. As a result, Ms. Gordon found that her gender and race were quickly non-issues.
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