Tag Archive for: Men Who Get It

Why Gender Equality is Good for Men | Part One

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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 There is a fear that expectation of females being subordinate dissipates with equality, which is an outdated expectation to have in modern society to start with but surprisingly present still for some families.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

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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.

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

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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

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Sexual Harassment: How Can Men Help Prevent it?

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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

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

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 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 .”

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Men Who Get It: Adam Quinton, Founder and CEO of Lucas Point Ventures

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Adam Quinton By Cathie Ericson

“If there’s a key word that resonates with me, it’s ‘fairness,’” says Adam Quinton. He feels that while most workplaces claim to be a meritocracy, there are a host of issues you’ll notice, if you’re paying attention, that make it not quite as meritocratic as you thought.

And that’s an issue that he has seen play out particularly in the context of early-stage financing, the space where he works. “If you’re looking at the companies of tomorrow, there’s a lot of evidence based on who gets funding that it’s not a level playing field.”

Understanding the Diversity Barriers

With a long history in financial services, from big companies to startups, Quinton has seen many scenarios where diversity has been important, and is currently working to champion diversity and level the playing field in the venture capital arena.

In fact, more than 80 percent of the companies in which he has invested have at least one female founder. This compares to the average of one in five startups which receive seed funding and just one in 10 startups which receive venture capital funding.

“Unless you believe that female entrepreneurs are not as capable, as innovative or as driven as men, then that disparity seems weird and feels unfair. However, to me it also feels like a compelling investing opportunity others are missing.”

He notes that most early stage investors are not as objective as they think they are, and that Silicon Valley’s belief that it is the ultimate meritocracy is part of its problem. In early-stage investing, this phenomenon is known as “patent recognition” – a polite way of saying investors tend to be biased towards founders and ideas that they have seen succeed in the past. Hence, he describes, “the stereotype of the 20-something white guy wear in a hoodie from an elite school as the model Silicon Valley entrepreneur.” That contributes to the reality that women, people of color and others outside that stereotype find fund raising much harder.

Besides being unfair, he laments the huge source of economic loss and of innovation resulting from venture capitalists essentially sidelining more than half of the population. “That lack of fairness has non-trivial societal and economic consequences,” he notes.

Rooting Out Unconscious Bias as a Sponsor and a Mentor

To Quinton, being a sponsor is crucially about advocating for people who are “not in the room.” And while he accepts that mentoring is a valuable way to offer advice, he argues that sponsorship is a more important relationship because the sponsor is staking their reputation on their protégé. “It takes courage to put your own credibility on the line for someone else; even when it’s the right thing to do, there is an element of risk.”

To combat unconscious bias, Quinton says it’s key to understand that even with the best intentions we all are certain to be impacted by it ourselves; as he says “it is part of the human condition.” Hence he shares his view that engaging in personal discovery will serve you well. For example, even though you may think you’re the least racist person you know, embedded in your unconscious brain may be something you might not like. “You can’t advise other people how to act without knowing yourself.”

And that, he says, is how you can start “being the change you want to see.” To the extent you understand yourself and the complex issues that surround decision-making, you can be more be sensitive to bias and stand up to it when you see it, even in a situation that might look trivial. For example, if you’re in a meeting and a man interrupts a woman, you have to be conscious of this “micro inequity.” In fact, research shows that men interrupt or talk over women twice as often as women interrupt or talk over men. To disrupt this example of bias, he suggests a participant speak up and say, “Hey, I didn’t get all of your point Susan; where were you headed?”

Another issue he notes that might appear to be trivial is where people sit in meetings. He sees a tendency for the Type A person, usually male,  to sit next to the leader in the “seat of power.”  That’s where he believes it is up to the meeting leader to conduct the micro-intervention, being conscious of who sits where and making sure that voices get heard equitably.

And it is important to question your own decisions. “When you have a discussion about a promotion, reflect on why you suggested one colleague over another. Was it for fact-based and objective reasons, or were you jumping to conclusions based on your own biases?” he says.

Breaking Barriers through Mentorship

One suggestion Quinton has for mentorship is to work with someone at least two degrees of difference from you – where difference means both obvious physical factors, such as gender, race and age, but also factors that are not as obvious which may include disability or veteran status. In his view, making the conscious effort to mentor people who are “more” different brings the mentor greater understanding of the situations and challenges of others, as well hopefully as bringing benefits to the mentees.

Words of Advice for Leaders

Finally, he recommends that leaders “Think like a fox and understand like a hedgehog.” When considering decision making, people can typically be categorized into one of two buckets: Hedgehogs have one strong and fixed view of the world, while foxes are a more flexible and prepared to change their minds.

We want motivated leaders who can stick with the mission, he says, but that can be a derailing characteristic if they don’t think like a fox and react when there’s other mounting information that conflicts with their approach.

“The world is a complicated and unpredictable place,” Quinton says. “The leaders of the companies I work with have a strong vision of where they want to get to, of course. But the best ones are constantly questioning and testing their ideas and approaches. They are not locked into one strategy for all time and hence can pivot when the evidence — and their gut — point in a new direction.”

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‘Surround Yourself’ with Guys Who Get It!

Business meeting with women and menGuest Contributed by Rayona Sharpnack

We have only to watch the progress of the U.S. presidential campaign to understand that bias (against any underdog group) and bullying are contagious. But so, in my belief, are courage, integrity, and commitment as demonstrated by the male professional athletes who have stood up to say, “not in my locker room!”

In these days fraught with public statements about women as sex objects, as inferiors, as people easily dissed and dismissed, we need to consciously refocus our attention on men who respect and value us. Even more, we need to think and talk widely about the corporate and government leaders who champion women and our achievements.

This is not only to keep our own spirits up, but to have an impact on the young men around us, especially those in our families. A variety of research has shown that boys, more so than girls, are particularly sensitive to social influences and role models. With the powerfully negative male role-modeling broadcast daily from the campaign trail, we owe it to our boys to show them men with positive attitudes toward women.

Where to find them? On an international level, you can start with President Obama’s “This is what a feminist looks like” moment and Justin Trudeau’s now-famous answer to the question of why 50% of his cabinet is female.

Our partner, theglasshammer also has been an inspiring place to see a series of articles on individual “Men Who Get It.” There are good guys out there, young and old and male MBA students who have chosen to support gender equality and take what they’ve learned into the companies they are going to work for can be seen on the Forté Foundation’s page on Men Making a Difference.

Dr. Michael Kimmel also gives a worthwhile TED talk showing that men who support gender equity will be happier, healthier, and even more sexually satisfied. And he does it with panache and humor!

We are hosting Guys Who Get It Awards, a celebration luncheon in San Francisco on Jan. 26, 2017, to acknowledge the vision and leadership of C-level executive men from Fortune 500 companies who really “get it” about Gender Partnership™. We will be honoring male leaders from across industries and government to showcase that such partnership is not only possible, but is already being achieved by these executives with great results. (Each award-winner has at least 35% women on his leadership team.) Attendees will learn about their best practices and how these “guys who get it” are working to establish gender equality as a cultural norm within their organizations – or their city. (One of our winners is the mayor of a major U.S. city.) We hope you can join us there!

Rayona Sharpnack is CEO and founder of the Institute for Gender Partnership and the Institute for Women’s Leadership

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Men Who Get It: Joe Sieczkowski, Senior Managing Director, CTO, Chief Architect/Engineer, TIAA

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“Being a leader who is open to diversity requires a number of qualities, but a key one is being a good listener,” says TIAA’s Joe Sieczkowski.

“So many people listen just so that they can respond, rather than internalizing what’s being said to see if there’s another issue at play. You have to be willing to have your beliefs turned around in the face of evidence,” he says, citing a quote that has been attributed to Mark Twain: “It isn’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just isn’t so.”

A Tech Career Born on Wall Street

joe-sieczkowskiSieczkowski graduated in a short 3.5 years from Lehigh University in the top 10% of his class with a degree in computer engineering and began pursuing a career in finance. As he describes it, “It was ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ on Wall Street where they were realizing it was easier to teach a math guy about bonds than vice versa.”

He began his career at Lehman Brothers, where he took on a series of roles of increasing responsibilities. One characteristic that differentiated Sieczkowski from his peers was his drive to understand the nuances and complexities of each business, even as a technologist. For example, if he was delivering technology for derivative traders, it was important for him to understand how options were priced and how factors such as volatility would affect them. He subsequently held technology leadership roles at Deutsche Bank and then Bear Stearns. At Bear, Sieczkowski worked in the global clearing services division, where they were developing white labeled trading websites for their institutional clients.

With a desire to earn his MBA always in the back of his mind, Sieczkowski took the opportunity to do so during the market turmoil of 2008. During this time, he did advisory work and subsequently joined TIAA in 2011 as Chief Architect/Engineer where he currently leads a cross-functional team of technology leaders in strategy, architecture and enterprise data.

Lifelong Diversity Champion

Beginning with his mom, and leading up to a female CIO at TIAA, Sieczkowski has had a series of women role models who instilled the importance of diversity. He was proud watching his mom as he grew up: She juggled three kids while working and going to school where she graduated summa cum laude. Her career progressed from being a nurse to head nurse to nurse manager and also president of the New Jersey State Nurses Association. With that upbringing, he never doubted the capabilities of women, who have been his colleagues and managers ever since.

That’s why he champions diversity throughout TIAA, realizing that the department’s success depends on the skills of his team. With a proven correlation between innovative teams, success and diversity, he embraces the need to seek diverse points of view to challenge the status quo and ultimately reach better conclusions. “My teams are known for highlighting diversity, and I believe that’s one of the reasons we consistently outperform norms,” he says. “When an employee takes pride in their differences, they are more apt to seek out opportunities that showcase their skills, which in turn helps us perform.”

Groom and Let Go

Sieczkowski takes pride in the leaders he has helped develop, explaining that it’s a four-part process that involves mentoring, grooming, promoting and releasing. “Often that fourth step can be the hardest, but you have to do all four,” he asserts.

“If you insist that you need a certain person on your team, you are holding them back. When you develop talent, it’s in the best interest of the firm to let them fly.” He has taken that to heart, and prides himself on leading a development-focused organization that constantly works to promote people into larger roles.

Part of that evolution in driving female success is bringing in entry-level talent and then making sure they have opportunities to be in front of senior leaders. “When you have outstanding people, you want to make sure they are visible,” he says. “Effectively sponsoring people entails identifying potential and spotlighting and nurturing talent.”

He also encourages his female employees to pursue continuing education, whether formally through a master’s program or informally through the many training opportunities TIAA provides.

Failing Fast and Focusing on Output

While he is an official sponsor of a group mentoring program, he also believes it’s in the informal actions where he can make a difference, and that supporting emerging talent through stretch assignments should be part of each leader’s job. “You have to let them know that it’s ok to fail,” he says, adding that his department understands the value of “failing fast.” When they undertake an innovative initiative, they’ll term it a “fast fail pilot,” knowing that they have the chance to watch it for four to six weeks to see if it will be effective and move on if not.

As leaders consider opportunities for women, there is one key area where they should be focused: output. “We have to remember that flexibility thrives when we focus on the outputs of performance and effectiveness, rather than time. It yields a better work environment and a better work product.”

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Men Who Get It: Antonio (Tony) Castañon, Citi Retail Services, Managing Director and Sears Portfolio General Manager

Men Who Get It- Antonio (Tony) Castañon (F)Leaders who want to promote diversity and inclusion need to start from a place of curiosity, says Citi’s Antonio (Tony) Castañon. “They have to be curious about those they work around and listen to their stories, then open themselves up to being accepting of others.”

By doing so, they can work on embracing diverse teams and identifying members that will help the company formulate the right outcomes. “You have to be intentional in creating teams with different genders, races and diversity of thought.”

Castañon started working with Citi while going to college in Las Vegas and has been with the company for 26 years, interspersed with brief stints at Aetna US Healthcare and Sprint. He has spent most of his career in operations for Citi and Citi Retail Services, one of North America’s largest and most experienced retail credit solutions providers. He moved to a partner management role in Citi Retail Services three years ago. In his current position, he is responsible for the overall management of the business’ multi-billion dollar credit card relationship with Sears and its affiliates, including K-Mart and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores (SHO).

Why Diversity Matters to Him

Diversity is not only paramount but also personal to Castañon, who can relate to inclusion issues as a Latino and as a recently out gay man. “It’s important for me to be active because of so many influential people in my life who have created a safe environment to succeed. I want to replicate that environment for others.”

He is especially attuned to discrimination, and is quick to engage in non-confrontational conversations when needed. For example, prior to coming out, he had heard some disparaging remarks about LGBT people and realized he had to say something.

“You always have to challenge people and hold them accountable by asking ‘why’ questions, such as ‘Why is this conversation appropriate?’ or ‘Why does that remark make sense in the context of our conversation?’ That opens the door to discussing the issue and bringing to light a potentially offensive remark that they might not have meant.”

Castañon understands what it means to “play a role” because he began his career as a married man before realizing that he needed to be who he was. “I told myself there would be consequences, but they ended up being largely self-perceived,” he says.

He had felt that the barrier would be insurmountable, but through time and self-discovery he realized he had to be true to who he really was.

“My life completely changed,” he says. “I felt so welcome and at ease and was fortunate in the fact that not one relationship, either professional or personal, was broken after I faced who I am.”

Opening the Door to Inclusion

As a supporter of Citi employee networks, Castañon helped launch one for Hispanic employees, and he seizes opportunities, when they arise, to provide advice and counsel to colleagues and others.

A highlight for him was participating as a key contributor for “Ready Set Risk,” a book that addresses how women need to be greater risk takers in the workplace. He shared stories of how he supports pushing women to take risk and offered practical examples of women and men who have helped champion women’s causes.

Over the years, he has worked as a sponsor and mentor to diverse coworkers in a variety of capacities, from offering consultative advice to providing direct feedback on ways women can strengthen their brand. His goal is always to champion open, transparent relationships.

Being true to himself allows him to be a role model for others.

Castañon believes that a supportive corporate culture is important for LGBT individuals because it unleashes their potential. “Previously I wasn’t able to give 100 percent because there was a part of me I didn’t want to share,” he says. “Living the double life is exhausting and consuming – being one way externally and another inside. Now I am my authentic self.”

He is incredibly proud of Citi’s long-term record of as a champion of diversity and specifically of all it has accomplished over the past 10 years. The company is a top sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign and a sponsor of Out and Equal in the Workplace, which brings equality to the workplace globally. Citi also has been involved with Out Leadership, sponsoring its fourth annual “Out on the Street Summit” in the US, where Citi’s CEO delivered a keynote address. “I feel pretty proud about working for a company that values diversity and supports it tangibly,” he says. “Whether it’s women’s, LGBT or racial networks, the company has demonstrated the importance of an inclusive culture.”

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Men Who Get It: Ashutosh Mondal, Business Analyst, UBS

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Ashutosh mondalLeaders make all the difference in encouraging and supporting a culture of diversity, says UBS’ Ashutosh Mondal. “They set the standards for the team and model acceptance,” he says, adding that not only does it create a more positive internal culture but it helps with recruiting as well. “Actions speak loudly and it’s important for leaders to show their commitment to diversity and not just support it in theory.”

With a background in computer science and engineering, Mondal started with UBS in a technology and project portfolio management role as part of his graduate training program and has been with the firm ever since, holding diverse roles in finance, project management and analytics. He recently participated in a high-profile project within the Investment Bank, the Client Data Lab, which entailed mining data from different sources and teams to develop an analytical structure to help facilitate a better understanding of clients.

Acting as a Role Model Internally and Externally

As an openly gay man in banking, being a diversity champion is extremely important to Mondal because of the role models he himself was fortunate to have. “When I first joined UBS, I wasn’t sure what the protocol was for telling my team and others, and I appreciated the support I got which allowed me to be comfortable being out and open.”

Mondal has since very actively paid it forward. He is involved in the graduate training programs and with interns to ensure that they see diversity role models so that they know there are resources to assist them if and when they need them. Interns attend several internal education sessions, one of which is a panel discussion introducing various employee networks including LGBT support, which Mondal helps lead.

He is active with UBS’ internal community affairs team and also helps represent UBS in external outreach like Inside Out and other industry programs.

Since joining UBS, he has been part of the Pride network and is now part of the steering committee where he helps answer questions for those who need mentorship. One of their outreach efforts has involved an anti-homophobic bullying education campaign, part of which was to run a workshop with a video and discussions in local schools. It was so well received that it has been launched nationally for all primary schools within the U.K. Looking back, many students have said that it was one of the most impactful experiences they have had during their school career.

Along the way, Mondal has been impressed by the support the program has gotten from people to volunteer and be involved.

“UBS has an extremely open and accepting culture, and I haven’t ever felt prejudiced against,” Mondal says. “It is my pleasure to help share that value with others internally and externally. “It’s not always easy to make the time commitment but it’s worth it.”

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