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Courage and better processes are keys to senior level roles

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[Author:  Gwen Rhys]

My 25-yr old godson recently attended a corporate away-day: “Did you know research shows that women only apply for jobs when they met 100% of the qualifications listed, as opposed to men, who apply if they met 60%?” he asked me.

I replied that well, yes, I had heard this (yawn!).

I also pointed out that this much-cited “research” purportedly came from an internal Hewlett Packard (HP) report from which HP had deduced that the lack of women in upper management in its organisation was due to a lack of confidence among women. Quite why it never occurred to HP that it might be overconfidence in men, I’m not sure, but this one piece of “research” has influenced the entire narrative of why women don’t progress to senior roles.

Research validity

In 2014, Norwegian academic Curt Rice who leads Norway’s Committee on Gender Balance and Diversity in Research set out to find this “research” and concluded that

There is no legitimate, evidence-based foundation for the claim that men apply for jobs when they feel 60 percent qualified while women have to be 100 percent certain. None. Nothing that can be examined, reproduced, reviewed or cited.

Further research

In the same year, Tara Mohr, an expert on women’s leadership, surveyed over a thousand men and women, predominantly American professionals, and asked them, “If you decided not to apply for a job because you didn’t meet all the qualifications, why didn’t you apply?”

According to the self-report of the respondents, the barrier to applying was not lack of confidence. In fact, for both men and women, “I didn’t think I could do the job well” was the least common of all the responses. Only about 10% of women and 12% of men indicated that this was their top reason for not applying.

So what were their reasons for not applying?

Didn’t want to waste time and energy

Men and women gave the same most common reason for not applying. 41% of women and 46% of men indicating their top reason as: “I didn’t think they would hire me since I didn’t meet the qualifications, and I didn’t want to waste my time and energy.”

Fear of failure

22% of women indicated their top reason was that they didn’t want to put themselves out there if they were going to fail – the consequences would be too great – and Stanford research has indicated that women’s failures are remembered longer than men’s.

Following the rules

15% of women indicated the top reason they didn’t apply was because they were following the guidelines about who should apply.

It’s the process not the people

Mohr concluded that women don’t need to try and find that elusive quality, “confidence,” but rather hiring and promotional processes need to be more transparent and equality based.

This view is also held by Carolyn Tastad, group president of North America at Procter & Gamble. At the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on a panel called Female Leadership at a Tipping Point, she highlighted the flawed belief of women lacking confidence by saying:

There is a false narrative and there are false bias assumptions we are using as justification for the lack of progress. There are a number of things we have to do differently.

We’ve got to get rid of this notion that women have to behave differently. We’ve got to be very intentional in our talent planning — reverse engineer it. If you narrow it down to specifics and maths, it can be done.

We need equality based policies. We need to find ways for men and women to be equal partners at home to enable quality in the workplace.

Why change the process?

Women take written job qualifications more seriously than men, for several reasons:

  1. A McKinsey report found that men are often hired or promoted based on their potential, women for their experience and track record. If women have watched that occur in their workplaces, it makes perfect sense they’d be less likely to apply for a job for which they didn’t meet the qualifications.
  2. Girls are strongly socialized to follow the rules and in school are rewarded, again and again, for doing so. In part, girls’ greater success in school (relative to boys) can be attributed to their better rule following. Then in their careers, that rule-following habit has real costs, including when it comes to adhering to the guidelines about “who should apply.”
  3. Certifications and degrees have historically played a different role for women than for men. The 20th century saw women break into professional life – but only if they had the right training, the right accreditations. These qualifications were women’s ticket in, a way of proving they could do the job. Women weren’t part of an old boys club in which they’d get the benefit of the doubt. That history can lead women to see the workplace as more orderly and meritocratic than it really is. As a result women mayoverestimate the importance of their formal training and qualifications, and underutilize advocacy and networking.

Mohr concluded:

It took me a while to understand that the habits of diligent preparation and doing quality work that I’d learned in school were not the only—or even primary—ingredients I needed to become visible and successful within my organization.

When it comes to applying for jobs, women need to do the same. Of course, it can’t hurt to believe more in ourselves. But in this case, it’s more important that we believe less in what appear to be the rules.

Have courage, take on challenging goals

I meet many high qualified, capable women. Many tell me they “lack confidence”. I’m not certain they do. I think this is a self-fulfilling prophecy that the HP “research” has encouraged.  However, I do sense they often lack courage – the courage to “have a go”, to put themselves out there certain in the knowledge that they will bounce back to fight another day.

Individuals, boys and men in particular, are often described as being over-confident (cocky) but I’ve never heard anyone being described as over-courageous. So I urge women to stop talking about their “lack of confidence”. Be courageous and confidence will follow.

As Adam Grant, Organizational psychologist at Wharton Business School, US has said:

You don’t need to build confidence to achieve challenging goals. You build confidence through achieving challenging goals.

 

Culture matters when it comes to the acquisition and retention of female talent

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I was delighted to be asked by Leathwaite to contribute to its 2019 Global HR Leadership Report.

This data-rich document is the result of a poll of 1000 Global HR leaders including Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs), Heads of Specialist Functions (including Talent, Reward, Learning and Recruiting) and those at the vanguard of HR Transformation (including HR COOs and Heads of Analytics).

Retaining female talent

The Report highlights the continued importance HR Professionals are placing on Talent Acquisition and Retention, coupled with the need for a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Since 2003, Women in the City (WiC) has championed the progress of female talent working in professional services within the City of London and has shone a spotlight on both exisiting and future leaders.  However, despite everyone’s best efforts, women are simply not progressing to senior levels. Motherhood is the most usually cited reason, yet statistically many women leave the corporate world by the age of 38, regardless of whether they have children. They leave not because they’ve lost ambition but because they simply don’t want to work in a culture where their values and needs aren’t considered.

Culture matters

It’s not surprising, then, that Culture features as the second most important issue concerning HR professionals and highlights its elevation from being seen historically as an intangible “nice to have”, to a strategic lever that today sits as item No.1 in many CEOs’ in-trays.

Increasingly the traditional norms and behaviours associated with corporate life are being rejected by both men and women who recognize that unsociable hours and hierarchy in a heavily politicized environment are not necessarily universal. People have choice. In my view, building an inclusive culture that respects individuals’ needs and desires has never been a greater priority than it is today.

Against this backdrop, one might argue that the HR leaders of today (and tomorrow) have a somewhat daunting to-do list. However, I would argue that that these topics are not to be ring-fenced as “HR issues” but are the responsibility of the broader firmwide leadership, from Chairperson down. Good quality HR will provide the structure, strategy and skills necessary to drive progress and HR for this reason has possibly never enjoyed such a high profile.

Yes, talent is everywhere but in the knowledge economy in particular talent has never been more portable and we are seeing a flight-to-quality where employee brand and culture are concerned.

I found the Report a fascinating read and, whether or not you are a HR professional, I hope you will too.

Download Report

Visit our searchable Knowledge Bank for a range of reports and studies on gender diversity, leadership and related topics.

Seize the power in meetings

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Here are some tactics from Zena Everett to help you find your inner Peggy Olsen.

A new global survey of women working in technology by IT software specialist Ivanti has found that 63 per cent of women feel gender bias undermines their work environments. They report daily frustrations like being constantly interrupted in meetings and having their suggestions dismissed. These are a hefty road-block to female career progression:

Our voices aren’t heard so we aren’t the obvious choice for new challenging projects that would expand our skills and expertise.

We aren’t developing our brand in meetings so get less access to senior leaders who could give our careers a leg-up.

We get more push-back than men when we come up with ideas, particularly when they are more creative and left-field options that aren’t the standard or obvious solution.

As an Executive Coach, author of Career Manual Mind Flip: Reinvent your Future and speaker on Crazy Busy™, Zena Everett gives you some tactics to seize the power at meetings:

  • Don’t waste your seat at the table. Do your homework and ensure you can add value to the discussion. Then make your points out loud to show you are confident, prepared and engaged.
  • Drop your tone of voice. Take a (subtle) deep breath so you don’t sound shrill or squeaky. It’s too easy to be written off as emotional if you hit a high note. And keep your voice on an even level.
  • Don’t let your body language betray your nerves. Make eye contact, nod encouragingly at other speakers, keep your hands on the table. No phones or laptops to distract you.
  • Dress the part, look the part, sound the part. You aren’t in the room as a woman/working Mum/part-time carer/whatever. I’m afraid no one really cares about your back story. You are there as a top performer in your job description. Dial up your very best executive presence and make the most of the opportunity.
  • Sit in the eye-line of the person who has the influence (that’s not necessarily the Chair).
    Know your audience. Align your priorities with those of the leadership. Make sure you focus on the agenda items that will give you the most visibility/kudos.
  • Use meetings as an opportunity to emphasize your achievements. Ensure your name is all over any reports you prepare or presentations you make.
  • Never start a presentation or statement with a self-deprecating comment or apology. It’s not a Ted talk audition, so no need to feel performance anxiety. Just state your point.
  • Control the agenda with leadership techniques. For example ‘let’s just take step back here, what other facts do we need to ensure we can make a decision?’ Particularly effective if the real Chair allows waffle.
  • Focus on your high-level skills. Promoting yourself as a note-taker, coffee-pourer, cup-clearer is not career enhancing.
  • Control your own meetings. Keep them focused and tight and never, ever, over-run. Set an alarm so you finish on time.
  • Regardless of whether or not you control the agenda, you can still bring it to an effective conclusion: ‘right, I think we are done, thanks very much everyone.’ You’re a busy, focused person.
  • Stand up and make some small talk to get to know the main influencers before you move on.

Click here to find out about Zena Everett’s Masterclasses and Workshops

 

NEW FOR 2019

Turbo charge your productivity and concentration skills by booking a Crazy Busy™ and Bears event.  Join Zena in Finland next summer for bespoke peak-productivity sessions during the day, then hone your concentration powers by studying these majestic Brown Bears at night.

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So you want to be an NED … Five key questions to ask yourself

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You have probably thought about this for quite some time and are sure that at a certain stage In fact, there’s hardly anyone I meet in the business world, who doesn’t wish to be invited to serve on a board as an NED.

Although being an NED appears to be highly desirable, prospective NEDs shouldn’t simply grab the first opportunity that comes along but take time to conduct in-depth research and ask themselves some tough questions.

According to Dr Sabine Dembkowski of Better Boards the market is quite transparent and if anyone wants to flourish as an NED, these are the five key questions you should ask yourself

  1. Do I understand the challenges of the organisation?
  2. Can I really add value to this board?
  3. Do I fit into this organisation?
  4. Can I really listen?
  5. Do I honestly have the time to read the board papers and prepare for every meeting?

Do I understand the challenges of the organisation?

It’s common place for candidates to be so excited about having the opportunity to serve as an NED they forget to do vital research.

What is the real situation of the company? What is the financial situation? Are there any lawsuits hanging over the organisation like a Damocles sword? What are the real challenges?

Remember, your name and good-standing will be associated with the organisation you are about to join. You want to be part of a success story. What you don’t want is to find yourself sitting on the Tube, hiding behind your paper because you can’t bare the idea of anyone recognising you.

Can I truly add value to this board?

Without doubt, there is increasing professionalism in the boardroom and the days where you could show up 4-6 times a year and enjoy a good lunch are to a greater extent well and truly over.

The best way to ensure you have a thriving NED career is to ask yourself, up front, the tough question: Can I truly, truly add value to this board?

Your performance on any board will contribute to shaping your personal brand and profile in the market place!

Investors and the public market have become much more savvy and can assess and measure performance. Remember – you are part of the story of the organisation.

Do I fit into this organisation?

Research indicates that executives in any role flourish if their personal value system is a good fit to the values of the organisation s/he is working for. This applies, equally to NEDs!

It is strongly advisable that you meet your board colleagues and some key executives before you make your decision to assess if you and the organisation is a good fit.

Can I really listen?

When you have signed on the dotted line, take the time to listen, observe and learn.
At the beginning of an NED role, you will need to investment a considerable amount of time to understanding the organisation and all its issues.

The time you take here will be a good investment.

When you really get to the bottom of (or, at least, deeper into) the issues, start to have conversations outside of the board room to understand even more and then form an opinion about the best way ahead. Remember, prepare for the challenging questions you might be asked or wish to ask.

Do I honestly have the time to read the board papers and prepare for every meeting?

Research indicates that on average NEDs claim to take about 3 hours to read the board papers.

However, given the average length of board papers, and assuming an average reading speed, it is likely to take at least three times as long – more like 1 day.

One can only presume that there is either a misrepresentation of the time it actually takes or that NEDs do not read all that is available and the latter is a risky strategy!

If the board papers are too long, it is far better to admit that this is far beyond what you can read and either step away from the challenge or consider initiating a programme to cut down on the board papers once you have become established. There are some fantastic solutions available and much can be done to tackle the issue of unloved, lengthy board papers.

If you want to become an NED take the time, search your soul and, providing you can answer an unresounding “yes” to each of these five questions, you’ll not only be able to make a valuable contribution but you’ll also enjoy the experience of “sitting at the table”.

 

Find a sponsor to progress your career

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When it comes to career progression, you need a sponsor.

We all know that mentors provide a valuable role as a trusted sounding board for your issues, offering advice, and reviewing your approaches to solving problems.

In her book, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor, Sylvia Ann Hewitt says that the chief role of a sponsor is to develop you as a leader. Why? Not so much from like-mindedness or altruism, but because furthering your career helps further their career, organization or vision.

A sponsor will advocate for your promotion and lever open the door. Sponsorship doesn’t “rig the game”; on the contrary, it ensures you get what you deserve — and will propel your career far more than mentors can.

Sylvia Ann Hewitt says:

When scanning the horizon for would-be sponsors — and yes, you need more than one — many high-potential women make the mistake of focusing on role models rather than powerfully positioned sponsors.

My research shows that they align themselves with people whom they trust and like or who, they believe, trust and like them.

According to survey data from the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI), 49% of women in the marzipan layer, that talent-rich band just under the executive level, search for support among someone “whose leadership style I admire.”

Those you “admire” aren’t usually the leaders with power

CTI research found that only 28% of men and women at U.S. companies say that inclusive collaborators represent the dominant style of leadership at their firm. Instead, nearly half of respondents — 45% — say the most prevalent model is the classic, command-and-control leader who wants his lieutenants to fall in line behind him. Twenty percent perceive their top management to be competitive types — hard-edged, hard-driving guys who value quarterly bottom-line results above all. Very few — 6% — describe their chief as a charismatic visionary who, because he or she is focused on the big picture, seeks out tactical, pragmatic support.

In short, what female talent values and seeks in a sponsor just isn’t on offer among those with real power in the organization. This profound mismatch helps explain why so many women — 40% — fail to find Sponsors who can deliver.

Don’t waste time talking to the wrong people

You’re looking not for a friend but an ally. Your targeted sponsor may exercise authority in a way you don’t care to copy but it’s their clout, not their style, that will turbocharge your career. Their powerful arsenal includes the high-level contacts they can introduce you to, the stretch assignments that will advance your career, their broad perspective when they give critical feedback — all ready to be deployed on behalf of their protégé.

Look beyond your immediate circle of mentors and managers. While you should, of course, impress your boss — who can be a valuable connection to potential sponsors — seek out someone with real power to change your career. Would-be sponsors in large organisations are ideally two levels above you with line of sight to your role; in smaller firms, they’re either the founder or president or are part of his or her inner circle.