Women Helping Other Women

I work in a predominantly female workgroup and find that the women who are in management are not very open to helping develop and promote other women. Is this an isolated situation or do you see this in other organizations?

Unfortunately, the research and studies have shown that women are not as apt to help other women as men have historically done in the workplace. In a recent informal study conducted by CNN on bullying in the workplace, it was found that most of the bullying is done by women and most is directed toward other women. Honestly, this is a workplace phenomenons that saddens me greatly. I so long for women to be mentors to one another and to encourage each other in corporate life.

Some people contribute this negative behavior to something called the Queen Bee syndrome, which implies that when a woman has clawed and scraped her way to a senior position, she isn’t as anxious to help others because perhaps nobody helped her. This is an unfortunate response, for many reasons. First, it’s a negative outlook to have. Second, helping deserving professionals of either gender to reach their potential is one of the most rewarding and satisfying facets of being a leader. Helping others to develop and grow is one of the most positive work experiences that a leader can have.

All I can say about women who aren’t open to helping other women is this. We can’t control what others do, but we can control ourselves. The best way to break this cycle is to approach your own career differently. Lend a hand to women coming up along with you or behind you, and to men as well. Be known as a woman who is secure enough in her own abilities and career to help others develop their own talents. You’ll have a richer professional life as a result, and you won’t be sorry. I promise.

Data Resources

There are tons of articles about our work world today with lots of statistics sited. Where do you go for the most trusted and reliable research based data about the workplace today?

There are many fabulous resources that produce valid and valuable research data the many elements of today’s workplace. I find that non-profit organizations are some of the best resources, and I use several of them. Two which are at the top of my list are Catalyst and The Center for Creative Leadership. Catalyst was founded in 1962, and is the leading nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business. The Center for Creative Leadership exclusively focuses on leadership education and research, and provides unparalleled expertise in solving the leadership challenges of individuals and organizations around the world. I find that these two organizations produce excellent research based on in-depth studies that span the globe.

In my opinion, these are the best to start with for tracking almost any specific data relative to today’s workplace.

Gender Bias in the Workplace - Still!

There is so much published about how women outnumber men in the workforce now but still can’t make it to the top of the corporate ladder. What are your thoughts on this and what do you see as being the real issues behind the statistics?

There are many different viewpoints on this topic these days, but the news is getting better. Albeit slowly, but things are improveing with more women rising to the top ranks within corporations. While women still hold only a handful of the CEO positions within Fortune 500 companies, they are continuing to make headway in attaining more senior level jobs.

I think there are a number of things at play here, so I’ll start by describing the make-up of the power base within organizations and who the decision makers are when it comes to promoting women. The majority of senior level positions are still held by middle-aged, and older, white males, many of whom are much more comfortable promoting like-males over females. This is the unspoken reality in many organizations.

The counter piece to this reality is the fact that women do not help other women and promote them as men do for each other,. Sometimes females will make it to the top but are slow to encourage, mentor, and promote other females. Men in general are more inclusive, comfortable, and natural working with other men and tend to ‘default’ to what their comfort zone can handle, especially when it comes to powerful positions. This has been proven by studies, time and again, and we know it is still at the root of why we still have comparatively small numbers of females in top-level jobs.

There is also another combination of contributing factors, one being that more women choose to get off of the fast track and not play politics once they hit the mid- to upper-level management positions. Again, studies have shown that more women decide to change career paths and take time off than men, and they do so for a number of reasons. Research has also shown that women still bear the burden of the family decisions and responsibilities, such as who will pick up the children, or when will the household chores get done. Even women who have additional help still bear the responsibility for family and household management.

So, while the number of women rising to the top ranks is steadily and slowly improving, there is a confluence of factors that work together which continue to limit the number women in high-level positions. A great article that delves more into this topic and expounds on my answer is at: http://www.catalyst.org/file/523/the_myth_of_the_ideal_worker_does_doing_all_the_right_things_really_get_women_ahead.pdf

Management Responsibilities

As a fairly new manager, when I have employees come to me and tell me they would like to talk to me as their manager but in the strictest of confidence, I many times feel uncomfortable. How do I handle these types of employee conversations when it could damage their trust in me as their manager?

When an employee starts out a conversation by telling you that they want to talk in strict confidence, before they go any further remind them that if they tell you something that requires you to take action, then you will do what you must do as a manager and leader. Many times, what an employee tells you will be about themselves or something they may be going through and you don’t have to do anything but listen and understand. Other times, they may divulge something that you are required by law or by ethics to report to your boss or perhaps even the authorities. It could even be something about another employee that you will need to further investigate.

It can sometimes be a challenge when faced with this type of discussion, but be prepared to make it clear up front that you will take the necessary action if your good judgement calls for it. As a leader, it is important to know that you have a greater responsibility to act upon certain situations than you do outside of your leadership role. This is what you make clear to anyone that begins a discussion requesting confidence.

Once your employees know that you will do what is right, even in the face of challenge and adversity, chances are good that they will trust you completely and not feel that they must precede their statements with a confidentiality statement.

Diversity in Our Ever-Changing World

There is so much written and discussed about the topic of diversity but then I also hear of women’s initiatives and other affinity groups. Don’t all of these groups fall under the diversity umbrella? I would appreciate an overview of diversity and what it means in today’s workplace.

The short answer to the first part of your question is yes, all of the various groups you refer to are a part of a diverse workplace and are representative of a particular group that contributes to that diversity.
Let me give you the overview of diversity that you asked about which I think will help you better understand when and how the term is used.

We can break diversity down into two categories, or types, that are present in today’s workplace - vertical diversity and horizontal diversity. Vertical diversity refers to the wide range of ages in the workplace, with four generations working alongside each other, and horizontal diversity refers to all other types of different groups to include those of various races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and religious beliefs.

The important thing to know and understand about diversity is that it enriches our lives, both professionally and personally. It brings such different backgrounds and perspectives together, and it creates synergies that otherwise aren’t generated. This results in greater ideas and increased creativity to all settings and in all situations.

Many studies have proved that when diversity is embraced and celebrated, organizations are higher performing, more profitable entities as a result. Diversity contributes just what it implies, a diverse range of perspectives and ideas, that ultimately better serve the world.

Avoiding a Hostile Workplace

As a manager, I have had repeated complaints from employees about a fellow employee telling offensive jokes. Sometimes they are just overhearing them but are nonetheless still offended. How do I approach this employee when many of the complaints are based on hearsay?

This is another great question and one that is so very important for you to understand how to handle as a manager/leader. This one can get you into lots of trouble and can create additional problems if you do not handle it correctly.

The first rule-of-thumb as a leader and a manager who is responsible for people is that once you have knowledge of an issue, you basically own that issue and must take the appropriate action to correct things. In this case, when an employee is offended by something that another employee is saying, your workplace can potentially be deemed a hostile work environment. This is one in which all employees do not feel comfortable and may even feel threatened. Now that you have knowledge of this, it is your responsibility as the leader to remedy this situation swiftly and decisively.

When you receive a hearsay complaint such as this, you will need to investigate. Start by asking the complainant for their side of the situation, asking them if they did, in fact, tell what could be offensive or inappropriate jokes in the office. Make it clear that this behavior is inappropriate for the workplace and that they should immediately stop the practice of telling such jokes. Usually, this is all it takes to stop the offensive language; however, I would suggest you take it a step further. Take this opportunity to look at what training, if any, your employees have had in this area. I’m willing to bet that your company/organization has an acceptable conduct policy and if so, has everyone signed off on that policy? If not, make sure they understand what is acceptable and what is not, and have them sign statements that they have read and understand the conduct policy.

If there is a dispute over what the two individuals, the complainer and the complainant, are telling you and/or you have already done all of the above, then you should seek out other employees for written statements. Once you determine that the employee has indicated an understanding of the acceptable conduct policy and has chosen to violate it, then you must take immediate action to discipline and perhaps even remove the employee from the workplace, depending on the level of the complaint.

Delegating Effectively

Delegating
I have just been promoted and am working on delegating more to my team. How do I give up the need to control every assignment and trust the job will get done?

Understanding and learning how to effectively delegate is a critical leadership trait that all new managers must hone -- and as quickly as possible!. Notice that I use the word ‘effectively’ because like every other skill, you must learn how to effectively use this one for your maximum advantage. Delegating is extremely important to your success for two main reasons: your own time management, and the development of those for whom you are responsible. For many people, learning to delegate and to let go is a challenge.

Start out with smaller, maybe less important tasks that you feel more comfortable delegating, and that won’t stress you out if they aren’t completed exactly to your satisfaction or on time. When you first begin to delegate, you will likely fight the urge to micro-manage the details and this is where you have to really work on yourself. Set reporting timelines for your subordinates to submit progress updates on specific tasks. Hold regular conference calls with your team so you can gauge the overall progress when you have many things going on at once, which you will as you move up in your responsibilities. As with any new skill you are learning and developing ,there is initial discomfort when you practice it. This is because you are stretching yourself and going out of your normal comfort zone. Discomfort is okay and is to be expected.

Remember back to when you were in an individual contributor role and how you felt when you were given an assignment, especially one that was new to you. You may have been slightly apprehensive but you were most likely proud and rewarded that your boss had the faith and confidence in your abilities to give you such an assignment. This boosted your self-confidence and ability to take on even more responsibilities. This will be what you are doing when you dole out those delegated assignments, not to mention the fact that you are getting the work done through many channels which is great for your overall team development.

Last, and just as important, I suggest you look around at your team and ensure you have the right people in the right job assignments. If you don’t, then make the necessary changes to get the right people in place. This is a mistake that many managers make when they let too much time go by before making what can be tough decisions. Once you do this you should be confident in the fact that your individual team members are more than capable and ready to take on each and every assignment, growing in the process.

Now . . . go delegate one task! Good luck!