The Business Case for Gender Diversity: Update 2017

by | May 3, 2017 | benefits of diversity, better decisions, bottom line value of gender diversity, Business Case, business case for gender diversity, business value diversity, business value of gender diversity, Diversity and engagement, diversity and inclusion, Gender Balance, gender diversity bottom line, gender diversity in leadership, gender inclusive | 0 comments

The business case for gender diversity in leadership is compelling. I’ve updated it to include (more) recent studies linking diversity and financial performance.

If Women Ran the World

by | Mar 22, 2016 | bottom line value of gender diversity, Conforming to masculine, feminine strengths, gender balance, gender inclusive, masculine strengths, value of difference, women and collaboration, women and conflict | 0 comments

I am grieved by the news of another terrorist attack in Europe. I believe this is a symptom of a serious imbalance. It is a product of a culture that represses and covers its women – and so represses and dishonors all that is feminine. My commitment is redoubled – to do my small part in having people value both masculine and feminine, in themselves, in others, in our organizations and in our culture.

Changing Corporate Culture: From “Entrenched Male” to “Gender Neutral”

by | Mar 9, 2016 | Balance of masculine feminine, Conforming to masculine, diversity and inclusion, gender bias, gender inclusive, gender parity, gender stereotypes, gender stereotypes, obstacles for women in business | 0 comments

Manpower Group commissioned research on “accelerating more women into leadership.” The report suggests that reaching “gender parity” will take time — and cultural change. It will take changing “entrenched male culture” to “gender neutral culture.” How can we do that?

The Slow Pace of Gender Equality: What Is the Root Cause?

by | Jan 26, 2016 | benefits of diversity, bottom line value of gender diversity, gender balance, gender inclusive, gendered definitions of leadership, images of leadership, invisible mind-sets, invisible mind-sets, Masculine Feminine Difference, obstacles for women in business, Organizational culture, progress of women, unconscious bias, unconscious images, unconscous mind-sets, understanding difference, value of difference | 0 comments

Yes, there is progress in seeing more women at leadership levels in business; but the pace remains glacial. We need to understand the reasons at the deepest level – so we can pick up the pace and capture the known benefits. I was invited to post a blog on the London School of Economics Business Review. I used the opportunity to express my thoughts on the root cause. I hope you’ll read it!

Musings: How to Emphasize the Positive without Ignoring the Elephant in the Room

by | Jun 3, 2015 | bottom line value of gender diversity, gender inclusive, Inclusive culture, Inclusive leadership, Leadership, Masculine Feminine Difference, unconcscious bias, unconscious mind sets, value of difference | 0 comments

A colleague suggested that we might attract more people, particularly men, to our cause if we emphasize, not gender diversity, but the business benefits of gender inclusion. Another author and facilitator reminded me that we get better results by focusing on what we want rather than on the “problem” we are trying to solve. Help me apply these two insights. If we invite people to a workshop about organizational culture and results, do we indicate up front, or once they are in the room, that the drivers we focus on are inclusive leadership and gender diversity? I want to focus on the desired outcome (businesses that thrive because of gender diversity) and not the “problem” (unconscious gender bias). How do we effectively address unconscious bias?