Deaf, Blind, Biased – or Stumped? Why Leaders Don’t Respond to the Business Case for Gender Diversity

by | May 3, 2016 | benefits of diversity, bottom line value of gender diversity, Business Results, diversity and inclusion, double bind, gender bias, gender bias, gender diversity in leadership, gender stereotypes, images of leadership, images of women, obstacles to gender diversity, unconscious bias, unconscious images, upside of gender diversity, women in business | 0 comments

Why might the message about the value of diversity not be heard? Why might leaders hear it but not buy it? Why do men who do buy it not take effective action? These are not rhetorical questions. I have some ideas but I want your thoughts.

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?

Gender Parity: A Realistic Goal?

by | Feb 3, 2016 | comfort principal, double bind, gender balance, gender bias, gender equality, gender parity, images of leadership, obstacles for women in business, obstacles to gender diversity, unconscious bias, unconscious mind sets, work and family | 0 comments

McKinsey has concluded that it will take 25 years to reach “gender parity” at the senior VP level and more than 100 years to reach parity in the C-suite. Is “parity” realistic and attainable even in a century? I don’t think so. Even if we could magically eliminate all unconscious gender bias, other factors would make parity unlikely. There are key reasons other than bias – like free choice. I will continue to help eliminate bias so choice is truly free.

Unconscious Gender Bias in Workplace Feedback

by | Dec 2, 2015 | double bind, double bind, feedback, gender bias, gender communication, gender stereotypes, gendered definitions of leadership, judging difference, masculine communication style, unconscious bias, women aggressive communication, Women in management, women masculine style | 0 comments

She is “helpful” but “too assertive.” He “shows initiative” and “solves problems.” Research shows that the language used in performance reviews for men and women is very different. The language clearly reflects underlying gender bias. Can making managers more aware of their language actually uproot and change gender biases?

Women in the Workplace 2015: Is Gender Bias Part of the Story?

by | Oct 14, 2015 | comfort principal, double bind, double bind, Gender Balance, gender bias, Gender diversity, gender diversity in leadership, invisible mind-sets, Lean In, obstacles for women in business, unconscous mind-sets, Women in management, women masculine style | 0 comments

The numbers and graphs in the report by Lean In and McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace 2015, support some beliefs, and challenge some myths, about why women remain underrepresented at the executive level of American business. What about gender bias? The report concludes that women are more likely than men to perceive gender bias. Of course they do! One of the recommendations of the study is training to “interrupt gender bias,” including to assure men can see and understand the challenges women encounter.