by Caroline | Nov 17, 2015 | conforming and authenticity, conforming masculine norm, Conforming to masculine, feminine strengths, Inclusive culture, leveraging differences, Masculine Feminine Difference, masculine thinking, Men and women at work, value of difference |
It concerns me that, in the corporate workplace, women and men conform to the masculine model. If we all do that, first, we lose ourselves and become less authentic. Equally important, we perpetuate and ratchet up the imbalance we have in terms of masculine and feminine in the world of work (and the world generally). I don’t want women to become “men” in order to succeed. And I don’t want men becoming more masculine in order to fit in and feel respected. I want men and women to discover the strengths of feminine as well as masculine ways of working and leading.
by Caroline | 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 |
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?
by Caroline | May 26, 2015 | bottom line value of gender diversity, business case for gender diversity, feminine strengths, Inclusive culture, Inclusive leadership, masculine strengths, Men and women at work, shifting masculine feminine continuum, shifting with authenticity, understanding difference, value of difference |
The topic of gender diversity has lots of facets – many sub-topics and applications. I am willing to put in the work to design many different workshops and speeches. All forward my mission – to help create a world where both masculine and feminine strengths are valued and leveraged – and my vision – a world where gender diversity is the norm and organizations thrive as men and women succeed and lead together.
by Caroline | Apr 8, 2014 | benefits of diversity, better decisions, diversity and inclusion, Inclusive culture, Inclusivity, value of diversity |
The adage is that two heads are better than one. Collaborating with my colleague to write a proposal reminded me of this. The research shows how and why diverse groups make better decisions, get better outcomes and create more innovation than homogeneous groups. Working with someone who thinks differently than I is harder than working alone or with someone who always agrees with me. But it is worth it!
by Caroline | Mar 5, 2014 | appreciating difference, bottom line value of gender diversity, business value of gender diversity, comfort principal, diversity and inclusion, gender diversity in leadership, gender inclusive, Inclusive culture, Inclusive leadership, invisible mind-sets, obstacles to gender diversity, Organizational culture, Sheryl Sandberg Lean In, unconscious mind sets, women and ambition, Women in management |
McKinsey & Company issues an annual report called “Women Matter.” McKinsey has researched the bottom-line value of gender diversity, what has been effective in successful gender diversity initiatives – and what is still in the way. One of the things in the way is “unacknowledged mindsets.” “Cultural factors” are a key reason so few women reach the top. Culture reflects the “mindsets” of an organization’s leaders. The key to creating an inclusive culture is bringing unconscious mindsets to consciousness so attitudes and behaviors shift. In our workshops, we help bring awareness to those mindsets – the double bind, the comfort principle and unconscious images.
by Caroline | Feb 11, 2014 | bottom line value of gender diversity, business case for gender diversity, business value of gender diversity, feminine strengths, gender diversity in leadership, Inclusive culture, Inclusive leadership, Inclusivity, Masculine Feminine Difference, strengths of feminine approaches, Strengths of feminine leadership, workshops gender diversity |
Men in my workshops used to hesitate to claim feminine strengths, perhaps concerned they would be called a “sissy.” In my book and workshops, I use prototypes for masculine and feminine – Max and Fran. Men in our workshops seem comfortable acknowledging their “Fran” strengths. Maybe it is because more of them understand the value of gender diversity. Some may be convinced, e.g., by the work of McKinsey & Co. and John Gerzema, that leadership must include feminine as well as masculine perspectives. Valuing feminine strengths personally enables authenticity, effectiveness and health. Valuing feminine strengths in others contributes to inclusivity, which drives engagement and results.
