A Woman Presidential Candidate! How Gender Is a Factor

by | Jul 6, 2016 | double bind, double bind, feminine strengths, gender bias, Gender difference, gendered definitions of leadership, images of women, unconcscious bias, women aggressive communication, women and confidence, women masculine style | 0 comments

Having a woman set to represent a major political party in the race for the U.S. presidency is historical. I wish this could be the only way gender is a factor. How much of her low favorability ratings do you think are driven by unconscious gender bias?

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?

“Woman”: Not a Box to be Checked Off

by | May 1, 2015 | benefits of diversity, better decisions, bottom line value of gender diversity, business case for gender diversity, Business Results, critical mass of women on boards, implicit gender quota, Women in management, Women on boards | 0 comments

Everyone knows that having women on a company’s board of directors is good for the company’s bottom line. Research shows that a critical mass of THREE women results in better corporate governance. Less likely to feel like an outsider, a woman is more likely to speak up and be heard when she is one of three. Good decisions and good results follow from a balance of feminine and masculine strengths. Knowing this, leaders should not be satisfied with one (token) woman. Yet a new study shows that, at the executive level, most companies have just one woman. They have “checked the box.” With only one woman, they may miss out on the value of true gender diversity.