Published on February 1, 2012
Be it leadership roles, corner offices or corporate boards – the top echelons still seem to be primarily male-dominated bastions. I can see the argument coming: What about Indra Nooyi (CEO, PepsiCo), Vinita Bali (MD, Britannia) Chanda Kochhar (MD, ICICI Bank) and Shikha Sharma (MD, Axis Bank) who have reached the top? Well, these are obviously just a handful compared to the scores of men basking in the C-suite!
If you are still not convinced, consider this - based on latest figures, women constitute only 11% of Fortune 1000 company board seats and 25% of Fortune 1000 companies still have no women on their boards!
So, why is it that when women make up at least 40% of the workforce today and have everything from education, expertise, experience and track records going for them, they are still largely confined to staff positions and support roles? True professional success and senior-level positions seem to elude them. What is actually holding women back from getting ahead?
Impediments blocking progress
There are various internal and external barriers that hinder women from advancing in their careers:
Balancing career and family: The top hurdle by far is the tough balancing act between career, family and child care. Working women constantly sacrifice career progression for family responsibilities and still end up with guilt trips for being ‘selfish'. What's more, they are also branded as less committed and rarely put on the fast track. As Helen Wells, of Opportunity Now (a path-breaking UK organisation representing employers who want to transform the workplace by ensuring inclusiveness for women) laments, “It is disheartening that in 2011 women still pay a career penalty for having a family!”
Despite the ongoing struggle, working women should get their priorities right and then stand by them. They should try to find viable alternatives like agile and flexible arrangements. But remember one can earn flexibility only by delivering results and displaying competence.
Of male resistance and glass ceilings: Subconscious stereotyping and preconceptions of women's roles and abilities simply refuse to dissipate. An ingrained bias lingers that women do not fit the leadership mould (too warm and friendly instead of tough and strong) and keeps men (at times women too) from accepting women in authority. A surreptitious opposition and status quo with some chauvinist male colleagues attempting to undermine female progression is what women in authority face.
Women have to try their level best to chip away at the glass ceiling bit by bit. They have to keep striving to push the boundaries by displaying motivation, experience and potential.
Structural issues: Women decry a lack of role models, mentoring and sponsorship. To add to this, they are also largely excluded from informal networks and therefore, find it difficult to forge connections. Women have to strengthen their network of contacts by finding opportunities to meet and network with powerful seniors.
Favouritism and sidelining: At each stage of advancement, men have at least twice the odds than women. For instance, male employees are often favoured for high-profile/reward projects. Vikram Malhotra, chairman at McKinsey & Co elucidates, “Our corporate talent pipeline is leaky, and it is blocked. Qualified women enter the workforce in sufficient numbers, but they begin to drop off at the very first sorting of talent, when they're eligible for their very first management positions. And it only gets worse after that!” A recent global leadership study also reveals that women's chances for executive promotion are low right from the start as very few women are placed in accelerated-development programs early in their careers as men. Specifically, there are 28% more men in first-level leadership programs, while at the executive level there are 50% more men than women in the high-potential programs.
Organisations need to wake up and start championing diversity and inclusion. They should provide equal opportunity, give female employees bottom-line responsibilities and also make CEOs accountable for hiring women!
Self-sabotaging habits: Apart from these, women unintentionally short-change their own careers. They are riddled by self-doubt and underestimate their skills and abilities. There is always the fear that ‘I am not good enough'. Added to this, women often underplay their achievements and shrug off due credit which keeps them from getting noticed. The inherent reluctance to speak up further reduces their visibility.
Women are also over-patient, guarded, risk-averse and often keep waiting for permission/authority which impedes their effectiveness. As a Harvard Business Review article, ‘Managing Yourself: Stop Holding Yourself Back' cites, “Patience can be a curse for emerging leaders. It can undermine our potential by persuading us to keep our heads down and soldier on, waiting for someone to recognise our efforts and give us the proverbial tap on the shoulder—a better title and formal authority!”
Its high time women overcome these self-imposed obstacles and position themselves for success. Remember winners believe in their self-worth and then tom-tom their value appropriately. As a woman establish a strong personal brand by promoting yourself at every opportunity. Confidently air innovative ideas, demonstrate competencies, volunteer for difficult tasks and grab high-risk opportunities that will get you noticed. And always ask for what you want!
Rise above the daily grind of family and work responsibilities to dream big and constantly aspire to push your limits. See yourself as a leader and step up to lead (irrespective of your position) without waiting for the formal authority. To sum up, give opportunity a go, because once you do, there will be no stopping you!
Payal Chanania
No comments:
Post a Comment