Hack:
Uncommon Practices to Crack the Glass Ceiling

By Anne Perschel - Chief Guide (President to some) at Germane Consulting

November 22, 2010 at 3:33am

Leadership

women

culture

change. talent

Moonshots

Capture the advantages of diversity

Summary

Best practices result in more copies of what exists now. When it comes to cracking the glass ceiling, we need uncommon practices.

Problem

Women have a critical role to play in humanizing organizations, creating collaborative communities that produce social as well as economic value, and changing the rules of play in business. But first, we need to see at least three women on top leadership teams, given the current rule of decision making at the top of the house. Three changes the conversation, the decisions, and ultimately the culture. First, however, we must find ways to crack the glass ceiling, and those ways cannot be found in current best practices.

Despite the number and variety of programs for women at large corporations, the gender mix remains relatively unchanged. For the most part these programs address such things as hiring and developing women and result in more women at lower and mid-level management roles. But glass ceilings stay put for most women who aspire and have the talent to contribute at the company’s highest levels.

Current "best practices" will produce no greater change that what we've seen to date. Uncommon practices are needed.

Solution

Albert Einstein advised that “You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”

The following uncommon practices are designed to break through this impasse and shift us to a new more effective leadership paradigm.

1. The Rule of 3

Set a near term goal of three women on each top leadership team where important decisions are made.

Why three? It is extremely difficult and unlikely for the lone woman – or any lone minority – to change the prevailing culture. Almost all lone women share the experience of speaking up during a team discussion and being ignored, overridden, or dismissed. Within minutes a man in the group states the same point. This time the peer group acknowledges the speaker and often supports his idea. The lone woman eventually become less active and less invested as this experience is repeated. Because no one else in the group shares the woman’s experience they do not notice this dynamic and without support she become less vocal. The opportunity for culture change diminishes as does her effectiveness in the group.

2. First Women – Selection, Support, Accountability

Carefully select, sponsor and mentor first women who join the team before the rule of 3 is achieved.

They must be highly capable of doing the job and being trail blazers. These women are courageous, self-confident and resilient. They read the human landscape and respond with flexibility, keeping the end goal in mind. They need a solid support group inside and outside the company. Spending time with members of this group is part of the job.

Hold both her sponsor/mentor and the first woman accountable for her success.

It is their success. Their relationship includes mutual learning and requires a high level of trust so that vulnerabilities and difficulties can be openly discussed and addressed. He also ensures that she has access to important networks. The sponsor creates a learning environment such that the first woman and her peers can explore sensitive issues to improve team performance. Advice and counsel from experts in change management, human dynamics, and diversity help ensure the first woman, her sponsor and the team are successful.

Establish first women and first sponsor groups.

A formal group of all the first women becomes a mechanism for supporting each other and changing the culture. A first sponsor group plays a similar role. These two groups also work together to learn, review progress, identify and remove impediments to culture change and enhance the success of first women.

3. Rapid Readiness of High Potential Women

To keep the pipeline full use very fast track approaches to prepare women for top leadership roles. A recent study by Steve Wolff, DBA*, the Hay Group, found the role of executive assistant, not to be confused with secretary or administrative assistant, to be one such method. High potential women who participate in decision making discussions with senior executives are ready for top leadership positions sooner than when traditional methods of moving up through the ranks are used.

4. Two Heads are Better than One

Why not two leaders - a man and a woman?

The family unit, a much simpler structure, is run by a duo. The semi-conductor giant Intel uses a “two-in-the-box” structure in cases where one person does not have all the required knowledge or competence to lead the organization. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, is a technical genius who lacks people skills, so the board approve Sheryl Sandberg as COO. She brings relational and marketing savvy to the company. Together the King and Queen of Facebook are creating the companies future.

*Steve Wolff, DBA. The Coming Leadership Gap. Presentation to New England Society for Applied Psychology. Waltham, MA. March 7, 2010

Practical Impact

These practices create change at the individual, team and organizational levels simultaneously. The first women, sponsors and peer groups learn and model how to work across the gender boundary. Because men are now working with and listening to women they can see, perhaps for the first time, where the impediments exist and they are addressed. The effects cascade through the organization and the critical path to success for second women is faster and smoother. In addition, the first women are ready-made sponsors and mentors for those next in line. Finally, the companies financial results improve as evidenced by Catalyst's research indicating that Fortune 500 with the most women in top leadership teams achieve 35% greater returns as compared to those companies with the least women in top leadership teams.

Credits

Anne Perschel, President

Germane Consulting

germaneconsulting.com

Co-founder of NOW Leadership - a monthly newsletter to advance leadership practices by integrating feminine and masculine attributes.

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