"How can I,
as a female supervisor, motivate men in leadership positions in a male
oriented organization to equally hire, promote and mentor female
employees?"
This blog will feature questions (ranging from leadership and diversity to culture-specific communication, global team-building, and the nuances of business and social protocol in different countries and cultures) raised by working, adult students in higher education. You are invited to share your insights and perspectives based on your own personal work experiences. See "Welcome . . . more about this blog" for additional information about the blog's history and purpose.
Tough question. Some men see the inherent value in people without seeing diversity traits. For those who don't get it, perhaps try adopting a like-minded male mentor in the executive ranks. Some of the best advice I've received was from executive mentors/sponsors. If you cannot find an executive male mentor, the writing could be on the wall regarding the organizations cultural preferences.
ReplyDeleteMark, excellent post and straight to the point. There should be ample opportunities in a diverse workplace to find a male mentor. If not, then well, like you said..
DeleteI think that it a challenge in many organizations. As women are becoming more prevalent in senior level positions, it will become easier, however to Mark’s point, it depends how receptive your organization is. As we’ve been reading in both Global Leadership: Research, Practice, and Development and Maximizing Business Results with the Strategic Performance Framework, both readings focus on the many qualities of global leaders. A few that have consistently stood out to me are cultural empathy, understanding and patience. As the minority, you will need to use your cultural adaptation strategies to help break down the barriers. Begin a cultural dialogue to ask them to help you understand what they are looking for in successors and then engage them and employ cultural mentoring to get qualified people in front of them. We all know there is science behind the fact that most managers hire people who look and think like themselves, so it will take conscious effort to overcome those tendencies and habits.
ReplyDeleteAside from implementing some of the models we have discussed thus far, such as our readings this term, there are other additional models this female supervisor can employ toward a successful end. Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg effectively explains that women need to become their own best advocate in the workplace. The female supervisor realizes that the male leadership team may not be invested in mentoring female employees. As a female supervisor, she is in a position to select and mentor these female employees herself. She is in the best position to serve as an example to her leadership team that her input will help them develop their on-the-job skills and their confidence in the workplace. The female supervisor is also in the position to select the most promising of these subordinates and, using the models we have learned, to have a frank discussion with the management staff towards considering these female members to management positions.
ReplyDeleteDena and Class,
DeleteDo gender stereotypes influence the perceptions of a female leader's effectiveness? Please discuss.
My current company is female executive heavy. I think it depends on the industry, of course. However, in the health benefits industry, I see many female executives and don't see much as far as gender stereotypes being thrown around. What about you class? Does your industry have many female executives?
DeleteAbsolutely!!! There is plenty of research that shows gender stereotypes influence the perceptions of female leader's effectiveness. One of the things I would like to point out is how often the word diversity is used as the key to "fixing" the problem. Diversity is a number organizations fulfill on various protected statuses in order to look well rounded. Inclusion however, is where the actual hard work comes in. Having a diverse organization is not the same as an inclusive one. This is where the cultural adaptation strategies come in, the hard work. When male and female leaders share common traits and/or leadership styles they are not viewed equally. We have preconceived notions on how men and women should act. While I agree that the inherent values, skills, education, etc. that each person holds is important we would be remiss to ignore the diversity between us. To not acknowledge one's race, gender, ethnicity, etc. is to ignore the fact that these groups are constantly faced with unequal opportunities.
DeleteThis question of women in leadership led me to consider women global leaders. Think about women leaders who have overcome stereotypes and challenges to become notable leaders. Who are they? What distinguishes them as successful leaders? What characteristics do they display?
ReplyDeleteWoman leaders that I know work so hard they work is noticed. They do a great job of internally marketing themselves as well because some may overlook this fact. They seem to be resilient to gender stereotypes and sometimes have many walls up to protect their integrity. This can be perceived as being direct but men are this way and others do not think twice. They continue to fight that battle and are probably working harder than their male counterparts.
Delete((391-16SP08) Excellent question and it took me some time to ponder but I have realized in order to make the case you have to motivate the people internally. Often in a male dominated area, people often forget to look outside of the box. For example, if I was a female looking to increase, I would bring up statistics and also compare to other successful orgs that have done this.
ReplyDeleteI think part of your issue is wondering if you're being honest with yourself about your organization. What did your organization look like when you were hired? How much has the landscape changed in the time you've been there? I work in a field that is very prevalent with female leadership. From what I've seen, women need to play to their audience in order to motivate their male counterpart. Much like the other replies here, I think the best way to back up your stance is through statistics and candidates who clearly exemplify what it is your organization is looking for.
ReplyDeleteBeing a male male who has been in organizations that have had female leaders I can say this. They are more well-rounded in all aspects of business than their male contour-parts for the reason that, they needed to break through barriers that most men still get the benefit of the doubt for -- With those barriers are hard skills that are almost 100% met by the women and not always met by the men who were given the benefit of the doubt when climbing the ladder.
ReplyDeleteOne of the female leaders that I think has done fantastic in many areas of leadership is Condoleezza Rice. She is well educated, resilient, systemic, and a future thinker, but most of all I think for anyone trying to overcome stereotypes, she and others, "don't hear negatively directed at them from others"...
It really depends on how large your organization is. I believe that women initiative groups are a great way to start the ball rolling on issues like this. Coming together to brainstorm on issues and bringing it to the attention of the male leadership might not change things right away but hopefully make them think twice prior to hiring or promoting their next candidate.
ReplyDelete