While watching a republican televised debate, there was a question directed to Michelle Bachmann which was extremely sexist. "Given specific passages from the bible directing women to be submissive to their husbands, if she was elected as President of the United States would she let her husband tell her what to do?" My thought immediately was "I can hardly believe this kind of question was directed to a female candidate during a televised debate." Personally I'm not sure how you answer a question like that and still be professional. Answering that kind of question on the fly could bring out the worst in us. Instead, Ms. Bachmann's response was completely professional and dignified.
While I support women's rights and equality, I would not describe myself as a hard-core women's libber by any means. At the same time, women have been in the workplace for many years now and the question remains: is it still a man's world? According to the most recent data, women now make up nearly half (46.7%) of America's workforce and hold 51.5% of management, professional and related jobs (Catalyst Research). Yet only approximately 7.6% of Fortune 500 top executives are women and only 2.6% of Fortune CEOs are women. Have we won the battle but lost the war?
With the exception of a select few, most women are not able to truly break through that "glass ceiling" in real numbers, the speculation being that companies today continue to be built around "masculine norms" and "the good old boy network", try as we might to change it. There is no question; women face much more ambiguity than men when it comes to professional career advancement, culture and the "dos and don'ts" surrounding professional networking. In some fields, particularly engineering, advancement opportunities for women continue to be challenging. We have, however, made great headway. Many organizations have come to fully recognize the real value women bring to the table. We are great at multi-tasking and are all about "just getting things done."
Given the multiple roles women manage on any given day we are bottom line focused, goal oriented and great planners. Women bring a valuable dimension to the work place. One which supports diversity, innovation, consensus and the promotion of cultures supportive of nurturing work environments. All elements which are critical to the success of any organization.
That said there are some very positive trends happening with women-run businesses which are worth noting. According to the latest statistics published by the Women's Presidents Organization, (a New York based non-profit membership organization for women entrepreneurs of private companies generating revenues of $2 million or more) female executives are leading the way in many ways. Most recent data demonstrates 100% of the 50 fastest growing women-led organizations provide health insurance, 88% provide 401K plans and 80% provide life insurance and 47% offer retirement benefits. We are certainly doing our part to take care of our social responsibilities!
The strategy toward "winning the war" may very well lie squarely on corporate America's shoulders. In support of true equality and equal opportunity, organizational commitment and corporate pursuit of initiatives focused on building cultures sensitive to women's norms will be vital. Female executives will be called upon to lead the charge in this next stage of our professional development and journey to full recognition. I believe our success in this next phase relies heavily on women's ability to negotiate terms which are mutually beneficial to men, women, and the organizations we are all working to promote!
I believe women will win the war and achieve total equality in business! While we may not have fully arrived, our journey is well underway! What do you believe? Do you have a strategy that promotes your personal skills, talents and maximizes the contribution you are able to make within the organization you run, manage or work?
While I support women's rights and equality, I would not describe myself as a hard-core women's libber by any means. At the same time, women have been in the workplace for many years now and the question remains: is it still a man's world? According to the most recent data, women now make up nearly half (46.7%) of America's workforce and hold 51.5% of management, professional and related jobs (Catalyst Research). Yet only approximately 7.6% of Fortune 500 top executives are women and only 2.6% of Fortune CEOs are women. Have we won the battle but lost the war?
With the exception of a select few, most women are not able to truly break through that "glass ceiling" in real numbers, the speculation being that companies today continue to be built around "masculine norms" and "the good old boy network", try as we might to change it. There is no question; women face much more ambiguity than men when it comes to professional career advancement, culture and the "dos and don'ts" surrounding professional networking. In some fields, particularly engineering, advancement opportunities for women continue to be challenging. We have, however, made great headway. Many organizations have come to fully recognize the real value women bring to the table. We are great at multi-tasking and are all about "just getting things done."
Given the multiple roles women manage on any given day we are bottom line focused, goal oriented and great planners. Women bring a valuable dimension to the work place. One which supports diversity, innovation, consensus and the promotion of cultures supportive of nurturing work environments. All elements which are critical to the success of any organization.
That said there are some very positive trends happening with women-run businesses which are worth noting. According to the latest statistics published by the Women's Presidents Organization, (a New York based non-profit membership organization for women entrepreneurs of private companies generating revenues of $2 million or more) female executives are leading the way in many ways. Most recent data demonstrates 100% of the 50 fastest growing women-led organizations provide health insurance, 88% provide 401K plans and 80% provide life insurance and 47% offer retirement benefits. We are certainly doing our part to take care of our social responsibilities!
The strategy toward "winning the war" may very well lie squarely on corporate America's shoulders. In support of true equality and equal opportunity, organizational commitment and corporate pursuit of initiatives focused on building cultures sensitive to women's norms will be vital. Female executives will be called upon to lead the charge in this next stage of our professional development and journey to full recognition. I believe our success in this next phase relies heavily on women's ability to negotiate terms which are mutually beneficial to men, women, and the organizations we are all working to promote!
I believe women will win the war and achieve total equality in business! While we may not have fully arrived, our journey is well underway! What do you believe? Do you have a strategy that promotes your personal skills, talents and maximizes the contribution you are able to make within the organization you run, manage or work?
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