PAPERmaking! g FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY Volume 5, Number 1, 2019
“People make assumptions about women’s capabilities and interests and then make decisions for them:
x She’s too nice; she wouldn’t want this job… x She has you ng children; the travel schedule will be too demanding… x She won’t want this promotion; she’d have to relocate her family… x She hasn’t done this before; she won’t feel up for the challenge… “These assumptions may not be conscious or spoken, but they cause women to be overlooked for roles they would be great at.” “Queen Bee Syndrome” contributes, too. The few women who have broken through the glass ceiling often still find themselves feeling stuck because of gender bias. While many women do sponsor, promote, or support the career advancement of other women, those who don’t are sometimes called “queen bees” and are considered unsupportive of other women. But our research has found that when women executives do advocate for diversity and promote other women, they receive lower competency and performance ratings. So it’s understandable that senior women may hesitate to advance the careers of more junior women — it may feel as if it comes at too great a personal cost. Men who sponsor or promote women are not similarly penalized — and may even be rewarded for supporting diversity. To mitigate power and bias, both men and women in positions of power should mentor and sponsor talent — regardless of gender. With awareness of the reality of power and bias in everyday actions, leaders should check their thinking, adjust as needed, and call out bias whenever they see it. Aspiring Women Leaders: Don’t Go It Alone Think you might need a mentor or sponsor? If you don’t already have one, the answer is yes. “You absolutely need mentors and sponsors! You just need them for different things at different times,” says Kelly Simmons, who developed CCL’s Advancing Technical Women program. “In new roles, you need to learn new skills, find out what you don’t know, and learn. If you’re not moving ahead or are feeling stuck or confused about your situation, get help —it’s not all on you. Don’t put all the responsibility on yourself to advance in your career or succeed in a new role.” You might be thinking: x “If I do a good job, people wi ll notice. If I do just a little more, work a little harder, it will happen. I don’t need a mentor or sponsor.” x Or, “I want to earn that promotion myself; it feels like cheating or pulling rank if I have a senior decision- maker on my side.” x Or, “The timing isn’t right, right now; I’ll go for the next opportunity.” Many women wrestle with these same concerns. But without access to the people who can set you up for the experiences you need — and support you through the inevitable challenges — your career progress is likely to stall, leading to short-term frustration and long-term consequences. Wherever you are in your career, you need a network of champions — colleagues but also mentors and sponsors — to help you shift the way you think and act.
Article 10 – Women and Leadership
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