Step Up Men Podcast
Gender Inclusion: Are you Consistent Between what you Say and what you Do?
Today we focus on the potential lack of consistency in your behavior and / or your organization’s behavior when it comes to gender inclusion. Although the same can be said for any type of inclusion, we’ll be talking mostly about gender here.
There are lots of well-intentioned companies setting up policies and launching initiatives to foster inclusion at all levels. They invest money and resources in training and developing their female employees and yet when they measure progress, they have little to show for the effort. Many of these organizations then turn to the proponents of the initiatives and utter some version of, “I told you that women don’t want increased responsibilities” or, “See? We tried but there’s nothing we can do if women aren’t interested in the C-suite.” A vicious circle is born.
That’s why we ask; When it comes to Gender Inclusion: Are you consistent between what you say and what you do?
We will explore real life examples of women at all levels, the majority of whom are executives and listen to their experience trying to move ahead in their organizations. And these professionals all work at companies who are investing in their career trajectory as they are all clients of the Red Shoe Movement.
You see, these high-level women are on the fast track. They are ambitious, motivated, incredibly smart and capable. They are ready to take the next step or two to reach the C-suite. And yet, they are constantly receiving contradictory messages from their organizations. They are encouraged to speak up yet shut down when they do; motivated to take stretch assignments and then questioned about their true commitment to those assignments. They are promised that when they develop relationships with mentors and sponsors they will have access to great opportunities, only to be sabotaged — often by their own sponsors.
Don’t miss the insights they shared with us and you will soon be looking for ways to avoid discouraging female talent unintentionally.
