“Women are still underrepresented at every level in the corporate pipeline. Many people assume this is because women are leaving companies at higher rates than men or due to difficulties balancing work and family. However, our analysis tells a more complex story: women face greater barriers to advancement and a steeper path to senior leadership.”
— 2015 Women in the Workplace Report from LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Co.
By Pamela Antil – Assistant City Administrator, City of Santa Barbara CA
On Monday, we blogged about the Women in the Workplace 2015 report completed by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Co. You can read our introduction to the series HERE. Today we are examining what we can all do in our organizations to “change the numbers” so we see the number of female executives go up in local government. You can read the full report for more insights and steps we can take to advance the careers of women, but here is a start:
- Get programming that helps women develop skills and organizations to counteract bias;
- Understand the economic potential of gender balance/equality;
- Help employees identify and interrupt biases that disadvantage women;
- Ask your Leadership Team these 5 Important Questions;
- Use LeanIn Circles to provide peer learning and mentorship;
- Help managers promote gender equality in the workplace;
- Discover how you and your colleagues can amplify your skills through training;
- Learn what other organizations are doing to tap and retain talented women; and
- Develop a workplace that rejects stereotypes and taps everyone’s talents!
Together we CAN move the needle forward — taking each of these steps, one at a time.
