Streamline Training & Documentation: Strategies for Confronting Double Binds that Women in Business Face

Monday, July 30, 2007

Strategies for Confronting Double Binds that Women in Business Face

Yesterday's post discussed three double binds often faced by women in leadership roles in business. Catalyst, the organization that collected the evidence to support this none-too-surprising list of dilemmas, also offers suggestions (pdf) for addressing them.

On the individual level, women can try:

Talking openly about the issue. "Clearly communicate your concerns. Note when a comment or behavior is inappropriate. ... Address assumptions about women to create awareness [of stereotypic bias]."

Becoming visible in a way that demonstrates the inaccuracy of people's biases. "Show your competence. ... seek high-level assignments. Speak up at meetings."

Using clear and effective communication. "Let people know what you want (e.g., assignments, aspirations). Ask questions. Be diplomatic."

Minimizing the issue. "Learn to ignore gender and act in gender-neutral ways. Reframe the issue to your advantage."

The Catalyst report emphasizes that all such strategies must be viewed simply as possibilities to consider; a particular strategy may or may not be helpful in a particular situation.

In fact, greater mileage can be expected from strategies adopted at the organizational level. Such strategies aim to create constructive changes in the organization's culture and behavioral norms. Catalyst's specific recommendations are to:

Provide employees with tools and resources that raise their awareness of the skills of women leaders and of the effects of stereotyping.

Assess the work environment to identify risk factors for stereotypic bias. (Catalyst has developed a tool, described in the final chapter of the report, that its members can use for this purpose.)

Implement work practices that target stereotypic bias (focusing on specific areas of risk identified through the aforementioned assessment of the work environment).

A key goal is to limit employees' automatic thinking — thinking that fails to recognize and reject bias — by raising awareness of how stereotypes operate and holding individuals accountable for bias. Steps to consider include:

Managerial training and diversity education that includes "information about ways to recognize bias, inconsistencies between values (e.g., gender egalitarianism) and actual behavior, and causes and effects of gender inequality in the workplace."

Professionalism in performance management. This means using objective and unambiguous evaluation criteria that make it hard for bias to distort managers' evaluations of employees. As the report points out, well-designed HR practices "increase managers' accountability and motivation to avoid bias."

Catalyst's earlier report, "Women 'Take Care,' Men 'Take Charge:' Stereotyping of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed," includes a further recommendation: An organization should mindfully create situations in which employees gain constructive experience in interacting with people different from themselves.

###

Labels: Employee performance management, Leadership, Management practices, Organizational culture, Respect, Rewards and recognition

<< Home