Uniting to Alter the Mentality of the Workplace for Greater Diversity  

I work in a global company in the Tech industry that is 74% male, 26% female and that ratio has not moved much in the past 20+ years. But, many tech companies (and other industries alike) have recently made a commitment to achieve full representation – i.e. a diverse workforce — in the United States by 2025, with the goal to both deliver better innovation and allow everyone to have a fair chance at bringing their best selves, regardless of background.  This is an ambitious endeavor.

For women who have strived hard for upward movement over the years, there’s great potential for more opportunity. But, in talking with many male colleagues, it seems this focus on the advancement of women has created unrest and uncertainty. Some men believe that, with the focus on women who were overlooked in the past, they will now be overlooked and miss out on opportunities. And women will receive a position or promotion because of their gender, not because of their brilliance, skill, ability or talent.

Women and men must shift their world view if we are truly going to make a lasting change. When we look at the history of humankind, from religious wars to land wars to gender wars, the goal has been for one group to lead and the other to follow.  From tribes to political parties, the mantra has been “us instead of them.” It’s been a rare occurrence in the history of humankind to have one group fight for the opportunity to coexist with another group for the greater good.

A Call to Change Our Way of Thinking

In the past, women have been banned from the voting booth, the military, the classroom, leadership positions, and the boardroom. So based on our history, the tendency would be to think that women coming into those once “men-only” worlds must mean men have to exit. That’s not the case. The goal is to come together at the same table. We need to shift away from “instead of” and embrace “in addition to.”  Last year when Canada’s President, Justin Trudeau, was asked why he had created Canada’s first equal cabinet with fifteen men and fifteen women, his response was:  “Because it’s 2015.”

We may have some catching up to do to reach a truly diverse workforce after years of majority rule, but the point is, we aren’t displacing, we’re “adding to.” Years of research show that diverse companies and companies with higher diversity in management and board positions make more revenue. What company, what individual doesn’t want to be more prosperous? What dual-income family doesn’t thrive when both working parents share responsibility to run a successful household and raise a thriving family?

I recently attended a Forum where the Chief Diversity Officer of a Fortune 100 Company shared that her fellow leaders questioned her promotion to Vice President, telling her she only got the role because she’s a woman. Anyone who knows the achievements of this individual wouldn’t think twice to question her success or the impact she has had on the industry. Her advice for the room was, “Be prepared with your one-line comeback!” She didn’t share her one-liner, but mine would be, “Why did you get your current position?”  As female leaders, we need to be proud and confident.  The door of progress was opened the day you started your career and you not only earned it, you deserve it, and you should plan to continue to walk through doors that are opened for you, and the ones you open yourself.

The topic of equality hits at the heart, not just the mind. It’s personal.  The concepts of diversity and inclusion are about who we are, not just what we do.  Here are some ideas how both men and women can work together on this:

What can Women do to Help the Advancement of Other Women? 

• Support Each Other. Women need to support other women and celebrate advancement. Rather than seeing other women’s advancement as a threat, we need to raise up and celebrate it as a win for our entire gender.
• Call Foul When you See Foul.  Many women sit in silence as they witness or are the brunt of unfair behavior.  A possible explanation to consider?  That the individual promulgating the behavior is just not aware of his/her own biases, and only act out of conditioning, not out of bad intent.  And if the behavior is intentional, consider the possibility that the individual will need to explain the behavior — which may not seem as justified after it’s said out loud in the work environment.

What Can Male Colleagues do to Help the Advancement of Women?

• Stop Using Gender as the Number One Quality of an Individual. Remove biases and really consider an individual for their experience, talent and future potential, and hire those that are most qualified.
• Stop Promoting Only Who you Know. Diversity drives innovation.  Don’t settle for only your inner circles.  Hiring someone who has talents that you are lacking creates a better team.