MODERN BUSINESS
thrown out the window . Have the discussion – talk openly about salaries . The gender pay gap in Australia is sitting at 18.2 percent , down from and average of 85.2 cents 10 years ago . We are actually going backwards in terms of wage equity . If we don ’ t speak out , we are not leaning out , being brave , or showing willingness to have the courageous conversations that will drive the change that is needed .
Lean out - collaborate
4 more One sex is not effective without the other in terms of truly making change happen . Instead of an argument about inequality , why can ’ t this be a discussion about equality , about together how we can drive change ? It is not enough , in the words of the amazing Sheryl Sandberg , to ‘ lean in ’ for future-proofing our success , our businesses and our careers . As leaders who are taking teams into an uncertain future it ’ s now about leaning out and collaborating with others . Because to lean out means to embrace and engage on an unforeseen aggregated level — where thinking bigger than ever before will bring rewards to a collective commercial mind . Where diversity and difference of opinion is actually the competitive advantage .
Own brand YOU
5 The biggest killer of confidence in business , as in any of life ’ s journeys , is when we start to doubt ourselves , and the path that we are on . It ’ s very easy to simply shrug and say to ourselves ‘ well , if someone says ‘ you ’ re simply not good enough ’ then it must be true ’. If we are to create the organisations that we want to work within that we want others to enjoy being part of , and to build a company that is more than just the service or the product that is being sold , the soul of the organisation , its integrity has to permeate everything …. and its more than just words . Confidence in the leadership of self is essential .
Engage with sponsorship
6 On the whole , organisations are not providing enough active mentoring and sponsoring for the younger women coming up through the ranks , and through this lack of duty of care , they are committing sabotage .
Time and time again in countless studies continue to show that when sponsorship is a part of workplace culture , like sponsors like , and it is borne out if you take a look around any large company . Gender sponsors gender and it even comes down to ethnicity sponsoring ethnicity . So , if the company has a 70:30 male : female ratio of senior management , then 70 % of those sponsored are automatically going to be male . Take those numbers further down , because of course the percentage of managers who actually take on a sponsorship role is perhaps 25 %, and you are looking at a very small funnel of female talent ,
Companies need to be more active in their attitude of engagement when it comes to developing the sponsor / spondee relationship . We must support each other wholeheartedly through networks . We must sponsor , mentor and nurture those younger women coming through the ranks and create a future pipeline of female
leaders . Leaders everywhere need to listen to what the women in society and in business are saying right now . Explore the possibilities of what diversity and 100 % involvement could bring – how the benefits of a collaborative society and workplace , one that is wellrounded , well influenced and well distributed , can widen perspective and create opportunities that have not as yet been tapped in to . Men and women should work collaboratively at a leadership level ; it ’ s what makes teams – and decisions – great . Women ’ s ‘ soft skills ’ as leaders - to empathise , to compartmentalise , and to bring diverse groups together - should never be underestimated , along with our ‘ hard ’ business skills .
The increasing affluence of women is challenging us all to adapt and realign ourselves to the needs of a new society . Engaging women in the workplace , especially at the leadership level , is an essential part of the collaborative economy .
Janine Garner is the CEO of LBD Group , author of From Me To We – Why commercial collaboration will futureproof business , leaders and personal success , and works with senior leaders to build high performing teams . For more information visit http :// www . janinegarner . com . au
36 ModernBusiness June 2016