Learn to Lead Changes in Your Workplace to
Advance
and
Retain Women Leaders
Shirley Clark and Patricia Reed
July 20, 2006 10:00 am - 11:15 am
2006 BPW National Conference
Dallas, Texas
Embracing New Frontiers: Looking at the Future: Innovative Research, Strategies and Thinking
Who is Choose 2 Lead?
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Non-profit that seeks to change 21st century lives
The founding partners, Patricia Reed and Shirley
Clark, have over 45 combined years of experience
in business, government, consulting and non-profit
organizations and have relocated with their
husbands and children 10 times.
C2L was founded on a vision that women, armed
with information, can be strong catalysts for
personal and professional changes
Recent research for the U.S. Department of Labor
has focused on experienced women “opting out” of
the workforce and win-win workplace solutions
Background
We believe that the face of the workforce
has changed and the workplace hasn’t kept
up:
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Workers are more diverse than ever before
One-size-fits-all jobs and old-school
management models are inadequate for today’s
workers –dual-earner families a prime example
Technology has provided tools for change, yet is
underutilized
Background
Women are not reaching their career
potential and represent an underutilized
asset:
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Many women leave opportunities and income on
the table in order to make their dual-earner
family work
Some leave altogether, although they have a lot
to offer
Once off the track, getting back on presents
challenges
Some women leaders feel stymied by the old
boys’ network
Background
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Need to reframe the issue: it is not just a women’s
issue or is it always about flexibility
Workplace needs to meet the needs of employers
as well as of diverse employees
Studies on women and the workplace show
progress yet generally don’t examine the
underlying fundamental issue of workplace culture
Win-win workplace practices have been shown to
lead to increased loyalty, productivity and retention
Beyond Quarterly Results
How can leaders be best prepared to deal with global
competitiveness?
Focus on human resources
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Retention: Gen X&Y, retirement eligible, mid-career
women
Future pipeline of workers
High cost of benefits, hiring and training
Leverage technology to bring relief to supply and
demand issues of human capital
Lead and embrace change – cultural and
operational
Creative Programs and
Approaches Exist!
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Innovative win-win programs include:
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Targeted recruiting and innovative hiring strategies to gain
competitive advantage through diversity in thought
Older workers as mentors
Alumni staff to fill interim resource needs and keep
employees’ skills fresh
Job banks and seminars to match non-traditional workers
with non-traditional positions
Local client focus to minimize travel
Team and product approaches to projects
“Best of” lists don’t necessarily provide an accurate
picture of the degree of innovation out there.
Great Concepts, but what are
the Roadblocks?
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Not widely “spread” within company
Marginalization by co-workers
Career stopper
Attempts to negotiate a personal deal
fail; don’t have tools to make the case
Options don’t fit needs
Marketability
Barriers to Organizational
Change
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Lack of compelling business case
Old-school views on work and workers
View that employees are commodities and not assets
Misunderstanding of the differences between flexible
and restructured
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Fear that everyone will want reduced hours or that only
some can benefit
No plan or model to implement
Limited resources to research or plan change
Lack of management experience in how to manage a
non-traditional workforce
HR issues such as health insurance, accounting
structures
Women Leaders can be
Catalysts
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Be realistic, bold and positive
Manage with everyone’s interests in mind:
shareholders, managers and employees
Arm employees and executive leadership with
compelling reasons for change
Test out innovations: rotations, product-driven
team projects, mentoring, job redefinition, women’s
forums, alumni and on-ramp programs
Cooperate with other women
Spread the word at every opportunity
LEAD by example
Questions for Discussion
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Who is being groomed to be the future
leaders? How can we ensure that women’s
participation in senior roles and boards will
increase?
How can we convince organizations that
competitiveness starts with diversity of
thought and leadership style?
What is the role of technology in
organizational change and success?
Our Challenge to You
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Work with us to change 21st century
lives: www.choose2lead.org
Shirley M. Clark & Patricia S. Reed
Founding Partners
[email protected]
(703) 395-6337
[email protected]
(703) 319-4046