credibility and helps women who struggle with self-promotion or right- fully earned credit.
HOST open forums to discuss and debate ambition and power so women can have a safe place to air their reluctance and overcome it.
Develop a SPONSORSHIP program where high-potential women are aligned with senior sponsors who are willing and able to advocate for their next promotion, facilitate connections through senior leaders, and inform them about career opportunities.
PARTNER with outside organiza- tions that can provide the opportuni- ties for women to effectively develop their leadership skills.
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Provide NETWORKING training and venues specific to women, enabling them to build the support and skills to leverage their contacts.
Create greater TRANSPARENCY and openness in the leadership pipeline, career development, and compensa- tion processes so that women clearly understand what’s expected of them.
CELEBRATE ambitious mothers who have overcome work/life bal- ance challenges as well as erroneous assumptions that seeking greater levels of professional responsibility and being a mother are inconsistent.
ENGAGE men in the process of supporting high-potential women and educate men about the business case of why their employer needs women to succeed.
Provide EXECUTIVE COACHING to high-potential women to enable them to set goals and develop a robust developmental plan. An effec- tive executive coach will give them the support and individual attention to develop self-promotion skills, overcome fear of failure and risk-tak-
ing, and gain comfort in exercising leadership skills and the power of persuasion.
SEEK recognition of your women leaders from outside organizations to celebrate them and promote their increased stature.
Provide TRAINING in the important skills that make up an ambitious and successful leader, including a focus on collaboration, competition, leadership, and teamwork.
CONVEY to women the many benefits that can be achieved through ambition and power, debunking the notion that these are dirty words to be avoided. Instead, demonstrate how ambition and power can be used positively: • to provide service and give back; • to gain independence—financial and otherwise;
• to create meaningful opportunities and security for one’s family;
• to donate to meaningful causes and provide opportunities for others;
• to change policies that are detrimen- tal to others; and,
• to enrich one’s life through travel and diverse experiences.
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 It is not enough for employers to
create a more supportive work envi- ronment for women to exercise their ambitions and positions of influence. Women also need to work individually and collectively with others to over- come the traditional obstacles they have faced. However, an employer’s effort to create an infrastructure for women to thrive is an essential step to position women for success. Tis is in every employer’s business interest. In today’s competitive marketplace, employers can no longer afford to have half of their talent pool underutilized or not utilized at all. Te time is now to facilitate in women an ardent desire to lead and influence the actions of others and provide an environment in which women are able to thrive and better contribute to the strength and success of their organizations. D&B
Tomas L. Sager is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of DuPont. Deborah Epstein Henry is author of LAW & REORDER: Legal Industry Solutions for Restructure, Retention, Promotion & Work/Life Balance (ABA, 2010) and Founder of consulting firm Flex-Time Lawyers LLC and Co-Founder of secondment firm, Bliss Lawyers.
MCCA.COM
In today’s competitive marketplace, employers can no longer afford to have half of their talent pool underutilized or not utilized at all.
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