here’s what you’re looking for: ida o. abbott

outlook & analysis

5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms

business meeting of a woman and two menthe harmful impact of gender bias on women’s careers.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

gender bias reflects entrenched beliefs and assumptions about women based on stereotypes about appropriate roles and behaviors for women.

unconscious thoughts about the kinds of work women are and are not suited for, especially if they are mothers, remove highly qualified women from consideration for leadership opportunities and positions.

ida o. abbott, sponsoring women
abbott

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

in the past, working women suffered overt discrimination and explicit bias. they were told outright they were not “fit” for certain jobs, were too emotional and unreliable to be given responsible roles, and were taking the place of men who needed to support families. sometimes the bias was ostensibly intended to “protect” women and occasionally it was hostile. but it was out in the open and women understood the barriers they faced. read more →

leadership

3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées

woman and man working with calculatorwhen leadership models are male, sometimes female candidates go unrecognized.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

let’s assume a powerful man works with two junior colleagues, a man and a woman, who are both equally talented, motivated and superbly skilled performers. according to what we know from research and experience, that powerful man is more likely to sponsor the man than the woman.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters read more →

management

18 ways sponsors can help their protegees

and how to tell the difference between a mentor and a sponsor.

ida o. abbott, sponsoring women
abbott

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

the practice of mentorship is well known and well established in today’s workplace. a mentor is someone who helps a more junior person learn, develop and achieve her professional goals.

mentoring is the process by which the mentor and mentee work together to identify and help the mentee move toward those goals. but sponsorship is intended specifically to promote career advancement. read more →

leadership

the 6 market advantages of women-led firms

ida o. abbott, sponsoring women
abbott

changing marketplace demands changing firms.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

most male leaders today under­stand how important it is to keep high-performing women in the pipeline and help them achieve their potential within the organization.

more on women in accounting: men, women: a tale of two brains for business  |  beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters  |  firms that ‘get’ women stand to win the talent wars

these men are genuinely concerned about their firms’ inability to retain and advance the women they hire because having a substantial number of women leaders is a demonstrably significant benefit to the company, while a lack of gender diversity at the top of organizations can be very costly to the bottom line. read more →

leadership

beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

man woman handshake shake hands istock_000010387373smallit’s time for the men running cpa firms to “man up” and get serious about promoting women into leadership roles.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

smart accounting firm leaders want to be in the forefront of efforts to advance women. as the global economy continues to become more competitive, firms need to use all the talent they can muster — and more and more of that talent will be women.

ida o. abbott, sponsoring women
abbott

today cpatrendlines launches the exclusive new series, “sponsoring women: what men need to know.” author ida o. abbott delivers the tools cpa firms need to develop a new generation of women in leadership. training, encouragement, and even mentoring are all helpful. but abbott argues it takes person-to-person sponsorship to finally break through. particularly, she says, it takes a man. the role of women in the cpa profession is a critical issue. abbott’s is an eminently practical strategy. and it’s about time that men “manned up” about promoting women cpas. – the editors

companies that successfully tap into the full potential of women will be far ahead of their competitors. the key to doing it is to identify women who are likely to succeed and sponsor them so they reach the top levels of leadership. this requires direct per­sonal involvement by leaders, particularly leaders who are men.

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