women

women and men can work together well, but sometimes it takes work.

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

we know that even when a relationship between a woman and a man is strictly business-focused, others may not see it that way. here are three thorny issues to watch for and quell.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

1. gossip and rumors

relationships in the workplace are frequently the subject of rumors, and close relationships between senior men and junior women are tasty fodder for the gossip mill. because sponsorship between a man and woman is not as common as sponsorship between two men, it is more noticeable and subjects the man and woman to greater scrutiny. read more →

fears of sexual innuendo and gossip block talent development.

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

a close work relationship between a man and a woman can generate sexual tensions in one or both of them.

when the man is older and powerful and the woman is young and ambitious, the potential for complications is even greater.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

even when the relationship is strictly business focused, it can be the subject of rumors, gossip and speculation among coworkers, and it can arouse feelings of jealousy and resentment in the sponsor’s wife.

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why women resist networking and powerful role models.

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

networking issues: women tend to have a limited appreciation of how their networks can help them get ahead professionally. developing strong business networks is critical for career advancement. because a leader operates through others, her value and effectiveness are largely tied to the power of her network.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

yet women are reluctant to cultivate potential sponsors through their networks, while men willingly use patronage and networks to open doors and provide opportunities that cannot be accessed through normal channels. men attribute their promotions to personal connections as a matter of pride, not embarrassment, because it means that influential people see them as leaders and reward them accordingly. as a result, men benefit from the political processes that go on all around them while women lose out.

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they have to see politics as leadership to get ahead.

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

many women are uncomfortable calling attention to their achievements and ambitions, dislike politics, have difficulty asking others for a career boost or underestimate the importance of powerful backers. this makes it harder for potential sponsors to recognize how worthy these women are of their support.

some women hurt their own chances for sponsorship by failing to let sponsors know what they want and why they merit it. sponsors are drawn to star performers who display confidence and a drive to succeed. where a man might insist he is the right person for a job and ask to be promoted, a woman who is equally or even

better qualified may downplay her qualifications for the job. instead of aggressively pursuing promotions and opportunities, she waits to be asked, and then, when asked, may turn the offer down. why?

more on sponsoring women for leadership: bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

read more →

mothers still seen as less committed to work than fathers.

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

one pattern of gender bias is exhibiting “maternal wall” bias, which leads people to believe that women with children are unable to meet the demands of leadership.

people assume that women with children are less committed to their work.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

this bias arises from the stereotypes that create conflicting expectations for mothers and career women: good mothers should always be available to their children, while good business people should always be available to their clients. read more →

different standards, double binds challenge women.

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

common patterns of gender bias include holding women to higher standards than men and expressing contradictory expectations (“double binds”) for women.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board | | make flexible scheduling work for everyone | your protégée needs your feedback

different standards: people expect more of women than of men and they hold women to higher standards. this sets the bar higher for women who aspire to leadership and makes it more difficult for them to prove their value to the organization, even though research shows that women outperform men in 17 of 67 critical leadership skills, while men outperform women in only four.

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5 ways men receive preferential treatment.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

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 →

3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées.

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: 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

why is that? what factors go into a sponsor’s calculation about where to place his most active support and for whom to expend his political capital? and why don’t more women come across as “leadership material,” even when their talents and abilities should make them great candidates? i have some answers.

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leaders sometimes don’t see women in the same light.

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: is sponsorship right for your firm? | and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips) | make flexible scheduling work for everyone | your protégée needs your feedback mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms

why is that? what factors go into a sponsor’s calculation about where to place his most active support and for whom to expend his political capital? and why don’t more women come across as “leadership material,” even when their talents and abilities should make them great candidates? i have some answers.

read more →

men advance 2-to-1 over women without sponsors.

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

the benefits of sponsorship are indisputable. having a highly placed sponsor is a distinct career advantage and when competing for top positions it can be a critical differentiator.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: is sponsorship right for your firm? | your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

protégées gain career-enhancing opportunities that others do not get, such as: read more →