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Responding to Organizational Impacts

#MeToo

In the last 15 years, we have noted the dearth of women in board and leadership roles at our client organizations. There is no doubt that women have come a long way in three decades, but the glass ceiling seems to be as impermeable as ever. There are as many theories for this dynamic as there are women in the world, but as a woman-owned and led business, we felt it incumbent upon us to do something about it.

Our approach for launching a new business initiative is the same as it is for launching new client engagements, we needed to understand the status quo. Interestingly, our deep dive unearthed many of the same systemic biases we have found in our DE&l work. Whether it is promotional opportunities, compensation, or hiring standards, women are shortchanged by a status quo that was built by men for men. It is informed by a cronyism built on networks that historically have been closed to women. In addition to these systemic barriers, women are less likely to advocate effectively for themselves and are often seen as overly aggressive when they do.

The other side of this coin is the persistent and ingrained notions of entitlement that seem to define the current power structure when it comes to sexual gratification. Historically, white males have had ready access to women over whom they exercise considerable career power. Women who are ambitious and driven sometimes are subjected to unseemly quid pro quos to get ahead. This dynamic ultimately produced the #metoo movement, spawned by women in the entertainment industry where the casting couch is the stuff of legend and many women felt they had no choice but to succumb, or were forced to against their will.

Thankfully, many of the perpetrators either have been jailed or professionally shunned. Yet we are not naïve enough to believe that this dynamic is over. The question for all women, no matter the age or race or ethnicity is – how do I present myself as an empowered, qualified, and effective leader? In 2018, we decided to place women’s development front and center.

Navigating Change

The Women’s Executive Development Program, the 2018 American Business Award People’s Choice winner for best new service, was unveiled. This program, designed for women at every stage of their careers, is a holistic platform using state of the art assessments to provide participants with specific individual feedback about their leadership strengths and challenges. We address both the hard and soft skills needed to achieve any career aspirations, and we help instill the confidence to pursue and achieve them. The program offers candid feedback about professional image, communication skills and strategic mindset. We help women crack the elusive code of “executive presence” and influence the way others see them. The beauty of the program is that it is cohort-based, allowing women to build the kinds of networks that men have always had to share ideas with others facing the same challenges. Finally, each woman receives a customized development plan to take their careers to the next level.

Our commitment to seeing women in leadership positions goes beyond their development alone. Our executive search practice actively seeks to elevate all women, but particularly women of color, to positions on boards and the C-suite level to create diversity and new perspectives in leadership. We believe that true inclusion can only be achieved when each person can see themselves in positions of power and realize that this is a realistic and attainable aspiration.

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Women’s Executive Development
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Women’s Leadership Bootcamp
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Executive Coaching
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Executive Search

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