The Gap That Won’t Go Away: Gender Parity and Executive Sponsorship by Krysty Wideen

Gender parity initiatives are about change; they are about changing mindsets, changing systems, changing behaviours. Much research of late has shown that women are not making the strides that were hoped for in reaching the top of organizations (example, Catalyst Pipeline’s Broken Promises), and I’m suggesting that we start to think a little differently about why that is in a way that is thoughtful and actionable.

In our business at The Refinery, we are acutely aware of what needs to be in place for leadership development solutions to be successful. One of the most important variables, in our experience, is the support from senior leaders in the organization.

In the June 2010 issue of the American Society for Training & Development’s (ASTD) T+D magazine, Mark Frein and Rosie Steeves, present a framework for conceptualizing what executive support really looks like and when it is most needed (you’ll need an ASTD login to see this article). Frein and Steeves present three considerations when analyzing executive support for a leadership development initiative: the degree of influence of each executive member, the purpose of the leadership development initiative, and the nature of the support given.

I believe a similar framework should be considered with any gender parity (or change) initiative.

In the 2009 Catalyst Member Benchmarking Report, it is clear that there exist a number of initiatives that are targeting women’s advancement in the workplace. They include access to mentors, educational and developmental opportunities, and high potential programs, to name a few. However, statistics from other sources, such as the gender parity survey from the Harvard Business Review (Why Workplace Equality Initiatives Aren’t Helping Women), indicate that while most employees (80%) in the workforce agree with the benefits of gender parity, only 20% believe that their companies are really doing something about it. Obviously, a gap exists.

One phrase in the conclusion of the Catalyst report stands out to me as to what accounts for differences in impact: “These activities, in combination with a well-developed, well-executed strategy and the commitment of senior leaders, allow employees – women and men – to gain advantage in their careers and the organization’s business” [emphasis added]. So, if the support of senior leaders is this important, conceptualizing what that actually means is critical for success.

A recent article in HBR presents an excellent example of this idea in action, looking specifically at mentoring programs. Their study of 40 high potential men and women enrolled in mentoring programs found that women’s mentors were less likely to act as sponsors. Sponsorship is a relationship “in which the mentor goes beyond giving feedback and advice and uses his or her influence with senior executives to advocate for the mentee” and was found to have an impact on the mentee’s career advancement.

Applying Frein and Steeves model, it matters who the mentor is and the nature of the support they provide. If the purpose of the initiative is strategic in nature and intended to result in real change, the mentor needs to have organizational influence and be willing to use it on their mentee’s behalf.

Women are graduating from post-secondary institutions in higher and higher numbers and many Canadian women are opening their own businesses (as reported by the Globe and Mail Report on Business, yet disparity still exists in many corporate settings. Why do we still see this gap? Do gender parity initiatives and corporate women have adequate sponsorship from senior leaders? If they don’t, what can we do to shift thinking and behaviour at these ranks?

Further reference:

Catalyst Pipeline’s Broken Promises by Nancy M. Carter, Ph.D., and Christine Silva

Catalyst Member Benchmarking Report by Heather Foust-Cummings and Emily Pomeroy

HBR Why Workplace Equality Initiatives Aren’t Helping Women by Orit Gadiesh and Julie Coffman

HBR Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women by Herminia Ibarra, Nancy M. Carter, and Christine Silva

ASTD T+D Magazine June 2010 issue An Executive’s Support of Leadership Development: Determining What Is Necessary by Rosie Steeves and Mark Frein

Globe and Mail Report on Business A qualified man is hard to find

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