What It Takes to Break the 'Glass Ceiling' by Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR

Here is an article published by SHRM, on Monday, 28 Nov 2011, for which our very own Nimmi Menon provided her valuable input:

Women in senior positions acknowledge that certain obstacles exist for women seeking advancement to top roles, but some observe that it is women themselves, rather than companies or male colleagues, that impede career growth.

The "Executive Women Leadership Research Project," an interview-based study of 108 female executives in U.S. companies, suggests that the "glass ceiling," a concept that refers to an invisible barrier that prevents women from attaining top corporate positions, is not the barrier it was in the 1980s. Two-thirds of the women interviewed by CareerCurve Workforce Solutions, a talent and coaching firm based in Cleveland, held positions at the senior vice president level or above when the research was conducted in mid-2011.

According to the authors of the report released Nov. 7, 2011, "Securing a leadership role in a world-class company is an entirely attainable achievement no longer reserved only for the privileged few."

Yet the female executives interviewed noted that women's managerial aspirations often lag behind men's at key stages of their careers and that women have less clearly-defined career goals. Moreover, respondents suggested that too much focus on the concept of a glass ceiling "can be a self-imposed limiting factor."

Even if the glass ceiling does exist, however, it has moved higher, the report noted, "as women have now attained close to a third of middle management positions in many countries."

There are key actions women must take in order to achieve career success at a level comparable to male peers, CareerCurve respondents said:

  *   Women must be intentional about building and communicating their value. The women executives surveyed were clear about their career ambitions and took steps to communicate their value to their employers. "One of the biggest roadblocks is women's own self-doubt," the report noted, caused, in part, by "the internalization of stereotypes."

  *   Women should identify and enlist sponsors and mentors. As SHRM Online has reported<http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/Diversity/Articles/Pages/BenefitsofSponsorship.aspx>, when such relationships are at their best, they provide positive benefits for women and their sponsors and mentors. But women cannot wait for such relationships to be created for them. "You need to be proactive in developing cross-functional relationships while gaining a solid understanding of the business," Suzanne V. Forsythe, vice president of human resources for STERIS Corp., said, in the report.

  *   Women should seek assignments and promotion to positions with profit-and-loss responsibilities. "Too few women gain the experience of running a business as they progress up the career ladder, and this lack of experience minimizes their chances of landing top executive roles," the report noted.

  *   Women should invest in personal and career growth initiatives. Regardless of their life plans, the women interviewed by CareerCurve remained fully engaged and took advantage of learning opportunities such as courses and certifications. "They kept their minds challenged and their relationships fresh and intentional," according to the report.

"Women who have risen to the highest ranks of their profession view work/life balance as a myth," the report noted. Respondents said they have learned to set priorities, delegate responsibilities and apply team values to managing their personal and family lives. "Planning, excellent multi-tasking skills, a good support system and a sense of humor are essential to managing a challenging career and a healthy family life," said Virginia Albanese, president and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical, in the report.

Obstacles Remain

Sources consulted for this article agreed with many of the findings of CareerCurve's research, particularly those that laid some of the blame on women themselves.

"People assume that if they just do a great job, someone will notice it, and it's not necessarily true," said Susan Meisinger, SPHR, J.D., a member of the Global Advisory Board at Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC). "You have to raise your hand and volunteer to do more and seek out opportunities to demonstrate what you're capable of."

She noted, however, that this is an obstacle faced by men as well as women.

Yet Meisinger, a former president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a fellow at the National Academy of Human Resources and Human Resource Policy Institute, said she thinks that women sometimes equate being ambitious with being arrogant or believe that one must step on other people to get ahead.

She doesn't see it that way. Meisinger said individuals must simply convey to others that they are confident they can make a greater contribution to the organization.

But a lack of self-confidence is what holds many women back, according to Mary Cheddie, SPHR, senior vice president, human resources for Interval International and a former member of the SHRM Board of Directors. She said women are more likely to doubt themselves and question, often to others, whether they are capable of handling a new project or assignment, while men are more likely to express confidence immediately. Women are not afraid to talk to others about their fears and concerns about a new assignment, she said. "It is almost like we need to hear ourselves talk about it so that we can get our head around it, and then we [can] do it."

This can lead some to question a particular woman's abilities.

That's why Cheddie suggested that women "keep quiet" rather than expressing such doubts out loud and talk through their concerns in private, ideally with a mentor. "We should know that we are not being asked to do something unless we really can do it and, after all, if we don't take on new things, how will we ever grow?" she added.

When women need to verbalize concerns, however, they should seek the counsel of a trusted female peer, when possible.

"Women need to better mentor each other, 'watch out' for each other, and openly (and privately) support each other," said Laura Viehmyer, vice president, human resources at DAI, a development organization, in an e-mail sent while traveling on business in Afghanistan.

Stepping outside of one's comfort zone is crucial, sources said. Women, especially, must be willing "to be aggressive in going after what they want," said China Gorman, CEO of CMG Group, a talent management consultancy in Las Vegas.

But such aggression must be backed up with competence.

Gorman, who has held a series of senior-level positions, including that of COO for SHRM, said it takes equal parts performance, confidence and authenticity for women to achieve their goals. This means they should always exceed goals, be willing to disagree, be approachable and "be your best you, not someone else's version of you as a leader."

What Organizations Can Do

Cheddie said organizations can offer developmental opportunities, mentors and 360-degree feedback to women to help build confidence and ensure that they exude confidence in their dealings with others. "I grew up primarily with men and have been the only female in mostly male-led organizations, so I saw their behaviors modeled day in and day out," she said. "I think this helped me quite a bit."

In addition, organizations should be sure that individual leaders are not imposing limits on female colleagues by their words and actions.

Cheddie, who played basketball most of her life, said her high school coach told her she was "a horrible outside shooter" and that she should shoot only within five feet of the basket. So that's what she did. However, her college coach, who had a different opinion, said she was "a dead-eye" for making longer, three-point shots. "I never even tried [three-pointers] in high school because I was told that I was 'terrible,' " she told SHRM Online. "Yet I was NOT terrible. I not only could do it, I did it VERY well."

Viehmyer recommended talent management efforts such as executive leadership and coaching programs for women, particularly those that balance risk-taking and decisiveness.

Other sources agreed.

"The next generation of leaders-male and female-is inside our organizations right now," Gorman told SHRM Online. Thus, employers should pay "serious attention to succession planning," provide "stretch opportunities for all employees" and encourage and support continued degree education financially, she said.

But an organization's failure to take such actions should not prevent women from trying to reach for the top.

"I got to senior levels by taking assignments no one else wanted and succeeding with them, by being flexible about location ... and by letting the senior executives in my organizations know what I wanted," Gorman said.

"I think the best thing organizations can do to help women attain top positions is to have women in top positions," Meisinger said in an e-mail. "First, it signals to women in the organization that there is a future for them since other women have been able to rise to the top. Second, women who have been successful in rising to the top have an appreciation of the challenges that women face and will be able to mentor those who hope to do the same."

Moreover, women leaders are more likely to encourage flexibility in the workplace, Meisinger added, because they understand the logistics of working and raising a family, the balance of which is more likely to burden women than men, she noted.

That is certainly the case for many women in India, according to Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting Pvt. Ltd. in Bangalore. She said that multiple role expectations placed on women by society and by themselves, combined with long hours at work and "the lack of equal partnership from spouses on home-life management issues," take a toll on women over time.

"Having to constantly struggle in organizational cultures which are generally political power games-for which most women have neither the time nor inclination-and then not being recognized for their efforts tires [women] out," Menon told SHRM Online. "These constant inner struggles then seem too high a price to pay for career advancement."

The result, Menon said, is that many women, in India and elsewhere, "recalibrate their lives" in favor of self-employment, community work or other interests.

That's why Menon asserted that career success for women must come from collaboration between organizations and individuals. She said organizations can encourage women to step out of their comfort zones early in their careers so they build confidence in their abilities. Next, they can prepare women for more challenging roles in line and profit-and-loss functions. "This, combined with a sensitive work environment, supportive family-friendly policies and internal sponsorship, are bound to retain [women] and help [them] succeed," she said.

The URL for this article is: http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/Diversity/Articles/Pages/BreaktheGlassCeiling.aspx

It is available online only for SHRM members

Climbing the Corporate Ladder - Our Experience

Recently, we, at Interweave, met a high-energy and vibrant group of women.

This group of professional women had been nominated by their organsiations for our Open Program, Climbing the Corporate Ladder.

This program, aimed at identifying and addressing the unique challenges that professional women face, saw a powerful interaction not only between us and the women but also among one another. We recognize that each group of professionals brings a set of their own challenges to the workplace.

This program, however, explored the challenges that women deal with. The group explored concepts like assertiveness, learning to say no, dealing with power and conflict among others. We also facilitated the group to identify strategies that will help them effectively deal with such barriers so they can reach their full potential at work. Introspection naturally flowed into the session as more and more participants saw where they were being unfair in their high expectations of themselves, to perform well at both the work and home fronts. Listening to other participants share how they had dealt with the situation in their own way, brought new ideas to the table. The sense of camaraderie was quite high.

The program energized not only the participants but also us at Interweave!

We are looking forward to having such enriching experiences with more groups in the times ahead.

Is weight the new race?

Along with other dimensions such as race and gender, obesity has emerged as a new concern that calls for inclusion and diversity training. Overweight and obese people are often subject to discrimination in hiring, promoting and recruiting due to preconceived biases.

It is easy to understand why issues about obesity discrimination are being raised more frequently these days. Countries across the world are grappling with obesity issues. According to the American Obesity Association, 127 million adults in the US are overweight, 60 million are clinically obese, and 9 million are severely obese:  figures that constitute roughly 66% of the US population.

With one of the fastest growing diabetic population in the world, coupled with the modern sedentary lifestyle, India will soon face the reality of a workforce battling weight issues. Additionally, obesity carries huge social stigma, making it crucial for employers to address social stereotypes related to weight, such as laziness or lack of discipline, in the workplace.

Companies must sensitise managers and employees to the fact that weight issues are medically attributed to social, cultural, physiological, metabolic, and genetic factors; rather than negative stereotypes. As with any other discrimination, obesity related diversity begins with providing an environment that doesn’t encourage prejudice.

What you can do:

·         Practice diversity and inclusion right from recruitment through to training and management levels

·         Examine merit on individual basis

·         Making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by overweight or obese people such as larger ergonomic chairs or specifically designed ladders and harnesses in factories

·         Job restructuring and/or modifying work schedules

·         Promote a healthy lifestyle within the company through healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines

·         Offer voluntary health risk appraisals through health plans and health professionals to obtain baseline data

·         Hold sessions on wellness, stress management, and other weight related ‘triggers’

Many organisations have recognised the reality that a combination of high-stress lifestyle, unhealthy foods and low exercise affects the mental and physical wellness of employees. However, while health programmes are a good idea, avoid those that specifically target obesity. A health programme should focus on health more than weight, so that there is no stigma attached to the programme.

Stigmatising on the basis of weight has the same detrimental effects on your business as with any other form of discrimination – it reduces the impact of your diversity and inclusion initiatives.

If your organisation is planning initiatives around diversity & inclusion, we at Interweave would be happy to help. 

Mentoring systems - Are they as effective as they could be?

Most reputed companies have an effective mentoring system in place, where new employees are assigned mentors, who will take their mentees’ career goals into account while helping them chart out their personal and professional paths. A mentor should be able to play the roles of ally, catalyst, networker, advocate, personal and professional developer, information source, listener, emotional supporter, role model and coach. The mentee should be a learner, self-developer, communicator, listener and implementer.

Would these mentoring systems be more effective if mentees had a say in whom they would like to have as their mentors, or is it better that they learn to look up to new types of people within their organisations rather than those they might have more in common with?

Increasing trends towards Western wear - a sign of empowered women ?

Retailers have recently noted the trend towards wearing more western attire. This may have stemmed from the fact that school uniforms, which people have spent a good decade or so of their lives in, are mostly of the western style. Whatever the reason, the fact is that now, the inclination towards purchasing western wear is growing at a faster pace than Indian wear. Could this be due to growing empowerment of women who now choose comfort and practicality over traditional attire that the previous generation was expected to wear without a second thought?

Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Interweave presents "Climbing the Corporate Ladder" - an empowerment program for women employees to transform their limiting beliefs and behaviour patterns to reach their full potential at work.

Only 2 days left to avail of the Early Bird offer! Hurry!

Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Find out about our one-day workshop, designed to help women build and sustain their personal power, in the invite below. Make sure you avail the Early Bird Offer!

Breaking Stereotypes

Zoya Akhter’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara(ZNMD) has broken many mind-made/societal shackles we live by to show us that true happiness doesn’t come dressed in the colour of money one makes, the country we come from, or one’s so-called ‘cool’ appearance. It comes, simply from recognising and accepting the difference around us, doing away with stereotypes, and opening our hearts and lives to the richness of diversity around us.

Right from the onset, the film is a lesson in diversity and inclusiveness, which corporate India can easily leverage. The three friends on the bachelor party are poles apart… two of them don’t even have an easy equation to begin with, but they stick it through to experience life like they never have before. And therein lies one of life’s biggest success lessons.

There is also the adventure sport each protagonist plans – the rule, everyone does what is chosen, come what may. So while we have Hrithik shivering with fear as he deep-sea dives, we see Farhan biting his nails when he skydives. But the lesson is a clear one – they accept that another’s choice could be different and go ahead and try it. The result – exhilaration and pure joy. Because, sometimes the path chosen by another is not the way we see it; nevertheless, give it a fair chance and one never knows what roads open ahead!

In fact Zoya breaks stereotypes in almost all frames. Who says a pretty girl of Indian origin (Katrina), working out of London, cannot take a break of 3 months to teach deep sea-diving in a remote corner of Spain? We’ve been fed on films where the Hindi film hero is Mr Perfect but not in ZNMD where each protagonist confronts their own fears in different ways, making them real and human.

And, just when the moment of realisation happens for Hrithik (the one carrying the maximum number of pre-fixed notions of who should do what: he is judgmental, difficult, and pretty much today’s corporate high-performer), Zoya does something beautiful – for the first time in Indian cinema, Hrithik’s right hand (which everyone knows, has a 6^th digit) is used to describe the gush of emotion he feels. This, to me is big, because in Hindi cinema (and in the everyday workplaces), imperfection is a dirty word. If one is not perfect at something, they’re no good… not worth a second chance. The director breaks a huge stereotype here for cinema-goers – Hrithik finally discovers his element and revels in it… nothing could depict the moment better than him being comfortable in his own skin. What the audience experiences with him breaks the barriers that we’ve carried in our minds for so long. Suddenly, appearances don’t mean anything, the experience does!

There is ample learning throughout the film… but the biggest one I have chosen to take away is the above. Because, not a day goes through when I don’t see occurrences in the workplace where someone is not given an opportunity due to a stereotype logged in a manager’s mind. Just the other day, I heard of a lady who was denied a visit to a client location in the US, because she had had a baby six months ago and the manger didn’t think she would be willing to travel yet. She however, would have been happy to make arrangements for the 5-day visit.

Then again, how many times have expecting mothers been denied plum roles in a team, when she is soon going to be on maternity leave? Or how often are good-looking women hired for the front-office desk – or even a position on the sales team? Even at schools, I see children facing discrimination when parents cannot be excessively involved with the extra-curricular activities as the school demands – mothers of course are asked to play a larger role… do fathers even get asked to teach something extra to the children? And what does a child do if their mother has a more demanding career than the father and can’t make the time?

Walk into any 5-star property in the city and watch the difference in the doorman’s salute to those who step out of expensive cars in posh clothing, versus an inexpensively-dressed family, who might actually be carrying the money to dine in the restaurant there.

These well-recognised stereotypes are strongly conditioned indeed. While it is difficult to make the immediate change, being aware of it itself is a good start. Somewhere we will begin to check ourselves at it. Because until then, someone somewhere is losing out on opportunities, on a maximised experience, on life…because of the pre-conditioned mindsets we all carry.

The movie has managed to convince some people that they are ready to change. But the big question is, is India ready? Because, unfortunately a film, which leaves us with so much, grossed only 30% at its opening on the box office and is called a ‘flop’ where all the other films that opened with it, were ‘hits’. Has it become another victim of stereotype?

August 2011 Newsletter

Is pregnancy sure to deter our career advancement? How much is this up to us and how much support can we expect from our company? How do we handle employees from different generations working together? How do we manage employees who are change-resistant? All this and more!
Presenting our August 2011 newsletter - We welcome your thoughts and ideas!

http://interweave.cc/newsletter/aug2011/newsletter.html

Why Are Indian Women So Stressed Out? Interweave in an 'Knowledge @ Wharton' article

Women in urban India have easy access to domestic help: A full-time maid, cook or driver are not uncommon in their households. Of course, these are luxuries that most working women in the rest of the world can only dream about.

But a recent survey by global research firm Nielsen illuminates another picture. Covering 6,500 women across 21 developed and developing countries, the study’s results show that women in India are the most stressed out. Of the respondents in India, 87% said they felt stressed most of the time. They are followed by women in Mexico (74%), Russia (69%), Spain (66%), France (65%) and Italy (64%). In the U.S., the number is at 53%.

What exactly is weighing on women in one of the fastest growing economies in the world? The Nielsen survey’s respondents point to the requirement of managing multiple roles.

One could well argue that this particular condition exists for women across the globe: Juggling roles at home and work are a given. There is a difference in India, however, says Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting, a Bangalore-based firm that focuses on diversity management and inclusiveness in the workplace. Menon notes that even as career opportunities for women in India are on the upswing, the support structure and social mores have not kept pace. “Nor has the internal psyche of the Indian woman,” adds Menon. “Despite ‘modern’ times, traditional expectations of women are still conveyed in subtle but consistent ways. The Indian woman has far more familial interfaces to manage than her western counterpart.”

According to Hema Ravichandar, human resources advisor and formerly the global head of HR at IT firm Infosys: “Regressive mindsets in society and the workplace; a culture that rewards performance based on effort — with the number of hours spent [working] as proxy indicator — rather than result; rigid work policies which do not factor in the need to spend extra time at home during critical phases like childbirth, adoption, etc., are unique to India.”

There are other reasons, too. Technical infrastructure support and enablers are at a nascent stage in the country as compared to the developed economies. Options like working from home, flex-time, telecommuting and so on have arrived only in the recent past in new industries and are still evolving. “Even in companies which have these facilities, it is not construed as the right thing to do if you are serious about going up the corporate ladder,” says Ravichandar.

A lack of women in executive roles mirrors this. A report by Standard Chartered Bank points out that women constitute only 5.3% of the total number of board members in the top 100 Indian companies by market capitalization on the Bombay Stock Exchange. This is much lower than in other countries, including Australia (8.3%), Hong Kong (8.9%), the U.K. (12.2%), the U.S. (14.5%) and Canada (15.0%). The number of Indian women in middle and senior management roles is not much higher.

Meanwhile, the latest employment data show that worker participation (the ratio of workers to population) fell to 39.2% in 2009-2010 from 42% in 2004-2005. While the decline is marginal for men — from 55.9% to 55% — it is significant in the case of women — from 29.4% to 23.3%. Analysts say that one reason for this is that as men in the family start earning more, women, especially in the lower middle class, opt out of the work force for reasons of social status. In his column in the daily newspaper Times of India, Swaminathan Anklesaria Aiyer noted: “Social mores, especially in the lower middle class, give superior social status to households where women don’t work. When a family with rising income decides to keep females at home, it literally buys social status with the income foregone.”

But the survey’s implications go beyond individuals or families. All of this has wide ramifications for India’s continued economic growth. If the support structure and attitudes towards women, both in the workplace and in society at large, don’t change, women will either simply opt out of the workforce or — faced with endless stress — be far less productive than their true potential. This will result in a sharp blow to the country’s demographic dividend, which though touted as a key factor in India’s growth, is under its own stress. The window for growth is small and, as Ravichandar points out: “Having women as part of your workforce is no longer a nice-to-do but a must-do.”


Source: http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2011/07/why-are-indian-women-so-stressed-out/

Our e-learning solution

Looking to create a safe work environment for all?

Check out Interweave's e-learning solution to recognise and prevent sexual harrassment at the workplace. "No Excuses" is a great cost-effective tool to create awareness among employees. Prevention is better than cure!

Whose concern is it?

The article “Let Us Continue Work in Bar, Say 3 Women” in the July 8^th issue of The Times of India talks about how these 3 women have petitioned to let them continue working as bar stewards. Now, safety of employees, according to the law, is the responsibility of their employer. So how does the government, being the upholder of the law, have the right to suddenly decide that women can work at five- star hotels but not bars? Especially when the women themselves say that accommodation and safe transportation have, in fact, been given to them by their employer.

On one hand, the government claims to have the safety of these women in mind while on the other hand, it has unfairly pushed them out of this space of employment while they want to continue working in it.

Should there be a line that the government should not cross, between ‘protective’ and ‘stifling’? Or should the women be grateful that someone finally has their welfare in mind?

She is worth the wait!

Women form a significant part of the workforce today, bringing into focus the need to manage unique issues such as pregnancy and post-maternity, a business priority. 

Issues facing the post-maternity women workforce need to be addressed because when inadvertent discrimination occurs, not only do companies lose out on trained and existing talent, but they also face the costs of replacing staff and hampering a productive work environment.

A recent report by NASSCOM estimated that companies can generate a return of around 8 per cent by adopting family friendly policies. As talent becomes scarce across all levels in the organisation—women power if leveraged, can bring significant benefits to all stakeholders.

At Interweave, we recommend that organisations:

• Addressing the needs of the post-maternity employee, begin by acknowledging her contribution and empathising with her new roles.
• Formulate comprehensive maternity policies as well as build support systems to help her stay connected with the organisation during the period of maternity. Women should be allowed to return to work when they are ready and when adequate child-care arrangements are in place.
• Formulate empathetic and inclusive policies such as gradual transition into workload, staggered working hours, working from home, and child care to help your employees work and perform better.
• Enable the women to have their work life balance by providing the appropriate support systems and permit women to have flexible schedules that will help them remain productive.
• Create a clear productivity measurement model, amenable for women to work from outside the office. Women friendly policies have to be deployed in a fair and transparent way, resulting in neither misuse nor discrimination. 
• Companies can invest in technology infrastructure so that women can work from home or from satellite offices when needed, operate on flexible work schedules especially during the pre- and post-natal periods. 
• Remember to check frequently to re-assess the employee’s readiness and work satisfaction levels. Employees who feel supported through personal milestones are likely to be more productive and efficient.

At Interweave, we take pride in assisting organisations to invest more time and resources in helping women employees develop, participate, and contribute fairly and equitably. We recently helped a large global MNC launch a series of handbooks for their managers and employees to understand and work with maternity better. The request for this had specifically been generated when Business Units internally noticed that managers needed support to work around expecting mothers. Companies that take efforts to develop and retain competent women benefit immensely, not just through home-groomed talent but by being able to attract fresh talent as well. 

Not only does an inclusive work environment spell wonder for your company’s branding (yes, go ahead and ask the happiest women employees you see and you’ll see that their workplace boasts of rich women-oriented policies) but research has indicated that diverse and inclusive organisations show characteristics of improved problem solving, creativity and innovation.

It's discreet, but is it adequate?

Do the Dominique Strauss-Kahn kind of incidents come to light in the Indian hospitality sector? A leading Indian magazine delicately probed the issue, in a recent article, to show how cases of sexual harassments by guests are becoming a greater concern for the industry. It also showed how often such cases are handled with ‘discretion’ to ensure there’s no harm to the hotel’s, staff’s, or individual guest’s reputation.

Let’s move away from the hospitality sector and broaden our canvas to include all organisations across sectors. While many organisations treat cases of sexual harassment with discretion, what is often missing is an official mechanism to see the process through.

The Supreme Court of India has set out guidelines for all organisations to follow when dealing with cases of sexual harassment. This includes having a complaints committee to prevent and look into such matters. Here are some of our recommendations, based on the Supreme Court guidelines, for the Internal Complaints Committee.

Ø  The Internal Complaints Committee should consist of 5 to 7 members.

Ø  The Committee should be headed by a woman employee, who shall be its Chairperson.

Ø  There should be at least one person selected from an external group, like an NGO that works towards interests of women.

In our experience, we have observed that...

·      Most employees are unsure about what sexual harassment is and how it can be addressed.

·      Often employers themselves are ignorant and do not have established policies to deal with the matter.

·      Stigmas, fear of tarnishing the company’s or one’s personal reputation, and lack of a suitable support system prevent people from voicing out.

However, sensitisation programmes and educative attempts are helping to highlight the damage caused by such issues. Employers are becoming more sensitive to the matter and employees are becoming more conscious how to contribute to creating a respectful workplace. We see an enormous interest from organisations asking us to conduct workshops and help them define the necessary sexual harassment policies. And it’s even better when an organisation that has already taken the first steps, decides to go a step further by conducting more sessions for further batches of their employees. Clearly, they have seen merit in educating their employees and  creating a wholesome work atmosphere.

What steps has your organisation taken in this direction? Write in and tell us. 

Respectful Workplace with Gender Diversity

We are happy to share pictures of a session conducted by us for the government sector in Chandigarh. We were invited to participate in a seminar on ‘Respectful Workplace with Gender Diversity’. Our CEO, Nirmala Menon participated in the event, touching upon the challenges that face diversity and inclusion in India.

Interweave used interesting tools to highlight some of the inherent stereotypes and prejudices that exist within all of us and how these can impact performance and productivity at the workplace. Underlining the need to bring greater diversity to the workplace, we drew the attention of participants on the need to consciously nurture a respectful workplace.

The event provided an interesting platform to discuss some of the most challenging issues around gender inclusion at work. Several senior representatives from the Civil Services, Police and Income Tax were present at the event.  

Happy Father's Day!

Interweave celebrates fathers all over the world on this special day! Join us by recognising the joy fathers bring to our lives. Download the image below and tag fathers thanking them for all that they do for us.

Click on image for larger view & to download

Note: Father's Day is on the 19th of June 2011.

Working Moms!

Becoming a mother means changes in various aspects of a woman's life - from physical to emotional to her work life. How does a woman, coping with these various changes, make a smooth and professional transition back to work?  DNA covered Nirmala Menon of Interweave on her take at managing motherhood at work. Click on the image below to read through the article.

Interweave has been working in this area creating solutions for managers and women employees to manage maternity at work efficiently.

We would love to hear your ideas and suggestions that could help working mothers everywhere.

"Recognising & Preventing Sexual Harassment at Work" - NASSCOM & Interweave's Workshop - 20th May, Gurgaon

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"Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Times have changed. Laws have changed. But have things really changed for the LGBT groups in workplaces? Are we managing their unique needs and challenges well at our workplaces? Share your thoughts or experiences with us.

Click on the image below for a bigger view.

E-learning on Preventing & Recognising Sexual Harassment at Work

Here is a preview of our e-learning module on preventing and recognising sexual harassment at work. Its a great tool to reach out and educate individual contributors in your organisation.
Click on the image below to view it.

Interweave In the News! Speak up, Woman!

How do women make themselves heard and expand their ‘space’ in the corporate world

Women often assume that their work will speak for itself. It won’t. You have to go beyond documenting your results; make sure your boss and others are aware of your individual contribution. To achieve your goals you must know how to motivate yourself. Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO, Interweave Consulting Pvt Ltd, gives tips on how to get noticed and push your limits at the workplace.

1, When a colleague questions your leadership ability....

 » Take a deep breath and calm down. Don’t react.
 » Paraphrase the other person’s query in your own words. Take more time to think of a response.
 » Asking questions is a good way of a comeback. For instance, ask questions like: “Are you suggesting that I am not capable of doing this?” “Why wasn’t this raised earlier?” “Do you have data to support your suggestion?” or “Who have you consulted about this?”
 » Use facts/data to defend and support your position.
 » Seek cooperation – don’t be afraid to ask a team member, senior managers or organisers for support with their thoughts/data.

2. When your senior colleague takes all the credit for a project ignoring your contributions...
» Describe the behaviour or event without any judgments or assumptions about intent.
» Express feelings or explain the impact the person’s actions had on you.
» Specify what you want the person to do in the future. Start by saying: “When you…(describe the person’s behaviour), I feel…(state your emotion) and I would like…(state alternative behaviour).”
 » If it is post the event, you can also request your senior to send you a note of acknowledgement for your contributions with copies marked to the manager and other key stakeholders.

3 Good performance alone is not enough to get you rewards. You need to be known and seen by people who matter so you can develop a wide range of skills that will make you an effective manager.
» The first challenge is to ensure that the ‘powers-that-be’ know about you.
» You must get involved in teams/projects outside your job.
» Eat in the cafeteria and go to events that senior managers are likely to attend.
» One must speak up in meetings to get noticed.
» Participate in events/committees that interest you and hold volunteer positions in them.
» You can also expand your reach and network through social media — Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.

4. You feel sidelined because of your lack in language skills...
» It’s strategic to develop a skill set that’s valuable for the company and more in line with what your end goals are. To succeed, you need to raise your hand to new opportunities. There may be a risk factor involved but assess the risk rationally by evaluating:
» What is the worst that can happen?
» If this did happen, could I live with the outcome?
» Don’t wait to be inspired; Get inspired. By taking initiative you’ll gain skills and learn more about your company and the market it serves. It will also help to be less bored at work because you won’t be stuck in the same old routine.

5 A senior colleague gives you unwanted attention and you feel uncomfortable and agitated but don’t want to be rude to an elderly and popular person in office.
» A person doesn’t have to touch you to sexually harass you. A proposition need not be direct and can be as insidious as a remark or a joke. One should express strong resistance the first time it occurs. Firmly, clearly and directly, tell the harasser to STOP. If not, the offender will be encouraged to continue. If uncomfortable doing so, report the matter and use the resolution process in the organisation so the problem is properly handled.
» Do not ignore or deny if you see offensive behaviour.

Your complaint is important. It could happen to other people. Maintain self respect at all times

Source: Bangalore Mirror dated 2nd April - http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/74/2011040120110401201102704739b66d2/Speak-up-woman.html

Making Workplaces Work for Women!

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A Case Of A Conversation: handling sexual harassment

A boss or a colleague doesn’t have to touch you to sexually harass you. Many women can attest to feeling uncomfortable with little or no physical contact. A proposition need not always be outright: it can be as insidious as remark or a joke. All this and more were discussed in the recent conversations Interweave conducted at a professional financial services firm in Bangalore last week.

Take an example of two colleagues travelling in a car. The male makes a reference to a recently released movie that explores the relationship between an older man and younger woman, attempting to gauge his female colleague’s reaction to a similar proposition. The woman feels uncomfortable and agitated and lodges a complaint with the HR.

Verbal sexual harassments of such kind are common, and can affect the work atmosphere. If ignored, it can lead to repeated situations of harassment, the consequences of which may become difficult for the company to bear. This kind of behaviour, therefore, must be nipped in the bud.

The case is a lesson for teams at large that colleagues and employees should not indulge in conversations which can be perceived wrongly. The concern is how the context is perceived, not what is implied.

Once it has been perceived wrongly, not only does it mean malicious spreading of rumours that tarnish the company and employee’s reputation, but it also spreads ill will and makes it progressively difficult to work in the environment – eventually leading to attrition. Before the harasser takes such a situation forward, the so-called victim should nip it in the bud.

The best method is to understand what your rights are, what is inappropriate work behaviour. With this knowledge, you can be more confident of the decisions you make concerning the situation. In the above mentioned scenario, it would be ideal for the woman to have said such conversations make her uneasy or that she wants to keep her comments to herself, while making other polite conversations.

More and more companies are trying to address such unwanted situations at work by equipping employees with techniques to prevent and handle possible harassment. Not only does this gear your workforce for higher productivity but it also protects the firm from any resulting legal tangles. Sessions like these can certainly help employees understand that it’s not always necessary to escalate issues or make complaints: sometimes the employees themselves can handle such inter-personal cases appropriately and douse a spark that could later have flared into something bigger.

What are your views? Mail us on the cases you may have come across.

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Which Countries Are Best For Women In Business?

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Your thoughts or opinions are welcome.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663190/infographics-of-the-day-which-countries-are-best-for-women-in-business#

"No Excuses" anymore!

Workshop on Preventing & Recognising Sexual Harassment at the Workplace

24th Feb, 2011 @ Pune

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Women and Science

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Source: TOI, 17th January'11.