Moving mind-sets on gender diversity: McKinsey Global Survey results
To ensure that corporate culture supports—not hinders—the ability of women to reach top management, companies must address mind-sets and develop a more inclusive, holistic diversity agenda. Female executives are ambitious and sure of their own abilities to become top managers, though they are much less confident that their companies’ cultures can support their rise. In our latest survey on gender and workplace diversity,1 the results indicate that collective, cultural factors at work are more than twice as likely as individual factors to link to women’s confidence that they can reach top management. [Read More…]Advice From Top Women Leaders About Finding a Mentor
I’m often surprised when young ambitious women ask me how to find a mentor. It’s something that I think most professional women would not find challenging. Yet, this question persists. This was validated by my recent interview with Carolyn Lawrence, President and CEO of Women of Influence, Inc. I was at an event recently for Young Women of Influence, and was really struck by something that happened. We had just heard an engaging presentation on personal branding and how to get nahead in business. The room was packed with acutely ambitious and well-heeled women poised in their career and ready for take-off. [Read More…]Moving past diversity: RBC’s journey to rid its upper ranks of ‘unconscious bias’
Diversity is one of those buzz words often tossed around in the corporate world by organizations with an interest in presenting themselves as progressive. Yet, in many cases talk of diversity is just that — talk. RBC may be the exception to the rule. Current CEO Gord Nixon — who will be retiring later this year — has made diversity of gender, culture, age and professional experience a priority for the bank, believing it to be good for business. If RBC’s track record is any indication, he’s right. The bank has generated $58-billion in total profit during Mr. Nixon’s 12-year tenure and saw its share price soar 164%. For its efforts, RBC has been recognized by various advocacy groups as an organization that fosters a diverse work environment and one that breaks down some of the traditional barriers to advancement. But now the organization is moving past diversity, toward what its chief human resources officer, Zabeen Hirji, describes as “inclusion” — putting diversity to work in the executive ranks by tackling challenges such as unconscious bias and by getting out into the open those tough-to-tackle issues that push the boundaries of politically correct discourse. Ms. Hirji recently spoke with FP’s Dan Ovsey about how the bank is teaching its leaders to overcome unconscious bias; how it’s fostering diversity through processes versus organic evolution and how it reconciles those processes with regulatory requirements. Following is an edited transcript of their conversation. [Read More…]Mentoring 101
Jenni Luke, CEO of Step Up Women’s Network, offers advice to the members of Connect: Professional Women’s Network on everything you need to know about mentoring relationships. [Read More…]Industry News
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When: Tuesday, May 13, 2014 to Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Where: TDB, Toronto
To Learn more visit: www.CanadianInstitute.com/WomenLeadershipForum