hirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to U.S. Congress, famously once said, “If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." She uttered this phrase fifty years ago and it still rings true across the world today. Of course, advancements have been made since the 1970s, yet still only 8% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women and the global average of women holding board seats is just under 20%.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, I’ve evolved Shirley Chisholm’s wise advice as we advance to a post-pandemic world:
Start counting the women “at the table.” I saw a surprising statistic—about 80% of companies are perceived to be just going through the motions of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), but are not holding themselves accountable. One of the best ways to accelerate action is for companies to assess where they are starting from and then set meaningful goals—basically to think of DE&I like a business strategy. What gets measured, gets managed. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams have seen this strategy pay off: 21% were more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation.
Get a tablecloth ready since it will be messy. While setting measurable goals is important, the road to achieving them isn’t going to be perfect. Gender diversity isn’t just about numbers, it’s about evolving a company’s culture to recognize and help mitigate unconscious bias, nurturing diversity of thought and embracing different learning and working styles. Progress is only going to happen if gaps are acknowledged and tackled head on. It’s ok to test and learn. Waiting for the perfect solution or roadmap will impede progress and when you are on this journey, employees want to see impact, even the small steps along the journey.
Virtual tables work well, too. COVID has brought a new sense of flexibility into the workplace model. Many organizations have moved towards hybrid ways of working (mix of in-office and remote work), less travel and more trust that their employees will get their work done no matter their location. This type of flexibility is particularly desirable for women in managing work and life. There is growing concern, though, that this model will be short-lived and won’t work as intended. Recent research shows that more than 70% of C-suite leaders thought remote/flexible employees may be overlooked for leadership roles because they have less physical visibility than those working on site. If this happens, gender equality will also take a huge step backwards. Companies need to be intentional in building a post-pandemic culture in which physical presence is not rewarded. It will be important to set policies and practices to foster a flexible workplace, whether it is a visible shift of top management regularly working remotely, guidance for handling hybrid meetings (how should a zoom call work when some people are in the office and some aren’t) or updating performance review processes.
The people at the table can and will change. And organizations need to plan for that. A successful talent management plan must have a strong focus on DE&I. Organizations shouldn’t wait until a role needs to be backfilled to start figuring this out. Thought needs to be given to performance development and other retention strategies, pipeline planning, and succession preparations. Without conscious preparation, gender equality targets may be achieved, but certainly won’t be sustained, particularly at senior levels.
Look outside the window next to the table. While companies have the most control internally, consistency inside and outside your organization is crucial. Companies have the power to use their scale to make a difference outside just their employee base. This could come to life in a number of ways. It could mean seeking to work with like-minded organizations, such as suppliers and other partners. Or how you align your sustainability commitments.
The good news is that we are making progress. A silver lining of the pandemic is that more and more companies are taking gender equality seriously. As we move into the “next normal,” we need to move from recording metrics to taking action and holding each other accountable to create sustained change.
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Creating a Seat at the Table
Photo by Christina Wocintechchat via Unsplash.
March 8, 2022
Bayer Global VP Daniella Foster reflects on advice on gender equity given by Shirley Chisholm - the first African American woman elected to U.S. Congress - and adapts that advice to gender justice challenges facing a post-pandemic U.S. fifty years on.
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hirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to U.S. Congress, famously once said, “If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." She uttered this phrase fifty years ago and it still rings true across the world today. Of course, advancements have been made since the 1970s, yet still only 8% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women and the global average of women holding board seats is just under 20%.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, I’ve evolved Shirley Chisholm’s wise advice as we advance to a post-pandemic world:
Start counting the women “at the table.” I saw a surprising statistic—about 80% of companies are perceived to be just going through the motions of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), but are not holding themselves accountable. One of the best ways to accelerate action is for companies to assess where they are starting from and then set meaningful goals—basically to think of DE&I like a business strategy. What gets measured, gets managed. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams have seen this strategy pay off: 21% were more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation.
Get a tablecloth ready since it will be messy. While setting measurable goals is important, the road to achieving them isn’t going to be perfect. Gender diversity isn’t just about numbers, it’s about evolving a company’s culture to recognize and help mitigate unconscious bias, nurturing diversity of thought and embracing different learning and working styles. Progress is only going to happen if gaps are acknowledged and tackled head on. It’s ok to test and learn. Waiting for the perfect solution or roadmap will impede progress and when you are on this journey, employees want to see impact, even the small steps along the journey.
Virtual tables work well, too. COVID has brought a new sense of flexibility into the workplace model. Many organizations have moved towards hybrid ways of working (mix of in-office and remote work), less travel and more trust that their employees will get their work done no matter their location. This type of flexibility is particularly desirable for women in managing work and life. There is growing concern, though, that this model will be short-lived and won’t work as intended. Recent research shows that more than 70% of C-suite leaders thought remote/flexible employees may be overlooked for leadership roles because they have less physical visibility than those working on site. If this happens, gender equality will also take a huge step backwards. Companies need to be intentional in building a post-pandemic culture in which physical presence is not rewarded. It will be important to set policies and practices to foster a flexible workplace, whether it is a visible shift of top management regularly working remotely, guidance for handling hybrid meetings (how should a zoom call work when some people are in the office and some aren’t) or updating performance review processes.
The people at the table can and will change. And organizations need to plan for that. A successful talent management plan must have a strong focus on DE&I. Organizations shouldn’t wait until a role needs to be backfilled to start figuring this out. Thought needs to be given to performance development and other retention strategies, pipeline planning, and succession preparations. Without conscious preparation, gender equality targets may be achieved, but certainly won’t be sustained, particularly at senior levels.
Look outside the window next to the table. While companies have the most control internally, consistency inside and outside your organization is crucial. Companies have the power to use their scale to make a difference outside just their employee base. This could come to life in a number of ways. It could mean seeking to work with like-minded organizations, such as suppliers and other partners. Or how you align your sustainability commitments.
The good news is that we are making progress. A silver lining of the pandemic is that more and more companies are taking gender equality seriously. As we move into the “next normal,” we need to move from recording metrics to taking action and holding each other accountable to create sustained change.
