The recent Catalyst report on sponsorship was based on interviews with sponsors and protégés, and yielded some eye-popping revelations of the powerful impact of sponsorship. For those of you who think sponsorship is only important to the protégé, read on….

Sponsorship impacts the broader organization.

Sponsors begin to develop a different perspective on the organization and what it needs to grow and thrive:

[Sponsorship] keeps me thinking about my own development, and it keeps me thinking about what I’m trying to achieve at [my company] from an employee perspective—like what kind of people do I believe [we] need to have to continue to grow, the right cultures, differences of opinion, different styles—it’s all healthy at any organization. Not everybody needs to be cookie-cutter. It’s made me more conscious of that and how important that is.

—Woman Sponsor

Sponsorship makes employees more loyal.

Organizations benefit from the loyalty and commitment that sponsors and protégés bring to the team.

I would argue that our most successful partners or the people with the best potential are the people who are sponsors. And the reason it’s so is because it’s a reciprocal relationship. My sponsor, I would run through a brick wall for him because of what he does for me. That’s how you build a team.

—Woman Sponsor

Not your father’s (or mother’s) sponsorship.

The days when sponsors tended to choose protégés who looked like them (and everyone else in the senior group) are disappearing. And that’s leading to a culture shift.

“Who are the ones that you’re sponsoring?” I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that question. Just the fact that I’m going to get asked the question, I better be thinking about [it so no one] says, “Yeah, but these three guys look just like you. How are you helping to change the culture and the structure of the organization if you’re only creating opportunities for people who look just like you?…Show me where you’re not just mentoring, you’re coaching. You’re actually sponsoring somebody that is out of the mold.”

–Man Sponsor

Sponsorship is particularly impactful for women.

Catalyst research demonstrates that women start their careers at lower pay than their male colleagues, and they don’t catch up…unless they have a sponsor at the senior ranks of the organization.

I do think that women need more sponsorship…because there’s a tendency for people to be less risk-taking with women or diverse candidates than they are with non-diverse. And so if the risk appears to be higher, then there needs to be more tipping of the scale. That tipping of the scale comes from sponsorship.

—Woman Sponsor

Sponsorship opens doors for protégés.

While sponsorship can open doors for high-performing individuals, simply providing someone with an opportunity does not guarantee success. It’s up to the person being sponsored to deliver once given the opportunity.

[Sponsors] just open the doors, right? It’s up to you then to walk through the door and show that you are capable of finding the path.

—Man Protégé

Sponsorship is a core leadership competency for senior leaders.

Many organizations expect their senior executives to be sponsors. Some are committed to formal sponsorship programs to ensure the relationships work and provide benefits to the organization.

Sponsorship of high-performance [individuals] in order for the company to do better—because that performance can have a greater impact on the next level—is my job as a leader….I get paid to develop, nurture, and grow a leader. That’s my job.

—Man Sponsor

Looking for real-life examples of sponsors? You need look no further than The Catalyst Canada Honours Champions. These three outstanding individuals understand the power of sponsorship to change lives and influence corporate culture.

Read their bios, then look around your own organization. Who are your sponsorship champions?

Champions make a difference. They challenge their colleagues to stretch for greater achievements. They encourage their communities to become better than they thought they could be. Their example motivates people they have never met to change their lives for the better.  They sponsor advancement for talented women and men.

The Catalyst Canada Honours 2011 Champions have done all of that and more. Company/Firm Leader Champion Monique F. Leroux would have set an example of achievement for young Canadian women if she had done nothing more than become the first woman to lead a Top 10 financial institution in Canada as Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group. But she chose to mark her career with a commitment to the advancement of other women. Perhaps most important, she has “walked the talk” as a mentor and sponsor of other women and as a speaker who generously shares her experience and knowledge with other women.

The Business Leader Champion is Jennifer Tory, Regional President, Greater Toronto Region, RBC. Her career and her community activities reflect her commitment to identifying and advancing talented people. Her business strategy of cultivating talent includes such
initiatives as increased development opportunities to allow high-potential women and visible minorities a greater chance to demonstrate their ability. As a community volunteer, she has promoted opportunities for participation by women, visible minorities and new Canadians.

Human Resources/Diversity Leader Champion Michael Bach, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, KPMG LLP, has a long history of advancing diversity through his work with Pride at Work Canada; Women’s Executive Network; the Canadian Board Diversity Council and the Rotman School of Management’s Back to Work Program. In his current position, Mr. Bach has been able to influence change at the organizational level and gain support for diversity initiatives from senior leaders within the firm.

These three champions share many traits: vision, the courage of their convictions, and the power of persuasion. They have personal stories that motivated them to become champions.  Together, they represent the many Canadian business people who recognize that advancing women in business is advancing women and business.  It is sound business practice, ensuring that our economy has the benefit of the broadest spectrum of talent and perspective.

Since the establishment of The Catalyst Canada Honours last year, we’ve seen encouraging signs of a growing recognition that what’s good for women is good for business. Our membership has grown as organizations in all parts of Canada recognize the need for active strategies to include and advance women and visible minorities. The conversation is expanding, and becoming more positive.

With all this positive energy, why are champions so important? One compelling reason is that more than 30% of all Canadian FP500 companies lack even one woman senior officer—with no significant shift in the past two years.

Champions can make the difference, as role models and as sponsors who are at decision-making tables advocating for talented women to advance and contribute value that will benefit their organizations.

This year’s honourees set a high bar! Thank you, Monique, Jennifer, and Michael, for leading change and offering inspiration to the emerging champions in corporate Canada!

Do we know how to pick them? Champions, that is. Another of our inaugural The Catalyst Canada Honours Champions has been recognized for making a difference!

First, our Champion in the Company/Firm Leader category, TD Financial Group President and CEO Ed Clark was named CEO of the year. Now Colleen Sidford, our Champion in the Business Leader category has been recognized for her solid business ability and dedication to the advancement of women.

Colleen, who is Vice President, Treasurer of Ontario Power Generation, Inc. (OPG), has been appointed president of Women in Nuclear Canada. She will also represent Canada on the WIN International board.

The appointment recognizes Colleen’s great contribution to advancing women in the male-dominated nuclear industry. She initiated emPOWERed Women at OPG to help women develop their networking, career development, and mentoring skills. When she was honoured at last year’s The Catalyst Canada Honours, more than 300 women had participated in the program and were acting as “diversity ambassadors.”

We’re proud to congratulate Colleen on this latest recognition by the women in her industry—and we’re proud to count her as a Champion and a friend of Catalyst Canada. Her example demonstrates what one woman and a powerful idea can achieve.

We’re beginning to sense a trend of even greater achievement by The Canada Catalyst Honours Champions. We suggest you watch for the announcement in June of The Canada Catalyst Honours Champions of 2011—because you’re sure to be hearing more about them!

TD Bank Financial Group President and CEO Ed Clark is on a roll. First, he was the inaugural The Catalyst Canada Honours Champion in the Company/Firm Leader category.  Now, he’s been named the 2010 Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year.

Coincidence?  Not likely.  Ed’s professional success is based in his understanding of and commitment to the community. He’s one of those progressive leaders who understand that businesses do better when their senior people reflect the diversity of their customers. His personal example has supported a business culture that nurtures and advances talent across the organization. 

It’s that commitment to eliminating barriers to the advancement of women that has made him a good friend to Canadian women in business.

And TD’s business performance proves he’s right!

We’re thinking you should be watching The Catalyst Canada Honours this year—we aren’t saying there’s a correlation, but we do know that what’s good for women is good for business!

Last week, Christine Silva, Director, Research, Catalyst Canada, led the most recent event in our Engaging Men as Diversity Champions series, sponsored by CIBC. Three terrific panellists shared their insights and experience: Bob Elton, former Chief Executive Officer, BC Hydro, and Executive Chair, Powertech Labs Inc.; Glenn Ives, Chairman, Deloitte & Touche LLP Canada; and John Silverthorn, Senior Vice-President, Talent Management, CIBC. And then a woman in the audience shared a story that made everyone stop and think.

After you’ve read Christine’s report, tell us your reaction.

__________________________

It isn’t often that silence descends upon a Catalyst event. But last week in Vancouver, a participant shared a story that made everyone in the room take a mental step back and think about the implications of a couple of our favourite words: diversity and inclusion. 

It was the story of a hockey team one of her colleagues plays on. The league had a rule that 50% of the players must be women. But then they decided their goal shouldn’t only be diversity, but also inclusion. After all, what good is it to have different people on the team if they aren’t full participants? So the league made an additional rule that 50% of the goals must be scored by women.

What, she asked, did the panellists think about that?

The panellists were three strong champions of women. They had already shared their personal journeys to becoming diversity champions, including some of the challenges and successes they’ve had along the way. They talked about the difference between treating people equally and fairly, the importance of recognizing what leaders and individuals value, and the need to set goals as an organization and make sure you have a way to track progress.

And they had already spoken about sports, in terms of coaching soccer and bringing senior managers out to the golf course.

But this?

This fundamentally changes the game, one thought out loud. Is it necessary? Is it desirable? The panellists went back and forth, finding no obvious right answer. Of course inclusion is the end goal, but should we completely change the rules to make it happen?

After the panellists talked, the woman who asked the question shared the outcome of the rule change. The men on the team passed the puck more. They now had a vested interest in making sure everyone had an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skill.

The question had caused discomfort for many in the room—after all, rethinking the status quo is never easy. But it created a real learning opportunity. As someone reflected after the event, organizations should be striving to figure out how to create a rising tide that will lift all boats. What a perfect way of describing the win-win of diversity and inclusion.

This month, we’re watching the World Economic Forum at Davos, and we were encouraged to learn that organizers were seeking women for 30% of the participant spots.  Disappointment followed, but, according to one report, women are making a difference, even in their less-than-representative numbers.

Still a Man’s World Economic Forum

Despite efforts by major sponsors of the Davos event to increase participation by women, numbers fell short of the targeted 30%. Some of the women who made it speculate on the reasons.  (If you want to join our Catalyst LinkedIn discussion, check Davos attracts fewer women than the WEF had hoped .)

READ: “Davos Excludes Half The World as Women Miss 30% Level,” by Lisa Kessenaar, Bloomberg, January 24, 2011.

But Women Punch Above Their Weight

No surprise, there.  Some people even suggest that women’s perspective will give the World Economic Forum relevance in the real world of the future.

READ: “Women Make Their Mark at Davos, Though Still a Distinct Minority,” by Katrin Bennhold, The New York Times, January 26, 2011.

And, a couple of new titles to add to our “must-read” list!

Betty Friedan Revisited

The Feminine Mystique may have been dry prose, but it launched a cultural shift that is still taking place.  Stephanie Coontz considers contemporary and present-day reactions in A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique and the Dawn of the 1960s (Basic Books).

READ: “Mad Women,” by Rebecca Traister, The New York Times, January 20, 2011.

What Are Our Daughters Learning?

Peggy Orenstein’s new book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter, debates the impact of commercial “girlie culture.”

READ: “Is Pink Necessary?” by Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times, January 21, 2011.

One of my last duties of 2010 was an appearance before the Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce to support action to improve the representation of women on Canadian corporate boards, because diversity is important to women, and equally important to maintaining Canada’s competitive economy.  Today, C This Canada! includes a look at some of the reasons for the lack of women  in the boardrooms of the nation.   And we share some research, an industry success story, and a personal and moving story about the value of managing a healthy work-life balance.  An innovative partnership between schools and a technology giant also caught our eye.

Not quite as equal?

It may be barriers on the bottom and middle floors, rather than the glass ceiling, which are keeping women from reaching the boardroom in numbers that reflect their presence in the work force.  How do we identify the problems, and what are the remedies?

READ:  “Equality Not the Same as Parity in the Boardroom”, Kim Covert,  Postmedia News, December 23, 2010.

Accountants do it better!

Accounting firms are leading with innovative programs to ensure employees maintain a personal life, even during the high-pressure audit period.  Employees, and the businesses, benefit from the initiatives.

READ: “Flex Time Flourishes in Accounting Industry” Stephen Greenhouse, The New York Times, January 7, 2011.

We knew it!

Research suggests that your health may depend upon your approach—and your boss’s—to balancing work with the other important things in your life.

READ: “The Real Cost of Upsetting the Work-Life Balance”, Susan Pinker, The Globe and Mail, December 20, 2010.

And some personal evidence of the work-life link

FedEx Canada President Lisa Lisson speaks about the importance of balance between work and life as she coped with the strain of a personal crisis.

READ: “FedEx Chief Finds Strength, Comfort in Her Work”,  Gordon Pitts, The Globe and Mail, January 12, 2011.

Girls Find Place in Technology World

Schools across the country are finding a way to attract more girls to their technology training—with girls-only classes that allow participants to pursue their interests.  And the schools are being supported by Cisco Systems in an effort to address the technology skills shortage by overcoming the stereotype.

READ: “Girls-Only Computer Class Hits Refresh on IT’s Geeky-Male Image”, Kate Harmer, The Globe and Mail, January 4, 2011

This has been an exciting year at Catalyst Canada, with the first Catalyst Canada Honours, a new events series to encourage men to step up as champions of diversity, and my recent appearance as a witness to a Senate committee considering legislation to improve women’s representation on corporate boards—and, of course, the introduction of CanCon.  Next year, I hope you will consider this our forum, to exchange ideas, thoughts and experiences.

Catalyst President and CEO Ilene Lang asked Catalyst team members about their wishes for women and work in 2011.  I thought I would share with you what they said, and invite you to add your wishes.

 Holiday Wish List

To mark the end of 2010—and my final Catalyzing post until January 2011—I asked my colleagues at Catalyst what they wish for in the days ahead for women and work. Here are Catalyst’s top ten wishes for 2011: 

We wish for…

10. Inclusive, agile work cultures that reward results rather than face-time. 

9. Companies around the world to “get it” that more women in senior positions can improve financial performance. 

8. Men to champion and sponsor the many talented women they work alongside, question the tyranny of macho norms, take more responsibility for child-rearing and the division of labor at home, and  become truly equal partners to women.

 7. An acknowledgment that women are the key to solving the world’s problems.

 6. Managers to accept and celebrate the career commitment of mothers returning from maternity leave.

 5. Headline writers to actually link headlines to story content—instead of writing unrelated, misleading, or “sexy” headlines that do not reflect the more thoughtful points in the article.

 4. An end to the false notion that women don’t help each other advance in the workplace.

 3. The realization that diversity is not a zero sum game—women, men, families, business, and the economy have a lot to gain from inclusive workplaces.

 2. Equal pay for equivalent work—eliminate the gender pay gap once and for all! 

 1. More optimism from both women and men who doubt that all this change is possible.

 What do you want to see in 2011 for women and business? Let me know in the comments below!

This past month, we’ve been focused on The Catalyst Canada Honours, but we’ve been interested to read about senior women in Canadian business.   We’re encouraged by the inclusion of “Women in Power” as one of The Globe and Mail’s leadership issues in their provocative series on national issues.

Canada: Our Time to Lead

The Globe and Mail series offering in depth consideration and discussion on critical issues facing Canada, including women (or the lack of) in power

READ:  “Time toLead: Women in Power” , The Globe and Mail

Catalyst Canada was asked to respond to some of the misconceptions about programs to advance women in business.  Catalyst research demonstrates that two popular beliefs are misconceptions—that women have it made and that women are promoted at the expense of their male colleagues.  In fact, the continuing under representation of women at senior levels hurts business and the economy by failing to use all  our potential.

READ: “More Women in the Workplace is Good for Business” by Deborah Gillis, The Globe and Mail, 10/13/10

Home Depot Canada Gives Its President Free Rein — ‘But You Have to Produce’

In an interview, Home Depot Canada president Annette Verschuren shares her story, from childhood on a Cape Breton dairy farm to growing the company to 179 stores from 19.

READ:  “Home Depot Gives Its President Free Rein”, by Bill Mah, Edmonton Journal , 10/5/10

Top Team: Executive Class at Harris Bank

And a novel introduction to formal mentoring programs at the US arm of BMO Financial Group:

Harris Bank is using a variation on speed dating—speed mentoring—to introduce promising employees to mentoring, and to a broad range of executives within the organization.

READ: “Top Team: Executive Class at Harris Bank”, by Glen Fest, US Banker, 10/10

If a single theme predominated the inaugural dinner of The Catalyst Canada Honours last night, it was change.

Scotiabank President and CEO Rick Waugh,  who is also Chair of Catalyst Canada Advisory Board identified the most important change over the past ten years in the business world as “the cultural shift that has begun in Canadian business and in our broader society.”

Champion Sylvia Chrominska spoke of the cultural shift at Scotiabank since she started in 1979, as more women joined the senior ranks, and both women and men began to recognize the business benefits of diversity at the very top.

TD Bank Financial Group’s Ed Clark—another champion—spoke of the journey for answers to the increasingly complex issues of diversity, and the importance of commitment from everyone in the organization.

Champion Colleen Sidford’s leadership as Vice-President of Ontario Power Generation has shifted attitudes and created opportunities for women in the traditionally male nuclear industry.

In preparing my own notes, I also thought back to one of my earliest disillusionments:  the realization in my final year of high school that a university education would likely allow me to earn only 69.6 cents for every dollar in the pay packet of my male colleagues.

Time for introspection.  Some of it, not pretty.

I thought about the first Catalyst research project in Canada.  In 1997, Canadian CEOs believed that women in senior management would jump from 13% to 24% by 2002.  Well, by 2002, senior management ranks were 14% women.  In 2008, the percentage had reached 16.9%.  In fact, if we continue at the current rate of change, we won’t see that 24% prediction until 2022!

And the pay gap that shocked me so much in 1983?  In 2008, women earned 68.3 cents to every dollar earned by our male colleagues!

So what is this cultural shift that everyone is seeing?  I believe we’ve seen a fundamental shift in the conversation, a shift that gives me hope that things are about to change.

Back in 1983, I believed that women should earn as much as men because it was fair.  Fairness was the basis of the equality rights section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Fairness was the foundation of the Employment Equity Act of 1985.

Businesses complied with the legislation, but compliance alone does not create equity or an inclusive workplace.  Today, CEOs like Rick Waugh, Ed Clark, and Bill Downe know that their businesses are stronger, more competitive, and ultimately more profitable because their senior ranks reflect the Canadian population in all its diversity.  They know that women bring a valuable perspective to their senior tables.

Most importantly, they know that Canadian companies and the Canadian economy can no longer afford to ignore the talents, skills and commitment of 50% of the population – not to mention those who are outpacing men in higher education degrees.

What I see is both a conversion and a conversation that has shifted from fairness to business case.  The participants in the conversation are no longer only women standing outside the senior management door.  The conversation—and the passionate advocacy—has moved through that door, and men have become partners in the conversation.

And the question is no longer “Why?” but “How?” and “How quickly?”

I take considerable pride that Catalyst Canada has lived up to our name over the past ten years.  Our partnership with business has provided a venue for the conversation.  Our research has informed business programs to support the advancement of women, such as Sylvia’s work at Scotiabank, Colleen’s emPOWERed women program at OPG, and Ed’s Women in Leadership initiatives.

The Catalyst Canada Honours dinner marked our tenth anniversary.  Our Champions—Ed Clark, Sylvia Chrominska, and Colleen Sidford—are leading the way.   And, if the enthusiasm of the sell-out crowd of over 500 members and friends is any measure, their advocacy is gaining supporters in all sectors and businesses across Canada.

Let the conversation continue!  Bring on the change!