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?

Perhaps it’s because one million Canadians are of Indian descent, or because diversity is a defining characteristic of both India and Canada. But for some reason, the sounds, fragrances, and colours that I experienced during my recent visit to India felt strangely familiar.

Certainly, as I met with business leaders in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi, our conversations about the challenges women face at work could easily have taken place in any Canadian city—struggles with work-life effectiveness and the lack of role models, mentors, and sponsors were at the top of the list.  (And who would have thought that a story about Canadian ice hockey would resonate with a business audience in Mumbai?)

However, the Indian cultural context adds layers of complexity to the issues facing women and organizations. Women in India are fighting battles that Canadian women have largely already won, for personal safety,  reliable childcare options, and more egalitarian societal assumptions about women’s roles. As a result, organizations are adopting programs that go beyond the flexible work arrangements or talent management practices that are familiar to North American ears. They are providing transportation to and from work sites, implementing recruitment programs that target women who have been out of the workplace, and reaching out to the parents and families of current and prospective employees.

The good news is that a hungry economy is creating jobs for young, educated Indians at an amazing pace, and organizations understand that women represent an underutilized talent pool. (Going to India, I expected to hear about the rapid pace of growth, but I wasn’t quite prepared to hear business leaders casually talk about hiring tens of thousands of people!)

Every day, some newspaper—and there are many—carried an article on the important role played by women. One talked about the growing number of women pursuing higher education and urged businesses to be prepared to open their doors to a generation of bright, well-educated, and confident young women. Another talked about the fact that the oldest woman in a family had been declared the “head of the household” for the purposes of a new program that will distribute food to families living in poverty. And in a story that is close to the heart of Catalyst researchers, “the gender gap” was the theme of National Statistics Day!

Each of these stories describes a country that is coping with the social and cultural jolts that accompany rapid growth. I’m thrilled that women are recognized as a critical success factor in navigating the changes, and I look forward to forging closer connections with India as Catalyst grows and learns from this amazing country.

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.

The sight of the Peace Tower has always inspired me to think how decisions and debates in the House of Commons and Senate have changed the way we live and work.  From the right to vote to pay equity and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the actions of Parliament matter to Canadian women.

So it was a great honour to appear as an expert witness before the Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, to contribute to their consideration of proposed legislation to ensure women are appointed to a certain percentage of corporate board positions.

It was gratifying to see a group of Canadian Parliamentarians discussing women on boards.  Are we finally beginning to recognize that the advancement of women is not only about fairness, but a vital issue related to Canada’s competitiveness in the global marketplace?

My key message to the Senators?   Waiting is not a strategy. Canada risks losing critical global advantage to countries that are taking action to ensure that their economies are led by the most talented people, whether female or male.  To compete and flourish in the global economy, Canadian business needs the talents of our very best women.  Until women achieve parity in business leadership roles, they will continue to be marginalized in every other arena. 

Mandated quotas, similar to those in the proposed Canadian legislation, have been successful in Norway, where a legal requirement for women to hold at least 40 percent of board seats, backed by stiff penalties, effectively boosted the number of women board directors after voluntary compliance fell short.  Spain and Iceland have also legislated targets of 40 percent.  France will likely follow suit, and a number of other countries are seriously looking at similar quota legislation.  The UK, Australia and the United States employ mandatory disclosure to improve gender diversity on boards.

Our economic partners and competitors are establishing appropriate ways to diversify corporate leadership.  What about Canada, where we take pride in our commitment to diversity and our leadership on human rights?  At the moment, we’re trailing on efforts to close the leadership gender gap.

The means of achieving gender parity may vary: whether it’s quotas or some other measure, the key is taking the actions to support our statements of commitment.  Any delay puts Canada at risk of losing many of our best and brightest to countries that actively and visibly support diversity at senior levels. 

Throughout the course of the hearings, Senators heard many arguments, informed by data, research and personal experience, about why we need more women on boards, and they raised many questions about whether quotas are the most effective strategy. 

A question about the possibility that the legislation would limit a board’s flexibility in recruiting the most talented directors provided a great opportunity for me to reinforce the point that with only 14 percent of board seats filled by women, it’s clear that boards are not currently tapping into the full talent pool! 

I was glad when another Senator questioned whether the record numbers of women graduating from university would naturally lead to greater parity in the boardroom. A  logical thought, but our research demonstrates that women who have graduated from top MBA programs start in lower- level jobs at lower pay than their male counterparts.  And they don’t catch up over the course of their careers.  Smart, ambitious women know that  barriers within corporate Canada persist, and they know that it will take  more women in leadership to level the playing field.  

While Senators found the arguments compelling, one posed a really interesting question:  If the business case is so clear, why aren’t executives, directors and shareholders lining up in favour of more women on boards? 

My answer?  Progressive business leaders are seeking diversity in corporate leadership.  Progressive nations understand that diversity is part of competitiveness in the global economy.  Parliament can take action to ensure women have the opportunity to use their education, skills, and experience in leadership. 

And make Canada the country of choice for smart women from around the world!

Women are making their mark in many traditionally male professions, but not all.  This month, two articles discussed some fields where women are not playing—and some rinks where they are!  Also in C This Canada! the ways that lack of diversity in the boardroom is hurting Canadian businesses, and a report on a discussion of whether the Norwegian approach of legislating a quota for women on Boards would work in Canada.  And, with the departure of Premier Danny Williams, Newfoundland becomes the first province where women lead the three major political parties.

Why Women Still Aren’t Chasing an Iron Ring

Universities and professional engineering associations are seeking ways to convince young women that they can meet their goal of making a difference by becoming an engineer, but female engineering students continue to feel pressure to adapt in a male dominated environment.

READ: “Why More Women Aren’t Becoming Engineers” by Jennifer Myers, The Globe and Mail, 09/11/10

But Are Playing Hard for the Clarkson Cup

This year saw the first two women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.  We know our women’s hockey teams are champions, but the majority of Canadians who have taken up the game in the past decade are female.

READ: “Jersey Girls: Women Lead the Way in Hockey’s Growth”, by Josh Wingrove, The Globe and Mail, 7/11/10

Canadian Boards on the “Cusp of Change”?

Canadian boards continue to be disproportionately white and male, but will  a generational shift bring greater diversity?

READ: “Boardroom Diversity Advances at ‘Glacial Pace’”, by Tim Shufelt, Financial Post, 21/10/10

Or Should Diversity be Legislated?

The Rotman School for Business and the Norwegian Embassy brought together business leaders and investors to consider legislated quotas for Board diversity, and some alternatives.

READ: “Should Gender Diversity on Boards Be Law?”, by Mary Teresa Bitti, Financial Post, 29/11/10

Is It in the Air, or the Culture?

Newfoundland is renowned for colourful politicians—but the province’s latest political first is that women are leading all three major parties on the Rock.  Newfoundlanders speculate on whether it’s because politics is in their blood, whether it’s the culture, or whether Rick Mercer is right that Newfoundland is simply the “coolest” province.

READ: “Women Rule on the Rock”, by Susan Delacourt, thestar.com, 26/11/10

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!

C-This, Canada! is a chance for me to highlight recent articles, podcasts, and videos about women and work that have struck me as interesting, informative, or thought provoking.  I hope you’ll use the comments section to let me know about any that I’ve missed—or give your feedback on any that I’ve listed.

First, some media reaction to the report that, despite educational success, Canadian women still earn 63 cents for each of their male counterparts’ dollars:

Canada lags on pay equity

September 8, 2010—Canadian women outperform men at all levels of education, but still make significantly less money in the workplace.  Canada’s gender-wage gap is much wider than that of most developed countries, according to a new report from the Council of Ministers of Education.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/09/08/15282501.html

Women at work: still behind on the bottom line

September 10, 2010—Women in Canada earn less than two-thirds of what men do, a ratio that has scarcely budged in more than a decade and is well below that of other developed countries.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/women-at-work-still-behind-on-the-bottom-line/article1699176/

And some intergenerational thoughts on feminism:

The ladies who lambaste

September 3, 2010—With time on their side, and feminism’s wind at their back, older Canadian women are taking action on issues from AIDS to Palestinian peace.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-ladies-who-lambaste/article1696077/

Outraged  moms, trashy daughters

August 10, 2010—Young women think that feminism is old-fashioned.  Is today’s “Girl Power” taking us backwards, or is it the new expression of women’s empowerment?

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/08/10/outraged-moms-trashy-daughters/

“Third wave” of feminism urged by prominent Canadian women

September 9, 2010—Equality gap dominates Governor-General’s conference, following suffragettes and push to enshrine women’s rights I law, new focus must be….

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/third-wave-of-feminism-urged-by-prominent-canadian-women/article1701942/

And, finally, new Canadian research suggests that women are getting caught in the middle:

Promotion bottleneck blocks women, minorities, study finds

September 21, 2010—Women and visible minorities lag behind white men because of a promotion bottleneck in middle management, a Canadian study tracking advancement says.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/864206–promotion-bottleneck-blocks-women-and-minorities-study-finds

Glass ceilings, sticky floors, and the bottleneck in the middle

According to Ivey Professor Alison Konrad, women are crashing through the glass ceilings—but only if they can get through the bottleneck in the middle.

http://www.ivey.uwo.ca/publications/impact/default.htm

Earlier this week, parents across Canada watched their kids go off to school, college and university.  Yesterday, the Canadian Education Statistics Council told us that the bright little girl we’re sending off to school is likely to attain a higher level of education than the boy in the next desk—but she’ll earn 63 cents for every dollar he makes. 

After years of struggle for equal opportunity in the workplace, this is disappointing.  But it’s not a surprise.

It supports—yet again—Catalyst research that female graduates of top M.B.A. schools enter the workforce at lower levels than their male colleagues, and earn $4,600 less.  Their promotions are slower, and less lucrative.  So the initial gap continues and grows, year after weary year. 

Women continue to be underrepresented at senior levels of business, despite their educational achievements and despite the influence of women in the economy.  For the individual woman, that is reflected in less personal income and reduced career satisfaction.

Businesses and the national economy are the biggest losers.  They’re losing the opportunity represented by 50 percent of the talent pool, brain power, and capacity for innovation and productivity.  And they can’t afford to continue losing that contribution.

As young women gained strength in business and professional schools, it seemed that equal access to the workplace would lead to equity in the workplace.  Now, we understand that workplace culture has to change—or those little girls who started school last week will be fighting their grandmothers’ battles, all over again.

Isn’t it time to fix it?

Someone once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Today, Catalyst Canada celebrates three remarkable leaders who have made a difference in the lives and careers of countless women in Canadian business. TD’s Ed Clark, Ontario Power Generation’s Colleen Sidford, and Scotiabank’s Sylvia Chrominska share a common trait (aside from their personal success!). Each has made it their mission to champion women in their organizations, their industries, and their communities.  

And for each of them, the reward comes not in personal recognition, but in seeing others become and achieve more than they ever dreamed possible. 

There are few of us who can’t point to a time when our lives were changed by someone who offered advice, or an opportunity, or shoulders to stand on.  Certainly, if there’s one thing I hear consistently from women who have risen to the top of their fields in Canada, it’s that they didn’t make it on their own.  They benefitted from mentors and champions who stepped in, often at critical moments, and set their careers on a new path. 

And that’s why we’ve created the Catalyst Canada Honours – to recognize champions of women in business and to mark Catalyst Canada’s tenth anniversary. It’s our hope that in recognizing these champions, we will inspire others to step forward and create real change that will benefit both women and organizations.  

The Catalyst Canada Honours began about a year ago, with a conversation I had with a woman who attended Catalyst’s first Canadian event.  She was surprised that the event was hosted by a CEO.  Today, no one would be surprised to hear a business leader in Canada talking about the importance of women to the bottom line.  Over the last ten years, the conversation has shifted.  Diversity—with women at its core— has become a strategic imperative for Canadian businesses.     

And it started with a leader, who stood up and did something unexpected. 

While today is primarily about Ed, Colleen and Sylvia, it’s also about all of the other leaders— today and tomorrow—changing workplaces and changing lives.  Thank you for what you do.  We are truly inspired.