The Catalyst Canada Honours Make News

We were delighted with the coverage of The Catalyst Canada Honours last month, especially since much of it focussed on the challenges facing women and their champions in the workplace. And it was great to see The Catalyst Canada Honours champions recognized and celebrated in the media! Here are some of our favourite pieces.

WATCH: “Scotiabank and Catalyst: Supporting Women”, Business News Network, October 18, 2011.

READ: “Félicitations aux Lauréats des Prix Honorifiques de Catalyst Canada”, Premières en Affaires, October 20, 2011.

READ: “Catalysts of Change” by Jacqueline Nelson, Canadian Business, October 20, 2011.

READ: “We Can Do Better Than 18 Per Cent” by Todd Humber, Canadian HR Reporter, October 24, 2011.

Sponsorship Works… But it Needs Work

Ernst & Young’s Fiona MacFarlane is proof that sponsorship is a vital ingredient in corporate success, just as Catalyst research indicates. The challenge now for companies is figuring out how to leverage sponsorship—which has largely occurred informally—to support their efforts to build a diverse pipeline of talent.

READ: “Beyond Mentoring Women at Work: Sponsoring” by Leah Eichler, The Globe and Mail, November 4, 2011.

All Over the World…The Gender Gap is Shifting…

The World Economic Forum has released the 2011 Global Gender Gap Report, noting that, while women are achieving greater equality in health and education, they continue to be underrepresented in economic and political participation. And Canada? We made a small step in the right direction with a move from #20 on the list in 2010 to #18 in 2011. Could we try to leap into the top 10 in 2012?

READ: “Canadian Women Politically Stifled, Report Suggests”, CBC News, November 2, 2011.

READ: “Progress for Women, but a Long Way to Go” by Luisita Lopez Torregrosa, The New York Times, November 1, 2011.

READ: “The Global Gender Gap Report, 2011”, World Economic Forum, November, 2011.

And These Shifts Can Have a Big Impact!

A recent study at Chicago’s DePaul University confirms what our intuition has told us all along—individual sexism correlates with gender inequality in society. Hence Catalyst’s vision: Changing workplaces. Changing lives.

READ: “Sexism and Gender Inequality”, Science Daily, October 30, 2011.

Revisiting Quotas

Senator Céline Herivieux-Payette deserves credit for persistence. She’s reintroducing legislation that would see a requirement for Canadian businesses to have 40% female representation on their boards. Whether you support quotas or some other means of achieving increased numbers of women at senior levels, the public conversation is an important one.

READ: “Senator to Renew Push for More Women on Boards” by Janet McFarland, The Globe and Mail, October 26, 2011.

Some Progress!

With her appointment as CEO of IBM, Ginni Rometty joins Hewlett-Packard’s Meg Whitman at the top of the tech world. Ms. Rometty built her career at IBM—does that help women reach the top? And will these two talented and successful women be able to lead a shift to greater equality at high levels in high tech?

READ: “New IBM CEO Means Two Top Tech Chiefs are Women” by Patricia Sellers, CNN Money, October 25, 2011.

READ: “Ginni Rometty: Benefits of Staying Put” by Rachel Emma Silverman, Wall Street Journal Blogs, November 1, 2011

Women Take the Long View

Women are achieving financial success in greater numbers than ever, and they’re looking for different services from their financial advisors. They want a plan that addresses their long term individual and family goals, and an advisor who is familiar with wills, trusts, and estate planning in addition to other investments. Big investment firms are listening and adapting.

READ: “The Differing Female View of Financial Services” by Noreen Rasbach, The Globe and Mail, November 4, 2011.

As we move into the final weeks before The Catalyst Canada Honours dinner on October 18, we seem to be generating enough positive energy in our office to power the entire block! And no wonder.

First, we’re celebrating amazing achievements by the champions: Company/Firm Leader Champion Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group; Business Leader Champion Jennifer Tory, Regional President, Greater Toronto Region, RBC; and Human Resources/Diversity Leader Champion Michael Bach, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, KPMG LLP.

Each of them has made a difference in the lives of individual women, and their efforts have changed the culture in both their own organizations and the greater Canadian business community.

Second, we’ll hear interesting and provocative thoughts from the distinguished speakers: business leaders who have unique insights on the role of senior executives in making equal opportunity a reality, not a slogan.

Third, we’re celebrating in the company of great friends and supporters, who just happen to lead some of Canada’s biggest companies.

And fourth? Well, I’m pretty excited about our new tradition of ringing the bell to start business at the TSX on the morning of the dinner!

If you want to join the celebration, a few places are still available, but we’re nearly sold out! I look forward to seeing all of you on October 18th!

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?

Christine Silva, Director of Research at Catalyst Canada, recently attended the launch of an important new diversity initiative by General Counsels from a number of organizations. Ken Fredeen of Deloitte, one of the founders of the Legal Leaders for Diversity and Inclusiveness program, has been a true champion of diversity within his firm and his profession. We’re proud to count him as a friend and supporter of Catalyst Canada.

Here’s Christine’s take on the launch, and the inspiration shared by Ken and Lieutenant Governor David Onley.

_________________________________________________________

The launch of the Legal Leaders for Diversity and Inclusiveness program was an inspiring event, with around 40 general counsels of major organizations celebrating the initiative and considering their next steps.

A highlight of the afternoon was when The Honourable David C. Onley, Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, spoke about the importance of accessibility. Having a disability himself, he candidly recounted his experiences facing barriers in his career. Interestingly, he said social media tools are reducing the challenge of being excluded from networks. But, in statements that could have come from a Catalyst report, he emphasized the importance of mentoring and visible role models, and called for a change in mindset to reduce stereotypes that affect hiring practices.

Mr. Onley also gave a series of examples of the wonderful employees you’d miss out on if you assumed disability meant inability. For example, the person in the wheelchair who requires a computer to speak might sound like an employee who requires too much effort. But that line of thinking would reject Stephen Hawking, arguably the brightest person in the world.

Ultimately, he said, success would be measured by a change in numbers: an increase in the workplace representation of people with disabilities to better reflect the population of Canada.

All the GCs in attendance signed a broad pledge to address diversity and inclusion (presumably it also includes gender, visible minority status, Aboriginal status, and sexual orientation, beyond ability). Each also has a list of individual actions he or she has committed to fulfilling, such as being an advocate or speaking frequently about diversity in the workplace.

Kenneth Fredeen, General Counsel at Deloitte, spoke on behalf of the founders of the program and shared two important thoughts.

First, he pointed out that the organizations represented in the room—as some of the largest clients of law firms—have an opportunity to use their considerable influence to sway firms to focus more seriously on diversity and inclusion.

Second, he made clear that this initiative is about helping people, and he encouraged attendees to think about how they want to look back on their careers. What will they be most proud of? Much more likely it will be work related to helping people and changing organizations for the better, rather than resolving any legal matters. This is their chance to have real impact, he said.

Inspiring words, and I agree.

Last year, a group of very smart people representing the leading economies of the world met in Toronto to address the significant issues affecting the world. They exchanged ideas and experiences, and they struggled to identify initiatives, investments, and programs that would strengthen communities and nations. And they agreed to meet again in France in October of 2011.

You think I’m talking about Presidents and Prime Ministers? Perhaps future ones!

Once again, the G(irls)20 Summit will bring together young women from the G20 nations and the African Union in advance of the G20 Summit to be held this October in France. Applications to participate in the summit as a national representative are due by April 15, and participants will be announced in early July.

Last year, as part of Catalyst’s support for the event, I was privileged to review some of the applications.  I expected bright, thoughtful young women, but the energy, imagination, and innovation that I found in every application makes me believe that women can indeed change the world!

We can’t all be participants in the G(irls)20 Summit, but we can all participate in the discussion of the agenda—and we can be part of the 3.3 billion ways to change the world!

Between the media attention to the release of the 2010 Catalyst Census: Financial Post 500 Women Senior Officers and Top Earners, the discussions around the 100^thInternational Women’s Day, and the swearing in of Canada’s third woman premier last week, the role of women in leadership has been much in the news.

The Battle Won’t be Won…

Some columnists went a bit overboard with their celebration of women’s progress over the past 100 years. Fortunately, others were prepared to take a hard look at the conflicting demands and invisible barriers that still confront women as they try to negotiate career, personal, and family challenges.

READ: “Equality for Women? We’re Not Done Fighting Yet,” by Judith Timson, The Globe and Mail, March 10, 2011.

…Without Focus.

Faced with both the premature declarations of victory and the real pressures of post-recession adjustments, many businesses could lose their focus on diversity programs. Here are some practical suggestions to keep on track:

READ: “5 Ways to Keep Your Women’s Initiative on Track,” by Melanie H. Axman (Boston),The Glass Hammer, March 15, 2011.

With a Federal Election appearing all but inevitable, where are the women in Canadian politics?

The Good News.

Since Christy Clark was sworn in as Premier of British Columbia earlier this month, we have three woman premiers in Canada — Kathy Dunderdale in Newfoundland and Labrador and Eva Aariak of Nunavut are the others. Will this lead to a breakthrough for women in provincial politics and at other levels of government? Our friends at Equal Voice hope so!

READ: “Is Christy Clark a Tipping Point for Canadian Women in Politics?” by Nancy Peckford, The Globe and Mail, March 7, 2011.

The Bad.

Women may be leading provincial and territorial governments, but the members of Canada’s Big City Mayors Caucus remain exclusively male. Would women have answered these questions differently?

READ: “Canada’s Big-City Mayors are Wondering: After the Stimulus, What’s Next?” by Siri Agnell, The Globe and Mail, March 17, 2011.

And the Ugly.

Proof that the war is very much still on!

READ: “Political Mailer Criticises Female Candidate for Being ‘Unmarried’,” by JOS, Feministing, March 16, 2011.

Maybe it was the proximity to International Women’s Day. Or maybe it’s an issue whose time has come. But last week’s release of the 2010 Catalyst Census: Financial Post 500 Women Senior Officers and Top Earners has caused waves in the media across the country. In my five years with Catalyst, I don’t remember such strong media response to our work. The recognition of the quality and significance of Catalyst’s work is gratifying.

But neither do I recall being so frustrated by the level of understanding of the barriers that still block career advancement for many Canadian women. In almost every interview I did, I was asked questions like: “Are women not reaching the top because they ‘opt out’ to raise families?”

True, those questions aren’t answered by the Census, which is intended to be a snapshot and a check on the progress in Canada’s leading companies. Other research, such as Pipeline’s Broken Promise, provides some of the answers.

That study demonstrates that smart, educated women start their careers at lower levels and earn about $4,600 less than their male counterparts. And the gap never closes, even for women who remain single and childless. No opting out. No family before career. Just a glass ceiling and a sticky floor.

If anyone doubts that we have to keep gathering the statistics and telling the stories, a quick skim through the comments on any of the media coverage of the Census will quickly convince them. There you’ll find the folks who think that women have it made or that women gain at the expense of men. Some even declared victory, as Margaret Wente did in her Globe and Mail International Women’s Day column, where she stated “The war for women’s rights is over. And we won.”

Pointing to advances women have made is good—it’s the encouragement we all need to keep going. But we can’t ignore the lack of equity at the top. The confusion of the past week shows that we have to keep challenging pat assumptions that women have made it—or risk being lulled by complacency and a clever headline.

This month, we’ve wondered why it’s men who have most of the by-lines in North American magazines; why men and women differ on the existence of the glass ceiling in the UK; and whether gender quotas will take off in Italy. And, some positive advice from Campbell Soup President and CEO (and Catalyst Board member) Doug Conant.

Where are the women?

The women’s literary organization VIDA has shown that men still outnumber women as contributors to mainstream news and current affairs magazines. And the gap widens when we look at reviews of books by men compared with books by women—and the reviewers.

READ: “Women at Work,” by Meghan O’Rourke, Slate, February 2, 2011.

Still looking….

Michael Enright leads a panel of U.S. and Canadian magazine editors in a discussion of the reasons that men continue to outnumber women as contributors to magazines.

LISTEN: “Too Few Women in Publishing,” with Michael Enright, Sunday Morning, CBC Radio, February 20, 2011.

Glass ceiling? Maybe you have to bang your head.

A survey in the UK suggests that women in management are very conscious of the glass ceiling, while the men they work with think it’s disappeared. (Or maybe the accompanying photo suggests a context for the difference!)

READ: “Female Managers Say Glass Ceiling Intact—Survey,” BBC News, February 21, 2011.

Quota battles universal?

The most recent nation to engage in a battle for quotas to close the gender gap on boards is Italy. Let’s hope we don’t waste too much energy on arguing about the “how” that we never get to “when”!

READ: “Plan to Put More Women on Italy Boards at Risk,” by Lisa Jucca, Reuters, February 17, 2011.

And, some uncommon sense!

An experienced business leader shares some practical tips on recognizing employees in a meaningful way. Like other successful management practices, it takes thought and effort, but read the comments to see how effective it can be!

READ: “Secrets of Positive Feedback,” by Douglas Conant, Harvard Business Review, February 16, 2011.

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!