As baby boomers retire over the next 15 years, the Canadian economy is relying on a steady stream of immigrants to replace them in the labour force. In fact, Statscan predicts that one out of every three Canadian workers in 2026 will have been born in another country.

That’s right. Fifteen years from now, one-third of the labour force will be immigrants, and many of them will be visible minorities. Businesses that have considered diversity as a “nice to do” for the HR department will be losing the battle to hang onto and attract talented employees to their competition, companies that are taking action today to integrate newcomers into their workforces.

A Catalyst survey team found that many visible minority respondents perceived that workplace barriers, such as lack of fairness in career advancement processes, an absence of role models, inequality in performance standards, and fewer high-visibility assignments, made advancement more difficult for them than for their white/Caucasian colleagues. In addition, visible minorities reported fewer developmental opportunities.

Given these perceptions, it’s no surprise that a smaller percentage of visible minority respondents believed senior management of their organization was committed to cultural diversity.

Employees report greater career satisfaction and organizational commitment—known to be related to greater productivity and profitability—when they feel their organizations’ career advancement processes are fair. And an important predictor of that sense of fairness was the perception that their senior leaders were committed to diversity.

The message? Canadian business leaders not only need to do a better job of encouraging the emergence of talented employees, they need to expand responsibility for diversity beyond the HR department, and link it to broad corporate objectives with a champion from the most senior ranks. TD Bank’s President and CEO Ed Clark demonstrates TD’s commitment to talent development by personally mentoring promising employees—which might explain why he was an inaugural Catalyst Canada Honours Champion, and Canadian CEO of the year for 2010!

Look around your workplace. Where does it fit on the diversity scale—and what can you do to nudge it higher?

In a new twist on the old statistic that women influence 80% of purchasing decisions, Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews recently informed a gathering that 80% of government spending in Ontario is controlled by 11 female cabinet ministers. Who knew?

While our colleagues south of the border have been marking “women in politics” month this August, women in politics have been making their mark in Canada. Women occupy the premier’s office in two provinces and one territory, and women party leaders in five other jurisdictions are eyeing the top job.

Lisa Raitt, the federal Minister of Labour, is holding roundtable discussions across the country, and in Ontario, female cabinet ministers are facilitating conversations about the role of women in government.

It was at one of those events that the Minister of Health shared the 80% statistic with us. And then she asked two critical questions: Do women in decision-making roles make a difference to the policy agenda of a government? Do they actually make different policy?

That women do things differently was obvious from the beginning when the Minister of Health shared a picture from her daughter’s wedding and spoke fondly of a grandson who cried through the first half of the event and slept through the second. Not the usual Ministerial talking point!

But it was the information that she shared about some of the government’s priorities that offered the most compelling insights. She noted that the women in the cabinet have championed the following initiatives:

- Investments in full-day kindergarten for three- and four-year-old children.

- A poverty reduction strategy.

- Expanded access to breast cancer screening for high-risk women.

- Long-term care options that will allow seniors to remain in their homes.

These initiatives will make the province and individuals who live here stronger and better able to manage their lives and achieve their potential. In fact, they are very much like the corporate programs to remove barriers and encourage participation by every employee that Catalyst often shares with members.

Her response to questions about why we need more women in government and the importance of women supporting each other may provide an insight to the effectiveness of the women in the Ontario government.

“We are strongest when decision-making reflects the communities that we serve,” she said, and, “Women who have achieved success have a responsibility to send the elevator back down.”

Words to make government—and business—work better!

The end of June can mean only one thing—graduation. For young women in the west, the future brims with promise of achievement and success.

This year, that season of personal hopefulness coincides with the “Arab Spring” movement to overcome political oppression and achieve individual freedoms. For young women in many nations, 2011 could be the year their dreams of self-determination come true.

Or not. In the past, democratic movements didn’t always include women’s rights, or those of minorities. In Canada, democracy didn’t acknowledge women as “persons” with the right to sit in the Senate until 1921. And it took the social upheaval of the 1960s to integrate education systems in the southern United States.

But I’m hopeful that women’s voices will be heard in today’s emerging democracies. One reason is the young women who participated in the G(irls)20 Summit last year in Toronto, and those who will participate in the second Summit in Paris later this year.

These are smart, confident young women with strong views on social and economic development. Their debates in Paris will allow them to test and broaden their opinions. The international experience will teach them how to  advocate for the changes they know will improve their own society.

I believe that these “Girls,” and the millions of other articulate young women like them, have the ideas, the energy, and the strength to change the world. Although it’s too late to become a delegate, there’s still a day for you to participate in setting the agenda for the 2011 (Girls)20 Summit. Go to the website today, cast your vote, and add your comments—help to change the world!

Ever since the OECD released its assessment of work-life balance, I’ve been hearing people muttering about moving to Denmark. But, if a new initiative of the Quebec government is successful, we may find a work-life balance champion much closer to home.

In April, the Quebec government ratcheted the significance of balanced workplaces up a notch with the announcement of North America’s first certification program to recognize corporate efforts to support work-life balance. The certification program will be similar to other certification initiatives, awarding points for meeting a number of specified criteria, such as flexible work schedules, child care supports, and (a favourite here at Catalyst) work-from-home agreements.

Work-life effectiveness, like environmental standards or occupational health and safety courses, is gaining credence as a component of sound business practice.  And not only because it’s good for people. Sure, for many employees, onsite child care trumps a pay increase, and the opportunity to work from home is better than a great office and a big title. But flexibility allows both organizations and employees to become more agile.

More businesses are discovering that policies that recognize personal and family commitments are good business. Recruiting and retaining good employees are major expenses for businesses. High employee turnover increases those costs. Businesses also suffer when employee teams become less effective because their members are constantly in flux.

And for the province? Quebec has just told the world (including those progressive businesses that every jurisdiction is trying to attract) that quality of life—and that includes the quality of work life—is critical.

This is only the most recent of Quebec’s initiatives to encourage work environments that reflect 21^st-century realities. (Another is mandating women on boards of Crown corporations.) Businesses in Quebec are gaining the advantage of a diverse, fully engaged work force.

When will businesses and governments in the rest of Canada catch up? If you’re aware of an innovative company or government policy to improve work-life effectiveness, let us know!

After the downer of our “24 Hoursof Sexism” post a couple of weeks ago, we were relieved to find some positive media stories about clever, talented women succeeding and sharing. Read on!

Plug into the World of Wired Women

If you despair of organizing your digital photos, imagine the challenge for Leila Boujnane. Her company, TinEye, has a database of more than 2 billion images. But each image has a distinctive “fingerprint” to allow tracking of where it’s been used online. The technology
also helps source images and find images for specific purposes. Her story is shared as part of an excellent series entitled Wired Women of Canada. Read Leila’s story, then check out the whole series about creative women making a difference.

Read: “Wired Women of Canada: Leila Boujnane, Search Innovator” by Amber MacArthur, Theglobeandmail.com, May 16, 2011.

Think Big

The Rotman School of Management’s Next Steps: A Program for Experienced Women Entrepreneurs demonstrates the best kind of sharing, as successful women teach and share practical tips and strategies that have allowed them to run profitable and healthy businesses. Participants find role models who “normalize the ‘thinking big’ process.”

Read: “Female Role Models Teach Unique Program” by Ruth Bastedo, The Globe and Mail, May 25, 2011.

Honouring Great Women

The HSBC Great Canadian Woman Awards on June 21 will recognize three women who have immigrated to Canada and have succeeded in their business or profession. Congratulations to the League for Human Rights and (Catalyst Member) HSBC Canada on this inaugural event. Proceeds from the dinner will support the B’nai Brith Alzheimer’s Residence.

Read: “HSBC Great Canadian Woman Awards” May, 2011.

Women with Clout

Five powerful women have the potential to change politics in India, which still struggles with cultural biases against women. This interesting article suggests that women can play the game of politics just like men, but are conscious of their example for younger women.

Read: “Female Face of Power Reflects Change in India” by Stephanie Nolen, The Globe and Mail, May 22, 2011.

And a Bit of Same Old!

Entrepreneurs may be learning to think big at Rotman, but a recent study suggests that women university students generally have lower expectations of the workplace than their male counterparts. In a survey of 23,000 university students, women anticipated 13.5 percent lower pay, and a 12 percent longer wait for their first promotion than did their male classmates. Their expectation at the five-year mark was 17.5 percent less.

Read: “Women Expect Less Pay from the Start” by Wallace Immen, The Globe and Mail, May 19, 2011.

On March 9, in Montreal, Sunniva Sorby, Membership Manager—Quebec and I attended the most recent event in our Catalyst Connects series, sponsored by BMO Financial Group. Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Desjardins Group, spoke to a room of almost 100 high-potential women, offering wisdom she’s gained over her career. Below, Sunniva shares the insights that resonated most with her.

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 Some issues are just too important to let competition for market share get in the way. That the advancement of women is one of these issues was clear earlier this month when our BMO-sponsored Catalyst Connects event was held in Montreal. Two high-powered women in banking shared the spotlight when Lynn Roger, Senior Vice President, Talent Strategies and Executive Resourcing Managing Partner, BMO Financial Group, interviewed Desjardins Group CEO Monique F. Leroux about her long and winding road to the top.

Career advice from Ms. Leroux isn’t available every day, and audience members took advantage of the opportunity to ask her questions.

 One woman wondered how she manages difficult situations. The response may sound cliché, but Ms. Leroux’s passion made it live: Be true to yourself. Develop and articulate your own set of core values, and don’t lose yourself along the way. Be a woman of conviction, and don’t compromise on values. And her experience proves that standing for principle enables other people to understand and trust you and your values.

 What did Ms. Leroux identify as her own values? She loves working hard, connecting with people, and making a contribution. She is always looking for ways to make a contribution which, she notes, makes what we do more meaningful. The passion that we bring to work is also more likely to lead to advancement than “targeting” a senior position.

 Ms. Leroux urged her audience to take risks. Without them, she said, you will never get out of your comfort zone or grow. “Stand up for what you believe in,” she said. “And please remember to have a sense of humour along the way!” Especially when tensions are high, it’s helpful to laugh at ourselves and find the people who will help us keep a balanced perspective.

 I was deeply impressed by how Ms. Leroux is very “centred around her core,” and how she never targeted a particular position but rather sought opportunities that would allow her to contribute in meaningful ways. Ms. Leroux’s story proves that values and principles don’t have to be sacrificed for advancement. In fact, they’re the very stuff of success!

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 Le 9 mars, à Montréal, Sunniva Sorby, gestionnaire d’adhésion  – Québec et moi avons assisté au plus récent  événement de notre série “Catalyst Connects”, parrainée par BMO Groupe financier.  Monique F. Leroux, présidente du Conseil, présidente et directrice générale du Groupe Desjardins, s’est adressée à un auditoire d’environ 100 femmes, toutes  possédant un immense potentiel. Elle a partagé avec nous la sagesse qu’elle a acquise au cours de sa carrière.  Ci-dessous, Sunniva partage les idées qu’elle a échangées avec elle. 

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Il est impensable de laisser la concurrence prendre les parts de marché. Certaines questions sont tout simplement trop importantes. L’avancement de la femme est l’une de ces questions qui ont été clairement soulevées plus tôt ce mois-ci lors de notre dernier événement à Montréal, parrainé par BMO ” Catalyst Connects”.

 Deux femmes influentes dans le secteur bancaire partagent la vedette.

 Lynn Roger, première vice-présidente – Stratégies de gestion des talents et renouvellement haute direction, BMO Groupe financier, interroge Monique F. Leroux, présidente du Conseil, présidente et directrice générale du Groupe Desjardins, sur sa longue et difficile ascension vers le sommet.

Les conseils de Mme Leroux à propos de la carrière ne sont pas offerts tous les jours.  L’auditoire en a profité pour lui poser des questions.   Une femme a demandé :”comment gérez-vous les situations difficiles ?” La réponse peut sembler banale, mais Mme Leroux a affirmé :

 Vivez votre passion !  Soyez fidèle à vous-même !

Définissez et respectez vos propres valeurs fondamentales, et ne vous perdez pas en chemin!

Soyez une femme de conviction et ne faites pas de compromis sur vos valeurs.

Son expérience démontre que de se laisser guider par ses principes et de se baser sur ses valeurs permet aux autres de mieux nous comprendre, et par le fait même, engendre la confiance.

Ce que Mme Leroux identifie comme ses propres valeurs ?

Elle aime travailler dur et elle favorise les liens avec autrui, ce qui lui permet de contribuer de façon considérable à son milieu de travail.

 Elle est toujours à la recherche de moyens pour se démarquer ce qui, à son avis, rend ce que nous faisons beaucoup plus significatif.

C’est la passion avec laquelle nous travaillons qui est susceptible de nous conduire à l’avancement vers un poste supérieur, plutôt que le fait de cibler une place spécifique au sein de l’organisation.

Mme Leroux a encouragé son auditoire à prendre des risques. Sans eux, vous ne sortirez jamais votre zone de confort!

« Défendez ce qu’en quoi vous croyez!», dit-elle.

«… Et n’oubliez pas d’avoir un sens de l’humour, tout au long de votre parcours »

Spécialement lorsque la pression est forte, il est favorable d’être capable de rire de nous-mêmes et de trouver des gens qui nous aideront à garder une perspective équilibrée. 

J’ai été profondément impressionnée par Mme Leroux.

Sa façon d’être, son point de mire et son système de valeurs. 

Sa philosophie concernant l’avancement d’un poste : saisir les occasions tout en contribuant de façon importante.

L’histoire de Mme Leroux démontre que les valeurs et les principes n’ont pas à être sacrifiés pour l’avancement.  En fait, ils sont très certainement la clé du succès !

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!

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.

This past Friday, CBC Radio’s The Current featured a panel discussion on the lack of women on corporate boards in Canada. Arlene Dickinson kicked off the conversation by sharing parts of an interview I had given ahead of time. In those clips, I recapped the bleak numbers—only 14% of corporate board seats in Canada are held by women and almost half of public companies on the FP500 have no women directors at all.

The three panelists—a Canadian Senator, an American business professor, and the former CEO of a Calgary credit union—all strongly agreed that we need more women on boards. They shared well-established research as well as their personal experiences that having diverse perspectives around the table leads to better outcomes for businesses.

But they disagreed on how to get there. Senator Celine Hervieux-Payette has proposed legislation mandating quotas to increase the representation of women on boards in response to the lack of progress companies have made on their own. Amy Dittmar, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, reviewed Norway’s experience with similar legislation, which has led to just over 40% of Norwegian board seats being held by women. She noted that there had been concerns regarding the availability of qualified women board directors, and she argued that with only 16.9% of corporate officer positions held by women in Canada, the same concerns will probably be voiced here as well. She also mentioned a “modest change” that the United States took through the SEC to spur the inclusion of women on boards by implementing the mandatory disclosure of boards’ diversity considerations. Dave Gregory, former CEO of First Calgary Credit Union, said that rather than imposing quotas on companies, we should focus our energy on communicating the bottom-line benefits of diversity so companies will be compelled to make change on their own.

Had I been part of the discussion, I would have reminded the debating panelists that we have a shared goal—getting more women on corporate boards. While the strategies we could use to get there may vary, the key is that we do get there. Quotas are one proven strategy, but I welcome any innovative ideas to make change.

Let’s not waste time and energy arguing about the best ways to get there—let’s get the journey started. We welcome any and all ideas to increase the representation of women on boards. If we want to have impact, we’re going to have to work together to reach our common goal.

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!