Catalyst Blog

By Ilene H. Lang, Deborah Gillis and Deepali Bagati

Earlier this month, we met with CEOs of Indian companies to discuss the importance of expanding opportunities for women and business in India Inc. Women currently make up 36 percent of the Indian labor force, yet 67 percent of Indian employers are struggling to fill jobs. One solution to this talent crunch: educated and ambitious Indian women.

CEOs across Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore shared with us inspiring, and effective, ways in which they’re shifting their organizations’ cultures to ensure that all talent is valued. One CEO talked about “leading by example.” He has taken action and asked each member of his leadership team to mentor three women, while he personally mentors five!

Another CEO talked about consciously changing the way he viewed women—namely, by thinking of them as natural leaders. Once he started from the assumption that women were born to lead, it helped him to confront and shatter biases and stereotypes about women that he grew up with.

Finally, a CEO talked about changing the default question at his company, so that when women are considering a new role with bigger responsibility, they are not asked, “why would you want to do this job,” but instead, “why wouldn’t you want to do this job?”

Actions like these are clearing a path for the success of talented, and ambitious, Indian women. Gender gaps exist in India, but we’ve discovered on this trip that many companies understand how women can fuel India Inc. And they are acting on it—an inspiring model for senior leaders in India, and around the world.

In Sponsoring Women to Success, Catalyst interviewed nearly 100 executives and high-potential leaders from across the globe about what sponsorship is—and isn’t. In this cross-post from Catalyst CanCon, Deborah Gillis highlights six important take-aways from these stellar sponsors and high-performing protégés.

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#1: 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

#2: 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

#3: 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

#4: 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

#5: 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

#6: 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?

What’s the secret to good governance? Women!

While women hold only 24.7% of the legislative positions Canada, their influence on policy is sweeping. In this cross-post, Deborah Gillis discusses how women in Parliament have fought for, and improved, the Canadian way of life.

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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!

During the 2010 Catalyst Awards Conference, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi shared with attendees an old Chinese proverb: “If you want to understand the past, look at current conditions. But if you want to understand the future, look at today’s actions.”

This saying came to mind as I read Deborah Gillis’ recent account of her time in India in Catalyst CanCon, cross-posted below. Deborah highlights the actions companies are taking today to leverage female talent in India, including providing safe and reliable transportation and conducting family outreach. These actions are commendable—and reflect the beginnings of a bright future for India’s working women.

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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.

The Catalyst Canada Honours recognizes leaders who have demonstrated commitment and results through their championship of women’s advancement in Canadian business. But what makes a champion? Below, Deborah Gillis announces the recipients of the 2011 Honours and outlines what it takes to become a true champion for women in business in Canada—and beyond.

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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!

New evidence of the recession’s toll on women has emerged—and it isn’t pretty. The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that of the 1.3 million jobs created in the last 12 months, about 90% have gone to men. This fact—combined with the Catalyst finding that women in senior roles were three times as likely to lose their jobs during the initial months of the recession—shows the true cost of the recent economic downturn. Some “mancession” this turned out to be!

Find out more about the recession’s impact, plus other important news about women and work, in this week’s C This.

Calling it Out

Media attention to the 2010 Catalyst Census: Financial Post 500 Women Senior Officers and Top Earners is still running strong. The Census revealed deep stagnation for women’s advancement in Canada’s top companies. In this article, my colleague Deborah Gillis targeted Canadian businesses for “vastly underutilizing talented women, even though women are the engine of our economies.” She’s speaking truth to power—go Deborah!
READ: “Women’s Advances in Workplace Not Always Easy,” by Darah Hansen, Ottawa Citizen, 3/15/11

Examining the Toll

Not only have men filled 90% of all new jobs in the past year, but women continue to lose jobs at a higher rate than men. Since the official end of the recession in July 2009, men have gained 600,000 jobs while women have lost 300,000 jobs. “I think that the recession has happened in stages,” said Myra Strober, a professor of education and economics at Stanford University. “The first stage hit manufacturing hard, and that’s where men have more jobs than women do, and now the recession has moved to state and local governments where women have a higher percentage of jobs.”

WATCH: “Women Lag Behind Men in Economic Recovery,” ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, 3/21/11

Leading the Way in Israel

Unlike in the US, women hold many of the top posts in Israeli construction, manufacturing and real estate firms. The new Catalyst Census of women’s representation in Tel Aviv 100 Index companies found that the companies Gazit Inc., Ormat Industries, Shikun & Binui, and Delek Drilling each have 50% women executive officers. Companies from other industries should follow their lead. “All studies show gender diversification in management is better for companies,” noted Ofra Strauss, Chairperson of the Strauss Group, upon the Census’ release.

READ: “Israel ranks global No. 2 for female board members, at 15%,” by Oren Majar, The Marker, 3/9/11

STEM Superstars

Although women make up roughly half of the American workforce, they hold only 14% of engineering positions and 25% of mathematics positions. Among the most powerful women to bust the myth that women can’t make it in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers is Ursula M. Burns, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xerox Corporation. Ursula, who will chair the 2011 Catalyst Awards Dinner next week, made Working Mothers’ list of the “Most Powerful Moms in STEM.”

READ: “Most Powerful Moms in STEM,” by Leah Bourne, Working Mother, March 2011

Striking Ground

“There are museums in Washington, D.C., for everything from postage stamps to poetry to spies,” said actress Meryl Streep. So why isn’t there a museum to memorialize women’s contribution to America? Streep is the latest celebrity to lend her voice to the creation of a National Women’s History Museum. Supporters seek to raise funds and win Congressional approval to break ground in Washington DC.  The museum currently exists only online—for now.

READ: “Meryl Streep Seeking Donations for Women’s History Museum,” by Paul Bedard, US News and World Report, 2/17/11

Our latest Census of women in leadership among top Canadian companies was released last week—and the media took note. Below is Deborah Gillis’s frank response to one topic that kept cropping up in interviews. See if you agree!

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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.

Almost every weekday morning, messages with the subject “W@H” sprinkle my work email. In Catalyst-speak, this means “working from home today.” While emails like these might spike the blood pressure of managers at other organizations, for me, every “W@H” email is an indicator of just how streamlined and agile our workforce is.

Working from home works—it’s a win-win for employees and companies.

OK, full disclosure: I’m an early adopter. Working from home (and on the road) in 1993, I quickly learned that when the job keeps you on the go, you can keep working. Even back then, I was able to connect seamlessly to my company’s network and keep track of my calendar, emails, files, and databases. Technology has progressed since—sharing voice messages, video, and data has never been cheaper and faster. The technology is here, but many companies are not.

There is still a mindset that dictates shared space, four walls, in-person meetings, and all the trappings of face-time-driven, mid-century corporate America.  Especially in this global economy, why does this still exist?

Some companies have learned the hard way—during snowstorms or other disasters—just how crippling a rigid office-based organization can be. Even without these unexpected events, the reality of an everyday commute should inspire change toward flexibility. In the United States, employees spend an average of 49 minutes getting to and from work each day. Talk about a waste of productivity—and personal time. The total amount of time spent commuting each year is longer than most people’s annual vacation!

The emphasis at Catalyst is not on face-time, but results and getting work done effectively and efficiently. Offering the option to ditch the daily commute is good for a company’s bottom line too—many organizations have saved millions by rethinking and reducing their office space. And Catalyst research suggests that working from home can boost motivation. More satisfied employees translates into lower turnover and, potentially, higher customer satisfaction. Driving less also lowers stress, improves health, and helps the environment.

Some countries are realizing the value of W@H. On November 24, 2010, Canadians celebrated their first National Work From Home Day. As my colleague Deborah Gillis said on her blog to mark the occasion: “When our team is productive—conducting research, planning events, and serving our members across the country—it really doesn’t matter whether we’re working from a house in the suburbs, or the office an hour’s drive away.”

I couldn’t agree more. The only question is: why promote just one day a year to work from home? In today’s 24/7 global economy, the virtual worker has become a business necessity—not just a nicety. Companies that fail to update their work model will be left behind.

Last night we celebrated ten years of Catalyst in Canada at our sold-out Catalyst Canada Honours gala dinner.  We kicked off the festivities by opening trading at the Toronto Stock Exchange.  And in the evening, we inaugurated The Catalyst Catalyst Honours, recognizing three champions of women’s advancement in business:  Ed Clark, President and CEO of TD Bank;  Colleen Sidford, Vice President & Treasurer of Ontario Power Generation Inc.;  and Sylvia Chominska, Group Head of Global Human Resources & Communications at Scotiabank.   It was so moving that I want to share the day with this fresh posting from Deborah Gillis, Vice President, North America and head of our Catalyst Canada office.    Coming soon:  pictures, video and a retrospective of the celebration!

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

Drum roll, please!

I’m happy to share with you that business leaders at TD Bank, Ontario Power Generation, and Scotiabank have been named the inaugural champions of The Catalyst Canada Honours for their commitment to advancing women in the workplace. Below is a CanCon cross-post by Deborah Gillis, Catalyst’s Vice President, North America, on this worthy achievement. Congratulations to this year’s recipients!

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Honouring Leaders

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.