C-cubed is the monthly e-update highlighting the competence, connections and community
at the heart of Catalyst Europe AG and the global Catalyst network

Welcome

Benchmarks, statistics, visible signs of progress – in the quest for diversity and inclusion, we like to know what’s working. We like it even more when it all appears to work out on paper.

But when the actual workplace experience suggests otherwise, it's clear that moving the proverbial needle is about more than numbers. When true organizational change takes place, maybe the most critical shifts are the hardest to detect. And when new questions are being asked, it’s possible that the objectives no longer fit the reality. How, then, are the metrics measuring up? If we want to track the progress that counts, we might consider employing both hard and soft measures.

As for tangible signs of progress at Catalyst Europe, we have been particularly fortunate this summer. Our Whitehead Intern Kaitlin Franks has been a wonderful addition to the team, and we will miss her contributions and curiosity when she heads back to the States in the coming days.

With best wishes for the rest of the summer,
The Catalyst Europe AG Team

This month's headlines:

Catalyst Europe selected for ongoing global technology initiative (go to story)

Next Diversity & Inclusion webinar open for registration (go to story)

D&I expert challenges individuals to make inclusiveness a reality (go to story)

Unless otherwise specified, please contact the Catalyst Europe team at europeinfo@catalyst.org for more information or follow-up on any of the stories featured below.

News


	*Competence - new studies, learning and expertise*

		Catalyst Europe joins large-scale educational IT program


			Catalyst Europe AG General Manager Eleanor Tabi Haller-Jorden has been invited by member company Cisco to act as a judge for this year’s Cisco Networking Academy European and Emerging Market Awards. With over 465,000 students enrolled globally, the Cisco Networking Academy is the worldwide educational program that offers students the opportunity to pursue Internet technology curricula – through Web-based instructor-led training and hands-on laboratory exercises – and prepares them for industry-standard certifications. Catalyst Europe is honored to participate and also looks forward to working with Cisco to increase the number of women in technology careers.

		Catalyst presents new thinking on management development in UK


			At the Keele University Research Institute for Public Policy and Management’s recent Gender, Work and Organisation conference, Catalyst Canada Research Director Janet Bell Crawford presented findings on how conventional management development may not ensure the advancement of women. The paper, based on international studies and statistics, suggests that three key management developmental activities – education, job experience and relationships – are cumulative and that “gendering” occurs at each step, creating barriers to further development as well as advancement. Click here if you would like to learn more about the proposed link between career advancement and the successful, cumulative integration of management developmental activities.

		Catalyst Europe AG Advisory Board continues to grow


			UBS AG, Nike Europe and Unilever will join other member organizations at the first meeting of the Catalyst Europe AG Advisory Board on 7 November in Zurich. The follow-up meeting will take place in June 2008, preceding the first ever Catalyst Europe Symposium. Stay tuned for details about the event, which is open to all member organizations and scheduled for 11 June 2008.

Opportunities


	*Connections - coming together to put knowledge to work*

		New Webinar: Why Build Inclusive Corporate Cultures?


			On the heels of the recent webinar, which enjoyed high turnout and participant involvement, the second Catalyst Europe D&I-Stream webinar will take place on Tuesday, 25 September at CET 15:00-16:30. ABN AMRO will bring their unique perspective to the discussion as sponsor of the event, and invite you to register soon since space is limited.

		Conference: Women’s perspectives from the financial sector (Zurich)


			Catalyst Europe has been invited to present new global stereotyping research at the upcoming Swiss GE Women’s Network event, “Finance Makes the World Go Round,” to be held on 3 September in the Swiss stock exchange building in Zurich. Click here if you are interested in attending as space may still be available.

		Conference: The next steps in women’s leadership (Oslo)


			At the annual W.I.N. (Women’s International Networking) Forum, this year taking place on 27- 29 September in Oslo, Catalyst Europe will moderate a corporate panel and present the new Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don’t study in its role as a W.I.N. Ambassador. The conference, celebrating its 10th year, promises high-caliber panels, presentations and skill-building workshops built around a “Taking the Next Step” theme.

		Conference: The many angles of corporate diversity (Paris)


			Catalyst Europe is delighted to announce its participation in member company TOTAL S.A.’s upcoming “Diversity in All Its Diversity” conference, held on Tuesday, 9 October in Paris. The day will include a number of high-profile speakers as it delves into Gender Diversity; Internationalization, Cultural Change and Corporate Identity; and Integration and Local Development. Click here if you are interested in attending as space is limited.

		Conference: Annual Catalyst Awards event (New York)


			Save the date: the 2008 Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner have been scheduled for Wednesday, 9 April in New York City. With a spotlight on the year’s Catalyst Award-winning initiatives, the day will feature interactive sessions and opportunities to hear from pioneering organizations as it brings together CEO’s, senior executives and industry leaders who are making a difference in the advancement of women and business. More information will follow about the event, which is open to Catalyst members and non-members.

		Global Membership: For diversity and inclusion on a global scale


			Accenture, The Dow Chemical Company and Microsoft are just three of the Catalyst members to have opted for the Global Membership package. For more information about the numerous benefits, including access to a globally configured team, cutting-edge research and the MemberNet website, feel free to contact us.

Thought-Starters


	*Community - the bridge to new thinking and greater Catalyst network*

		Bringing organizational inclusiveness to life – Practitioner’s Perspective


			“Awareness of diversity and inclusion has increased over time, but there is still work to do when it comes to increasing the actual numbers of people who are different and fully integrating inclusiveness into our everyday interactions with others. It takes time for an organization to instill these values, yet one person's passion can really make a difference. One of the biggest challenges is in my opinion the 'unconscious incompetence' that some of our colleagues have: simply not knowing that the issues exist, rather than making a deliberate effort to avoid them. Managers could be asking their employees, especially their diverse ones e.g. women or gay, what they could be doing to help build up a practical knowledge base on issues which particularly affect diverse employees, for example on the issue of mobility. For a global company as Shell, enabling mobility will not only help deliver our business but facilitate the career development of our diverse employees.” About Mindy Howard: With Shell International Exploration and Production in Netherlands since 1994, Mindy has enjoyed positions as a Human Factors Engineer Advisor, a Diversity and Inclusiveness senior consultant and, most recently, a Sustainable Development Advisor. She is the co-founder of the Shell Professional Women's Network and Shell's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender network (Pink Pearl) in the Netherlands.

		Moving forward in light of the EU pay gap


			The newly-updated EU gender pay gap report received significant media coverage with its eye-opening statistics. As always, the underlying factors for the discrepancy are as diverse as the EU itself, making interpretation and comparison between countries a delicate affair (and when Sweden’s gap ranks slightly above the EU-27 average, with Italy far below, we sense that the playing field is complex and nuanced). The steady persistence of the pay gap confirms the sexual division of labor in today’s workplace, but the question for those of us who actually reflect the statistical base is: how else can we define, let alone measure, progress? As far as diversity and inclusion go, every organization might determine which benchmarks are the most critical for its D&I objectives, business and culture.

Catalyst Europe AG is the European headquarters of Catalyst, the leading membership research
and advisory organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women and business.

For more information, please visit www.catalyst.org

Welcome

Catalyst Europe joins large-scale educational IT program

Catalyst presents new thinking on management development in UK

Catalyst Europe AG Advisory Board continues to grow

New Webinar: Why Build Inclusive Corporate Cultures?

Conference: Women’s perspectives from the financial sector (Zurich)

Conference: The next steps in women’s leadership (Oslo)

Conference: The many angles of corporate diversity (Paris)

Conference: Annual Catalyst Awards event (New York)

Global Membership: For diversity and inclusion on a global scale

Bringing organizational inclusiveness to life – Practitioner’s Perspective

Moving forward in light of the EU pay gap