Fresh starts – all 365 of them

The start of a new year is an undeniable occurrence, which at the very least involves new numbers, blank pages and a pleasing sense of administrative closure. It can also bring an intellectual and emotional call for renewal and a yearning to get this year “more right” than last.

2009 may be different. We are somewhere in the middle of a major shift – economic, social and otherwise. We know when it started, but the calendar can’t help us gauge where we are or provide reassurance in measurable, familiar units.

This year, then, might be the year of the day. If the global downturn and instability have affected our ability to take on the year with grand visions and plans, we can always start with the here-and-now.

Best wishes,
The Catalyst Europe AG Team

Catalyst participates in inaugural Arab women’s conference

On 13-14 January 2009, the Dubai Women Establishment hosted the first Arab Women’s Leadership Forum in order to examine the specific challenges faced by Arab women and develop a blueprint of their future role in the region. Held under the patronage of top government officials, the event featured theoretical and practical sessions led by international scholars, policymakers and experts on women’s leadership, including Catalyst President and CEO Ilene H. Lang. Please click here for more information.

Catalyst reframes work-life debate at international member event

On 4 December 2009, Catalyst led a discussion on work-life effectiveness at the Johnson & Johnson MD&D EMEA Women's Leadership Initiative. Catalyst’s Emma Sabin, Senior Director Advisory Services, took over 40 participants from 16 locations through new Catalyst thinking on how mutually beneficial partnerships between businesses and employees can both increase business agility and address inefficiencies and burnout. The discussion was designed to broaden the concept of work-life effectiveness and leave participants prepared to start the right conversations within their own regions. Please contact us if you are interested in hosting a similar discussion.

Media Corner: Latest Catalyst Census attracts international attention

Catalyst Europe Symposium: Men and workplace inclusion (Paris)

Based on a soon-to-be-released innovative Catalyst study on the challenge of engaging both men and women in workplace inclusion efforts, Catalyst Europe and sponsor Sodexo will be hosting a particularly thought-provoking Catalyst Europe AG Regional Symposium. Revisiting Workplace Inclusion: The Missing Link, to be held on 12 March 2009 in Paris, will explore deeply-held attitudes towards gender and cultural norms, as well as their impact on organizational dynamics. True to previous Catalyst Europe symposia, Revisiting Workplace Inclusion will combine fresh learning with personal experience in the aim of leaving participants enriched and equipped. We invite you to register soon as places are filling up.

Catalyst Europe Sponsorship: Instant visibility in the D&I arena

Catalyst Europe Event: Re-sourcing D&I in tough times

(Still open) Catalyst Corporate Sponsorship: Gender Stereotypes Toolkit

Global membership: A step towards change

Practitioner’s Perspective – Making inclusion a priority, every day

“Commitment to diversity and inclusion can no longer be anything but a strategic priority, because it’s the clear way to ensure that the most intelligent and creative people join us and stay with us. When we consider Sodexo’s global growth and long-term objectives, we’re looking at the need to bring in about two million people over the next ten years! The way we see it, taking D&I seriously – from executive management down – is a matter of business survival.
 
Yet we also see this commitment as basic and what you would expect – c’est normal. When it comes to increasing the number of women who rise to management positions, especially given their high operational representation in the company, we all know that we have to address the issue. It isn’t a choice. The key is to get every person in the organization to understand how s/he is concerned (e.g. through training, mentoring, internal or external networks). Then D&I is no longer an abstraction or a distant goal, but simply business as usual for everyone.”
 
Jean-Michel Monnot is Vice President, Group Diversity and Inclusion at Sodexo. He joined the company in 1987 in Sales and has been responsible for implementing Sodexo’s diversity strategy across 25 European countries since 2007. Sodexo is proud to sponsor the upcoming Catalyst Europe AG Regional Symposium.

Double-Take – Out there on their own

According to the Leaders in a Global Economy: Talent Management in European Cultures report by Catalyst and Families and Work Institute, supportive supervisory relationships can do a lot to reduce career advancement barriers, such as limited job opportunities and lack of access to mentors. The study found that men and women leaders in Anglo Europe felt much less supported by their supervisors than those in other regions. Leaders in this region were also the most likely to report limited career opportunities.