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

Awareness – of an issue or even as a state of being – is often cited as a critical objective of both people and organizations. When it comes to diversity and inclusion, awareness cannot be overrated, because the first step to creating an inclusive workplace is recognizing the need for one.

It is a first step indeed, because today awareness needs to serve another part of the process. Given the extent to which culture can shape gender perceptions, we have learned that the most effective international managers take note of their own perspectives and integrate cross-cultural awareness and experience into D&I practices that achieve competitive advantage.

As general awareness of D&I increases, so do the challenges. Reading the signs is important; yet knowing where to look for them and what to do with them has become arguably more so. Our recent strategic advisory work with certain members confirms that knowledge is only the starting point.

Best wishes for the start of fall,
The Catalyst Europe AG Team

This month's headlines:

Countdown to release of 2007 Catalyst Member Benchmarking Report (go to story)

Space still available at next week’s webinar (go to story)

What an organization’s “canaries” can tell us (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*

		Annual Catalyst Member Benchmarking Report ready for launch


			On 28 September the Catalyst Member Benchmarking Report will be released to all member organizations, with each of the 148 participating members also receiving a customized report. For the past six years, the Benchmarking Report has assessed the scope of the diversity and inclusion programs, policies and initiatives of Catalyst members. This year, as requested by participants, the report will examine four key areas, including the engagement of men as diversity champions.

		Catalyst Europe involved in cross-cultural executive education


			At the start of a ten-day INSEAD Executive Education program, Managerial Skills for International Business, Catalyst Europe was invited to present the latest research on the gender stereotyping of women business leaders. Catalyst Europe General Manager Eleanor Tabi Haller-Jorden emphasized that in order to manage with higher cross-cultural sensitivity in Europe, gender should be regarded as a cultural phenomenon.

		New initiatives to kick off the new (fiscal) year


			With the start this month of Catalyst’s 2007-2008 fiscal year, the Catalyst Europe team is entering its second year with a range of new offerings. The team looks forward to expanding its commitment to Europe-specific D&I issues through regionally-focused "new thinking" tours; the BYOB series (Bring Your Own Boss, that is); and the first Catalyst Europe symposium. Please contact us if you would like to learn more.

Opportunities


	*Connections - coming together to put knowledge to work*

		Webinar (last call): Why Build Inclusive Corporate Cultures?


			Space is still available for the next Catalyst Europe D&I-Stream webinar on Tuesday, 25 September at CET 15:00-16:30. The interactive session -- co-presented by Ellen Simons, Global Head Diversity & Inclusion, ABN AMRO Bank and Eleanor Tabi Haller-Jorden, General Manager, Catalyst Europe AG -- will not only provide insight on how sponsor ABN AMRO has supported diversity and inclusion within the framework of sustainable development, but also delve into the latest Catalyst learning. Please be sure to register no later than Friday, 21 September.

		Conference: Exploring the breadth of corporate diversity (Paris)


			Catalyst Europe is proud to join a panel at member company TOTAL S.A.’s upcoming “Diversity in All Its Diversity” conference, held 9 October in Paris. With a number of high-profile speakers, the day will cover topics ranging from cultural change and corporate identity to integration and local development. Click here if you are interested in attending as space is still available.

		Conference: Networking for leadership (Oslo)


			Catalyst Europe is delighted to participate in the upcoming W.I.N. (Women’s International Networking) Forum, which will be held on 27- 29 September in Oslo and revolve around the theme of “Taking the Next Step” in women’s leadership and networking. As a W.I.N. Ambassador, Catalyst will present findings from the new Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don’t study, which digs deeper into gender stereotypes and the related predicaments women can face in the workplace, potentially undermining their leadership.

		Conference: Examining the roles of social cohesion and trust (Deauville)


			Invited as a special Ambassador, Catalyst Europe will join the next Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society on 11-13 October in Deauville. Eminent business, political, cultural and academic leaders from over 60 countries are slated to attend this year’s event, entitled “Building trust in our societies”. Catalyst members are encouraged to register at the above link by this Thursday the 20th to qualify for an extended special rate.

		Global Membership: For global organizations


			Catalyst’s global membership continues to increase, and the member organizations which have opted for international expertise on D&I issues are, perhaps unsurprisingly, diverse. Deloitte & Touche LLP, Mattel, Inc. and Sodexho, Inc. are just three of the Catalyst Global Members to enjoy access to Catalyst’s network and knowledge, such as the annual benchmarking report (see News). Feel free to contact us for more information.

Thought-Starters


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

		How learning “canary-speak” can help gauge organizational wellness


			“Today, younger workers are raising issues that for many years have been voiced by women in the workplace, such as concerns about work/life balance, transparency, mentoring, and fairness. In the past, these issues were often seen as primarily women’s issues, and treated as the exception rather than the rule. But now these ‘diversity issues’ are being voiced by an ever-increasing number of younger workers – women and men. In a sense, younger workers are the latest ‘canaries in the coal mine’ for corporate America. In the 1800s, coal miners would bring canaries down in the mine. It was understood that when consumed by the effects of carbon monoxide, a canary would ‘sway noticeably on his perch before falling.’ When the canaries began swaying, the miners knew that the air in the mine was bad and immediately took action. They understood the distress of the canaries to be a signal of a larger problem that affected everyone in the mine. If we look at a workplace, are the women and younger employees ‘swaying noticeably’? In what way might their concerns be reflective of unvoiced concerns and systemic issues shared by a larger number of employees?” Excerpt from Diversity Missives (Issue 1), the quarterly publication of Catalyst Western Region, located in San Jose, California.

		When the future lies within the limits of the wide open sky


			At the recent European Women’s Management Development Deutschlandkonferenz 2007, the question framing the three-day program was if and how we could prepare for the future. Above and beyond the range of subjects covered, from climate change to the lack of female heroines today, Catalyst Europe was struck by the call for more “possibilist” leaders, as proposed by Jakob von Uexküll of the World Future Council. How might an organization’s D&I journey be influenced by a leader who is not an optimist, pessimist or realist, but one who focuses on what is deemed possible to change?

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

Annual Catalyst Member Benchmarking Report ready for launch

Catalyst Europe involved in cross-cultural executive education

New initiatives to kick off the new (fiscal) year

Webinar (last call): Why Build Inclusive Corporate Cultures?

Conference: Exploring the breadth of corporate diversity (Paris)

Conference: Networking for leadership (Oslo)

Conference: Examining the roles of social cohesion and trust (Deauville)

Global Membership: For global organizations

How learning “canary-speak” can help gauge organizational wellness

When the future lies within the limits of the wide open sky