Catalyzing

Catalyzing is the Catalyst blog, bringing together and amplifying diverse voices that share Catalyst’s mission to expand opportunities for women and business. Catalyzing reflects the wide range of opinions, ideas, and experiences of Catalyst employees, incorporating perspectives from our offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. It also features non-Catalyst industry leaders, experts, and academics committed to changing workplaces and lives. Get the RSS feed.

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    Catalyzing
    The Queen Bee and the King Wasp: What’s All the Buzz?

    In 2012, Catalyst published a research report on high-potential professional women, Leaders Pay It Forward, which showed very strong evidence that women "pay it forward," mentoring and sponsoring others while also receiving tangible career benefits for investing in the development of future leaders. In essence, the myth of the Queen Bee was busted. But "busted" may not be entirely accurate, according to this recent article by Olga Khazan that appeared in The Atlantic.

    August 24, 2017 by Michael J. Chamberlain

  • Catalyzing
    How Workplace Flexibility Can Promote Inclusion and Prioritize Talent

    On paper, workplace flexibility sounds great. It’s known to increase retention, boost career aspirations and productivity, and decrease absenteeism—all benefits to both the employee and the employer. These advantages are also probably why over 80% of companies offer some kind of flexible work arrangement. 

    August 10, 2017 by Liz Mulligan-Ferry

  • Catalyzing
    No, Black Women Still Don’t Earn the Same as Their White Peers. Here's Why.

    Can Black women’s earnings ever catch up to the earnings of white men and women? It’s an unbelievable question to still be asking in 2017 and, most appropriately, on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day (July 31). Even more, it’s remarkable to be questioning the state of Black women’s earnings given their educational achievements in recent decades: the number of Black women in the United States attaining bachelor’s degrees spiked in the 1990s and continues to increase each year.

    July 31, 2017 by Tia T. Gordon

  • Catalyzing
    Becoming An Authentic Leader: A Toolbox for Professionals of Color

    Authentic leadership can be a powerful inner resource as a toolbox for all leaders. By leading “authentically” from within, leaders can promote their values, provide vision, and engender confidence from their superiors, peers, and direct reports. Accessing and expressing an inner roadmap to authenticity can be a complex landscape for leaders of color to navigate. This article explores that landscape and provides a guide for navigating it. 

    June 20, 2017 by Kim C. D’Abreu

  • Catalyzing
    Nearly Is Not Enough!

    Seventeen years ago, as a young research assistant at Catalyst, I began to document and track the status of women and minorities on corporate boards. Over the years, I made it my life’s work to identify, familiarize myself with, and memorize the names of successful women and minority business leaders who serve as executives and on boards at America’s leading companies.

    June 1, 2017 by Meesha Rosa

  • Catalyzing
    Q&A With Award-Winning Author and Journalist Kimberly Seals Allers on Her Recent Book, The Big Letdown: How Medicine, Big Business, and Feminism Undermine Breastfeeding

    Kimberly Seals Allers is an award-winning journalist and founder of www.MochaManual.com, a pregnancy and parenting blog specifically geared toward Black parents. Her new book, The Big Letdown: How Medicine, Big Business, and Feminism Undermine Breastfeeding, is an in-depth analysis of the social, economic, and political influences of the American breastfeeding culture. Below are Kimberly’s thoughts about her book and how women’s health and wellness impacts our nation, particularly in the workplace. 

    May 23, 2017 by Kimberly Seals Allers

  • Catalyzing
    Here’s Why Paid Leave Matters—to Everyone

    As a child of the 1970s and 1980s who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, many of my friends’ parents were divorced, including mine. The majority of both parents also worked, once again including mine, so my brother and I went to a daycare center until we were old enough to become latchkey kids....

    May 16, 2017 by Serena Fong

  • Catalyzing
    Personal Reflections on Mother’s Day

    On Mother's Day I think about all the working mothers who juggle family and careers and the changes we need to see to make their lives easier and help them achieve the career success they want: parental leave; quality, affordable childcare; workplace flexibility; and partners who fully share the workload at home. I also think about the women who aren’t mothers, like me. 

    May 11, 2017 by Deborah Gillis

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    Black Women Leaders: Yes, Black Does “Crack”—From the Inside Out

    I’m sure many of you have heard of the saying “black don’t crack” to describe the tendency for Black women to retain a youthful appearance as we age.  When I hear the phrase, however, I think of a 2013 article published in The Root titled, Black May Not Crack, but We’re Aging Faster Inside. 

    May 2, 2017 by Dr. Jeanne Porter King

  • Catalyzing
    No Time to Prepare? Improve Your Brand by Learning to Speak Spontaneously

    I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a similar complaint from clients who have been asked to speak without enough time to prepare. But being a great speaker isn’t about how much time you spend preparing — it’s about learning key skills that will help you speak spontaneously with ease. 

    April 19, 2017 by Anett Grant