Study: Lessons From the Leading Edge of Gender Diversity (McKinsey: Barsh, Nudelman, Yee, April, 2013)
Finding: By integrating the findings of several years of research, McKinsey has distilled four qualities of the organizations with the greatest gender diversity.
Note about The Woman Effect Research Index: This study was performed by researchers not affiliated with InPower Women. Our Research Index includes all relevant research to the subject of women, business and power. We do not influence how the research was conducted or reported by the researchers. In our abstracts, we focus on pulling out the most actionable advice for individual women. To suggest additional research we should index, or discuss our choice of abstract focus, please contact us.
InPower Insight: Organizations that want to buck the gender diversity status quo can do so with the involvement and commitment of the top team and a systemic approach to talent development.
Summary:
After reviewing interviews with the top leaders at 22 large organizations, they found definite trends in the companies who excelled at gender diversity at both the board and top management levels. Specifically,
- Diversity is personal: In highly gender diverse companies, the senior leadership – including and especially the CEO – believes personally that gender diversity is important and walks and talks consistently with this belief. They do more than believe, they act and speak about their commitment consistently, and they see that action is taken.
- Culture and Values are at the core: Gender diversity results from factors that go deeper than awareness programs. If gender diversity is consisten with the core values and corporate culture of the organization, it can thrive and everyone can bring more of themselves to the office.
- Improvements are systemic: Gender diversity at the top results from a multiyear transformation that includes considered efforts on the part of HR. Efforts that produce results include: talent development, succession planning (including looking for the “unusual suspects” and helping them obtain sposors) and measuring results to reinforce progress.
- Boards spark movement: Boards are involved in the most gender diverse companies. They know and often sponsor high-potential women and frequently ask “Where are the women?” which keeps the issue of gender diversity a high priority for management.
Career Coaching Tip: If you’re in a position to help your company achieve board diversity, do an audit of your company against these criteria and take it to the top. Find allies in leadership who personally believe women belong at the top. If you’re evaluating companies to work for, audit your prospective employers against these criteria also to determine if you are likely to have allies at the top.
