Study:
Women in the Workplace (McKinsey & Lean In, 2016)
Finding: Women face an uneven playing field in the workplace. Women get less access to the people and opportunities that advance careers and are disadvantaged in many of their daily interactions. (Also see 2011 Report: Unlocking the Full Potential of Women in the Workplace)
InPower Insight: Yes, in some ways the cards are stacked against you. However, some women still get ahead. Be one of them!
Summary:
In a study of 4.6 million employees across 132 companies, McKinsey (in partnership with Lean In), have found that men and women in the workplace truly do have different experiences when it comes to making it into leadership positions. Factoring in the racial dimension, black women face even higher hurdles than white women (who face more barriers than black men). Specifically:
- For every 100 women promoted to manager, 130 men are promoted
- Very few women are in line to become CEO
- Women are negotiating as often as men—but face pushback when they do
- Women get less access to senior leaders
- Women ask for feedback as often as men—but are less likely to receive it
- Women are less interested in becoming top executives—and see the pros and cons of senior leadership differently
Career Coaching Tip: Yes the barriers are real, but women are still getting ahead. What are they doing right? It’s not always just because they work for a better company or are more comfortable acting in ways that feel inauthentic to you. All women can find authentic strategies to get ahead, in their own company or another. What are you doing to be one of them?
Guide to Women in Leadership
Organizations with women in their executive suites regularly out-perform others. Yet rising female executives (and their mentors) are frustrated at how hard it is to break through the glass ceiling. In this extensive guide, Executive Coach Dana Theus shares her tried and true strategies to help women excel into higher levels of leadership and achieve their executive potential.
