
“Marianne Hamilton’s book should be required workplace reading. The more people who take her advice, the more successful and better run our organizations will be – for everyone.”
PETER VOSER
Chairman of ABB
Believe in yourself
Many companies target improving their gender mix. The challenge includes finding ways to attract female professionals, and also to motivate more women to pursue managerial roles.
The utmost goal must always be to have access to managers with the necessary competence. To achieve this companies need to have: internal mobility and employees who want to contribute both today and going forward. But above all, you have to have a culture that focuses on inclusion and on creating space for a gutsy attitude.
Why is a better gender composition important? Because it’s good for business. It’s been proven in study after study that diverse teams deliver better results. And if you want to hire the best, you need candidates representing 100% of the talent pool.
So, what are companies currently doing to improve their gender mix? Some focus on internal structures and processes. For example, you can set a requirement that there always has to be at least one female among the final candidates in a recruitment process. Mentoring programs are also commonly used. In addition, many companies set targets e.g. that 30% of all employees (or managers) should be women by 2030, compared to the 17, 18 or 19% they have today. In some cases, the completion of gender diversity targets is even part of managers’ compensation assessments.
But there is another angle. An angle that provides a complement. Because in order to achieve real change, the driving force must come from the women themselves. A woman must understand how she can influence her career. She must believe in herself.
Marianne Hamilton’s book, “Advice to My Dear Daughter”, can help propel women forward in their careers. It can also support managers – male and female – in better understanding and guiding their employees through challenging situations. This book will help employees seize opportunities and make a difference. In the end, it’s all about getting a better pipeline of managers.