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Women in business

Guest post by: Kool Results

Article Overview: I was speaking to someone from overseas the other day and he said he never thought he would see the day when Australia elected a female Prime Minister. His perception of Australia was that our culture was very ‘blokey’. So you would think that the appointment of Prime Minister Julia Gillard was the result of great change, an indication of how successful women have become in the workforce. Think again. In the recently published report by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency it made clear that the number of female key executive managers and board directors in the ASX 200 has hardly changed over the past eight years. In comparison with New Zealand, the UK, Canada, the US and South Africa, Australia has the lowest percentage of women in the most senior positions. So what exactly is going on?

Women in business

What women want. What are the benefits of having women in the workforce?

According to a report commissioned by McKinsey in 2009 companies with three or more women in top management out-performed companies with no women executives on every organisational and financial indicator. With increasingly diverse customer bases, those companies where women work alongside men in parity do a lot better than those dominated by men alone. Creative and talented individuals are more likely to be attracted to work in companies where they see greater potential for social change -businesses where women's input and development is recognised and encouraged.

Businesses with an equal or large proportion of women tend to be friendly and encourage collaboration. The organisation is less combative in its approach and staff tend to be developed and nurtured.

How do we get women into the workforce?

To recruit more women and to be prepared to elevate them to positions of seniority according to their skills it is crucial to have a supportive senior executive. If they buy into the idea, the drive will be far more successful. And it's not sufficient to have the token woman on the Board. Women need the support of other women in similar roles, to share their ideas and to start making a real difference. Women in particular value the opportunity to network.

What do you need to do to retain these women in your organisation?

Have a look at the values your business espouses. Are they clearly defined and clearly implemented? Women set great store by good ethics displayed within a company. Are you able to identify talent at an early stage and do you promote personal development and opportunities to realise potential? Do you offer flexibility and family-friendly policies to allow both women and family men to develop professionally? Do you reward the contributions made by women from the bottom to the top?

In America there is increasing evidence that women are starting their own businesses in an attempt to have control over their careers, to gain more freedom and flexibility, recognition and money.Think how successful your business could be if you could harness and retain this potential.

How Kool Results can help.

We have tried and tested policies to recruit and retain women. We can help you increase opportunities for women in leadership roles by showing you how to offer women high-profile assignments. We will work alongside you to educate your managers on the importance of advancing women who display potential. We will show you how women can be mentors to other women and how to allow the women who work for you to be themselves, not just to emulate men in order to succeed to the top job. Remember that power comes from sharing information with others, not from withholding it.

"The good news for women is that business now wants collaborative leadership, relationship skills, sharing of information, and win/win negotiation-skills that come easily to most women."

Nancy Clark, CEO of Womensmedia, Inc.

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Article Tags: management, women in business



Related Forum Posts
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - Women are generally more organised than men. They have good instincts more than men. Women are generally aggressive when it come to business. You don't want to mess up with them.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - The issue of women being more organized than men is true, start from you home, just see how messy the boys are. Women are also very cautious, unlike men who take any risk, a woman will analyze the risk first. Women are also go getter when it comes to business, once they make their mind, then they go for it.
Re: Why aren't there more women entrepreneurs? - My opinion on this (being a women, and being disabled), is; Women in general like security. Women are the caretakers, in general. In the work environment we are the one to have children. We are the ones who leave work to do this. We deal with a stigma that we are bad mothers if we work, but we are a bad mother if we do not work. I feel there is no way a man could ever understand this. Sure they can try, and some do a good job of it, however they truly do not understand. How could they?? Being a entrepreneur is throwing cation to the wind. It takes believing in yourself. It takes a women who can have someone say no, put us down or just plan old negativity and for us to turn it around. Women who can do this are called names, while men in the business world are just expected to have a thick skin. Studies show in the work environment that women are more apt to be bullies. Women are more apt to turn on each other. We expect more out of each other. Many women also use the work environment to socialize and to find a mate. Men and women are not created equal. Once we understand this and take what we are and "run" with it; the better all of us will be. Women business owners, women entrepreneurs are still considered a minority. Since there are more women then men in this world, some day this will turn around. This too is why men need to protect themselves and keep us under some kind of control. What bothers me to no end is when women give in to the mans world using sex as a selling tool. We need strong women leaders, not those who use their bodies as a step up. This is just my opinion on this subject.
Re: History of Women in Business in the United States - Yes. Women have increasingly made positive economic contributions to society and their position is being recognized more and more as seen on the Forbes List of Executive Women. In general, women can be a bit more practical in their approach as entrepreneurs too.
A ton of Great Women - You might want to profile Teresa Cascioli of LakePort Brewery. She has an amazing story! I met her at at the celebratory luncheon for the Profit/Chatelaine Top 100 Women Business Owners. The Top 100 list is also a great resource for inspirational stories of Women Entrepreneurs.


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