Deb Brown SIFMA PPt

The Leader’s Edge™ :Focus on Women of Color : The Leader’s Edge™ : Focus on Women of Color SIFMA Diversity Forum Deborah Brown, Presenter November 29, 2007 Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Percentage of Female Corporate Officers by Race and Ethnicity : Percentage of Female Corporate Officers by Race and Ethnicity Source: Catalyst: 2005 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500. 0.4% 1.1% 16.0% 0.5% Latinas Asian Women African American Women White Women Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Double Exclusion : Double Exclusion Double exclusion – indicia of power white and male Women of color have neither race privilege nor gender privilege in organizations Source: Carter, Jessica Faye. Double Outsiders. 2007 Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Race and Gender : When Baby Boomer senior managers, born not later than 1957, came of age in corporate America there were few if any models or examples of successful managers who are women of color. Source: Carter, Jessica Faye. Double Outsiders. 2007 Race and Gender Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Additive Issues : Women of color — who are they? Are their experiences expectations and behaviors more akin to those of white women? Do their experiences resemble those of ethnic men? Additive Issues Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Additive Issues : The stereotypes faced by white women center less on their individual identity and more around their capabilities Women of color face stereotypes about their identity first Additive Issues Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Overcoming “Sticky Floors” and “Revolving Doors” : Overcoming “Sticky Floors” and “Revolving Doors” Why are leaders of forward-thinking companies moving beyond recruitment to address the advancement and retention of talented women of color? 85 percent of new entrants into the labor force after 2010 will be women or people of color Women are expected to comprise 48 percent of the workforce Women of color are the fastest-growing segment of this group Source: Olisemeka, Nkechi. “Springboard to Success: Organization to Help Underrepresented Groups Navigate the Corporate Landscape.” Black Enterprise (December 2004) Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Structural Challenges : Structural Challenges Stereotypes (the deficit model) Difficulty recognizing, high-potential talent Question of familiarity, comfort and risk avoidance – The Living Room and The Locker Room* Source: Hayes, Hannah, “Women of Color: Why They are Finding the Door Instead of the Glass Ceilin CWP Women of Color Research Initiative Prepares Preliminary Report.” Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Stereotypes : Stereotypes Predetermine perceived abilities Obscure performance Go unexamined because they are largely unconscious Can readily become self-fulfilling prophecies Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Stereotypes : The deficit model of women of color Who are presumed less than competent until they prove their competence, again and again “Ice cream equity” * * Phrase coined by Jacqui Welch, VP Talent Management Rock-Tenn Company Stereotypes Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Micro-inequities : Micro-inequities Marginalizing, humiliating incidents explained away as. . . A joke A mistake Not important Having nothing to do with race Something that could have happened to anyone Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Slide12 : Normative Behavior–A Double Bind From Powerplay Seminar developed by Kimberly Davis and Pamela Carlton Unacceptable Acceptable Desirable Unacceptable


Obstacles to Success : Obstacles to Success Lack of influential sponsors or mentors Lack of role models Lack of informal networks with influential colleagues Lack of high visibility assignments Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Best Practices : Best Practices Encourage multiple identity networks Track talent/turnover Employ “what about _____” Employ “Learn the Ropes” in on-boarding Recognize/address prevalence of prejudice Unconscious bias Micro-inequities Feature “feeder” positions Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com


Best Practices : Best Practices Spotlight threshold positions Operationalize “high potential” Disaggregate data Revamp evaluative metrics Hold managers accountable Contents © 2007 The Leader’s Edge/Leader’s By Design™ • 610.660.6684 • www.the-leaders-edge.com