Advocating for women’s advancement at work is integral for improving financial results, gender balance, and diversity in our workplaces and leadership teams. Yet data from the Working Mother Research Institute finds that, while 48% of men say they have received detailed information on career paths to P&L jobs in the past 24 months, just 15% of women report the same. And, while 54% of men had a career discussion with a mentor or sponsor in the past 24 months, only 39% of women did.
What Men Can Do to Be Better Mentors and Sponsors to Women
Understand their challenges and help them get ahead.
August 07, 2019
Summary.
Sponsorship and mentorship are crucial for improving the gender balance and diversity in our workplaces and leadership teams. Yet new research from the Center for Talent Innovation reported that 71% of executives are the same gender and race as their protégés. While some men in the #MeToo era report being nervous about sponsoring or mentoring women, they shouldn’t; while they may not be fully aware that they are, male leaders already take most of these steps when they sponsor and mentor other men. To effectively help advance women in their organization, then, men must understand what these steps are, and then adapt them to the specific needs and struggles women face.
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New!
HBR Learning
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build a better, more just workplace.