accelerating the advancement of women in …...accelerating the advancement of women in leadership 5...

Acceleratingtheadvancementofwomeninleadership:Listening,Learning,LeadingMaleChampionsofChange2013

Accelerating the advancement of women in leadership 2

StephenFitzgeraldNon-ExecutiveDirectorLieutenantGeneralDavidMorrison,AOChiefofArmyKevinMcCann,AMNon-ExecutiveDirectorAlanJoyceManagingDirectorandChiefExecutiveOfficer,QantasAirwaysLimitedGrantO’BrienManagingDirectorandChiefExecutiveOfficer,WoolworthsLimitedSimonRotheryChiefExecutiveOfficer,GoldmanSachsAustraliaandNewZealandGordonCairnsNon-ExecutiveDirectorMikeSmith,OBEChiefExecutiveOfficer,ANZAndrewStevensManagingDirector,IBMAustralia&NewZealandGeoffWilsonChiefOperatingOfficer,KPMGAsiaPacificIanNarevManagingDirectorandChiefExecutiveOfficer,CBASirRalphNorrisNon-ExecutiveDirectorGlenBorehamNon-ExecutiveDirectorElmerFunkeKupperManagingDirectorandChiefExecutiveOfficer,ASXDrMartinParkinson,PSMSecretary,TheTreasuryGiamSwiegersChiefExecutiveOfficer,DeloitteAustraliaMichaelRennieManagingPartner,McKinsey&CompanyAustralia&NewZealandDavidThodeyChiefExecutiveOfficer,TelstraStephenSedgwick,AOPublicServiceCommissioner,AustralianPublicServiceCommissionStephenRobertsCitiCountryOfficer,CitiAustraliaDrIanWatt,AOSecretary,TheDepartmentofthePrimeMinisterandCabinet


November2013

Listening,Learning,LeadingDearcolleagues,TheMaleChampionsofChangecollaborationhastheambitiontoachievesignificantandsustainableincreasesintherepresentationofwomeninleadershipinAustralia.EstablishedinApril2010byElizabethBroderick,theSexDiscriminationCommissioner,ourgroupcomprises21CEOs,departmentheadsandnon-executivedirectorsfromacrossbusinessandfederalgovernment.Inour2011lettertoyou,wewantedtostartaconversationaboutwhatwecouldalldoasleaderstoachievefasterprogressonwomen’srepresentationatseniorlevels.Wewereheartenedbytheresponse,withmanyconversationsandover100,000downloads.Overthelasttwoyearswehavesharedideaswitheachotherandfocusedontakingactionwithinourorganisations.Wehavebenefittedsubstantiallyfromtheresearchandinsightsofmany–nonemoresothantheviewsofourownpeople,whichwesoughtaspartofthisprocess.Whenwestepbackfromthisexperience,weseefourthemesforleaderswantingtoattractandadvancemorewomenandcapitaliseontheadvantagesofagender-balancedorganisation.Thesethemesare:1)steppingupasleaders;2)creatingaccountability;3)disruptingthestatusquo;and4)dismantlingbarriersforcarers.Herewedescribewhatwehavetriedandhowitisgoingsofar.Noneofushaseverythingright.Weshareafrustrationthatwomen’srepresentationinleadershiphasn’tincreasedasmuchaswewouldlike.However,wesensethatgenuinemomentumforchange,togetherwithfocusedaction,istranslatingintomeaningfulprogress.Wetrustthatsharingourexperienceswidelywillhelpsupportprogressinyourorganisationsandacrossourcommunity.


AcceleratingprogressTappingintothefulltalentpoolwillgiveusadiversityadvantage,creatingcommercial,societalandeconomicvalue.Ifwewantgenderbalancetobethenorminourorganisations,wemustcreatetheconditionsandculturesthatenablebothmenandwomentothrive.Asalltheresearchsays,thereisno‘silverbullet.’Withwideconsultation,wehaveidentifiedaninterconnectedsetofhighimpactactionsthatleaderscantaketo‘changethegame.’Theseactionsfallintofourkeythemes.

1Steppingupasleaders3Disruptingthestatusquo2Creatingaccountability4Dismantlingbarriersforcarers[IMAGE:Interlinked‘molecule’diagramofalliconsfor‘actionstoconsider’]

DevelopedbyMaleChampionsofChangeAustralia,2013


Actionstoconsider

SteppingupasleadersItstartswithus.Reflectonyourownleadershipandwhetheryouaresendingtherightsignalsaboutwomenandgenderbalanceinyourorganisation.Bringyourtopteamwithyou.Takeactiontoensurethatyourteamiseffectiveinbringingtogetherdifferentpointsofview.Endtheleadershiplotteryforwomen.Activelydevelop,promoteandadvanceinclusiveleadersacrossyourorganisation.

CreatingaccountabilityLeadongenderreporting.Takereportingtoadeeperlevel,withconsistentreportingstandards,tocreateamoretransparentandgranularviewofthepipelineandprogress.ImplementPlusOneinitiatives.Breakentrenchedpatternsbyusingasimplecommitmenttoengagemanagerstoaddatleastonewomantotheirteams,asrolesarise.Driveasuppliermultiplier.Communicatetosuppliershowimportantgenderbalanceistoyou.Encourageandsupportsupplierswhobuildandpresentmoregender-balancedteams.

DisruptingthestatusquoAsk‘50/50:Ifnot,whynot?’Ask‘whynot50/50?’acrosscareerlifecycles,fromrecruitmentandtalentdevelopmenttocommitteesandpanels.Broadenyoursearchesandchallengeresultsbelowyourobjectives.Raisethebaronwomen’scareers.Understandthetypesofexperiencesyourorganisationrequiresandbroadenthesuccessprofilesyouconsiderforseniorroles.Ensurewomengetcriticalexperiencesin‘hotjobs.’Personallysponsortalentedwomenandexpectyourseniorexecutivestodothesame.Mainstreamflexibility.Reflectonworkpatternsand‘whatittakestosucceed’inyourorganisation.Changethepresumption–askwhatcan’tbedoneflexibly,ratherthanwhatcanbedoneflexibly.

DismantlingbarriersforcarersGetthebasicsright.Celebrateparenthoodandunambiguouslyencouragereturn.Stayintouchwithparentalleaversandmakethetransitionseasy.Buildenvironmentswhereparentsandcarersthrive.Getunderthenumberstoseewhetherwomenreturningfromleavecontinuetodeveloptheircareers.Questiondecelerationandintervenewhenneeded.Supportanexpansivereviewofcaring,includingchildcareoptions.Theissuesaresystem-wideandneedtobeaddressedattheappropriatelevel,whichourprivatesectororganisationsbelievetobetheProductivityCommission.


‘IwilladmitthatIamverycompetitive.Icareaboutresults.Thatsaid,howleadersachieveresultsisjustasimportant.Mutualrespect,thoughtfulconversationsandcollaborationarecritical.Ihavelearnedoverthepastfiveyearsthatwhensomeoneisnotdemonstratingtherightbehavioursyoushouldn’twaitandhopethey’llseethelight.Youneedtostepinearlytoaddresstheproblem.Youneedtobepreparedtomaketoughdecisionsifthosebehavioursdon’tchange.’

AlanJoyce,QantasAirwaysLimited‘Youcanacceptthingswillchangeovertimeandjustdoyourpart,oryoucangrabthenettleanddoit.That’swhatIamtryingtodoandIammostproudthatwehavegonefromasedentaryplacetoaplacewheremomentumisunstoppable.’

LieutenantGeneralDavidMorrison,Army‘In2001wehadtherecruits,wehadtherolemodels,wehadtheinfrastructure,soIthoughteverythingwasreadytoflowthrough…butitdidn’t.Irealisedthewayweworkedhadtochange.IhadtoaddresstheculturalbarriersandaddresstheminawaythatsuitedTreasury–throughharnessingthepowerofdata.’

DrMartinParkinson,TheTreasury‘Menwhohaveatrackrecordofhiring,developingandadvancingwomenareactuallyquiterare.Wecelebratethemasexceptional.Ifwewantmorewomeninourseniorranks,suchleadersshouldbethenorminourbusinessesratherthantheexception.Let’sendthelotteryandunlockthepotentialofallourpeople.’

MikeSmith,ANZ‘Ultimately,thebuckstopswithme.Ineedtomakesurethatalloftheleadersinmyorganisationareinclusive.Idon’twantthistobeadiversityproject–ithastounderpinthewaywedobusiness.’

GiamSwiegers,Deloitte


1Steppingupasleaders

Ataglance

HeartoftheissueWeknowhowmuchouractionscreatemomentumforchange.Wealsoknowthatinthecaseofincreasingtherepresentationofwomeninleadership,creatingmomentummeansmorethanweanticipated.Itrequiressteppingupandchangingourways,demonstratingourcommitmentandprioritisingtheissue.Itmeanstakingaction,notjusttalkingaboutit.Achievinganymajorchangealsotakescommitmentfromeveryleaderinanorganisation,notjustitsmostsenior.Wehavefoundthatwomen’sexperiences,andtheiradvancement,areoftentoodependentonwhethertheyareluckyenoughtohaveamanagerorsponsorwhoissupportiveandinclusive.Weneedtoendtheleadershiplottery.

ActionstoconsiderItstartswithus.Reflectonyourownleadershipandwhetheryouaresendingtherightsignalsaboutwomenandgenderbalanceinyourorganisation.Bringyourtopteamwithyou.Takeactiontoensurethatyourteamiseffectiveinbringingtogetherdifferentpointsofview.Endtheleadershiplotteryforwomen.Activelydevelop,promoteandadvanceinclusiveleadersacrossyourorganisation.


Maleorfemale,thereisnosubstituteforseniorleaderswhoarefullycommittedtoincreasingtherepresentationofwomeninleadershipintheirownorganisation.Ourpeoplelooktoustosetthevisionandthenorm.Weallneedtoreflectonwhetherwearetrulytreatingthisissuelikewewouldanyotherstrategicimperativeandhowwecandemonstratestrongerleadershipfromthetop.Weneedtoextendinclusiveleadershipthroughoutourorganisationstoo.Leadershipfromthetopiscritical,butnotenough.Middlemanagersdeterminetheday-to-dayexperienceinourorganisations.Wheninclusiveleadershipisn’tclearlyvaluedaboveotherstyles,weendupwithapotlucksituationthatcanadverselyandacutelyimpacttheprogressionofwomen.Wealsofailtocapitaliseonthestrengthadiversityofperspectivesbringsourorganisations.Weneedtochangewhatwethinkofandrewardasgreatleadership.

ItstartswithusUnlessweasleadershaveapersonalbeliefintheneedforchange,progressisunlikely.Formanyofus,therehasbeenapersonalconversion.Wehavemovedfromanintellectualunderstandingtofullengagementoftheheartandmind.ForformerIBMCEOGlenBoreham,thisconversioncameattheintersectionofabusinessrevolutionandpersonalcircumstances.GlenwasrunningIBMwhentheshifttoglobalbusinesstookoff.Hesays‘ItwasclearAustraliacouldnotcompeteonscale,sotheonlywaytoremaincompetitivewaswithskillsandinnovation–andyoujustcan’tdothatwithonlyhalftheavailableworkforce.’Ontopofthisbusinessreality,Glenfoundthethoughtthathisdaughterwouldhavefeweropportunitiesthanhertwinbrotherunacceptable.ForDavidMorrison,thisconversionwasinfluencedheavilybytheopportunitytotalktowomenwhohadexperiencedabhorrentgender-basedtreatmentbyArmycolleagues.WhileDavidMorrisonhadbeensupportiveandproactiveingenderbalanceefforts,speakingtothesewomenfollowinganextensivesex-discriminationcrisistransformedhissupporttopersonaldedication;‘Asaperson,asaman,andasChiefoftheArmy,Ihadtocreatemomentumforchangethatwasunstoppable.’Westartedbyaskingourselveswhetherwewerelivinguptoourownaspirationstochampionwomeninleadership.Toanswerthisquestionwedeveloped,incollaborationwithChiefExecutiveWomenandPineStreet(GoldmanSachs’LeadershipDevelopmentpractice),amodelforeachofustoreflectonwhetherourcommitmenttogenderbalanceisdemonstratedinwhatwedo,whatwesay,whatwemeasureandinwhatweprioritise(Figure1).WeusethemetaphorofaLeadershipShadowtodescribehowdeeplyandhowsharplyourleadershipiscastthroughourorganisations.GordonCairns,AlanJoyce,DavidMorrison,SimonRothery,GiamSwiegersandIanWatttrialledthemodel.Theyeachtookawaysomethingtheycoulddobetter.Forexample,SimonRotheryrealisedheneededtotalkabouttheimportanceofgenderbalancemoreoften–asfrequentlyashespokeaboutotherbusinesspriorities.AlanJoycekepta‘leadershipdiary.’Thisincludedreviewinghiscalendartotestwhetherhewasactuallymakingtimeforwomenmenteesandreflectingonhowpromotionshehadmadereflectedhisdiversityaspirations.Healsoreviewedrecentspeeches,andtop100andtop500internaleventstoidentifyhowmuchtimewasfocussedontheissue.EveryleadercanlearnsomethingaboutthemselvesbytakingtimetoreflectonhisorherLeadershipShadow.ChiefExecutiveWomenandtheMaleChampionsofChangewillbereleasingacomprehensiveversionofthemodelinearly2014.

BringyourtopteamwithyouAcommittedtopteamamplifiesourpersonalleadership.SaysAlanJoyce,‘Ihaveworkedhardtoensurethatmyteamisastrongworkingunitthatrolemodelstheleadershipwewanttostandfor.WhenIcommencedasGroupCEO,Ihad11directreports,noneofwhomwerewomen.Ofmyeightcurrentdirectreports,threearewomen,twoofwhomareresponsibleforrunninghalfthebusinessunits.Inanindustrydominatedbymen,thisisasignificantstepchange.Iseethebenefitsofdiversityeverysingleday,includingbetterriskassessmentanddecisionmaking.’Afullycommittedtopteamisessentialtoovercomingresistance.AtTreasury,MartinParkinsonsaysthesinglebestthinghedidwasengageinfluentialbutunexpectedleadersaschampions.Shapingatopteamthatisinclusiveandcommittedcanalsohelpsustainprogressintheeventofaleadershipchange.Anumberofourorganisationshaveundergonethistransitioninrecentyears.Aswellasasupportivetopteamculture,wehavefoundpersonaladvocacyfromtheincumbenttotheincomingleadertobeacommonthreadinsuccessfultransitions.Genderbalanceinthetopteamisalsorelevantattheboardlevel.Women’sparticipationonboardsmaybenefitfromaconsciousdecisionbytheChairtoensurewomenareconsidered.SaysKevinMcCann,‘whiletherewereanumberofverytalentedmen

Figure1.ChiefExecutiveWomen–MaleChampionsofChangeLeadershipShadow


ExtractfrommaterialstobelaunchedinMarch2014.TheLeadershipShadowforgenderbalancehasbeenadaptedfromamodelprovidedbyPineStreet,theleadershipdevelopmentgroupofGoldmanSachswhocouldfilltherole,twoofmyboardsdeterminedthattheywishedtoappointawomanasdirectorwhohadtheskillsrequiredfortheposition.Havingmadethatdecision,weweredelightedwiththefieldoftalentedandqualifiedwomenwhowereavailable.Theyequalled,andinsomecases,exceededthecapabilitiesofsomeofthepotentialmalecandidates.’


EndtheleadershiplotteryforwomenInourfocusgroups,womenstatedthathaving‘agreatmanager’–variouslydescribedas‘inclusive’,‘constructive’or‘strongonvalues’–wasthesinglemostimportantingredienttoadvancement.Thisisclearlytheexceptionratherthanthenorm.Weheardofwomencalculatingthataslowerprogressionwaspreferableto‘takingachance’onamanagerperceivedtobelessinclusive.Otherssaidadvancementopportunitiesdriedupaftertheirinclusivemanagermovedtoanotherrole.Torealisetheculturewewant,weneedtoembedourleadershipexpectationsatalllevelsoftheorganisation,especiallymiddlemanagement.Qantashasinvestedingivingpeopletherightskillsandtoolstobeinclusiveleaders.Managerscametogethertodescribethe‘DarthVader’ofamanageranditsinverse–theidealmanagerprofile.Skilldevelopmenthasbeensupportedbycomprehensivemeasurement,includingleadershipassessments,engagementsurveys,360degreefeedbackprocessesandexternalreviewsofthetopteam.Byrolemodelling,buildingtherightsystemsandmeasuringalldimensions,Qantashasseenprogressonitsculture,withrecordcustomerandemployeeengagementdespitemajorindustrialaction(Figure2).Someofushavetriedunconsciousbiasawarenessprogramstobetterequipourleaderstoself-reflectandrecognisebiasintheirattitudes(Figure3).AsGiamSwiegerssays,‘Theonlywayyougetinclusiveleadersisbytalking–actuallyhavinganhonestconversationaboutthebiasesoutthere.’Treasurycoupledcompulsoryunconsciousbiastrainingforallmanagerswithabroadenedaccountabilityforfosteringdiversity.Leveragingthedata-drivennatureofTreasury,employeesatalllevelswereengagedinidentifyingtheneedforchangeandfindingsolutionsintheirownareas.EachofTreasury’sfivegroupspresentedtheiranalysisandactionplantotheInclusiveWorkplaceCommittee,anewlyestablished,seniordecisionmakingbody.Thefirstgroupsetthetone,bravelyexposingtheirownvulnerabilities.TheseeffortsarepartofamultiprongedapproachtotransformthecultureofTreasury,engagingallemployees(Figure4).Weneedtocomplementtheseprogramsbychangingincentivesandmakinginclusiveleadershiptheexpectationinourorganisations.TheLeadershipShadoworanalternativemodelcanbecascadedthroughtheorganisationtoextendthisconversation,orintegratedintotalentandfeedbackprocesses.Ultimately,wewanttoseeanewstandardofleadershipforAustralianorganisations.

‘Womeninleadershiphastobemadepersonalformenwhohaveinfluenceandacapacitytoacttochangethestatusquo…Makingitpersonalmeansit’smyresponsibility.’

DrIanWatt,theDepartmentofthePrimeMinisterandCabinet


Figure2.LeadershiptransformationatQantasAirwaysLimitedContextAlanJoycecommencedasGroupCEOin2008.SincethenQantashasexperiencedtheeffectsoftheburstcreditbubble,aglobalfinancialcrisis,asovereigndebtcrisisacrossEurope,environmentalandindustrialchallengesandlowornogrowthinmanydevelopedeconomies.AlanJoyceviewsconstructiveandinclusiveleadershipascriticaltorespondingtothischallengingenvironmentandcreatingamajortransformationacrosstheQantasgroup.Actions• AlanJoycemadehisleadershipvaluesexplicit–‘Youcan’tdoitalone’,‘Asktherightquestions’,

‘Developtherightbehaviours’,‘Bringpeopleonthejourney’and‘Keeponlearning’• AppointedseniorleaderstoheadtheDiversityCouncil• Shiftedaccountabilityfordiversity,talent,flexibilityandleadershipfromHRtoseniorlineroles• Tookabroadviewoftalent,whichhadpreviouslyfocusedontechnicalcapability.• Particularjobmovesdemonstratedthepotentialforunconventionalcareers• Investedindevelopmentandsupportincludingbiasawareness,changeleadershipandcoachingfor

theTop500• Institutedabroadsetofdiversityperformancemeasuresincluding:LSIs,KPIs,360degreefeedback,

externalassessmentsofthetopteamandengagementsurveysImpactandLearnings• ToneofExecutiveLeadershipchangedquickly• Changeswerevisibletostaffwhosawdifferentbehavioursintheirimmediatemanagers–Qantas

EngagementIndexincreased8percentin2013• Acadreofdiverseseniorleadershasbeenbuilt,withmanydifferentcareerpathways• ExecutiveLeadershipchampionscanshifttheadvocacyfromtheCEOtothebroaderteamand

accelerateimpact• Effectivefeedbackmechanismsarerequiredtodevelopinclusiveleadership• Divisionshavedifferentstartingpointsandchallengeswhichrequiredifferentapproaches–onesize

doesnotfitallevenwithinoneorganisation


Figure3.Deloitte’sinclusiveleadershipprogramContextWithadiverseworkforce,reflectingAustralia’stalentpool,inclusiveleadershipisanexpectationandrequirementforsuccessatDeloitte.GiamSwiegerswaslookingforawaytotakethistothenextlevel.Actions• Launchedapilotandusedthefeedbackandlessonslearnedtosupportthebusinesscaseforboard

endorsementofanationalfirm-wideroll-out• Madeinclusiveleadershippartofpartnerdevelopmentprograms• Ensuredallcommunicationscamefromthetop• Builtinclusiveprinciplesintoallinitiativesatalllevels• Appointedachampionineachregionalofficetoencourageattendance• Includedlearningobjectivesintheprogram:understandingtheattributesofaninclusiveleader,

potential‘blindspots,’andthedevelopmentofapersonalimprovementactionplan• FollowedthenationalprogramwithActionPlanningWorkshopstoaddresssystemicissuesidentified

Impactandlearnings• Conductedmorethan30inclusiveleadershipprogramswithover360partnersattending• Holdingworkshopscanstartimportantconversations• Embeddinginclusiveleadershiplanguageandapproachinallpeoplerelatedworkshopscanreiterate

commitmentandbuildworkplaceculture• Developinginclusiveleaderssupportstheachievementofbusinessobjectivesandbroadercultural

diversity


Figure4.Treasury’sProgressingWomenActionPlanContextTreasuryhasformanyyearsworkedtoincreasetherepresentationofwomeninleadership.Initiativesaddressedrecruitment,rolemodels,childcareandflexibleworkpolicies.Despitethis,progresswastooslowandwomenremainedunderrepresentedintheseniorranks.Recognisingtheorganisation’scultureneededtochange,MartinParkinsonembarkedonaholisticapproachtotheprogressionofwomen.Actions• Commissionedanexternally-ledsystematicreviewofTreasury’sculturethroughagenderlens• Developedamulti-prongedstrategytobuildaninclusiveculture–ProgressingWomenwaspersonally

launchedbyMartinParkinson• EstablishedanInclusiveWorkplaceCommitteewithexternalmembersanduniquedecision-making

powers• Setmeasurabletargetsfortheproportionofwomeninseniorleadershippositions–afirstfor

Treasury• BroadenedaccountabilitywitheachofTreasury’sfivegroupspresentingtheirownanalysisandplan.

Thefirstgroupsetthetone,bravelyexposingtheirownvulnerabilities• Introducedan‘ifnot,whynot’approachtoflexiblework,whichchallengesexistingbiasesabout

workingnorms• Madeunconsciousbiastrainingmandatoryforallmanagerswithaviewtorollingouttothewhole

department–MartinParkinsonandtheExecutiveBoardundertookthefirstroundoftrainingImpactandlearnings• Thereisnosubstituteforvisiblepersonalleadership• Adeepunderstandingoftheviewsofwomenandmenintheorganisationisacriticalfirststep;

barriersfoundwereduetosubtleattitudesandbehaviours• Externalexpertisecanprovidecredibilityandasafespacetoexploreconfrontingissues• Acceptingdifficultmessagesstrengthensresolve.‘ThisisnottheorganisationthatIthoughtwewere

leading,’remarkedoneboardmember• Engagingunexpectedchampionscanstemresistanceandexpandconviction• Makingallleadersaccountableforinclusivenessintheirworkplaceenablesgreatermomentum• Buy-inisrequiredfromalllevels–notjustseniormanagement.AtTreasury,thiswasachievedby

allowingstafftoanalysethedataandgoontheirownjourneyaswellassharingexperiencespublicly


‘Havingtargetsandreportingthembringsclaritytothevision,sharpensthefocusandsetsthestandardbywhichwejudgeperformance.Noonewantstocomebackandadmit,‘Wepromised,butwedidnotdeliver.’

ElmerFunkeKupper,ASX‘IfmyOperatingCommitteedoesnotthinkthathowImeasuretheirperformanceincludestheircommitmenttoandoutcomesongenderbalance,thenthey’resimplynotgoingtofocusonitlikeanyotherbusinesspriority.SofirstItoneedmakemyprioritiesclearandactuallymeasureperformanceagainsttheplanasIwouldanyotherbusinesspriority.’

SimonRothery,GoldmanSachs‘IamintentonCBAbeingaplacewherebothmenandwomencanthrive.IthinkthattheclearerIamwithpeoplethatthisisabasicexpectationthattheyareaccountablefor,themorechangeIamseeing.That’swhytargetsmatter.’

IanNarev,CBA‘Weknowbalancedteamsperformbetter.Itfollowsthat,overtime,purchaserswillincreasinglyreflectthisintheirbuyingdecisions.Themagicwillbewhenthebroaderbusinesssystemworkstogethertomakethechange.Wewillshareideas.Wewillholdeachothertoaccount.’

StephenFitzgerald,Non-ExecutiveDirector


2Creatingaccountability

Ataglance

HeartoftheissueWemakechangehappeninourorganisationsbysettingcleargoals,workingtoachievethemandremovingthingsthatwefindaregettingintheway.Yetcomparedtootherbusinessprioritieslikeincreasingmarketshare,costmanagementandsafety,wearemorelikelytoleaveachievingourgenderbalanceobjectivetochance.Wetreatitasaseparatetypeofobjective,outsidecoretargets.Wefailtointegrateitwithbusinessprocessesandstillwonderwhyprogressislimited.Sharpeningourfocusandbringingourfullmanagementsystemtobearisessential.

ActionstoconsiderLeadongenderreporting.Takereportingtoadeeperlevel,withconsistentreportingstandards,tocreateamoretransparentandgranularviewofthepipelineandprogress.ImplementPlusOneinitiatives.Breakentrenchedpatternsbyusingasimplecommitmenttoengagemanagerstoaddatleastonewomantotheirteams,asrolesarise.Driveasuppliermultiplier.Communicatetosuppliershowimportantgenderbalanceistoyou.Encourageandsupportsupplierswhobuildandpresentmoregender-balancedteams.


LeadongenderreportingInour2011letter,weobservedthat‘gettingunderthenumbers’istheprerequisitetotreatingtherepresentationofwomeninleadershipasabusinesspriority.Wechallengedourselvestoensurethatwewereusingourmanagementsystems–suchastargets,monitoringandtroubleshooting–todriveimprovementtobesteffectinthesamewaywedootherbusinesspriorities.Poolingourdataandpractices,weidentifiedtheissuesandactionstoresolvethem(Figure5).Thisworkbuiltontheanalysisandresearchofothers,includingChiefExecutiveWomen,FinancialServicesInstituteofAustralasia(FINSIA),WomenonBoardsandtheWorkplaceGenderEqualityAgency(WGEA).ImprovegranularityandstandardisationofgenderreportingGreatertransparencyandconsistentmeasurementisrequiredtoassisttroubleshootingandidentifybestpractice.InJune2013,agroupofuscalledonthebusinesscommunitytosetanewstandardforreporting–onethatispublic,moregranularandlinkedtoscorecards.Granularity,toatleastthreelayersofmanagement,improvesthequalityofthediscussion.Manyofourorganisationswilladoptthisapproachinournextreportingcycle,asexemplifiedbytheASX(Figure6).Reportingmayseembasicbuttheimpactissignificant.SaysKevinMcCann,‘OnthetwoboardsIchair,Iwasunabletocomparetherelativeperformanceintermsofwomeninseniorpositionsbecauseeachcompanyadoptedadifferentdefinitionofseniorexecutive.TheMCCinitiativehascreatedcommoncriteria,whichmeanscomparisonwillsoonbepossible.’LinktargetstoscorecardsBylinkinggenderbalancetargetstoscorecards,wecreatetheindividualaccountabilitythatmakesgenderbalanceoutcomesastandardbusinesspriority.Westartedwithourselves,includinggendertargetsinourownindividualscorecards.Someofusarenowcascadingthesetothenexttwolevels.Wearestrengtheningthelinktoscorecardsintwoways.Someofusareusinggenderbalanceorvaluesystemsinrewardallocations.Othersarereflectingthisinpromotiondecisions.AtASX,ElmerFunkeKuppersays,‘Progressionisoftenaboutleadinglargergroups.Ifyoucan’tachievebalancetargetsnow,thatwillimpactmyevaluationofyouasafutureleader.’

Figure5.MCCgenderreportingrecommendationsContextMaleChampionsofChangeandASXCorporateGovernanceCouncilrecognisedtheneedtohaveaconsistentgenderreportingframework.InconsultationwiththeWGEA,bestpracticeguidelineshavebeendevelopedand14MCCorganisationshavesignedupIssuesidentified• Limitedconsistencymadecomparingprogressandidentifyingbestpracticedifficult• Individualaccountabilityandpipelinetrackingisnotpossiblewithoutgranularreporting,

disaggregatedtobusinessunits• Culturalindicators,suchasengagementsurveyscores,areoftenoverlookedandnotintegratedinto

diversitytargetsBestpractice• Externallyandannuallyreportthegenderrepresentationofi)theBoard,ii)atleastthreelayersof

management,andiii)theoverallorganisation• Reportprogressagainstnumericalrepresentationtargets• Reportdefinitions,inclusionsandexclusionstoavoidnumbersbeinggamed• Targetsshouldbeincludedinscorecardsofindividualseniorleaders• Reportingshouldspecifydetailsincludingthenumberofdirectors/employees,andwhetherdataisfor

full-timeequivalentorheadcount


ApplyrigourandafactbasetomorecomplexbusinesstopicsRobustreportingallowssomeofthemorecomplextopicstosurface.Forexample,payequitycanonlybetackledwhenthefactsareavailabletodiscussitproperly.TheWGEAestimatesthenationalpaygaptobe17.5percent.Debatesaboutthisgapareoftenside-trackedbycaveatsaroundgenderskews,roletypesandnotcomparinglike-for-like.Arigorousfactbaseenablesustohaveconstructivereviewsofourownorganisations’paygaps.Whileweacknowledgelegacyissuesinaveragepayatseniorlevels,wherewomenareyettoreachcriticalmass,thereshouldbenopaydifferencesforjuniorandmid-managerroles.Toaddressthisweneedcredible,factbasedprocesses.Reviewsmustbuildintimetoallowforanalysisandtoinfluencedecisions.Atoneofourorganisations,managersmustsignoffthatthereisnogenderbiasinremunerationoutcomes.Thiscreatesanearlyreminderformanagerstobeawareoftheimplicationsoftheirdecisions.MartinParkinsonnownotifiesallstaffoftheRemunerationCommitteeoutcomesbygender.SaysMartin,‘Treasuryisexposingtheprogressionofwomen,holdingourselvestoaccount.’Beyondrepresentationnumbers,thereareinternalandculturalindicatorsthatcanflagcurrentissuesandleveragepointstoincreasegenderbalance.Wesetouttoidentifyabestpracticesetoftheseindicators.Thishasnotbeenasstraightforwardaswehopedduetothevariationbetweenorganisations.ASXarenowworkingwithWGEAinanefforttodevelopthisbestpracticeset.

ImplementPlusOneinitiativesOurconvictionandinfluencecandirectlyimprovegenderbalanceonourownteams.However,engagementandcommitmenttendstofadeatotherlevelsofmanagement.Butitistheday-to-daypromotionandrecruitmentdecisionsofindividualleaderswhich,whenaddedup,determineourabilitytoachievetheshiftsnecessaryforourorganisations.Weneedsimple,practicalactionsthatcanmakeastepforwardinwinningtheheartsandmindsofallpeoplemanagers.AsuccessfulactiontrialledbyANZandTelstraisthePlusOneinitiative.TheinspirationwasCiti’s‘JustOneMore’approachwheregoalswereset

Figure6.Reportingexample–ASX

ASXlevel #ofASXdirectors/employees

#ofASXwomen(asat30/06/13)

%ofASXwomen(asat30/06/13)

%ofASXwomenFY16target

Non-executivedirectors 8 2 25 33CEO 1 0 0 n/aGroupExecutives(CEO-1) 9 3 33 40GeneralManagers(CEO-2) 31 8 26 40Managers(CEO-3) 71 24 34 40TeamLeaders/Supervisors(CEO-4) 25 12 48 50Professional/technical 394 154 39 40Administrative 40 33 83 n/aEntireorganisation 571 234 41 45


tohireaminimumofoneseniorwomanintoanapprovedopenrole.Theimpactwassignificant–in2011,75percentofCiti’sbusinessachievedthegoalwitha9percentyear-on-yearincreaseinwomenSeniorVicePresidentrolesandabove.Momentumhascontinuedwitha24percentyear-on-yearincreasein2012.ThroughthePlusOneinitiatives,acommitmentismadeopenlybythetopleadertoincreasethenumberofwomendirectreportsbyatleastone.Theythenasktheirdirectreportstomakeasimilarcommitment;thedirectreportsthendothesameandsoon.Inthebestcase,pledgesaremadepubliclyandtracked.‘PlusOne’offersasimple,non-bureaucraticmetricthatcanbeusedtocreatepersonalengagementandaccountability.Theaimistostartaconversationwithmanagersabouttheroletheycanplayinachievinggenderbalance.Localisedmomentumanddiscussionisgenerated.Mindsetsarejolted.Granularinsightsaroundresistanceandbarriersareidentifiedandtackled.ANZCEOMikeSmithwaslookingforawaytoinspirehisteamtohelpachieveANZ’stargettoincreasewomeninmanagementbyatleast1percentin2013towardsalongtermgoalofatleast40percent.Despiteeffortsacrossthebank’s47,000staff,recruitment,promotionandturnovertrendsstillfavouredmen.ANZ’sPlusOneinitiativewasofficiallylaunchedtoallemployeesaspartofInternationalWomen’sDay2013,withthemajorityofMike’sdirectreportsleadingthechargehavingalready‘banked’theirpledgepriortothelaunch.Asimple,onlinesign-upprocessallowedmanagerstomaketheirpledgeandreviewthelistofcolleagueswhohadalsosignedup.Morethan500leaderssignedupwithinsixweeksofthelaunch,with2,000pledgestodate.Teamswithlowerrepresentationofwomenintheirmanagementrankswerevisiblyseentobemakingthemostpledges.ThereisevidencethatthePledgehasalreadyhelpedshiftrepresentationatseniorlevels,andmomentumisnowbuildingamongstmid-levelmanagerswhomakethemajorityofhiringdecisionswithintheorganisation.Justassignificantwastheconversationcreatedthroughoutthebankaroundtheimportanceofgenderbalance,aroundMike’sandhisteam’scommitmenttothetargets,andaroundtheneedforallmanagerstoactivelyreversethetrendsthatfavouredmeninordertoreachANZ’saspirations.Telstrarecentlylaunchedasimilarinitiative,theGenderEqualityPOP(PlusOnePromise).Telstrainitiateditseffortsatameetingofthetopteam.Within-principlesupport,thediversityteamthenmetwithindividualleaderstogainbroadanddeepcommitment.TheGenderEqualityPOPisnowbeingpromotedasavoluntarycommitmentforallTelstrapeopletoachievethemeasurableobjectivesestablishedbytheTelstraBoardinlinewiththeASXreportingguidelines.Earlysign-upsarepromisingwith200pledgesinthefirsttwoweeks,andagoaltoreach1,000bytheendof2013.

DriveasuppliermultiplierWeareintegrated,interlinkedanddependentonourbusinesspartnersandsuppliers.Yetourcommitmenttogenderbalanceisnotalwayscleartothem.Webelievethereisvalueinbeingmoreexplicitaboutthis.Engagingsuppliersintheconversationisessential.Thismeanstellingourstoryandlisteningtotheirs.Workingwithoursuppliers,wecanbuildmomentumandmoreopportunitiesforwomen,sothattogetherwecanbemoreproductiveandsuccessfulorganisations.Newideasandapproacheswillnodoubtresult.DrawingontheexpertiseofagroupofourChiefPurchasingOfficersandbusinessleaders,welookedforsimplewaystoencouragegreaterconversationandactiontogetherwithoursuppliers.InOctober2013,agroupofusannouncedourSupplierMultiplierinitiative(Figure7).Inthisinitiative,someofourorganisationscommittedtoensuringourgenderbalanceaspirationsarereflectedinpoliciessuchasourSupplierStandardsandCodesofPractice.ThisgroupofMCCsalsoagreedtofocusononeormoreofthefollowingareas:recruiters,largesuppliers,sectorsororganisationsknowntohavelowrepresentationofwomenandwomen-ownedorledbusinesses.Thesecommitmentshavethepotentialtoimpact54,000suppliersand$30billionofprocurementspendingacrosstheMaleChampionsofChangegroup.Changingsupplierrequirementscanbeasignificantchangetoprocesses.CBAistakingaphasedapproach.InPhase1,supplierconditionswerechangedtoincludeequalpayandparental/carersleaveprovisions.Phase2willdevelopadatabaseofwomen-ownedbusinessestofacilitateincreasedprocurementfromthesebusinesses.Ourexperiencehasreinforcedthevalueofatwo-wayconversation.Weneedtocommunicateourexpectationsclearly–relyingonthefineprintofsupplieragreementswon’twork.Wealsoneedtounderstandtheimpactoftheimplicitandexplicit


incentiveswecreate.Somesupplierssharedeffortsalreadyunderway,othersseemedtostepup.Someaskedforhelp.ANZconducted‘wartsandall’workshopswith150peoplerepresentingANZ’srecruitmentpartnerstooutlinetheirexpectationsongenderbalance.Recruiterssharedtheirthoughtsonpotentialbarrierssuchasshorttimeframes,whichoftenmadesearchingbeyondtheirexistingmale-dominatednetworksdifficult.Overlyprescriptiveexperiencerequirementscouldalsomeanthatcandidateswerelesslikelytobewomen.TheseworkshopshelpedrecruitersunderstandtheirindividualimpactonANZ’sbusinesstargets.AtTelstra,inspiredbyaspeechbyHelenConwayoftheWGEA,theGroupGeneralCounselopenedadialogueaboutgenderbalancecommitmentswithkeypartnerlawfirms,requestingfeedbackonhowTelstracouldimproveandinformingthemthatgenderbalancewouldbeafactorconsideredinanupcomingpanelreview.

‘WebelievetherewillbeimmensebenefitstoAustraliawhenallorganisationsactivelypursuegenderbalance.Imagineiftheingenuityofallbusinesspartnersacrossournetworkscouldbeharnessed.Thepipelinewillincrease,diversityofperspectiveswillhelpinnovationandbetterdecisionmaking.Wecanleadthewayincapturingthediversityadvantageforimprovedproductivityandperformance.’

MikeSmith,ANZ

Figure7.TheSupplierMultiplierInitiativeStartingyourownsuppliermultiplier1.UpdateyourSupplierCodeofConductorequivalentpolicies/contractstofeaturetheimportanceofgenderbalance2.Implementoneormoreofthefollowingtoeffectchange:

a. Recruitmentproviders:communicatetheneedforchange;putinplacemoreexplicittrackingofcandidatepoolsandoutcomes;encouragetheidentificationofbarrierstorecruitingmorewomen.Inthemediumterm,thiscouldalsoincludeincentivesformeetinggender-balanceobjectives

b. Mostsignificantsuppliers(calledTier1insomeorganisations):setclearexpectationsongender-balancegoals,performancemeasuresandmake-upofsupplierteams

c. Laggardsectorsororganisations:targetonesectoror2–3organisationswithlowrepresentationofwomeninmanagementandseektoinfluenceandsupportimprovedperformance

d. Women-ledorownedbusiness:understand,trackandsetgoalsaroundtheincreaseinwomen’sparticipationinyourorganisation’ssupplychains.Thismightinvolvedirectworkwithsupplierstoensuretheyarewellpositionedtoserveyourorganisation


‘Thinking‘50/50:Ifnot,whynot?’islikegettinganewpairofspectaclesandseeingtheworlddifferently.Youwalkintoamale-onlymeetingandimmediatelynoticethedifference.’

KevinMcCann,Non-ExecutiveDirector‘Eventhoughonly18percentofITuniversitygraduatesarewomen,therearestillmorethanenoughtalentedwomenforIBMtoachievea50/50ratioofmaletofemalegraduates.Ourpriorityistomakesurewe’regettingthebestpeopleandwebelievethatbeingseriouslycommittedtogenderequalitywillhelpusdothat.’

AndrewStevens,IBM‘Ourbusinessmodeldemandsflexibility,butonesizedoesnotfitall.Weneedtomakeitworkforourbusinessandforourindividualpeople–weneedtobeprinciple,notpolicy,driven.’

GrantO’Brien,WoolworthsLimited‘Inourworktogether,ourpeoplehavesharedandwehavelearnedaboutHR-ledeffortstoencourageflexiblework.Theseinitiativesareessentialandtheyaremakingsmallchangesfromapolicyorpracticeperspective.However,wewanttoforcedisruptiveandboldchange.Weneedtodomoreifwearetoreachourgoal.’

DavidThodey,TelstraandIanNarev,CBA‘Weneedtostartfromapresumptionthatflexibleworkpracticesareapositivepartofourworkplaces,ratherthanagrudgingconcession.Nopositionorlevelshouldbedeemedofflimitstosomeoneinterestedinflexibleworkingarrangements.’

DrIanWatt,TheDepartmentofthePrimeMinisterandCabinet


3Disruptingthestatusquo

Ataglance

HeartoftheissueThestatusquoongenderbalancecanleadtolowexpectationsofwomen’srepresentationintheworkplace.Attimes,weassumethattheobstaclestowomen’sadvancementareinevitableorinsurmountable.Thisisnotthecase,butwedonotbelievethatstandardapproacheswillbeenough.Weneedtodisruptthestatusquo.

ActionstoconsiderAsk‘50/50:Ifnot,whynot?’Ask‘whynot50/50?’acrosscareerlifecycles,fromrecruitmentandtalentdevelopmenttocommitteesandpanels.Broadenyoursearchesandchallengeresultsbelowyourobjectives.Raisethebaronwomen’scareers.Understandthetypesofexperiencesyourorganisationrequiresandbroadenthesuccessprofilesyouconsiderforseniorroles.Ensurewomengetcriticalexperiencesin‘hotjobs.’Personallysponsortalentedwomenandexpectyourseniorexecutivestodothesame.Mainstreamflexibility.Reflectonworkpatternsand‘whatittakestosucceed’inyourorganisation.Changethepresumption–askwhatcan’tbedoneflexibly,ratherthanwhatcanbedoneflexibly.


Ask‘50/50:Ifnot,whynot?’Thehistoricalgenderimbalanceinourorganisationshascreatedasituationinwhichwomenaretheminorityatseniorlevels(Figure8).Wecan’tletthissetourexpectationsforwhatispossible.Thedefaultassumptionthatwomenwillaccountforlessthan50percentallowsunseenbarrierstopersist.Weseetheimpactofiteverywhere,fromthecompositionofcommitteesandpanels,totalentanddevelopmentprogramsandrecruitmentslates.Whatifweweretoaskthe‘50/50:Ifnot,whynot?’questionmoreoften?Insomecases,askingthequestionhasbeenenoughtoforceustolookmorebroadlyandachievechange.Elsewhere,wehaveidentifiedsystemicbiasesandstructuralissuesthatwemustworktoaddress.Therealvalueisinaskingthequestionandexploringtheanswer.Itisabouttakingthetimetothinkaboutwhetherwomenarebeingconsideredandifnot,whynot?Acommonapplicationof‘50/50:Ifnot,whynot?’isingraduaterecruitment.Withover60percentofuniversitygraduatesbeingwomen,genderimbalanceshouldbesimpletoaddressatthegraduatelevel.Ifwedon’t,westartbehind.Thisincludesbalanceinbusinessunitsthataretraditionallyskewedtowardsmen.Agranularviewrequiresgranularreporting–atQantasthismeantredesigningsystemstounderstandthegendersplitfromapplicationsthroughtooffers.Nowin2013,57percentoftheQantasgraduatecohortiswomen.Wesharesomeofourvariousapproachesto50/50graduaterecruitsinFigure9.Beyondgraduaterecruitment,experiencedhiresremainachallenge.IBMidentifiedthatrolechecklistswereappealingmoretomen.NowIBM’sjobadvertisementsfeatureavaluepropositionthatappealstobothmenandwomen.AsdiscussedinSupplierMultiplier,wearealsoworkingwithrecruiterstoachievebalancedslates.Manyofthepoolsthatwesourcecandidatesfromaremale-dominated.Weneedtolookmorebroadly.Thereareotherways,beyondtimeinarole,thatpeoplegaincapabilities,skillsandexperience.Aswellasbroadeningoursearchesandbeingawareofinherentbiases,someofourorganisationshavefacedmorestructuralproblemsinattractingwomen.

Figure8.‘GenderJaws’–RepresentationinASX200companiesPercentwomen• Universitygraduates–62percent• Entry-levelprofessionals–45percent• Executivecommittee–10percent• Executivecommittee(lineroles)–6percent• CEO–4percent

Percentmen• Universitygraduates–38percent• Entry-levelprofessionals–55percent• Executivecommittee–90percent• Executivecommittee(lineroles)–94percent• CEO–96percent

Reference:McKinsey,WomenMatter:AnAsianPerspective(June2012);WGEA,2012AustralianCensusofWomeninLeadership;GraduateCareersAustralia,AustralianGraduateSurvey2012


Figure9.Gettingto50/50:Graduaterecruitment

Organisation Percentageofwomeninintake

Challengesandopportunities

2012 2013 2014 CBA 31 34 48 • From2011to2013,CBA’sgraduateintakesatataround

34percentwomen• The50/50questionactedasajolttoleaderswholooked

tounpackcauses• Anewgoalofbalancespurredaction.Thiswouldrequire

makinguplostgroundasthemale-dominatedinterncohortsactedasimportantfeedergroups

• Usingdeliberatestrategies,thegoalwasachievedinjustonerecruitmentseason

GoldmanSachs 26 52 62 • Therewasapersistentmaleskewingraduateprofiles,andconcernsabouta‘likehiringlike’effect

• EngagingManagingDirectorsdirectlyinthechallenge,andtheninCVscreeningandcampusrecruitmentprovidedthebreakthrough

• Anysuspicionsthatbarriershadbeenloweredtomeetatargetwerequashedbythehighqualityoftherecruitedwomen

WoolworthsLimited

50 29 47 • Genderbalancehadbeenafocusandgraduaterecruitmenthadbeenbalancedformanyyears.Inthe2013intakeWoolworthstookitseyeoffgenderbalance

• Forthe2014intake,Woolworthsrefocusedongenderbalance,includingtargetedadvertisingandcampusrecruitmentcampaigns

• Agranularviewofresultswascriticalandenabledtroubleshooting.Whenoneseniorexecutivefoundthegraduateintakeinhisdivisionwas14percent,hetookpersonalaction

ANZ 45 53 50 • Priorto2010,theANZgraduateprogramwasnotconsistentlygender-balanced

• 50/50wasfirstsetastheaspirationandbecameanon-negotiabletarget

• Whentheexpectationisclear,recruitmentteamsinnovate

IBM 32 43 48 • GenderbalanceintheITindustryisachallenge,withwomencomprisingonly18percentoffeederdegrees,suchasComputerScienceandIT

• Thepositionwastakenthatthisisnoexcuse.Theteammustlookexpansivelyandshouldwinadisproportionateshareoftalent

• Notslippingintoself-limitingthinkingiscritical Telstra 30 29 40 • Aperceptionexistedthatmale-dominatedfeederdegrees

insomedisciplinesmadegenderbalanceanunrealisticgoal

• AdetailedanalysiswasconductedtounderstandtechnicalrequirementsforTelstragraduateopportunities

• Mythsweredebunkedwhenitwasfoundthatamuchsmallernumberofrolesthanoriginallythoughtwouldactuallyrequireatechnicaldegree

• Thisremovedexcuses,challengedmindsetsandenabledabroaderapplicantpool


DavidMorrisonsetapublictargetofincreasingtheproportionofwomenintheArmyfrom10percentto12percentbetween2012and2014(Figure10).ThisinvolvedaradicalrethinkofhowtheArmypresenteditselfandattractedpeopletoitsteam.TheArmydevelopedanumberofinitiativesincludingactivitycampsforyoungwomeninhighschool,reducingtheminimumperiodofservicetooneyearandlaunchingthe‘JoinwithaFriend’program.Overthepast12months,theseinitiativeshaveseenan84percentincreaseinthenumberofnewwomenrecruits.Beyondrecruitment,wemustrelentlesslyfuelthepipeline.The‘genderjaws’diagramshowstherapiddrop-offinwomen’srepresentation.Tostemattritionandstagnation,weneedtoremainvigilant,asking‘50/50:Ifnot,whynot?’throughthefullcareerlifecycle.AtANZ,MikeSmithchallengedthe40/60splitofwomentomenonanewenterprisetalentprogram,askinghisteamtotakeanotherlookatthepool.Theteamidentifiedanumberofwomenwhometthecriteriaforinclusionbut,withacaponparticipants,didnotmakethefirstcohort.When50/50wassetastheexpectation,itwasachievedandtheprogramcohortwaslaterassessedasmorebalancedinexperience,leadershipstylesandcapabilities.Citifoundapplication-baseddevelopmentprogramsdisproportionatelyattractedmen.Citihasbecomemoreproactive–increasingeducationandawarenessoftheregionaldevelopmentopportunitiesavailable,reviewingthelocaltalent,identifyingwomenwhoareeligibleforprogramsandrequestingthemtoapply.Asaresult,keyprogramsoverthelasttwoyearshavehad50percentrepresentationofwomenfromtheAustralianbusiness.Increasinggenderbalanceinmeetingsandcommitteesimprovesthequalityofconversation,actionsanddecisions.Inthisspirit,wehavecommittedtothePanelPledge–aninitiativetoincreasewomen’srepresentationonpublicpanels(Figure11).

Figure10.RecruitingwomenintotheArmyContextConcernedthatstructuralbarrierspreventedtherepresentationofwomen,DavidMorrisonsetouttoaddressthelowrecruitmentofwomenandmasculinecultureintheArmy.Actions• Visiblymadetherecruitmentofwomenoneofhistop5priorities• Publiclysetatargettoincreaserepresentationofwomenfrom10percentto12percentbetween

2012and2014,aneffectivedoublingofwomenrecruits• Reallocatedresourcestocreateteamsdedicatedtowomen’srecruitment• Addressedstructuralbarriers:• Reducedtheminimumperiodofservicefromfourtooneyear• Establishedthe‘JoinwithaFriend’program,whichallowstwowomentoundertakethesame

recruitingandemploymenttrainingandthenbepostedtothesamelocation• ConductedadventurecampsforyoungwomeninhighschooltoexposethemtoArmylife

Impactandlearnings• Numberofwomenrecruitedinthepast12monthsincreased84percentaboveaverageoverthepast

decade• Increasedwomenrepresentationfrom10percentto11.1percentin2013,ontracktoreach12per

centby2014• Only9.6percentofwomenleavetheArmyannually,comparedwith12.3percentofmen• Publiclysettingatargetwasacalltoactionandestablishedthescaleofthechallenge• Questioningthestatusquohaschangedmindsets–recruitingteamsarewideningthepoolof

candidatesconsidered


Raisethebaronwomen’scareersIfyourorganisationislikeours,youmaywellhaveformalleadershipcoursesandhighpotentialprograms.Youmayidentifyyourtalent’sdevelopmentneedsandmatchthemwithskillstraining.Youmaydosuccessionplanning.Yetyoumayhavefound,aswehave,thatyourtalentapproachisnotequallyeffectiveinadvancingwomenasitismen.Inparticular,womenarefarlesslikelytoget‘hotjobs’,forexample:mission-criticalroles,influentialprojects,internationalassignmentsorothercapabilityandprofile-buildingopportunities.Hotjobsliketheseprovidecriticalexperiencesthatfacilitatecareerprogression.FullyunderstandthecriticalexperiencesandprofileyourequireforadvancementinyourorganisationFormostofourorganisations,successionplanningispartofourtalentmanagementprocesses.However,comparingpatternsofsuccesswithnumbersofwomenwhodonotprogressinthepipelineraisesconcern.Insomecases,wefindunnecessarilynarrowcriteriahaverestrictedwomen’srepresentation.Anexamplewaswherethefocuson‘internationalexperience’asathresholdrequirementforseniorleadershipwascreatingamale-dominatedpipeline;long-termlocalemployeeswithpartnersand/orcaringresponsibilitieswerelesslikelytohavehadsignificantexperienceworkingoverseas.Thisunintendedconsequencewasresolvedbyexpandingtherequirementto‘internationalmindset.’Theoutcomeincreasedthepoolofwomencandidatesandmeantthatmanywomenwerenotunconsciously‘writtenout’ofexecutiveaspirationsbytheorganisationorbythemselves.TakeanexpansiveviewofsuccessprofilesIftheonlyprofilewethinkofassuccessfulisdirectandunbrokenexperience,thenwewillbiasselection.Wemayoverlookpeoplewithotherequallyvalidbackgroundsandcapabilities.Whenweweighallthethingsthatneedtobeweighed–skills,experience,fitandpotential–wehavediscoveredthatarevisedprofileisrequiredinmanycases.Foranumberofyears,Woolworthshasbeenchallengingtheoperationalexperiencecriterionforsenioradvancement.AsaresultofearlierinterventionsbybothcurrentCEO,GrantO’Brien,andformerCEO,MichaelLuscombe,thestatusquoatWoolworthshasshifted.Womennowrepresentover30percentofseniorleadershippositionsandareroutinelyconsideredandappointedinpromotions.AsGrantO’Brien

Figure11.ThePanelPledgeContextManyhighprofileconferences,eventsandtaskforceslackgenderbalance,despitethereoftenbeingnoshortageofqualifiedwomen.Theabsenceofwomenfeedsunhelpfulgendernorms.Alackofdiversitylimitsthequalityoftheconversation.AsSimonRotherysays,‘Conferencesandpanelsprovideaplatformtoshareexperiencesandperspectives.Whenyoulimittherangeofperspectives,youlimitthequalityoftheconversation’ThePledge• TheMCCs,whoareoftenindemandforhigh-profilepanels,agreedtorespondtorequestswithan

inquiryaboutwhethergender-balancehasbeenconsidered• Apledgeissimpletoimplementandhighlyeffective.Itservesasareminderatanopportunemoment

ofinfluenceInAction• ASX.Uponlearningthataneventlackedwomenpanellists,ElmerFunkeKupperidentifieda

replacementforhimselfthatwouldimprovegenderbalance• CBA.IanNarevhascascadedthePanelPledgetohisleadershipteam,anditisnowappliedtoall

internalforumsaswell.• Telstra.SpeakerrequestformsontheTelstrawebsitenowstate:OurCEODavidThodeyisamember

oftheMaleChampionsofChange.Aspartofthis,wearecommittedtoensuringthateventsweparticipateinaregenderbalanced.Pleasetakethisintoconsiderationwhensubmittingyourrequest.


explains,thishasbeenachievedbycloselylinkingdevelopmentoffemaletalentwithbusinessstrategy;saysGrant,‘themomentumtoappointmorewomenislinkedtoourstrategy.Weneedthebestretailers,whowillputcustomersatthecentreofourbusiness.Inthepasttwoyears,withthisinmind,wehaverecruitedandpromotedmorewomen.’MakesurewomengetthecriticalexperiencesrequiredforadvancementIfwebelievesomeexperiencesarecriticalforadvancement,weneedtomakesurethatwefindwaystogetwomenthoseexperiences,particularlyintheearlystagesoftheircareers.Insomecaseswefoundthatgenderskewsintherolespeoplearechannelledintohavelatercreatedanexperiencegapforwomen.Forexample,Treasuryfounditwascreatingapipelineissuewithearlyinadvertentstreaming.Atthegraduatelevel,womenwereperceivedtobemorecapableoftakingonstakeholderengagementandnetworkingroles.Asaresult,moremenweredirectedtoanalyticalroles.Then,atmoreseniorlevelswomenwerepenalisedforhavinginsufficienttimeinanalyticalroles.WhenKPMGbegantomapandplanforsuccessioninallseniorleadershiprolesintheAustralianoffice,criticalexperiencesandnaturalsuccessorswereidentified.Genderbalancewasessentialinthediscussion.Theperceivedoractualgapsinfemaletalentwereidentified.Consensuswasachievedaboutwhatmightberequiredtocloserealgaps.AsGeoffWilson,COOAsiaPacific,remarked,‘Weneededtogetintentional.Withoutagenderlensinoursuccessionplanningandtalentmanagement,wewouldhavewonderedfiveyearsfromnowwhyourpipelinehadnotdelivered.Nowthatwehaveaclearplanwearelesslikelytohaveadiscussionaboutwhytherearenotenoughwomeninourtalentpipelinewhenthetimecomestomakeappointments.’ThisapproachhasbeenembracedbyKPMGCEOAustralia,GaryWingrovewhosays,‘Usingagenderlensneedstobebusinessasusualforus.Thisisaboutbeingdiverseinourthinking,diverseinourbackgroundsanddiverseinthecapabilitywebringtoourclients.’Wehavealsofoundacceleratedrotationalprogramsarecritical,asisencouragingandsponsoringwomentopursuelateralcareermovesontheirpathwaytoseniorroles.Participantsquicklytranslateandapplytheircapabilitiestodifferentbusinesses.Thisinturncanaddnewinsightsandperspectivestoteams–particularlythosethataretraditionallymale-dominated.Thisworksagainstthecommonstreamingofwomenintonon-operatingrolesthatoccursinsomeofourbusinesses.Senioradvancementoftenreliesonsponsorship,whichwomenarelesslikelytohavethanmen.Inourorganisations,wehaveagreatdealofmentoring.

Figure12.IBM’ssponsorshipprogramContextDespiteincreasednumbersofwomeninthegraduateintake,IBM’spromisingpipelinewasnottranslatingintothedesiredincreasesintherepresentationofwomeninleadership.IBMhastakenastructuredapproachtoaddressingthisgap,implementingaformalsponsorshipprogramwithasinglegoal–gettingthesponsoredwomentheirnextpromotion.Actions• Identifiedhigh-potentialwomenandpairedthemwithinfluentialleaders• Madesponsorsaccountablefornextpromotion• Focusedfeedbackonpersonalimpact,visibilityandcareerplanning,notjusttechnicalexperience• ExplicitlyintegratedsponsorshipwithTalentManagementProgram

Impactandlearnings• 40percentofwomenintheoriginalprogramcohorthavebeenpromotedintoexecutiveroles• Programsshouldbereviewedatleastonanannualbasisasbusinessneedschange• Sponsorsshouldbeexecutivememberswhocanadvocateforthecandidateeffectively• Sponsoringmusthaveapurpose–assignmentsmustmatchexecutiveturnovertoensure

advancementispossibleintherighttimeframe


Coachingwomentoconformisnottheanswer.Creatingopportunitiesforwomentoperformandshowcasingresultsis.IBMhasasponsorshipprograminwhichwomenarepairedwithseniorexecutiveswhothenactastheiradvocate(Figure12).Thesponsorsareaccountableforsuccessfullyadvancingwomenintoexecutiveroles,aswellasopeningupopportunitiesforinternationalassignmentsanddevelopmentprograms,whichprovidecriticalexperience.AsAndrewStevenssays,‘Sponsorshipwillgetyoutoyournewrole.Notadvice,butadvocacy.’

MainstreamflexibilityMoreflexibilityinourmindsetsandthewaysweworkwilldriveproductivityandagility;mainstreamingflexibilitywilltransformourworkplacesforthebetter.Flexibilitywillalsoincreasethediversityofemployeesthatourorganisationscaterto.Flexibilityshiftsthefocustooutcomesratherthanprocessesandpresenteeism,makingourbusinessesmoreagileandenablingemployeestoshapeabalancethatsuitsthem.Manyofourorganisationshaveexperiencedfalsestartswithflexibilityinitiatives.WehaveconcludedthatHR-ledeffortsrelyingsolelyonprocessandpolicyarenevergoingtobeenough.Interventionsfromseniorleadersarerequiredtojolttheorganisationandprovidenewimpetusforflexibility.Ongoingconvictioninthefaceofscepticsisvital.ChallengetheideathatflexibilityisnotpossibleAnideageneratedinoneofourmeetingswastoholdconversationswithourleadershipteamsaroundwhatrolescouldNOTbedoneflexibly.Wethinkthatpositioningflexibilityastheexpectationwillhelpsurfaceinitialbiases.Italsoservestoreinforceourcommitmenttochange.ElmerFunkeKupperoftheASXdecidedtoreversetheburden.Insteadofemployeeshavingtoprovetheneedforaflexiblearrangement,managersbeartheonustoshowaclearbusinessreasonthatflexibleworkisnotpossible.AsDavidThodeyofTelstrastates,‘Thechallengeisfiguringoutwhatcan’tbedoneflexibly.Butyouneedtostartwithanopenmind.Youbeginwiththeassumptionthateverythingcanbe.’InSeptember2013,DavidannouncedthatbyMarch2014allrolesinTelstrawouldbeadvertisedasflexible.AnnouncedaspartofTelstra’slaunchofitsnewPurposeandValues,‘AllRolesFlex’(Figure13)wasoneofsixsymbolicannouncementsmade.TheinitiativehasevolvedfromapilotprogramintheTelstraCustomerSales&ServiceBusinessUnit,whichsawtheshareofwomenintheapplicantpoolgrowbymorethan15percentandtheshareofwomeninjobplacementsincreaseby35percent,whenroleswereadvertisedas‘flexible’.SaysDavid,‘Youmustplacetrustinyourmanagers.Ifyouopenthedialogue,theywillfigureouthowitcanbedone.Ifyouwaituntileveryoneagrees,thenitwillneverhappen.Intheend,it’suptoleaderstotakeastand.’AnintentionalchangethatCBAhasmadeischangingthephysicalandvirtualworkplaceof6,500people.Withtheinfrastructureinplace,everydayisaboutflexiblework.Theobjectivehasbeentoincreaseemployeesatisfactionandproductivity.Arecentwork-from-homepilothasalsoshownpromisingresultswitha27percentincreaseinproductivityanda21percentdecreaseinsickleave.Thepilot,togetherwithabroadermovetowardsactivity-basedworking,whereno-onehasapermanentdeskandpeoplecanchoosewhereandhowtheywork,hasledtohighlevelsofengagementandafocusonoutcomesversusvisibletimeintheoffice.AtWoolworths,GrantO’Brienisdevelopingmultipleapproachestobuildflexibilityacrosshislargeanddiverseworkforce.SaysGrant,‘Therelentlesspursuitanddevelopmentofthebestpeoplemustbecomepartofeverydaylifeforus.Flexibilityisbothaproductivityandpeopleimperative.’TobetterunderstandhowtoenableflexibilityacrossWoolworths,Grantranafocusgroupwithanumberofhisseniorleaders.Thegroupspokeaboutthebarrierstoflexibilityandpotentialsolutions.ThemessagefromGrantwasthattheassumptionshouldbethatalljobshadthepotentialtobeflexible.Theconversationactedasacatalystforchange.Policieswerereviewedandrelaunched.Allemployeesnowhaveaccesstoadditionalleaveunpaid,orathalf-pay.DavidMorrisonhassetatargetfortheArmy’sFlexibleWorkProgram.Startingfromaplatformwherefewindividualsareenlistedinformalflexibleschemes,theArmyaimstoquadrupleparticipationratesfromhalfapercenttotwopercentbytheendof2016.Davidpersonallyledtheinitiativeandoversawworkshopsforallcommanderstoworkthroughtheimplicationsofflexibilityfortheirunits(Figure14).TheArmywilltrackparticipationinflexibleworkandthepromotionratesandcareerprogressionofthosewhodotakeupthisaction.AttheDepartmentofthePrimeMinisterandCabinet,thereisalreadystrongrepresentationofwomenin


Figure13.Telstra’s‘AllRolesFlex’initiativeContextTelstrahasworkedforseveralyearsatexpandingflexibleoptionsatwork.Inmid-2013,DavidThodeypiloted‘AllRolesFlexible’inTelstraCustomerSales&Service.ByMarch2014,flexibilitywillbeconsideredthe‘startingpoint’andavailableforallrolesinTelstra.Actions• Repurposedonlinerecruitmentformstoshowrolesasflexible–‘WeworkflexiblyatTelstra.• Talktousabouthowthisjobcouldbeflexibleforyou’• Heldtrainingworkshopsforrecruitersandmanagerstohelpthemleadteamsthatincludeflexible

workers• Beganrolemodelling,withvisibleflexibilityamongstexecutives• IncludedflexibilityasoneofthesixsymbolssupportingTelstra’snewPurposeandValues,which

includevalueslike‘ShowYouCare’and‘TrustEachOthertoDeliver’Impactandlearnings• Applicationsfromwomenrose.Offersacceptedbywomenincreasedby13percent• Moremenareworkingflexibly,breakingpreviousperceptions• Thefeared‘backlash’aroundtheinitiativedidnoteventuate–recruitersandmanagersworked

togethertoaccommodatechallenges• Employeeengagementofflexibleworkershigherthancompany-widescore


leadership.IanWattbelievesthenextobjectiveistoexpandflexibility.Workinginflexiblearrangementsotherthanpart-timefeelslikeanewideabecauseoftheneedforhigh-levelanddailyinteractionswithpoliticians.Applyingcreativethinkingtotheidea,Ianchallengedjobdesigns.Ajob-shareregisterhasenabledmatchingofflexibilityrequirementswithaviewtoengineeringawin-winfortheDepartmentanditsflexiblyworkingemployees.Weknowtherearefurtherbarrierstobeaddressed.Onethatisfrontofmindformanyofourorganisationsisensuringweremainresponsivetoclientdemands.Itisoftenclaimedthatclient-facingrolescannotbeflexible.MichaelRenniefromMcKinseysays,‘Ioftenwonderifweareourownworstenemy.Wearesoclient-orientedthatweoverlookthepotentialtomeetclientneedsindifferentways.Attheveryminimumweshouldnotbeassumingonbehalfofourclients.Wealsoneedtobecomebetteratservingourclientsviathosewhoaren’tavailable24x7.’AsStephenSedgwickoftheAustralianPublicServiceCommissionoutlined,‘Wehaveanumberofjob-sharingseniorpublicservantswhobriefMinisters.TheMinistersareverydemanding,butourpeoplealwaysmakeitwork.’AddressthestigmathatflexibilitysignalslowcareerambitionandcommitmentDespiteourefforts,workingflexiblyoftenpresentsasacareerpenalty.Flexibleworkersarefarlesslikelytoadvancethroughourorganisations.Part-timersarerareonourexecutiveteams.Someflexibleworkersdescribebeing100percentaccountablebuttakinghome80percentofthewage,tradingsalaryforflexibilitysotheycanmanageprofessionalandpersonalcommitments.Thismeanssomewomenwill,ineffect,takehome20percentlesspayjustsotheycanconstructaworkweekthatisdifferenttothestandardbusinessworkinghours.Weneedtoaddresstheprogressionbarriersthatmakeflexiblejobsratherthancareers.Manyofourorganisationshavehadflexibleoptionsinplaceforyears,butwehavenotredesignedjobsandworkplacestosuit.Atoneofourorganisationswewereshockedtohearayoungemployeeinafocusgroupstate,‘Iknowit’sbad,butifIjustwaitarounduntilaftertheflexworkersandthosewithcaringresponsibilitiesleave,that’swhenallthegoodworkgetshandedout.’Acommonbarrierwefindisthatflexibleworkersarelesslikelytobeassessedashighperformingthanfull-timers.Weheardoneseniorexecutivesay,‘Iwouldnotexpectpart-timerstoachievethehighestperformancerankingbecausetheirjobisobviouslynottheirpriority.’Giventhatwomenaremorelikelytobeonflexibleworkarrangements,theseattitudescreateasystemicgenderdisadvantage.Moreover,itisoftenassumedthat‘hotjobs’cannotbeflexible,thusdisproportionatelyexcludingwomen.AtKPMG,theAnnualPerformanceandPayaudithasaparticularfocusongenderandpart-timeworkers.Processeswerechangedandtoolswereprovidedtominimisebiasbeforesign-off.SaysGeoffWilson,‘Weallthinkwearemakingfairandequitabledecisions.Itisonlywhenwestepbackandlookatthedatathatwerealisewecandobetter.’Arecent‘AgileWorking’pilotatKPMGaimstochallengethemindsetsthatgetinthewayofflexiblework.Thepilotwillprovidemodelsofleadershipbehaviourformanagingflexibility,whicharescalablethroughoutthefirm.Anapproachthatseeksmultipleperspectiveshasbeenadoptedinvolvingclientinterviews,individualandmanagercoaching,teamworkshopsandfocusgroups.Leaderswilldevelopdeeperinsightsabouthowtomanageflexibleworkersandflexibleworkerswilllearnnewtechniquesforsuccess.Thiswillenablenewclientservicemodelstobedeveloped.Ultimately,wewanttohelpdebunkthemyththatflexibleworkingimpedesproductivityandsignalslowcareeraspirations.AsMikeSmithsaid,‘Intheendthisisabouttrustinourpeopleandintegrity.Whenflexibilityisafforded,thetrustistakenseriouslyanditisusuallyrewardedwithstrongperformanceandhighdiscretionaryeffort.Ouremployeesurveyshowsourflexibleworkersaremoreengagedandmorepositiveoneveryaspectofourbusiness.’Bewarethesignalsyourtopteamsends.Isflexibilityreallypossible?Asleaders,ourownbehaviourandexpectationscansabotageeffortstobuildaflexibleculture.Choicesaroundhowwepersonallyfitwiththe24hour/7dayworkerstereotypearecritical.Someofushaverealisedthatweneedtobemorevocalandvisibleinhowwemaketimeforourpersonalcommitments.Unfortunately,visibleindividualswhohavemadechoicesacrossthespectrumofflexibleworkappeartoberare,particularlyatseniorlevels.ThestartingpointforCBA’sIanNarevwastoleadadiscussionaroundhowhisexecutiveteammightbeabletoworkmoreflexibly.Healsometwithmenandwomenfromacrosstheorganisationtobetter


Figure14.FlexibilityintheArmyContextArmylifehashistoricallybeenconsideredincompatiblewithflexibility.In2012,DavidMorrisonsetagoalofquadruplingthenumberofflexibleworkersby2016.Actions• ReleasedtheFlexibleWorkArrangementsguide,outliningacommitmentandplantomainstream

flexibility• Heldworkshopsforcommanderstodiscussflexibleoptionsandmanageflexibleteams• PurchasedITequipmenttoenableflexiblework,e.g.laptops,remoteaccesstokens,3Gcards• InstitutedpolicyrequiringcommanderstoconsiderFlexibleWorkApplicationswithexpectationof

approvalImpactandlearnings• Increasedacceptanceandunderstandingamongcommandersofthebenefitsofaflexibleworkplace• Thecombinationofcentralisedpolicyandlocalisedsolutionsisbeginningtoaddresssomeofthe

particularchallengesofArmyoperationalrequirements• Creativesolutionsarebeingfoundthatwouldneverhavebeencontemplatedbefore


understandwhathepersonallymightdotobreakdownbarriers.Weknowthatweneedtobeoutspoken.SaysStephenRobertsofCiti,‘I’vehadanumberofpeoplesaythemostimportantthingIcandoistalktomanagersandchangetheirattitudes.Thiswasbroughthometomewhenanemployeewrotetomeaboutamanagerwhohadnotbeenunderstandingwhenacolleaguehadoccasionallyrequestedtoworkfromhome.Followinga‘ThoughtLeadershipoverLunch’sessionthatIregularlyhold,thatmanagergatheredhisteamtoletthemallknowthatworkingfromhomeorotherflexiblearrangementswassomethinghesupportedandwaswillingtolookatsuchworkingarrangements,onaformalorinformalbasis.’

‘Let’snotpretendthattherearen’talreadyestablishednormsthatadvantagemen.Meninventedthesystem.Menlargelyrunthesystem.Menneedtochangethesystem.Withoutinterventiontoensurethatoursystemsarereallyfocusedonmerit,wewillcontinuetoseealaginwomen’sadvancementintoseniorroles.’

GordonCairns,Non-ExecutiveDirector


‘Weneedtomakeparentsfeelgreatandwanttoreturn,andthenaskhowtheywouldliketoacceleratetheircareers.IworrywhenIseesomanybrilliantyoungpeoplewhosecareersplateauafterparentalleave.’

GrantO’Brien,WoolworthsLimited‘Thereisagenerationalshiftuponus.Enablingmenacrossourorganisationtobettersupportwomenandsharethe‘doubleburden’mayserveasoneofthelessobvious,butmoretransformationalactionswecantaketoadvancewomenintoleadership.’StephenSedgwick,AustralianPublicServiceCommission

‘Therewerewaytoomanypeopleinvolvedintheparentalprocess–somanyemails,somanyhandoffs.Itwastooeasyforwomentobecomeoutofsightandoutofmind.Weneedtomakeparentalleaveprocesseshassle-free.’

GeoffWilson,KPMG‘AtCiti,wewerelosingfartoomanyfantasticwomenwhodidn’treturnafterhavingchildren.Weaskedourselves‘whatarewedoingtocontributetothispattern?’Werealisedthatthereisnosubstitutetomesettingandenforcinghighexpectationsofthemanagersresponsibleforthosetakingleave.Whataretheydoingtobeclearthattheywantthewomenbackontheirteam?Howaretheykeepingintouch?Aretheycommunicatingtheirplansforthewomenwhentheyreturnwhichwillsupporttheircareer?’

StephenRoberts,CitiAustralia


4Dismantlingbarriersforcarers

Ataglance

HeartoftheissueTraditionally,themostcommonroutetoprofessionalsuccesshasnotincludedcareerbreaksandvisiblecaringresponsibilities.Manywomen’scareertrajectoriesplateaufollowingparentalleaveevents–peopleoftenassumewomenaremoreinterestedinajob,ratherthanacareer.Jobsandcareerpathsneedtoberedesignedwithconsiderationtopeoplewithcaringandcareerresponsibilities,orthe‘doubleburden.’TheAustraliancontext,includingchildcare,transportoptions,traveldistancesandsocietalnorms,makethe‘doubleburden’evenheavier.Butthereisagenerationalshiftunderway,withmenwantingagreaterroleincaring.Weneedtosupportthisfortruegenderbalance.

ActionstoconsiderGetthebasicsright.Celebrateparenthoodandunambiguouslyencouragereturn.Stayintouchwithparentalleaversandmakethetransitionseasy.Buildenvironmentswhereparentsandcarersthrive.Getunderthenumberstoseewhetherwomenreturningfromleavecontinuetodeveloptheircareers.Questiondecelerationandintervenewhenneeded.Supportanexpansivereviewofcaring,includingchildcareoptions.Theissuesaresystem-wideandneedtobeaddressedattheappropriatelevel,whichourprivatesectororganisationsbelievetobetheProductivityCommission.


Howweapproachparentalleaveispivotal.Itcanundermineorsupportmanyofourotherefforts.Manyofusstilldonothaveacceptablereturn-to-workrates.Eventhoseofuswhohavegoodreturnratesacknowledgethereisstillmuchtodotoensureadvancementcontinuesafterleave,ifthatisdesiredbytheparentalleaver.Whileweunderstandthedecisiontoleadatworkisdeeplypersonal,westrivetoremoveeveryroadblock.Weseetoomanyexamplesoftalentedwomenwhoreturn,butwhosecareersstallorgosideways.Fromourdiscussions,itisclearthatno‘silverbullet’canaddressthemyriadofchallengesaroundparentalleave.Wemustchangethepoliciesandprocessesthatdeterminethesuccessofaparentalleaveeventandaddresstheculturalblockersthatmaketheexperiencegreatorterrible.Again,supportiveandinclusiveleadersareessential.Allthisiseasiersaidthandone!Weknowwehavenotyetcrackedthecodeonpreventingparentalleavefromstoppingorstallingcareers.However,therearesomeideasandactionsthatappeartobeworking.

GetthebasicsrightApositiveparentalleaveexperience,withclearenthusiasmforawoman’sreturn,oughttobeacertainty.Countlesspeoplegoonleaveeveryyear.Itshouldbebothwell-communicatedandrunlikeclockwork.Sadly,examinationofourownorganisationsrevealedthisisnotalwaysthecase.Theremustbenoambiguityontheencouragementtoreturn.Wecan’tsaythistoooften.Andweneedtounderstandthatitishere,intheexecutionofourfoundationalleavearrangements,thatourcommitmentisdemonstrated.Thisimpliesmorethanaclean-upofpoliciesandsupportmechanisms.Weneedtofindawaytofollowthroughonthevalues,promisesandcontext-settingthatweframedastheLeadershipShadowinFigure1.Withparentalleave,whatweprioritise,measureandhowweactneedstoresonatewithwhatwesay.Thisisbecausetherealityofparentalleaveisasmucharesultofthemindsetsweallowtoflourishasitisaresultofthepackageofpoliciesweofferparents.In2010,Citiintroducedasuiteofparentalleaveprograms,policiesandprocessestoincreasereturnratesandthelevelofengagementemployeesfeltontheirreturn.Whilethereturnratesincreased,thelevelofengagementwasnotasstrongashoped.Citiidentifiedlowutilisationratesinsomeprogramsandlowlevelsofawarenessacrosstheentiresuite.Citiisnowengagingmanagersthroughoutallparentalleavetransitionswithaviewtoincreaseawareness,uptakeandsupportforbothexistingandnewprograms.Manyofushaveundertakeninitiativesacrossthelifeofparentalleavewithpromisingimprovements(Figure15).Weencourageyoutocheckyourownworkplaces.Weneedtobeparticularlyvigilanttoensurethatjobsandopportunitiesremaincurrentwhilewomenareonparentalleave.Organisationsensuretheyarecompliantwithlegalobligationsduringrestructuresanddownsizing,butparentalleaverscanoftenbeoverlookedforpromotionsanddevelopmentopportunities,andover-representedinlayoffs.OneideawelikeisforchangestotherolesofwomenonparentalleavetobemonitoredatanaggregatelevelandapprovedbytheheadofHumanResources,orrelevantseniorleader.Thisencouragesmanagerstothinktwice.ThischangewasenactedatCBA.SaysIanNarev,‘Wewanttomakesureweretainourtalentedwomenwhiletheyareonleave.Itisunderstandablethatwhenmanagersareaskedtoreducecosts,somemightlooktothepersonwhoisn’tthere.Butultimatelythatwillworkagainstbothourgenderbalancegoalsandourperformanceinthelongrun.Fornow,acentralisedmeasurewillguardagainstthis.’

BuildenvironmentswhereparentsandcarersthriveEnsuringthatparentsthriveaftertheirreturnfromlong-termleaverequiresactivecommitmentfrommanagers.Itinvolvesencouragingwomentopickupwheretheyleftoffintheircareerprogression.Wealsoneedtorecognisethatifnowisnottherighttimeforthem,itdoesn’tnecessarilyfollowthatitwillneverbeso.CBArecentlyintroducedparentalleavereturnworkshopsforemployeesandtheirmanagers.Theseworkshopsdeepentheconversation,bringingwomenandmanagerstogethertodevelopasustainableramp-upplan.Suchworkshopsshouldbestandardprocedure.AtTelstra,DavidThodeyisusingthepowerofasimplereminder.Eachmanagerreceivesanemailfromtheirgroupheadremindingthemthatadirectreportissoontocomeback,andthattheyareexpectedtoensurethatpersonhasapositivereturn,emphasisingtheresourcesavailabletosupport.Someofusworrythatcareerdecelerationisaresultof‘outofsight,outofmind.’Toaddressthis,AndrewStevensofIBMhasintroducedanewinitiativewherewomenonparentalleaveareincludedineachbusinessunit’smonthlyDevelopmentandOpportunityReview.Thisencouragesmanagerstotakeownershipforstayingconnectedwithwomenonleavetoensure


Figure15.Policies,processesandmindsetsacrosstheparentalleavecyclePhaseofparentalleave

1 2 3 4Preparingforleave Stayingconnected Reintegration Careeracceleration

Standardexpectation

Leaveandreturnshouldbeclearlyplannedout,appropriatelysettingexpectationsforbothemployeesandmanagers

Parentsshouldfeelconnectedtotheorganisationduringleaveandtheencouragementtoreturnshouldbeclear

Parentsshouldbeabletopickupwheretheyleftoff,whilebeingabletobalanceworkandfamilycommitments

Careerplanninganddevelopmentopportunitiesmadeavailable–placingreturningparentsonsamesuccessfulcareertrajectoryasallotheremployees

Mechanismtosupport

Managerandemployeechecklists;discuss‘stayingintouch’expectations;planexpectedreturndates

Formalcatch-updatesthatarenotcancelled;accesstolaptopandmobile;inclusionindevelopmentreviews;businessupdatenewsletters

Returntoworkworkshopsandseminars;flexibleworkingoptions;childcareservices

Careerplanning;sustainableflexibleprogram;removalofanyunconsciousorsystemicbias

Mindsetsthatneedchallenging

‘Oh,you’repregnant!Youmustbesteppingbackfromyourcareerforawhile

‘Shewon’twanttobebotheredwithwhat’shappeninginthebusinessduringleave’

‘Haveyouhadagoodholiday?’

‘Shewon’twantthatopportunity,andIdon’twanttoloadmoreworkonherwhenshealreadyhasafamilytobalance’

Organisation

Initiative PhaseimpactedbyinitiativedescribedOrganisations’parentalleaveinitiativesarenotlimitedtophaseshighlighted

ANZ Childcareallowance.Introduceda$4,000childcareallowanceforallreturningparents.Positivefeedbackthatparentalleaversfeltthebanksupportsthemreturningandunderstandssomeofthepressures.Returnratesincreasedfrom67%to89%between2010and2013

3

CBA Onlineportal&resources.Consolidatedpoliciesandtoolkitsintoahightrafficportal.Changedtoneoflanguagefrombureaucraticanddetachedtocongratulatorye.g.removedthesystemclassificationofparentsonleaveas‘overquota,unattached’

1 2 3

Citi Managerengagement.Activelyengagedmanagersthroughlifeofleave.Usedregulatorydays(paiddaysofworkwithinparentalleaveperiod,createdintheParentalLeaveAct2010)tobringparentsuptospeedandeasetransitions.Returnratesrosefrom50%to80%from2009to2013

1 2 3

Deloitte

Transitionalcoaching.Findingpoorretentioninthe24-36monthspostparentalleave,Deloitteestablishedaone-on-onecustomisedserviceforindividualspreparingtoreturntowork.Recognisedindividualneedsandcircumstancesvary.Coachinginvolvesteamandclients

3

IBM Developmentreviews.Parentsonleaveareincludedinmonthly‘DevelopmentandOpportunityReviews’toensurecareerplansareunderstoodandtoidentifyopportunitiestoreignitecareerplansuponreturn

2 4

KPMG Casemanagement.Currentlymovingfrommanagingparentalleaveasaseriesofindividualtaskstoacasemanagementapproach.Asinglecontactandpointofaccountabilitywillcreateanimprovedconnectionwitheachparentandleverageanalreadyhighreturnrateof93%

1 2 3

Qantas Careercoaching.Parents@Qantaspilotprogramhasestablishedacareercoachingserviceincludinginformationportalandseminars.Leveraginganalreadyhighreturnrate(97%)tomaintaincareermomentum

1 2 3 4

Telstra Integratedsupport.Tomaintainreturnratesof92%,Telstrahaveinstitutedcoachingsessionsforparents,“StayingConnectedGuide”forbefore,duringandafterleave,Webexsessionsformanagersontheirrole,SMS/e-mailalertsaboutstayingintouch

1 2 3


thatcareerplansareunderstoodandencouraged,andtoidentifyopportunitiesfortheirreturn.Additionally,parentalleaversareincludedinIBM’sannualsalaryreviewprogram.Importantly,eachparentandparentalleaveeventisdifferent.Onesizedoesnotfitall.However,wehavefoundsuccessstoriestohavearecurringtheme;theorganisationasksthewomaninquestion,‘whatdoyouneedtomakethiswork?’andthenworkstomakethatareality.Weknowwewillhavesucceededwhenparentalleaveisaspecialtimeforfamiliesandanunremarkableabsencefromtheworkplace,whichoccursaspartofalargeproportionoflong-termandsuccessfulcareers.Thisisstilltoofaroffformost,ifnotallofus.Wewillcontinue,however,tomakethisafocusinourorganisations.

Supportanexpansivereviewofcaring,includingchildcareoptionsWehearfromouremployeesoverandagainthatchildcareisamajorchallengeinpursuingtheircareersandleadershipambitions.Somesaythatcurrentchildcareoptionsmakecontinuousemploymentalmostimpossible.Manyparentssaytheycanmanagetheday-to-dayjuggle,butreconciling12weeksofschoolholidaysperyearwithfourweeksofannualleaveforcesmany–oftenwomen–outoftheworkforce,ortoreducedroles.Anaspirationwesharewithmanyisthatparentshaveaccesstoquality,affordableandflexiblechildcarechoices–fromearlyyearstosecondaryschool.Butweknowthisisfarfromthereality.Thisissueismorecomplex,multi-facetedandmultisectoralthanweimagined.Interventionsforchildcaresuchasonsitecentresandflexibleworkingarrangementsgosomewaytohelpingemployees.However,thefullspectrumofchildhoodmustbeaddressed–beforeandafterschoolandduringschoolholidays.Thisisasystem-widechallengeandweunderstandthatthereareimplicationsforcaringbeyondchildcare.TheprivatesectororganisationsinourgroupbelievetheProductivityCommissionReviewunderconsiderationisarobust,pragmaticandmuchneedednextstep.Welookforwardtocontributingandweencourageotherleaderstogivevoicetothecaringchallengesfacedbypeopleinyourbusinessaspartofthisprocess.

‘Ourchallengeisthatwehavehadarigidprogressiontimelinethatclasheswiththetimethatwomenoftenhavechildren.Onethingthathashelpediscreatingavocabularyabouton-rampsandoff-rampsaroundparentalleavetoresetexpectationsaboutwhatsuccesslookslikerelativetouninterruptedcareers.’

MichaelRennie,McKinsey&Company


[IMAGE:Interlinked‘molecule’diagramofalliconsfor‘actionstoconsider’]

DevelopedbyMaleChampionsofChangeAustralia,2013


Wheretofromhere…?Wehaveabiasforaction.Ourfocusisnowsquarelyonleadingandachievingchangewithinourorganisations,andcollectivelywhererequired.Weareusingtheapproachsetoutinthisletterasourguide.Weknowthatnoonesizefitsallandevenbetweenourownbusinessunitswehaveneededtoadaptourapproach.Weknowthattherewillbefuturehurdles,butthatnottoactistoacceptthecurrentstate–whichwearenotwillingtodo.Wetrustthattheconcreteproposalswehavesharedcanbeadoptedinwholeorselectivelybymanyothers.Wewelcomethewidedistributionofthisletterandtheideasandcasestudieswithin.Wetrusttheyhelptobuildmomentumandcreateinspirationforleadersatalllevels–inprivateandpublicsectororganisations–whoareintentonadvancingmorewomenintoleadershipandcapturingthediversityadvantage.


TheMaleChampionsofChangewouldliketothankthefollowingwhocontinuetoassistusaswedeepenourknowledgeofgenderbalanceandlookforactionstoimplement:AvivahWittenbergCox,TheAustralianHumanRightsCommission,AustralianWomenChamberofCommerceandIndustry,Catalyst,ChiefExecutiveWomen,DiversityCouncilAustralia,FinancialServicesInstituteofAustralasia(FINSIA),WEConnect,WomenonBoards,WorkplaceGenderEqualityAgency(WGEA)andthegroupofwomenwhodevelopedthe50/50,IfNot,WhyNot?initiative.WethankMcKinsey&CompanywhohavesupportedtheMCCprobonosince2011.Thishasincludedhelpingwriteboththisandourfirstletterandprovidingongoingcounsel.ThankyoutoKPMGforsupportingourfocusgroupsprobonoin2012.WealsothankJanetMenzies,oftheMCCSecretariat,forherleadership.


Elevatingwomen’srepresentationinleadership–ajourneyInour2011letterweidentifieda3-phasejourneyorganisationstendtogothrough.Thesetofactionswehavebeenworkingonwillhelpusprogresstocapturethediversityadvantage.Ourfull2011letterisavailableatwww.humanrights.gov.au/male-champions-change.Sourceofimpact Phase1 Phase2 Phase3 Gettinginthegame Gettingserious Capturingthediversity

advantage Webecomeawareofthe

issueandbuildconvictiontoact

Wearegoodatidentifyingbarriersandinterveningtooffsettheirimpact

DiversityisapartofourDNA.It’sthewaywedothings

Leadershipculture • Surfacebarriersandbiases

• Developinclusiveleaderswhoharnesstalent

• Weedoutentrenchedbiases

• Takeflexibilityfrommarginaltomainstream

CEO/Seniorleadershipcommitment

• Getunderthenumbers

• Setupadiversitycouncil

• Makeitpersonal

• Maketheleadershipteamthediversitycouncil

• Signalchangewiththeappointmentofwomentokeyroles

• ShiftfromdiversitymathstomeasuringandmanagingKPIs

Skill-buildingandcollectiveenablers

• Ensurewell-functioningwomen’sskill-buildingandnetworks

• Ensurehygienefactorsareinplace

• Interveneontalent- Zero-inontop

talentpoolsandhighperformerprograms

- Betmoreonleadershipintrinsicsinappointments

- Transitiontosponsorship,notmentorship

- Ensureyourattractionengineisdelivering

Centreofgravity HR SeniorLeadership Wholesystem

Impact Lowimpactdespiteinvestments

Goodprogressbeforeplateauing

Impactisonbusinessperformancenotjustgenderrepresentation

Risks Over-programmingandlipservice

Perceivedoractualviolationofmeritocracy

Executionriskandmindsetstooentrenched


Acceleratingtheadvancementofwomeninleadership:Listening,Learning,LeadingMaleChampionsofChange2013©AustralianHumanRightsCommission2013.Allmaterialsprovidedinthispublicationwiththeexceptionofimagesandlogos,areprovidedunderaCreativeCommonsAttribution3.0Australia(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en)licence.Fortheadvocateofdoubtthismeansthislicenceonlyappliestomaterialassetoutinthisdocument.ThedetailsoftherelevantlicenceconditionsareavailableontheCreativeCommonswebsite(accessibleusingthelinksprovided)asisthefulllegalcodefortheCCBY3.0AUlicence(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode).ISBN978-1-921449-48-2ThispublicationcanbefoundinelectronicformatontheAustralianHumanRightsCommission’swebsiteat:www.humanrights.gov.au/male-champions-changeThisletterisaninitiativeoftheMaleChampionsofChangewhichisconvenedbyElizabethBroderick,SexDiscriminationCommissioner,AustralianHumanRightsCommissionImagecredits:Page11:Qantas,BrettWinstonePage12-13:CBA,NicLongPhotographyPage28:KPMG,RobHendersonPage30-31:CourtesyofTheDepartmentofDefencePage36-37:McKinsey&Company,ValTitovPage40-41:MCC,NicLongPhotographyIconsdesignedbyElmwood.ReportdesignbyMcKinsey&Company.ThankyoualsotoDonaldSimpson.

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