news from everywoman and our partners, coupled with the ... · • a masterclass in charisma:...

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BL KEEPING EMPLOYEES MOTIVATED OUR MEMBERS ON MENTORING News from everywoman and our partners, coupled with the latest thinking from the world of leadership and diversity WHAT'S NEW AT EVERYWOMAN? THE POWER OF EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY LEADERS SHARE THEIR BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS 11 TAKE A LOOK AT OUR EVENTS, AWARDS, ACADEMIES AND MORE April 2016

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Page 1: News from everywoman and our partners, coupled with the ... · • A masterclass in charisma: inside an everywoman workshop • Technology leaders share their blueprints for success

BLKEEPING EMPLOYEES

MOTIVATED

OUR MEMBERS ON

MENTORING

News from everywoman and our partners, coupled with the latest thinking from the world

of leadership and diversity

WHAT'S NEW AT

EVERYWOMAN?

THE POWER OF

EDUCATION

TECHNOLOGY LEADERS

SHARE THEIR BLUEPRINT

FOR SUCCESS

11

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR

EVENTS, AWARDS,

ACADEMIES AND MORE

April 2016

Page 2: News from everywoman and our partners, coupled with the ... · • A masterclass in charisma: inside an everywoman workshop • Technology leaders share their blueprints for success

Welcome to UPDATEAs the first quarter comes to an end, we are so proud of what the everywoman team has accomplished so far in 2016.

In February alone we had the pleasure of hosting an everywomanClub event, both the everywoman Forum and the FDM everywoman in Technology Awards, and kick-starting our search for the most talented women in transport, logistics and retail. You can find out more about 2016’s awards and programmes on page 13.

Despite efforts to engage girls and women with STEM, the number of women in technology still remains low and men continue to dominate the industry, making up a hefty 84%, according to Computer Weekly and Mortimer Spink's Technology Industry Survey.

Parity at the top is an even bigger issue. In the UK just one in ten IT directors are women and similar figures are echoed across STEM: of the 7 million people in Europe working in technology, only 30% are women. Tackling this widespread problem may seem like a huge task, but initiatives

like the everywoman Forum: Advancing Women in Technology and the 2016 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards taking place that every same evening, are the spurs we need to encourage women and girls to see technology as the innovative, creative and life-changing industry it really is. It was an exhausting feat, but we are certain it is a day we’ll remember for many years to come.

We also had the chance to meet Ireland’s longest-serving female politician at our last everywomanClub event. Like all of our everywomanClub members, Mary Harney is hungry for change, and optimistic about what we can accomplish when women are on equal footing with men. In this edition of UPDATE you can read more about the gathering at Grace Belgravia, as well as:

• Our members on mentoring• A masterclass in charisma: inside

an everywoman workshop• Technology leaders share their

blueprints for success

Finally, we’d like to welcome ARM to the everywoman community.

Maxine Benson MBEFounder everywoman

Karen Gill MBEFounder everywoman Page 1

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We’re thrilled to announce we now have more than 18,000 members spread across 94 countries. With such a diverse community, we like to explore what’s on the mind of women in business. In light of our member polls in our live webinars, we know how engaged they are in the workplace, their motivators, and most recently we learned what mentoring means to them.

In our latest webinar, International Women's Day: Pledge for Parity, 71% of everywomanNetwork members told us they see mentoring as a way to open up new doors.

The benefits of peer support for women and

men in the workplace is obvious, not just for mentors but mentees too. A mentee can benefit from the fresh ideas of emerging talent, meanwhile a bourgeoning but doubtful junior-manager can get to grips with asserting themselves: it’s a win-win.

While mentors are increasingly seen as the cornerstone to building a successful career, the

benefits to their employers are equally fruitful. “To retain skilled employees and develop future leaders, it’s critical to understand employee career objectives and align them with organizational goals. Opportunity for learning and development is a top driver of engagement, and is more important than leadership, culture, and compensation,” say global

career experts, Right Management.

Company-wide mentoring can alleviate the decline of employee engagement with a simple solution: it’s also low-cost. By fostering a culture of personal growth and support among colleagues, you are more likely to retain talent; they will feel valued, while learning practical and soft-skills to increase the company’s bottom line.

By transferring skills top down, companies can also pass on learning throughout the whole organisation. They say knowledge is power, so much so that reverse mentoring is also growing in popularity. Now an intern can share expertise with a CEO, much the benefit of both parties taking part and the company itself.

If you are a member of the everywomanNetwork, you can log in and access recorded versions of the International Women's Day webinar on www.everywoman.com.

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If you’re not yet a member and would like more information about becoming a corporate partner, please contact [email protected].

Our Members on Mentoring

Page 4: News from everywoman and our partners, coupled with the ... · • A masterclass in charisma: inside an everywoman workshop • Technology leaders share their blueprints for success

Mary Harney speaks up about the need for more women to shape the future as politicians and play a part in making vital socio-economic decisions. The answer, she says, lies in education. By empowering girls in school and university, we can give them the voice they need to lead.

At our last everywomanClub event, we were delighted to spend an evening with Mary Harney, Ireland’s longest-serving female politician. As well as serving as the Tánaiste – the second-most senior figure in government in Ireland – Mary was Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997 to 2004, before becoming Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011.

As the first female Auditor of the College Historical Society at Trinity College Dublin, Mary Harney studied economics before embarking on a career in politics. While the gender gap wasn’t immediately apparent to her – as a woman in her twenties, she was more concerned with the age gap between her and her fellow politicians – Mary is keen to address the need for women to be involved in decision-making processes in governments throughout the world.

“The biggest decisions that affect all our lives are made by governments,” she said. “They discuss, they analyse, they make decisions, and they execute them; and women’s voices are usually absent from the discussion. Women are also absent from negotiations and conflict resolution discussions.”

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THE POWER OF EDUCATION

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It’s these discussions, Mary explained, that have the power to make a difference in the world. There are millions of women across the world who are unschooled, uneducated, and dealing with violence, simply because of their gender.

By giving women the confidence to raise their voice, through the power of education, the conversations in governments will be far less one-sided – and issues like this will be addressed much more quickly.

“My parents were determined to give me a good education,” Mary said. “That gave me confidence throughout my life. I’ve met many successful women, very well educated women, and the one thing they sometimes lack is confidence, because they never went to university.”

“The one thing that I remember from my university days it that it instilled confidence in me”

Now, she wants to instil confidence in others to make a

positive change in society, allowing women to reach the high echelons of government – to allow their voices to be heard.

“I’m a strong fan of empowering women and ensuring they reach their potential,” she said. “Nowhere is that more lacking than in the world of politics.”

It’s a sentiment which certainly rings true for our everywomanClub members, all senior women in business who act as role models and share their wisdom with women coming up behind them on the everywomanNetwork.

She added: “Without the contribution of women, we are trying to run on half a tank. In today’s society, the pace of change is so quick, but the one thing that isn’t changing fast enough is the capacity of women in our organisations to move up the ladder. We have far too few women in the boardroom.”

“If men – or indeed, women – are making decisions alone, that decision-making is lacking

because it doesn’t have the wider perspective.”

“We have to nudge people in the right direction to change. It’s through these little nudges that change comes – slowly. In order to change cultures in organisations, we have to work with the people within to make them try and get to the top, and work with the people at the top too.”

It's just one of the reasons we’re proud to be partners of the Modern Muse initiative, the not-for-profit enterprise that will introduce successful women to girls all over the world.

The new website shows girls the exciting possibilities in the world of work and business, opening their eyes to roles in STEM, entrepreneurship and beyond. Here, girls will discover the value of education to the biochemical engineer, politician, web designer, journalist and thousands of women that are coming forward to be counted as Modern Muses.

If your organisation would like to be a part of the Modern Muse initiative and show girls the value of education, please visit www.modernmuse.org.

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It was the largest event of its kind in Europe, attended byover 600 women in technology from across the world, presided over by key players from the most exciting and changeable industry of our times. The second annual everywoman Forum: Advancing Women in Technology saw thought-leaders share their advice for the sector and its soon-to-be leaders.

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TECHNOLOGYLEADERSSHARE THEIRBLUEPRINTFOR SUCCESS

Page 7: News from everywoman and our partners, coupled with the ... · • A masterclass in charisma: inside an everywoman workshop • Technology leaders share their blueprints for success

we’ve got a more gender-balanced workforce.”

Fujitsu Chairman UK & Ireland, Michael Keegan, also has a strong message for those “alpha males” who haven’t yet got on the page with gender diversity: “Wake up. This is a really important issue. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, though by the way it is. It’s important because all of the research shows conclusively that diverse businesses are more in touch with customers, better

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"Alpha males need to get on the page."

“It must be wrong that the technology sector – a sector that’s so important for our economy, that touches every other sector and is only going to become more and more important in our lives – has a low percentage of women. There’s no silver bullet. This is a long road we’re all on. And it must be encumbered on all leaders to do something about it…step by step, quarter by quarter, until

connected to their workforces, take better decisions and generate better returns for shareholders.”

Fujitsu, Keegan revealed, is taking a three-pillared approach to low female inclusivity: promoting its high-ranking females as inspirational role models, rolling out an unconscious bias training programme, and building support networks for women across the organisation and the industry as a whole.

At Cisco, gender parity is being led from the top: “The changes [our new CEO, Chuck Robbins] has made to the leadership team are incredible: nearly 50% female, with women in positions such as Chief Operational Officer and Chief Financial Officer,” said Chief Technology Officer Dr Alison Vincent. “That’s a fantastic example of leading from the front, which is having huge, fantastic ripple effects across the organisation.”

"Alpha malesneed to geton the page"MICHAEL KEEGAN Fujitsu Chairman UK & Ireland

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Dr Vincent urged our delegates to remember this Oscar Wilde quote, which, for her, is what ‘The art of being memorable’ – one of our panel discussions – is all about. “Personal brand is an important aspect and I’ll share with you mine: Intelligence. Empathetic listening. And fun. I think those three things sum up who I am and how I come across,” she revealed.

“If you’re struggling to come up with your own – ask someone close to you; ask your son or daughter – they’ll certainly tell you! And then reflect that back to your colleagues in terms of ‘Do these three words really sum up my uniqueness and the value I bring to this role?’”

For Jacqueline de Rojas, Citrix Systems UK’s VP & General Manager in Northern Europe, this

was a lesson she learned late: “You don’t have to be an ‘alphazilla’. I behaved like that when I was younger, probably because I was working in a male-dominated environment,” she said. “As I’ve matured, I leave fewer ‘dead bodies’ behind in my pursuit for success!”

“I ask for honest feedback regularly through 360 assessments. One great thing to do is ask people to tell you, anonymously, three words that they think describe you best. And you’ll learn even more if you ask them to give three words that describe the gaps in where you are.”

SeenIt Founder Emily Forbes also learned the value of personal brand through her early entrepreneurial endeavours: “It isn’t something I focussed on as much as I should have done [until] I realised people were putting me in a box. So I started talking more about my values, and the more honest I was, the more people came forward and shared insights that propelled me forward.”

After we opened the Forum with the key message that some of the biggest advances in business and technology can stem from the smallest steps taken, our panellists agreed that some of the propellers in their own careers hailed from everyday decisions.

For Co-founder Alex Depledge, what enabled Hassle.com’s technology platform – sold in 2015

for a reported €32million – was a book purchase which saw her partner Jules Coleman take to her bedroom for a month and learn to code.

Barclays’ Managing Director, Head of Strategic Investments, Andrew Challis, urged the audience to stick their hands up at every possibility: “When you see an opportunity, a gap, a way of doing something better – step up and do it. It’s a misnomer to think you’re anonymous in big companies and you can’t influence [but] the opportunity is even bigger there,” he insisted.

“Just take my role at Barclays. We didn’t have that function six years ago, but I recognised that we needed it. If it’s something you’re personally interested in, take a chance.”

"Be yourself;everyone elseis taken"

"SMALL STEPS EQUAL BIG CHANGES"

OSCAR WILDE

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"It's not that cold in the water; why don't you get in?"HELEN ADAMSVice President of Sales, Europe & Asia at ARM Holdings

Sometimes, small changes come from within, as was the case with Helen Adams, Vice President of Sales, Europe & Asia at ARM Holdings. “A small step is to be brave. It’s quite intimidating to sit in a room as the only woman – something that happens weekly for me. You have to be brave, encounter hostility and recognise that it’s not personal; it’s about business.”

For entrepreneurs and corporate stars alike, fear of failure must be overcome if you’re going to make a splash in a crowded pond, agreed our leaders.

“We need to stop worrying about what people think of us, about not making that next promotion, about moving jobs,” urged Depledge. “As a former hiring CEO, you’ve no idea how hard it is to find talent…

so if you’re thinking about putting your neck out there, or telling your boss that they’re doing it wrong and there’s a better way…now is the time to do it. Leap and the net will appear,” she said.

Like 70% of women who start their own enterprises in the sector, Emily Forbes had no previous experience. “I didn’t know tech and I hadn’t done business before

[so] I was getting so much advice I was losing my confidence to make my own decisions,” she admitted.

“If you take somebody’s advice and you fail, you’ll probably blame them; go with your gut and you’ll own your own failure. That builds confidence.”

To discover how you and your business can be part of our portfolio of industry events, contact [email protected].

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KEEPING EMPLOYEESMOTIVATED: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE ARTWhat drives you to be “continually interested and committed to a job, or to make an effort to attain a goal”? The answer is likely as complex as it is susceptible to change. But that hasn’t stopped mankind – from the early philosophers to the fathers of psychology to modern economists – trying to figure out the key to motivation. And with good reason: research shows a direct link between engaged workforces and profitability.

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are for a small fee – the monetary transaction implies ‘work’, whereas donating time enables greater personal satisfaction. In another study, subjects given a puzzle for fun solved it quicker, while demonstrating more ingenuity, than a control group promised a cash reward. Along with the need to make a living, employees desire enjoyment

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Born in 1856, mechanical engineer Frederick Taylor was one of the original management consultants. His presumption that financial rewards are the most important motivators led to the manufacturing industry’s adoption of ‘piece work’, whereby productivity is encouraged through payment in accordance with how much units workers produce.

Taylor’s principles are still evident in performance-related bonus schemes, but, clearly, such ‘extrinsic motivators’ are only part of the picture. Lawyers, a study showed, are more willing to provide legal services to low income persons for free, than they

and accomplishment (‘intrinsic motivators’).

So it was then in the 1930s, founder of the Human Relations movement, Elton Mayo became an early pioneer of workplace wellbeing. He showed a causal relationship between caring employers and employee productivity. Working in harmonious teams, he theorised, was the

key to organisational success – a belief upheld by a 2014 Stanford University study, which found that even when working in isolation, participants demonstrate greater persistence, interest, enthusiasm, focus and, ultimately, better outcomes, when told that unnamed ‘others’ share their set task or goal.

Money and good treatment are good motivators: so far, so obvious. But Abraham Maslow’s 1943 Theory of Human Motivation was to complicate matters. He proposed that human beings have a ‘hierarchy of needs’. At the bottom of this triangle are those ‘basic needs’ essential to survival – the food, shelter and clothing our salaries provide.

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Self-Actualization

Esteem Needs

Social Needs

Safety Needs

Basic Needs

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Next comes ‘safety’ – in workplace terms, a sense of an employer’s duty of care or job security. Once this layer is achieved, individuals, Maslow said, aspire to fulfil their ‘social needs’ through good working relationships. With these bonds in place, workers are motivated by ‘esteem’ (a recent survey by Argos for Business to support Employee Motivation Day found that verbal recognition from a peer ranked up to 30% higher as a motivating factor than performance-related bonuses – particularly for millennials). Finally, at the very top of the triangle, lies ‘self-actualisation’, the fulfilment of one’s talents or potential.

Both Mayo’s and Maslow’s principles are apparent in the rewards systems of everywoman partners across the world – including Virgin Media and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

“Virgin Media uses a variety of [Mayo’s] strategies to recognise the achievements of its employees,” writes The Times 100 Business Case Studies series on motivation. “One method used is its [Net Promoter Score] Hero Championship scheme where employees receive a

personalised letter congratulating them on a perfect 10 score. [And the] successful online peer to peer recognition scheme, SHOUT, provides a simple way by which individuals right across the business can be thanked.”

At RBS, as reported by The Times’ series, Maslow’s theory can be seen in the “[provision of] 'self actualisation' [and ‘esteem’] by offering recognition, promotion opportunities and the chance to develop a lifelong career.”

Personalised training, internal promotion opportunities and a range of flexible benefits (from student loan payoffs to retirement planning) are available for each of its 140,000 people.

However, Maslow’s checklist isn’t the final word in motivation. In 1968, psychologist Frederick Herzberg published his ‘Motivator-Hygiene Theory’. He argued that ‘motivators’ (like competitive

salaries and promotional opportunities) are only effective in the absence of ‘dissatisfiers’ such as excessive bureaucracy, an autocratic hierarchy or over-burdening of staff. These ‘hygiene factors’ he stated, must be minimised, in order for ‘motivators’ to take full effect.

Such dissatisfiers are ultimately the prerogative of the individual. Small wonder then that the quest for strong employee engagement is an ever-evolving challenge for

MASLOW'SHIERARCHYOF NEEDS

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off the charts: 2,428 employees (or ‘associates’ as they’re called) have worked at the supermarket for over 30 years – the average store manager is with the company for 25.1 years. All of which amounts to a staff turnover of 5%, against the US retail industry average of 65%.

So what’s Publix’ secret? Firm ticks against both Taylor’s ‘money is everything’ and Mayo’s teamwork principle come in the form of quarterly dividends paid out to all members of staff (those who can’t afford to buy stocks, are simply

gifted them). As one employee puts it: “The more successful [the store] is; the more money goes into our pocket.”

And Maslow would no doubt be convinced by Publix’ commitment to ‘self-actualisation’ for its employees. College degrees are paid for and promotional opportunities awarded principally to existing staff members – close to 100% of its management team started out as entry-level store workers. “You can do whatever you want in this company,” says Todd

the HR department. Though not so much, it seems, for the US supermarket chain Publix, whose approach to culture has seen it occupy a place on Fortune’s ‘100 best companies to work for’ list every year for the past 19.

Publix hasn’t laid off an employee in its 86-year history. While competitors struggled through economic downturn, Publix opened an average 24 new stores each year since 2005 and turned over $30.6 billion in 2014 revenue alone. And its retention rates are

Jones, who started as a grocery bagger 36 years ago and in May 2016 will become CEO. Publix paid for his Harvard Business School studies.

Shauna Lawless – an in-store bakery worker – declares her workplace her “favourite place to be”. What does it all boil down to? As one store manager, Alex Veith puts it: “We treat our associates as the most valuable asset that we have.”

“We treat our associates as the most valuable asset that we have.” ALEX VEITHStore Manager, Publix

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LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENTLeading-edge companies know that gender-balanced groups perform at a higher level. Studies reveal that organisations with inclusive leaders are ‘70% more likely to report capturing new markets and increasing market share.’*

Despite this, many organisations struggle to engage key stakeholders and influencers in their drive for greater diversity and to make headway in their quest for change.

everywoman’s ‘3 focus’ strategy drives this change at all levels. It supports companies to communicate the benefits of diversity across the business and drive higher performance though inclusivity.

To find out more contact Kate Farrow at [email protected], or 020 7981 2574.

2016 FTA EVERYWOMAN IN TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS AWARDS 26 May 2016 London Hilton, Park Lane

www.everywoman.com/events

TO VIEW ALL OF OUR EVENTS GO TO...

EVENTS NOMINATIONS OPEN

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AWARDS

The 2016 FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards celebrate successful women in the transport and logistics industry. Now in their ninth year, the awards showcase role models that have made an outstanding contribution to the industry or are demonstrating drive and ambition.

We have only a few tickets and tables remaining, so book your place soon to join us at the sparkling award ceremony on 26 May 2016.

*Maximising women’s contribution to future economic growth: Two years on (Women’s Business Council: 2015)

2016 NATWEST EVERYWOMAN AWARDS The NatWest everywoman Awards recognises the achievements of Britain’s most ambitious and talented entrepreneurs. If you know a businesswoman who’s deserving of the prestigious accolade, nominations open on Monday 11 April. We also welcome self-nominations.

2016 WORLDPAY EVERYWOMAN IN RETAILAMBASSADORS PROGRAMME The Worldpay everywoman in Retail Ambassadors Programme brings to light outstanding woman in retail who are going above and beyond in their roles, from the shop floor to the boardroom. Nominations for the Programme close for nominations on Monday 9 May.

To find out more about how your organisation can get involved in sponsoring our awards programmes, contact Seema on 020 7981 2579 or [email protected].

Prepare for a fascinating evening at our latest everywomanClub event, as Linda Miller recalls her career in the engineering industry. Currently the Project Manager for Crossrail, known as Europe’s largest infrastructure project, Linda is now on a mission to make the engineering industry the first choice for young girls. Come along to EY, 1 More Place, London, on the evening of Wednesday 18 May for drinks, canapés and networking.

To book your place or find out more, please contact [email protected].

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Contact everywoman: 020 7981 2574 | Visit: www.everywoman.com

Join our growing list of everywomanNetwork corporate partners, including:

3 Brad Street, London, SE1 8TN.