5 Practices for Revitalizing Your Corporate Women’s Network Jo Miller

I HAVE SOME UNIQUE KOALAFICATIONS

Career benefits ___% of female respondents said participating in their corporate women’s ERG benefitted them & their career. 86 Source: “Employee Resource Groups For Women,” Fairy God Boss, 2017 https://fairygodboss.com/research/employee-resource-groups-women Source: “Employee Resource Groups For Women,” Fairy God Boss, 2017

Policy change ___% of respondents said their women’s ERG helped to create policy changes at work. 70 flexible schedules vacation policy mentor/sponsorship program compensation healthcare benefits. Source: “Employee Resource Groups For Women,” Fairy God Boss, 2017 https://fairygodboss.com/research/employee-resource-groups-women Source: “Employee Resource Groups For Women,” Fairy God Boss, 2017

When asked what would enhance the value of their ERG, women said more… Events & networking Influencing policies & practices Mentorship Professional development, such as workshops Source: “Employee Resource Groups For Women,” Fairy God Boss, 2017 https://fairygodboss.com/research/employee-resource-groups-women Source: “Employee Resource Groups For Women,” Fairy God Boss, 2017

Women in Lean In Circles are: More aware of the role that gender plays in the workplace More likely to ask for—and get— raises and promotions. Source: “Women in the Workplace,” McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org, 2018 https://womenintheworkplace.com/ Source: “Women in the Workplace,” McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org, 2018

Women’s forums that strike a healthy mix of social connection, support, and motivation create lasting benefits:  intellectual professional financial “Do Women’s Networking Events Move the Needle on Equality?” by Shawn Achor, Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2018/02/do-womens-networking-events-move-the-needle-on-equality#comment-section “Do Women’s Networking Events Move the Needle on Equality?” by Shawn Achor, Harvard Business Review

71% felt more connected to others. 78% felt more optimistic. 71% felt more connected to others. 2 x more likely to get promoted. 3 x more likely to get a raise of 10%+. “Do Women’s Networking Events Move the Needle on Equality?” by Shawn Achor, Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2018/02/do-womens-networking-events-move-the-needle-on-equality#comment-section “Do Women’s Networking Events Move the Needle on Equality?” by Shawn Achor, Harvard Business Review

History of women’s ERGs survive thrive drive History of women’s ERGs

Why aren’t more leaders and organizations turning to corporate women’s networks to help break down barriers, turn up engagement, and provide new insights?

The most successful companies we’ve worked with continuously improve their women’s groups just like they would a critical product or service. “Women in the Workplace,”

The #1 untapped opportunity for women’s ERGs is_____

5 Practices to Reimagine and Revitalize Your Women’s ERG

1. Become an Intelligence Engine

“The research reinforced the idea that women want to advance.” Case study https://beleaderly.com/past-performance-3/ —Ann Finkner, SVP & CAO

“Conducting such a comprehensive study does more than simply inform leaders about the experience of women. It can also further credentialize the work and membership of the network.” Case study https://beleaderly.com/past-performance-3/ —Ann Finkner, SVP & CAO

Become an Intelligence Engine Go beyond surveying women on professional development preferences Undertake a detailed study of the female experience in your organization Surface new insights on customers, products, marketing, future market conditions, etc.

What uncommon intelligence could your women’s ERG gather?

2. Build Bridges to Top Leaders

—Heather Howell, Global D&I Leader “We included our high-potential women as the interviewers and gave them the opportunity to connect with top executives one-on-one, expand their networks, and document their learnings.” http://www-03.ibm.com/employment/inclusion/downloads/advancing_women_at_IBM_study_external_final.pdf —Heather Howell, Global D&I Leader

Build Bridges to Top Leaders Find creative ways to showcase female & diverse leaders and connect them to ERG members.

How have you seen ERGs connect their members to senior leaders?

3. Bolster Executive Sponsorship

What does your ERG need? time treasure talent

“Tap into executive competitiveness “Tap into executive competitiveness. For example, if we're looking for funding, it's always much easier to get a match for funds than to ask an executive to fund something by themselves.” —Olivia Shen Green

“Demonstrate value to the executive “Demonstrate value to the executive. That can mean visibility if they're an up-and-coming leader, or, it's that they get access to leaders that they wouldn't normally run into in the course of business.” —Olivia Shen Green

Bolster Executive Sponsorship Identify ERG needs: time, treasure, talent? Give sponsors something of value Tap into execs’ competitiveness Enlist an influential, hyper-connected Chair to head a group of sponsors Assign a sponsor from outside the ERG Bolster Executive Sponsorship

What’s unique about how your ERG works with executive sponsors?

4. Turn Volunteer Roles into Stretch Opportunities

Women and minorities do more “office housework.” https://hbr.org/2018/03/for-women-and-minorities-to-get-ahead-managers-must-assign-work-fairly

“We turned committee roles into a development program for volunteers, matching opportunities to their job profiles.” “They were able to say that they’re not just in “event planning,” but learning project management, budgeting and finance skills.” —Christina Roberts Kisner, former Chair, Women’s Information Network @ Siemens, Siemens Energy, Inc. in Orlando.

Turn Volunteer Roles into Stretch Opportunities Turned committee roles into a development program Create a “stretch assignments marketplace” Ensure contributions are visible to volunteers’ management and executive sponsors Bolster Executive Sponsorship

What career-propelling volunteer opportunities can your ERG offer?

5. Enlist Sponsors, Not Just Mentors

“There is a special kind of relationship—called sponsorship—in which the mentor goes beyond giving feedback and advice and uses his or her influence with senior executives to advocate for the mentee. Our interviews and surveys alike suggest that high-potential women are overmentored and undersponsored relative to their male peers—and that they are not advancing in their organizations.” “Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women,” by Herminia Ibarra, Nancy M. Carter and Christine Silver, Harvard Business Review

“A sponsor is someone who will use their internal political and social capital to move your career forward within an organization. Behind closed doors, they will argue your case.” —Cindy Kent, Board Director, Best Buy

Only ? % of women and ? % of men employed in large companies have a sponsor. 13 19 https://hbr.org/product/the-sponsor-effect-breaking-through-the-last-glass-ceiling/ The Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling, by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Kerrie Peraino, Laura Sherbin, and Karen Sumberg, Harvard Business Review

Women who have sponsors are at least 22% more likely to ask for stretch assignments and raises. Women & men feel more satisfied with their career advancement when they have sponsors. https://hbr.org/product/the-sponsor-effect-breaking-through-the-last-glass-ceiling/ The Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling, by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Kerrie Peraino, Laura Sherbin, and Karen Sumberg, Harvard Business Review

“Among people of color, sponsorship is particularly crucial in invigorating ambition and driving engagement.” Despite high ambition and aspiration, people of color continue to be under-sponsored. Only 8% have a sponsor, compared to 13% of Caucasians. https://hbr.org/product/the-sponsor-effect-breaking-through-the-last-glass-ceiling/10428-PDF-ENG “Vaulting the Color Bar: How Sponsorship Levers Multicultural Professionals into Leadership,” Center for Talent Innovation, 2014

Structured sponsorship programs DSM moved to more objective methods for talent identification, and assigned executive sponsors to co-own the careers of diverse top talent. Unilever looked at high-potentials’ needs for development, matching them to sponsors who were strong in those areas and sat on the promotion committee. IBM held sponsors accountable for preparing hi-po program participants for promotion within one year. “Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women,” Harvard Business Review, September 2010 “Sponsorship Has More Promise for Executive Diversity Than Mentorship,” Entrepreneur, May 27, 2016

5 Practices Become an Intelligence Engine Build Bridges to Top Leaders Bolster Executive Sponsorship Turn Volunteer Roles into Stretch Opportunities Enlist Sponsors, Not Just Mentors

What’s one new idea you’d be willing to try, to add value to your women’s ERG?

Sally hogshead quote…