By Leona Kolla

Does your business strategy capitalize on gender brain science to achieve increased return on investment?

Dr. Roy Adler’s ground-breaking longitudinal research demonstrates that women in the executive suite correlate to higher profit. Research by McKinsey and Company, Catalyst and the Conference Board of Canada reinforces Dr. Adler’s findings and adds further data that gender diversity on Boards also contributes to higher returns. And, brain science research demonstrates the value of masculine and feminine differences in the workplace. We’ve come a long way in recognizing the unique contributions and value of both genders to success in the workplace. 

But awareness is only the first step. To capitalize on these differences within your organization, you need to think strategically and plan for the future.

A. Apply gender brain science to capitalize on masculine and feminine differences.
Why?  Because when we open our thinking to science-based insights about gender, we gain gender intelligence that can lead to balanced and authentic leadership for both men and women, a healthier work environment and better results. A first step is to ensure that gender intelligence abounds within your organization, especially within all levels of management because this group drives talent selection and development.

B. Put gender intelligence to work immediately. 
Here’s one example:  Business success depends in part on the organization’s ability to negotiate deals.  The science of gender and negotiating shows distinct differences between men and women.  Women pick up more sensory cues and more facial cues to what others are thinking and feeling.  Men can go for the jugular more quickly and push more aggressively for outcomes.  Being smart about putting together the “right” negotiating team for the circumstance and applying gender intelligence in the same way you apply emotional intelligence will positively impact the outcome.

C. Develop short- and long-term strategies to apply best practices for achieving gender diversity in your organization and to make the transition from awareness to implementation of real change. 
And please note: simply setting quotas to create gender balance is not a best practice.  Here’s what McKinsey and Company say are best practices in their report Women Matter: Gender Diversity an Important Corporate Performance Driver (Oct 2007):

1. Create transparency by setting and tracking gender diversity Key Performance Indicators (KPI). 
2. Implement measures to facilitate work-life balance for women and men.  Both men and women want this. Without increased flexibility related to career management and work hours, significant improvement will be sacrificed.  There’s one thing that will never change – women have the babies (but not without “help” from men).   
3. Adapt the human resource management process to ensure systems do not hold women back.   
4. Help women master the dominant company codes and nurture their ambition enabling them to manage their careers in a male-centric environment.  Here’s where leadership development specific to women, as well as coaching, mentoring and network-building are key. 
5. Understand the pivotal role of the CEO and capitalize on it.  The change program must be set up as a transformation initiative and be driven by top management, led by the CEO.

If you think your organization is doing just fine related to gender balance and that your diversity strategy is on solid footing, you may want to think again.  In a 2009 study (Cascading Gender Biases, Compounding Effects: An Assessment of Talent Management Systems), Catalyst “found that core components of talent management are linked in ways that disadvantage women, creating a vicious cycle in which men continually dominate executive positions.” 

Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, gender bias not only continues to be an individual challenge, but a systemic issue.  Human resource management systems in many organizations were developed under a different paradigm and need to be examined if the organization is committed to achieving gender balance in its executive ranks.  The Catalyst study affirms the unintended consequences of not doing so.  (Also of note, Catalyst offers to members the Catalyst Gender Stereotype Risk Assessment Toolkit (SRAT) that enables users to assess for the risk of gender stereotyping in corporate business units.)

Why do you need to consider acting on this right now?  In the past 10 years you have no doubt heard much about the war for talent.  In the future, this might be better described as the war for employees.  Given the economic downturn, some organizations may not be experiencing this to the extent they will.  With an aging population and lower birth rates, Canada and most developed nations are heading in the direction of worker shortages.  Women present a sizeable, underutilized talented workforce that is right at your doorstep.  With strong HR leadership and adjustments to corporate systems, policies and approaches along with executive sponsorship and commitment, your organization can be preparing itself for this future.

Ask yourself – am I, as an HR leader, thinking strategically and equipping my organization for long-term sustainability?  Where do I need to focus my energy to create transformational change?

Leona Kolla is presenting Leadership – The ROL of Gender Balanced Executive Teams online January 28, 2011. For more information on this and other professional development opportunities, please refer to BC HRMA’s online calendar.  

Leona Kolla, an executive coach, organizational development consultant and an accomplished executive leader in her own right, is practice lead for Tekara Organizational Effectiveness Inc.’s women’s leadership strategies and products.  Tekara works in partnership with organizations to develop strategies and initiatives to capitalize on gender balance as a competitive advantage.