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inc column

May 26, 2017 by AnnaPatrick

How To Confront Gender Bias In Your Workplace

Women are affected by bias at every level of an organization. They may not always recognize it, address it or respond to it appropriately, and but they can be stopped by it and feel powerless to change it.

 

It’s not just women who are affected. Their companies are hurt, too. Discrimination has been shown to contribute to:

  • poor communication between staff,
  • faulty decision-making,
  • reduced productivity,
  • decreased organizational citizenship behavior,
  • reduced employee commitment,
  • depleted motivation, and
  • increased turnover.

 

Considering all of the above, not to mention the billions of dollars companies invest in leadership programs and initiatives for women, the cost of allowing discrimination to continue is too high a price to pay.

Companies and their leaders can learn to identify and address bias in their leaders, employees, systems, policies, processes, practices and culture. Whether we’re talking about institutionalized bias, paternalistic discrimination, or plain old bad behavior, a little education goes a long way – and so does a culture of intolerance.

 

Here are five points to remember when recognizing and addressing gender bias in your workplace:

 

  • Instances of discrimination run along a continuum, from the subtle to the extreme.

 

  • Women are affected by bias at every level of an organization.

 

  • Companies and their leaders can learn to identify and address bias in their leaders, employees, systems, policies, processes, practices and culture. Companies that address this well develop a reputation internally and/or externally for being a great place for women to work.

 

  • One main reason people don’t address bias is because they’re not conscious of it. The other reason people don’t address bias is that they don’t know how.

 

  • When it comes to fighting discrimination, women can’t do this alone. Men need to champion women, too.

 

When business leaders are able to recognize bias, they can address it or respond to it appropriately, and companies committed to these principles root out bias and stamp it out.

When you’re confronting bias in your company, ask yourself: What norms or patterns do you see in your organization that you think need to change? How can you take actions that are consistent with your values and give you a way to live within – and perhaps improve – the business in which you live? What perspective brings you empowerment and peace of mind? These questions can help you recognize bias, and respond appropriately.

 

For strategies on how women can advance themselves and become better leaders, and work with men to eliminate gender bias, get your free Executive Summary of The New Advantage here!

 

This post was originally published on Inc.com.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: gender bias, inc, inc column, inc magazine, women in business, women in leadership, women leaders

December 8, 2015 by sereynolds

3 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask Themselves To Stay Positive

In our culture, we have clichs to describe the idea of staying positive, even when facing great challenges. “Everything works out for the best.” “If it’s meant to be, it will happen.” While many people believe at some level that “things happen for a reason.” Adopting this mindset can be more than a set of platitudes; it can be a significant step toward a positive future.

If it really is true that that everything works out for the best, then every situation is perfect in some way.

For an example, take Zach. Zach was an attorney who learned his business partner, Kareem, was leaving the practice. Zach and Kareem had built a business from scratch; he thought growing it big was what they both wanted. But people change. Kareem wanted to join a bigger firm, not build one. Zach tried everything to help Kareem see the possibilities, and he tried to see every possibility for himself. But Kareem’s answer was no. After the emotions subsided (anger, resentment, denial, and determination), Zach took the practice over by himself. “Well, at least one positive thing came out of this,” Zach thought as he signed the documents. “Now I get to be president.”

But Zach got to be a lot more than that. As he started to shoulder the practice, he became more confident as a businessman. He took the practice in his own direction. He made bold decisions, branched out and hired more attorneys. The business grew, as did his reputation and profits. Best of all, he maintained a friendship with Kareem. Zach didn’t know when Kareem said “no” to the business that the business was saying “yes” to Zach.

 

A situation that at first seems to be a disaster can actually turn out to be perfect, and looking for the perfect is especially helpful when you get an untimely surprise. Here are three questions to ask yourself to look for the perfect in every situation, and to help you stay positive during challenging times:

 

  1. Recall a time in your life when you got a “no” or “yes” that you weren’t expecting.
  2. How did the situation work out?
  3. In hindsight, what was perfect?

 

Believing life might be perfect as it is doesn’t mean you play a passive role in your life. You are still leading your life; you are still becoming the leader you want to be and creating your vision. But you’re doing so with an open mind, realizing that for reasons we don’t understand, some things might be “right” for us that we wouldn’t have chosen for ourselves. Other things might be “wrong” for us even if we thought they were right. Sometimes we find the opportunities we’re looking for, but other times those opportunities find us. By asking yourself the three questions above, you’re helping those opportunities to find you.

 

Related: 10 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask Themselves

The previous article appeared on Inc.com today as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: entrepreneur, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, inc, inc column, inc columns, joelle k. jay, leadership, personal leadership

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