A matter of common knowledge: more women earning better school and university degrees within a shorter time. It is also known that this superiority of women disappears by the time of entering into professional life. A Catalyst study conducted in 2007/2008 shows that women do not only enter into professional life on lower management levels but also lag behind men with the same basic position in advancement and compensation from their first professional jobs. This is not really an European or German phenomenon but can be consistently followed all around the globe.
However, the womanless leadership of German companies is a really German and also a most widely European phenomenon. Every now and then there is “pulled a woman out of the hat” who is voted onto the executive board. Nevertheless, this does not affect the pipeline of women from bottom up.
This is what Siemens experienced: By using this method of “pulling a woman out of the hat” Siemens managed to appoint two women onto the board, Brigitte Ederer and Barbara Kux. But although there was probably a signalling into the enterprise these two ladies did not change the situation of Siemens: 14 percent of leadership positions at Siemens are held by women and only 7 percent in top leading positions.
Though, where does the logic disappear in the scenario between education and profession? That question I raised during a conversation with a man. His logical explanation was as follows: “Professional life has nothing to do with studying or school. Education is a matter of diligence. However, just diligence is not sufficient to make one’s career. Entering the workplace means to start real life.”
A survey carried out by the “World Economic Forum” found out that, among 600 large companies, the real (professional) life offers a surrounding which is described as “masculine” and “patriarchal”. Above all there is a lack of female role models. These key factors combined are the obstacles for would-be female leaders.
Deutsche Bank faces this circumstance with a special mentoring concept: Since September 2009 there have been 30 high-potential-women in an exclusive mentoring program with mentors from its executive committee – all 12 of them men. The result: One third of the partaking women advanced to new or broader roles within only 18 month.
Mentoring as key to success? Or having a high-ranking-sponsor who supports the career of his protégé? To arouse awareness within the company it is important to become visible – for both, men and women. A further study performed by Catalyst in 2010 with the same business school graduates it studied in 2008 found out that two-thirds of the surveyed men had a mentor at the C.E.O or executive-committee level.
For Henkel, too, the mentoring concept is of importance to promote diversity and mutual understanding. The concepts have already been implemented in different countries and divisions or they are to be initiated soon. And, for that matter, the women themselves did recognize their chance: Last year the share of women in leadership increased yet again about 1.3 percent up to 28.7 percent.
This is a good basic position in the “war for female talents”. Thus, the motto of our women at Henkel for the future is: Ready, steady – go! [DE]
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A new intake of mentors attended the mentoring workshop held in the UK on 1 December. The new mentors picked up some new skills and polished up on some old skills. Each mentor took away one commitment to doing things differently in the future including, ‘Explore as many options as possible, even if some early options may seem to provide a solution’, ‘Be more questioning and suggestive instead of giving solutions.’, and ‘Ask clearer, more structured questions’.
