Making Good ConnectionsBest Practice for Women’s Organisational Networks

Professor Susan Vinnicombe, OBE

Workplace relationships providetwo types of benefits:

−Career help

−Emotional support Kram, 1988

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Gender and Networks

“Women tend to be less integrated than men into their immediate colleague groups and women tend to be less likely to find that professional activity and rank translate into central network positions and advancement.”

Ibarra, 1992

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─ Men and women live in different relational environments in academia

─ Academic institutions continue to reward women significantly less for professional achievements than men.

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─ The likelihood of females telling stories that incorporated a harm plot was four times higher than for men

─ The likelihood of men telling stories that incorporated a career help plot was three times higher than for women.

Gersick, Bartunek and Dutton, 2000

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Benchmarking Best Practice for Women’s Networks

PROJECT SPONSORED BY:

– BT– Deutsche Bank– GE– Goldman Sachs– PWC– Shell

REPORT SPONSORED BY OPPORTUNITY NOW

ALSO CONTRIBUTING

– Barclays– Citigroup– Ford– IBM– Lloyds TSB– UBS

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Methodology

• Identified 12 companies with good reputations for running women’s corporate networks

• Semi-structured interviews with network chairs and/or organisers

• Survey of 100 members each from IBM, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, BT. 160 replies (40%), still more coming in.

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Research literature on networking

• Definitions of Networking:

– The banding together of like-minded people for the purposes of contact, friendship and support.

– Women’s networking is women’s attempts to create for themselves the support generated for men by their informal same-sex grouping.

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Why we need women’s networks

• Women and men have different networks.• Male networks are established, informal, powerful.• Women face barriers to joining existing networks.• People tend to network with same sex.• Fewer women at senior levels, so fewer opportunities for same-sex networking.• Women tend to have fewer resources to offer network

Formal networks help counter disadvantage.

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How did the women’s networks start? (1)

7 STARTED BY WOMEN

• BT, started 1986 by women on Cranfield course• LLOYDS-TSB, 1998, initiative of one woman• CITIGROUP, 2000 European conference, two women• UBS, 2000, by group of women• IBM, 2001 European conference, by group of women • SHELL, 2001, from informal meetings of ten women• BARCLAYS, 2002, by group of women after work/life

balance initiative

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How did the networks start? (2)

2 STARTED BY CEO/CHAIRMEN/PRESIDENT* GE, 1997, President invites senior women to make action plans to address glass ceiling* DEUTSCHE BANK, 2001, Chairman suggests conference for women, after US & German conference

3 STARTED BY COMPANY AND WOMEN• FORD, 1999, identify business need, as women ask

for network• PWC, 2000, as result of focus groups for women• GOLDMAN SACHS, 2001, company identifies

business need, as women ask for network

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Identity of the Networks

• NAMING – Barclaycard changed from the Women’s Career Network to

the Barclaycard Network, when men were invited to join– IBM – staying with Women in Blue– UBS – creative, All Bar None– Saatchi & Saatchi executive suggests Better Business

through Women, to emphasise core business focus• BUSINESS FOCUS

– All the network leaders constantly stressed the business case• VOLUNTARY NATURE

– So much done in personal time, in margins of busy lives– Tension: Pressure for more company activities, demands for

business performance measurement, little recognition

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Managing the Networks

• At start-up, tight group, pulling together on same agenda, loads of drive and energy

• Strategy (constitutions, missions, membership, statements of purpose, funding)

• Fit within company (especially HR)• Leadership – the right person/or two• Committees – roles, responsibilities, agendas• Meetings – sometimes too many, cut back• Health Checks – burnout, new needs, skills

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Membership decisions

• ALL WOMEN– Demands more resources, but will not be seen as elitist– Reaches out to any women who need support at any time– Is membership formal/automatic/presumed/opt in or out?

• EXECUTIVE / SENIOR WOMEN ONLY– Elitist, but often run alongside the general network (one

invites support staff network member to sit on senior women’s network)

– Allows for tailoring to senior women’s needs– Have to decide how “executive” or “senior” are defined

• WOMEN AND MEN– Members liked the fact that their network was open to men– Supports networking between sexes

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Communication with Members

• Websites for members– Information on sources of help– Events (past, present, future)– Access to corporate policies– Access to training materials, career support literature &

videos– Info on mentoring and role models

• Direct Email services to chair/organiser• Newsletters (printed and on-line)• Posters of events, Calendar• Annual report of Network• CDs for new entrants

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Resourcing Women’s Networks

• FUNDING– Five networks funded from central diversity, four from HR,

three from business area champions– Most have to bid for funds, make business case– Only partial support, often shared across internal networks– Leaders proactive in seeking support from corporate sources – Cannot compare budgets, it depends on size of network,

number, frequency & type of activities, whether office support has to come out of budget. Some budgets squeezed.

• ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT– Sometimes a shared administrator, funded by leader’s

department, sometimes volunteered & unpaid. Big burden.• SPONSORS

– Often regional champions where leader is based. But sponsors change jobs, leaders also move – impetus lost

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Network Activities for the Company

• PR – good for reputation• Deutsche Bank – Huge conference to create community

• HR & DIVERSITY • ALL: good for recruitment, talent mgt, WLB, training,

mentoring, coaching, jobshare register• IBM & PWC – mention network when bidding for public sector

contracts, evidence of good diversity management• MARKETING, & NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

• Goldman Sachs – Ascend Conference for Female Clients only• Ford – yellow dipsticks, car door accessibility, understand

their female customers

• ENHANCING WOMEN’S UNDERSTANDING OF CORE BUSINESS, NEW TECHNOLOGY

• LEVERAGING BEST PRACTICE ACROSS NETWORKS Page 17

Career Development Activities

• CONFERENCES– Often first event, important to get CEO or Chairman to speak– Expensive, need to be funded centrally if small budget given– Shell - Ask speakers to stay and be listeners– Deutsche Bank’s conference is different – external focus

• CAREER DEVELOPMENT EVENTS– BT (Careering Ahead); Barclays (Day in Life of Director);

Citigroup (1 yr prog, reflections); Ford (Women only training); GE (PIE, Bring mentee); IBM (Taking the stage); Lloyds TSB (Development Week); PWC (M/F debates); Shell (Can I to I Can); UBS (Networking & Leadership lunchtimes); Goldman Sachs organised via 5 career pillars

• NETWORKING EVENTS with senior (male) directors, also with senior women

• MENTORING, COACHING, SPONSORINGPage 18

Personal and Social Activities

FEW NETWORKING EVENTS

• PERSONAL WELL-BEING

• Managing Stress, Managing Work/Life Balance, Women’s Health, Breast Cancer Awareness, Yoga, Body/Mind, Aromatherapy

• BEAUTY

• CHRISTMAS SHOPPING• WINE TASTING• TATE MODERN• SPORT – FUN DAY, IT’S

A KNOCK-OUT• BRING YOUR CHILD

TO WORK DAY• CHARITY SUPPORT,

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN

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Favourite Events (1)

• Male CEOs on Diversity• CEO on Women and Career Breaks• A Day in the Life of a Director• Experiences from a Woman on Wall Street• Most senior woman in company on her career• From making the tea to making MD• Be the Best you can• Mary Harney, Deputy PM, Ireland• Alison Pearson (I don’t know how she does it)

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Favourite Events (2) Networking

• Debate “Women have an easier time at work than men!”

• Breakfast/lunch meetings with senior men and women, especially smaller groups

• Speed Networking• It’s a Knockout (cross-company teams &

BBQ)• 80 Broads Networking• Whole day women’s conference, time for

lots of things

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Favourite Events (3) Career Development

• The Empower Hour• Dealing with difficult people; Negotiation;

Assertiveness • Balancing high flying careers & personal life;

Managing stress; Flexible working • Role Models; Interview preparation (video); CVs• Personal Branding; Dress for success• Effective Communication; Getting & giving

Feedback• Videos – Understanding Male/Female Language and

Body Language

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Events wish list from women

• More events, more locations, alternative timings

• Some more social events - book clubs, drinks, no set agenda, just chilling out together with women

• Some smaller size events, get to really know people

• Less focus on just executive women• More for younger women• More for technical women• More for women with children, the majority

of the membersPage 23

What more did women members want?

• MORE CLOUT NEEDED FOR REAL CHANGE• More visibility to the senior men• More doing, not just vision, information &

motivation• More coaching• More to counter ageism• Network may be rejected by some women –

and men, because of perceived negative attitudes to men. “I want to build on being a woman, not put men down to get there!”

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Who Benefits from Women’s Networks? (1)

• Women, according to Network Leaders, – Senior female role models, including part-timers, including

mothers; Personal development, greater visibility, voice; Expanded personal networks; Increased social contacts lead to more satisfaction at work, aids retention

• Women, according to Women Members– Biggest benefit is expanded network; knowing some senior

women, going onto committee, better understanding of business, network across all areas of technology

– Career benefits & advice; visibility; opportunity to find informal mentors; chance to organise events; knowing senior women who were on promotion boards; getting involved in diversity initiatives; ability to help & support others

– Nothing, according to a few members. Too political, courses too far away; not enough clout in network to seriously help.

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Who Benefits from Women’s Networks? (2)

• Network Leaders – visibility, fulfilment, experience (committees, leadership, negotiation, management)

• The Company – Retention, talent management, communication

flows, integration. Better developed women, enhanced reputation, female role models.

– Women understanding core business/technology– Business benefits – women helping

• HR (Recruitment, Retention, Diversity, Training) • PR (Reputation), • Marketing (Client Relationships; Understanding

Female Customers), • New Product Development (Products & Services

for Women)Page 26

How is the women’s network regarded by males?

• Many male colleagues suspicious about women’s networks. Seen as threat, more so than other anti-discrimination networks

• White men sometimes feel disenfranchised, no network for them

• 63% said no male backlash• Some hide network activities

from male boss• Witches’ coven, knitting circles,

girlie group, talk shop• Yet almost all networks open to

male membership. Events provided voluntarily by women members

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What are the Measures of Success?

• Membership (numbers, targets met, no. of satellites)• Impact on women (actions, behaviour, confidence)• Events (Numbers, attendance, feedback, interest)• Network’s Other Activities

– Survey responses; success stories, mentoring relationships– Website hits; books & training materials borrowed– Awards for network; mentions in corporate publications– Committee functioning, regular meetings, invitations to

speak• The Business Measures

– Gender statistics, retention, recruitment, satisfaction – Objectives achieved, HR audit, balanced scorecard– Culture change, senior managers wanting more involvement,

line management participationPage 28

Advice from Network Leaders for Start-Up

• People– Challenge for the leader– Voluntary activity– Beware of burnout. But it really is worth all the effort– Need passion and commitment from CEO and top

team• Structure

– Formalise, Define – Push for Funding– Follow through; Communicate

• Positioning in the CompanyPage 29

Network leaders’ views of their challenges

• Sustainability– Workload for volunteers; burnout; new skills for each phase– Accessing funding & resources– Accessing support, champions change, not all senior women

will want to help– Succession planning

• Keeping the activities going– Finding new things to offer; being successful leads to more

demands; keep activities business-focused– Keep separate websites for network organisers - overload

• The corporate culture– Need to work with the men; the masculine culture still

prevails; lack of female role models.

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Conclusions

• So impressed with voluntary efforts and contributions made by network leaders

• A very business-like approach – Avoid duplicating corporate responsibilities– Given commercialisation, companies should

provide more funding to volunteers.– Positioning issues, & sometimes tension over

performance measurement of voluntary activities• Different stages/transition points to negotiate

– Need succession planning, to avoid burnout– Have to meet different needs as women progress

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The challenge of the male-dominated culture

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