Complicated gender balance programs in the corporate setting can result in frustration for all involved. Consider the following:
- There are only two genders, so you can’t have a diversity of them; your organization is either balanced or imbalanced.
- Make sure targets are gender neutral and focused on balance, not women, For example: strive for a minimum of 35% (or 50%) of either gender at all levels across all functions.
- The HBR annual Global Gender balance Scorecard shows that 63% of the women sitting on Executive Committees of the top 100 US companies are in support functions, not P&L roles. This isn’t balance; it’s just Mad Men, repainted.
Check out the HBR blog post at http://bit.ly/ZvI6nv
Sharon Lewis 