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According to Lois P. Franklin, author of 'Nice Girls Don't Get The Corner Office' many women make unconscious mistakes that sabotage their careers and jeopardise their opportunities for success. She suggests that many women could, and in fact should, be taken more seriously in the world of work, but lack the knowledge and skills to overcome some of the hurdles on the path to the executive office. Women tend to play nice, speak too softly and generally reinforce negative stereotypes. They often fail to dress the part, play the part and ultimately to get the part.
One reason for this may be the shortage of relevant role models. The BWA Census 2010 notes that in South Africa women number significantly less than their male counterparts in positions of power. In JSE-listed and state-owned enterprises, 19.3% of executive managers, 16.6% of directors and 4.5% of CEOs/MDs are women. However, although these numbers look low, we should be proud of our progress as few countries have achieved as much success in addressing gender imbalances in business and government as South Africa.
This is more than a political issue about achieving gender equality in the workplace. It is about recognising and leveraging the contribution of gender diversity to business success and the bottom line.
Research on 'The Financial Implications of Gender Diversity at the Top' by North American research company, Catalyst, revealed that Fortune 500 companies with the largest representation of women board directors and corporate officers achieve, on average, higher financial performance than those with fewer women.
Women bring different perspectives that are so important in a complex, inter-dependent and fast-moving world. They make the difference between ordinary and extraordinary businesses. Unfortunately, the pace of change in organisations is slow and the so-called glass-ceiling phenomenon is still disappointingly evident.
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