UNLOCKING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF WOMEN IN GR

Women have been a growing factor in the world of the political influence industry. Their number has been increasing but despite these gains, there is still a substantial gap and the full potential of women in the field of government relations has yet to be tapped.  Seldom do women climb to the pinnacle of the lobbying profession. Yet, policymakers take female lobbyists seriously. Women do not appear to have less cooperative relationships with public officials than men. Female lobbyists are approached by public officials for advice more frequently than male lobbyists and because of their different orientations and priorities, female lobbyists have had a substantial impact on both the style and substance of politics.

Creating the conditions to unlock the full potential of women in government relations is a complex and difficult challenge. There is however, an opportunity to make substantial progress in developing and advancing women on the path to leadership.

The reasons why women choose to remain at their current level or move on to another organization, despite their unflagging confidence and desire to advance include: lack of role models, exclusion from the informal networks, not having a sponsor in upper management to create opportunities.

Women often elect to remain in jobs if they derive a deep sense of meaning professionally. More than men, women prize the opportunity to pour their energies into making a difference and working closely with colleagues. Women don’t want to trade that joy for what they fear will be energy-draining meetings and corporate politics at the next management echelon.

Of all the forces that hold women back, however, none are as powerful as entrenched beliefs. While companies have worked hard to eliminate overt discrimination, women still face the pernicious force of mindsets that limit opportunity. Managers male and female continue to take viable female candidates out of the running, often on the assumption that the woman can’t handle certain jobs and also discharge family obligations. But  many women, too, hold limiting beliefs that stand in their own way such as waiting to fill in more skills or just waiting to be asked.

These imbedded mindsets are often institutional as well as individual—and difficult to eradicate. A CEO’s personal crusade to change behavior does not scale. A diversity program by itself, no matter how comprehensive, is no match for entrenched beliefs. Targeting behavioral change generally leads only to an early burst of achievement followed by reversion to old ways.

The evidence points to the need for systemic, organizational change. Companies that aspire to achieve sustained diversity balance must choose to transform their cultures. Management needs a powerful reason to believe such as the potential competitive and economic advantage from retaining the best talent.

When business executives globally are asked what they believe the most important leadership attributes are for success today, each of the top four—intellectual stimulation, inspiration, participatory decision-making and setting expectations/rewards are more commonly found among women leaders.

Women often cite familiar factors that they find discouraging: Lack of access to informal networks where they can make important connections, a lack of female role models higher up in the organization, and a lack of sponsors to provide opportunities, which many male colleagues have.

The most insidious barriers for women are imbedded mindsets that halt their progress. While women remain highly confident of their qualifications throughout their careers, women are, on average, less satisfied than men with their chosen professions and jobs. Moreover, as women get older, their desire to move to the next level dissipates faster than men’s desire. At all ages, more men want to take on more responsibility in their organizations and have greater control over results. No matter how they feel about their current situation, women never lose their belief in their abilities. Women are ambitious and believe they have the qualifications and they want to make a contribution to the success of the organization. Over time, however, the barriers seem to get larger and women’s belief that there is opportunity ahead diminishes and along with it their willingness to keep pushing.

Women are quickly acquiring skills and know-how. They also have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed than when they entered the workforce and have a stronger belief that opportunities for promotion exists.

Getting people to think and act differently is one of the most difficult management challenges, but it can be done:

• Start with a compelling story for change, the “business case” and communicate it broadly, emphasizing the successes that reinforce the desired mindset shifts.
• Refine the organizational processes and other formal mechanisms that can reinforce the change in particular the metrics and reporting used to track performance and reinforce accountability.
• Build the capabilities that enable the desired behaviors. For example, both men and women can learn how to be more effective sponsors.
• Leaders, all the way down to the front line must model the change. Changing only the mindsets of the Executive Committee and other senior leaders misses the most important influencers of sustained change employees’ direct supervisors.