Why do organizations invest in programs targeted to develop their women leaders? Because for decades women have comprised half or more of the workforce in many areas, and yet, even when controlling for family obligations, women have not advanced at the same rate, or for the same pay, as have their male counterparts. The problem is even more acute in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields where girls are underrepresented in those courses throughout their K-12 education, and on into college and the workforce.
Whatever the short-cut descriptor of the challenges that professional women confront – the glass ceiling, the sticky floor, or the leaky pipeline – the fact is that it’s bad news for business, in addition to being a daunting hurdle for women to overcome. A recent Catalyst study showed that Fortune 500 companies with the greatest gender diversity in senior management had a 35% higher return on equity than did companies with the lowest representation of women.
No organization can sustain itself if half of its talent pool is not reaching its potential. The problem is even more acute when paired with the impending departure of Baby Boom executives and managers, and the need to replace them with leaders who can inspire and satisfy teams and customers that have greater cultural and generational diversity than ever before.
The advancement of women is a strategic business issue that will not solve itself, and Rapid Evolution can help. Whether it’s developing the business case for a women’s leadership initiative, consulting on the strategy for advancing women in your organization, or creating a mentoring and sponsorship program that really works, we can help you improve your bottom line results by effectively engaging and developing all of your people to maximize their contributions.
Rapid Evolution’s services include:
- Developing the Business Case for A Women’s Initiative
- Assessing The Effectiveness of Your Women’s Leadership Program
- Executive Coaching for Women Leaders
- Keynote Presentations
- Leadership Training and Development
- Creating Work-Life Balance Policies That Work
Steve Lowenthal
Managing Partner, Farella Braun + Martel LLP