October 31, 2006 - Some women may be missing out on the executive coaching that equally
experienced men get at work. A recent study shows that at 20% of companies
offering such coaching women receive it less often than men, while women get
more coaching than men at only 5% of firms that offer it.
"Even though the data indicate that most women get treated fairly when it
comes to coaching, there's still a significant number of companies where women
don't get equal access," says Deborah A. Felton, a director of consulting in New
York for the Novations Group Inc., a global consulting and training firm in
Boston. Novations conducted the study, based on an online poll of human-resource
professionals with 334 respondents. Men and women receive executive coaching at
the same rate at about 75% of companies that offer it, the study finds.
Senior management -- usually men -- typically chooses who receives coaching,
often selecting up-and-comers to whom they relate best, according to Ms. Felton.
"A 'mini me' thing happens," she says.
The lower rate suggests that the playing field may not be quite level for
women seeking to advance in management. In a competitive work environment,
coaching can help managers and professionals improve skills in such areas as
communication and meeting business goals.
What are women managers missing out on? CareerJournal.com asked five
executive coaches about what they help women clients with most. Here's what they
said:
1. Getting heard.
Commanding attention at meetings among colleagues and higher-ups can be
difficult for some women, says Kerri Halmi, an executive coach in Oakland,
Calif.
A manager at a large West Coast aerospace company recently told her that in
group meetings, "she couldn't get a word in edgewise," says Ms. Halmi. The other
participants, often all men, regularly interrupted each other, which the manager
considered impolite, she says. "She wanted to get promoted and felt like this
was keeping her back," she says.
Ms. Halmi says she advised the manager to engage in the same behavior
initially. Then "she could propose a ground rule of not interrupting," she says.
Ms. Halmi also suggested that the manager tell the meetings' facilitator about
wanting to contribute more to gain his support. Since then, the manager has been
getting heard, she says.
Another way to boost your visibility when speaking is to stand up or sit
upright, and use hand gestures, Ms. Halmi says. "Hold yourself up high and take
up as much space as possible to appear bigger," she says.
Women who speak quickly and in a high-pitched voice also may have difficulty
getting their message across, says Nancy Atwood, senior vice president at Lore
International Institute, an executive-coaching firm based in Durango, Colo.
You'll get more notice if you slow it down, and swap your soprano for an alto.
"It's a matter of executive presence," she says.
2. Looking and acting the part.
"Managers need to have a pressure-proof demeanor," says Dee Soder, founder
and managing partner of the CEO Perspective Group, an executive-coaching and
assessment firm based in New York. "You want to be like a swan, very calm on the
surface, even though you're paddling like crazy underneath."
Fidgeting and other subtle behaviors, such as finger tapping, can detract
from a person's authority, Dr. Soder says. One way to curb such habits may be to
give yourself a small reminder, such as putting your watch on the opposite wrist
you're accustomed to wearing it on. The change can serve as a subtle hint to be
still, she says.
Caroline McNally says she made several style changes when seeking a promotion
to the executive suite as a senior vice president with a large credit-card
company in 2000. "They viewed me as a high-performer, but maybe not a star
capable of getting to that next level," she says. "I wanted to tweak my approach
so that they viewed me in a different light."
Advised by an executive coach to blend more in with top managers, Ms. McNally
says she began wearing dark-colored suits and less flashy jewelry. She ditched
her strappy handbag for one resembling a briefcase. Instead of folding her hands
in her lap at meetings, she put them on the table, she says. Less than a year
later, Ms. McNally, now 51, says she was promoted to executive vice president.
She has since joined Pay By Touch, a technology company in San Francisco, in a
similar role, she says.
3. Focusing on the big picture.
Some women tend to concentrate so much on getting the job done that they may
neglect big-picture thinking, a critical part of a leader's job, says Tricia
Scudder, founder and president of the Executive Coaching Group in New York. "You
want to be able to point to where you made a difference, so that if you weren't
in that job, it wouldn't have happened," she says.
Recruit a friend or trusted colleague to help ensure you make time to step
back for perspective and a strategic vision for the organization, says Ms.
Scudder. "Make a promise to them and say, 'I'll show you a draft of an idea by a
certain deadline,' " she says. "Make a dinner date, so you have to show up with
the goods."
Find time by handing off some tasks to others, says Maggie Craddock, an
executive coach in New York. "Get savvy about where you can delegate," she says,
and avoid over-assisting others. Some women, she says, "lose track of where
their jobs end and other people's begin."
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