DM Coaching and Development

Women Speak Less in Mixed Gender Groups

2009-07-14T05:28:00+01:00

It may not seem shocking to me or most of my professional female clients to hear that women on the whole use disproportionately less "air-time" in any given meeting than their male colleagues. However, I was re-reading one of my favourite books "Talking from 9-5" by linguist, Deborah Tannen, about the way men and women speak in the workplace and was reminded just how much research shows that women will consciously limit their contributions if they spoke a lot earlier in the conversation or even at an earlier meeting, so as not to appear dominating. In fact, in mixed gender peer groups, women made 17% fewer comments and took 25% fewer turns speaking - all of which contributes to the glass ceiling for women. But Tannen summed it up "Such a strategy may be wise for everyone, male or female. On the other hand, it may also be wise to decide that being seen as aggressive is a price worth paying for being listened to. Finally we can all hope that if enough women adjust their styles, expectations of how a feminine woman speaks may gradually change as a result." Nicely said :)

Women Doing Better at Uni - But is the Battle for Equality Won?

2009-07-06T06:48:00+01:00

Everyone is talking about the gains women are making in higher education - clearly putting them above their male colleagues. According to a report by the Higher Education Policy Institute, women are more likely to get places in the top universities and go on to get better grades. Women have also been entering university in greater numbers than men in recent years - with the participation rate for young women standing at 49%, compared with 38% of young men. The report also disproves the notion that men dominate in the most highly-regarded subjects and institutions, such as law and medicine. Women are taking more places at prestigious Russell Group universities and on the most sought-after courses - the only exception being Oxbridge where women and men are now level. While this is fantastic news, my own work with those in higher education versus the actual working women indicates that the real challenges begin after women are in employment - combining work and family, negotiating power politics and adapting their communication style to those of the men they work with. It is far too early to claim that the equal opportunities agenda is now redundant and the battle for equality "won".

Nominations for 2009 Women in the City Awards Now Open

2009-07-03T05:50:00+01:00

To nominate your potential candidate for either the Jaguar Woman of Achievement or the Coutts Lifetime Achievement Awards please visit the Women in the City website, to fill in

the on-line nomination form with your contact details, together with the contact details of the woman you are nominating and then briefly explain why you think she deserves to receive one of the highly coveted Awards. This is the perfect opporutnity for women in corporate settings and women in leadership positions overall. This year, as well as the Category Awards, the winners of which go forward to compete for the Jaguar Woman of Achievement Award, they've also introduced the Coutts Lifetime Achievement Award. The awards will be given at a prestigious lunch on November 27th. Remember, you can nominate yourself, too...which is a great way to raise your profile!

Men More Likely to be Followed on Twitter Than Women

2009-07-01T17:30:00+01:00

Fascinated by the exponential growth of Twitter, a company that has attracted more people than Facebook and even Google in their respective first 6 months. According to Harvard Business Publishing, a recent study found that men have more followers than women, are more likely to follow those who follow them - and this is the kicker for me, "men are almost twice as likely to follow a man than a woman and women are also 25% more likely to follow a man than a woman." This can't be explained by usage rates as men comprise 45% of Twitter users, while women represent 55%. This is in contrast this with the many more friend requests a typical women gets on Facebook as compared to the typical man. Interestingly, the top 15% most prolific users accounted for 90% of all tweets suggesting that " Twitter resembles more of a one-way, one-to-many publishing service more than a two-way, peer-to-peer communication network." or as it was more saliently put in the Wall Street Journal, "as it turns out, it’s a bunch of guys talking about themselves." Personally, I doubt I would have the time (or be interesting enough on a consistent basis!) to Twitter successfully but let me know - why do you think there is such a large gender disparity between men and women regarding Twitter?

Teaching Work Life Balance for Entrepreneurial Female University Students

2009-06-29T06:38:00+01:00

In the Washington Post, I recently read about an innovative course "Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership" at George Washington University, in my hometown of DC, that highlights time management in the workplace and how it relates to executive women and the myth of having it all. At its heart is an exploration of work-life balance, an issue that will become crucial for these students later, when child care and other demands drive some women out of the workforce and slow others' ascent. It is led by Kathy Korman Frey, a 37-year-old Harvard MBA who noticed her female students were increasingly seeking advice about a subject the existing business curriculum didn't cover.

They wanted to know how to make it all work: a successful business and a fulfilling personal life. One day, a student approached Frey in a stairwell. She recalls ""She had tears in her eyes as she explained all the different things going on in her life," Frey recalls. "She said: 'You're a mom; you have your own company. Could we talk sometime about how you do that?' . . . That's when I decided that something had to be done in the classroom to address these issues." I applaud such an innovative course and marvel at how many universities would benefit from teaching how to get to the heart of actually living a successful life, not just the theory that will get you the degree.

Free Job Search Guide Perfect for Career Women

2009-06-25T05:39:00+01:00

My friend, Janet Davies, author of Rebuilding Your Life after Redundancy, is the the Queen of the Career Search with her website www.newlifenetwork.co.uk which is aimed at anyone looking to start a new career after redundancy or even if they just want to explore new options. She has just published a timely e-guide which I think is perfect for career women who want to do some desk top exploration as to what opportunities are out there. "Surf Your Way to a New Job" which is all about using the internet to find a new career with the latest resources that will help you with career stategic planning. And best of all - it's free to download here!

Even the Most Professional Female Can Fall Prey to "Impostor Phenomenon"

2009-06-22T06:55:00+01:00

I was recently reading a piece in Nature called "Unmasking the Imposter" about the "Imposter Phenomenon", which is the self doubt that makes us feel unqualified and doubtful of our abilities. This crushing self doubt is in spite of reaching significant intellectual milestones ranging from advanced degrees to professional awards - career women often cannot internalize their success or convince themselves they deserve it. As described in the article which focuses on women in science: "Numerous achievements, which one might expect to provide ample objective evidence of superior intellectual functioning, do not appear to affect the impostor belief." The article, while written for a scientific audience is useful for it's tips of how to develop self confidence, and lessen the feeling that you will be "found out by colleagues" as many of my executive coaching clients initially feel.

Career Women as Workplace Bullies?

2009-06-19T05:49:00+01:00

This article inThe Australian caught my eye, as some of female coaching clients mention that they prefer all male workplaces. The reason? Woman on woman bullying. As detailed in the article by Shelley Gare: "When adult women bully each other, they are mostly indirect. They use weapons that are hard to detect and that leave wounds invisible to the eye. The adjectives psychologists and bullying experts use to describe such shadowy methods are “covert”, “subtle” and “manipulative”. The tactics are ostracism, exclusion, spreading rumours and playing favourites. Information is withheld; secrets are kept; a victim’s contributions – to either a conversation or a workplace – are ignored. It’s bullying by stealth. “Aggression in men tends to be worn much more clearly,” says Dan Auerbach, a Sydney-based analytic psychotherapist. “But those subtle expressions of dislike between women make it much harder to fight back, and harder for other people to see what’s going on.” Have you seen this in your workplace?

Attend "Generation Y: Young Professionals’ Perspectives on Work, Career and Gender" on June 30

2009-06-17T05:18:00+01:00

On 30 June, I'm going to be attending what promises to be a fascinating event hosted by the European Professional Women's Network and the London Business School. "The Reflexive Generation: Young Professionals’ Perspectives on Work, Career and Gender" will run from 6-9pm at the London Business School.

The event will address how Generation Y’s (those born in late 70's to early 90's) perspectives on work, career and gender is currently impacting organizational management in institutions all over the world.

Visit the EPWN site, to register or get more information. I'd love to see you there!

Cast Your Vote for Most Influential Woman Scientist

2009-06-15T06:38:00+01:00

Visit the New Scientist site to cast your vote for the most influential woman scientist of all time. Sponsored by L'Oreal, a new website has been unveiled - - to find the most interesting and notable female scientists to help inspire the next generation. The website pays homage to 40 exceptional women dedicated to the sciences, including the dozen who have won the Nobel prize. Online readers are invited to read their stories, vote for their favourite and also add their own nominations for the quest to discover the most celebrated female scientist of all time. On the site, you can also find out information about L'Oreal bursaries and fellowships which are intended to retain and develop women in the sciences.