sign in sign up
<<
Home , Mentorship

BEST PRACTICES

THE POWER OF Strengthening Women in Roles By Crystal Turner-Moffatt Women make up almost half of the U.S. workforce and more than half of the students in higher . However, when it comes to their representation in executive positions, only 32% of high-level or C-suite leaders are women. In fact, some male-dominated industries see no women in their executive positions (Insala, 2017). In the article, “ Women for the power of mentoring. “Women are Mentoring Relationships Leadership Positions in Manufacturing, being given the opportunity to not only & Programs Are Key Construction and Engineering,” Sted- continue to develop their skills and are missing opportuni- man (2019) explains the importance for grow their network, but also to have an ties to achieve successes by not bringing organizations to have gender diversity in example of the possibilities that are out diversity to their leadership teams. How leadership: there for them.” can these lagging organizations change? Construction, manufacturing and According to Insala (2019): engineering fields are attracting Benefits of Women in Leadership In 2019, only 5.2% of S&P 500 com- Women leaders should be em- more women than ever before: panies’ CEOs are women, including powered through mentoring The number of female engineers General Motors Co., Hershey Co., Nas- partnerships. It is important to has more than doubled since daq Inc., The Progressive Corp. and empower and encourage women the 1980s, women make up 29% Occidental Petroleum Corp. (Catalyst, as they often face unique chal- of the manufacturing industry, 2019). Researchers have found that For- lenges in the workplace without and the National Association of tune 500 companies with the highest the necessary tools to overcome Women in Construction has seen representation of women board direc- them. Participation in mentor- clear increases in for tors are performing better financially ing relationships and programs women over the past 10 years. (Insala, 2018b). According to Peterson are brilliant ways for women to Moreover, Stedman says that women Institute for International Economics, a acquire these tools. Mentors, are hired for these roles, but retaining survey of 21,980 firms from 91 countries whether they are men or wom- and promoting is not happening at the found that having women at the C-suite en, should guide their mentees same rate. level significantly increased net margins through struggles by sharing their knowledge and personal McKinsey & Co. reported that 100 (Blumberg, 2018). According to Insala experiences. men are promoted to manage- (2018b), woman-friendly companies out- ment for every 79 women (60 for performed the competition by 53%, com- When discussing the mentor/mentee women of color), and just 6.4% of panies with women on their boards saw relationship with the author, Deidre Fortune 500 companies are led by a 42% higher return on sales, and com- Helberg, the National Association of women. Although we see more fe- panies with more women board directors Black Women in Construction New York male engineers than ever before, turned invested capital into profit 66% Chapter president and Helberg Electrical women still make up only 14% of more successfully. Supply LLC president and CEO, stated engineers overall. (Stedman, 2019) Based on the numbers, women should that “when sharing experiences, mentors should share the positive as well as nega- Motivation for improving wom- be in more leadership roles and have a tive aspects of their journey and success- en’s representation in leadership is more powerful presence in the workforce es with their mentees. This will better limited. Another McKinsey & Co. re- today. If women are not empowered to empower and prepare their mentees for port found that half of men surveyed be a part of the leadership in an organi- the realities of the workplace.” think it is enough to have 10% of senior zation, then that is missing leadership roles filled by women and one- out on workers who could help it flour- ish. According to Mackey (2018): Women Experience third of women agree (Stedman, 2019). Specific Workforce Challenges Achieving an executive is dif- Women in business, including According to Insala (2017), wom- ficult for any gender, but perceptions women in leadership, should not en face two unique challenges in the can often affect the goals of women be expected to single-handedly workplace that mentors can help them who are seeking these positions. Ac- change the culture and values overcome: cording to Webster and Kurukulasuri- of their workplace—this is a 1) Lack of confidence. An individual’s ya (2015), “The very fact that there are near-impossible feat. Moreover, success relies on the ability to be confi- fewer women in leadership sustains the they should not need to mimic dent in oneself. Without it, people cannot perception that attaining leadership is men’s behavior to get fair consid- showcase their ability. “A study on the hard for women.” eration for career advancement. confidence gap showed that women un- According to Insala (2018a), many A more effective strategy to derestimate both their abilities and their women “have broken through the increase influence and capitalize performance,” says Insala (2017). “They barriers and faced these challenges on the opportunities they de- simply lack confidence. This challenge head-on to obtain top positions.” The serve is to find allies and mentors to women in the workplace can be over- author attributes this advancement to within their organizations. come through mentoring.”

assp.org AUGUST 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 17 BEST PRACTICES

The mark of a great mentor is that who actively prepared for their meet- parties are clear on the goals of the men- they see abilities even when their men- ings with their mentors, leveraged the toring relationship. “The relationships tees do not. information they received and applied also have to be flexible,” Bartoldus says. Mentoring sessions that focus on it to corporate relationships.” Through For example, are you looking to meet in showing women what they can these relationships, women learn to person or have phone calls? One person do broadens their self-awareness better navigate their corporate environ- I mentored just met me for coffee every and boosts their confidence ment. “Women need to form a personal couple of months when it was convenient levels. By overcoming their lack board of directors that challenge them for both of us.” of confidence, women are more to grow and adapt and stay informed About mentorship in her organiza- likely to apply for promotions about themselves and their companies,” tions, she says, “I believe firmly there is they previously overlooked and Racioppi says. growth for both parties. It can help to present their ideas in meetings. 3) Networking: Mentorship helps move the mentee forward in their edu- (Insala, 2019) women make connections in a new pro- cation, leadership position or career. For fessional network (Insala, 2018b; Sted- the mentor and the organization, new 2) Poor self-advocacy. To prevent the man, 2019). leaders can be identified and new ideas risk of being overlooked for promotions, 4) Confidence: According to Insala can be brought to light that can only en- self-advocacy is important. However, (2018b), “mentoring gives women ac- rich the organization.” according to Insala (2019), “Women are cess to new skills and competencies When asked about the role of men- happy to advocate for others, but they that help them to build the confidence torship with regard to leadership devel- are often uncomfortable advocating for necessary to be an effective and suc- opment for women, Bartoldus says it is themselves.” Through mentoring, women cessful leader.” key. “Not having a female mentor until can become better advocates for them- much later in my career created difficulty selves by taking part in exercises such as Connecting With Mentors navigating the very male-dominated field role-playing. “Benefits from overcoming Finding a mentor can be difficult. I am in (construction).” She continues, this challenge in the workplace include According to Mackey (2018), following a “I had to learn a lot through many hard the ability to ask questions comfortably few tips can make this task easier: knocks. I am purposely involved in and recover from mistakes,” says Insa- 1) Look for allies everywhere in the NAWIC now so that I can mentor others la (2019). “These benefits often inspire organization. Often, coworkers share the and give them the benefit of what I went women to become mentors to others.” same goal. Working together can be mu- through so they can use that experience tually beneficial. to understand and hopefully make more Mentoring as a Strategy for 2) Seek both men and women as allies. informed decisions. It also helps to know Empowering Female Leaders Equalizing gender imbalances requires you are not alone.” Simply put, mentorship works. It has the participation of all people. been proven that mentored employees 3) Be an ally. Connect with coworkers Develop a Culture of Mentorship advance faster, are more productive and at all levels of the company. This may Any organization can establish a men- navigate an organization’s culture better. lead to additional networking and men- tor program to motivate and encourage Thus, the biggest reason to advocate for torship opportunities. employees’ career development. Accord- mentoring as the answer to empowering 4) Take advantage of mentorship pro- ing to Bowling (2018), several tips can women leaders is because it is working grams. Many organizations offer men- help companies in creating a mentorship (Insala, 2018b). Mentorship benefits torship opportunities for employees to program. women in several ways: network and down departmental 1) Mentorship must be a team effort: 1) Retention: Some women may feel silos. Investigate mentorship opportuni- Make your mentoring program “avail- their abilities are undervalued by an ties outside of the workplace. This may able company-wide to get the most out of organization and may leave a as a help connect to new job opportunities. it. This opens the possibility of cross-de- result. Mentorship gives women an av- partmental collaboration and mentor- enue to articulate career ambitions and Expert Advice ship, which builds stronger leaders.” set goals to achieve them. Therefore, their The author asked leaders and mentors 2) Pair mentors and mentees with company can retain a valuable employee in prominent industry positions and complementary skills: Do not assign (Insala, 2018b). According to Racioppi with inspiring mentoring programs three based on personality (2017), “when women build mentoring sets of questions about their experiences alone. “Match a developer with a mar- and other developmental relationships, and programs. keter so they can exchange valuable they are able to more easily shift from Doreen Bartoldus is senior consultant skills and insights with each other. tactical to strategic behaviors and can program and construction manage- This will grow each woman’s talents in come out of the shadows to be noticed ment with Marine Tiger and National the workplace, making her even more by those who can advance their .” Association of Women in Construction valuable,” says Bowling (2018). Racioppi calls the combination of women (NAWIC) National Treasurer and Great- 3) Create structure for the program: and mentoring “the perfect match.” er New York Chapter president. Bartol- Mentors and mentees should have 2) Accountability: Mentors hold men- dus discusses best practices and keys structure and accountability from the tees accountable and on track to achieve to success in formal as well as informal company. “This keeps mentorships career goals. (Insala, 2018b). Racioppi mentoring programs. She says both types on track for better results,” Bowling (2017) found that the most successful of mentoring can work and that the most (2018) says. “Structure also helps with relationships “resulted from women success is achieved typically when both a company-wide buy-in for mentorship

18 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY AUGUST 2019 assp.org Your future leaders will grow best in supportive environments where they feel valued, respected and comfortable taking healthy risks. To create this environment, you must have an inclusive

WEEKEND IMAGES INC./E+/GETTY IMAGES INC./E+/GETTY IMAGES WEEKEND company culture. programs. Create designated spaces 5) Train mentors. It is important to .com/2018/03/02/why-companies-with-female and time during the workday for men- implement training programs for lead- -managers-make-more-money.html torships, solidifying them as a crucial ers. “Research e-learning solutions, local Bowling, K. (2018, Aug. 3). Why female part of your workplace.” workshops, and even conferences where mentorship in the workplace is more import- 4) Communication is important: employees can develop their professional ant than ever. Retrieved from www.forbes .com/sites/yec/2018/08/03/why-female-men Mentoring is a way for all participants to and leadership skills” (Stedman, 2019). torship-in-the-workplace-is-more-important practice communication skills. “Whether 6) Develop and maintain a culture of -than-ever/#435a3d4e7291 mentoring happens in one-on-one or diversity and mentorship. A solid unbi- Catalyst. (2019, June 11). Women CEOs of group settings, it encourages women to ased mentorship program can help an the S&P 500. Retrieved from www.catalyst practice effective, clear communication,” organization solve many workplace is- .org/research/women-ceos-of-the-sp-500 Bowling (2018) says. sues and build a better workplace culture Insala. (2017, Oct. 11). 5 ways mentoring can Mentoring relationships have benefits for growth and leadership for all genders. benefit women in leadership. Retrieved from not only for mentees, but also for men- Training women for leadership positions www.insala.com/Articles/5-ways-mento tors and the company. The following isn’t just about women; it is about every- ring-can-benefit-women-in-leadership.asp Insala. (2018a, Jan. 16). Empowering women organizational best practices are essential one at the company. Your future leaders leaders through mentoring. Retrieved from to a thriving mentorship program: will grow best in supportive environ- www.insala.com/Articles/empowering-wom 1) An organization must reduce bias. ments where they feel valued, respected en-leaders-through-mentoring.asp A recent study done by the and comfortable taking healthy risks. To Insala. (2018b, May 22). Bringing gender di- Harvard Business Review found create this environment, you must have versity to your leadership team through men- that gender inequality in the an inclusive company culture. “Take an toring. Retrieved from www.insala.com/Arti cles/bringing-gender-diversity-to-your-leader workplace is due to bias, not active stance against sexism, harassment and other forms of gender discrimina- ship-team-through-mentoring.asp differences in behavior. To re- Insala. (2019, Feb. 27). Mentoring women duce bias in your organization tion. This is critical to creating an atmo- sphere in which women can and want to to overcome challenges in the workplace. Re- and your mentoring program, it trieved from www.insala.com/Articles/mento is your responsibility to develop thrive” (Stedman, 2019). ring-women-to-overcome-challenges-in-the policies that level the playing -workplace.asp field for all individuals. These Conclusion Mackey, Z. (2018, Aug. 22). Women in lead- policies can include choosing a The old leadership model is clearly ership: Finding and leveraging allies and men- more diverse group of high-po- broken. According to Bowling (2018), if tors. Retrieved from https://ideas.bkconnec tential individuals to participate we continue to progress at the current tion.com/women-in-leadership-finding-and-le rate, the number of women in manage- veraging-allies-and-mentors in your mentoring program that Racioppi, R. (2017, Nov. 14). Mentoring focuses on leadership. This gives ment is expected to increase by only 1% over the next 10 years. Women are for leadership: How to best equip women for women a chance to push for- success [Webinar]. Retrieved from https:// ward in their careers where tra- not as likely to participate in executive positions, and the disparity is affecting chronus.com/resources/mentoring-leadership ditionally men have been more -best-equip-women-success present. (Insala, 2018a) the prosperity of companies. Mentor- Stedman, M. (2019). Training women for ship is the missing piece to the leader- 2) An organization should offer all em- leadership positions in manufacturing, con- ship puzzle. With the help of mentors, struction and engineering. Boss Magazine. ployees the same access to opportunity. It women can participate in these C-suite Retrieved from https://thebossmagazine.com/ is important to encourage employees to positions and ultimately help make their women-leadership-construction-manufactur network with other professionals in the companies more successful. PSJ ing-engineering community. Staff can join industry asso- Webster, S. & Kurukulasuriya, R. (2015, ciations, unions and volunteer positions References Aug. 26). Empowering our women through (Stedman, 2019). Blumberg, Y. (2018, March 2). Companies mentoring. Retrieved from https://medium 3) Companies should normalize risk. with more female executives make more .com/perspectives-volume-4/empowering-our Employees should feel open to taking money: Here’s why. Retrieved from www.cnbc -women-through-mentoring-c59c0949fd15 professional risks without punishment, Crystal D. Turner-Moffatt, M.S., CSP, SMS, ASP, CHST, is a safety consultant at WSP and president of CDT EHS reprimand or humiliation. Failure is an Consulting LLC. She has more than 20 years’ experience in OSH. Turner-Moffatt holds an M.S. in Environmen- opportunity to learn (Stedman, 2019). tal and Occupational Health Sciences from Hunter College CUNY, a B.A. in Psychology from Wesleyan Univer- 4) Eliminate gender in the mentoring sity, and a Bioterrorism Preparedness Certificate from Hunter College CUNY. She is founder of two LinkedIn relationship. Partner a mentee with the groups: Women in Environmental Health and Safety; and Construction Safety. She is a professional member most qualified mentor, regardless of the of ASSP’s Hudson River Valley, and a member of the Society's Construction Practice Specialty. She is a member person's gender. of ASSP's Women in Safety Excellence (WISE) and Blacks in Safety Excellence common interest groups. In 2018, she received the WISE Mentor Award and in 2019, she was named WISE Safety Professional of the Year.

assp.org AUGUST 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 19