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Saturday March 31, the LA Times ran an article on the “Return of the Glass Ceiling” or as they put it, the “female free management zone” of corporate business. This article called attention to a subject many have been lulled into thinking is on the way to be solved.
The common belief is that women are assuming more corporate management positions and directorships and that women have free choice in how and where they advance in their careers. Statistics show that this is definitely not the case.
In fact, the situation is at best status quo or getting worse for women in corporations in spite the occasional standout exception like Indra Nooyi, the CEO of Pepsi. There is a glaring absence of women in the top executive suites of major corporations in the US. This is true despite the fact that women have been getting over a third of the MBA’s since the 1980’s and that women today comprise over fifty percent of the managerial and professional workforce.
In 64 of the Fortune 500 companies, there are no women at all in the management. Even many companies, whose customers are predominantly female, do not seem to recognize that having women on the leading team will add to the productivity and effectiveness of their organizations.
Women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men, and their businesses are prospering at twice the growth rate of all firms. Yet, in corporations women earn only 75% of what men make in comparable positions, and they are assigned to staff positions, as opposed to management positions, twice as often.
The issue of the Glass Ceiling for women is a particularly timely topic since Generations X and Y have grown up with less of an awareness that they may need to fight for their rights. They are only now beginning to realize that the rise up the corporate hierarchy is fraught with barriers that they thought had been eliminated by their mothers and grandmothers.
Yes, the Glass Ceiling in corporate business is still very much in place. Equally rigid, and even more insidious, are the Glass Walls, which are the invisible obstructions that keep women from learning the range of skills that is required to rise up the management ladder within a company.
Why should corporate America care? Because having women at all levels of management is good for business.
Simply put, the reason that we need to be concerned about breaking down the glass ceiling and glass walls is that in today’s world, it is foolhardy to bypass half the available talent, especially since we are experiencing a skilled labor imbalance and shortage globally.
It is also good for business to be in tune with our customers’ needs. With women making over 80% of the purchasing decisions in the US, we need to know and understand women. To integrate this powerful customer group into the management of the business just makes good business sense.
Additionally we need to expand the issue of the glass ceiling and glass walls to all affected groups – all who are not similar in ways to the current management demographics. The time to address the Glass Ceiling and Glass Walls is upon us.
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Marilyn Tam is a Corporate Consultant, Speaker, Author, Executive Director and Co-founder of Us Foundation. Ms. Tam was formerly the President of Reebok Apparel and Retail Group; CEO of Aveda Corp. and Vice President of Nike Inc. She is also a successful entrepreneur, having developed and built companies in corporate consulting & training, a web portal company and a supply chain software company. Marilyn Tam’s international selling book, “How to Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want”, combines her business acumen with her goal of giving back to show others how to achieve their dreams. Find out more about Marilyn Tam at www.HowToUseWhatYouveGot.com.
How do you break thorough perceived or real barriers to the next level of success? Do you feel that you are stuck at a certain level? Do you feel that upper management thinks that you are only good in the position/level that you are in? What are the strategies and tactics to get you where you want to go? Much has been made of glass ceilings.
Sign up now at leadersstudio.com to join Marilyn for a 1-hour session dealing with this important topic. Fee: $100.
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