Diversity

#MeToo Backlash Is Real. And Wrong.

Amy C. Waninger · 2019-02-12 · Leave a Comment

Several of my colleagues have asked me — numerous times — to weigh in on the #MeToo Backlash. It seems that some men are retreating into their corner offices and private golf clubs to avoid false accusations of sexism and sexual assault. They have it all wrong.

First, A Brief Herstory Lesson

For a lot of years, and not that long ago, women were not at all welcome in business, except in very low-paying roles. Even then, their success depended certain unspoken conditions. The first condition was that they were attractive enough to sit at the front desk and bring in men. And the second condition was that they play along or at least look the other way when men behaved badly in the workplace. This bad behavior could range from demeaning comments toward or about a woman to the serial rape of female employees.

This isn’t ancient history. These things happened within the last few decades, and women were afraid to speak up because we thought we were alone. We thought no one would believe us. The overwhelming response would be “If you don’t like it, go home.” Or “You don’t matter.” And, women were right. High profile cases of workplace sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape repeatedly confirm these fears.

Women Are Finally Speaking Up

Now, women are collectively saying we don’t like those rules. We don’t want to be hired for our looks. Our gender should not have more bearing on our pay or job title than our education, skills, knowledge, and contributions. We don’t want to be treated disrespectfully or sexually assaulted at work. And, we’d like to make clear that if a man is mentoring us, he should not expect us to flirt or consent to things that we aren’t comfortable with. We will not turn the other way when we see it happening to others. Women are standing up for each other in ways we never have before. We realize that we cannot trust powerful men to take just one of us seriously.

#MeToo Backlash Says “Don’t Be Alone with a Woman”

Some men are now essentially saying, “Well, if you’re not going to play by our rules, we won’t talk to you at all.” Why is this such a problem for men? Seems they still don’t believe that any of these allegations could be true. They say they’re afraid of “false accusations” from the women they work with. Some men are afraid, for the very first time, of being alone with a woman because it poses a perceived risk to their public image, if not their livelihood. Their intentions, they say, might be misunderstood. In a he-said-she-said situation, someone might not believe them. And most women, understandably, have little sympathy for this newfound situational awareness. So, where do we go from here?

Practical and Responsible Compromise

Here’s a surprising point of agreement. I mean no offense by this, but a lot of women don’t want to be alone with certain men either. Many of us have past trauma from which we have not healed. When we posted “#MeToo” on social media, it was a show of solidarity, not a badge of honor.

We may have observed disrespectful comments, jokes, or other behaviors from a particular man at work and worry about his intentions. I personally have worked with dozens of men who were known (at least by the women in the office) to be serial predators of one type or another. Make no mistake. These men are NOT worried about false accusations. They’re worried that we’re onto them.

But how can men who are not serial predators, rapists, skirt chasers, manipulators, abusers, or narcissists differentiate themselves and avoid #MeToo allegations? Simple. Don’t mentor a woman one-on-one. Mentor five women instead. Hold regular meetings as a group in a public space. Be obvious about what you’re doing. Even as a mentor, spend twice as much time listening as talking. You will learn volumes about the unique barriers and hurdles these women face, and in places you’d never expect. To get an even better education and have a more lasting impact, make sure you include women of who vary in age, race, education, and physical ability. Make your group as diverse as possible.

Finally, listen for someone who says, “I won’t work with women.” What they’re really saying is “I can’t work with 50 percent of the population because I can’t trust them to look the other way when I behave badly.” That should tell you everything you need to know about them.

Inclusive Leadership: Make It a Management Priority

Amy C. Waninger · 2019-01-29 · 1 Comment

What Is Inclusive Leadership?

Inclusive leadership is a complicated topic. Leadership itself is multifaceted, and we’ve seen a change in leadership over time. Leadership used to be very focused on command-and-control. Then the concept of servant leadership came into vogue, where leadership was about service to the people that you were leading. I also love the concept of strength-based leadership, which is the notion of finding what drives each person and helping each person achieve their optimum potential within the team.

Inclusive leadership takes that one step further. It’s not just finding people’s individual strengths, but also creating an environment where everyone feels like they can bring their strengths to the table. And to be an inclusive leader, you must do that in a way that lifts everyone and empowers everyone to be who they are and to be “all in” at work.

Why Be an Inclusive Leader?

No one asks, “What are the advantages to being an exclusive leader?” Or, “What’s the business case for hiring someone who can only work with a narrow subset of employees and customers?” It would be preposterous. There is no good “business case” for ignoring talent or good ideas that come from people who don’t look like you. Similarly, there’s no business case for turning away paying customers with a different understanding of the world. And yet, those are exactly the impacts we have if we don’t actively seek to be inclusive as leaders.

Why Are Inclusive Leaders in Demand?

Current business trends include: diversity & inclusion; networking, especially via social media; increasing globalization; and the “gig” economy. The primary drivers for all of these trends are

shifting workforce and consumer demographics
rapidly advancing technology, and
an increasingly global economy and workforce.

The result is that employers are competing to attract and retain the right talent for their organizations. At the same time, talented professionals are more diverse, more connected, and have more opportunities than ever before. Similarly, companies are competing for customers in emerging and niche markets all around the world, while consumers have greater access to both information and substitute goods and services. Acquiring talent is costly. Companies need leaders who know how to attract and retain talented individuals, no matter what they look like or where they come from.

Inclusive leadership requires self-reflection, patience, and vulnerability. It’s not easy and doesn’t happen overnight. The same can be said of nearly everything else that is worthwhile.

Lead at Any Level LLC works with organizations that want to build diverse leadership bench strength for a sustainable competitive advantage.

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Job Descriptions: Focus on Activities

Amy C. Waninger · 2019-01-15 · 1 Comment

In response to a recent Lead at Any Level post regarding job descriptions that attract diverse candidates, Omer Molad at Vervoe offers the following additional advice. (Editor’s note: This content originally appeared on the Vervoe blog and has been republished here at the request of the author.)

Here’s how to write a job description that will attract the right candidates.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

– Greg Anderson

Why Focus on Activities?

People are hired to perform value-adding activities. While companies have different approaches to how they hire, their goals are usually the same. Every company wants to hire high-performing people, not people who just look good on paper.

Despite this simple and obvious assumption, too many companies ignore activities and focus on things that don’t indicate performance. This happens at every stage of the hiring process. For example:

Many job descriptions focus on what candidates have done in the past.
Screening is based on candidates’ backgrounds.
Assessment methods often don’t simulate the tasks are performed in the role.

Instead, use on-the-job activities as the guide for the entire hiring process. If you follow this principle, you will hire people who perform the value-adding activities you require.

Here’s how it works.

The Job Description

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

– Lewis Carroll

Defining the role is the foundation of hiring. If you do that incorrectly, the entire hiring process will be steered in the wrong direction. The clearer you are, the higher your chances of attracting the person you want.

The problem with so many job descriptions is that they are aren’t linked closely enough to the daily activities of the job. Let’s change that.

A good job description should have three sections:

1. Start with why

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

– Simon Sinek

This approach is entirely applicable to job descriptions. Sell candidates on your company’s vision and story. Sell them on the role and the culture. This will achieve two things. First, it is likely to increase the quality of applicants. Second, candidates will be more likely to invest in the application process and make an effort if they buy into your “why”.

Conversely, candidates who don’t relate to your vision or culture will opt out. Mission accomplished.

2. Describe the role in activities

Outline, point by point, what the successful candidate will do every day. Keep it simple and be very specific. No clichés, no jargon. Candidates need to understand how they will spend each day, what they need to achieve, who they’ll be working with and under what conditions.

This is a great way of managing expectations. By communicating to candidates what they’ll be doing in the role, you are forcing them to ask themselves whether they can do those activities well and how much they enjoy doing them. This presents another opportunity for less suitable candidates to opt out.

3. State your requirements

The previous two sections should make this part easy because you’ve set the scene. Candidates already know what your company stands for and what they’ll be doing in the role. Now you can add some more detail about the type of person you are looking for and how you expect them to approach the role.

Don’t worry about years of experience, grades in college or anything else that’s not activity-based. Bring it back to activities and use plain English.

Describe the kind of person you’re looking for by listing how you want them to approach the role. Put thing in context. Instead of “strong communicator”, write “clearly communicate customer feedback to the product team”. Instead of “flexible”, write “prepared to join calls with developers late at night when necessary”.

You should also use this section to articulate the attitude and behaviors you’d like to see. Candidates already know from the previous section what they’ll be doing on a daily basis. Now explain how.

Here are some examples of good job descriptions and a useful guide on how to write one.

Candidate Screening

“The doors of wisdom are never shut.”

– Benjamin Franklin

With a good job description and scenario-based assessment, candidate screening is simply not required. To learn more about why you don’t need to screen candidates read this.

But in short, screening is not about activities, it’s about a candidate’s background. Ruling people out based on their background is counterproductive. Instead, set candidates up for success with a savvy job description, and then assess the ones that want the job based on that description.

Don’t worry about receiving too many applications from people who aren’t qualified or ignore the job description. That is solved automatically in the assessment stage and you won’t need to lift a finger.

Scenario-based Assessment

“An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.”

– Mae West

Your job description will attract people who want to be part of your journey, and want to do the job you advertised. That’s the theory at least.

Now it’s time to find out how it stacks up.

The assessment stage, which is the most important part of your hiring process, should be entirely based on activities. Go back to the job description and choose the most important on-the-job activities.

Create simulations of those activities so you can see how candidates perform in real-world scenarios. To learn how to write a great interview script read this.

Use automated interviews to deliver the simulations to candidates online.

Some candidates will not make the effort. Others will find the activities too challenging. Others yet will see that the activities are not aligned with their interests or passions. The most motivated and qualified candidates will prevail.

It’s easy to read a job description and apply for a job. However, when candidates are asked to perform challenging tasks, they need to be motivated and confident in their abilities. You’ll only need to view and score completed interviews and you’ll know who measures up within minutes.

Using automated interviews based on activities, you can audition candidates for the role. They will, in turn, get a chance to do the role, albeit in a small way.

The candidates who perform well in the automated interviews will have proven they can do the activities you want them to do in the role. Seeing first hand how well they perform each of those activities will help you confidently make your hiring decision.

By focusing on activities, you can create a hiring process that reflects your role and how you want it to be performed. It’s a simple and effective method to hire people who can, and want to, perform the activities you consider to be value-adding.

About the Author

Omer Molad is the Co-founder and CEO of Vervoe

Impostor Syndrome

Amy C. Waninger · 2019-01-07 · 1 Comment

Take a look at your own resume. Are you qualified, or even overqualified, on paper? Now consider your To Do List. Are you overcompensating for imaginary failings? If you answered yes to these two questions, you may be suffering from impostor syndrome!

The Problem: Impostor Syndrome

I grew up in a working class community in Southern Indiana. Perhaps for this reason, I have always felt like I’m going to be “found out” as a phony in the business world.

My two bachelor’s degrees were probably necessary for my career. Okay, the second one was necessary. Yet I attained numerous professional designations so I would feel qualified for progressive roles in the Information Technology and Insurance industries. I’ve successfully managed teams, departments, and projects. I have received numerous awards as a consultant, as a manager, as a volunteer leader. The highest employee position I held was a senior management role with a Fortune 100 company. Still, I didn’t feel like I was making a direct, positive impact on the world.

In 2017, I launched my own company to help organizations build diverse leadership pipelines. Since then, I’ve written books, contributed to anthologies, and been published in peer-reviewed journals. My first book, Network Beyond Bias, has received praise from established diversity & inclusion experts, as well as from casual readers. My first year in business, I presented nearly 50 live programs in 2018 and qualified as a Professional Member of National Speakers Association.

I tell you this not to boast, but to emphasize the contrast between my accomplishments and my ability to internalize them.

To prove to myself that it wasn’t all a fluke, I have three more books in the works and several other projects underway. I’m also currently pursuing my MBA so I’ll feel “qualified” to reach the goals I have set for myself as a business owner.

Good News: We Are Not Alone

If you suffer from impostor syndrome, you’re not alone. There are so many of us working our tails off to prove to ourselves and others that we are worthy. We are capable. We belong. Impostor syndrome compounds when we don’t see people “like us” who have made it. We may struggle to imagine ourselves as breaking some invisible-but-very-real barrier in the company hierarchy or public eye.

The Solution: Be a Mentor

Mentoring others is one of the best ways I’ve found to manage (or at least redirect) my impostor syndrome. Through mentoring, I can more easily see the skills I’ve acquired and the perspective I’ve gained. When my proteges tell me they’ve successfully overcome an obstacle with my guidance, I know my success is reproducible and real. Sometimes, I’ll even hear myself say something really smart when I’m helping someone. It’s a wonderful feeling!

ANYONE can be a mentor. Even if the only thing you know how to do is graduate high school or stay out of prison, you can — and should — be a mentor. Someone out there needs to see you on the other side of an invisible barrier. Someone is waiting to hear the brilliant things you don’t even know you’re about to say!

You Don’t Have to Be a White Man to Have Privilege

Amy C. Waninger · 2018-10-25 · Leave a Comment

I recently read a Quartz article entitled “Until I was a man, I had no idea how good men had it at work,” written by Thomas Page McBee. This piece reinforces other anecdotes (here, here, here, and here) from trans men and women on how they are treated differently — and how their skills and behaviors are interpreted differently — based on their gender presentation. If you have a moment to read these articles, they are truly fascinating studies in gender dynamics, marginalized identities, and relative privilege.

Yes, I’m Marginalized…

As a cisgender woman, I’ll never experience life as a man. McBee’s article represents an interesting thought experiment for me. It’s both exciting and infuriating to imagine the feedback-identity loop that might exist for me if I were a man.

…And I Am Also Privileged

Still, I know that my whiteness comes with similar (or at least corollary) benefits not afforded to people of color in general, and to black people in particular. I receive the benefit of the doubt in any number of situations because of my white skin.

There are still more aspects of my identity that afford me access to safety and benefits not readily available to others:

No visible disability
Married to a man
Born into the middle class
Intelligent (luck) and college-educated (luck and hard work)
Don’t have a serious food allergy
Cisgender
Not on the Autism spectrum (although I’m not sure I qualify as “neurotypical” due to the ambiguity in that term)
Have economic advantages others do not

Here’s How I Find Balance

For me, thinking of all they ways I might be marginalized because of my gender is exhausting and disheartening.

Instead, I use my energy to find ways I can share some of the benefits I receive but did not earn.

For example, I strive to:

Educate myself about the experiences of people of color so I can recognize and challenge both systemic and interpersonal racism. I may never get good enough at this, but I keep working at it because it’s important.
Look for opportunities to make environments more accessible to people with disabilities.
Ask people about food allergies and other dietary restrictions before I order food for a meeting.
Respect that neurodivergent individuals (and others) may process information differently or struggle to maintain eye contact during conversations.
Remember that my words matter, because people should be respected everywhere. The people whom I’ve disrespected may not be physically in the room with me, but they may be very much in the hearts of my colleagues.

We each have so much to offer. And we each benefit in ways that others don’t. When we can extend those benefits to others, we demonstrate leadership, and we get the very best that everyone around us has to offer. Learn more with my book Network Beyond Bias: Making Diversity a Competitive Advantage for Your Career.