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How do we create gender equality in the workplace?

Julie Kratz

Julie Kratz is a highly-acclaimed leadership trainer who has led teams and produced results in corporate America for nearly two decades. After experiencing her own career “pivot point,” Julie developed a process to help women leaders create their winning career game plan.

Focused on promoting gender equality in the workplace and encouraging women with their “what’s next” moments, Julie is a frequent keynote speaker and executive coach. She holds an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and is a Certiﬁed Master Coach. Julie is the author of Pivot Point: How to Build a Winning Career Game Plan and ONE: How Male Allies Support Women for Gender Equality.

In today’s conversation, we discuss the landscape of gender equality in the workplace, why the women’s movement hasn’t progressed further along to date, and how men can support and promote women in leadership roles. We explore the difference between sponsoring and mentoring, the benefits of having male allies, the impact on performance and profitability within companies, and practical steps men and women can take to foster gender equality so everyone wins.

While Julie is a die-hard feminist, she also recognizes that having discussions with women only behind closed doors and leaving the men out of the conversation will not work to create the gender equality women are looking for. Instead, working together to transform paradigms and eliminate unconscious biases is where the work must be done. Julie provides an excellent road map to follow, along with the tools to have honest cross-gender conversations that support all parties.

Key Takeaways

The majority of men want to be allies for women in the workplace. With the uprising of the #metoo movement however, there is now also a lot of fear of saying and doing the wrong thing. Male allies want to know how to support their female counterparts in rising through the leadership ranks.
Great allies ask questions and then listen.
Women, you have to diversify your mentors. Don’t just pick women to mentor you. Find male allies who believe in your strengths and value, and are willing to support your career growth.
Men respond really well with direct feedback – be clear on what you want and the role you’d like them to take.
When women are continuously the only woman in the room, it’s exhausting and taxing (tribal effect). Most high potential women who leave companies do so because they didn’t feel valued.
Get women and men in a work group – the ideas are better, the decisions are better, and the business profitability goes up by 21% (based on research by McKinsey on gender balance).
Create a series of development opportunities for your team to address unconscious bias. Include it in your strategic plan. Here’s a link to a Harvard Implicit Assessment – it’s a free test to rate yourself on your unconscious bias.
Check out the McKinsey Report: Women Matter – 10 Years Of Insights On Gender Diversity

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194: Julie Kratz: How Male Allies Can Support Women For Gender Equality In The Workplace