'Boys at the top':
Snapshot survey
 In the May 2010 Mini Mag, members took a minute to share their thoughts on the role men in senior roles can, do and should play in changing the gender imbalance at senior levels. It was a hot topic, one that sparked a fertile debate
Taking the vox pop at face value, there was a clear call for men at all levels of seniority to change their attitudes and behaviour if anything is to shift.
Indeed, more than half of the respondents pointed to everyday husbands and partners – as well as men in senior roles – as the locale of the need for change.
As to whether or not senior men do or don't care about the importance of gender imbalances at seniro levels, the respondents were largely divided.
In your own words
Many women took the time to share their own ideas, stories and reflections
on this most topical debate. Here are just a few of the responses – capturing the diversity of thinking out there:
- Men do play a role in breaking down barriers. However, it's also about providing options for women to stay in careers through child rearing parts of their lives. Flexibilty at work and childcare options (both fathers and professional child care) are needed to help woment keep the ball rolling.
- I think men in senior roles do genuinely care about the gender imbalance, but either don't know what to do to change it or cannot change their workplace culture and practices as this is so deeply entrenched. I do, however, think they care and want to make a difference.
- If the men in senior roles worked with potential up and coming (female) leaders in their company, they could provide a great mentoring service to them, show them the ropes, of how to get where they have gotten. If mentoring was a more pro-active approach, the gender imbalance would significantly neutralise sooner rather than later (talking and doing are two very different things).
- A lot of women do not get seen for senior roles because of the 'emotional' and 'motherly' preconceptions. I think that if a male senior management takes the time to implement a family freindly workplace, they would have more understanding on how a women can incorporate the work life balance successfully.
Below are the percentages of people who said 'True' for each statement, in order of most agreeance:
| At the end of the day, men in senior roles – and the barriers they support – need to change if anything is to shift |
53.03% |
| At the end of the day, it’s everyday husbands and partners who need to change in how they share in domestic work and child-raising if anything is to shift |
51.52% |
| At the end of the day, it’s women who need to change their thinking if anything is to shift |
22.73% |
| Most men in senior roles don’t really care either way about the issue of women in senior roles |
18.94% |
| If pressed, most men in senior roles would actually be very concerned about the low numbers of women in senior roles |
14.39% |
| The few senior men who do talk up the importance of mroe women in senior roles do so because it makes them – and their companies – look good |
13.64% |
| Most men in senior roles are actually complicit in keeping women out of senior roles |
12.12% |
| Most men in senior roles actually care deeply about the gender imbalances in senior roles |
2.27% |
If you've read this far, and you're still feeling overwhelmed, we encourage you to revist last month's feature story, How to kiss your ‘busyness’ goodbye by Kellie Mills. Managing Partner, Mills-Eaton Training. Even if you've read it already, it might consolidate some godo tips in managing your business. Click here
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