BOSTON CHAPTER’S
WOMEN’S FORUM
MARCH 14, 2012
What is the purpose of
the Women’s Forum?
1
Objectives
• To bring together women in contracting to
become
– more effective in the business world,
– improve skill set of its members,
– stimulate personal and professional growth, and
– to promote the image of contracting professional
women
2
Key Topics of This Discussion
• Women’s History
• Leadership
• Career Progression
• Mentorship
• Generational Perspectives
• Work/Life Balance
• Professionalism
3
Women’s History
• In 1848, the first women’s rights convention is held in
Seneca Falls, New York in 1848
• In 1920, the 19th amendment is ratified granting women the
right to vote
• In 1940-45, men go off to war leaving a large gap in
workforce needed to build tools of war
• In 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act bans discrimination
in employment on the basis of race and sex
• In 1975, the Pregnancy and Discrimination Act prohibits
discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or
related medical conditions
4
Women’s Work History
• 1920s and earlier: working women were mostly young and single and
had jobs in factories or as domestic servants that required little
education.
• 1930s onwards: more girls went to high school and college and got
jobs in offices
• 1950s: large numbers of married women took up work as
secretaries, teachers, nurses, social workers, often part-time.
• Since 1970 women of working age with paid jobs rose from 48% to
64%
• 1980: American women were graduating from college in the same
numbers as men and have since overtaken them by a significant
margin. The dual-income couple was born.
- The Economist, November 26, 2011– SPECIAL
REPORT, WOMEN AND WORK - “Closing the Gap”
5
What Role Do Women Entrepreneurs
Play in the Economy?
• In 2007, Women Owned 7.8 Million Businesses (28.7 percent of all
businesses nationwide)
– They Generated $1.2 Trillion In Revenues
• Employed more than 7.6 Millions Workers And Had $217.6
Billion In Payroll
• Another 4.6 Million Firms Were Owned Equally By Both Women
And Men
– These Firms Added Another $1.3 Trillion In Revenues
• They Employed Another 8.1 Million Workers
-U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov/newsroom
“Census Bureau Reports Women-Owned Firms…” December 7, 2010
6
Leadership
• Leadership in an organizational role involves
– (1) establishing a clear vision,
– (2) sharing (communicating) that vision with
others so that they will follow willingly,
– (3) providing the information, knowledge, and
methods to realize that vision, and
– (4) coordinating and balancing the conflicting
interests of all members or stakeholders.
WHAT DO YOU SEE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE
– DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS DEFINITION?
BusinessDictionary.com
7
Leadership
• As Leaders, Women Rule (Businessweek
Online, November 20, 2000)
– “Instead of being motivated by self-interest,
women are more driven by ‘what they can do
for the company’. . . .”
– If women are so great – why aren’t more of
them running the big companies?
WHY DO YOU THINK CULTURAL
MISMATCHES BETWEEN WOMEN AND
LARGE COMPANIES PERSIST?
8
Where Are The Women Leaders?
• In 2010, women held only 3.2% of all executive board seats
in Germany’s 200 biggest non-financial firms
• Across Europe, the proportion of women on company boards
averages around 10% (less than 1% in Portugal to 40% in
Norway – quota system). America is at 16%.
• In America, women last year made up less than 18% of
senior managers and not even 8% of the highest earners
• Many women get on the high-potential list and then, languish
there forever
- The Economist, November 26, 2011– SPECIAL
REPORT, WOMEN AND WORK - “Closing the Gap”
IS THIS TRUE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION?
9
WHY IS IT SO CRITICAL TO
KEEP WOMEN ON BOARD?
• Studies show the presence of a critical mass of women in senior
jobs is positively correlated with a company’s performance and
possibly with higher profits.
• Out of a study of over 230 public and private companies and nonprofit organizations, those with significant numbers of women in
senior management did better on a range of criteria, including
leadership, accountability and innovation.
• “The results are so consistent that promoting women seems like a
good idea, just in case.”
- The Economist, November 26, 2011– SPECIAL
REPORT, WOMEN AND WORK - “Closing the Gap”
10
Career Progression
• Moving through a sequence of jobs, involving
continually more advanced or diverse activities
and resulting in wider or improved skills, usually
resulting in greater responsibility and prestige,
and higher income.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PATH TO YOUR CURRENT
POSITION? WAS IT A STRAIGHT LINE?
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Career Progression Topics
Issues/Obstacles Specific to Women
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS OBSTACLES TO
YOUR CAREER?
DO YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
NEW WOMEN ENTERING YOUR FIELD
OF WORK?
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Obstacles
• Women have made it to middle management and in
some cases top management, but not much further
– Female managers tend to work functional specialties
(such as HR) rather than line management
– Women have a different style and are more visible, so
if something goes wrong everyone notices
– Women don’t put themselves forward for promotion.
– Few female role models.
13
Career Progression Stats
• Men and women recruited in roughly equal numbers; half-way
up the ladder a lot of the women have already dropped out; and
at the top there are hardly any left.
– Women make up just 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs.
• In identical jobs, women earn slightly less than men from the
beginning, and as time goes by the gap gets ever bigger
– It now averages 18% - a lot less than what it was 40 years ago; but in
recent years it has stopped narrowing
– They get paid less than men at every level, including the top layer
• Catching up with men, particularly at the top, seems to be
taking much longer than expected
- The Economist, November 26, 2011– SPECIAL
REPORT, WOMEN AND WORK - “Closing the Gap”
14
Which Way Is Best: Relationships First or Business First?
• “It’s no amazing revelation to say that the first priority for
women is relationships, and for men, getting business. . .
– Men have been the hunters, protectors and providers of our clans since the
beginning of time. . .
– Women’s management style, which supposedly is more pragmatic, more
empathetic, and more risk averse and stronger on communication than
men’s. Male management styles vary widely.
• “Women have been the gatherers and community builders for
as long as men have been hunters. By building a sense of
community, they created a nurturing environment for the
children and a place for the community to share its riches.”
– “The act of planting and caring for seeds to grow plants mirrors building of
relationships.”
- Frank J. De Raffele, Jr. (Posted 24 Jan 2012, url:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222654)
15
Which Way Is Best: Relationships First or Business First?
• “Women have understood for thousands of years the benefit and
importance of developing mutually beneficial relationships.
Modern times find them using those same instincts and skill sets
to develop business relationships.”
– “When women network, they are working as gatherers, planting
seeds and acquiring friends, not just using transactional friends the
way men do, but actual friends.”
– “The problem with a transactional relationship is that it is based on
the transaction. Once the transaction is over, then the relationship
is over.“
• Women, on the other hand, would do well to focus on extracting more
transactions from their business friendships.”
- Frank J. De Raffele, Jr. (Posted 24 Jan 2012, url:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222654)
16
Mentorship
• Supportive relationship established between
two people to transfer knowledge, skills, and
experience.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE MENTORS? WHERE
ARE THEY – AT WORK, OUTSIDE?
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Generational Perspectives
• Relating effectively with people who are
different than you
• Generational core values
• Value drives behavior
• Awareness
• Communication
• Ability to manage conflict
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Your Co-Workers at a Glance
• Traditionalists (age 70-90)
– Respect for authority, discipline, communicate one-onone, save and pay cash
• Baby Boomers (age 52-69)
– Optimistic, involved, buy now, pay later
• Generation X (age 31-51)
– Skeptics, fun, informal values, cell phones, email, cautious,
conservative, save, save, save
• Millennials (age 11-30)
– Realists, confident, extreme fun, social, internet, picture
phones, text, earn to spend
Molly Foley, Next Generation Consulting
“Multi-generational Issues in the Workplace”
The AICPA Young CPA Network
19
Your Co-Workers in the Workplace
• Traditionalists (age 70-90)
– Very experienced, independent, experimental, hands-on,
directive, command-and-control, individual, face-to-face, phone
• Baby Boomers (age 52-69)
– Very experienced, independent, experimental, hands-on,
consensual, team player, loves meetings, face-to-face, email
• Generation X (age 31-51)
– Mid-level experience, up-and-coming leaders,
adaptable/flexible, independent, challenge others, email
• Millennials (age 11-30)
– Less experienced but eager to learn, interactive, team-oriented,
hands-on, multi-tasking, email, texting, IM
Molly Foley, Next Generation Consulting
“Multi-generational Issues in the Workplace”
The AICPA Young CPA Network
20
How They View Work
• Traditionalists (age 70-90) - Authority
– Satisfied in a job well done, work to provide, company loyalty,
an obligation, duty before fun, rule followers
• Baby Boomers (age 52-69) - Achievement
– Satisfied with money and title recognition, live to work, always
“on,” very loyal to company, rule followers, prefer structure
• Generation X (age 31-51) - Recognition
– Freedom is the best reward, keep work and personal life
separate, loyalty depends on years, follow rules, but question
them, prefer mix of structure and flexibility
• Millennials (age 11-30) - Inclusion
– Satisfied with meaningful work, work to live, want more
flexibility, less loyal/committed, looking for other opportunities,
Molly Foley, Next Generation Consulting
question and break rules, prefer flexibility “Multi-generational Issues in the Workplace”
The AICPA Young CPA Network
21
Work/Life Balance
• Balancing work and family responsibilities is a major source of
stress for employees
• Organization of workers’ lives and their time outside of work
has been greatly affected by changes which have occurred in
the labor market over the last 30 years
• These changes include work intensification, diversification of
types of employment (temporary, self-employment, on call,
casual), and schedules (part-time, split schedules, etc.)
– Which further intensify the difficulties that employees are
experiencing balancing work and family.
22
Work/Life Balance Topics
• Flex-time – benefits & liabilities
• Managing a diverse workforce
• Getting senior executive buy-in
• Making the most of Employee Assistance Programs
• Building of flexible culture
• Flexibility toolkit
WHAT DO YOU SEE IN YOUR WORK PLACE?
WHAT IS THE IMPACT CAREER PROGRESSION?
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Professionalism
• Meticulous adherence to undeviating courtesy,
honesty, and responsibility in one's dealings
with customers and associates, including a level
of excellence that goes over and above
compensational rewards and legal requirements
BusinessDictionary.com
BASED ON PERCEPTION?? HOW DO YOU JUDGE
PROFESSIONALISM?
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SUMMARY
• We’ve talked a lot today about the issues women face daily
– We hope that we’ve given you at least this opportunity
to continue the dialog
• Join us for our networking session during the Social Hour
– Reach out to those you’ve met today, swap business
cards
– Attend future events on the Boston and National levels -build on the relationships we started here today
• The next major event for NCMA National Women’s Forum
will be the World Congress – HERE IN BOSTON!!
– The Boston Chapter will be sponsoring a Women’s Forum
networking event there
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BACK-UPS
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Books
• Mindell, Phyllis. How to say it for Women. New
York: Prentice Hall, 2001
• Scumaci, Dondi. Designed for Success: The 10
Commandments for Women in the Workplace.
Lake Mary: Excel Books, 2008.
• Wellington, Sheila & Spence, Betty. Be Your
Own Mentor: Strategies from Top Women. New
York: Catalyst, Inc., 2001.
27
Periodicals
• Contract Management, National Contract
Management Association
• Journal of Contract Management, National
Contract Management Association
• Working Women, Bonnier Corporation
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Articles
• Pradel, D. W., H.R. Bowles, and K. L. McGinn.
“When Does Gender Matter in Negotiation?”
Contract Management May 2006: 6-10.
• Becker, S. A. and D. Miller-Kermani. “WomenOwned Small Businesses in the Federal Procurement
Market” Journal of Contract Management Summer
2008: 131-9
29
Research Papers and Reports
• Williams, Joan, Unbending Gender: Why Work
and Family Conflict and What To Do About It
(Oxford University Press, 2000).
• Williams, Joan & Manvell, Jessica, “Opt Out” or
Pushed Out?: How the Press Covers Work/Family
Conflict. The Untold Story of Why Women Leave
the Workforce (Center for WorkLife Law,
University of California, Hasting College of the
Law, 2006)
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Web pages
• www.womenworking.com
• www.worklifelaw.org
• www.nationalpartnership.org
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Organizations
• Leadership America
• Women in Aerospace
• Women in Defense
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Leadership America
• One of the longest running national women's leadership
programs in the world
• Established in 1988 to recognize and bring together executive
women who have achieved success in their professions,
communities and beyond
• Through advanced education, professional development and
exclusive networking, participants establish a stronger
leadership chain across disciplines and throughout the nation
and the world.
• http://www.leadershipamerica.com/
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Women in Aerospace
• Women in Aerospace (WIA) is dedicated to
expanding women's opportunities for leadership
and increasing their visibility in the aerospace
community. Our membership — women and men
— shares an interest in a broad spectrum of
aerospace issues, including human space flight,
aviation, remote sensing, satellite
communications, robotic space exploration, and
the policy issues surrounding these fields.
• http://www.womeninaerospace.org/
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Women in Defense
• Women In Defense (WID), A National Security
Organization cultivates and supports the
advancement and recognition of women in all
aspects of national security. WID was established
to provide women a formal environment for
professional growth through networking,
education, and career development.
• http://wid.ndia.org/
35
NCMA Women’s Forum FaceBook
• Include link or snapshot of FaceBook page
36
Comments
• Feedback is welcomed!!!
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