BOSTON CHAPTER’S WOMEN’S FORUM

MARCH 14, 2012

What is the purpose of the Women’s Forum?

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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

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Key Topics of This Discussion

•Women’s History•Leadership•Career Progression•Mentorship•Generational Perspectives•Work/Life Balance

•Professionalism

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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

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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.

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- The Economist, November 26, 2011– SPECIAL REPORT, WOMEN AND WORK - “Closing the Gap”

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

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-U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov/newsroom“Census Bureau Reports Women-Owned Firms…” December 7, 2010

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?

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BusinessDictionary.com

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?

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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

IS THIS TRUE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION?

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- The Economist, November 26, 2011– SPECIAL REPORT, WOMEN AND WORK - “Closing the Gap”

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 non-profit 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.”

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- The Economist, November 26, 2011– SPECIAL REPORT, WOMEN AND WORK - “Closing the Gap”

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 TopicsIssues/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.

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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

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- The Economist, November 26, 2011– SPECIAL REPORT, WOMEN AND WORK - “Closing the Gap”

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.”

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- Frank J. De Raffele, Jr. (Posted 24 Jan 2012, url: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222654)

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.”

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- Frank J. De Raffele, Jr. (Posted 24 Jan 2012, url: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222654)

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-on-one, 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

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Molly Foley, Next Generation Consulting “Multi-generational Issues in the Workplace”The AICPA Young CPA Network

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

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Molly Foley, Next Generation Consulting “Multi-generational Issues in the Workplace”The AICPA Young CPA Network

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, question and break rules, prefer flexibility

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Molly Foley, Next Generation Consulting “Multi-generational Issues in the Workplace”The AICPA Young CPA Network

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.

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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.

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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. “Women-Owned Small Businesses in the Federal Procurement Market” Journal of Contract Management Summer 2008: 131-9

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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/

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NCMA Women’s Forum FaceBook

• Include link or snapshot of FaceBook page

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Comments

•Feedback is welcomed!!!

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