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Now more than ever, we need men to support women–not overlook or avoid them. When women have the same opportunities to succeed and lead as men, it makes the workplace safer and fairer for everyone.
For the last two years, LeanIn.Org and SurveyMonkey have partnered to understand better what men and women are experiencing in the workplace in the #MeToo era in the US and UK.
60% of managers who are men in the US and 40% of managers who are men in the UK are uncomfortable participating in a common work activity with a woman, such as mentoring, working alone, or socializing together.1
Senior-level men are now far more hesitant to spend time with junior women than junior men across a range of basic work activities such as 1-on-1 meetings, travel, and work dinners.2
We need to actively support women at work, including by mentoring and sponsoring them. Men—who are the majority of managers and senior leaders—can help make this happen.
Mentorship is critical to the success of women across industries. We all benefit when a colleague shows us the ropes and sponsors us for new opportunities—particularly when they’re more senior, as men often are.3 This type of support can be especially impactful for women of color, who are less likely to receive career guidance from managers and senior leaders.4
People with mentors are more likely to get promoted.5
Women get less of the mentorship and sponsorship that opens doors.6 Whether this is driven by sexism or because men (perhaps unconsciously) gravitate toward helping other men, the result is that women miss out.7 Making matters worse, the number of men who are uncomfortable mentoring women has more than tripled since the recent media coverage on sexual harassment.8
Women are already underrepresented in most organizations, especially at senior levels.11 If fewer men mentor women, fewer women will rise to leadership. As long as this imbalance of power remains, women and other marginalized groups are at greater risk of being overlooked, undermined, and harassed.12
Sexual harassment is twice as common in male-dominated organizations as it is in female-dominated organizations.13
If more men mentor women, it will ultimately lead to stronger and safer workplaces for everyone. When more women are in leadership, organizations offer employees more generous policies14 and produce better business results.15 And when organizations employ more women, sexual harassment is less prevalent.16
Organizations with diverse leadership realize higher profits.17
Op-Ed
Not harassing is not enough. We need men to support women’s careers. That’s how we’ll achieve a workplace that is truly equal for all.
— Sheryl Sandberg and P&G’s Marc Pritchard
Read the article in FortuneSenior men are 3.5 times more likely to hesitate to have a work dinner with a junior-level woman than with a junior-level man—and 5 times more likely to hesitate to travel for work with a junior-level woman.18
What to do
Make sure the women you work with get equal access. If you’re uncomfortable going to dinner with female colleagues, meet everyone for breakfast—and encourage other men to do the same.
Why it matters
Women are often left out of team activities19 and business travel so they have less opportunity to build valuable relationships.
Women get less support from managers and less access to senior leaders, especially women of color: almost 60% have never had an informal interaction with a senior leader.21
What to do
Women are less likely to have a sponsor who advocates and opens doors for them.20
Why it matters
Put women’s names forward for stretch assignments and promotions and introduce them to the influential people in your network—these personal connections can propel careers.
In a study of performance reviews, 66% of women received negative feedback on their personal style such as “You can sometimes be abrasive”, while only 1% of men received that same type of feedback.22
What to do
Give women specific input on the skills they need to build and tie it to business outcomes. For example, “You should deepen your knowledge of digital marketing so we can reach more customers online.” Actionable feedback like this helps your mentee build the know-how to advance.
Why it matters
Women are more likely to get advice on their personal style such as, “The way you speak can be off-putting,” while men tend to get skills-based feedback that helps them improve their performance.23
Women are doing their part. They’re earning more bachelor’s degrees, asking for promotions, and staying in the workplace at the same rate as men. Yet the proportion of women at every level of corporate America has hardly changed. Gender bias has a lot to do with this. 50 Ways to Fight Bias pairs a card-based activity with short videos to give you the tools to address gender bias head-on.
Explore 50 Ways to Fight Bias