In his latest book, ‘How Women Rise’, Goldsmith looks at the factors that prevent women from moving up the career ladder and how to overcome them.
Global leadership coach and author Marshall Goldsmith has been a key influencer for several global leaders. In his latest book, ‘How Women Rise’, Goldsmith looks at the factors that prevent women from moving up the career ladder and how to overcome them. In an interaction with Moneycontrol, he talks about the current work environment and how women can derive benefits out of it. Excerpts:
You have been an executive coach for decades. Do you believe that the current work environment gives women an equal opportunity to advance in their careers?
No, I think it is getting better than it used to be. I still think there is discrimination against women in some cases more and some cases less. In my upcoming book HOW WOMEN RISE, we don’t try to solve that problem. What we talk about is what you can do in any situation to maximize your own sense of power and influence.
What are the major roadblocks that prevent women from moving up the ladder quickly?
Firstly, the average woman is seen as a better leader than the average man in giving feedbacks. An average woman is harder on herself than an average man. Women have more sense of guilt. One thing I share with women far more than men as a coach is that, don’t be too hard on yourself.
Secondly, which is related to number one, women are not as good at self-promotion. So, I try to teach the women I work with in lower levels of organisation that don’t be hesitant about self-promotion.
Another issue for women is, they often sacrifice their career for their job, and they get so focused on doing a good job they don’t invest in their long-term career and their futures. Sometimes 95 percent is good enough to take that extra energy to get the 95 to 99 which could be a huge investment. Then, put that time in your career not just trying to make that extra 5 percent difference.
Is pay inequality also a major de-motivator?
Firstly, pay inequality is definitely a de-motivator. I think a company should do whatever they should to get pay equality. Secondly, it’s not right. The reason for me to get pay equality is not just a women issue, it’s for ethical issues. To me it’s not fair that a woman should get paid less for doing the same work. So, women have every right to reason for this pay inequality.
Does your new book aim to break myths around factors that lead to women reaching a dead-end in their professional lives? What are the solutions that you suggest for this?
Our new book is designed to help women overcome issues that tend to keep them stuck. So, what it does is, it talks about classic issues that women face that make them get stuck in their position and how to get through this in the best way they can.
The book doesn’t address politics and larger social issues; it is very practical it’s something any women can read to help her to get ahead in the world. In the book, we don’t make a value judgment in the book that women should want to be promoted or should want to go ahead.
In countries like India, where a majority of women leave the workforce post maternity, are there any practical solutions apart from work-life balance initiatives to bring them back?
One thing I am a great believer in is more support for child care. I think that is one of the best investments any country could make. They must really help women with child care. Because many women even in the United States, if they are making middle level income, the cost of child care is so expensive that it is almost not worth their time to work.
If child care were given a tax break, maybe subsidised for child care, many women would have the opportunity to advance in their careers. So, I am a great believer in whatever the government is doing to help in this area of child care for women.
Do you believe that having a woman as a boss/senior is a big motivator for other women?
I think, the higher up the women is in the organization the more it is the motivational factor. So, if a woman is a CEO of the organisation, it is very motivating. It shows that a woman can make it all the way to the top. It shows that there is a CEO who is a woman; therefore if she is there I can be there as well.
