In today’s major organisations, women begin to be less visible as
they climb up the corporate ladder. In Malaysia, a recent report by business
consultancy, Grant Thornton, revealed that gender diversity still has the least
number of women involved in senior management roles within the Asean region.
With only 26% of women represented in top management roles, it is vitally
important to boost and encourage a corporate culture that supports more
talented women into key decision-making positions.
But, you may likely ask, “Why?”
If you ever heard about the girl effect – a movement in which you
invest in the education of young and unique potential of girls in developing nations,
you help local communities much more than by giving any other form of aid. As
reported by the Clinton Global Initiative, closing the gender gap in education
adds half a percent to a country’s per capita gross national product; that when
women work, they invest 90% of their income back into their families, as
compared with only 35% for men – which marks an incredibly powerful effort for
the economy.
Being the CEO of Tupperware Brand Corporation,
Rick Goings knew for sure that companies miss out on tremendous business
advantages if women are neglected as part of the management team. To him, the
economic decision to disregard female empowerment is a ridiculous action. Having
been around the industry for years, he realised that CEO plays a pivotal role
in not only thriving the profitability of their company, it is also of their
responsibility to ensure diversity and equality in the enterprise to help
improve the company bottom line.
Many business models today face a plethora of
challenges involving three (3) fault lines: technology, talent, and demographic
change; companies have to be able to reinvent themselves from the older
corporate culture in order to cope with the new challenges ahead. This,
however, requires a workforce with a broad skillset; and this is when the
executive management roles hire people who can be efficient cogs in the
corporate machine. For this reason, Rick Goings learned a great lesson in
receiving better returns and work outcomes by looking for a broader range of
abilities and capabilities upon the recruitment process.
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The Female Factor
Too many companies today are still holding on
to a corporate culture that sidelines these qualities, especially at the top.
What they are missing is leadership diversity – or, pardon the buzzword, the “female factor”.
In my experience, women excel when it comes to
getting the task done through collaboration, teamwork and critical thinking.
They approach problem-solving and decision-making differently from their male
counterparts and it is this kind of diversity in thinking that prevents a
homogenous mindset, strengthens a business and propels it forward. Recruiting
and promoting women is a very straightforward injection of skills that improves
the company’s ethos and its business results.
Frankly, it’s a triple win – for the company,
family and community, and society as a whole. At Tupperware Brands, we are
heavily focused on women in business, on coaching them to succeed. To
understand the impact, we looked closely at the outcomes. We are proud but not
surprised that many of our senior line officers are women. Ditto for country
managing directors – even in markets where machismo still reigns.
The same goes for our sales organization. In
Mexico, for example, 99% of our female sales force improved their financial
situation, and as a result 50% doubled the investment in their children’s
education. Thanks to the right training, they also gained in confidence, and
many now see themselves as leaders – ready to create opportunities and jobs.
On the other side of the globe, in Indonesia,
the results are just as impressive. Our sales force did north of $200 million
in sales last year offering women – who are typically shut out of the regional
economy – a way to move beyond set social rules and rise above the poverty
line. Thanks to the right training and opportunity, many of these women
confidently build their own businesses and reap the rewards. They spend more on
their children’s education, gain respect in their family, and nearly half of
them now have the time and money to support others in the community.
Putting It to Action
So how can companies make it work? It starts
with the right mindset, and at the top.
At Tupperware Brands, we have made sure that
the same number of men and women sit on our board. We do not promote women because
we feel obliged to, but because it is the right business decision. I recommend
that you first think about the skillset and structure that your company needs,
and then build the workforce that helps you achieve that.
Once you have filled the
internal leadership pipeline with the right mixture of people and plenty of
female factor, do three things: invest, train and mentor. Trust me: this pays
off immensely, because the female factor is real. I have irrefutable proof it
works.
Inspiration: A CEO's Best Investment? More Women Leaders
Chia Yi Jing | Bubbling with enthusiasm, bright ideas, and confidence, Yi Jing set foot in the PR world with Orchan Consulting, where she was offered permanent employment after a successful internship. She is determined to make her mark in the industry, and her bosses know that she will.
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