Her Place at the Table: A Womans Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success

This Appendix turns the tables and looks at the five challenges from an organizational perspective: What can organizations do to complement the efforts of women (and men) as they negotiate the conditions for their success? Traps can catch the unvigilant organization just as quickly as they ensnare individuals.

Challenge 1: Drill Deep ”Supply Intelligence for Informed Decisions

Common Traps

• "She looks as if she might be the right person, but we'll just have to see."

• "It would be good to have a woman in this role."

• "Some of the aspects of our culture may not fit her at first, but she'll adjust."

An Organizational Response

• Structure mutual intelligence-gathering processes to test for fit on both sides.

Challenge 2: Mobilize Backers ”Provide Critical Support

Common Traps

• "It's a sink-or-swim culture; let's see how she does."

• "People will take her seriously; after all, she's got the position."

An Organizational Response

• Create support and backing mechanisms to make the case for the appointment and counter initial doubts .

Challenge 3: Garner Resources ”Set Aside Key Allocations

Common Trap

• "She can do more with less; she's done it in the past."

An Organizational Response

• Align resources with the assignment's objectives and recognize that access to resources carries symbolic value.

Challenge 4: Bring People on Board ”Facilitate Buy-In

Common Trap

• "She'll be able to build a team; women are good at that."

An Organizational Response

• Communicate the rationale for change early and often.

Challenge 5: Make a Difference ”Make the Big Challenge Easier

Common Trap

• "If she's doing a good job, we'll know about it."

An Organizational Response

• Ensure that reward systems capture qualitative and quantitative contributions.