Some sensible thoughts on women in the workplace by Sandra Dawson, Nonexecutive Director of Barclays Bank and Master of Sidney Sussex College, Univ of Cambridge.
When you are the only woman in any situation, I think it is often quite difficult for men to get beyond the idea that “this is the woman speaking.” In most boards, gender is the most obvious difference, since there is often little diversity in culture or education. So it can be a challenge to “see beyond the woman.” Maybe when you get two or three, it encourages a different perspective, which prompts the thought, “Oh—women do not necessarily think alike.” And that is the breakthrough in any prejudicial situation: to see the person and not the category or stereotype.
…There is still some institutionalized prejudice, which is extremely difficult for women—or men—to tackle, as it can be deeply ingrained. However, it is no longer dominant in many organizations. Most people at the top of companies really want to enable more of their very able young women to succeed and get to the top. So it is not that they do not want to encourage women; it is not even that they do not want to encourage them at a subconscious level. It is that they do not recognize the micro-inequalities of which you speak, so all of us, men and women, need to be alert to these subtle forces and work to eradicate them.
Read full interview in McKinsey Quarterly (free subscription may be required):
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