Gender Equity – What Men Can Do to Move the Needle – Two Action Items

Author’s Contextual Note – This Article focuses on gender in the workplace and has been in process in one form or another for some time now, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to the resulting economic crisis, and prior to the protests following George Floyd’s death, all of which have understandably dominated daily life and the news recently. Publishing the article now is in no way intended to detract from those issues. My intent is simply to continue the conversation about gender.

I am a man in my 50s, and as such, one might think that I would be an unlikely person to serve as a Commissioner on the Columbus Women’s Commission (the “Commission”). Yet, I am a Commissioner and proud to serve with a distinguished set of colleagues, with a specific focus on advancing gender equity. 

The Commission’s core mission is to reduce the inequities that women face in the workplace. One of the Commission’s important accomplishments has been the “Columbus Commitment” on pay equity, which over 250 companies have signed. The Commission has also done meaningful work to prevent evictions, which disproportionately impact women in Columbus. (For more detail, see the Commission’s 2020 Annual Report.)

When I applied for a seat on the Commission in 2018, I emphasized the importance of turning conversations regarding gender equity into action, including specific, actionable steps that men can take to move the needle in a positive way. After a year of listening and learning on the Commission, and given my own experiences as a lawyer, judge, professional development consultant, and husband, I offer two action items.

One – be a mentor.

Men should not rely on the “me too” excuse to avoid the essential work of mentoring junior-level colleagues. As has been widely reported in the press and in survey results, some senior-level male executives are withdrawing from mentoring women because of a fear of being accused of inappropriate behavior. I have had senior-level male leaders say this directly to me in private conversation. This is not a good approach. Men need to engage in mentoring, both for the health of their organization and for their own professional development as leaders and team members.

Men should develop professional relationships with female mentees. Use good judgment, be respectful, and to paraphrase what I read in one article, “Don’t do stupid stuff.” Or, as one female colleague said: “Don’t be a creep.” If you feel it is necessary and it makes you more comfortable, meet with your mentees in visible, public places, but do not avoid such meetings altogether. It is not fair to your potential mentees or to the organization. Also, be cognizant of demands on women (and men) who have children or other family obligations. For example, perhaps lunch or coffee would work better than an after-work event. The point is, find the appropriate time and place to have a thoughtful conversation. Given the new pandemic world we live in now, we will all need to be creative in finding the best “meeting” methods.

“Micro mentoring” works as well. Recognize that a well-placed invitation by a male leader to a female colleague to take a seat at a table or calling upon a female participant in meeting to make sure that diverse views are heard, sends a strong message of support to all. Think of it as the opposite of microaggressions. (If that term is unfamiliar to you, I suggest you do some homework on the same.)

In the leadership development programs that I present, I routinely recommend that senior-level women should mentor men. Early in my career, there were three women who had a lasting impact on my professional development – one in my firm, one outside my firm, and one who was a client. All three were demanding, but they were also patient and gave me clear and direct practices to follow that have served me well to this day. In my view, women can move the needle in a positive way by mentoring men, especially at the early stages of a male mentee’s career.

It is also important for younger women and men to “mentor up.” Younger members of any organization are in a good position to mentor senior-level team members who might be perceived as a bit behind the times or less informed as to certain topics, such as technical issues. When I joined a law firm as a lateral partner a few years ago, a female associate mentored me on the inner workings of the firm with much more clarity and efficiency than most of my new partners.

The point is, no matter your gender, age, sexual orientation, or status within an organization, others can learn from you. I encourage you to step outside your social comfort zone. Too often, and as studies show, people tend to gravitate towards relationships with others whom they perceive to be like themselves. There are greater rewards when one looks beyond that model and learns from others who are not just like themselves.

Two – be engaged and learn.

We live in a complicated world, and while each of us is shaped by our own life experiences and beliefs, we also can learn. In my first Commission meeting, we were asked to identify our 2019 goals. My goal was to spend the first year of my term learning more about the issues confronting women. I felt like I had a good base, but I heightened my focus and research on the available literature and studies on the topic, including a deeper dive into the research generated by McKinsey, Catalyst, and other gender-based resources.

I attended every Commission meeting, every gender equity committee meeting, and several Commission-sponsored events. My favorite event was a panel discussion led by three women in the trades working in Central Ohio. One of the panel members told her story about how, 30 years ago, she became the first female black member of a local trade union. Great stuff. She followed it up with a sobering statement something to the effect, “I am still the only black female member 30 years later.”

In addition to the programming offered in Central Ohio, I have attended other gender-focused events including a number sponsored by a thoughtful group based in Washington, D.C. called Engage – Promoting Women’s Economic Security. Engage is transparent in its focus on economic issues facing all women and the economic and political power women represent in our current work and political environments, in a bipartisan, non-divisive way. Engage will continue to be a resource for me in my journey as I was recently asked to become an Advisory Board Member for Engage.

Men and women need to continue their learning journey and to find ways to take “action.” For men, raise your hand, whether it is within your institution or taking advantage of any number of free or nominal fee programs that are offered by the Commission and groups such as Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD), the Women’s Fund, or other professional groups and associations that sponsor programs focused on gender issues. There are plenty of avenues out there – the question is which one is right for you? A desire to learn more is also one of the foundational pillars for a better understanding of the various challenges we face.

To the women who lead these efforts within their organizations and in the greater community, please consider explicitly inviting men to the table. I have heard men ask the question – Is this event only for women or can men join in as well? A simple invitation puts all of that to rest.

In sum, to my male friends and colleagues, be a mentor to women. Raise your hand and engage as an individual and leader. Challenge yourself to learn more about gender equity and ways you can help. Why? Because it is the right thing to do. If that does not move you, the research supports the fact that organizations that are focused and engaged on these issues regularly outperform others that do not. So regardless of what motivates you, step it up in your own individual way. Enjoy your journey.

* The views expressed here are solely those of the author.

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