Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress

The official UN theme for IWD24 is Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.

It is NOT ‘Inspire Inclusion’ (whatever that means?!)?

Why is it important to recognise days like IWD?

• At the current rate of change, it will take 100+ years to close the gender gap
• Women are underrepresented in leadership – globally only a quarter of senior management positions are held by women
• The pandemic had a negative impact on women’s careers – fewer women were hired into senior roles, 25% of senior women left their roles
• Traditionally, male traits and qualities are perceived as ‘leadership qualities’
• Lack of flexible working and the prohibitive cost of childcare means women exit the workforce
• Workplace politics - women are great at building relationships, but not necessarily at leveraging those relationships
• Queen Bee syndrome - once women reach a position of power, they look to ‘protect their hive’ and are unwilling to support other women to succeed (thanks to Carla Miller for this term!)

Specific challenges that women face at work and how to solve them

After working with amazing women for the last 5 years, I’ve noticed a trend. Below I’ve outlined some specific challenges that are unique to women when it comes to progressing their career.?

1?? Putting others first/ people pleasing, not saying no and setting clear boundaries

2?? Not speaking up about their successes and small wins

3?? Taking on additional (unpaid) work, like organising the Christmas party or volunteering on ERGs

4?? Not hiring a coach or seeking out a mentor, to bounce ideas and get an alternative perspective

5?? Staying too long in the wrong environment, thinking it will change or you can change it?

Here are some ways to accelerate your progress:

? Know your non-negotiables and set clear boundaries. No emails after 6pm? Let people know. And stick to your guns!

? Share your wins with your boss - what problems did you anticipate and avoid, what successes did you or your team have?

? Focus on areas that move the dial in the business and be really clear about the contribution you personally make to the company meetings its objectives.

? Surround yourself with a support network in your company, industry and adjacent industries. Look for alternative perspectives. Mimic those you admire. Invest in your professional development.

? If you know something is off, look for an exit strategy as quickly as you can - it’s not going to change and it WILL have an impact on your health.

?Can you relate?

We’ll be covering these topics (plus more!) in my Accelerate programme, get more details here: https://www.impostersyndrome.ie/accelerate ?

In the latest episode of the Happier at Work? podcast I expand on these points and share some personal examples. Listen to the podcast here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3a45y9OXjnMUb8s7UFWMup?si=c32de6db1a5b40d2

?? Happier at Work? previous episodes:

For the week that’s in it - here are some of my favourite episodes talking about how to better support women at work:

Creating Equity in the Post-2020 Workplace with Melina Cordero

https://happieratwork.ie/190-creating-equity-in-the-post-2020-workplace-with-melina-cordero/

Combatting perfectionism with Jordana Confino

https://happieratwork.ie/189-overcoming-perfectionism-and-prioritising-well-being-with-jordana-confino/ ?

Embracing diversity and inclusion with Donna O'Connor

https://happieratwork.ie/167-embracing-diversity-and-inclusion-at-work-with-donna-oconnor/

How to promote yourself and self-advocate with Nicola McGuinness Career and Confidence Coach

https://happieratwork.ie/163-breaking-barriers-strategies-for-womens-empowerment-in-self-promotion-with-nicola-mcguinness/ ?

How to take responsibility for your career with Carla Miller

https://happieratwork.ie/take-radical-responsibility-of-your-career-with-carla-miller/

Addressing the issues relating to women at work with Niamh Hannan

https://happieratwork.ie/139-the-broken-pieces-of-the-workplace-with-niamh-hannan/

How to stop being overlooked and get your voice heard at work with Paula Sheridan

https://happieratwork.ie/138-stop-being-overlooked-at-work-with-paula-sheridan/

Ignite your confidence at work with Kelli Thompson

https://happieratwork.ie/112-ignite-your-confidence-and-create-a-career-you-love-with-kelli-thompson/

What are you doing to support women at work? I’d love to know in the comments, join the conversation.

Happier at Work partners with business leaders to support them to create and maintain happier workplaces by focusing on the pillars of: workplace culture; empowerment; and balance. We offer speaking, training and workshops; happiness audits; research; and corporate programmes.

Aoife O’Brien is the founder of Happier at Work, a business with the mission to support organisations in retaining top talent. She is passionate about ‘fit’ and specifically how creating the right environment can help individuals to reach their full potential and support organisations to thrive. She is a self-professed data nerd, with a 20+ year career in market research in the fast-moving consumer goods industry working with clients like Coca Cola, Unilever and Heinz to solve marketing problems using data analytics. Aoife has been featured by several media platforms and public speaking events talking about imposter syndrome, fit, employee engagement, and productivity. She has lived and worked in Dublin, London, Perth, and Sydney and has a MSc in Work and Organisational Behaviour, a Diploma in Executive and Life Coaching and a Certificate in Career Coaching.?

The Happier at Work podcast , features a combination of interview-based episodes as well as solo podcasting, and has more than100k listens in more than 50 countries. It was recently runner up for 4 awards. You can sign up to the Happier at Work LinkedIn Newsletter to receive the podcast straight in your LinkedIn notifications when it goes live every Friday!