What is the Athena Factor?
The Athena Factor is a research project that examines the career paths of women with advanced degrees in science, engineering and technology. The study used formal surveys of both men and women and conducted 28 focus groups in major cities around the world. Thirty four companies participated. The project is named for the Greek goddess of wisdom, industry, skills and the arts. A brief summary of the findings appears in the section below.
The report was written by Sylia Ann Hewlett, founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy, a nonprofit think tank that seeks to fully realize female and multicultural talent over the life span; Carolyn Buck Luce, Global Pharmaceutical Sector Leader, Enst & Young; Lisa J. Servon; Laura Sherbin; Peggy Shiller; Eytan Sosnovich and Karen Sumbers. Project sponsors include Alcoa, Cisco Systems, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft and Pfizer. (Click here to order copies of the report.)
The Talent Landscape
Women make up 41% of the highly qualified scientists, engineers, and technologists at the lower levels of the corporation. But 52% of these women will quit their jobs and leave the industry. Some will go to non-profits. Others will become self-employed. This is happening at a time when the Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts that job growth in science, engineering and technology will outstrip the supply of educated workers, so related industries can ill afford to lose these women who make up a significant part of the talent pool.
When and Why Do Women Leave?
Study findings indicate that there is a sharp increase in women who exit their companies and their careers between the ages of 30 – 35. A number of factors including mysterious means for climbing the career ladder, lack of mentors and sponsors, and often being the only woman on a team collide with increasing family responsibilities that arise from having a first or second child. But it is clear that it is not family responsibilities alone that are causing the exodus. The following are cited as the top reasons for the female talent drain.
- A hostile macho culture that is exclusionary and predatory. 63% stated that they experienced sexual harassment.
- Isolation – often times there is only one woman on a team or at a site. 45% lacked mentors, 83% lacked sponsors.
- Mysterious career paths such that 40% felt stuck. The macho culture and isolation lead to lack of understanding of how to move up.
- Risk taking – isolation, lack of support from good buddies, mentors and sponsors result in reluctance to take the risks that are often rewarded in science, engineering and technology companies.
- Job pressures – “Extreme Jobs” may be the professional equivalent of extreme sports. People work across multiple time zones that require an almost 24/7 presence.
What Companies Can Do
There is hope. Many companies are successfully addressing these problems. What follows is a set of guidelines and a road map for systemic changes to ensure the success, promotion and retention of talented women.
Guidelines
Create a change management structure and process as well as a communication plan.
- The CEO champions change and creates a cascading change management structure.
- He/She appoints and charters leader(s) with both formal and informal power to sponsor and lead change. Sponsors are typically members of the company’s top leadership team.
- These sponsors in turn charter a change management steering committee (decision making body) and working groups that develop solutions/programs and implementation plans. The programs are reviewed and approved first by the steering committee and then by the top leadership team.
- A central hub serves as a communication mechanism for various working groups to share learnings, avoid redundancies and conflicts, and collaborate as needed.
- Continuous learning processes are created so as programs are implemented those leading and working on change learn from successes and mistakes.
Road map
Step 1.
CEO develops business case,vision and long term goals. Consider the inclusion of at least 3 women on each leadership team as one of the goals. Why? It takes 3 of any dis-empowered or minority group to change the prevailing cultural norms.
Step 2.
CEO charters change sponsors; describes the vision and business case; clarifies roles , relationships and expectations; identifies how success will be measured and rewarded; and ensures his/her support as needed.
Step 3
Change sponsors charter and develop steering committee:
Share the vision and business case – involve the CEO
- Clarify role of group and roles within group
- Develop relationships between team members
- Establish working structure and processes
- Identify accountabilities and rewards
Step 4.
Assess company specific factors that get in the way and those that foster the success, promotion and retention of women. The Athena Factor identifies generic issues across many companies. All, some or none of these may be factors in your company. (For more information and a free consultation on an assessment instrument that companies are using contact Germane Coaching & Consulting.)
The steering committee can charter a working group to research and identify assessment tools, do this work themselves, or involve someone in an existing function such as Quality or Human Resources.
Prior to administering the assessment, communicate to the rest of the organization why this is happening, what is happening, what is expected of people and when they will hear about the outcomes.
Step 5.
Steering committee reviews assessment findings and identifies factors to be addressed in year 1.
Step 6.
Charter appropriate subcommittees to develop solutions and implementation plans for year 1.
For a free 1 hour consultation on how to ensure the success and retention of talented women contact Germane Coaching & Consulting.