Post on 05-May-2018
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 2
TableofContentsIntroduction...........................................................................................................................3
WhatThisReportWillShow.............................................................................................................5
LostLeadersinthePipeline:Why?........................................................................................6GapsinAdvancementandSalaryStartEarly.....................................................................................7UnintendedCorporateObstacles......................................................................................................8It’sNotAlwaysAboutFamilyBalance...............................................................................................9
CapitalizingonWomen’sAmbition........................................................................................10
The2016Women’sSuccessCoachingPoliticsofAmbitionSurvey.........................................13AboutThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey............................................................................................13The2016PoliticsofAmbitionSurveyResults..................................................................................15ImpactofWorkplaceSituations......................................................................................................22ImpactofFamilySituations............................................................................................................24ImpactofOtherCircumstances.......................................................................................................24Ambitiouswomenmakesignificantsacrificesfortheircareers.......................................................27WhatHighAchievingWomenWantandNeedFromTheirWorkplaces...........................................30
ACorporateAuditforFutureSuccess....................................................................................34Women’sSuccessCoachingSampleCorporateAudit......................................................................36
CoachingWomenforFutureSuccess.....................................................................................37Women’sSuccessCoachingSampleIndividualAssessment.............................................................40forHighAchievingWomenLeaders................................................................................................40
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................41
Appendix:SurveyCharts.......................................................................................................42RespondentDemographics.............................................................................................................42LevelofAmbition...........................................................................................................................45WorkplaceBarrierstoAmbition.....................................................................................................47DiminishedAmbition......................................................................................................................49InitiativestoSupportAmbition.......................................................................................................50InternalBarrierstoAmbition..........................................................................................................50Influencers.....................................................................................................................................51AmbitionandAge...........................................................................................................................51AmbitionandEthnicity...................................................................................................................54
Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................59
Footnotes..............................................................................................................................60
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IntroductionWe know women can lead.
Countless studies have shown that women are excellent leaders and aspire to thetop
of their firms from a younger age.i But we have not yet reached gender parity among
corporate leaders in the workplace. A recent Catalyst survey found that only 19% of
women serve on corporate boards in Fortune 500 companies in the United States, and
only 4% hold CEO positions.ii In addition, Catalyst, in their 2015 study, “The Bottom
Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity”, examined the 353
companies that remained on the Fortune 500 list for four out of five years between
1996 and 2000, and found that the group of companies with the highest
representation of women on their
senior management teams had a 35
percent higher Return on Equity
(ROE) and a 34 percent higher Total
Return to Shareholders (TRS) than
companies with the lowest women’s
representation.iii
A comprehensive study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a
nonprofit group, and Ernst & Young in 2016 focused on 22,000 publically traded
companies in 91 countries, and found that having women in the highest corporate
offices is correlated with increased profitability.iv The big data from this study also
showed an increase in the share of women in management positions overall is
associated with a 15 percent rise in profitability for these firms.
Many companies have accepted the business case for increased gender diversity in
leadership. Despite their efforts to improve the current status, we continue to see little
progress. They are learning that the promotion of women is not straightforward, and
they are challenged to create programs that will support female talent in their
organization.
Indeed, the advancement of women to leadership is proving to be complicated. Many
reasons have been posited for the dearth of women in the executive ranks: lack of
management experience, culture mismatch, the masculine cultural stereotype of
Firms that have committed to
advancing women are questioning
why their initiatives fail to achieve
desired results.
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leadership, inadequate political skill and self-promotion, differential mentoring and
training opportunities, and discrimination in pay and responsibility.v A recent report by
the US Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration demonstrates
that career decisions made by women are indeed complex and multifaceted, layered
by many factors, including perceived discrimination, lack of workplace flexibility and
work-family push and pull factors.vi
One persistent reason advocated in the popular press focuses on women’s ambition to
succeed. Several studies have
shown a drop in ambition over
the course of their careers,
settling for middle manager
level jobs, or, alternatively,
opting out of the workplace
altogether to manage work-
family concerns.vii
This report takes a different stance.
We believe that women’s ambition remains strong. However, we also recognize that
women must fight headwinds of obstacles that reduce their ambition for high achieving
corporate careers over time.
To do so, organizations must firstlevel the playing field for high achieving women
entering the workforce by identifying these women early and offering them
individualized leadership career tracks along with ongoing managerial and coaching
support.
Secondly,organizations need to allow for greater flexibility in midcareerso that women
who elect to remain in the workforce have options such as working remotely, job
sharing, and/or part time assignments without being marginalized,as well as provide
support to those women who choose to opt out and return by designing programs to
facilitate their re-entry.
The challenge for organizations is to harnesswomen’sambitionsearlyintheircareers while ambition towards high level corporate positions reigns supreme.
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WhatThisReportWillShow
This report will demonstrate how women’s ambitions are strong.
We will offer a portrait of women’s ambitions from our Women’s Success Coaching
2016 “The Politics of Ambition” survey of N = 615 high achieving women to suggest
that: 1) high achieving ambitious women do exist (i.e. not all women stereotypically
drop out midcareer for family issues), and 2) they require the support of their
organization to sustain their
ambition in the long run. We
maintain the advancement of
women should be the
preeminent issue for talent
management in the 21st century.
To do so, organizations must tap all sources of human capital – especially women, who
remain underrepresented at the middle and upper ranks – and structure their firms for
a new mindset of career pathing and development across the life span.
Addressing the needs of women is
urgent to offset the future leadership
shortage that is approaching in the
next decade.
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LostLeadersinthePipeline:Why?We know that executives want to increase the profitability of their firms.
To do so, they need human capital that is smart, resilient, and competent. In short,
they must develop leaders. The coming leadership shortage, predicted around 2025,
will spark intense competition for talent and heightened concerns about retention.viii A
research report published by The Conference Board articulated the emerging
leadership challenge that executives face for succession planning and talent
development in the 21st century.ix The age cohort that follows the Baby Boomer
generation, known as Generation X/Y, is approximately 18% less in population than
previous generations. Simultaneously, many Millennials, defined as the generation born
between the years 1987-2000, are turning away from corporate achievement to
discover their own entrepreneurial and internet-driven paths.x With fewer workers
available, executives must be more aggressive now while advancing the pools of talent
ready for leadership development.
The immediacy of this talent acquisition issue has been obscured by sweeping changes
in the workforce at the beginning of the 21st century as the nature of work has
changed. The work landscape of the 21st century is characterized by career
interruptions, opt-outs, temporary work assignments and limited horizon projects which
has produced a new social arrangement of the construct of “career.” The new social
organization of work brought about by technology shifts in the 21st century has
produced a contingency-based psychological contract between worker and employer
that suggest a short term time horizon based on project assignments rather than long
term career growth.xi On the one hand, corporations have been able, over the past
decade alongside the Great Recession of 2008, to layoff project workers to reduce
bloat to maintain their financial bottom lines with impunity. On the other hand, a crisis
is lurking in talent acquisition and management, and the pool of expected workers has
scattered to the winds, as many formerly ambitious, highly trained, high achieving
workers have vanished.
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GapsinAdvancementandSalaryStartEarly
Women enter the pipeline with strong educational attainment vis a vis men, but the
gap in advancement and compensation begins early.xii
A recent study by McKinsey and Co showed that more than 350,000 women entered
the workforce in entry level jobs equal to men in 60 companies studied. Women were
equally distributed across line and staff roles at similar levels to men.xiii In the pipelines
of these firms, women began a steady and notable shift into staff roles by the time they
reached middle management to the director level. Line jobs, which are better
preparation for leadership positions, are less flexible than staff jobs, carry great
pressure, and require onsite supervision and long working hours. Staff jobs may, in fact,
look more appealing to women searching for more flexibility. Managers also channel
working mothers to staff positions assuming that once women have children they have
little interest in positions with increased responsibility. These women are subsequently
relegated to the “mommy track” and derailed from potential leadership roles based on
these assumptions.
In many companies, a requirement for executive advancement is a tour-of-duty in line
positions. Global firms with an international footprint also hold the expectation that
those in the pipeline for executive development will have served in expatriate roles to
learn the business internationally. In addition, there often are requirements to manage
a profit center within the corporation to prove one’s worth before moving to the
executive level. Women who opt out of line roles early in their careers lose out on
executive development early on. Therefore the pipeline for executive advancement is
fueled by those who remain in those roles - largely men.xiv This shift from line to staff
also impacts the compensation of women, who often start at lower levels in the entry
level compensation band and then parse men’s salaries at 78% due to reduced shifts in
responsibility or opt-out career interruptions.
The pattern of women’s earnings over the life span merits consideration. When women
enter the workforce in their early and mid-twenties, they earn nearly as much as men.
But by ages 25 – 29, women earn 87 percent of the male wage. Further when women
hit their prime child raising years (ages 30 – 40), many women leave the workforce for a
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short period of time with disastrous financial consequences. By the time they reach the
40 – 45 age group, women earn a mere 71 percent of the male wage. Lesser pay has
enormous career consequences. For women who have a spouse who is earning more
money, it is often a practical decision for the woman to downshift her career while the
man positions himself towards advancement. For women without a spouse, they earn
significantly less for retirement, causing upheavals in the social structure of society.xv
UnintendedCorporateObstacles
Second,women experience a number of unintended corporate obstacles towards
advancement goals.
A report by Bain and Co (2014) discovered that 43% of women aspire to top
management in the first two years of their positions, compared with 34% of men in
entry level positions.xvi This suggests that women enter the workforce with the same
levels of ambition as men, feeling highly qualified and ready for advancement.
However, after just two years, women’s aspiration levels drop more than 60% while
men’s stay the same. Among employees with two or more years of experience, 34% of
men are still aiming for the top, while only 16% of women are.xvii Why?
To understand these statistics, it is important to examine how women’s careers are
shaped vis a vis men’s. Women suffer from a lack of mentors, supportive managers
who recognize and reward their achievements, as well as female role models. While
numerous role models for success exist for men, there are few role models at the top
showcasing women who have been successful especially in male-dominated industries.
A recent study by the Center for Work Life Policy showed that women lack support
from senior colleagues; 89 percent reported they did not have a sponsor to move them
forward in their careers and 68 percent reported they lacked mentors.xviii For men this is
often a non-issue, not even on the radar. Many men’s careers are shaped through
informal mentoring experiences where over a drink or a round of golf, men share
otherwise inaccessible political information that closes others out of the loop. By the
numbers, high achieving women do not have the same mentorship opportunities
available.
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And it’s not just women. According to the 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey, which
gathered information from 7,700 Millennials from 29 countries, there is a direct
relationship between employee loyalty for a company and the level of support. Those
Millennials who stated they intend to stay with their organization for more than five
years were twice as likely to have a mentor (68%), than not (32%).xix Sixty-three percent
of millennials said their leadership skills are not being fully developed.
Men often ask for feedback directly and receive it, sometimes harshly, but the
feedback they receive shapes their skills. Women are often the recipients of
“benevolent sexism” receiving consistent positive feedback but no challenging
assignments or promotions, which suggests they are being treated with “kid gloves”.
This empty feedback is not helpful for ambitious women who seek to improve their
performance and increase their skills.xx Women may also be reluctant to “lean in” and
ask for more developmental feedback from higher-ups.xxi The picture that results is that
women are often challenged trying to navigate their way to leadership in a vacuum,
with lip service paid to their “advancement”: while men remain as part of the truer
informal engine of advancement, receiving developmental advice and problem solving
assignments that propel them forward towards executive positions.
It’sNotAlwaysAboutFamilyBalance
Third,not all women want to leave the firm for family balance reasons.
While it is well documented that highly achieving women are leaving the workforce in
record numbers once they have a family, this phenomenon obscures the truth: that
women feel discriminated against in their firms.
What women want and need is a
workplace that supports their career
ambition at all stages. They want a
level playing field with fair workplace
practices, equal opportunity for
advancement, challenging work, and
recognition for their achievements.
Granted lesser pay than men, with
limited hope for advancement,
many women decide they might as
well leave the corporation and try
their luck elsewhere.
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While childcare and eldercare are often cited as the top reasons for career
downshifting, many women say they do not want to leave the workforce entirely.
According to the Center for Work Life Policy report, a full 89% of women want to
resume their careers but only 40% successfully return to full time work. Almost 70%
report that they would not have left their firms if their companies had offered flexible
work options such as reduced hour schedules, job sharing part time career tracks or
short unpaid sabbaticals.xxii
There are also significant penalties for the women who take a career interruption. In the
Center for Work Life report, over a quarter of women reported a decrease in their
management responsibilities. Twenty-four percent found their overall job
responsibilities were curtailed upon returning to the workforce, and 22% were forced
to step down to a lower job title than the one which they had left behind. Alongside
the career penalties, there are financial penalties as well – women who return earn a
mere 71% of the male wage. This is dispiriting for many women. Their leadership
potential remains untapped while their careers are plateaued. Ambition becomes
truncated as a result.
CapitalizingonWomen’sAmbitionIt has been demonstrated repeatedly that gender diversity increases performance.xxiii
Companies that recruit, retain, and advance women have a competitive advantage in
the global marketplace. The question remains how best to support and manage the
pool of ambitious and talented women.
First, companies must acknowledge that women enter the workforce with enthusiasm,
optimism, and ambition.
Women are well prepared, well educated, and believe that they can achieve their
career aspirations, no matter how lofty. They have the grit and determination to
succeed. The fact that these high-achieving women are not supported over time by
their companies, leads to a waning of their corporate leadership aspirations. They are
the lost leaders in the pipeline. This is a loss, not only for ambitious women who want
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to apply their knowledge and realize their full potential, but for organizations for whom
the leaky pipeline is affecting their current and future performance.
Second, in order for companies to move their gender diversity initiatives forward, they
must let go of assumptions about what ambitious women want and need and identify
how they can specifically support the women in their work environment.
Each company and each industry have specific cultural challenges for women that must
be uncovered and overcome. The demographics of women in each company is also
unique. Programs that are not based on the specific needs of this talent pool during all
career stages are destined to fail.
Third, companies can leverage innovative workplace practices and modern career
paths to sustain women’s ambition.
The landscape of the 21st century workplace is very different from the manufacturing
age that characterized 20th century linear career advancement. Few people remain with
their firms for more than five years. Jobs are now project based and team focused.
Relevant skills are now portable and recruited across multiple industries. With today’s
technological focus, more
work can be done flexibly
and remotely so that
performance becomes the
new standard of
achievement rather than
hours spent on the job in the
office.
If a woman needs to take a break or cut back, there should be support in place for her
to accomplish project based work that does not require face time in the office. When
she is ready to return full time, that woman can be fast tracked again as her leadership
potential has not changed. In fact, it may have been augmented by life’s experiences
outside the office. And the same flexibility should be accorded men as well.
Rather than placing an X on the careers of women who have left the workforce for a
temporary career interruption, these women should be reincorporated into leadership
Contemporary career paths should no longer be
linear. Instead, they should involve diagonal
moves across divisions, lateral moves to gain
skills and experience, and downward moves to
learn responsibility and new ways of working.
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career paths once they are ready to return and consider advancement. Contemporary
career paths should resemble more of a “jungle gym”, to use Sheryl Sandberg’s
metaphor, rather than a linear ladder. Women (and men) need the freedom to opt out
of their careers to facilitate family issues, and then the option to on-ramp and return to
their careers – and the potential for advancement - when ready.
Fourth, companies must accept that a “work until you drop” attitude is not sustainable
for women or men.
The US Department of Labor reportxxiv emphasized that more women would remain in
the workforce if the workplace were redefined, including how, when, and where work is
conducted. Redefining work for flexibility upends the efficiency infrastructure of firms,
and calls into question major changes in human resource policies. Real and sustained
change in the ways of working are needed so that workers – both men and women –
do not run from the overwhelming 24/7 stresses of corporate life but instead embrace
it and set boundaries around corporate demands.
With the technology that is available, workers today are expected to be “on call” at all
times, whether it is an evening, weekend or vacation. High achieving employees who
want to be considered promotable work round the clock, on their phones and laptops,
to demonstrate qualifications for executive performance. The intense demands of
working round the clock, coupled with global travel assignments that often
accompanies candidates for the executive level, leads to burnout and stress particularly
for women, who often are expected to complete a “second shift” of household
duties.xxv
Workplaces that design jobs to be flexible yet still offer challenge, competitive pay,
and advancement, will be attractive to many employees, especially women.xxvi
A recent New York Times article addressed the growing number of companies that
recognize that by offering coaching support to new parents and their managers, they
retain more women.xxvii Companies like Ernst & Young, KPMG, and Grant Thornton,
MetLife, Deutsche Bank, and Etsy who are providing these coaching benefits, are the
firms that have demanding and competitive cultures where new parents often don’t
feel safe taking advantage of their full parental leave. Ernst & Young, which expanded
its policy to 16 weeks of paid leave for all new parents, said it typically costs the firm
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1.5 times an employee’s salary to replace them. There are significant financial
incentives for this coaching support as well as providing the advantage of retaining top
female talent.
With a global workforce and technology that allows for remote ways of working on
project based assignments, there are many ways for workers to fulfill their
responsibilities off-site, but not to the degree that stress and burnout catapult career
ambition. Managers must be trained to regulate hours so that workers can manage
their lives outside the office while offering a stellar work ethic. Otherwise, ambition for
advancement will implode, not just for women, but for men as well – leading to a major
leadership shortage in 2025 and beyond.
The2016Women’sSuccessCoachingPoliticsofAmbitionSurveySustaining ambition is vital to keeping women on track as future leaders in the
corporate world. To understand more about women’s ambition, Women’s Success
Coaching conducted a survey of professional women to address their concerns. The
Politics of Ambition survey included n = 615 high achieving women who were asked a
number of questions about their ambition and work experiences over time. Challenge
factors as well as sabotage factors were reported.
AboutThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey
The survey was conducted bySurvey Monkey.Participation in the 23 question survey
was voluntary and confidential, and included write-in commentary. Respondents were
able to contact Women’s Success Coaching for a copy of this report.
About three fourths of the respondents are Caucasian (74.0%), with Asian (8.0%) and
African American (6.5%), as well as Hispanic (5.7%) groups represent the last quarter of
respondents. The survey included women from ages 22 – over 50, with the majority
reporting in the 43 – 50 and 50 plus age groups, 22.3% and 29.8 percent of the
sample, respectively. Women in the youngest group (ages 22-27) represent only 7.3%
of the sample; women from 28-35 represent 20.5%, and women ages 36-42 represent
20.0 percent of respondents. The vast majority of women surveyed live in the United
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States (85.6%), with about 5.64 percent responding they live elsewhere, and a small
group of 4.34% reporting “other”.
The majority of respondents are highly educated. Over 34% completed graduate
school, and 29.4% are involved in post graduate educational programs.
The high achieving women represent a number of industries, such as financial services
(18.6%), STEM professions (14.3%), law (14.3%), healthcare (11.0%), consulting 6.9%),
advertising/marketing (6.6%), retail (6.1%), and one quarter in other industries.
Almost all respondents have a college education, with two-thirds having advanced degrees.
n=612
3.1%
33.4%
34.1%
29.4%
What is your current level of education?
High School
College
Graduate school
Post graduate
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About 74% are employed full time. Only 4.2% are part timers, 11.1% characterized
themselves as entrepreneurs, 2.6% reported retired or unemployed, about 1 percent
are students, and a negligible percent said they are homemakers (0.7%). This adds
validity to the sample that these women are highly educated, high achieving workers.
About 60% are married; 8% are living in a committed long term relationship, 12% are
divorced or widowed, and 18.5% were never married.
The2016PoliticsofAmbitionSurveyResults
Who are the ambitious women surveyed?
The majority of women reported they were extremely ambitious or very ambitious
(74.3%).
Respondents represent a wide range of industries.
n=609
18.6%
14.3%
14.3%
11.0%
6.9%
6.6%
6.1%
5.6%
4.9%
3.6%3.4%
3.1%1.6% Financial services
STEM
Law/Law Enforcement
Healthcare/Health-Related
Consulting
Advertising/Marketing/Comms/Media/PR
Retail/Consumer products
Other
Government/Policy/Non-Profit/DevelopmentManufacturing/Pharma/Telecom/Energy/TransportationEducation
Arts/Entertainment/Publishing/Journalism
Real estate/Construction/Architecture
What industry do you currently work in?
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Most of the highly ambitious women were raised to believe that ambition is important
and were encouraged to be ambitious (73.2%).
What do ambitious women want in their careers?
Fulfilling work (41.8%) is most important for the majority of ambitious women surveyed
at all stages followed by compensation at 28.6%.
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Advancement is more important in the early career stages. This is the optimal time for
ambitious women to have defined leadership career path and support from their
organization.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
22-27 28-35 36-42 43-50 50+
How would you rank your level of ambition to advance your career?
1 (not very ambitious)2
3
4
5 (extremely ambitious)
The youngest women have the highest level of ambition.
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For most of these highly ambitious women, their level of ambition diminished over
time. 31% reported that they were most ambitious during the first 5 – 10 years at work.
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
22-27 28-35 36-42 43-50 50+
What is most important to you at this point in your career?
Advancement
Compensation
Good benefits
Fulfilling work
Advancement becomes less important over time while compensation becomes more important – but fulfilling work is important at all stages,
especially early in a career.
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When women with diminished ambition were compared to women with intact
ambition, it was noted that demographically they were similar, but workforce years of
service may contribute to a
waning of ambition.
A variety of workplace
challenges were reported by the
respondents. This echoes Anna
Felsxxviii work on ambition that
suggests that women need
recognition of skills and goals to
sustain ambition in the long run. Gender bias or stereotypes were then next most
frequent reason, and also lack of manager support and encouragement to succeed.
‘Little or no opportunity for advancement’
was the number one factor that caused
diminished ambition, alongside ‘lack of
acknowledgement or recognition’ for
performance.
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The women who identified themselves as very/extremely ambitious were more likely to
point to the external factors in the workplace as significant barriers to achieving their
ambition over their own limiting behaviors or beliefs. They ranked “no internal barriers”
much higher: 29% of extremely ambitious women said they had “no internal barriers”
compared to 15% for very ambitious women and 9% for moderately ambitious women.
Lack of Acknowledgement and No Opportunity for Advancement are the most significant external challenges to ambition.
N=607
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Little or no opportunity for advancement
Lack of acknowledgement or recognition
Gender bias and stereotypes
Lack of manager support and encouragement
Other
Gender pay gap
I have no external challenges
No female role models
Lack of good maternity benefits
Racial bias
What are the greatest external challenges you face to realizing your ambition? Percent ranking each challenge as a top 2 reason
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Despite the many unfavorable work situations women experience, ambitious women still put
the burden on themselves for figuring out how to thrive in these environments and credit their
own grit and determination for their success. In fact, this helps them stay engaged despite the
lack of support and recognition from their managers.
More extremely ambitious women see external barriers as the greatest, whereas for other women, external barriers are noted least often.
n=604
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
1 (not very ambitious)
2 3 4 5 (extremely ambitious)
Which challenges are the greatest?
External barriers in the workplace
My internal barriers
It's about equal between external and internal barriers
*Note: small base size
n=611
*Note: small base size
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
1 (not very ambitious)
2 3 4 5 (extremely ambitious)
What has contributed most to your staying on track and pursuing your ambition?
My own determination and gritSupportive family/spouse
Supportive manager
Good daycare
Corporate initiatives
*Note: small base size
Very or extremely ambitious women (4’s and 5’s), are more likely to credit their own determination, and a supportive manager is more
important to moderately ambitious women (3’s)
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The work environment for women can be extremely challenging. About 60% of women
report a particular workplace situation that sabotaged their ambition whether it be
overt gender bias, cultures that favor men, unsupportive managers and colleagues, or
a lack of opportunity.
ImpactofWorkplaceSituationsWorkplace situations were cited most often as a cause of diminished ambition.These situations fell into the following categories (in order of how often they were
mentioned).
• Workplace bias: not being valued, being paid less than men, being sexually harassed, being excluded from a “boys club”, being blocked from advancement, as well as discrimination based on age, race, and culture.
“My interest in being ambitious at work stopped when I saw how the
management would take advantage of women by talking them into
taking on more responsibility with the promise of greater pay and
change of title, but then would later give the position (and pay) to a
male with little to no experience.”
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• Corporate culture: an environment of favoritism, destructive office politics, lack of recognition, cutthroat environments and unethical behavior
“Internal politics and people stepping on top of other people's heads
have probably been the two most prevalent factors. While I am
ambitious, I draw the line when being ambitious means either stepping
on others or being a shameless self-promoter.”
• Difficult managers/colleagues: managers (and some colleagues) who blocked opportunities, felt threatened, and were unsupportive
“A male boss was openly threatened by my influence and power within
the organization and actively blocked me off from opportunities to
advance (he literally told me in a year-end review once that I needed to
be ‘more passive’ and ‘lean back’” …. “When I asked what opportunities
for a broader variety of work were (not even asking for a promotion), he
said ‘none.’ I ended up leaving the organization.”
• Lack of opportunities: lack of promotion opportunities
“After working and attending school full-time, I graduated and began to
apply for roles within the organization I had worked for longer than a
decade. Not only was I not granted one opportunity for advancement, I
felt as if I was being consciously blocked from opportunities to advance.
That was disheartening and began to wear on my self-esteem. It was
hard to move past.”
• Advancement undesirable: seeing heavier workloads, need for relocation, and other sacrifices required when looking at the more senior jobs
“Watching other women make it to higher levels due to their skills and
determination and then seeing them either fail or be totally miserable
due to lack of support and general backbiting from male peers at that
level. The reward of reaching that level clearly did not compensate for
the misery that came with it for them.”
• Unsupportive women: women not supporting other women
“Yes, office politics driven by other women.”
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 24
• Motherhood penalties: being discounted for having children, limited maternity benefits
“My two bosses held meetings with co-workers telling them to tell me
that I shouldn't have children because it will destroy my career. It was
the first time I had heard first hand of a very real dislike of women being
mothers but being a father was fine. I was devastated and scared.
What if they were right?”
ImpactofFamilySituations
Family situations were the second most often cited challenge. These situations fell
into the following categories (in order of how often they were mentioned).
• The demands of child-rearing: strain of juggling work and family demands, finding balance, lack of adequate childcare
“Becoming a single mother definitely had a huge impact. As I much as I
wanted to stay late for a project, attend a dinner meeting for a new
connection, or burn the midnight oil, I had to take care of my young son.
I had to make a choice DAILY whether to give more at work, or go home
and spend time with my son.”
• Challenges with spouse/relationship: unsupportive spouse, conflicts with demands of spouse’s career, divorce
“Husband was frustrated with taking care of children in early evening
until I got home and unhappy with my need to travel once in a while. It
was easier to give in to my husband.”
• Other family demands: need to tend to ailing family members/parents
ImpactofOtherCircumstancesOver sixteen percent of high achieving women cited circumstances outside their direct control as having a negative impact on their ambition.These situations fell
into the following categories (in order of how often they were mentioned)
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 25
• Economic factors: recession and lack of jobs, company re-organizations and downsizing
• Inadequate support: lack of mentors and role models, lack of family support
“It seems if you have a mentor, or someone that completely trusts and
believes in you and let’s others know how they feel about you, you have
a better chance of being successful.”
• Challenged upbringing: financial challenges, limited education, low expectations
Finally, respondents were asked how they hold themselves back from realizing their
ambition. Fourteen percent of high achieving women cited their own shortcomings or mistakes as sabotaging their ambition.
One third of women stated it’s both the external workplace challenges AND their internal barriers that hold them back from realizing their ambition.
Women who were moderately ambitious looked internally and took on the
responsibility for not realizing their ambition due to their own limitations and fears.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 26
Hesitation to self-promote was the strongest internal barrier for many women (44%),
and frustration with the system at 34% ranked second. The decision to have children
was ranked third on the list.
The internal barriers reported fell into the following categories (in order of how often
they were mentioned).
• Self-limiting beliefs: self-doubts, slow resilience after setbacks, fears
“Myself...I can be my own worst enemy. It’s crazy but I still have to
coach myself and tell myself that I’m capable and worthy.”
“Fear of failure I believe was my biggest obstacle, females in the
workplace are easily judged and are have not been developed to take
risks and build confidence in what they do.”
• Personal choices: deprioritizing career, choosing the wrong profession, making a bad career move
“Staying in a job I hated that had no growth potential and a great deal
of office politics for 12 years.”
Hesitation to Self-Promote is the most significant internal challenge to ambition.
N=607
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Hesitation to self-promote
Frustration with the system
Decision to have children
Avoidance of office politics
Stress involved in getting ahead
Fear of failure
I have no internal barriers
Other
Fear of success
What internal barriers affect your ambition? Percent ranking each challenge as a top 2 reason
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 27
• Underdeveloped leadership skills: lack of self-promotion, lack of direction, need for executive presence. Respondents recognize that self-promotion, coaching and training are important. The most cited internal barrier is their hesitation to self-promote (44%). With appropriate managerial support and training programs, these women would indeed thrive.
“I've always had a hard time being a "self-advocate". I was brought up
to be humble and let my work quality and ethic speak for itself but that's
not always how it works in corporate.”
• Health issues: mental and physical issues
“Got sick -- reassessed if working all the time worth it.”
Ambitiouswomenmakesignificantsacrificesfortheircareers.
The most commonly cited sacrifice was being able to focus on and devote time toromantic and family relationships.These sacrifices fell into the following categories (in
order of how often they were mentioned).
• Time away from loved ones: missed time with family and friends
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• Relationship with partner/spouse: damaged relationship, hurt partner’s career
“Time away from home and spouse led to a lack of connection and rift that
almost resulted in divorce. Too much focus on work and not enough on my
physical and emotional health led to mental and physical health issues.”
• Postponed or didn’t get married: prioritized work over romantic relationships
• Personal relationships:
Many women described specific sacrifices related to children.These sacrifices fell
into the following categories (in order of how often they were mentioned).
• Spent less time with children: less time with children, missed events
“I've spent less time with my children than I wanted. I have paid most of
my salary in childcare to maintain my profession in the last 7 years.”
• Postponed or didn’t have children: had no children, fewer children, or children later
“Having no children so far and I'm now 38.”
• Quality of parenting: less involved parent, stressed parent
“I don't get to be the best mother or spouse that I could be if I wasn't
working full time in a demanding position. I miss sporting events and
opportunities to engage with my children and that feels like a big
sacrifice when I see other mothers having a different experience.”
Other sacrifices mentioned had to do with personal well-being. These sacrifices fell
into the following categories (in order of how often they were mentioned).
• Physical and emotional well-being: good health, exercise, stress levels
“Sacrificed my health and wellness at times, as I still do. Always feel like
I have to work harder and be better than male counterparts to get equal
recognition and compensation while holding down the fort at home and
LostLeadersinthePipeline !"#$
©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 29
in my marriage. The ‘Do it all and make it look easy’ mentality.
Exhausting but willing to persevere because I LOVE what I do and am
very good at it.”
• Time for leisure and focusing on self: downtime, self-care, leisure activities, vacations
“I sacrifice time for myself to ensure I am active in my kid’s lives and
holding a demanding job. Moms are still expected to do more than dads
in our society.”
• Sleep:
“I sacrificed my twenties, I now sacrifice time with my kids and husband,
and most of all, I sacrifice my sleep, never getting more than 5 hours a
night.”
Eleven percent of respondents made financial sacrifices for their ambition.These
sacrifices fell into the following categories (in order of how often they were mentioned).
• Left a job: left a job to pursue education, entrepreneurship, or new career path
• Reduced income: took lower pay, fewer benefits, cut in responsibilities
• Invested in education: incurred debt and/or financial hardship for education
“I have sacrificed my social life in order to take on extra jobs
(freelancing, babysitting, night shifts), which allowed me to support
myself while going to grad school part-time and doing full-time, low-
paying entry level work in order to break into my industry.”
One quarter of respondents identified sacrifices based on the requirements of their jobs and the impacts they had.These sacrifices fell into the following categories
(in order of how often they were mentioned).
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 30
• Location: relocation, business travel, long commutes, working in undesirable place
“Moving to a new country with our daughter for a two-year work
assignment, leaving my husband behind because he was not allowed by
his company to telecommute and we decided we need to maintain both
our careers.”
• Social Life: less time with friends, little social life
“I've given up the bulk of my personal life. It simply seems impossible
to me to operate at a very high level at work and still have a full life
outside of work unless you have entire teams of people to take care of
all of life's mundane responsibilities.”
• Little free time: long hours, little time off, general lack of balance
“No life outside of work. Hardly any time off, if any.”
• Other: dealing with judgments of others, putting up with poor work environments or unsatisfying jobs
“I felt that I sacrificed automatic acceptance from my family. I have to
explain and demonstrate that my goals are right and good for myself.”
WhatHighAchievingWomenWantandNeedFromTheirWorkplaces
What do high achieving women want from their workplaces?
A number of initiatives were identified from the survey, such as: leadership training
(60%), executive coaching (58%), mentorship programs (49%), high potential programs
for women (49%), formal assessment of compensation and recruitment practices (47%)
and company commitment to gender balance in the executive suite (43%).
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 31
But we suggest much more is needed.
The downsizing of ambition has a cascading effect for all women in the workplace.xxix
The business case for diversity shows a direct linkage between corporate performance
and financial metrics.xxx The corporate world has changed from traditional 20th century
norms about how businesses should be run to a project based workplace with
technological and global implications.
In the survey by McKinsey and Co,
although CEOs made gender
diversity a priority in more than 80
percent of the 60 firms studied,
only about half of employees from
those companies agreed that the
CEO is committed to the issue. As
stated in the report, “Seeing is believing – and there are few women at the top.”xxxi
Many firms create diversity initiatives
initially with good intentions, only to
fall apart in execution.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 32
CEOs must be openly committed to gender parity at the top levels. C-Suite executives
must serve as role models for others to follow. But in the middle of the organization,
more is needed. Infrastructure must be changed in the ways of promotion and
advancement so that there are multiple paths to the top. The metaphor of the “jungle
gym” to the top – with a series of moves that might involve upward, downward, lateral
and diagonal, as well as exploratory options and career interruptions – is necessary to
support women’s career development for the future.
The new ways of working in the 21st century require a fresh mindset among human
resource professionals to create programs that focus not on work family balance but
work-life integration. This is true
for women who are balancing
work with family life, but it is
also true for men who are
squeezed by technology and
travel, unable to spend time with their families on the 24/7 work clock.
The McKinsey and Co survey also demonstrated a broad acknowledgement of a
deeply ingrained ideal worker model that suggests the top characteristics from
promotion include maintaining a high profile in the organization, and an unwavering
commitment to long hours and constant work.xxxii To build visibility, ideal workers take
on high profile projects on top of day to day work activities. These workers arrive at
work early, leave late, and are “always on” via email or mobile. They are adept at self-
promotion and networking, and willing to travel at the drop of a hat.
While the cohort of high performing ideal workers will continue to exist, there is a
worker revolt is quietly taking place that is countermanding the high pressure demands
of globalization and technological imperatives. Corporations that do not respond to
the need for work-life integration will lose talent as workers walk out the door to craft
more reasonable, personally fulfilling careers. Workers are now changing their jobs
every 5 years, and many of those job changes are prompted by reducing stress and
achieving a better balance between work and family life.xxxiii Another survey by Catalyst,
Inc found that 76% of GenXers desire a compressed work week and 59% want to
telecommute or have flexible working arrangements. Similar results are found among
Work and career should fit into one’s
life rather than command it.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 33
Millennials, who rank family and personal goals at a premium over work related
advancement.xxxiv
We learned from this survey that women display ambition differently at different times
in the career cycle, and though women’s ambition diminishes over time, in early career,
women’s ambition levels are greatest. This suggests that the career pathing of women
should involve directed career planning in early career, before women have children in
their thirties/early forties, to build leadership experience on the line. Women may also
need to take on a global assignment prior to an opt-out career interruption.
In midcareer, there is a precipitous drop in ambition due to demands from home and
family. Midcareer is an ideal time for project based assignments, shared hour jobs, or
staff roles that may be less demanding than profit and loss front line work. Once
women are through the knothole of family demands, there should be on ramps to
allow them to return to the workforce in similar positions as before, with development
initiatives available and ready for their future advancement.xxxv Much research shows
that women’s ambition increases in late career, when nurturing demands cease.xxxvi
Many women at this stage, disenchanted with a biased and unsupportive culture, have
already left the corporate environment for more entrepreneurial activities.
Organizations need to understand that work/life integration requires a reassessment of
career paths for women, which may be different from some men who still uphold the
model of the “ideal worker.” More is required than lip service to diversity initiatives.
CEOs must demand that human resource professionals capitalize the human capital in
their firms in a variety of contemporary, unique ways to find the best and brightest
leaders of the future. This will require a reshaping of the corporate culture so that
flexible work is celebrated and not seen as a career limiting move. Opt-out
interruptions should not be viewed as the death knell to an otherwise promising career.
And support for ambitious advancement should be provided for all stages of the career
cycle for women and also for men.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 34
ACorporateAuditforFutureSuccessChanging the infrastructure of companies to support contemporary careers is a tall
order. Even those firms that have established programs to support gender diversity
have found there are many barriers to a more flexible workplace. In the US Department
of Labor report, several management issues were cited as barriers to flexible work
options, such as “senior leadership didn’t embrace flexible work offerings”, “no follow
through or integration of flexible options seen as an added human resources offering”,
“managers fear if they offer flexible benefits more broadly, they would lose
productivity”, and there was a “lack of understanding” of the differences between
“flexible, “alternative” and “reduced” hours. Even as flexible schedules were on a
firm’s benefits list, implementation was often left to manager discretion, and managers,
fearing productivity declines, showed minimal respect for these offerings. Finally, there
was a view that flexible work is a “woman’s issue” and therefore there is not enough
critical mass to warrant change.xxxvii
A common theme across
surveys and reports on this
issue suggest a lack of
supervisory support is a
significant obstacle to change.
In this survey, highly ambitious
women reported a lack of
manager support and identified that their peers and colleagues provided advice that
sustained their ambition. To help managers at the middle level appreciate the business
case for gender parity, CEOs must:
1. Communicateexpectationsforgenderparityacrosstheorganizationthatcelebratethebalancedworkerandcontemporarycareerpathsthatallowforopt-outs,
2. Equipandtrainmanagerstomeettheexpectationsofgenderparitysothattheyrealizethebusinesscaseramifications,
For gender parity to take hold, there
needs to be impactful career development
programs and flexible work initiatives that
incentivize midlevel manager support.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 35
3. Measuresuccesswithhumancapitalmetricsalongthepipelinesothatitcanbeclearlyseenwhereshortfallsofleadershipexistandhowtomoveemployeestoretaintalent.
4. Hardwiretheinfrastructureforcontemporarycareerpathsbasedonmeritandperformance.
Executives must catalyze the talent, leadership potential and ambition that might
otherwise go unappreciated.xxxviii To showcase diversity leadership with cloutxxxix,
executives must declare gender diversity as a business imperative. Executives should
visibly reward and champion employees who serve as role models for others as
balanced workers who may have taken an opt-out career interruption, returned to the
workforce, and then, after further leadership development, advanced to the C-level
suite. Executives should continually assess their human capital in the pipeline to
determine challenges for talent retention and renewal.
Midlevel managers are an important linchpin in the new ways of working. Midlevel
managers must be incentivized to support flexible work arrangements, and granted
points for creating a balanced portfolio among staff at different points of the career
cycle. Managers should receive training to support contemporary career development,
such as:
1. Understandthedifferencesamongflexibleworkschedules,suchasreducedhours,jobsharingoptions,alternativeworkarrangementsutilizing“techforflex”,
2. Recognizethatthosewhooptoutforatemporarycareerinterruptionforfamilyreasonscanreturntotheirformerjobswithenhancedskills,readyforfutureleadershipdevelopment,
3. Creatementoringcirclessothatmanagerscanmentoravarietyofemployeesatdifferentstagesoftheircareers,
4. Introduceperformancedialoguesassociatedwithskilldevelopmenttoachievethenextlevel,
5. Rememberthepowerofencouragement.
A sample corporate audit is provided to assess the strength of firms along these standards.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 36
Women’sSuccessCoachingSampleCorporateAudit
CorporateAssessmentQuestionGrade(1-5)1=Low5=High
ActionStepsforProgress
1. Havewecommunicatedexpectationsforgenderparityacrossalllevelsoftheorganization,settingtheexampleatthetopofthefirm?
1.2.3.4.
2. Domidlevelmanagersunderstandthebusinesscaseforsustainingambition?
1.2.3.4.
3. Havemidlevelmanagersbeenequippedwithtrainingtoutilizeflexibleworkinitiatives?
1.2.3.4.
4. Haveweassessedtheshortfallsforleadershipinthepipelineatallranksofthefirm?
1.2.3.4.
5. Aremanagersincentivizedtosupportaportfolioofstaffthatshowcasebalancedworkhoursandstrongperformancemetrics?
1.2.3.4.
6. Aremanagerswillingtosupportthesuccessionplanningandleadershipdevelopmentofthosewhoopt-outfortemporaryrebalancingandwork/lifeintegration?
1.2.3.4.
7. Havemanagersbeentrainedinperformancedialoguesonsensitiveskillissuesandencouragingdialogues?
1.2.3.4.
8. Doleadershipdevelopmentprogramsexisttosupportemployeesatalllevelsofleadershipdevelopment?
1.2.3.4.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 37
CoachingWomenforFutureSuccessAmbition is sustained through mastery of skills and recognition of performancexl. The
high achieving women in this survey made the point clear that while it was their own
determination and grit that helped them to become ambitious, dialogues with
mentors, peers and colleagues helped to sustain their ambition in the long run.
Companies should invest time in conversations with individual workers, including
sensitive conversations that might otherwise be ignored, to ferret out obstacles to
ambition. Women should receive tailored support in their contemporary career
pathing arrangements so that it is made clear that if women need to step back or opt
out for a time period that they can return to the firm and continue to advance rather
than drop out at midcareer simply because there are no on-ramps for her to return and
exercise leadership.
Career coaching can be immensely helpful at this juncture as an outside career coach
can entangle obstacles and issues that human resource professionals cannot see
clearly. Working together with human resource professionals, a career coach consultant
can:
1. Identifyaspectsofthepipelinethatneedtobeexaminedmorecloselytoensurethedevelopmentofwomen,
2. Determinethereasonswhywomenareoptingoutoftheworkforce,
3. Assessthelevelofflexibleworkoptionsandsupportsforlongertermopt-outinterruptions,
4. Suggestre-entryvehiclesthatupgradeleadershipdevelopment,
5. Identifyshorttermprojectsthatcanbecompletedwhileonhiatustomakecontinuedperformancecontributionsinabsentia,
6. Designcontemporarycareerpathsthatinvolvediagonalmoves,lateralmoves,upwardanddownwardmoves,enrichmentmovesandexploratorymovessoeachwomancandevelopskills,acquireleadershippractice,andcreatemorefulfillingcareer.
We recommend that an organization partner with a career coach/consultant to create a
custom assessment survey of women in the pipeline in parallel with formal interviews
LostLeadersinthePipeline !"#$
©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 38
with identified high potential women and human resource professionals to determine
the status of gender parity in each firm. Custom programs can then be developed
based on the assessment findings segmented by age and stage of career, level of
aspirations, and career goals of individual women so that a complete picture can be
obtained for executives to assess their leadership pipeline shortfalls.
It is also suggested that women self-identify a career track with managerial support and
executive blessing. Women should have access to mentors throughout the upper ranks
to identify which skill sets need to be developed for future leadership development. A
coaching circle program for midlevel women reinforces key skills for advancement,
such as self-promotion, networking, political savvy, speaking up in meetings, and
communication issues that women state they need to compete. Managers and mentors
should be held accountable for each female employee staying on tract, and making
recommendations for further development prior to advancing to the next level.
It is imperative that younger women realize the importance of early line experience to
punch the ticket into the general management role later in their careers. Younger
ambitious women also need
to be given the opportunity
to work globally to
understand differences in
markets. These women
should be discouraged from
staff roles until midcareer, when they might appreciate a calmer staff role environment
without significant demands for travel or profit and loss responsibilities. Upon
returning to the workforce if there is a midcareer opt-out interruption, women can then
self-identify which track is preferred – greater advancement career track or a reduced
role. If greater advancement is preferred, such women should be counseled to move
into profit and loss operations as quickly as possible so that all perquisites for the
upper levels – global assignments, line production experience, and profit and loss
management experience – are fulfilled.
Women who are advancing should be provided with regular opportunities to network
with senior leadership. Quarterly meetings with human resource personnel might also
be helpful to provide encouragement and support. Mentoring circles and sponsors
Younger women should be identified as possible
high potential early in their careers, perhaps at
the 3-year mark, so that they can receive career
coaching over the life span.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 39
who actively promote high achieving women and open doors to opportunities should
also be on the agenda.
The following is a sample
individual assessment
audit for high achieving
women:
Women’s Success Coaching is poised to
facilitate these programs upon request.
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 40
Women’sSuccessCoachingSampleIndividualAssessmentforHighAchievingWomenLeaders
IndividualAssessmentQuestion IndividualY/N
ManagerY/N
HumanResources
Y/N1. Isthiswomancurrentlybeingtrackedfor
advancement?
2. Hasthiswomanreceivedleadershipdevelopmentandtrainingtodate?
3. Haveskillgapsbeenidentifiedanddiscussed?
4. Arethereinternalbarriersspecifictothiswomanthatmightaffectherfuturecareerdevelopment?
5. Isthiswomanreceivingopportunitiesforlineandsalespositionsearlyinhercareer?
6. Isthiswomanreceivingsupportforflexibleoptionsfromhermanager?
7. Canthiswomanbetrackedforaglobalassignmentearlyinhercareer?
8. Doesthiswomanhavealongtermcareerplanincludingpossibleopt-outinterruptionsandon-rampingpossibilitiesinthefuture?
9. Isthereasponsorinplacewhocanhelpcodifyherreturntotheworkforceinmidcareer?
10. Doesthiswomanhaveregularopportunitiestonetworkwithseniorleadership?
11. Isthiswomanreceivingskilldevelopmentforleadershipatthegeneralmanagerordirectorlevel,includingprofitandlossresponsibilities?
12. Doesthiswomanhaveamentor,ormentors,aswellashumanresourcessupporttoidentifyobstaclesandprovidereassurancesalongtheway?
LostLeadersinthePipeline !"#$
©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 41
ConclusionDespite decades of affirmative action, issues of gender diversity remain intractable. Yet
there is hope on the horizon. We know that supporting talented high achieving
women to sustain their ambition promises significant benefits. The business case has
been made for increased gender diversity that leads to profitability in large scale and
small scale corporations. As corporate executives commit to changes in the
infrastructure that inspire more women to stay the course through midcareer when they
have competing family responsibilities, all parties will benefit. Ambitious women,
recognized as valued contributors, will be supported and encouraged to realize their
full potential, and companies will succeed in achieving greater gender diversity as well
as improved profitability.
LostLeadersinthePipeline !"#$
©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 42
Appendix:SurveyCharts
RespondentDemographics
The respondents represent a range of ages, with over 60% between ages 28-50.
n=614
7.3%
20.5%
20.0%22.3%
29.8%
What is your age?
22-27
28-35
36-42
43-50
50+
Almost all respondents have a college education, with two-thirds having advanced degrees.
n=612
3.1%
33.4%
34.1%
29.4%
What is your current level of education?
High School
College
Graduate school
Post graduate
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 43
About two-thirds of respondents are Caucasian.
n=611
74.0%
5.7%
8.0%
6.5%5.7%
Ethnicity
Caucasian/White
Hispanic/Latino
Asian
African American/Black
Other (please specify)
About two-thirds of respondents are in committed relationships or married.
n=611
18.5%
8.3%
58.1%
11.5%
0.7%2.9%
Marital status
Never married
Committed long term relationshipMarried
Divorced
Widowed
Other
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The majority of respondents are currently working, with three quarters working full time.
n=612
73.5%
4.2%
11.1%
1.0%0.7%
1.0%2.6%
5.9%
What best describes your current employment status?
Full time employment
Part time employment
Entrepreneur
Student
Homemaker
Retired
Unemployed
Other (please specify)In transition, self-
employed, multiple jobs
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 45
LevelofAmbition
Respondents represent a wide range of industries.
n=609
18.6%
14.3%
14.3%
11.0%
6.9%
6.6%
6.1%
5.6%
4.9%
3.6%3.4%
3.1%1.6% Financial services
STEM
Law/Law Enforcement
Healthcare/Health-Related
Consulting
Advertising/Marketing/Comms/Media/PR
Retail/Consumer products
Other
Government/Policy/Non-Profit/DevelopmentManufacturing/Pharma/Telecom/Energy/TransportationEducation
Arts/Entertainment/Publishing/Journalism
Real estate/Construction/Architecture
What industry do you currently work in?
LostLeadersinthePipeline !"#$
©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 46
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 47
WorkplaceBarrierstoAmbition
Lack of Acknowledgement and No Opportunity for Advancement are the most significant external challenges to ambition.
N=607
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Little or no opportunity for advancement
Lack of acknowledgement or recognition
Gender bias and stereotypes
Lack of manager support and encouragement
Other
Gender pay gap
I have no external challenges
No female role models
Lack of good maternity benefits
Racial bias
What are the greatest external challenges you face to realizing your ambition? Percent ranking each challenge as a top 2 reason
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©ThePoliticsofAmbitionSurvey,2016 48
More extremely ambitious women see external barriers as the greatest, whereas for other women, external barriers are noted least often.
n=604
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
1 (not very ambitious)
2 3 4 5 (extremely ambitious)
Which challenges are the greatest?
External barriers in the workplace
My internal barriers
It's about equal between external and internal barriers
*Note: small base size
n=611
*Note: small base size
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
1 (not very ambitious)
2 3 4 5 (extremely ambitious)
What has contributed most to your staying on track and pursuing your ambition?
My own determination and gritSupportive family/spouse
Supportive manager
Good daycare
Corporate initiatives
*Note: small base size
Very or extremely ambitious women (4’s and 5’s), are more likely to credit their own determination, and a supportive manager is more
important to moderately ambitious women (3’s)
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DiminishedAmbition
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InitiativestoSupportAmbition
InternalBarrierstoAmbition
Hesitation to Self-Promote is the most significant internal challenge to ambition.
N=607
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Hesitation to self-promote
Frustration with the system
Decision to have children
Avoidance of office politics
Stress involved in getting ahead
Fear of failure
I have no internal barriers
Other
Fear of success
What internal barriers affect your ambition? Percent ranking each challenge as a top 2 reason
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Influencers
AmbitionandAge
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
22-27 28-35 36-42 43-50 50+
How would you rank your level of ambition to advance your career?
1 (not very ambitious)2
3
4
5 (extremely ambitious)
The youngest women have the highest level of ambition.
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0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
22-27 28-35 36-42 43-50 50+
What is most important to you at this point in your career?
Advancement
Compensation
Good benefits
Fulfilling work
Advancement becomes less important over time while compensation becomes more important – but fulfilling work is important at all stages,
especially early in a career.
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
22-27 28-35 36-42 43-50 50+
What has contributed most to your staying on track and pursuing your ambition?
My own determination and gritSupportive family/spouse
Supportive manager
Good daycare
Corporate initiatives
Older women have had to rely most on their own determination.
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AmbitionandEthnicity
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
22-27 28-35 36-42 43-50 50+
Current employment status
Full time employmentPart time employmentEntrepreneur
Student
Homemaker
Retired
Unemployed
Other
The 50+ group has the most entrepreneurs.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Caucasian/White Hispanic/Latino Asian African American/Black
How would you rank your level of ambition to advance your career?
1 (not very ambitious)2
3
4
5 (extremely ambitious)
Hispanic women have the highest level of ambition, followed by African American women.
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0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Caucasian/White Hispanic/Latino Asian African American/Black
What most accurately describes your feelings about ambitious women?
I wholeheartedly support ambitious women.
I think ambitious women can be pushy.
I resent ambitious women.
I believe that working mothers should spend more time at home with their children.
Asian women are more inclined to think ambitious women can be pushy, but the majority support ambitious women.
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Caucasian/White Hispanic/Latino Asian African American/Black
What is most important to you at this point in your career?
Advancement
Compensation
Good benefits
Fulfilling work
Advancement is most important to Asian and African American women.
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Caucasian/White Hispanic/Latino Asian African American/Black
Current employment status
Full time employmentPart time employmentEntrepreneur
Student
Homemaker
Retired
Unemployed
Other
African American women are most likely to be entrepreneurs, while Asian women are the least likely.
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0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Caucasian/White Hispanic/Latino Asian African American/Black
Ethnicity
22-27
28-35
36-42
43-50
50+
The age profile of each ethnic group in the sample is quite different, with Caucasians being the oldest and Hispanics being the youngest.
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AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the 615 women who participated in The Politics of
Promotion 2015 survey. Their information and shared experiences provide new insight
what high achieving women in the workplace today want and need to sustain their
ambition and the steps that companies can take to support and manage this ambition
to achieve gender equality and increased profitability.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank Amy Giddon for the data analysis and
thoughtful review as well as David Mangini for the assistance to prepare and format
this report.
Cover Design: Mark Plummer. Cover photo credit: iStock
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