This is the fourth in a series of blog posts looking at the myths that act as barriers to women’s advancement in the workplace. These myths were discussed in a workshop moderated by Deborah Gillis, Vice President, Catalyst Canada at our WiN-Canada Conference held in Ottawa on Feb. 27, 2008. Catalyst is the leading nonprofit corporate membership research and advisory organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women and business.

Myth #4 - Women just don’t do the right things to get ahead.

Catalyst’s research, “Women and Men in U.S. Corporate Leadership: Same Workplace, Different Realities? 2004” found the following:

• “Executive women and men cite similar strategies for their success: hard work, managerial skill, performing on high-visibility assignments, and demonstrating expertise.
• To facilitate their advancement, most women (81 percent) have also developed a style with which male managers are comfortable.
• While women and men share the top strategies for advancement, there are some differences. Women are more likely than men to report seeking high-visibility assignments and networking within the organization, while men are more likely to report gaining line management and international experience. Essentially, women are more likely to use advancement strategies related to relationship building, while men are more likely to gain particular types of experience.

These gender differences in advancement strategies may reflect assumptions about the types of work that women can and will do. For example, men may be offered assignments that provide line management or international experience more frequently than women because of beliefs that women will not want to travel or cannot work in certain types of roles.

At the same time, women may be more likely than men to use strategies that highlight visibility and relationships because they need to advocate for their own organizations to a greater extent. As women often occupy an “outsider status” in the corporate world, building relationships and gaining visibility opportunities are critical. Furthermore, it is possible that men already have cemented those relationships - through informal networks, for example - that are important to gaining career-building opportunities. If this is the case, men would be less likely to point to - or perhaps even recognize - them as advancement strategies.”

The findings from this research suggest that while women are citing similar strategies for success, there are gender differences that may place assumptions around the types of work women are capable or willing to perform.

Next time we will look at Myth #5 - Moving up in the organization is all about merit - gender is irrelevant.