Creating Inclusive Leadership Cultures Catherine Ashcraft Ph D

Creating Inclusive Leadership Cultures Catherine Ashcraft, Ph. D. , NCWIT, Senior Research Scientist

Overview Why is Diversity Important? Why is an Inclusive Culture Important? What Gets in the Way of Recruiting & Advancing Women & Other Underrepresented Groups? What Can We Do About All This? How Can We Build Partnerships and Create Inclusive Cultures?

Why Diversity Matters

Diversity Enhances Team Innovation & Productivity Groups with greater diversity solve complex problems better and faster than homogenous groups. Scott Page, The difference: How the power of diversity creates better groups, firms, schools, and societies, Princeton University Press, 2009.

Women Improve Innovation A group’s collective intelligence is not predicted by the IQs of its individual members. But if a group includes more women, its collective intelligence rises. “Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in the Performance of Human Groups, ” Science October 2010, Woolley, Chabris, Pentland, Hashmi and

Women Correlate with Success Analysis of more than 20, 000 venture-backed companies showed that successful startups have twice as many women in senior positions as unsuccessful companies. Dow Jones Venture. Source, 2011.

Find out More Business Case: Research Summary www. ncwit. org/businesscase Cindy Padnos, Illuminate Ventures: "High Performance Entrepreneurs: Women in High-Tech, " 2010.

The Numbers Don’t Add Up

We’re Losing The Diversity Already There: An Unnecessary Corporate Brain Drain 74% love work 56% leave 75% stay in workforce Sources: Capturing Turnover Costs, Joins, 2000; Talent. Keepers, 2010; Athena Factor, 2008

What Gets in the Way of Recruiting & Advancing Underrepresented Groups? What the Research Says

Intersectionality: Examining the Impact of Multiple Biases Gender Race Perspectives & experiences shaped by multiple, shifting, identity categories Class Ability Sexuality

Let’s Cut to the Chase Minority Groups Aren’t Broken Majority Groups Aren’t The Enemy Culprit = Societal Biases We All Share We Can Take Action Together

Society is Biased About Gender and Technology

Society is Biased About Gender and Technology

Society is Biased About Gender and Technology

What Causes Societal Bias? We all have shortcuts, “schemas” that help us make sense of the world. But our shortcuts sometimes make us misinterpret or miss things. That’s unconscious bias.

What do you see?

Notice anything odd about this lung scan? Photo: www. npr. org

Howard vs. Heidi

Howard vs. Heidi

Howard vs. Heidi

We All Bring Unconscious Bias to Work Society Schemas/ Unconscious Biases Employees Organizational Culture Subtle Dynamics Institutional Barriers

Subtle Dynamics Example: Stereotype Threat Fear that our performance will confirm negative stereotypes Raises anxiety, reduces confidence and risktaking, lowers performance

How Stereotype Threat Shows Up in Technical Environments Not speak up in meetings Be reluctant to take leadership positions Be overly harsh about their own work Discount their performance

Microinequities: Examining the Impact of Multiple Biases “Oops, I forgot to cc her/him on the email about the architecture review. ” “Do you think if I invest, people will think that I’m gay? ” “You just need to be more ‘professional. ’” “Dude, let’s talk about it over a beer!” “Husbands, wives & partners” Gender Race Class Ability Sexuality

Institutional Barriers Hiring Selecting people “like me” Task Assignment Women find themselves in “low status” jobs Performance Appraisal Men appraised for effort, skill; women for collaboration, luck Promotion Criteria modeled implicitly on existing senior male leaders

Small Changes Can Make A Big Difference “Blind” orchestra auditions, with musicians behind a curtain, increased the number of female musicians hired by 25% to 46%. Goldin & Rouse (2000) The American Economic Review, 90(4), 715 -741.

Don’t depend on underrepresented employees to advance diversity goals

Be a Male Advocate; Inspire More Male Advocates

Industry Change Model www. ncwit. org/datacollectionguide

Start Small, Start Now! Addressing Subtle Biases: 5 Things Everyone Can Do Starting Today

#1 Ensure Productive Team Meetings ✓ Solicit opinions of quieter employees – now OR later ✓ Intervene when someone is interrupted or not getting credit ✓ Find an ally who can support and help notice these things

#2 Listen For “Personality Penalties” ✓ “Pushy, bossy, aggressive” ✓ ”Has a challenging personality” ✓ “Sometimes you could tone it down a little” ✓ “Not a risk-taker; not very confident; not leadership material” ✓ Doubt Raisers: “Need to see more evidence?

#3 Be a Sponsor; Find a Sponsor Mentors Advise Sponsors Act

#4 Share Your Experiences: Enlist More Allies “When it finally started to hit me about gender diversity…We were in a big meeting and…she made a comment about how difficult it was for her to be a leader in the organization as a woman. And so, here is someone who I literally was putting on a pedestal saying this…And I…was like, “Wow!” So I asked her after the meeting… “Hey I want to go to lunch with you, I want to understand this!”

#4 Share Your Experiences: Enlist More Allies Every person that becomes an advocate had to go through that door where they take the first risk and realize, ‘Oh, that wasn’t so bad. ’ So I would talk about the risktaking that you take the first or second time and how, all of a sudden, it is no longer risktaking. ”

#5 Provide Legitimate Encouragement

Practice: TWO Sets of Strategies For Today Strategy #1 Inclusive Job Ads Strategy #2 Productive Team Environments

Strategy #1 Inclusive Job Ads AGGRESSIVE; HARD-DRIVING; ROCK STAR; WORLD-CLASS CODER; DOMINANT “Startups and Job Advertisements, ” Aaron Kay, Ph. D: http: //ww 2. ncwit. org/pdf/A. Kay_Job. Postings_EAmtg 12. pdf; http: //vimeo. com/46501265

NCWIT Job Ad Toolkit Tips Avoid Superlatives & Extreme Modifiers Avoid Gender-Specific Pronouns Be Sure Graphics and Pictures Represent Diverse Range of People Make Sure ALL Qualifications Are TRULY Required Include an Engaging Intro “Startups and Job Advertisements, ” Aaron Kay, Ph. D: http: //ww 2. ncwit. org/pdf/A. Kay_Job. Postings_EAmtg 12. pdf; http: //vimeo. com/46501265

Activity & Discussion Strategy #1 Inclusive Job Ads Step 1: Using the Job Ad Tip Sheet, Identify Problems with Ad Step 2: Suggest Improvements Step 3: Debrief with Whole Group

Sample Job Ad: Do you have the technical chops to develop code alongside the very best? We are looking for engineers with world class technical skills around a variety of technologies, starting with [insert Example A] all the way to [insesrt Example Z]. The ideal candidate should be someone who is always tinkering with new products and processes. If you think you have unparalelled coding skills, are a highly motivated and innovative developer then this is the team for you. This position requires the following skills: • The ability to position end to end solutions and articulate complex technical vision to mid-level and senior customer executives • Must be an aggressive self-starter who can articulate ______’s product and business strategies, • Must be seasoned in defending an installed base against strong competition and unseating incumbents within the account • Demonstrate the necessary skills to negotiate issues with peers, partners and customers using a Win/Win philosophy • 5 years of experience developing Java/J 2 EE applications. • 4 years of experience with structured analysis and design.

Active Recruitment Strategies Go Outside Your Usual Networks Diverse Recruiting Teams NCWIT Aspirations Pipeline Return to Work and Alternative Pathways Creative Partnerships: Go Where The Women Are “Startups and Job Advertisements, ” Aaron Kay, Ph. D: http: //ww 2. ncwit. org/pdf/A. Kay_Job. Postings_EAmtg 12. pdf; http: //vimeo. com/46501265

Examine Interview Questions • Make sure that they REALLY get at what’s required • Avoid hostile, “defend your code” questions • Have follow-up prompts to “draw out” quieter candidates “Startups and Job Advertisements, ” Aaron Kay, Ph. D: http: //ww 2. ncwit. org/pdf/A. Kay_Job. Postings_EAmtg 12. pdf; http: //vimeo. com/46501265

Include Diverse Representation in the Interview

Audit Your Physical Space for Implicit Biases (Cheryan, S. , Plaut, V. , Davies, P. , & Steele, C. (2009). Ambient belonging: How stereotypical cues impact gender participation in computer science. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97(6), 1045 -1060; http: //www. ncwit. org/physicalspaceuw Photo: www. psfk. com

Before We Go On …. . Other Strategies for Increasing the Pool What have you tried? Successes and Challenges?

Strategy #2 Productive Team Environments Assure inclusive team meetings and social events.

Activity & Discussion Strategy #3 Productive Team Environments Step 1: Read through scenario Step 2: Discuss as group and offer solutions/alternate endings Step 3: Share one or two recommendations with whole group

The team is meeting to discuss their latest project. One team member talks often, usually loudly and sometimes a bit combative, knocking down other team members’ ideas – sometimes joking, sometimes in a more obnoxious fashion. Another team member participates similarly but doesn’t dominate as much. Both of these team members also talk quite a bit about their accomplishments or ideas. Two other team members are quieter, with one being particularly quiet. The quietest team member is frequently interrupted and seems to barely get a word in edgewise. At one point this team member manages to make a good suggestion that goes unacknowledged because the first team member interrupts to talk about something else. Later another team member makes a very similar suggestion and the team all agrees it’s an excellent point. The quieter team member seems subtly annoyed.

In Summary……

Concrete Steps to Take Today • Make diversity part of the corporate DNA/brand right from the start • Expand sources of future talent • Remove bias from business processes • Foster inclusive team meetings and culture; hold staff accountable • Provide legitimate recognition, credit, encouragement

NCWIT Has Free, Research-based Tools Supervisory Program-in-a-Box Series Top 5 Reasons You Should Work at a Startup Top Ten Ways to Be a Male Advocate for Technical Women Top 10 Ways Managers Can Increase the Visibility of Technical Women

Thank You! Catherine Ashcraft, Ph. D. , NCWIT Senior Research Scientist catherine. ashcraft@ncwit. org