Blood, sweat and tears? No… fun, growth and gains!

Why are women underrepresented in corporate senior decisionmaking positions?
A number of articles have been written on this issue and there is no real point in revisiting the subject in detail. It is useful however to summarise the main reasons, which have again been well assessed by a recent McKinsey study in collaboration with Women’s Forum in the Economy and Society, ‘Women Matter’.
The ‘glass ceiling’ has by no means disappeared: entering a male dominated and codified culture requires substantial adaptation and/or boldness. Women tend to be less assertive about their competency and strengths and therefore ‘sell’ themselves less with a lack of career ambition at any cost. They also find themselves in a ‘triple responsibility’ situation of work, home and children where in an emergency the priority must be given to family matters. These factors all constitute a plausible cocktail of reasons for the consistently low representation of women in
executive positions. Add a lack of role models and the vicious circle closes.

So why continue to bother?
Leaving aside demographic and workforce developments, which clearly indicate the need to integrate more women in top levels of the labour market, the same McKinsey study proves – as others have done before – that companies which count a higher number of women in their senior management positions and governing bodies achieved not only better organisational but also financial performance. Capital markets and investors pay increasing attention to gender diversity as a factor in corporate performance. Women do matter for successful business development and management.

Can good management training help change behaviour and overcome the obstacles?
Yes, it can. Most managers who decide to enrol in an Executive MBA programme are not aware that they will experience the most incisive part of their growth process and the most benefit on the personal and behavioural sides. While the foundation lies in business and management theory and practice, it is a central goal to acquire those tools and techniques necessary to better grasp and master the challenges set by senior management and leadership functions. The intense experience of developing their own capability of learning and stretching beyond new horizons is a surprising and joyful wake up call for most managers. And it is to a very special degree for women.

High quality programmes can give them the kind of skills and insights which, up to now, they have often been lacking:

• The new perspectives which are opening up for them when being introduced to a wealth of different topics and disciplines offer room for choices – a precious learning curve for women who tend to be more cautious in risk taking than their male counterparts.

• The experience of their own better understanding of business context. Feeling increasingly secure in a range of management matters allows for more assertiveness and boldness.
• The intense but unthreatening learning process in groups and in class – even more intense in a multicultural environment – raises self awareness and esteem.
• The vast network that good business schools like Kellogg and WHU offer to their graduates promote successful business development and professional support for future and often genuine personal friendships.
• Last but certainly not least, the additional qualification leads to personal financial advancement, which helps women to leave behind the professional categories with lower salary levels traditionally reserved for them.

One of our graduates, Margret Suckale, a lawyer by background, told me when she was a member of the Board of Deutsche Bahn: “In a professional life like this, there are very few transformational opportunities”. Bettina Hädrich, a recent graduate and biologist working for Qiagen, a very successful Life Science company, beamed when we last met: “I now do what I always wanted to do but I never thought I would have the chance – I am responsible for mergers and acquisitions and it is incredibly exciting”.

What do women need to do if they want to pursue an executive management programme?
One of the reasons for smaller numbers of women in EMBA programmes is very simply that they should typically be undertaken at a time in life when women managers usually just have started families and often still have small children. Adding a part time EMBA programme, which eats up precious weekends for classes and evenings for preparation, becomes a daunting prospect. However, it can be done.

First step
Women should be bold and for once place themselves first (and not husbands, partners, children, mum, dad or other important people in their lives). It is important that women consider the opportunity carefully and are truly convinced that such a heavy personal and financial investment is part of an important personal development process (which eventually will benefit the entire family if the following steps are well handled).

Second step
Secure support systems.

On the private side
Both partners and children want to be convinced that this adventure is not taking their key person away. An appeal to solidarity may work: for a change it’s not she who gives support to everybody; she needs help and care herself. Older children may find it first strange then amusing that their mum will slave and suffer through exams and school books like them. Such a major challenge is hard to cope with without the support of the personal environment. Carefully planned and emotionally well managed it may well strengthen the family relationships and bonds as the woman will be a happier and more fulfilled person.

On the professional side
Women should make sure that both their line manager and the human resources department support the project. If the company doesn’t have a special development policy for women with high potential, it should at least offer the time off needed to complete the programme. Women managers should be able and ready to convince their employers to at least partially co-finance. After all, the woman manager who wants to take such a step proves commitment to professional development and shows career ambition and business acumen which will ultimately benefit the company. Even enterprises with no specific promotion policies for women should appreciate this. Good EMBA programmes will make sure that what has been learned in class can immediately be applied in the workplace. The benefits will be self-evident.

Third step
Plan the financial impact. Financing an EMBA programme entirely with your personal resources is a major decision as most women managers will not have between €30,000 to €70,000 lying around in their bank accounts. Unfortunately, scholarships are not abundant for executive MBA students, so it is wise to obtain early advice from banks and educational funds which exist in most countries. Business schools can usually provide information and support. Salary increases which can be expected after graduating from top programmes can be looked up in the rankings of the Financial Times or other publications which regularly evaluate programmes.

What should companies do to support women in EMBA programmes?
Have a plan and a long-term perspective. Unfortunately, there are not many companies that have a proper policy for management development through
EMBA programmes in general, let alone for women managers. Most of the time, managers who want to take on the challenge and show real commitment to development, have to fight their way through line management and the HR department to obtain approval. Often the pressure on students rises towards the end of the programme as colleagues and superiors become ‘tired’ of the process they agreed to. To create the conditions for a win-win-win situation (company, manager, families) it would be helpful for companies to: Have a clear policy for women managers in EMBA programmes covering time requirements and a certain financial commitment.

• Develop a selection scheme which includes women over 40 (with a double benefit for the company as they will get employees focused on both family management and a professional role, with a high commitment to new and immediate challenges).
• Create company-wide networks for all graduates and students.
• Ensure that graduates are given the opportunity to experience their new intellectual and personal dimensions by offering them not too long after their graduation adequate professional challenges within the organisation.

Growth and gain
German Proverb: “The god(esse)s have put sweat before prize”
It would be inappropriate to say that for a woman to take on the challenge of an EMBA is an easy ride, indeed, to manage the work-life balance is especially hard for women. Expectations for all sides involved are high and two years – the typical duration of an Executive MBA programme – can be very long. But as ingenuous it may sound: experience shows that if addressed with a very positive “can do” mindset and with the help of a supportive environment, doing an EMBA will be the most constructive and valuable stage of a professional life and beyond.

An exceptional but encouraging case for all women managers and families: husband Arne and wife Katharina Arens-Schmidt, both graduated from our programme last year. She is a managing partner of Krauthammer, a Dutch communications company in Amsterdam, he a senior director at Nike in Darmstadt. At the Graduation Ceremony she was carrying newborn
Mats in her arms. Yes, you can.

About the author:

Bernadette Conraths is Head of Executive Education, Director Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA Program, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

• Kellogg School of Management
  Full-Time MBA
• WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management
  Full-time MBA, Part-time MBA, Executive MBA