Collaboration and communication emphasized at NEW morning session

Collaboration and communication were the name of the game at the Network of Executive Women (NEW) Breakfast at the Mississauga Convention Centre on March 4.

Nearly 160 members of the CPG and retail industry came together for the first NEW event of 2014.

While NEW’s mission statement revolves around attracting, retaining and advancing women in the workplace, the morning’s theme focused more on men and women working together.

The session, titled “Elevating Women’s Careers - Men and working together for Success”, was moderated by Jeffery Tobias Halter – president of YWomen and author of the book Selling to Men, Selling to Women.

Halter began the morning with a short introduction of NEW’s objectives and an overview of women in the workplace.

“This is not a male bashing session,” he emphasized, adding while businesses have come a long way when it comes to gender bias, there is still more work to be done. While 49% of women think gender bias is alive, 28% of men are less likely to recognize gender bias in the workplace.

Halter went on to discuss retention techniques for women in the workplace. With baby boomers retiring at an alarming rate –about 10,000 a day–companies can’t afford to lose the talent they have. Halter promoted a flexible workplace when it comes to retaining talent.

Halter acted as moderator for a panel discussion including Donna Desrosiers, senior vice-president merchandising, apparel, Walmart Canada; Graham Kaufmann, senior vice-president coaching and facilitation, Horn Training and Consulting; Elem Rinomato, president, Torino Drywall; and Paul Weynski, director customer and business development, Kimberly-Clark.

All panelists agreed they were actively working within their respective companies to help recruit and retain women.

Walmart’s Desrosiers noted she made a drastic move from the U.S. to Canada when her role became available, because she recognized the opportunity for growth within the company.

Weynski’s focus at Kimberly-Clark was to reduce turnover and create an inclusive culture–they aim to have a team that reflects their customer.

“Our team needs to act and behave like the people who purchase our products,” Weynski said, adding the plans put in place have resulted in a 70% increase in women.

Kafumann shared insights from his experiences in career coaching, saying women are harder on themselves than men and he finds helping his clients believe in themselves is often his primary target.

“It’s often the perceptions of ourselves that get in the way,” he explained.

Kaufman added people tend to judge each other based on warmth and competence, and it’s this critical balance combined with a company’s increased desire for collaboration that will help an employee succeed.

Mentoring and sponsorship were the main topics during the formal panel discussion as well as a key interest from the audience.

Panelists agreed it never hurts to ask a senior leader for 10 minutes of their time, and the best mentoring opportunities come from mutually beneficial relationships, where the sponsor is able to help the mentor just as much as the other way around.

When it comes to finding a mentor, Rinomato recommended finding someone with the same values and priorities.

“Look for qualities you see in yourself, and qualities you’d like to grow,” she said. “You want the whole package.”

The panel agreed a positive attitude was the best quality a candidate can bring to a job or interview.

You should be able to tie in what you want with the strategic objectives of the organization, and remember that when opportunities come your way it’s in your best interest to take advantage of them.