Becker's Hospital Review

27 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP What female executives of color want you to know By Georgina Gonzalez P rofessional women of color face unique challenges in the workplace that can take a toll on their mental well-being, according to a report in Harvard Business Review published Jan. 14. Using data from more than 1,000 interviews with female ex- ecutives of color and 20 years of research on gender and ne- gotiation, researchers specializing in women's leadership col- lated key challenges women of color face in the workplace. Some women of color interviewed by the researchers de- scribe feeling discouraged from asking for what they want in the workplace. Black women reported feeling stereo- typed as angry or aggressive when expressing healthy self-esteem. Asian women reported a cultural reverence for authority and immigrant Latinas reported being cautioned not to rock the boat. Some women of color also said strategies shared by white women do not work for them. Intersectional research con- ducted by Harvard Business Review suggested women of color stand out as exceptions in their respective businesses but are nonetheless marginalized. Women of color also told researchers they are often asked to take on responsibilities that are not related directly to their role, such as diversity, equity and inclusion tasks. Given that many powerful women of color are among the minorities in their organizations, much of the mentoring and sponsoring responsibilities fall on them as well. n One simple principle can help organizations achieve all-around gender balance By Georgina Gonzalez G ender equality often gets worse as you move up the hierarchy of a company, suggesting that many issues may lie in promotion and reten- tion as opposed to hiring. The gender proportionality principle can be used to help remedy this, Harvard Business Review reported. The principle states that any level of an organization should aim to reach the gender balance of the level directly below. For instance, if female managers make up 35 percent and entry-level women make up 49 per- cent, the company should set a goal of getting to 49 percent female managers within an agreed time frame. Managers and heads can be presented with the gen- der breakdown of those going up for a promotion and given an explicit expectation of how their deci- sion-making should allow the demographics to reflect the level below them. They can also then be asked to comply or explain their decision-making process if their choices deviate from the principle, keeping man- agers accountable. The principle can be implemented simply and easily across levels and departments. It can help demystify promotion and equity processes and encourage diver- sification of the organization. n Viewpoint: Addressing male burnout requires societal shifts By Georgina Gonzalez R esearch suggests burnout seems to manifest itself differently in men and women. Societal messaging about the role of men at work needs to change, Jonathan Malesic, PhD, a former theology professor at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., wrote in e New York Times on Jan. 4. Women tend to have higher rates of burn- out than men, with female physicians at 32 percent more risk of burnout than their male counterparts, according to a national study published in 2019. However, the way it man- ifests itself across genders is different, with men seeming to be more vulnerable to its more detrimental effects, Dr. Malesic wrote. Burnout is defined by three dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism and a sense of ineffectiveness. One meta-analysis found that although women are more emotion- ally exhausted than men, men are more depersonalized and cynical. Regarding parental burnout, one study found moth- ers have a higher average level of burnout, yet fathers are more likely to have extreme symptoms of burnout such as escape, suicidal ideation and child neglect. Male burnout, Dr. Malesic argued, is more hidden in the mainstream, with accounts of it a rarity. Men in general have more hesitation to discuss their problems and are 40 percent less likely than women to seek counseling, according to a 2019 study pub- lished by the CDC. Dr. Malesic wrote that many consequences of male burnout stem from societal messag- ing about the role of the traditional man as the stoic breadwinner. To end burnout cul- ture, we should "commit to ideals of man- hood that rely less on economic productivity and more on virtues like loyalty, solidarity and courage," he said. n

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