“The reason the women you hired are not doing well is that you haven’t hired enough of them”  -Rosabeth Moss Kanter, 1977

Kanter was studying a firm in NYC that hired the first women in their salesforce. Out of each office of eight, they each put one woman. She was hired to find out why these technically qualified women weren’t doing well. 

In her findings, she states “Being a token creates a special set of problems for both sides, for the token and the majority”. The “tokens” are often treated as representative of their categories, as symbols rather than individuals. A woman (or any minority really) simply couldn’t be herself until the proportions were more in her favor. The group doesn’t become balanced until the proportions are closer to 60:40.

Sit at the Table

Since being in a group of <10% women since I was 18 I have not only seen this happen but lived it. Unfortunately, It took me many years to feel comfortable being uncomfortable, sit at the table, and have always had some level of imposter syndrome.

Will we ever get to 50:50? In theory we could absolutely, but while we make up 50% of the population, over 50% of college graduates, there are only 7.7% military pilots,  10% women CEO’s in Fortune 500 companies, 20% military, 25% in the senate, 37% Active Doctors. We inherently think and react differently, but that benefit cannot be reached until we get much closer to a balanced room. 

I’m sure some of you are aware it is International Women’s Day, but instead of celebrating it to the masses on social media, I’d like you to take a look at the women in your life. Change starts with our own mini-universe. The answer to true equality starts at home.

Everybody wants to save the Earth, nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes” – P.J. O’Rourke