I suspect you join me in suffering from “gloom and doom” fatigue. That’s why I’d like to offer, in my first 2021 column, an optimistic AND realistic outlook for the growth and development of female talent.

Over the past year, I have interacted (virtually, of course) with hundreds of women and corporations in my role as CEO of WOMEN Unlimited Inc. I have seen them make smart, forward-thinking choices, despite ever-changing working environments. Both talented women and their organizations have chosen to formulate strategies that successfully transition them to the “new normal” and beyond.

Women across industries are making smart choices

Since the pandemic started, more than 1,100 women at all career levels have been tapped by their companies to participate in our development programs. Despite unprecedented personal and professional challenges, these women have overwhelmingly chosen to actively engage in their WOMEN Unlimited programs. As a result, they have become more reflective about their careers, more open to feedback from peers and mentors, and more receptive to adopting new behaviors that put them on track to not just get by, but to get ahead. Here, in their own words, are how a few of them are making positive choices that benefit them personally and professionally:

• A senior analyst in the pharmaceutical industry pointed out how she became more adaptable: “In the beginning of the pandemic, I was a bit stuck, not knowing what to focus on. Having the ability to think and refocus on what I truly needed for myself and my business helped me step out of fear and into action.”
• A manufacturing industry engineering director described how she got better at handling ambiguity: “I am tackling ambiguity head on — no longer letting it consume me. I am utilizing excellence versus perfection, and the result is confidence.”
• A senior biotech manager explained why she became less risk-averse: “This year, normal ways of operating went out the window and I learned to lean into risk as we planned ahead.”
• A director in the defense industry described how she learned to leverage differences: “Learning alongside my program colleagues from other industries and other functionalities helped me see how I could build a strong team at work. I’ve learned to stay open to seeing things differently through the eyes of others and to create a greater list of options.”
• A diversity leader in the financial industry highlighted her need to be a more powerful team builder: “I’ve always been known for getting things done. Now I understand the importance of working in sync with others. There is greater collaboration, and the results are far better.”

5 gender parity choices organizations are espousing

It’s not just the women. The corporations who partner with WOMEN Unlimited have made a variety of smart choices to help ensure they continue to grow a diverse talent pool, during the pandemic and beyond. Five of these choices are especially notable:

• They have chosen to continue (and in many cases) expand the internal and external development of their female talent.
• Top management of leading organizations is choosing to hold managers at all levels accountable for the growth and development of the women on their teams.
• Corporate leadership is buoying its initiatives to develop early-career female talent and to place them in roles with P&L responsibility.
• Managers are choosing to help women exit their comfort zone by assigning them high-visibility stretch projects.
• Organizations are expanding their efforts to ensure that women get the same career-advancing feedback as their male colleagues.

Despite press coverage indicating that gender parity will be stymied for decades, that’s not what we’re seeing. We’re seeing talented women staying in the workplace, not abandoning it. We’re seeing corporate leaders revving up the development of female talent, not slowing it down. We’re seeing extraordinary commitment and tenacity at both the individual and corporate levels. Now that’s a powerful antidote to gloom and doom!

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