A note to Harriet Harman

Dear Harriet,

I know you are keen to see more women at senior levels in the private and the public sector. So I thought I would drop you a quick note about why most of the talented women in my circle opt to start their own businesses instead of pursuing careers in large organisations.

1. The desire to collaborate.  Many of the senior women I work with get a kick out of successful collaboration. In fact many of them see this as one of their great strengths. But as they get further up the ladder they see more and more examples of ‘me’ behaviour with people serving their own ambitions rather than the corporate good.

2. Success in all aspects of life.  The women I know want to be a success in work and in life outside. They don’t want to sacrifice one for the other.  They want both.  But many organisations expect their senior managers to demonstrate their commitment to the company by working excessive hours or travelling at weekends, making it tough to be a ‘life’ success.

3. Being a grown up.  By time women reach senior positions they are likely to be in their late 30s or 40s, and many will have children.  When they come into work they want to deal with colleagues on an adult to adult basis.  They quickly tire of ‘childlike’  company politics.  They want to make a difference in the world, not play silly games about territory.

So, what do I want you to do?  Well – firstly start a debate with the talented women who got out and find out what would have to change to keep them.  Talk to the women who are future senior managers and ask them what they need. And finally, ensure that the one senior job with work life balance built-in, that of non-executive directors, has its fair share of women.  Give me a call if you want to talk further,

Best wishes,

Barbara

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