News, but No Surprise
by Miki Saxon
I get it. I get what’s going on in terms of women in the workplace is news.
I get it that it is important to remind people that for all the progress that’s been made some things haven’t changed.
It’s still assumed that it’s OK to ask professional women, such as lawyers and marketing execs, to do stuff that would never be asked of the men in the organization.
“…plan parties, order food, take notes in meetings and join thankless committees…bring cupcakes for a colleague’s birthday, order sandwiches for office lunches and answer phones”
By the same token, it’s news that board diversity is moving at glacial speed, primarily because boards only want people with experience and to have experience they need to serve on a board.
“Recruiting women and minorities to boards is being slowed because of boards’ unwillingness to look at candidates who have not yet served on boards,” said Ron Lumbra, co-leader of the CEO and board services practice for Russell Reynolds. “There’s a premium on experience.’’
So while I have no problem with these subjects being presented over and over in the news, there is one thing I don’t understand.
Why are so many people surprised by the information?
Is the general population so naïve that they actually believe women are no longer asked to do tasks that are closer to house work than business work?
Do they really believe that the lack of board diversity is a function of the lack of experience as opposed a desire to spend time with people like themselves who are well within their comfort zones?
The sad part is that while it’s still news, it’s certainly not a surprise.
Flickr image credit: Arya Ziai
