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#Employee Happiness #External Article #Work CultureWomen reportedly make up 47.7% of the global workforce and 50.4% of the United States’ workforce. That’s up an entire percentage point from one year earlier, and experts say this upward trend will continue and even accelerate in the coming years.
Meanwhile, the number of men in the workplace will decrease. Given this changing landscape, creating a workplace environment in which women can thrive is essential. Here are eight strategies for doing so:
1. Encourage Women’s Influence
Influence equals power. So, the most significant way to create a workplace environment in which women can thrive is by allowing them to influence decisions and culture. Women can effect change, strategize, and deliver meaningful results by exerting their influence. Supporting women in showing their talents also builds respect for their abilities and will help them climb the corporate or business ladder.
2. Foster Workplace Connections
Women need connections that will allow them to seize new opportunities. And once women have gained more influence or moved into more-powerful positions, they can in turn invite other women to the table. Workplace connections can also manifest as mentor-mentee relations, which are beneficial for both the individuals and the companies as learning across the board will help employees upskill and provide more value.
3. Raise Awareness of the Lack of Privilege
The old saying “walk a mile in my shoes” should be heeded when working to help women thrive in the workplace. Here is a simple exercise that can be instrumental. First, have everyone in an office or on a team stand side-by-side in a line. Then, have a moderator or host present hypothetical scenarios, such as “I’m conscious about what I wear to work and the impressions it might give my colleagues or supervisors” or “I’m worried about telling my boss I’m pregnant or trying to have a child.” Anyone who has experienced the scenario described then takes one step forward. This visual representation of the differences between what women and men go through in the workplace creates a new level of understanding. It will help men realize their privilege owing to the lack of relative obstacles. The office or team will therefore be better able to change the culture to be fairer and more accommodating to women.
Check the complete article originally published at TIMES ascent.
