Is the nation’s so-called first female-recession avoidable? Harvard Business School Alumna, and women’s leadership and development expert, Christy Rutherford, believes so.
Although women in leadership have made significant gains in the last decade, imagine where they would be if practical solutions were offered in lieu of constant conversation surrounding the challenges women face in the workplace. Rutherford weighs in on how women can focus their efforts on overcoming these societal norms.
When speaking about solutions to this age-old problem most times you’ll hear, “Get another degree”, “Spearhead this volunteer project”, “Stay late and work through the weekend in order to show that you’re dedicated to the job” and the list goes on. Contrary to what was offered in the latest Forbes article, “COVID Leads To A Pink Collar Recession”, women in leadership do not need to earn another degree or certification. According to Rutherford, leveraging their established degrees and certifications properly introduces the current value of the woman in leadership to the organization. There are women with two Master’s degrees making $70k while their market value is $255k, so additional degrees does not aid in job retention or relevance.
The Forbes article also referenced volunteering and working side projects. How many times have women spearheaded a volunteer project or taken work home in order to prove their worth to an organization determined on devaluing them? While working with her clients of all backgrounds, ethnicities and industries, Rutherford noticed a common thread, which was outlined in her Forbes feature, “Do Women Create Their Own Glass Ceilings?” These women in leadership are overwhelmed and exhausted from doing a number of GOOD things but aren’t doing the RIGHT things to get promoted and be seen by their leadership team. Rutherford makes it clear that her clients, whom a majority are Black women, get promoted by doing less. She coaches these women into success by assisting them in creating a clear strategy that identifies the activities they are doing that do not produce a ROI. Once these activities are identified, these women stop doing them which usually clears up 50-60% of previously occupied time. They are now able to maximize their output in less man hours which allows them to allocate this new “free time” to self-care activities. Being more present in the home, less stress, more money, and more energy equates to a greater quality of life.
It is time for women to stop riding the career carousel and become more strategic. Mastering office politics and self-care advocacy are the tools Rutherford uses to coach women into getting out of their own way and into the C-suite, without having to leave their current organization, in most cases. Her success stems from the ability to help women get clarity on what they REALLY want, help them figure out what’s REALLY stopping them from moving forward and forcing them to make themselves a priority. These secrets are just the beginning to unlocking the next level of income success for Rutherford’s clients, which since June 2020 has accumulated to over $1.25 million in promotions and raises.
