Expanding the Conversation

By Jaime B. Hansen

By definition, a business cant be transformative if its just more of the same.
Leaders must have the vision to see things differently and the wherewithal
to capitalize on all available talent.
Talking about gender characteristics in the business world is an important,
yet explosive topic. Much of the discussion today has become very one-sided,
and therefore falls on deaf ears.
Expanding the Conversation takes things in a different direction. Gender-related
characteristics are called out without apology. Only then can they be leveraged
holistically as both strengths and complements.
In order to create powerful, disruptive shifts across a global economy, we must
start addressing this discussion head-on and learn to positively exploit genderdominated
attributes for a competitive advantage.
Its not an easy discussion and its certainly not always fair. But to get anywhere,
it needs to be honest. Leaders both current and future need to engage with
curiosity and lead with intent.
For those ready. . . its time to expand the conversation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524578480

Jaime B. Hansen

Jaime Baim Hansen is a writer, speaker, investor, and thought leader on women and business. After spending her early career with an economics consulting firm in Washington, DC, she’s been a business executive in the tech industry for the past decade. She is passionate about inspiring and empowering women, evolving the intersection of business and social impact, and always, always new entrepreneurial ideas. Jaime can be reached at [e-mail]

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Copyright © 2017 by Jaime B. Hansen.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 04/10/2017

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Contents

Foreword

Introduction

PART I: Justifying the Why

1 Business Was Never Meant to Be Fair

2 The Who

3 The How

4 And Then There’s China

PART II: Hot Topics

5 The Blame Game

6 From Where It All STEMs

7 Out-Menning the Men

8 Players and Cheerleaders

9 Let’s Talk About a Different B Word

PART III: Perception, Intention, and Opportunity

10 Reframing the Conversation

11 Flaunting the Differences

12 Designing With Intent

13 Cultivating Failure

14 Thinking Bigger

Questions to Expand the Conversation

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Endnotes

There is no conversation more boring

than the one where everybody agrees.

– MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Foreword

I have known Jaime for a very long time. In fact, our relationship goes back to the beginning of her business career. And for a very long time, I have been conflicted, sometimes thinking of her as an unapologetic idealist, and sometimes thinking of her as a dogged pragmatist. She has proven, through this book, that she is both, and probably always was. Because of her and its balance (and insights), the book should make tremendous strides to expanding and improving the conversation about gender in the business place.

Jaime sketches for us a much-improved business world, one that harnesses the skills of women. That improved world is one that understands that there are differences between the genders in the business place. And though equal, women should not try to be the same as men. It is also a world that accepts that there are differences in the genders. Soft skills, which are often deemed to be female strengths, and hard skills, which are often deemed to be male strengths, are equally valuable in the workplace. Further, Jaime’s new world is one that celebrates gender differences. Women are often quite advanced in the ways they interact, communicate, and build trust. Those skills should be encouraged, and spread. She tells us to take advantage of each of our unique characteristics. We must. And her world is one that accentuates gender qualities that we all possess. We are all capable of diving deep and laser focus (perhaps a male quality). We are all capable of thinking holistically and comprehensively about relationships and situations (perhaps a female quality). There is no need, according to Jaime, to allow and foster thinking that relegates a certain set of skills to a certain gender. Right brain and left brain need to be equally advanced, in both genders.

After reading her book, I am convinced that we can and should strive for this better business world. We owe it to up-and-coming leaders, particularly women. Their diverse talents need to flourish, and so will their careers. We owe it to stodgy and grumpy leaders (whose club arguably includes me), who need to tap into a richer set of skills. And we owe it to companies whose competitive positioning is at stake, which is every company, every day.

Jaime not only sketches for us a better business world; she provides suggestions for filling in the picture. She suggests use of improved rhetoric. Women, she notes, are often perceived as emotional or sensitive. Wouldn’t it be better to refer to such characteristics as empathetic or compassionate? Or instead of creative, how about innovative? She suggests elimination of confusing and distracting facts. It is often quoted that women are paid 79 cents for every $1 made by a male. While not dismissing the significance of the point, she has cautioned us to understand and use that statistic, and many like it, with great care. She suggests eliminating discussion of fairness and equality. Business is not about those concepts. And she suggests that leaders and soon-to-be leaders, men and women, all need to participate in the conversation and ultimate change. Leaders can re-frame the conversation. Soon-to-be leaders must insert themselves into that conversation, and along the way, not add to implicit biases. Jaime sensibly makes the case that words, actions, and thoughts are all implicated.

Throughout her book, Jaime does a masterful job of presenting and discussing a wide range of evidence. Sometimes it’s anecdotes. Sometimes it’s academic studies. Sometimes it’s reports in the popular press. Sometimes it’s interviews. Sometimes it’s biology. Jaime flies high, but has a very strong foundation for doing that. Not surprisingly, she writes that her husband (with whom I go back as far as Jaime), doesn’t like to call himself a feminist. Of course, he knows he is one. Jaime sees things that the rest of us do not, in part, because she is looking so closely.

One of Jaime’s important themes is that the genders are equal, but not the same. She asks us to accentuate the equality, and de-emphasize the need to be the same.

I am extraordinarily proud to write that I was there at the launch of Jaime’s career in economics. I knew (as did others) that she was going to make a difference. This book proves that. Leveraging her impressive formal training, her rich experience in business, and her frequent writing and speaking work, she will help us all to expand our conversations about gender differences. Those conversations will allow many of us to enhance our careers, our work, and our competitive advantages.

John C. Jarosz

Managing Principal, Analysis Group

Introduction

In the last few years, we’ve seen a monumental upswing in the discussions around women in business. That’s fantastic. In general, the more attention this topic receives the better. My concern is with the direction these conversations have taken as of late. Driven largely by the headline-seeking media, much of the current talk focuses on the extreme and the provocative. It’s as if the goal now is solely to maximize shock value.

In contrast, the purpose of this book is to expand the conversation. There are many worthwhile topics on this subject deserving further discussion, but so much of the present dialogue is angry and accusatory and dangerously one-sided. Because of this, these conversations have become largely ineffective. That fact will be highlighted throughout Expanding the Conversation; however, the goal is not simply to recognize it. It’s to start talking about ways to actually change things.

Although it addresses issues around women in business, this book is not solely directed at women. It is also for men who work with women. The business world is not properly leveraging a big portion of our country’s eligible workforce. That’s not a female problem; it’s a very big and very real labor challenge.

All the angry and bitter talk about things not being fair and equal in business … that’s not helpful to anyone. Why? Well let’s just be real about this from the get-go. Business isn’t fair, and it never will be. That may seem harsh, but it’s the sobering reality. We need to both acknowledge and, to some degree, accept this if we intend to move forward. Demanding we treat women the same as men in business because that’s only fair sounds almost amateur. Furthermore, for those more seasoned, it often comes off as defensive.

Most important, it’s falling on deaf ears. We can’t possibly expect to solve problems if they aren’t being openly considered and addressed from all angles. We have to be able to put everything on the table—all of it—and look at the issues from multiple viewpoints. That’s how we get to the bottom of real issues.

It begins with a basic acknowledgement: Men and women are not the same. Equal, of course, but not for a minute the same. Much of the advice offered lately has been around hiding these differences or ignoring them—sometimes adamantly insisting they don’t even exist. That’s a huge mistake. The differences between men and women are what make things all the more interesting, especially in a business environment. Individuals have varied strengths and weaknesses. Confronting these differences head on will allow us to better leverage them—even, dare I suggest, exploit them. After all, in the end, business is really just one big game of strategy.

The Audience

So, for whom is Expanding the Conversation intended? First and foremost, it’s for genuine leaders—those of today as well as those of the future. They are the people with the vision to see things differently and the ability to execute their ideas effectively. Forward-looking leaders who want to lead with intent and passion—those who aim to establish a new and more effective paradigm of business as they change the face of entire industries for the future.

Yes, incredible businesses have been built in this country despite the lack of a significant female presence. However, many of the most dominant female strengths align perfectly with what we need in leadership today, which this book addresses in detail. From a timing perspective, this conversation couldn’t be more relevant, as some of the gender-dominated qualities will be especially advantageous in helping the next generation of leaders prepare for the future.

That next generation of leaders comes from the ranks of the Millennials. These talented and passionate men and women desperately need to be engaged in this discussion as early as possible. As the face of America’s leadership in the future, they will become instrumental to the broader conversation in every way.

However, there’s also a group of great business minds a generation or two ahead of them who make up another part of the audience for this book. This group of Generation Xers and Baby Boomers is comprised mostly of men (and a smaller subset of exceptional women) currently leading organizations into a new era of possibility today. They want—and are capable of—significant change and innovation within industries that have been around for ages. These current leaders need to be a part of the conversation in order to first extract and then utilize all available talent. With open minds and fresh perspectives, they too can facilitate extraordinary change.

Finally, one last part of the audience is comprised of women more defined by their stage in life than their age. These women are typically in the middle of a solid career or perhaps weighing the possibility of starting their second or third act. These ambitious individuals have already accomplished much of what they were supposed to do (i.e., career, marriage, kids, etc.) and now have the luxury of asking themselves what they want to do. Armed with intellect, education, and experience, these women are prime candidates for exceptional work and leadership. We are missing key opportunities by not leveraging their talents properly, and they need to be involved in the conversation, as well.

Who Am I?

And who am I to say all of this? Well, for starters, I’ll tell you who I’m not. I’m not Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and author of Lean In, the catalyst that re-energized much of this conversation after its publication in 2013. Sandberg artfully highlighted some of the challenges facing women in business that she’d seen firsthand in a way that left their existence poignantly felt and indisputable. Her anecdotes drew from international leaders at the top of their fields and few could match such extraordinary examples. Speaking primarily to women directly, she encouraged them to play an active role in the direction of their own careers. She admirably put herself in the line of fire and got people talking.

So, let’s get in front of this nice and early: I’m not the COO of one of the most influential companies in the world, nor do I have coffee with world leaders on a regular basis. That said, I am a hard-working, educated,