PWN Istanbul: Magical Questions Men Asked To Support The Dreams of Women

The Magical Questions Men Asked To Support The Dreams of Women

Do you know what a man thinks? We observe many women discussing their own careers, women’s leadership, and gender equality in each and every potential platform.  How about men? We thought it was time to let MEN talk, discuss and care about women leadership! 

In series of workshops and a panel on balanced leadership, PWN Istanbul’s Engaging Men Committee invited male executives and left the floor for them to take ownership on balanced leadership, advancement of women’s career and gender balance. 

Can you imagine which questions the male executives asked themselves to find a solution on gender equality and balanced leadership? They asked some magical questions to help women’s career dreams happen!

The Magical Questions That C-level Executives Asked

PWN Istanbul Engaging Men Committee organized its second workshop on the 9th of November 2016 on balanced leadership, gender equality, and women and men co-growth in professional life. 

The objective of the workshop was to define daily behavior at work whereby social gender equality, men and women co-growth and improvement in professional life can be rendered possible; to take the opinion of professional men on this matter, and provide reference.

Approximately thirty CEOs, General Managers, Deputy General Managers and Corporate Directors from multinational and local companies expressed their first personal thoughts on gender balance in small groups. The discussion continued on the obstacles in business and social life in respect to gender balance. Then, they asked some magical questions! C level executives’ commitment and willingness to contribute for further studies and workshops created a high positive impact on our motivation and passion.   

The First Workshop, The Very First Magical Questions

Before this workshop, PWN Istanbul’s Engaging Men Committee had organized the first workshop on the same subject with participation of mid-senior level managers in 2015. It was the first time that we heard some magical questions! As a result of these workshops, we created a report and charter as behavioral checklist for each workshop around these magical questions.  

Academic and Professional Approach with a Panel Discussion on Balanced Leadership

Having had our first materials as the charter and report, we needed to investigate the workshop’s output at a panel discussion. We consulted experts in the area from both academic and professional arenas. Our panelists were Prof. Yankı Yazgan from Marmara University Medical School and the former lecturer at Yale Child Study Center and Murat LeCompte, Director of Communications, BP Turkey.  Yankı Yazgan, as an expert on child, youth and adult psychiatry contributed our study from academic perspective. 

Being Fathers of Girls is a Privilege!

Another take-away from this panel was the verbal confirmation by Yankı Yazgan as an academic authority on our strategy of approaching the executives with daughters. The male executives with daughters in general are quite responsive and sensitive in balanced leadership and supporting women’s involvement in work. We really like to remind these executives that having the privilege of having a daughter gives them one additional reason to take ownership of this subject. They never disappointed us, as fathers of girls! Murat LeCompte, contributed to the panel with the very interesting best practices from a company in “male dominated” industry to achieve balanced leadership as well as his personal perspective as a father of three girls. 

Both of the panelists and our audience confirmed that the output of the workshop is applicable and we were on the right track. That enabled us to continue our workshop series with top management and ask their opinions with their suggestions to achieve gender balanced workplaces and social environment.  

A Magical Question that Male Executives Ask Themselves: “Am I doing this and that?” 

As output of these two workshops, a combination of behavioral checklist based on the charter and the reports created. 

The behavioral checklist consists of the questions that they would ask themselves at home/ in social life and at work. Here are some of these magical questions to be asked:

At work

• Is my behavior unknowingly prejudiced to men or women in my own recruitment and promotion processes; and if so, do I take account of gender pool to prevent such cases and promote balance? Do I warn people, if I notice any such prejudice? Do I assign right people to the right job without gender bias?
• As top management, do I put this issue on the agenda in meetings? Do I question my colleagues and top management for putting these issues on the agenda and promote continuity?
• Do I promote the right candidates who have already had enough sensitivity and awareness on gender balance at critical positions? Is there any criterion or behavioral checklist that shows that these leaders have already demonstrated gender balance leadership behaviors, before they promote to critical roles? Do I select the right people to take care of gender balance projects at corporates?
• As top management, do I promote existing women role models in higher levels in the organization?
• Am I well informed about such rights related to modern working techniques, do I claim them and encourage the workplace in order to implement them?
• Do I notice, question and take heed of any gender-biased occasions?
• Do I promote and defend practices such as mentorship in the corporate environment?
• Do I push and encourage my company to support non-governmental organizations that promote this agenda? “Do I chose to become a PWN member personally to make a visible mark of my support to gender balanced leadership?
• Do I encourage and invite men and women alike to mixed conversations in in-house social environments?
• Do I make sure HR designs and prints role descriptions to make the roles more open for gender diversity?
• Am I a role model of “gender balance” behavior and do I lead by example?

At Home/ In Social Life

• Am I driven by gender prejudice while sharing chores such as doing the dishes, laundry, shopping, food, and table preparation at home? Do I cook at home?
• Do I guide and encourage my children without gender prejudice while they are growing up? Am I a role model to children in this sense?
• Do I notice such practice at schools, call and warn school administration as a parent?
• Am I careful with my choice of words?
• Do I spend time and converse with both men and women alike in social occasions? Do I invite women, as well?
• Do I encourage my spouse to work?
• Do I establish joint decision-making mechanisms in all decisions concerning the family?

Cooperation Continues Between PWN Istanbul Engaging Men Committee and Corporate Companies

PWN Istanbul Engaging Men Committee will continue its projects to support the companies to achieve balanced leadership with engagement of male executives in 2017. The results and suggestions as output of these two workshops will be shared with the companies in a continuous relationship.

For more information on building a balanced future with men and women, contact PWN Istanbul.