The ALL Gender Solution

It took until only recently for the mass media to echo what I’ve been speaking, thinking and writing about for years: silo-d thinking is at the root of so many corporate ills, not the least of which is too few women at the top of almost any industry. As I advocated for various solutions around eliminating unconscious bias, I focused on what I called the “two-gender” solution, the thinking being that gender silos (women’s affinity groups, old boys club) promote exclusion rather than inclusion. And, while it’s critical to have awareness in the workplace, the real change will only happen when we socialize our daughters…AND OUR SONS…differently.

I wrote about this in an article titled, “The Two Gender Solution.”

Of course, the hands of time continue to turn and the evolution of our culture should continue to challenge our thinking. I know my thinking shifted as my awareness increased: as we enter Women’s History Month, everyone would benefit if leaders and individuals took this conversation to the next level to reflect reality. We’re talking an ALL gender solution.

All, as in male, female and everything in between. We can’t have an inclusive corporate culture until we acknowledge and adopt this thinking.

I began discussing the changing complexion of the American workforce in 2010, but six years later we now have the opportunity not only to employ and embrace different cultures and different generations, but also to do the same for the whole spectrum of sexual identity.

Now more than ever, we cannot afford silo-d thinking. The marketplace is demanding inclusion… a leadership model that blends the best of all of us to create something that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Real work. Real results. Real time.