Situation

A large, international financial services firm needed to create more dialogue between its male and female managing directors. In particular, the firm wanted men involved with its gender diversity agenda. The challenge was how to create a meaningful dialogue in a short time frame.

Approach

Following a women’s conference, the senior women who attended each personally invited a male colleague to a special seminar following the conference. The seminar opened with a two-minute video, showing a young female manager giving advice to an older male subordinate. We asked the audience how they would coach someone like the woman in the video. The ensuing discussion was lively, lasting for two hours. This one video, in combination with the opportunity to talk about younger women rather than the relationships among people in the room, opened up a rich dialogue about how men view gender challenges and where women could benefit from support.

Results

• The group was able for the first time to talk productively with each other.
• Women and men learned that they shared many of the same problems.
• Male managing directors began to better understand their female junior staff.
• Women understood something about the thoughts and concerns of their male colleagues.
• The dialogue was open and honest.
• After the event, pairs gathered informally for one-on-one discussions, exactly what the firm had hoped for.