Women: How to smash the glass ceiling

By Maria Moscaritolo

Women whose careers are blocked by a “glass ceiling” can smash through with a change in their own attitude rather than trying to change the world around them.

While the common perception is that women’s careers can be held back by an unsupportive work culture, leadership coach Sandi Givens says often the barriers are internal, made up of self-doubt, low confidence and subconscious self-sabotage.

“I believe there aren’t any (glass ceilings),” Ms Givens says, in what she acknowledges will be perceived as a provocative statement.

“I think women tend to focus overly on the external world around them (such as the so-called “boy’s club”) and I think the glass ceilings that hold us back more than those are the self-imposed glass ceilings, like the beliefs we have about our own capabilities, our negative internal dialogue.”

She does not want to blame women, but rather make them change their thinking to achieve their aims.

Similar to the adage “dress for the job you want rather than the job you have”, Ms Givens says women should look at the way they talk about their abilities and skills – and consider the image they project, such as if their behaviour, body language and responses project competence and confidence to others.

Ms Givens started her own coaching and motivational speaking business as a means of navigating around her own glass ceiling.

She was working as a national training manager in 1989 and was one of only two senior women when she was asked by her boss when she was going to start having babies.

“I thought, ‘there’s got to be a better way to earn a living than to put up with all this junk’,” she says.

Small business operator Naomi Mashford did the same.

She set up her own management consultancy after finding her rapid rise to the executive ranks of the banking world blocked unexpectedly by a conservative senior executive, just as she was poised to take on a role of regional general manager.

After putting in a few more years in the finance sector, she realised her core purpose and what she does best.

“But it doesn’t mean the glass ceiling goes away. It’s about finding a way around it,” Ms Mashford says.

“I think I’ve learned over time that if going at it head-on is not going to work, then find a way to manoeuvre around it.”

Women’s Network Australia founder and director Lynette Palmen says many barriers have eroded in the past 20 years but lack of flexible working arrangements remains the biggest hurdle for career progression.

“A lot of it is because of life’s paths that women choose to take,” she says.

Article from The Advertiser, June, 2010.