| Despite Legislation for Equality, the Big Picture | | | | be particularly difficult to locate a female high |
| Hasn't Changed for Women in Professions or | | | | achiever simply because there are so few of |
| BusinessIn civilised countries around the world, | | | | them.Before you start thinking of the difficulties |
| equal pay has been enshrined in law for over 40 | | | | this implies, consider that the "single mentor" |
| years. Yet even today women in professions are | | | | pattern is a male pattern which is based on the |
| being paid roughly 75 cents for every dollar men | | | | "cult of the individual".Women are team-focussed |
| receive, for the same work!Over a lifetime of | | | | rather than self-focussed and this is one of their |
| work, a woman can expect to lose about | | | | greatest strengths, and one of the reasons their |
| $455,000 due to unequal pay. That's why women | | | | contributions have such exponential leverage.The |
| have less to set aside for their future, and why | | | | good news is that by peer-mentoring in groups, |
| they struggle to build up solid asset bases. That's | | | | far more progress is made, more quickly. |
| also why women receive smaller superannuation | | | | Certainly we've noted that whenever we've |
| payouts. Astoundingly, by the time a woman | | | | provided the environment for such mentoring the |
| retires, her superannuation pension will be only | | | | outcomes in terms of personal and professional |
| about 50% of the average man's!Why it's Not | | | | development, and the doors that have so quickly |
| Just a Women's IssueThis inequity in payment | | | | and freely opened, have been outstanding.Working |
| rates doesn't just disadvantage women--it also | | | | with a mentor or mentors needn't take a lot of |
| disadvantages their children and their partners. | | | | time, and can even be done on-line so that you |
| When women are not paid what they are worth, | | | | can participate no matter where you are, all in the |
| their whole family suffers.And in fact when | | | | convenience of your own time and at your own |
| women are generally undervalued in this way, we | | | | computer."Business networking" has been |
| end up with a society that both subtly and | | | | misunderstood and undervaluedThis activity has |
| overtly disadvantages and disables women to the | | | | been identified as the single most effective way |
| extent that they are simply unable to contribute | | | | of developing careers and businesses. 70% of |
| their rich potential to their families, companies, | | | | business comes from referrals, and the great |
| social groups, and the wider community.In | | | | majority of referrals come from other business |
| corporations where women are conspicuous by | | | | people whom we've spent enough time with for |
| their general absence from boards and positions | | | | them to refer intelligently and in bulk!However |
| of senior management, those companies perform | | | | women, unlike men, wear multiple hats, and are |
| some 15% worse than companies that have | | | | responsible for multiple roles. These tremendous |
| even just 2 women on their boards. The proof of | | | | impositions on their time mean that women tend |
| women's worth is there for all to see, all the way | | | | to neglect activities that are for their own direct |
| to the bottom line.The economic empowerment | | | | benefit. Networking is either neglected altogether, |
| of women is a cause we should all be working for | | | | or dropped as a first casualty of time |
| because it is the only way women will gain the | | | | pressures.And "networking" can be a real trap. |
| space and the independence to widely contribute | | | | Many networking organisations charge a great |
| their expertise for the benefit of all.Why is This | | | | deal of money for very little support.In addition, |
| Ridiculous Situation Still Happening?The key factors | | | | not many people know how to network so it |
| in women's failure to succeed in professions or | | | | works - you'd be surprised by all the bad advice |
| business to the degree that men do have now | | | | out there from so-called experts and even in |
| been identified.Often a patriarchal culture is | | | | books! You certainly must get involved in |
| blamed, and it's true that biases and prejudices | | | | networking, but you must ensure you're not |
| against women do play a part. These cultural | | | | wasting your time.What You Can Do to Be More |
| biases can prevent us from noticing even the | | | | Successful, Much More Easily, Now!The best |
| obvious, for example that full-time working | | | | advice I could possibly give you is to first get hold |
| women are still doing 400% more housework | | | | of a free ebook called "Speed Business |
| than their male partners.However of far more | | | | Networking - The Manual - More Leads, More Fun, |
| importance and significance are two other factors | | | | More Money" (just look under "Articles" on who've |
| which women can and should take control | | | | read that book have frequently expressed how |
| of:Women have not sufficiently realised the | | | | relieved they were to hear that all their instinctive |
| importance of mentoring as an aid to rapid and | | | | dislike of old networking practices were for good |
| smooth successHaving an experienced mentor | | | | reason!Secondly, check out Speed Business |
| has been identified as the single most significant | | | | Networking for yourself, and join a group that is |
| predictor of success. However female mentors | | | | not only committed to women's success, but has |
| are not as obvious as male mentors, and it can | | | | the expertise to make it happen! |