Jeffery Halter is the found of the Fathers of Daughters Initiative and has been a huge supporter of women in leadership and I’d like to share with you an article and a movement he has created to encourage girls and women to advance to their highest potential.
This Father’s Day Give Your Daughter A Gift – Guest post by Jeffery Tobias Halter
We can talk about the business case, strategies and talent initiatives but without a personal connection, men will never feel the true need to be committed. Real change with a sense of urgency will never take place until father of daughters realize the responsibility they have to be change agents.
Simply stated, many men do not make a connection between advocating for women in the workplace and the impact this will have until the time their daughter enters the job market.
Fathers of Daughters are uniquely positioned to drive change in the workplace. I believe up to 30% of men in the workplace do want to help but don’t know what they can do on a daily basis.
I created this initiative as an easy-to-do opt-in program. Read it, commit to do at least one thing on the list (hopefully more), print it, sign it, and post it. You immediately demonstrate that you are advocating for women because you understand the responsibility a Father of a Daughter has. What better gift can a father give his daughter than a shot at a brighter future?
What is the Father of Daughter Initiative?
(click here to download pledge)
As the Father of a Daughter, I pledge to do one or more of the following…
- Seek to Understand.Find a female co-worker, someone I can have an honest conversation with, and listen to the experiences she is having as a woman in my company.
- Mentor and Sponsor.Mentor a female co-worker. If applicable, become a sponsor for a woman.
- Create a Business Case. Write a brief business case for my department or area of responsibility for women regarding revenue, talent or engagement and discuss it with my team once a month during the coming year.
- Support Gender Pay Equity. Deepen my understanding of my company’s HR practices, specifically, gender pay equity issues and work to correct issues I discover.
- Set An Example to Correct Bias.Act to correct micro bias; from simple things like always having a woman take notes, to women being talked over in meetings or other actions that serve to exclude women from conversations and activities.
- Embrace Workplace Flexibility.Support and demonstrate workplace flexibility for all employees, so that women don’t feel they are being singled out for special treatment.
- Offer Encouragement.I will encourage women to take more risks, volunteer for stretch projects, and discuss and support their developmental needs.
- Encourage Qualified Women to Apply.Urge qualified women to interview for positions when they become available, and if I cannot find a qualified one, commit to developing a woman for the next opening.
- Engage Other Men. Engage other fathers of daughters in the discussion of advancing women.
- Be a Champion. Demonstrate my commitment by joining/attending a women’s resource group or event. Be a visible advocate.
The Fathers of Daughters Initiative is a roadmap for men to make the connection between women at work and their daughters and to make strides to improve workplace inequities for women. To drive real change, please consider sharing this with every father you know!
To find out more about the Fathers of Daughters Initiative and see how you can be part of this movement, click here.
Jeffery Tobias Halter is the country’s leading male expert on engaging men in women’s leadership issues. He is the author of two books,WHY WOMEN: The Leadership Imperative to Advancing Women and Engaging Men andSelling to Men, Selling to Women.
Read more on his website: www.ywomen.biz; follow him on twitter @YWomen
Father of a Daughter Initiative © 2016 Jeffery Tobias Halter
