Here is an excerpt from an article written by Kip Kelly for Talent Management magazine. To check out all the resources and sign up for a free subscription to the TM and/or Chief Learning Officer magazines published by MedfiaTec, please click here.

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Perception vs. Reality

The gender-based perception gap reveals that men have a more favorable view of female leaders’ progress in business than women do. For example, more men (65 percent) than women (44 percent) reported an increase in the number of women holding leadership positions in the past five years. The reasons for this gap are as diverse as the people surveyed, but it may be fair to surmise that women’s outlook stems from firsthand knowledge of and experience with their employers’ attempts to support them. Further, women also may hold higher expectations about how effective — and how immediate — those efforts should be. Men, on the other hand, may know that these efforts exist, but may be less familiar with the details or efficacy of these efforts.

A similar argument could be made about the perception gap found between C-suite executives and lower-level managers. C-suite executives may be more aware of the efforts their organizations are taking to develop female business leaders. For example, 45 percent of C-suite executives cited new efforts to encourage mentoring for women, compared to only 24 percent of managers. C-suite executives may have more experience mentoring than managers, so their perceptions are closer to reality. Managers’ misperception can lead to dissatisfaction or worse. However, the opposite may be true. C-suite executives may fall into a rose-colored glasses scenario because if they are not involved in daily mentoring efforts, they may not know firsthand if these efforts are effective.

To overcome this perception gap, talent leaders should start with organizational strategy and link all talent development efforts to specific business goals and a measurable ROI, using metrics and data to guide decisions.

Mentoring and coaching can be effective activities to develop female leaders, but how individuals view these efforts can vary. Leadership programs designed specifically for women also can be valuable, but misperception can cloud program success. Negative perceptions among women can lower participation, and have a broader impact on employee engagement, satisfaction and retention. Talent managers need to be aware of these differences and take steps to ensure that perceptions match reality in their organizations.

There has been a fundamental shift in the composition of the workplace, and employers have been slow to react. Today, women comprise 61 percent of the labor force, are attaining college-level degrees at a faster pace than men and are the primary decision makers when it comes to purchases. Companies must reassess their efforts to recruit, develop and retain this key demographic, taking into account the perception gaps identified in this survey.

Better business leaders — men and women who can get things done and lead people and organizations — are needed today more than ever before. If organizations cling to a one-size-fits-all approach, their efforts to appeal to a broad spectrum of potential talent — including women — may fall flat and they will lose good talent to their competitors.

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To read the complete article, please click here.

Kip Kelly is Director of Marketing and Business Development for the UNC Executive Development Institute. He is also director of the Women in Business program at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and responsible for the portfolio of non-degree programs available through UNC Kenan-Flagler. He can be reached at Kip_Kelly@unc.edu.