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It Does Matter
How You Play the Game
By Ana Duarte-McCarthy
W
When I was younger and first entering the workforce
in the early ’80s, the book Games Mother Never Taught You, by
Betty Lehan Harragan, grabbed my attention in its discussion
of how young girls, not familiar with playing games to win,
carried that lack of experience into the workplace as a limitation
in understanding competition.
Nearly 30 years later, women are clearly engaged in com-
petition through involvement in a broad array of sports along
with other activities—even bands and choirs compete! But have
the lessons learned in the throes of competition translated to the
workplace? Research would suggest that challenges remain.
Riley Bowles, a Harvard Business School professor inter-
viewed for the article “Negotiating Challenges for Women
Leaders,” noted that, “within society, we do have a greater
expectation of ‘niceness’ from women than from men. There’s
a body of research showing that when women step into the
realm of stereotypically masculine behavior and need to use an
authoritative or directive leadership style, or need to aggressively
claim, saying, ‘You should give me more money and resources,’
that this doesn’t feel right coming from a woman.”1
Whether women are expected to compete for resources
in the same manner as male colleagues or not, there are some
who perceive that the social constructs influencing women and
competition still persist. However, it’s my perspective, from
15 years in Diversity and six years coaching girls’ basketball, that
there are ways for women to learn to compete in a positive way
(i.e., no sharp elbows) and get results.
For example—in competitive sports you are often contem-
plating how to advance toward a goal (‘should I use the six iron
or the five iron, and then hopefully get to about 20 yards out
and then chip on?’). At work, people who are in the game also
consider their next moves—what do I need to get ahead?—and
a key move is strategic networking. Many people do not con-
sider strategic networking as something to add to their already
busy schedules. However, it’s essential. It’s been my experience
that to advance, along with talent, you need advocates and
sponsors that will speak on your behalf, give you access and
visibility, and help you navigate the culture. Savvy people
make those connections strategically.
1“Negotiating
Challenges for Women Leaders”, HBS Working Knowledge,
October 13, 2003.
Chief Diversity Officer
CITIGROUP
Another question to
consider—do you put your
hand up for the ball? Some
of the girls on my basket-
ball team would complain
that they were not getting
the ball. We told them they needed to get open (lose their de-
fenders) and call for the ball. In the workplace, people may not
realize you are open. When a choice opportunity comes open,
don’t scratch your head and have countless conversations
(generally with yourself ) about whether or not you should put
yourself forward. DO it! If you think you have some of the
requirements for a position, don’t hold yourself back. At the
minimum, you’ll get feedback about yourself and knowledge
about areas for development.
My last piece of advice—work as a team. Playing as a team
means understanding that everyone in the game matters,
whether they’re the MVP (most valuable player) or the bench-
warmer that only gets play time during practice—everyone
has a role. I think that fostering a great team requires having
leaders who are passionate and encourage teammates to work
collaboratively toward common goals.
What can companies do to help people compete? At Citi,
we are partnering with the UCLA Anderson School of Busi-
ness to offer a program for highly valued women poised for
senior management roles. The women participate in 2.5 days of
leadership training, learning from professors who are experts in
women’s studies and leadership, and focusing on core skills like
strategic networking, communicating for high impact, and stra-
tegic leadership. The aspiration is that participants emerge ready
to demonstrate executive readiness, feeling buoyed by their new
network of peers, and that they share the lessons from the train-
ing with their managers and colleagues.
The women who have participated in the program give it
two thumbs up. Said one participant, “The biggest lesson is how
to think about what my core skills are, not necessarily what my
current position is, and how I can transfer these core skills to a
another position and take on stretch assignments.” She’s plotting
her next move—and is clearly in the game. Are you? PDJ
P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l March/April 2010 51