Le vital corps Salon Podcast: Featuring Mine The Gap co-founder

JESSICA GROUNDS ON CREATING WOMEN LEADERS + THE GENDER DIVERSITY RUBBER MEETING THE WORKPLACE ROAD

October 24, 2018

Are you someone who's ever looked at leadership in your government, workplace, or organization and thought, “Well, hot damn, I don't see a lot of women in the ranks of leadership up in here.” If this is you or now I’ve got you thinking about this, then I have a guest for you this week. Meet Jessica Grounds.

Jessica Grounds has been busting her rump in Washington D.C. since the age of 22. She has founded and led multiple organizations across both the public and private sectors to advance women in leadership. Today, we're going to learn all about the strategic gender-inclusive, bipartisan work she's doing with Mine The Gap, an organization on a mission to create gender-inclusive environment for companies, organizations, and businesses. You’ll also hear Jessica pull wisdom from her own experiences as the founder and former Executive Director of Running Start. She helps us more fully understand the barriers facing women in the workplace today and beyond.

Additionally, we touch on the topics of sexism, gender diversity in the workplace, and balancing work and life as a new mother. Plus, Jessica offers practical and realistic steps we can all take within our own organizations to encourage leadership among women - starting right now.  

The midterm elections are coming up here in the United States, so I felt like this was such an important conversation to have right now. The work Jessica is doing is so timely, but also so important beyond the midterm elections. I hope you agree. Now, get listening! For all of my American listeners, get out and vote on November 6th. Sign up for reminders and polling from Vote.org. Prepare yourself with ballot information at BallotReady.

Mine The Gap Launches Research #MeToo At Work

Media Contact: Kim O’Halloran 

FTI Consulting +1.312.553.6733 T kim.ohalloran@fticonsulting.com 

Research Finds Businesses May Soon Feel Financial Impacts of #MeToo in Staffing and Revenue 

New Survey Results Show That Nearly Half of All Women Surveyed Are Less Likely to Apply for a Job, Buy Products or Buy Stock from a Company with Public #MeToo Allegations 

Washington, D.C., Oct. 15, 2018 – Global business advisory firm FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN) and Washington, D.C.-based women’s leadership firm Mine The Gap have partnered to conduct research on gender dynamics in the workplace, which found that incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct still occur in professional settings in substantial numbers, and that businesses may soon feel the financial impacts of the #MeToo movement in staffing and revenue. 

In a comprehensive online survey administered over the summer of 2018, FTI Consulting and Mine The Gap polled 4,764 professional women, with an additional sample of 1,030 professional men, in the industries of technology, finance, legal, energy and healthcare to test a number of key gender issues impacting workplaces today. This report, #MeToo at Work, is the first installment of research released by FTI Consulting and Mine The Gap on gender dynamics in the workplace. 

Highlighted findings from the #MeToo at Work research are as follows: 

The #MeToo movement could affect companies’ financial revenue; Senior leaders are concerned about impending sexual misconduct or harassment allegations at their organization: 

• Approximately 55% of professional women surveyed are less likely to apply for a job and 49% are less likely to buy products or stock from company with a public #MeToo allegation. 

• 22% of senior-level women and 20% of senior-level men are concerned there could be an impending #MeToo incident at their organization. Senior-level women in technology (33%) and energy (31%) are concerned the most, while senior-level men in technology (29%) and healthcare (19%) are the most concerned among the professional men surveyed. 

Sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and unwanted physical contact in the workplace is still happening in substantial numbers; Technology and energy industries report highest percentages of sexual harassment, misconduct and/or unwanted physical contact: 

• More than 1 in 4 professional women (28%) have experienced or witnessed unwanted physical contact in the workplace in just the last year; nearly 1 in 5 have personally experienced it. 

• Industry breakdown: 34% of women in technology, 29% of women in energy, 27% of women in legal 26% of women in healthcare, and 25% of women in finance have experienced or witnessed unwanted physical contact at work in the last year. 

• Over the past five years, 38% of professional women have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment or misconduct in the workplace. 

Of those women who have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment or sexual misconduct in the workplace in the last five years, more than 4 in 10 did not report it; More men are reporting incidents by a significant margin: 

• Of the professional women surveyed who reported experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment, 43% did not report the behavior (57% did). Of the professional men surveyed who reported experiencing or witnessing it, 31% did not report, while 69% did — a 12% difference from women. 

• Top reasons for both professional women and men for not reporting are concern for negative career impact, of being viewed as “difficult” and fear of retribution, though a significant gender gap exists for these answers. 

Commenting on the research, Elizabeth Alexander, a Senior Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting and a crisis communications and gender inclusion specialist, said, “From all different viewpoints and industries, the research findings are stark: #MeToo at work is still happening, and employers that fail to take meaningful action to bring about change face a high risk of irrecoverable reputational and financial consequences. The research shows that professional women will wield their purchasing power and their talent as leverage for change: nearly half of the women surveyed said they would be less likely to apply for a job, buy products or stock from a company with a public #MeToo issue. For businesses to remain viable as the #MeToo movement continues to grow, entire industries need to look inward and overhaul policies, protocols, reporting mechanisms and trainings; evaluate cultures; take steps to fix gender imbalances; develop effective and transparent communications plans; and most importantly, hold aggressors, and those in a place to stop inappropriate behavior, accountable.” 

Jessica N. Grounds, Co-Founder of Mine The Gap, added, “To stay competitive, companies must understand the different experiences women and men face daily at work. #MeToo dynamics, difficult office cultures and leadership imbalance all impact the success of the key industries we surveyed. Awareness is the first step to addressing these challenges. Our hope is that these findings give the supporting data and insight that companies need to build safer, more inclusive and more productive work environments.” 

As companies reflect on the year since the #MeToo movement started gaining headline attention, this research from FTI Consulting and Mine The Gap shows it is vital for organizations to understand how office cultures, and professionals alike, continue to be impacted by the movement. The data demonstrates that companies have taken notice and professionals are seeing some progress in reformed protocols and improved processes for reporting sexual misconduct, yet difficult issues and problematic workplace behaviors endure across industries. 

Further analysis shows that some industry and demographic groups are more affected than others: 

• 58% of senior-level women of color have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment or sexual misconduct in the last five years, while 45% of senior-level white/Caucasian women report the same. 

• 45% of senior-level women of color have experienced or witnessed unwanted physical contact in the last year, while 32% of senior-level white/Caucasian women report the same. 

• Professional women working in the fields of technology (48%) and energy (45%) were most likely to experience or witness sexual harassment or sexual misconduct in the last five years. Other industries 

report lower, but still startling rates: 34% of women in healthcare, 37% of women in legal, and 31% of women in finance have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment or sexual misconduct in the last five years. 

• Nearly half (46%) of millennial women report experiencing a form of workplace sexual harassment or sexual misconduct in the last five years, compared with 30% of Generation X women. Nearly one-third (31%) of millennial women and 25% of Generation X women report receiving unwanted physical contact at work in the last year. 

#MeToo is not just a women’s issue: 

• Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) professional men have personally experienced sexual harassment or misconduct in the workplace in the last five years, with men in finance (23%) and technology (23%) personally experiencing it the most. 

• 12% of professional men have personally experienced unwanted physical contact at work in the last year.

• More than 1 in 5 (21%) professional men reported that the #MeToo movement has impacted their behavior in the workplace. 

Professional women and men believe the #MeToo movement has negatively impacted their career advancement: 

• Both professional men (36%) and women (29%) believe that workplace changes due to the #MeToo movement have negatively impacted their career advancement. 

• Women in technology (42%) and senior-level women (40%) believe this the most. Millennial women (35%) and men (44%) and Generation X women (23%) and men (28%) also subscribe to this sentiment. 

A culture of accountability is “extremely important” to professional women: 

• Nearly half (46%) of professional women say it is “extremely important” to have an office culture that does not tolerate inappropriate language, establishes protocols for accountability and provides mandatory sexual harassment training. 

To download the full #MeToo at Work report and an accompanying infographic, please visit: https://gender.fticommunications.com/ 

This report, #MeToo at Work, is the first installment of research and data-driven insights developed by FTI Consulting and Mine The Gap on gender in the workplace. The next report, Enthusiasm Gap at Work, will detail significant differences between professional women and men across five key industries and their priorities in the workplace. 

Survey Methodology 

In a comprehensive online survey conducted over the summer of 2018, FTI Consulting and Mine The Gap polled 4,764 professional women and 1,030 professional men in the industries of technology, finance, legal, energy and healthcare to test a number of key gender issues impacting workplaces today. 

About FTI Consulting Strategic Communications The Strategic Communications segment of FTI Consulting designs and executes communications strategies for clients managing reputational, financial, regulatory and legal challenges. We combine global reach with local and specialized knowledge to help clients seize opportunities, manage crises, mitigate risk, navigate market disruptions, articulate their brand, stake a competitive position, and preserve their permission to operate. Drawing upon our unrivaled depth of industry expertise and interdisciplinary experience, we help organizations clarify, persuade and ensure that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time. 

About FTI Consulting 

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. With more than 4,600 employees located in 28 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. The Company generated $1.81 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2017. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com and connect with us on Twitter (@FTIConsulting), Facebook and LinkedIn. 

About Mine The Gap 

Mine The Gap equips leaders and industries with the strategy and tools to create and sustain gender-inclusive work environments. We architect a strategic plan to build a gender-inclusive culture resulting in accelerated company growth, increased revenues and unlock hidden talent through awareness, training and education. Our work is underpinned by two core elements: growing an inclusive corporate culture and showing the bottom-line impact of gender inclusion. We have unparalleled expertise working on gender and women’s leadership in every region of the world in more than 120 countries, in multicultural and multiethnic environments. More information can be found at www.minethegap.co. 

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"Gender Catalysts" in Action

After fielding original research in 2016, we launched the California Leadership Collaborative to bring together leaders from the business and political sectors to innovate new ways to advance investment in women’s leadership initiatives.  Despite the cultural narrative in our country about the lack of diversity in leadership, we continue to struggle to see the investment we need to truly prioritize the advancement of women leaders in both sectors, in both politics and business.

Mine The Gap coined the term “Gender Catalyst” after working with a number of women, and sometimes men, inside of companies who were taking action and making cultural, policy, and programmatic changes to build a climate where women thrive.  The term “Gender Catalyst” describes individuals who work within institutions and use their influence, reputation, and expertise to advance changes that help promote gender balance in the leadership of the organization.

On September 27, 2018, we held our third Innovation Team meeting for the California Leadership Collaborative.  There we further defined what a Gender Catalyst possesses to make an impact, including attributes that give her/him the influence to make change real. By identifying how catalysts use their abilities and skills, we were better able to identify how we can support Gender Catalysts operating in every sector. With the right tools we can help these change makers have a real impact for women across sectors.  You’ll see more from us on this important project in the months ahead.

Women Rising in Japan

In the decades that we have worked to grow programs to empower women leaders, we have seen equality movements build across the world and east Asia is no different. This July we partnered with the newly created Academy for Gender Parity, an organization built by two well-known gender researchers, Professors Mari Miura and Ki-young Shin, with the aim to train and inspire women to run for office throughout Japan. Currently, Japan is ranked 158th globally in women’s political representation, with the lower house comprised of only 10% women.  

Japan offers a beautiful and rich culture, but also one that continues a strong legacy of patriarchy which allows for distinct challenges for women advancing into their own career and self-identity. While we were struck by the sophistication and efficiency the Japanese people command, we were also introduced to young women’s stories about hate speech online, challenges to retain their own name in marriage, and difficulties with expectations about being a mother while also building a professional career. Like everywhere in the world, each culture offers its own menu of challenges impeding a context that actually appreciates and values women in leadership.

Supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, we conducted a weekend training that brought together women from across Japan to teach nuts and bolts skills to run for elected office.  Our hope was to share our stories of how we have built women’s political programs through our previous work at National Democratic Institute (NDI), Running Start, and Women Under Forty Political Action Committee, and to share our experience with the women’s movement building in the United States and globally.  It is important for us, wherever we speak, that we ensure our audience knows that they are not alone. We are there to support their leadership journey, but also to share that there are many women around the world who face similar circumstances.

We were inspired by the women we met. Considering that everyone was fairly new to the idea of running for office (for the most part) the confidence and passion to lead was palpable. The issues the women raised  -- domestic violence, economic strife, gender discrimination, educational access -- all came with personal stories and an understanding that they were working on issues that impacted their sisters, their mothers, and their friends.  We hope to continue the work we have started in Japan. The women there are ready and desperately needed to lead in an important time of economic stagnation and an aging population.

After experiencing a week of near perfect efficiency, we experienced a difficult exit from the country. Our co-founder Jessica Grounds was pumping breast milk the whole week to keep her milk supply up while she was away from her 6 month old baby. In the final days she kept her milk frozen at the hotel to bring back and replenish the milk supply used while she was away. But she was stopped at the airport by Japanese security and was not permitted to bring the milk on board because she didn’t have the baby.  After an hour and a half of arguing with security she gave up. While we have already elevated this issue with the airline executives and encourage our friends in Japan to change this policy, it was an “in your face” example of how the lack of women in leadership impacts everyday people. It is a rule that penalizes working moms who want to continue to breastfeed while they are away for work travel.  It was a stark contrast from our week of hospitality and efficiency, but an important example that having women in leadership matters and our work is more important than ever.

Mine The Gap Heads to Japan

Our co-founders have been invited to Tokyo, Japan by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation to speak at a public forum discussing “Women and Politics in the Time of Trump."  Kristin and Jessica will share their experience working with women political leaders over the last two decades and the current state of women's political leadership in the United States. They will also share their insights about the upswing of women running for political office in America in the wake of the last presidential election and how the #MeToo movement has impacted the conversation around women's rights in the United States and globally. 

While there, Jessica and Kristin will also conduct a women's political leadership training for the newly formed Academy of Gender Parity and SPF. They will be training women who aspire to run for elected office in Japan. 

For more information on the public panel discussion, visit: https://www.spf.org/en/seminar/list/20180619.html
 

Keynote Address for Women in Aviation

Our co-founder Jessica N. Grounds shared a keynote address about the power of women's leadership at the Professional Women Controllers (PWC) 40th Anniversary Conference in Alexandria, Virginia.  

The organization encourages women to enter the air traffic control profession; assist in professional and personal development; maintain accountability, responsibility, and professionalism; and promote a better understanding, cooperation and coordination among individuals toward the continual improvement of aviation safety.

You can read more about PWC here. 

Founders Guest Lecture Course @ Georgetown University

Mine The Gap's founders will teach a one-day course on women's leadership and gender at Georgetown University's Continuing School of Education.  The course is entitled: Mining the Gender Gap: Research, Tools & Tactics and will take place in March of 2019.

Course Description:
Building a more gender-inclusive work environment benefits everyone, yet today, women comprise fewer than a quarter of executive and senior leadership positions.  This course will examine the current reality of where women stand in leadership across industries, provide cutting edge research to illuminate gender differences in leadership style that help us better understand this gap, and showcase opportunities to leverage the untapped talent of women. You will hear from leading experts in women's leadership on data-driven trends and will explore strategies that improve your awareness and ability to act on this information. During this two-day course, you will identify your own blind spots as an employee, manager or leader - or as a member of your community - and gain practical tools for tapping into the full human potential of your organization.

Designed for:

• Leaders who are interested in increasing awareness and knowledge of the role of gender in the workplace

• Leadership coaches who want to build distinctions to coach more effectively on gender-related matters

Course outline: 
This course will be highly interactive. Participants will explore the following topics:

• Gender concepts and definitions

• Impact of gender roles and biases across industries

• Leveraging the talent of women in the workplace

• Impact of gender on leadership and decision-making

• Viewing gender research, leadership differences, and work interactions as a strategic tool to better leverage talent in your company, organization, or practice

• Learn about ‘gender mainstreaming’: a process developed globally to integrate gender considerations into decision-making, allowing for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to develop policies and practices.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to: 

• Grasp and discuss cutting-edge research that shows the bottom-line impact of women's leadership and a gender-inclusive workforce.

• Build insight and an understanding of global and US workplace trends to analyze and promote greater women's leadership in your team/group/organization/practice.

• Leverage greater self-awareness about your own gender bias and assumptions that will make you more effective working with clients, employees and colleagues.

• Apply practical communication and management strategies in order to increase opportunities for women to lead.

The course offering will be available to sign up at the end of 2018.

State Department's Women of Courage Awards

This March, Mine The Gap participated in the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Awards.  The annual award recognizes women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk. Since the inception of this award in 2007, the State Department has honored over 100 women from more than 60 different countries.

First Lady Melania presented the 2018 Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award to a group of extraordinary women from around the world on March 23 at the State Department.

Jessica N. Grounds Wins “40 Under 40” Award

For Immediate Release
March 9, 2018

Jessica N. Grounds Wins “40 Under 40” Award

AAPC recognizes Jessica N. Grounds as one of the 40 best and brightest campaign professionals under 40 years old

Washington, DC. Mine The Gap is proud to announce that Jessica Grounds has been honored by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) as one of the 40 best and brightest campaign professionals under 40 years old.

“AAPC is honored to recognize these standout young achievers such as Jessica Grounds who have already proven their immense talent in the political and public affairs industries,” said AAPC President Tom Shepard. “We cannot wait to welcome these winners to Nashville in order to celebrate their great achievements and feature them as this year’s stellar 2018 40 Under 40 class.”

The AAPC will recognize the winners of the 40 Under 40 Awards at the 2018 Annual Pollie Awards & Conference on April 11, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Conference brings the leading political professionals in the world together to network and hear from top technology innovators, pollsters, pundits and service providers.  

AAPC Vice President Rose Kapolczynski also noted: “The competition for this year’s winners was intense as we received over 190 nominations. Our bipartisan team of judges reviewed the materials of these highly qualified individuals from across the political spectrum to determine this year’s remarkable class. We are proud of each and every one of these astonishing young professionals.”

Only 18 Republicans, 18 Democrats, and 4 nonpartisan operatives were named to this exclusive “40 Under 40” winners list. Award winners were graded on a 40-point scale and selected for extraordinary achievements in politics and public affairs. Contributions to the health of the political business community through volunteer work and other forms of philanthropy were also considered.  

Click hereto view the full list of the 2018 “40 Under 40” winners.

About AAPC
Founded in 1969, the AAPC is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy. The AAPC has over 1,350 members hailing from all corners of the globe. It is the largest association of political and public affairs professionals in the world. For more information, see www.theaapc.org.

Mine The Gap featured at Alice Circular Summit

Our very own Kristin Haffert was a featured speaker Alice Circular Summit. Circular Summit, held March 1st in Washington, DC, is an experiential event convening of high-growth female founders, investors, media, policymakers and ecosystem builders.  The summit is hosted by Alice, and provides participants with an action-oriented two days of workshops, activations, visionary talks, mentorship and network building to accelerate growth and close the gap for growth-oriented, role-breaking women entrepreneurs.

Kristin spoke about Mine The Gap's cutting edge work on gender in the workplace across sectors.  She spoke on a panel entitled: A New Playing Field where she and her fellow panelists spoke about inclusive entrepreneurship, shattering cultural barriers, and building a new playing field that works for all entrepreneurs. These fearless females are opening up opportunities for more women and business owners from underrepresented backgrounds to succeed through access to technology, resources and capital.

Fellow speakers: 
Sarah Jones Simmer, COO, Bumble
Laurie Fabiano, President, Tory Burch Foundation
Melissa Bradley, Managing Director, Project 500
Moderator: Geri Stengel, Founder and President, Ventureneer