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In this episode of our podcast, we dive deep into the nuances of workplace bias with none other than Andrea Kramer and Alton Harris. Married to each other, Andie and Al are not just partners in life but also co-authors of the enlightening "Beyond Bias: The PATH to End Gender Inequality at Work" which was published on May 16, 2023. Their commitment to addressing gender bias doesn't stop at the written word. For several decades, through various platforms including speaking engagements, workshops, articles, blogs, podcasts, one-on-one counselling, and collaborations with national and international business and professional organizations, they have passionately tackled the omnipresent issue of gender bias in the workplace. With notable appearances in publications like The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes (to name a few) they have consistently provided practical techniques for individuals and organizations to counteract the gender stereotypes and biases that threaten women's career advancements. We delve into various topics, including the challenges of introducing oneself, the effects of bias on productivity, and practical ways to make workplaces more equitable and fair. Throughout the discussion, listeners will gain a fresh perspective on gender issues and the subtle biases that influence our day-to-day interactions. Key Discussion Points Introduction Dynamics: The complexity of dual introductions and a peek into the book "Beyond Bias". Understanding Workplace Bias: Exploring the influence of bias on productivity, the presumption that an organization is not functioning efficiently, and the essence of their two prior books on gender bias. Steps Beyond the Bias: How to eliminate exclusionary behavior, the significance of small gestures, and the role of meta-leadership. Preventing Complacency: The importance of embedding the focus on eliminating bias within other core workplace objectives. The Path to Change: Discussing the shortcomings of organizational efforts towards diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and practical methods to make personnel decisions bias-resistant. Addressing Bias in Hiring: The necessity of bias guardrails during hiring, making hiring more equitable, and challenges surrounding remote work and its gender implications. Home Inequality as a Workplace Issue: Recognizing gender inequality in domestic settings, the dire need for flexible time schedules, and extended support for parental leaves. As we wrap up this enlightening episode with Andrea and Alton, it's evident that the journey to end gender inequality in the workplace requires both self-awareness and collective effort. From understanding the underlying biases to implementing actionable steps, there's a lot that we can do, both as individuals and organizations. Thanks for tuning in. Links Worth Exploring Connect with Andrea and Alton: Website | LinkedIn | YouTube The Book We Discussed: Beyond Bias: The PATH to End Gender Inequality at Work Read: How to Design Workplace Systems That Work for Everyone Related Conversation: Episode 458: Alan Henry talks about new work rules for the marginalized Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page. Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice. Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why women's relationships with other women at work are often fraught and when they are, have the potential to completely derail women's careers. We were joined today by author and practicing attorney Andrea S. Kramer. Her new book, coauthored with Alton B. Harris, It's Not You, It's the Workplace: Women's Conflict at Work and the Bias that Built It delves into the reasons that the gender pay gap and unequal gender representation have persisted in the workplace. Importantly, it also describes the ways some organizations have been successful in removing gender bias from their systematized processes. More about Houston Money Week visit: www.Houstonmoneyweek.org http://www.cheatsheet.com/personal-finance/how-schools-can-improve-their-personal-finance-education.html/ Financial Advisor Magazine Articles: http://www.fa-mag.com/news/advisors-stay-the-course-amid-monday-s-market-drop-22864.html?section=3 http://www.fa-mag.com/news/on-it-s-80th-anniversaryadvisors-consider-social-security-s-impactfuture-22784.html?section=3 You can listen live by going to www.kpft.org and clicking on the HD3 tab. You can also listen to this episode and others by podcast at: http://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/moneymatters or www.moneymatterspodcast.com #KPFTHOUSTON #HoustonMoneyWK
Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast. This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker? A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up. Why is career advancement for women more difficult than it is for men? What can women do to fight the bias at workplaces? People put you into buckets based on who they perceive you to be. Women have had it all rough. Their ambitions and competence get questioned all the time. For instance, how can she deliver at work yet she has a baby to nurture? How can she be so ambitious? Our guests today are here to help us understand how we can fight bias at workplaces. According to our guests, it all begins with demonstrating confidence, even when you are not confident. Women are very often perceived as too weak, too sweet, too nice to be effective. If they’re very effective, then they’re considered to be unpleasant and unlikeable. We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com Key Talking Points How to deal with stereotyping that comes from transitioning from a smaller firm to a larger firm Where do we begin the journey of being comfortable to talk about our accomplishments? How can we enroll men in the bias conversation, and how can we get them to invest in the needed change? Goldilocks dilemma Key Milestones of the Episodes [03:22] Transitioning from a smaller firm to a larger firm. How to deal with the stereotyping [06:26] Talking about our accomplishments [07:42] How can we engage men in the conversation against bias? [11:10] Goldilocks dilemma Key Quotes “The way we present ourselves gives other people an idea of who we are.” “The balance between communal and agentic behaviors is dependent on the ability to manage the impressions that you create that other people have of you.” Key Resources Website Twitter It's Not You It's the Workplace: Women's Conflict at Work and the Bias that Built It by Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris About Our Guest Andie Kramer and Al Harris are married practicing lawyers. They have been mentoring women and speaking and writing about gender communication for more than 30 years. Andie and Al offer women unique, balanced, and highly practical advice they can use to prevent gender biases from slowing or derailing their careers. Join the BLBS Mastermind What kind of leader makes a good mastermind member? Danny asks members that he already serves and this it what they said about their peers: Mastermind members are supportive, wise and not afraid to kick your butt! ~Eileen, Deputy Head of Schools in China Courageous, risk takers and learners are how I describe my mastermind peers. ~Chris, VP in Canada Mastermind members are generous, driven and are never satisfied with the status quo. ~Melody, Principal in Kentucky If that sounds like you or people you want to surround yourself with apply today at https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind/ **Our 5th mastermind cohort is launching and is hands down the best professional development a leader can engage in. Join Today!** Tip of the Week Be Consistent: Consistency leads to trust. Make sure you are doing what you say you are going to do each day. Follow through and be consistent with your teachers. Your authentic leadership depends on it. People love a leader who they trust. Show Some Love BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW? iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE! LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW LEVEL UP
Andrea S. Kramer (Andie) and Alton B. Harris (Al) are distinguished attorneys, married to each other, and nationally recognized for their work in helping women advance in their careers. They are the authors of Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work (2016), and It’s Not You, It’s the Workplace: Women’s Conflict at Work at the Bias that Built It (2019). They speak frequently about promoting gender diversity, inclusion, and overcoming stereotypes and biases.
Andrea (Andie) S. Kramer has a sophisticated and unique multidisciplinary legal practice that covers all aspects of financial transactions and derivatives: with a focus on taxation, regulation, contract design, trading operations, and documentation. She and Al Harris are lawyers and the authors of “It's Not You, It's your Workplace”. They talk about their book that offers a fresh approach to understanding why women's relationships with other women at work can be difficult. Andie and Al challenge the positions that women are inherently nasty back-stabbers who cannot get along with each other. Stay tuned and enjoy! Episode Resources https://andieandal.com/about/ info@andieandal.com https://www.facebook.com/breakingthroughbias/ https://twitter.com/AndieandAl https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaskramer https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-You-Workplace-Conflict/dp/1473697263 Episode Highlights Andie and Al's background - 1:52 Being married - 2:52 Stereotypes and women in work - 4:04 Hating working with women? - 12:16 Women do not get along well with other women - 5:58 Complex relationships in the workplace - 6:48 No evidence that women are mean - 8:17 It's not women, it's the workplace - 9:04 What is a gendered workplace? - 9:27 Gender and workplaces - 12:16 Stereotypes about women and social identities - 12:44 Not me distinctive in expectations or race - 14:55 What do we need to do? - 17:29 Gendered workplaces - 18:20 We need a new approach: diversity and inclusion training - 19:00 Being prepared to try - 24:30 The objective is to understand the other person - 25:03 It's not about you, it's about understanding the other person - 25:32 Subscribe, Share and Review To get the next episode subscribe with your favorite podcast player. Subscribe with Apple Podcasts Follow on Spotify Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
It is naïve to think that gender bias is no longer an issue in the workplace. In fact, we ALL have stereotypes that we carry with us to work, and women often face the frustration of being at a disadvantage based on assumptions that have nothing to do with our actual ability to do a given job. So, how do we overcome these biases to achieve at a high level? Andie Kramer is an accomplished attorney, author and advocate for women in the workplace. Kramer served as founding chair of her law firm's gender diversity committee and cofounded the Women's Leadership and Mentoring Alliance to address the limited mentorship opportunities for young executive and professional women. A recognized authority in the realm of gender communication and women's advancement, Kramer was named one of the 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America. She is also the coauthor of Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work and the forthcoming It's Not You, It's the Workplace: Women's Conflict at Work and the Bias that Built It. Today, Kramer shares her approach to addressing biases and stereotypes in the workplace. She explains why the first step in breaking through bias involves a conversation with yourself and offers insight around the impact of nonverbal communication and language patterns in your communication with others. Listen in for Kramer's take on why women hold C-suite female colleagues to a different standard than senior men in the organization and learn how to navigate the assumptions and gender biases we all bring to work. Key Interview Takeaways When facing stereotypes and biases in the workplace, avoid confrontation—but allow people to learn. Kramer suggests addressing such assumptions with humor when possible and discussing truly inappropriate behavior in private. The first step in breaking through bias involves a conversation with yourself. Women must think through strategies for developing a coping sense of humor, demonstrating confidence and competence, and learning not to take the world too seriously. Pay attention to nonverbal communication as well as language patterns. Women tend to preface our thoughts with phrases like I'm sorry or This may be a dumb idea, but… Kramer argues that such language patterns diminish the power of the statement that follows. Women tend to hold C-suite female colleagues to a different standard than senior men in an organization. We perceive female colleagues as cold or unfeeling, even when they are treating us the same way the men treat us. Kramer believes that gendered workplaces and our own biases about how women should act contribute to this phenomenon. Develop the strength to address being interrupted. The assumption that women won't add value means that we're often talked over in meetings and on conference calls. Kramer recommends diplomatically saying, “Allow me to finish my point, and I'll pass it over to you when I'm finished.” Connect with Andie Kramer Andie and Al Resources Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work by Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris It's Not You, It's the Workplace: Women's Conflict at Work and the Bias that Built It by Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris Andie & Al's Gender Bias Assessment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do you believe that your workplace is a meritocracy? That men and women have the same opportunity for advancement? That gender bias doesn’t impact decision-making? Are you sure? How many women serve in positions of senior leadership? Al Harris is an author, speaker, workshop facilitator and mentor on a mission to eliminate gender bias. As founding partner of the Chicago law firm Ungaretti & Harris, Al had extensive experience watching and evaluating women as the moved up the career ladder—and became increasingly concerned about the barriers they face in traditionally male career environments. This concern led to his current calling around promoting gender diversity, and today, he works with his wife Andie Kramer to write and present on the topic of gender equality. Today, Al joins Emerald to share the AHA moment when he realized that his law firm was no better than his competitors in creating an unbiased, gender-neutral environment. He offers an overview of the stereotypes that permeate our society, our workplaces and our personal relationships, explaining what men can do to hold themselves accountable for gender bias. Al also makes the distinction between thinking fast and slow and addresses the value in making career-affecting decisions slowly—and in collaboration with others. Listen in to understand why men and women need to work together to eliminate bias and learn how YOU can be part of the win-win that is a gender inclusive society! What You Will Learn Al’s realization that his law firm had very few female leaders Al’s research-oriented approach to creative problem-solving The gender stereotypes and biases that permeate our society The distinction between leadership and coaching How men can hold themselves accountable for gender bias Recognize that meritocracy = misconception Collaborate on career-affecting decisions Why thinking fast results in subjective + biased decisions Al’s challenge getting men involved in gender inclusiveness Why men + women need to work together to eliminate bias Connect with Al Harris Andie & Al Andie & Al on Facebook Andie & Al on Twitter Connect with Emerald GreenForest Creative Age Consulting Group Emerald’s Website Emerald on LinkedIn Emerald on Twitter Emerald on Instagram Email: listeners@menonpurposepodcast.com Resources Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work by Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Gender Bias Assessment This episode is sponsored by the Creative Age Consulting Group. Men - Is it time NOW for you to make your mark? Visit timetomakeyourmark.com to apply for an invitation-only consultation.
Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us. Today, the Heels of Justice interview Andrea (Andie) S. Kramer, author and Partner in the international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, which was just listed as one of the “10 Best Big Law Firms for Female Attorneys.” Andie is head of the firm’s Financial Products, Trading, and Derivatives Group, and is the founding chair of the firm’s Gender Diversity Committee and currently serves as its co-chair. She has served on both her firm’s Management Committee and Compensation Committee. In these roles, she became deeply concerned about the disparities in the pace and extent of women’s and men’s career achievements. Key Takeaways [:29] Katherine welcomes Andie Kramer, lawyer and author to the Heels of Justice podcast. [1:12] How did Andie end up writing her first book on gender dynamics in law firms? [3:19] What was the response Andie got to the Self-evaluation do’s and Don’ts a piece she wrote about 12 years ago? [4:29] Were there any changes in self-evaluations by women after the training was initially offered at her firm? [6:23] Once women start talking about themselves as rockstars, is there anything else that needs to be done to ensure that message is received positively? [8:35] What is the Goldilocks dilemma? [9:20] Katherine asks for some very pragmatic advice on how to navigate a boardroom interruption (we also learn there was a necessity to create a tip sheet for this specific issue!). [11:45] Doesn’t this whole “tips and advice for women” just generate more work for women just to stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers? [14:08] Katherine asks Andie to describe benevolent sexism, as it was an issue she always knew about but never managed to express clearly. [16:50] How are women to respond to benevolent sexism? [18:07] Andie shares an outrageous anecdote from her book. [20:34] What led Andie to become a lawyer? [24:11] Katherine asks Andie to share a moment when she advocated for herself. [27:33] How about a time when Andie experienced failure? And what about the recovery from such a failure? [32:30] Katherine asks if Andie has advice for women just out of law schools, in terms of picking a firm. Alternatively, what can law firms do to ensure a higher rate of senior women within their ranks? [33:55] What about advice Andie would have for her younger self? [35:05] Katherine asks Andie what the biggest risk she took was. [36:30] And finally, what motivates Andie to write when she could be spending this time just being the awesome lawyer that she is? [37:15] Katherine thanks Andie for participating on the Heels of Justice podcast, and she signs off until next time. That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests and see what we have planned for the future. You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook. Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets or anyone else’s. Mentioned in this episode (chronological order) McDermott Will & Emery Book: Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work, by Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris The Goldilocks Dilemma Tip sheet on interruptions Impression management Benevolent sexism Title IX Book: It’s Not You It’s the Workplace: Women’s Conflict at Work and the Bias that Built It, by Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris More about the Heels of Justice, Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik Heels of Justice on the Web Heels of Justice on Twitter Heels of Justice on Instagram Heels of Justice on Facebook Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn Katherine Minarik on Twitter Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge Andie’s personal stories (edited) “I was on our compensation committee and what I found was that the women would write their self-evaluations very modestly: ‘I was on the ABC team and I worked with Katherine, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so…’ but the men would write their self-evaluations ‘I’m a total rock star and I saved the world for democracy, and I’m everything!’ It struck me because who do you think is going to make more money? The very first piece that I wrote was about self-evaluation do’s and don’ts as to what women need to do in order to advocate for themselves.” “I was probably 13 years old and my social studies class went to the criminal court building and we saw the defense putting on a murder trial and seeing a piece of a murder trial from the defense side obviously makes you think the person is innocent. So I was going to find a way to save the world. I told my parents I was going to be a lawyer, and they knew a lawyer, so they asked him if he would take me to lunch and give me career advice — this is before women were really admitted to law school in any numbers (the ’60s) — so this man takes me to lunch and proceeds to spend the entire time telling me that I did not want to be a lawyer because nobody likes lady lawyers. ‘Lady lawyers are lonely, they don’t have any friends; I would never have a family, I would never get married; no one would ever love me!’ and that was his lunch. … When he assured me that it was a terrible thing, I concluded that I was going to do it, and I could manage those things.” More about Andrea S. Kramer Andrea S. Kramer at McDermott Will & Emery Andrea S. Kramer on LinkedIn Andrea S. Kramer (Andie & Al) Mentoring
Breaking Through Bias to Live Your Life of True Abundance!I seldom over generalize. And for good reason. To say any group of people behaves a certain way, good or bad, based on their gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation or any other classification, is ignorant. However, I will say, we all have a bias or two. Rather our bias towards skin color, body composition, a persons vocation, or even rather they drive a car or ride motorcycle, you have a bias about a certain group of people and their behaviors. The bias we are talking about today, specifically focuses on gender bias and rights in the workforce. Our feature guests today, Andie Kramer and Alton Harris, are going to share with us their work and experience with gender bias and our responsibilities as Men of Abundance. Meet our feature guest Andrea S. Kramer is a partner in an international law firm, where she is a founding member of the firm’s Diversity Committee and Gender Diversity Subcommittee. She previously served on its Management and Compensation Committees. Andie is co-author with her husband, Alton B. Harris, of the book Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work (Bibliomotion, 2016). She is also the co-author of over 150 articles and blog posts on promoting diversity and overcoming gender stereotypes and biases. Andie has spoken at more than 200 national diversity conferences, trade association meetings, professional service firms, multinational corporations, podcasts, and webinars on the importance of assuring women equal access to career opportunities and leadership roles. She has appeared in Harvard Business Review, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes, among many other publications. Among her many recognitions, Andie was recognized by the National Law Journal as among the 50 most influential women lawyers in America. For her work counseling thousands of women, she was honored in 2017 by Crain’s as one of Five Chicagoans Best at Mentoring Women, and was recognized by Best Lawyers with the Women of Influence Award, as one of the Most Influential Women Lawyers in Chicago, and with the Inspiration Award by the Coalition of Women in Law Initiatives. Alton B. Harris was a founding partner of the law firm of Ungaretti & Harris, which is now part of Nixon Peabody LLP, where Al is a partner. At Ungaretti & Harris, Al served for many years as managing partner and then as a member of its Executive and Compensation Committees. In these roles, he had extensive experience mentoring and advising women in many career fields, focusing on the communication skills they need to advance in their chosen fields, despite the prevalence of negative gender stereotypes. Al speaks to women about what male colleagues expect from future leaders, offering creative ideas and useful techniques to be seen as talented leaders. He also speaks to organizations and the men that run them about the negative affect gender bias has on their organizations, providing practical steps to eliminate gender bias. He is co-author with his wife, Andrea S. Kramer, of the book Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work, (Bibliomotion, 2016) which was named one of the best business books of 2016 by Women@Work and “a well-organized, well-thought-out call to action” by Publishers Weekly. He is also the co-author of over 150 articles and blog posts on promoting diversity and overcoming stereotypes and biases. Connect with our guesthttps://andieandal.com/index/ (AndieandAl.com) Mentioned Resources Take the assessment at: https://andieandal.com/assessment/ (https://andieandal.com/assessment/) Meet Christian Picciolini at: https://menofabundance.com/144/ (https://menofabundance.com/144/) Business Breakthrough MastermindLet's work together, in a small group, to find the hidden revenue in your business so you can finally live the Life of Abundance & Prosperity you've been... Support this podcast
In this episode of the ABA Law Student Podcast, host Sandy Gallant-Jones speaks with McDermott Will & Emery partner Andrea Kramer about her new book, Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work, and gender equality in the workplace. Andrea recalls the life experiences and occupational observations that motivated her and her husband to write their new book and expresses how important it is that women find ways to succeed in the workplace. She provides her tips to help women purposefully counter bias in the office and breaks down the four attributes, like cultivating the right attitude for success and maintaining high self awareness, for attuned gender communication. Andrea gives examples of how men in the workplace can also improve their communication with their female colleagues and closes the interview with her most important advice for women who have recently graduated from law school as they start their careers. Andrea S. Kramer is a partner in the international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP where she heads the firm’s Financial Products, Trading and Derivatives Group. She is a founding member of the firm’s Diversity Committee and co-chair of the Gender Diversity Subcommittee. She previously served on both the firm’s Management and Compensation Committees. Andrea co-founded (2005) and now serves as chair of the Board of the Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Alliance (WLMA), a 501(c)(3) corporation that brings professional women together to mentor and support leadership opportunities for women of all stages of their careers.
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