It’s no secret that women, in particular, are faced with incredible hurdles when striving to advance and maintain their careers. Often, many of these challenges are related to a sense of self-doubt. As a YouGov survey reports, “when asked to compare their own intelligence to that of ‘the average American,’ about a quarter of men declared themselves ‘much more intelligent,’ vs. just 15 percent of women.”1 The notable amount of self-doubt that many women grapple with often inhibits them from realizing their true worth and potential, and this can translate to women experiencing a skewed and limiting perception of themselves in their work lives.
Eliassen Group has created EmpowHER, a group that celebrates and supports women in our workplace.
The goal of this group is to help women identify moments in their daily work lives during which they can better speak up, “lean in,” and take their rightful seats at the table. Women have the opportunity to leverage and learn from the knowledge and experience of others in the group. EmpowHER goes beyond basic career mentorship to provide the inspiration for the talented females of our company to limit their self-doubt, increase their bravery, and thereby inspire their female employees to do the same. And this group is not exclusive to women. Colleagues of all genders are encouraged to participate so that we, as a company, can better identify and transform limited and antiquated ideas surrounding women in the workforce in order for our company as a whole to benefit from the support and retention of female colleagues’ limitless talent and expertise.
Through a group that offers support and encourages progress like EmpowHER, we can do more to positively impact the lives of our employees, clients, consultants, and the communities in which we operate.
1. “America the Intelligent.” YouGov, 11 May 2014, https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articlesreports/2014/05/11/intelligence. Accessed 24 Jan. 2019.
