Episode•November 2, 2023•21 min

Closing the Gender Pay Gap - Strategies for Women to Take Control of Their Career | Ep. 276

Are you a woman looking for more opportunities but feeling held back by barriers of equal pay, underrepresentation, and biases? Don't feel alone — join Tiffany Grant and Elissa Sangster in this enlightening discussion as they discuss the importance of women championing for themselves in the workplace. Gain insight on building resources for yourself, set goals and create a development plan, ask superiors for support, and be proactive about successes. Plus, hear about the Forte Foundation's mission to get more women into business leadership roles with programs designed specifically to promote gender equity. Get inspired to take control of your career and fight for equal pay! About Our Guest Elissa Sangster serves as CEO of Forté Foundation and brings to the role extensive knowledge of issues affecting women's abilities to seek, prepare for and attain business leadership positions, drawn from her prior experience as Assistant Dean and Director of the MBA Program at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. There she oversaw all activities related to the full-time McCombs MBA program, including marketing, admissions, student services, and alumni relations. Before McCombs, Elissa was Assistant Director of the MBA Program at Texas A&M University’s Mays School of Business. Visit the website: https://www.fortefoundation.org/ Facebook: Forte Foundation Instagram: @fortefoundation LinkedIn: Forte Foundation Connect with Tiffany Visit our site: https://moneytalkwitht.com Facebook: Money Talk With Tiff Twitter: @moneytalkwitht Instagram: @moneytalkwitht LinkedIn: Tiffany Grant This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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Key Takeaways

Women still face systemic barriers in advancing to business leadership roles despite gains in education and entry-level positions.

Women make up ~42% of top MBA programs today (up from 25% in 2002), but C-suite representation lags.

Gender pay gap persists: women earn ~88% of men's pay, with women of color earning even less.

Diverse leadership teams improve decision-making and company returns on equity.

Build your own 'board of directors' or network of mentors and sponsors to accelerate career growth.

Leverage alumni networks from MBA or university programs for advice and support.

Seek sponsors who advocate for you in rooms where decisions are made, not just mentors who give advice.

Document successes with tangible evidence to support conversations about promotions or raises.

Take a proactive, structured approach to career development instead of waiting for opportunities.

Create a personal development plan outlining desired roles, projects, and meetings needed to advance.

Present the plan to your supervisor to gain their support and make their job easier.

If stalled for 1–2 years despite efforts, consider moving internally or to another company.

Men as allies can help close the gender gap by addressing bias and advocating for equity.

Forte Foundation offers a free 'Men as Allies at Work' toolkit to educate male leaders.

Allies can ensure equal pay, fair project assignments, and inclusive decision-making.

Gender allyship is the first step toward broader workplace inclusion.

Intro

Tiffany Grant discusses strategies for women to advocate for themselves in the workplace and close the gender pay gap with Elissa Sangster, CEO of the Forté Foundation.

Elissa Sangster is CEO of Forté Foundation, a nonprofit advancing women into business leadership. She previously served as Assistant Dean and Director of the MBA Program at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business and held a similar role at Texas A&M Mays School of Business.

Closing the Gender Pay Gap - Strategies for Women to Take Control of Their Career | Ep. 276

Key Takeaways

Intro

– Why This Conversation Matters

– Key Workplace Challenges for Women

– Building Your Career Support Network

– Creating and Presenting a Development Plan

– Finding Sponsors and Knowing When to Move On

– Forté Foundation's Mission and Resources

– Men as Allies Toolkit

Resources

Topics