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Career Matters
Women and the future Workplace We're seeing the end of combative feminism, and a onedimensional identity. The feminine language and concepts today are reinvention and renewal; inspiration and elevation; connection and nurturance and transparency and honesty. The real challenge for business leaders right now is finding a way to best leverage this exciting female energy, says Natalie Maroun
F
eminism in the workplace has certainly come a long way since the radical bra burning days of the sixties. The feminist energy we're embracing today is an emotional state and a consciousness, previously absent from the work environment. Not only does it embrace the value of female energy in the workplace but
careersuccess
it also acknowledges the strength of the highly popularized SHE economy. Drawing on research from Faith Popcorn's writings on "2012 What's Popping" and Meister and Willyerd's "2020 Workplace", these are some of the changes business can look forward to in the coming decade:
Very young women are leading the way. By the end of 2020 there will be more businesses started up by women. We will also see a major increase of women in professional positions. As women enter 'higher' positions we see the focus on business success shift from monetary gain to more meaningful measures - including social responsibility and employee growth. Business leaders need to start preparing the workplace for this. They need to factor women into their succession planning and ensure that they are enticed through incentive schemes that suit their needs. Culture also needs to be adjusted.