Compiled for the LCLD Board of Directors every Wednesday, this digest is designed to brief you on the latest headlines about LCLD Members and organizations, as well as thought-provoking articles on diversity in the legal profession, talent development, mentoring, and leadership. Past issues of the Digest are also archived on the LCLD web site.
If you have questions about the Digest, or articles you'd like to share, please email Caitlin Puffenberger at cpuffenberger@lcldnet.com.
This week, in news related to diversity and inclusion...
1. Millennials Want a Work-Life Balance. Their Bosses Just Don’t Get Why.
The Washington Post, 5/5/15
Almost 80 percent of millennials are part of dual-income couples, compared to just 47 percent of their baby boomer bosses, according to a study by Ernst & Young. This leads to what EY calls an “empathy gap,” where young workers feel technology allows them to be productive from anywhere, while older supervisors fear they won't work as hard from home. But this lack of flexible scheduling increasingly affects retention, as young workers search for better work-life balance. Others find ways to achieve the benefits of flexible scheduling without actually requesting it.
2. Transgender Today: The Quest for Transgender Equality
The New York Times, 5/4/15
A generation ago, transgender Americans were widely regarded as deviants, unfit for dignified workplaces; transitioning on the job was tantamount to career suicide. While being transgender today is still unreasonably and unnecessarily difficult, it is far from hopeless. The Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are taking steps to protect transgender individuals in the workplace, and President Obama has advanced transgender rights more than any president, yet many legal protections are slow in coming. This series explores the personal stories of many transgender individuals in the effort help this generation become "the one that stopped thinking that being transgender is something to fear or shun."
3. Why Women Are More Likely to Be Mentors
Fortune, 4/4/15
Sixty-five percent of women who have been mentored will go on to become mentors themselves. Alyse Nelson, CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, lays out the following advantages of mentoring, particularly for women:
- It provokes meaningful self-reflection and helps the mentee tear down mental limitations.
- It fosters leadership, particularly for women or others who feel they lack a support system to achieve their goals.
- Women face many barriers to achieving international leadership roles, particularly a lack of access to opportunities, networks, and advocates. Mentoring is one practical strategy to help overcome that barrier.
4. Dave Goldberg Was Lifelong Women’s Advocate
The New York Times, 5/3/15
Dave Goldberg, CEO of SurveyMonkey and husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, died unexpectedly last week. Goldberg was an advocate for women throughout his life, but may be best remembered for inspiring and encouraging Sandberg to write her best-selling book on women in leadership, Lean In.
5. Latham & Watkins Launches First Diversity Leadership Academy
Latham & Watkins, 4/30/15
LCLD Member organization Latham & Watkins LLP finished the first term of its newest diversity initiative, the Diversity Leadership Academy. The program has two tracks, one for law students and one for third-year associates, to address both recruitment and retention of minorities.
6. How to Look for Emotional Intelligence on Your Team
Harvard Business Review, 4/29/15
When deciding which employees have a capacity for leadership, it’s crucial to assess their emotional intelligence. This executive search firm found six EI-related competencies necessary for leadership success: results orientation, customer impact, collaboration and influencing, developing organizational capability, team leadership, and change leadership. When hiring or promoting, they suggest assessing a candidate for all competencies, but paying closest attention to those that are most relevant for the position.
