Strategy
- A new survey by LeanIn.org and Survey Monkey finds that many men are wary of meeting privately with female coworkers.
- That behavior makes it even harder for women to advance professionally.
- Research suggests that sponsorship and mentorship are key to women's success at work.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The #MeToo era has shined a light on gendered power dynamics and sexual harassment in the workplace - with one unexpected result.
According to a new survey conducted by Survey Monkey and LeanIn.org, the organization cofounded by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, 60% of managers who are men say they are uncomfortable mentoring, socializing, or having one-one-one meetings with women.
That number marks a 32 percentage point increase from last year's survey by LeanIn.org and Survey Monkey.
The new survey, which consisted of two online polls of nearly 9,000 US adults total, also found that 27% of men say harassment at work is decreasing, compared to just 15% of women.
Rachel Thomas, cofounder and president of LeanIn.org, told Business Insider the new survey findings were concerning, if not exactly surprising.
"Women already were not getting enough" support in the workplace, Thomas said. "And now if men are more reluctant to do those things, that means women are getting even less, which means we're actually sliding in the wrong direction."
Thomas emphasized that women are not responsible for balancing the power dynamics in the workplace. "The people in power are," she said, "and that's predominantly men."
Some companies are limiting contact between men and women to reduce the risk of sexual harassment
These findings echo the results of some other recent research. In a 2018 Pew Research Center study, 51% of respondents said the #MeToo era has made it harder for men to know how to interact with women in the workplace.
And The New York Times reported that some companies across the globe are dealing with the risk of sexual harassment or misconduct simply by limiting the amount of time senior male executives spend with female employees.
Meanwhile, vice president Mike Pence has said he doesn't dine alone with women other than his wife and won't attend events serving alcohol without her either.
Sandberg addressed Pence's behavior in a 2018 Facebook post, which read, in part: "If men think that the way to address workplace sexual harassment is to avoid one-on-one time with female colleagues - including meetings, coffee breaks, and all the interactions that help us work together effectively - it will be a huge setback for women."
Thomas said she wanted men to "actually internalize what are the outcomes of shying away from women." She urged men to consider: "Do I even realize I'm doing it? Am I doing it? And if I'm doing it, what do I need to do to get beyond it and really become an active part of the solution?"
"We need to have a higher bar than not harassing women," Thomas added.
Studies suggest that sponsors (senior members of the organization who advocate for you) and mentors (people who can give you career advice) are integral to women's advancement at work.
A recent study by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company found that, while younger women tend to believe "strong communication skills" will fuel their career success, more senior women say that "sponsorship by a senior leader" will help them get ahead.
And a 2015 report by the Center for Creative Leadership notes that mentees in mentoring programs tend to earn higher salaries, get promoted more often, and feel greater job satisfaction.
As for men who worry about what people will think if they spend one-on-one time with a woman at work, Thomas had a suggestion. Instead of taking one woman or one man to dinner, "take everybody for breakfast," she said. Instead of having a private meeting with a woman colleague, "keep the door open."
"You can get creative about what that looks like and still be a good mentor, a good sponsor, and a good supporter," Thomas said. It's about not using your discomfort "as a barrier and an excuse not to be an ally."