WE

01Why Care About Gender Balance at Work?

We don’t care about diversity because it’s in vogue. We care about it because we like winning.¹

—Mike Gamson, SVP Global Solutions, LinkedIn

You Can’t Win Without Women

The way I see it, you have three choices. Each comes with an associated risk. The question is, which risks are you willing to take?

• YOU can continue to operate in a work environment that is not fully inclusive of the talents and needs of women. Some men think this means less competition for them and more opportunity. The risk with this course of action is, at minimum, twofold. On one hand, women drive 70 – 85% of all consumer purchasing decisions through a combination of their buying power and influence. They have control of more than $20 trillion in global spending. In the United States alone, the purchasing power of women ranges from $5 trillion to $15 trillion annually. Women purchase more than 50% of goods that were formerly considered “male” products, including automobiles, home improvement tools, and consumer electronics. Women make 70% of all travel decisions. Women make 90% of household healthcare decisions. And, here’s one that totally surprised me, female gamers who are age 55 and older, spend more time online gaming than males ages 15 – 24!²

  Without women on your team and in leadership and decision-making positions, you will have less understanding of your clients’ needs. With this first approach, you risk not having the talent that your business needs. ...