Ladies event in Stockholm...

I was attending yesterday an interesting event organized by IBM Sweden in Stockholm (no free ad here!) directed to primarily women (but not only). The main participant to the conference was one woman who participated in the YCC-project for Volvo. Never heard about YCC? Well, google it and you'll see! (Note that YCC stands for "Your Concept Car"). This project is based on a simple thesis:"If you meet women's expectations, you will surpass men's"... Quite catchy isn't it? : ) A group of women only was working on this concept car which was presented in 2004 to the world.

I will not re-trace nor discuss the story here (Volvo got enough publications and still does!). This is interesting in the sense that female are taking increasing share of car-customers and therefore their needs, requirements and expectations should be listened too in order to get increased satisfied customers (isn't it the basic of all businesses?). Here Volvo took a risk but still provided the opportunity to show the world that bearing this risk would potentially generate revenue (direct or indirect), which it did. The project was a success and was mentioned (and still is) as a first of its kind.

My thoughts here are : What does it take for companies to recognize the role of women in the consumption world? What does it take to get top management to provide fundings for such projects.? Because here the ideas came from women and were driven by women (the PR-part as well!!!), but look at the results!

Women are often trusted at top-managerial positions when companies are already in the risk zone and that "one more or less" (i.e. female at upper-echelon are still seen as risk-taken strategy... no comment! At least for now ; ) will not make such a difference. Well, when women show that they did actually a better job than expected save the company aso, they are not often given nice roses and compliments on the hard job they made. Rather asking them how they will continue to maintain this competitive edge they reached or else...

Now we get to the unfairness of the business world! Yes it exists : ) In Sweden only few women are representing companies at CEO levels, not much more than in France, UK or the State. Why?!!! Have we not learn from the past? Kotter writes so well on the lessons of change that the past should be a reference but not a determining choice for the future strategy. Could he be showing the leading role that female could be taking in such change? Forgetting half of the working population might have worked when men were the one deciding on the consumption of the family. With more and more women working and getting their own income to spend, their role has been increasing on the market place... but still they are ignored when succession arrive for top-echelon (or as mentioned earlier recalled when danger and risk are in-stake already!).

Back to this ladies event. This was incredibly inspiring to hear this lady speaking about this project and the impact it had on the world (Japp! The world!). So keep on working hard, ladies! So days those men-in-black-suits might realize their destiny is in other one's hands and remember the second forgotten half of their workforce (i.e. women!).

In the meanwhile, get active participation as much as possible in boards or in managerial position. Easier said than done? Well, yes. But still, the more females represented at upper echelon, the more the decision-making processes will include them and especially in the succession of themselves or other executives... Sounds like futurist or?