Blog – Say it Karen

A role model for women

February 18, 2020

It’s said that only a sixth of Britain’s statues represent women, and that statues of everyday women are outnumbered by those of goats and of men called John (Reuters, 2018). So when the opportunity arises, it’s important for women to be celebrated for their achievements even after their death. It might not do much for those historical women, but it helps those of us alive today to understand how significant women’s contribution has been throughout history and reminds us that…

“One in six of the women who were elected for the Conservative party in 2017 have stood down [in 2019].”*

November 8, 2019

Karen Hands

Blog, contributing in meetings, decision making, diversity in business, public speaking, women in male professions, women on boards, women's voice

Today’s Guardian continues: “There is concern at the number of female MPs, including Nicky Morgan and Amber Rudd, who have cited the extent of the abuse they are subjected to as a reason for their departure.”* Women are stepping down at a younger age and after fewer years serving as an MP than their male counterparts, despite years of encouragement to stand for parliament and improve the gender balance. And so the pattern continues… Women entering traditionally male professions give…

A woman gives everything she’s got for success…

December 13, 2018

Karen Hands

Blog, diversity in business, women in the media, women's voice

I recently went to see the latest version of A Star is Born at the cinema – the third remake since the original 1937 film. There must be something timeless about the story of a talented young woman being discovered by a fading star, or maybe we all just enjoy a good romance. It intrigues me, though, that in the #MeToo era, we’re still entertained by the idea of a woman who sleeps her way to stardom. Does the fact…

The power of the pen

October 18, 2018

Karen Hands

Blog, diversity in business, environmental issues, public speaking, women's voice

These days, it’s the keyboard I turn to rather than a pen and paper when I want to write, but the image is as powerful as ever. Whether spoken or written, women’s voices don’t yet achieve the prominence they warrant. Three years ago, I wrote the first draft of a book about the gender agenda but felt that it didn’t do sufficient justice to my message. Since then, real life has got in the way! Writing is a habit and…

Tune your ear to women’s voices

September 17, 2018

Karen Hands

Blog, diversity in business, public speaking, women in the media, women's voice

In recent weeks, it’s been reported by both Sandi Toksvig and Natalie Haynes that footage of female comics is routinely edited out of broadcast comedy programmes.* What’s left in typically shows the women laughing at the men’s jokes, when in fact the women were just as funny as the men during recording. This highlights two key points for me, the first being that the comedians’ experiences reveal just how important it is that we’ve got so many women broadcasting on…

Look and listen

August 23, 2018

Karen Hands

Blog, diversity in business, women's voice

Which version should you listen to? Dressed up and ready to run an awards dinner or relaxing in the garden? As we all know, I can be both of these women and my opinion still counts. Or at least, I’d like to think so. Across my website, I’ve used a lot of professional images and I’m very grateful to the photographers who let me use their work, but I’ve also posted a few personal shots and I record video at…

The bilberry dilemma

July 23, 2018

Karen Hands

Blog, decision making, environmental issues

Not long back from holiday in the Lake District, I’ve been looking back through photos from some of my walks. This one from Lingmoor Fell reminds me not only of the fabulous views and soft, fresh air from what feels like the top of the world, but also of a momentary insight into human nature. Let me explain. As with so many English hills, you get to the summit only to see another peak across the bog which is even…

Women aren’t a good fit in the boardroom?

May 31, 2018

ADMIN-SIK1

Blog, contributing in meetings, diversity in business, women on boards

…so says an executive of a FTSE 350 company in a report published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills yesterday. The business minister, Andrew Griffiths, describes the excuses offered by firms defending the lack of women on boards as “pitiful and patronising”, but no one said change was easy. As the only woman on the board, it’s tough. Being the sole representative of your gender, supposedly reflecting the whole diversity of female perspectives and with the expectation that…

Why it matters that women stand up and speak out – and why it’s still so hard to do

May 16, 2018

ADMIN-SIK1

Blog, contributing in meetings, decision making, diversity in business, public speaking, women on boards

Differences of opinion can make the job of managing more difficult, but it’s the way to reach better decisions. For some people, steering a path that takes every opinion into account is the whole point of managing: the challenge that makes the job worthwhile. Life would be boring if we all thought the same way. So businesses that lack diversity also limit the scope of their decision-making. If women are among your customers, it would seem especially foolish to exclude…