Federal Women's Program Resources * Why do we have an FWP? * Marketing the FWP * Involving a New Top Manager * Training the FWP Committee * The Ideal FWPM About my work Mary Dingee Fillmore, Director Clients Projects	The Ideal Federal Women's Program Manager asks herself constantly: Will what I am doing right now improve the employment status of women in my organization? She: advises management concerning policies and programs that will both advance women and solve a management problem. monitors employment statistics so that she knows exactly where women are occupationally, and in terms of levels. She can pinpoint where the barriers are located statistically, and make proposals to change them. monitors relevant management action so that she hears the news early when decisions can still be influenced, rather than after the milk has been spilled. She keeps a vigilant eye on selections and promotions to ensure that women receive their fair share. reaches out specifically to women different from herself (different culture, age, occupation, physical ability), to ensure that the program includes them and their perspectives positively, not by omission. initiates creative strategies which are targeted toward overcoming specific, identified barriers. Rather than re-doing the brown bag lunch scene, the FWPM launches pro-active approaches like mentoring programs, leadership development programs, or teamwork training to help women and men work together differently. informs everyone in the organization about something which is both relevant to women's advancement and related to them; this may mean circulating magazine or journal articles about research on women's employment issues, letting supervisors know about an opportunity to recruit women in a particular field, or connecting a battered woman to a local shelter. networks so that she is poised to be a resource person to people throughout the organization: supervisors looking for candidates, external candidates looking for possible vacancies, women who want to change jobs. leads a diverse and committed committee, who work with her to be the "eyes and ears" of the FWP at the local level, and to formulate strategies that can work in their specific situation. advocates for adequate human and fiscal resources to give the Federal Women's Program a chance of success.She follows the example of other managers in fighting for their programs, rather than waiting to see "what they'll give me this year." models for other women in her self presentation, and in her attention to her own career development. If others see her taking herself seriously and making sure her high performance pays off, they are much more likely to take risks themselves.
© 1996 - 1998 Mary Dingee Fillmore, Changing Work <mfillmore@usa.net>. All rights reserved.