You don’t have to look too far within a professional environment to see that there still exists a significant disparity between the opportunities offered to women and those provided to men. Many of those imbalances lay in employee wages, and other differences lay in the accessibility to higher positions. Because women are at the center of this issue, many deem it just that; “a woman’s problem.” However, mentorship experts Dr. David Smith and Dr. Brad Johnson have shown through their extensive research that women can benefit from having men as mentors and allies. David Smith and Brad Johnson are co-authors of the books Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women and Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace.  Each of these books serves as a research-based guide on what men can do to be better mentors and allies to women in the Workplace. In our conversation, we also cover the significance of mentoring over other forms of support.  They discuss the dynamics of a mentor-mentee relationship, and share insights for women on what to expect as a mentee. Both men and women have something to gain from this podcast. Keep listening for helpful tips on how to be a good mentor, a better ally. 

Humanity is experiencing an unprecedented level of loss and grief. More than 1.2 million deaths have occurred in the last 12 months due to Covid-19 alone. There's a good chance that each of us has within our close circle someone experiencing these challenges.  Yet, in the workplace, the topic of dealing with loss and grief remains a private matter.  In this podcast, I speak with Dr. Charles Dhanaraj on his research looking at the cost of grief in the workplace and the resulting impact. This work that he has been doing in collaboration with his colleague at IMD Switzerland, Dr. George Kohlrieser.  You will hear sage advice on handling grief at a personal level and tips for helping those around us who may be experiencing loss. His research shows surprising links between loss and creativity, which lends validity to the adage "all endings are the start of a new beginning." There are insights that all of us can put to work whether our loss is small or significant. More importantly, if you have felt unsure on how to help others address their grief, there's some actionable advice here.

Jim Detert is the John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration in the Leadership and Organizational Behavior area at the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. Dr. Detert's research focuses on workplace courage, improvement-oriented voice (why people speak up or stay silent at work), ethical decision-making and behavior, and other leadership-related topics. This research, as well as his consulting experiences, has been conducted across a variety of global high-technology and service-oriented industries as well as public sector institutions, including K-12 education. His research has appeared in many outlets, including Harvard Business Review, Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organization Science, Personnel Psychology, Research in Organizational Behavior, and Journal of Business Ethics. Detert's research has won several academic best paper awards and is regularly featured in various online and print media outlets.

Articles and resources on voice and courage by Dr. James Detert

Detert, J.R., & Burris, E.R. 2016. Can your employees really speak freely? Harvard Business Review, January-February: 80-87.

Detert, J.R., Burris, E.R., Harrison, D., & Martin, S. 2013. Voice flows to and around leaders: Is more always better for unit performance? Administrative Science Quarterly, 58(4): 624-668. 

McClean, E., Burris, E.R., & Detert, J.R. 2013. When does voice lead to exit? It depends on leadership. Academy of Management Journal, 56(2): 525-548.

Burris, E.R., Detert, J.R., & Romney, A. 2013. Speaking up versus being heard: The disagreement around and outcomes of employee voice. Organization Science, 24(1): 22-38.

Detert, J.R.& Edmondson, A.C. 2011. Implicit voice theories: An emerging understanding of self-censorship at work. Academy of Management Journal, 54(3): 461 - 488. (Recognitions:  Academy of Management Journal Best Article in 2011 Award,  Academy of Management Organizational Behavior Division Outstanding Publication Award for the Best Paper Published in 2011)

To contact Dr. James Detert visit https://www.darden.virginia.edu/faculty-research/directory/james-r-detert