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CCCA_V7No3_CoverStory-FIN_CCCA 13-09-23 4:07 PM Page 24 Cover Teachers’ Pension Plan. “Women don’t talk to each other. A woman whom I consider a mentee told me after the fact that she applied for a position where I could have had influence. Women have a problem asking for a favour, thinking it’s an imposition or a bad idea. Guys do it all the time.” Campaign Management As in any branding campaign, image is everything. Set the wrong tone or send the wrong message, and that first impres- sion is unlikely to become a second chance. “I have found that many lawyers are not aware that their own communication style can be off-putting,” says Humphrey. “A classic example is the woman lawyer who acts overly authoritative and speaks in a way that is not collegial, conversational, or constructive. It’s part of that mind-set of being an outside adviser instead of the solutions-oriented team player.” Delivering the right message is also essential. “Effective leaders know how to use language to build rapport, establish relationships, and create positive outcomes,” says Humphrey. “Instead of ‘No, we cannot do that,’ the conversation should be ‘Let’s look at that from a different perspective’ or ‘How we can make this happen?’” Sheila Murray takes pride in being a problem-solver. “Many lawyers make the mistake of dismissing their clients as ignorant,” says Murray, who is general counsel at CI Financial. “Clients do not want to be lectured by their lawyer or made to feel that their lawyer is smarter than they are, so I have taken the approach of respecting my clients and focusing on building relationships with them. I am about solutions, and they have responded very well to that.” In terms of playing the game, the dynamics of office politics is among the bigger hurdles facing women. As Bonita Croft, general counsel at Trican Well Service, observes, “Learning how to handle the politics side is very important for progres- sion,” but it is an area that women not only struggle with, but also are often oblivious to, to their professional detriment. Ernst & Young’s chief legal counsel, Doris Stamml, believes that women reject playing politics because of its negative asso- ciation with jockeying for advancement when that is not deserved on the merits. “Playing the game is that element of calcu- lated manoeuvring to be in relationships with people who you think can lead you to higher roles,” says Stamml. However, she adds, “I do not see activities like connecting with people across the organization for after-hours activities in the same way. I think of those more as relationship building, an important part of gaining visibility and credibility within a company.” “ —Jennifer Warren, CIBC The downside," for women who aren't invested in going for the political win," is high attrition rates because we do not want to play the game. tions move much faster than before,” she says. “If you are unable or unwilling to read the direction a company is going, or ” In Jennifer Warren’s view, women are simply not interested in playing the power game. “Listen, I am no pushover and can engage with the best of them,” says Warren, who is general counsel (Canada) at CIBC. “But I do not feel as personal- ly invested in going for the political win. Men see a zero-sum engagement where somebody has to lose, whereas women generally do not see it that way. That’s the upside. The downside, of course, is high attrition rates for women because we do not want to play the game.” Humphrey concurs, as she sees women missing out when they remove themselves from the game. “Today’s organiza- adapt to restructuring and new people, chances are you will not advance, and in some cases you will lose your job.” 24 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association FALL 2013