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Men can proactively contribute to dismantling gender barriers at work and challenging stereotypes. Dawn Leane explains how While much of the conversation concerning gender balance focuses on supporting women, men have a pivotal role to play in dismantling barriers, challenging stereotypes and reshaping organisational culture. Gender balance is not a zero-sum game. Men are also negatively impacted by outdated workplace environments – family-friendly policies aimed solely at women, for example. The active involvement of male allies can be an agent for positive change and can have a profound impact by raising awareness about gender bias, sexism and other forms of discrimination facing women in the workplace and wider society. Yet it can prove very challenging for men to confront the issues encountered by their female colleagues. The subject is complex and organisational culture and norms of behaviour often don’t support their intervention. Take, for example, the issue of everyday sexism at work. A report by Catalyst, an organisation committed to advancing the representation of women in the workplace, suggests that not only is it difficult to recognise sexism in the first place or deem it inappropriate, but men are often unsure of how to address the behaviour when they do recognise it. The report suggests that men’s willingness to intervene depends on two factors: personal agency and organisational climate. Men who are committed to dismantling sexism are more likely to take action. They are confident in their ability to interrupt and aware of the positive benefits of doing so for the common good. An unwillingness to interrupt a sexist event in their workplace is also influenced by organisational climate. Environments perceived by men to be more silencing, combative and futile are associated with a lack of response to sexism at work. As Peter Drucker famously said, ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’. How, then, can men help to create a workplace culture where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive and succeed? Understand the issues: Men can start by informing themselves about the challenges women face in their workplace, bearing in mind that cultural issues can differ from team to team and from one organisation to the next. Challenge sexism and stereotypes: Actively challenging and questioning gender stereotypes involves avoiding assumptions about roles and capabilities based on gender. Use language that is neutral and avoids reinforcing gender stereotypes. Amplify the voices of women in the workplace: Create an environment that is psychologically safe for women to contribute. For example, give credit where it's due, acknowledge achievements and ensure that success is rewarded. Mentorship and sponsorship: Men can play a vital role in mentoring and sponsoring women within organisations. This involves offering guidance, providing opportunities for skill development and advocating for women in leadership positions. Advocate for equal opportunities: Men can use their positions of influence to advocate for equal opportunities. This includes pushing for fair selection practices, equal pay and creating policies that support work-life balance for all employees. Set an example: Demonstrating a commitment to gender balance through their own actions might involve actively participating in gender balance initiatives, acknowledging and rectifying biased behaviour and setting an example for others to follow. Speak up against discrimination: When men witness gender discrimination or inappropriate behaviour, it is crucial to speak up. Being an ally means actively confronting and addressing instances of discrimination, both direct and indirect. By embracing these actions, men can help create a more level playing field for their female counterparts – this can only be good for all involved. Dawn Leane is Chief Learning and Development Officer at Advancia

Rachel Kileen explores how women can harness the power of networking, mentoring and camaraderie to transform organisations for the better In the 1930s, revolutionary women such as Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Esther Roper and Mary Kettle campaigned vigorously against the constraints imposed on married women in Ireland with reference to the barring of women from working in the civil service after marriage and the Irish Constitution’s ‘women in the home’ clause, which is currently subject to referendum.  It is less well-documented that professional women’s organisations continued to campaign, both in Ireland and internationally, for women’s equality from the 1930s to the 1960s. International networking by the Irish Housewives Association and the Association of Business and Professional Women led to the establishment of the first Commission on the Status of Women in Ireland in 1970, which strongly advocated for equal pay and better conditions of employment for women. Women’s advocacy was at its peak during the second-wave feminist era and campaigning for female political representation by organisations such as the Women’s Political Association yielded results. Without the support of women’s groups, Gemma Hussey may not have become the first female Minister for Education in 1982.  Mary Robinson credits the support of Mná na hEireann as critical to her election as the first female President of Ireland. Yvonne Scannell campaigned against the punitive tax regime for married women who paid up to 80 percent of their salary in tax during the 1970s.  Throughout Irish history, there are many other examples of the power and influence of female advocates working together to improve the lives of women. International Women’s Day provides the opportunity for us to consider the broader picture and how, as women, we can become change-makers through networking, mentoring and camaraderie. Networking Academic research shows that the greatest inhibitor to professional women’s networking opportunities is time. This lack of time is often due to the ‘second shift’, a term coined by Arlie Hochschild in 1989 to describe the fact that the bulk of household management and childcare is undertaken by women and not men, even when women work full-time. This long-hours culture is a patriarchal ritual that professionals are expected to subscribe to, even though it is proven to be counter-productive. Divesting elements of the second shift and reducing work hours to make time for networking requires planning and negotiation. However, the value of networking in a supportive and encouraging environment can pay significant dividends in terms of shared experience, creativity, and a pooling of skills and resources.  Historically, this is how women co-operated in the private sphere. Mentoring Contemporary accountancy training underscores the value of business relationships as key to success and there is a tendency to focus on client development as a priority.  But what about mentoring within our organisations with the objective of helping others to advance?  Women should look upwards to find suitable mentors to guide us through our careers, look behind us at the challenges younger women face and support them in achieving their goals. In a world that can sometimes seem increasingly misogynistic, the counteractive defence system must be led by women and their male allies. Camaraderie Camaraderie is a collaborative approach that is closely associated with solidarity and comradeship. It is particularly valuable at a time when many professional women work from home and spend less time engaging with colleagues and business associates in person.  My research into the lives of successful professional women reveals that when women are actively involved in progressive organisations, they become part of that network and drivers of change. Aristotle’s adage that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ makes sense when women (and men) support and encourage each other’s efforts to realise their ambitions and collaborate on improving work culture. Transforming organisations Throughout Ireland, professional organisations can be transformed from their reliance on the much-maligned but highly lucrative ‘old boys’ style networks to include a compelling cache of competent and capable female change-makers who advocate for new ways to handle traditional gender roles.  Networking, mentoring and camaraderie amongst women (and men) can help to forge a third way out of highly gendered rituals such as the second shift, long-hours culture and all of their complexities, for everyone’s benefit. Rachel Killeen is a PhD student at Trinity College Dublin working on a project entitled: Professional Married Women and their Work in Ireland (1970–1985).

Effective leadership requires more than competence. Compassion can help to foster a culture of both success and well-being, writes Paul O’Donnell Challenged by the after-effects of a global pandemic, organisations continue to change rapidly and are conscious of the need for effective leadership and talent engagement. Research suggests that compassionate leadership can bring the best results, but does compassion have a place in the world of work? The evidence suggests yes, it does. Compassion in the workplace improves collaboration, humility, trust and loyalty. Leaders who display compassion are more likely to have and hold on to engaged, committed and motivated employees. While good to have, empathy is an emotion. Compassion is an emotion with intention. Employees often avoid taking risks at work or rocking the boat during challenging times. They might be hesitant to report errors, for example, to voice concerns, suggest new ideas or share feedback. Demonstrating compassion as a leader can create a workplace environment conducive to emotional well-being, making employees feel safe enough to take risks that might help them to succeed. Compassionate leadership can benefit the leader as much as those they lead. Data shows a strong link between the demonstration of compassion and career advancement. Compassionate leaders enjoy greater life satisfaction and self-esteem and are viewed as stronger and more capable by their employees. By taking care of your staff, you are also acting in your own interests. Compassion alone is not enough, however. For leadership to be effective, it must co-exist with good judgment. Kindness cannot come at the expense of competence. The leaders who achieve the best outcomes are those who understand what motivates their employees and how to manage them towards desired outcomes. Leadership is hard: it necessitates pushing agendas, sharing critical feedback and knowing when to say no. Practising compassion as a leader does not imply the absence of these responsibilities. Instead, it means carrying them out while being conscious of people’s feelings. As Hougaard and Carter put it: “Wise, compassionate leadership is the ability to do hard things in a human way.” Developing compassionate leadership A study showed that 91 percent of over 1,000 surveyed leaders see compassion as vital to leadership. Eighty percent indicated that they wanted to improve their own compassion but did not know how. Compassion is not an inherent characteristic, but it can be developed. There are several steps leaders can take to develop a more compassionate leadership style. Have more compassion for yourself Taking care of others means minding yourself as well. If you are overburdened and burnt out, you won’t be able to help anyone else. Self-compassion requires getting enough sleep, taking short breaks throughout the day and setting aside time for yourself away from work. It also means not being too hard on yourself, recognising your mistakes, reframing setbacks as learning experiences and moving forward confidently. Be aware of your intentions Learn to manage your intentions before you speak to others by aligning your core values with your actions. Get to know each member of your team to understand what drives them and makes them feel valued. Advocate for change Compassion can become integral in an organisation. As a leader, think about policies that may be put in place to support employee well-being. This is beneficial to your employees and can lessen the onus on you over time. Can compassion become a hindrance? If you have a well-developed sense of compassion, but feel it hinders your ability to lead, there are a few things you should consider. Honesty and transparency As a leader, it is your job to offer guidance, even when it may be difficult for an employee to hear. If you step around the issue to be kind, you risk failing to convey your expectations and the employee will neither understand nor benefit from your help. Empathy vs compassion If you find yourself taking on the emotional burdens of your employees, take a step back and remember that you will be most helpful to them through action. Use your feelings of empathy as a catalyst for compassion and take practical steps to exercise it. Compassionate leadership propels success A compassionate outlook enhances a leader’s skills, resulting in more productive and motivated employees. Empowerment through compassion enables leaders and their teams to achieve their utmost potential, ensuring the organisation’s future success. Paul O’Donnell is CEO of HRM Search Partners

Expectations on businesses to combat climate change have intensified. Dave O’Shaughnessy outlines how organisations can use artificial intelligence to reach sustainability goals Last month, the World Economic Forum reiterated the need for urgent action on climate change, which was also the core message from COP28. With the world poised at this make-or-break moment, societal and stakeholder expectations of the role of business in reducing the effects of climate change are at an all-time high. In a US Pew Research Centre Survey published last October, 52 percent of respondents said they believe large businesses and corporations can do "a lot" to reduce the effects of climate change. This suggests that the expectation has moved beyond businesses simply fulfilling their environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibilities to the view that they should be focused on even greater change. This change – termed “regeneration” – calls for a reinvention of systems across an organisation, from business models to supply chains, to help drive a positive impact rather than simply avoiding a negative one. While this is certainly an important objective, many organisations are currently facing external and internal pressures, long-term planning challenges and reporting requirements that have grown in scope and complexity to even reach a stage of compliance and organisation, let alone regeneration. It’s here that artificial intelligence (AI) is a game-changer. By harnessing data and driving efficiency, it can help your organisation meet your most immediate sustainability goals: achieving carbon neutrality, reduction of water use, and meet Science Based Targets initiative (STBi) targets as well as the UN Sustainable Development goals (UNSDGs). At the same time, AI also frees up your people to consider the bigger, long-term regeneration opportunities that can change your organisation’s environmental impact. There are three ways AI can assist with and organisations sustainability goals, which are outlined below. One: Guidance on sustainability reporting standards New directives such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD) mean companies face increasing reporting requirements. The high volume of reporting points and the interrelationships between regulatory reports and voluntary frameworks (Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) adds to the complexity of the task and requires organisations to be able to interpret complex policy documents in a short space of time. Unsurprisingly, many organisations are struggling with where to begin, unsure of how they fare compared to expectations and are confused by the multitude of requirements. As a result, they are unable to forge an action plan or identify potential problems. Generative AI can alleviate this concern. Its ability to analyse large volumes of documents (in this case, the reporting requirements and frameworks) in real-time and then to provide easy-to-understand explanations gives companies a clear starting point. It also cuts down on complicated, manual research time and ensures consistency in understanding and actions among staff. A chatbot is one means of achieving this. It can ingest all the legislation, directives, frameworks, and facts relevant to your company’s sustainability needs and then act as a “personal assistant” for any user questions. By combining knowledge from a vast number of resources, your organisation-specific chatbot can provide enhanced understanding on complex topics at speed, support decision-making, and even provide references so users can review the sources or answers for fact checking and traceability. Two: Actionable insights With the objective to halve emissions by 2030, companies must have a comprehensive and integrated net zero approach involving all aspects of their operations and value chain. But while this integrated approach is key to meeting targets, extracting information from multiple sources and the analysis of that information (crucial if opportunities and hot spots are to be identified quickly and adjustments made) means considerable work for teams. AI has the ability to monitor and analyse multiple data points, often combined with outputs from machine learning or other algorithms, quickly and efficiently (e.g. forecasting total emissions or identification of raw materials that have the highest impact on CO2 reduction). It can also enhance the quality of insights generated by this analysis by providing explainable and clear “next best actions”. Three: Sentiment analysis Public sentiment can significantly impact a business's reputation and performance. Social media, in particular – a key source of sentiment information with many people sharing their views and experiences – can often prove difficult for companies to monitor and manage quickly. Sentiment analysis can assist with this. A form of natural language processing (NLP) that uses AI to evaluate and classify sentiments expressed in textual data can provide consolidated insights to businesses. Until recently, sentiment analysis required extensive training data, making the process time-consuming and expensive. The process has been revolutionised with the emergence of Large Language Models (LLM). LLMs perform very well when it comes to classifying text and analysing sentiment without the need for prior training, thus streamlining the sentiment analysis process. This innovation makes the collection and interpretation of public sentiment more seamless, helping businesses get a quicker and more accurate understanding of how they are perceived by the public. New opportunities Organisations that leverage AI will find it easier to meet their immediate sustainability goals and be better prepared to address future challenges. Quicker collation of information and analysis enables workforces to take greater initiative. By being able to make faster, more insightful decisions, people will have the time to identify new opportunities for greater environmental impact. Dave O’Shaughnessy is Partner and Sustainability Reporting – Technology Lead at EY

Workplace romances can pose challenges for employers. From policies to breakups, Moira Grassick offers 10 tips on how to avoid and manage potential difficulties Valentine’s Day was just a few weeks ago, but workplace romances can happen at any time of the year. If romance blooms in your workplace, it can sometimes cause complications ranging from gossip to complaints or grievances. Here are 10 tips to maintain control of your workplace and continue fostering a healthy and safe environment for your staff when dealing with an office romance. 1. Check your existing policies and procedures Are your existing policies and procedures appropriate for dealing with any problems that might arise as a result of workplace romances? It’s sensible to have either a confidentiality policy or conflict of interest policy in place, requiring employees to notify you of any change in their personal circumstances that might give rise to a conflict of interest. 2. Encourage staff to notify management of a workplace romance Requesting that employees notify management about their love life might seem awkward or over the top, but it is important that management be aware of any romantic relationship in the workplace. Then, they can decide if appropriate steps need to be taken. 3. Don’t ignore a workplace romance Not every employee will be comfortable reporting their new relationship. It could become known to management by other means that a personal, romantic relationship between staff members has developed. It’s best not to ignore this information and proceed as you would if you had learned about the relationship from the people involved. 4. Think about changing the work environment It is sensible to consider whether the reporting structures within teams need to be revised. Changes like these must be discussed with the people affected. Reassessing reporting structures in the case of a workplace romance, especially if management is one of the parties involved, can help allay any suspicion of favouritism that might arise at a future date. 5. Beware of favouritism Ensure that staff engaged in relationships with a colleague are not involved in any management decisions involving their partners. It is important that management decisions are taken impartially and that the impartiality of the decision is clear to everyone involved. 6. Don’t be afraid to take action Treat any complaints from staff members – involved in the relationship or not – seriously. If people are witness to, or experience, inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, it is an employer's responsibility to manage it. 7. Training management Most managers lack training and knowledge on how to tackle romantic relationships at work. Managers need to be aware of how to manage such situations, what the potential risks are and how to manage these risks. Managers should also have regular training on how to respond to harassment complaints that may arise as a result of a romantic relationships at work, or its aftermath. 8. Social events Christmas parties or work social events are often the source of workplace romances. It’s a good idea to remind staff that they are still expected to abide by company policies, even if the party is outside of the workplace. If something goes wrong, you, as an employer, could be liable. 9. Breakups Of course, not all love is made to last. Problems might arise if a workplace romantic relationship ends, especially if it doesn’t end smoothly. These situations could impact an employee's work performance or professional relationships. This might require thinking about moving the staff members involved. 10. Obligation to maintain a safe workplace Sexual harassment and bullying can often arise in the context of workplace romances. Employers should have policies and procedures in place to deal with any such incidents and related complaints. Love may be in the air, but it doesn’t have to poison the workplace. Be proactive, set expectations around conduct and enforce your workplace policies. Moira Grassick is Chief Operating Officer at Peninsula Ireland

As European lawmakers reach provisional agreement on the final text of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, Jackie Hennessy and Dani Michaux delve into the potential risks businesses may face In December 2023, European lawmakers announced a provisional agreement on the final text of a new Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), giving developers and users of AI systems the first chance to consider in detail what the proposed new framework could mean for them. Businesses are now in a position to consider the role AI plays in their organisation and how to mitigate potential risks that may arise as a result of this new legislative advancement. What is an AI system? According to the Act, an AI system is a “machine-based system designed to operate with varying levels of autonomy and that may exhibit adaptiveness after deployment and that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as content, predictions, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments”. Why do we need this Act? The AI Act classifies AI systems into three risk categories: Unacceptable risk AI systems are considered to pose an unacceptable risk and are prohibited by the Act. These practices include systems that target vulnerable people or groups of persons, systems that materially distort a person’s behaviour, the use of biometric categorisation and identification systems and systems that classify natural persons that lead to unjustifiable detrimental treatment. High-risk AI systems are those that, based on their intended purpose, pose a high risk of harm to the health and safety or the fundamental rights of persons, taking into account both the severity of the possible harm and its probability of occurrence.    A General Purpose AI (GPAI) system displays significant generality and competently performs a wide range of distinct tasks regardless of the way the model is placed on the market. It can be integrated into a variety of downstream systems or applications. The Act is intended to ensure better conditions for the development and use of AI and is a pillar of the EU’s digital strategy. Furthermore, the Act takes aim at the emerging issue of ‘deepfake’ technology. Deepfakes are defined as “AI-generated or manipulated image, audio or video content that resembles existing persons, objects, places or other entities or events and would falsely appear to a person to be authentic or truthful”.  The Act places a requirement on deployers of this technology to disclose that the content has been artificially generated or manipulated. Who will the Act affect? The Act will impact both developers and deployers of AI systems and will legislate the following: Human oversight measures for high-risk AI systems; Effective employer obligations for organisations planning to deploy AI in the workplace; Testing of AI systems in real-world conditions; and Implementation of codes of practice for proper compliance with the obligations of the regulation for providers of General Purpose AI systems. The Act represents a major overhaul for businesses developing or deploying AI systems. Businesses doing either in the course of their work should consider how AI can be made compliant with the EU AI Act and what impact this might have on the business and its operational performance. Jackie Hennessy is the Risk Consulting Partner at KPMG Dani Michaux is EMA Cyber Leader at KPMG International