I was never a fan of scary movies because there are enough real scary things already out there! Below is a list of the top ten things that my colleagues and I are scared about this Halloween. Freddy Krueger's got nothing on these.
The Catalyst Top Ten Halloween Fears:
#10. That "zombie boards," homogenous boards of directors that lead to group think and less innovation, will live on.
#9. That the "old guard" who thinks that the system works well and all workplaces are already meritocracies will never retire.
#8. That being captain of the football team will continue to evidence leadership capability for men, while any job that women have held outside of work -- being president of their hockey team or founder of a nonprofit -- will be seen as less-than-leadership.
#7. That the strong female leader/"wicked witch" stereotype will never go away.
#6. That myths and falsehoods, such as "women are more than half the labor force" or "women get paid more than men," will continue to spread.
#5. That "analysis paralysis," the belief that more data are needed before real workplace change can begin, will retain its lock on the workplace.
#4. That the gender pay gap widens and, like in a nightmare, no one will seem to notice or care.
#3. That organizations will continue to promote men based on their potential for leadership, while insisting that women show proof of performance before being considered.
#2. That silly and misleading phrases such as "mancession," "mengagement" and "woman up!" will continue to poison our lexicon.
#1: That the mantra, "We've already got one woman," will haunt boards, C-suites and executive ranks for decades to come.