Some companies offer coaching, which provides individual guidance and advice. Many women found this extremely helpful. Jennice Zhu describes how it also helped her. “It really focuses on you as an individual. You feel close to the coach and can open up and discuss a lot of personal issues. The biggest benefit I got from my coaching program was to change my mindset so I started to have a different perspective on things and to improve my performance.”

“Women need to ask more. If you need a pay rise, go and ask.”—Devika Mohotti

The women we spoke to emphasized the need for women to assert themselves and be proactive in order to succeed, while recognizing that self-promotion doesn’t often come naturally to women.

Promote yourself

The importance of self-promotion is supported by research. A study by McKinsey found that one of the keys to success is the ability to promote oneself and be assertive about one’s performance and ambitions.

However, women tend to minimize their own contributions, and are, therefore, less likely to assert their talents and gain recognition. Our survey found that women were less confident than men about their skills and abilities than their male counterparts and more likely to say they need to develop certain skills, in particular business acumen and leadership (despite using leadership more regularly in their jobs than men).

Cima women’s network

Having a mentor or role model to learn from was vital.—Women with Attitude

Women are less likely to promote their own achievements

Cima has launched an exclusive women-only network for finance professionals to share tips on advancing their careers, seek advice and network. To join, follow this link http://community.cimaglobal.com/groups/content/cima-womens-network

These findings are supported by a survey of MBA students, which found that 70 percent of women saw their own performance as equivalent to that of their coworkers, while 70 percent of men rated themselves as higher than coworkers.

Our survey also found that womenwere less likely than men to promote their own achievements—a point well illustrated by Karen O‘Duil. “Men tend to be more bullish. I have a friend who’s an HR manager who says that men look at the requirements on a job description and say, ‘Ah, yes, I can do six out of the eight, I’ll go for it.’ Women say ‘I can only do six out of the eight and don’t go for the job.’”

Devika Mohotti encourages women to be more proactive and ask for what they deserve. “Women need to ask more,” she says. “If you need a position on the board, go and ask for it. If you need a pay rise, go and ask.”

Vivian Zheng believes that simply doing your job well won’t get you noticed. “When female leaders don’t get to board level, it’s not because they’re not intelligent or not working hard—it’s because they don’t believe that women can achieve the same level as men.  You need to have a belief that you can succeed and be passionate about it,” she advises. Devika goes one step further, “You need to learn the rules of the game. Do your homework about what’s needed to get that promotion, who makes the decisions and how they perceive you. Then work on your objectives.” And this involves letting others know how well you are performing.

Shouting about your success may not come naturally to some women but preparation and planning can really help. This could be as simple as keeping an ongoing list of your achievements so you’re always ready to give examples, or preparing well so you always have something to say in meetings or corporate events. It also helps to seize opportunities such as feeding back the outcome of group discussions. This gives you the opportunity to be seen at meetings and shows you’re keen to participate.

Jennice Zhu believes that communicating clearly and confidently is vital for success. “When I look at senior managers, when they speak their opinion they use very simple, decisive and precise words, and deliver the message effectively. And they influence a lot of people this way.”

Top tips—seek support

• Seek out mentors and other senior colleagues who will support your career and help you progress.

• Choose your mentor carefully—ensure it’s somebody you can trust who can empathize as well as advise.

• Consider a female mentor for support in overcoming gender barriers.

• Build up support and contacts outside your organization as well as internally.

• Join female support networks.

• Find out about coaching opportunities.

• Offer yourself as a mentor to more junior staff.

This regular weekly column from the UK-based, 90-year-old Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, or Cima, is meant to expand and enhance the diversity of views on current issues in the financial world, which has been facing some of its toughest challenges the past few years. Cima officers and members will take turns writing the Monday column. Cima is the organization behind the Global Business Challenge, meant to test the strategic business skills of students globally, part of Cima’s vision to develop future talent, and targeting university undergraduates.