Bamboo Ceiling^® Insights

BAMBOO CEILING – def. a combination of individual, cultural, and organizational factors that affect the career progress of Asians inside organizations.

J. Hyun, Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling, 2005

A Holistic Approach to Developing Asian Talent

By applying a three-pronged understanding of the bamboo ceiling, we help organizations obtain an accurate snapshot of their practices, and provide a business aligned view of the areas that require attention.

Cultural

Culture of Inclusion
Intercultural expertise in People Leaders and HR
Cultural Dissonance
The Power Gap between managers & employees
Dimensions of Culture

Venn Diagram of Individual/Cultural/Organizational

Organizational

Performance Management
Mentors/Sponsorship
Sourcing & Hiring Practices
Mobility & Succession planning
Talent Development

In order to make a meaningful impact on the talent progression of Asian talent, we need a holistic approach.

Our researchers discovered, while working with Fortune 500 companies reveal that having mentors and sponsors at the right junctures can help fast track career progression.

The effectiveness of those initiatives depend on a variety of factors, including the readiness of the sponsor or mentor to effectively advocate for the protégé, and the capability of organizations to guide middle managers to projects and internal opportunities that feed the executive level. As well, they will need access to key influential relationships that propel them to the executive suite.

Our research team’s proprietary reviews with thousands of people leaders across a range of sectors, show that the majority tend to over-estimate their cultural fluency skills, especially when engaging their teams. Therefore, without intentional effort or intervention, it will be difficult to see meaningful progress.