Why Thriving at Work is the Future of High Performance--and the Key to Retaining Women
New study reveals the most significant barriers to women doing their best work—and how addressing them accelerates organizational performance and culture for everyone.
BOSTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In an era of record-breaking employee disengagement, companies striving to boost performance must address the root causes preventing employees from thriving. Today, the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership released its latest Thriving at Work research, revealing the top three barriers limiting women's ability to excel: poor communication, lack of transparency, and problematic managerial actions.
The findings go beyond addressing women's experiences—they provide actionable insights for organizations looking to drive performance, improve culture, and create workplaces where everyone can thrive.
"This research is not just about understanding women's experiences—it provides a blueprint for leaders to adapt these insights and accelerate performance across their entire workforce," says Susan MacKenty Brady, CEO of the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership. "When women thrive, organizations thrive—delivering greater productivity, innovation, and long-term success."
From Women's Experiences to Organizational Impact
The 2024 Thriving at Work Study builds on previous research that defines thriving as "making positive contributions, learning, and being valued and recognized." The Institute's new Thrive Index™ goes further—tracking how well employees feel they are thriving and pinpointing the organizational factors that foster or inhibit thriving cultures.
Findings from the Thrive Index™, which measures thriving on a scale from 1 (never thriving) to 5 (always thriving), reveal that women are far from reaching the "always thriving" mark. Respondents averaged 3.4 in early 2024, with a drop to 3.2 by year-end—signaling that the ability to thrive is not only fragile but declining.
The Cost of Not Thriving—and the Opportunity for Leaders
What's holding women back? According to the study, three primary barriers prevent women from thriving at work:
- Poor Communication – Lack of clear, open, and transparent dialogue leaves employees feeling undervalued and disconnected from organizational goals.
- Lack of Transparency – Without access to honest information, trust erodes, and engagement plummets.
- Problematic Managerial Actions – From conflict avoidance and micromanagement to active discrimination, the impact of poor leadership behavior is profound and far-reaching.
These insights don't just highlight problems—they present a roadmap for improving leadership and unlocking performance.
To read the study, visit this link. To request an interview about the results with researchers Elisa van Dam and Susan MacKenty Brady or Simmons University President Lynn Perry Wooten, please reach out to Rebecca Proulx.
About Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership
The Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership is a global leader in advancing inclusive, human-centered leadership and fostering cultures where everyone can thrive. Learn more.
About the Research:
The data and insights that inform this report are from 498 survey respondents, who were participants of the Simmons Leadership Conference in April of 2024. This population includes primarily professional women in mid to large organizations.
SOURCE Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership
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