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WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
According to a survey published in 2007 by the consulting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), the number of female senior managers working in major UK businesses has fallen by more than 40% in the last five years. Today, the number of FTSE 350 female chairmen or chief executives can be counted on one hand.

The survey points to the rising cost of child care and the lack of flexibility of employers to accommodate the needs of women who need to structure their working life around family commitments. As a result, there has been a surge in women setting up their own businesses which they can flex to suit their needs, leaving the boardroom virtually empty of women.
There has been extensive research on this topic broadly falling into two categories:

1. The actions that organisations can take to ensure they are promoting equality in the work place such as:

  • A culture that embraces diversity
  • Equality and diversity policies
  • Female role models
  • Transparency in promotion and assessment
  • Flexible family friendly policies.

2. The specific actions and behaviours that successful women in business have employed to support their career development and allow them to progress to the most senior levels in an organisation.

We use a coaching tool from Executive Coaching Tools designed for women who might experience barriers to their career and we use it help them navigate through these challenges.

Outcomes:

  • The coachee has a clear understanding of the strategies she could take to support her career.
  • She will understand the extent to which she is using the strategies, and where she could improve her efforts.

 

 

 
 
 


The coaching tool identifies and groups three competency areas that successful women in business have regularly cited as the key attributes which have had the biggest impact in building their career. They are grouped together as follows:

  1. Personal Attributes
    The successful female executive is focused on achieving her goals, showing strong drive and determination. She takes risks, and communicates in a way in which she is always heard.

  2. Leadership and Managerial Skills
    She leads and manages teams, clearly aligning the team's efforts towards the goals, can be decisive and takes tough decisions where necessary.
  3. Career Development Activity
    The successful female executive is strongly career focused. She has a clear plan of where she wants to go, and ensures that her experience is varied, showing a strong track record. She is mentored and seeks developmental feedback, she is prepared to take career risks.

For each competency area, 12 statements have been identified and surveyed. The 360 degree approach leads to a development plan that is routed in objectivity and permits comparison between present and optimal behaviour. The 360 degree aspect of the tool also gives the coachee a rare opportunity to see how others perceive their behaviour and how this may differ from their own personal ratings. The data from the tool must be translated into action to have real impact on performance. Here, the coachee works with their coach to map out a comprehensive career development plan.

To find out more, please call us now on 01442 825156 or email us at info@valueu.com