Course Summary:

Women make up almost half the workforce, yet they are promoted to leadership positions at a rate far lower than are their male colleagues. What accounts for this leadership gap? How can organizations foster and develop women leaders?

Studies show that having women in leadership positions brings many benefits to an organization, including greater accountability and a culture of work-life balance. Yet it can be difficult to determine the barriers to women’s advancement, and even more difficult to surmount them. Learning how to foster and develop women as leaders not only benefits individual employees, but can benefit your entire organization.

Course Objectives:

Research has consistently demonstrated that when clear goals are associated with learning, it occurs more easily and rapidly. With that in mind, let’s review our goals for today. 
At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the barriers women face in entering leadership positions
• Understand the importance of developing women leaders
• Determine steps your organization can take to foster women leaders
• Understand the benefits of developing women leaders
• Apply the principles of fostering women leaders to your own organization

Course Outline

• Module One: Getting Started
• Workshop Objectives

Module Two: Women and the Workforce

• 50% of the Population
• 60% of College Degree Earners
• 47% of the US Workforce
• 52% of Professional Jobs
• Case Study
• Module Two: Review Questions

Module Three:  The Leadership Gap

• Women are Underrepresented in Leadership
• Women in Executive Positions
• Women in Finance, Health Care, and Law
• Historical Trends
• Case Study
• Module Three: Review Questions

Module Four: Barriers to Women’s Leadership

• Gender Differences are Overemphasized
• Gender Differences are Undervalued
• Women Lack Professional Networks
• Work and Family Conflict
• Case Study
• Module Four: Review Questions

Module Five: Traits of Women’s Management

• Women Lead By Uniting Diverse Groups
• Women Value Work-Life Balance
• Women Value Interpersonal Relationships
• Women Value Accountability
• Case Study
• Module Five: Review Questions

Module Six: Benefits of Women’s Leadership

• Greater Collaboration
• Culture of Work-Life Balance
• Culture of Accountability
• Assists in Recruiting Millennials
• Case Study
• Module Six: Review Questions

Module Seven: Nurture Women’s Leadership

• Actively Recruit Women
• Create and Encourage Networking Opportunities
• Pair Women with Mentors in Leadership
• Create and Encourage Training Opportunities
• Case Study
• Module Seven: Review Questions

Module Eight: Actively Recruit Women

• Discover Your Barriers to Hiring
• Discover Your Barriers to Retention
• Recruit via Women’s Organizations
• Create and Promote a Woman-Friendly Culture
• Case Study
• Module Eight: Review Questions

Module Nine: Encourage Networking Opportunities

• Create a Women’s Networking Group
• Encourage Women to Join Organizations
• Networking Builds Confidence
• Networking and Recruiting
• Case Study
• Module Nine: Review Questions

Module Ten: Pair Women with Mentors

• Benefits of Mentoring
• Think Creatively
• Incorporate Mentoring at Every Stage
• Encourage Women to Mentor
• Case Study
• Module Ten: Review Questions

Module Eleven: Create Educational Opportunities

• Encourage the Learning of Leadership Skills
• Internal Programs and Trainings
• Outside Training and Workshops
• Encourage Training at Every Stage of the Career
• Case Study
• Module Eleven: Review Questions

Module Twelve: Wrapping Up

• Words from the Wise