Actively sponsoring rising women is one of ten significant actions that drive gender equality progress, according to a study of companies with a higher than average representation of women in leadership roles in Australia by the Business Council of Australia, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and McKinsey & Company.
Mentoring programs to support talent from diverse backgrounds, combined with active sponsorship and support to gain operational experience, can be a very effective way to achieve gender-balanced leadership.
We’re currently working with a financial services firm to implement a 12-month mentoring program that involves ten high-potential women being mentored by male and female senior leaders.
After the initial education and launch sessions, we’re providing webinars, resources and conducting check in’s with mentees and mentors regularly to optimise learning for everyone involved.
Reciprocal mentoring has many benefits, not the least being a great way for senior male leaders to learn and apply inclusive leadership principles on the go.
One of the benefits of the mentoring relationship is to learn from each other’s perspectives and experiences. Mentees have the opportunity to gain insights and skills from very experienced leaders, while mentors have the opportunity to support skill development, open doors (through active sponsorship), and build deeper insights on challenges faced by women in the organisation.
Reciprocal mentoring has many benefits, not the least being a great way for senior male leaders to learn and apply inclusive leadership principles on the go.
While some men may be nervous mentoring women, there is a significant amount of research on the benefits of male mentors and sponsors in organisations striving to support women int0 leadership. In her Harvard Business Review article earlier this year, Wendy Murphy offers five suggestions for how men should approach mentoring in today’s workplace.
- Intentionally seek out women mentees
- Be transparent in your development practices
- Listen with empathy to ask good questions
- Acknowledge gender issues exist
- Actively sponsor her and help her connect with other sponsors
- Murphy emphasises the importance of validation and empathy:
‘Good mentors identify opportunities, open doors, and connect mentees to challenging assignments so they learn and grow. You will only be capable of doing so if you ask questions and then listen, listen, listen to understand, affirm, and validate what your mentee needs. Cross-gender mentoring requires that you make efforts to learn about one another and empathise.’
If you’d like to know more about we can design and implement a mentoring program in your organisation, please contact Dr Katie Spearritt via info@diversitypartners.com.au.
