5.4 Develop structured and long-term leadership development plan to include women at all leadership levels
Content
Description of Best Practices
Develop a separate leadership development plan, based on gap analysis and talent development plan, with an explicit aim to close identified gender parity and diversity gaps at all management levels
Assess differences between the leadership model and successful leadership behaviors; revise the leadership model or start a change management process to align leader’s behavior with the defined leadership model if gaps are identified
Base development opportunities on leadership knowledge, skills and abilities identified as success factors
Challenges of Implementation
Companies may not have competency-based leadership development
Unconscious bias may affect training opportunities offered
Classroom learning, conferences and job rotations may require travel and time away from home making it more difficult for parents with childcare duties
What Success Looks Like
Companies have planned leadership development and keep records to ensure equitable participation
Support is provided for employees who must travel, and/or career development and training opportunities are offered through multiple modalities
Increased number of women possess the defined skills for future leadership positions
Increased number of women promoted to open leadership positions
Increased number of women with a positive track record two years after promotion
Resources and Tools
Guide (incl. Worksheets and Templates): Female Talent Management: Toolkit for Organizations (Chartered Professional Accountants Canada)
Guide (incl. Additional Resources and Case Studies): Resources for Retaining and Advancing Mid-Career Technical Women (NCWIT)
Case Study: The Return on Investing in Women at Tata Power-DDL (USAID)
Training Resource/Tool: Training Package for Women in And into Management and Leadership Positions (Department of Education South Africa)
Report/Study: Seven Steps to Conscious Inclusion (ManpowerGroup)
Report/Study: Barriers for Women to Positions of Power: How Societal and Corporate Structures, Perceptions of Leadership and Discrimination restrict Women’s Advancement to Authority (Dee-Ann Schwanke)
Report/Study: Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers (Harvard Business Review)
Article: Breaking the Glass Ceiling (CEO Today)
Article: Board Experience is Helping more Women get CEO Jobs (Harvard Business Review)
Article (incl. Podcast): Why Don’t Women Promote Themselves? (Wharton University of Pennsylvania)