My focus as a coach is on improving the diversity of leadership. There are many areas in which organisations need to improve, but as individuals, we also need to take control of our career paths and invest in ourselves. In this article, I’ve highlighted how career coaching can benefit women so that they can move into new roles with confidence.
Diversity in the leadership of an organisation has been proven to lead to higher profitability, increased innovation, and better decision-making for organisations as a whole. It’s obvious that we need more female leadership, our views, experiences, and insights enrich organisations so it’s vital that female talent pools are found and nurtured at every stage.
I’ve been reading a lot of work from Catalyst, a global non-profit organisation that researches and finds solutions that advance women into leadership roles. Their recommendations for companies, managers, and individuals are groundbreaking, insightful, and practical. If you want more information on the case for women in leadership and the barriers they face, I recommend reading this report:
https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-leadership-a-european-business-imperative/
We know that women face unique barriers at work and existing leadership need to take a conscious effort to improve their practices for more inclusive workplaces. If structured initiatives are not in place then as female talent moves up through the organisation there are more possibilities of them leaving, which means that there is a lack of women available for leadership positions.
Structured initiatives mean ‘tailored programs around work-life balance, performance management, mentoring and networks.’ (pg20).
As women, although we can champion our rights to equality and seek organisational change, there is also a lot that we can do ourselves to consciously take control of our careers and this is where Career Coaching can be vital.
Firstly, increasing our own awareness of what we need from a career can helps us to live a more sustainable and fulfilling life. I help clients look at all aspects of their lives to ensure a healthy work-life balance which is critical in preventing burnout.
Secondly, we can develop our own personal brand, the things that we want to be known for, and learn how to get these across to colleagues and senior managers so that we stand out when it comes to promotions.
Thirdly, we need to develop wider networks both formally through mentorship and informally by meeting more people and building relationships. If we are not consciously expanding our networks then we have fewer people to draw on for advice and support when needed.
Networking and self-promotion can be scary things to do, I know for me personally they definitely were, which is why coaching around improving self-confidence, imposter syndrome (where you feel like you don’t deserve to be where you are), and resilience can all help you to face challenges and to seek new positions.
I believe coaching has a lasting impact on women’s personal and professional development, I’ve certainly benefited from experiencing it and wish I had it when I was in Corporate banking.
If you’re interested and want to know more about how Career Coaching can support you to make positive changes, please contact me and we can have a chat about the benefits it will provide you.