(9) Professional development, networking, mentoring and sponsorship
Initiative Description |
Super Retail Group introduced a personal and professional development program for men and women, called ‘Voice of Influence’. This program was designed for senior leaders and can be targeted to a group need or an individual need.
For women across the organisation, the program acknowledges and addresses organisational and personal realities faced by women, that can act as barriers in the workplace. The program creates and develops a supportive network of women to ‘raise each other up’ across the business. It also provides participants the opportunity to find and develop their voice and write their own stories, without limits and regardless of leadership aspiration. |
Context |
The lifestyle, auto and outdoor brands of our business are traditionally male dominated industries. This is reflected in our customer base and, historically, reflected in the workforce and leadership profile. The team needed some tools to allow for each voice at the table to be heard, and to help each individual more effectively influence their audience. In doing so, this would be in service of an inclusive culture as well as support a more empowered and diverse pipeline of talent in the organisation. |
Action |
The executive leadership team sponsored two programs: one coaching program for the entire Senior Leadership Team and one exclusively for female team members. We engaged world-renowned voice coach, Lucy Cornell, to develop a four-part program that included an assessment for a starting point, masterclasses for development, and smaller group sessions culminating with a public pitch. |
Result |
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Lessons Learnt |
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