A report published by The Female Lead in 2021 finds that “Women have been socially conditioned to feel less entitled than men in all areas of their lives and this has created a big entitlement gap between men and women.”

What this tells us is that even in organisations with a strong commitment to and investment in workforce diversity and talent development programmes, we observe that career progression plateaus for mid-career women (aged approximately 27 to 42), while male progression continues to rise, which means that the gender pay gap is slow to close.

CMI strongly encourages employers to develop time-bound, target-driven action plans to address the issues arising out of their pay gap analysis.

Action plans send a clear commitment that employers understand what is causing any pay gaps, and importantly, that they will take meaningful steps to address those challenges.

The introduction of the Women In Technology Leadership programme is a powerful way to take meaningful action that gets a return on your investment:

• Enhances your reputation as an employer taking proactive steps to develop and retain its female talent which means that you are more likely to attract the best female talent.
• Offers a structured format exploring key principles of authentic leadership so that participants develop their leadership skills, negotiation skills, resilience, communication skills, emotional intelligence and self-awareness which means that they are better informed and equipped to take ownership for and manage their career with confidence and purpose.
• Participants discover their strengths and how to leverage these and identify limiting behaviours so that they continue to grow and develop after the programme finishes.
• Builds an internal network so that there is more cross-departmental promotion of female talent.
• Gives an opportunity to be inspired, encouraged, motivated and held accountable so that the participants become leading role models for your female talent which means that the programme has a ripple effect.
• Participants develop an internal career support network so that they feel less isolated and more supported which means that they are more likely to put themselves forward for more promotion.

The Women In Technology Leadership programme:

• Takes no more than eight candidates so that every candidate has full opportunity to explore her personal ambitions and challenges.
• Includes 1:1 strategy session with each candidate so that she gets clarity on her specific development goals which means that the programme has an increased return on investment.
• A free review and debrief session (no later than 30 days after the final group call) with the programme’s sponsor to discuss effectiveness and next steps for future ROI gain.
• Provides a combination of 1:1 calls with each participant, mini workshops and group discussions over a six month period.

The modules

Ambition	Acknowledge and express career goals & ambitions
Contribution	Recognise values and strengths and how to effectively articulate and communicate these
Purpose	Identify how you engage in the business world and the intended impact on those around you
Success Mindset	Discover how your thoughts, actions and beliefs shape your thinking, your behaviour and your results
Leadership	Appreciate your unique strengths and communication skills to persuade, influence and lead
Balance	Explore the importance of self-care and clear boundaries in the leadership role
Impact	Understand the significance of personal brand and how to increase your influence and impact
Communication	Take a deep dive into the hidden communication and behaviour barriers and how to overcome these
Leverage	Master the art of harnessing relationships and building internal networks
Discomfort Zone	Step into the discomfort zone to prepare for the next steps in your career
Negotiation	Get a fresh perspective on self-advocacy and how to negotiate successfully and effectively
Strategy	Future proof your career by creating a self-development plan to support your full potential

Why invest in your female leadership team

• Organisations that invest in their female talent strengthen their talent pipeline by increasing retention, improving engagement and reducing attrition, which means that they start to close the gender pay gap more quickly and more effectively.
• McKinsey reported that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to outperform against industry medians. A recent study by Morgan Stanley showed that a better balance of men and women in the workforce delivered better returns and were less volatile. The more diverse your team, the better it is for profitability. And we know that shareholders and investors want to see diversity.
• Investing in your female leadership team is good for workplace culture and overall employee retention. Some studies suggest that women leaders are more likely to cultivate potential in others and provide mentorship.
• Your audience is diverse and your products need to be diverse too with evolution and development led by a diverse group otherwise you risk alienating your audience.
• More women = better problem solving. When you blend different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives within a team, there is an increase in cognitive diversity, which can lead to better problem-solving, team performance, and innovation. Harvard Business Review, 2016
• According to the 2016 McQuaig Global Talent Recruitment Report, organisations that have invested in leadership development see a positive effect on recruitment and retention of employees.
• Leadership development programmes have a significant impact on improving corporate culture, bringing about an optimistic influence which means that you increase employee engagement.
• Investment in a women’s leadership programme makes it easier to attract and retain female talent which means that you reduce the cost of attrition and recruitment.

Pricing

The programme can be run in-house which means that we can tailor the modules to suit your company’s specific goals and needs.

However if you’ve never offered a women’s leadership development programme before, it may be overwhelming to start with an in-house initiative. That’s why I offer you the opportunity to send your staff to participate in a public programme.

In-house programme	£20,000 for maximum eight candidates
Public programme	£3,000 per candidate (maximum two candidates)

Next public programme

The next public cohort starts in February 2022. Read more HERE.

Why me

I’m Sherry Bevan and I set up my independent consultancy practice in 2012 after more than 25 years’ leadership experience in technology and professional services.

A former Global Head of IT Service in a City law firm, my practice focuses on partnering with technology companies to help them develop and strengthen their female talent pipeline through leadership programmes, one-to-one coaching and personal development workshops. 

Winner of the Learning Performance Award for Digital Learning Transformation of the Year in February 2021, as pivotal member of Macmillan Cancer Support learning & development team.

Testimonials

“I have been working with Sherry for a year or so now where she has been absolutely instrumental in supporting me to move back to perm (from contracting) and then up to my Director level role – I am grateful that my organisation recognise we need balance up gender in senior roles but there is a long way to go and working with Sherry give me the space to innovate, to express thoughts and share ideas before putting them into action! Everyone needs a Sherry in their life!”
Claire Reeves, Director – Deloitte UK

“Sherry is an incredibly gifted career coach who is also extremely personable and energetic. Through her sessions, Sherry was able to help me reconnect with my passions and my strengths and give me the tools and the confidence I needed. Sherry is an excellent listener and motivator who provides excellent value and has an amazing wealth of knowledge and experience which she is always willing to share. Sherry very clearly has a deep understanding of the challenges women face, especially within technology and the lack in self-confidence and the feeling of overwhelm that goes with the territory. Thanks to her coaching, I was able to think objectively, restore my confidence and discover what attributes I had that could help me succeed.”
Aruna Shah, IT Service Management Specialist – Sheffield City Council

Who else I’ve worked with

Brockton Everlast, Change Specialists, Deloitte, Foot Anstey, Keytree (now part of Deloitte), Kingsley Napley, LionHeart, Macfarlanes, Macmillan Cancer Support, Michelmores and the Service Desk Institute among others.

Next steps

Book a call with me today to discuss how to bring the Women In Technology Leadership programme into your organisation.