WOMEN LEADERSHIP
InspireShift offers programs and executive coaching engagements specifically focused on the development of women leaders.
InspireShift’s founder, Arjan Eenkema van Dijk, believes deeply in the empowerment of women and has had a long commitment to this cause. She serves on the Advisory Committee for the Stanford University Clayman Institute for Gender Research and its Center for Women Leadership. She also partners with iRelaunch, the pioneer and leading national return-to-work organization, in a consulting capacity. She is a noted speaker at their conferences at Columbia University and Stanford University and facilitates groups for professionals returning to the workforce.
Our women leadership programs are centered on accelerating women leadership within companies and are co-created with the organizations we serve, taking on different formats and scopes depending on the company’s vision. This process starts with a series of conversations with senior leadership or the Human Resources Department within a company. We develop a clear understanding of the corporate culture, history and context, get to know the stakeholders, help identify learning objectives and select appropriate methodologies to design an effective program. The program design aims to create the greatest possible impact within the provided parameters. Ideas and initiatives are co-created through the above mentioned process to optimally meet the organization’s goals. Below is a sample of concepts.
Coaching Within Organizations
Gain Insight in Diversity and Inclusion
InspireShift develops broad assessments for companies, based on a program of data collection and interviews to gain greater insight in the work environment, employee experiences and perspectives on diversity within the company. Data is gathered through a comprehensive series of interviews and/or surveys with a broader group of employees at all levels within the company or with a selective smaller group of key stakeholders. The information from the interviews will be analyzed, reported and presented to senior leadership and, in collaboration with the Human Resources Department, recommendations will be offered.
Enhance leadership effectiveness through coaching engagement for women leaders
Executive coaching empowers women leaders to maximize their potential and to deliver results with more ease. The process promotes self-awareness, includes customized assessments and develops action-oriented planning, along with constructive feedback and accountability to ensure the most effective results. Clients develop a more authentic leadership style and increase their leadership effectiveness as well as the effectiveness of the teams they manage. Topics can include personal branding, visibility, conversational intelligence, executive presence, confidence, mindset, delegating, leaning in, influencing, negotiation, dealing with conflict and decision making. Also review our executive coaching methodologies for more information. A confidential 360 feedback process helps increase a leader’s understanding of how she is perceived in the organization.
Coaching engagement can be enhanced by:
A confidential 360 feedback process helps increase a leader’s understanding of how she is perceived in the organization. Managers, peers, direct reports and others in the organization are interviewed to discern strengths and areas of development for the participant. Typically certain themes emerge. The 360 feedback will highlight unique strengths to leverage as well as areas of development that a leader may not be aware of, or may not appreciate the consequences of. A 360 can be a catalyst for positive change and coaching on the results of the 360 helps the leader use this information to accelerate advancement.
Workshops
Workshops can be stand-on- its-own learning environments ranging from a 2 – 3 hour session, a full day, or spread out overall several consecutive days. It could also be beneficial to develop a series of workshops interspersed over a broader time interval.
Topics for workshops may include the following
- Communicating with Impact
- Leaning In
- Developing a Powerful Mindset
- Enhancing Executive Presence
- Conversational Intelligence
- Championing Ideas
- Establishing a Personal Brand
- Managing Up and Leading Down
- Making Successful Transitions
Group Coaching
Group coaching provides an effective and cost-efficient methodology to further women leadership capabilities within an organization. Group Coaching typically consists of a small number of participants who meet on a regular basis to engage in and learn about a diverse range of topics.
Group coaching brings the coaching conversation into a small group context, which delivers an intimate conversation space focused on goal setting, deepening awareness around key issues, taking action and accountability. Participants benefit from peer learning and the “collective wisdom” of the group. It provides time to reflect and integrate insights.
Organizations may find benefit due to the scalable nature of the process, opening up communication between silos or group members in different parts of the organization. Engaging in constructive dialogue about leadership, challenges and opportunities will encourage collaboration among women leaders and further the development of productive peer connections and support within the company. Over time, these relationships create a valuable network across an organization, benefiting both the organization and individual participants.