Global Women's Leadership Network - Pink Paper

#3: Offer growth assignments for women to learn new skills and gain experience and adopt robust mentorship programs GWLN members suggested that credit unions can foster a culture of professional development by offering growth assignments to women to gain skills and experience. GWLN members recommend that growth assignments should be recognized in an employee’s work plan and annual review, with performance-based rewards dedicated to those who choose to take on these assignments. Credit unions must make time for these assignments, rather than adding them on top of employees’ existing work. Some credit unions may be hesitant to offer growth assignments because they require work to be assigned elsewhere. However, the benefits are clearly multiplied: as senior leaders hand off assignments to managers, those executives can prioritize other tasks while at the same time growing future women leaders. Bold, innovative organizations are willing to take these risks, recognizing the benefits. GWLN members suggest that credit unions establish more robust in-house mentorship programs to complement activities through GWLN. Credit unions should ensure mentorship programs include intentional, structured commitments rather than serve as casual get-togethers that lack formalized plans or fail to measure progress. Some practical steps are included in the following box. WHAT WOMEN CAN DO TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP #1: Advocate for yourself – get in the room If women are not in the room to advocate for themselves or for other women, they may miss key opportunities for advancement. Some women even described how they needed men to advocate for them or nominate them, otherwise they would not have received the same chances to access leadership, including executive and board positions. Women’s advancement in leadership tends to depend upon men to a greater extent than men’s advancement depends upon women. Some feel it is riskier to put women candidates forward for leadership positions, especially if they have fewer years of experience or have stepped away from their careers for other life events, such as education or family caregiving. “You can’t progress if you don’t get a swing for that job when it becomes available.” “It’s easy for you to go to bat for me when I’m standing next to you. But when I am not there, do you still push me forward?” MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS I n r ob u st me n to r shi p pr og ra ms, me n to r s an d me n tees sho u ld : • agree learning goals; • establish regular cadence of meetings; • identify gaps and opportunities for development; • allow ample time for relationships to deepen; • set up metrics to measure growth; and • decide whether to renew and re- establish new goals or bring the mentorship to a conclusion. “Even if something is outside a woman’s area of expertise, putting a woman in charge so she can grow and then support her [will] get her involved and exposed across different areas of expertise.” “Grow talent by offering assignments that enable women to build new skills, gain experience, and acquire visibility in the credit union.” 10 | 2021 GWLN Pink Paper