150. How do you know if you need a female focused leadership development programme?

How do you know if you need a female focused leadership development programme with Alex Greenwood.   Today we are talking about those leadership development programmes that are designed to help high performers learn the skills and strategies to further their career and be the best leader they can be.  The main topic of this discussion today is whether we really need these types of programmes that are for women only? You can probably guess my own personal opinion on this topic seen as though I have my RiSE group programme for visible leadership which I have been running internally for many organisations including housing and we now offer this as a collaboration for different housing associations to come together and share a group so that women are already networking across their sector before we've been got to the visibility and networking techniques! It's really great and I love love facilitating it - I think for me the best bit is when I see the women grow.  They grow in themselves, in their confidence but also in how they recognise their strengths and that its ok to show others what they are capable of! The absolute impact and influence that ambitious women can have in organisations is pretty off the charts when they are given the opportunity to shine and rise! So what better person to talk to about these types of leadership development programmes than the incredible Alex Greenwood who I have known for a good number of years now.   Alex started her career working within sport and hospitality in operational roles. She then moved into the HR profession and has over 20 years experience. She has progressed her career into senior HR roles working within different industries / sectors. She has been accountable for the full people infrastructure within SME Businesses and has a breadth of knowledge within the HR space.   We would love to hear from you and your ideas or experience on the ideas we discuss on today's show - come and connect with us both over on Linkedin and drop us a message or even better share this episode and get others talking about this all important topic!    -------------------- We have recently finished the RiSE for Visible Leadership April cohort coaching programme which had ambitious women from different Housing Associations and they have been taking actions they never dreamed they would in terms of visibility and self promotion - it's a win win for both them and their organisation!   The following episodes are exploring the importance of visible leadership in housing for women's progression.  Tune in and let us know you what you think! There are 4 women in this mini series you can get to know better; Ep 147 Intro and why visibility is important for women in housing with Gemma Stow  Ep 148 with Sarah Roxby, Executive Director for Housing from WDH Ep 149 with Teagan Robinson, Diversity and Inclusion Manager from Anchor  Ep 150 with Alex Greenwood, Senior People Business Partner from Places for People  Ep 151 with Nina Evison,  Executive Director Culture & Performance from Yorkshire Housing    What is RiSE for Women in Housing? The housing association collaborative RiSE programme for visible leadership has a proven success rate previously internally in housing associations and it helps support women to own their expertise, identify barriers for self promotion and increase their visibility so that they can develop their career progression within the company. The impact of the programme for housing associations include: Increased retention of top female talent Promotions of more women into senior roles Reduction in the gender pay gap Pro active employees ready to take on new opportunities Talented employees who feel confident to speak up and share opinions and ideas in meetings More female role models who showcase their own achievements and are not backing away from self promotion Committed and motivated staff who want to progress their careers at their company Increased business opportunities from women getting more involved in networking to promote their company and its values. Some HAs have found the programme so successful that they have us facilitate internal cohorts every year.    If you can think of women in your organisation who are struggling to own and showcase their experience, are not taking control over their career or are avoiding next level opportunities and you'd like to discuss putting them into RiSE to help them achieve their potential, reduce recruitment costs and attrition then get in touch - email me at [email protected] or direct message me in LinkedIn. Let's get more diversity around those decision making tables and more importantly let's create inclusive workplaces that recognise everyone for who they are and the value they bring.   #Resources for YOU and your team! Click HERE to get the monthly 'Visibility Matters' Newsletter > that shares the latest around the gender pay gap, visibility, allyship, self promotion  and good practice that is happening all over the place that support more women to step up and companies to recognise the value they bring.     Take the Test > How good is your visibility and personal branding quiz?    Book a chat with Gemma - This is the place to book a call to see how Gemma can help you or your company support female leaders to raise their profile, increase performance and visibility.   Get the White Paper > ‘Visibility at Work: The Importance of Self Promotion for Women’s Career Progression   I want to hear from YOU so get in touch with me:   Connect with your host Gemma Stow: Website: https://www.gemmastow.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmastow/ LinkedIn: Business Page https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmastow/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gemmastow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomorehidingco