Page 6 - Module 6 - Downloadable Workbook

Development & Promotion Checklist – Part 2
Sponsoring & Promotion
• The genders tend to emphasise different leadership behaviours – be on the look out for different types of leadership potential, A mix of strengths leads to the strongest team overall. Integrate these different types of leadership into your promotion selection criteria.
• Review your team through a gender balance lens when selecting sponsorship candidates. Check that you’re not unconsciously selecting someone just because they remind you of yourself or your way of doing things.
• Remember that while the genders have similar levels of ambition, women’s gender boxes make it less comfortable for them to display their ambition. You may need to ask a woman more than once to accept a promotion, or look to tweak the offer so that she feels she can accept.
• Consider that people may have different career cycles to the traditional ladder. Some time away from work does not mean people have not grown or developed new skills during that time. The question is who is doing the best job, not who has been in the office the most.
• Look for opportunities to proactively sponsor a balance of high potential individuals, whose talent may otherwise be overlooked. Who in your team will you sponsor next?
Monitoring
• Measure your team’s gender jaws to identify any points where you are losing balance. Continue to measure your gender jaws regularly to track your progress.
• Monitor the gender balance of stretch assignments, development opportunities and promotions.
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