Women helping women
An american survey conducted by Arturo Casadevall (Albert Einstein College of Medicine) and Jo Handelsman (Yale University) proved that women at the top make it easier for other women to find a job. They found that when 1 out of 2 supervisors was a woman, there were almost 20% more women on the scene. When a woman was in the organisational team, the chance at a symposium with only male speakers decreased as well.
Sonja Rottiers, CFO at Axa, doesn’t find this surprising. Being president of vzw Women On Board she searches out women who are interested on filling the seats on several boards. “The cliche that we discriminate against each other has always astounded me. On the contrary: during my career of 28 years I have always found that women support each other. I do it myself as well: when I receive a male and a female application of mostly equal skills I will choose the latter more easily.”
According to Liesbeth Dillen, who was a top dog at IKEA for years and now leads She Works With Women, this so-called extreme competition between women is a thing of the past. “In the 80’s and 90’s they had to really fight to get somewhere and others thought that that was completely normal. But that was back then. Economical circumstances nowadays make such exclusions a waste of time and talent.“
Your Trainer Gwen Rhys
Gwen Rhys is acknowledged to be one of the most well-connected people in London. Her personal network of relationships, build over a career spanning more than 40 years, is both broad and deep.
She reframes networking as a positive business tool and enables both introverts and extroverts to build, nurture and leverage their personal, professional and organisational network of connections. Gwen has also founded several networks, most notably Women in the City an award-winning organisation that champions female talent.
Worked for (amongst others): some of the world’s largest corporates including pharmaceutical, retail, leisure, technology (ICI, Shell, Astra Zeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Intel, Marks & Spencer, Dorchester Group); Universities including the London Business School, Cranfield Business School, Oxford Brookes; professional and financial services firms such as Barclays Bank, Lloyds Bank, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Alliance Bernstein, BDO Stoy Hayward, Withers; Charities including British Heart Foundation and Wellbeing for Women; trade and business associations, SMEs and individuals.
She has also built business relationships with Google, AXA, Lloyds of London, Jaguar, ICAEW, Bulgari, Boodles, Coutts, Heidrick & Struggles, Towergate, Univerity of Chicago School of Business, Norman Broadbent, Wine Australia, Penna, Bryan Cave, Capgemini, Barclays Wealth).
Training
Your Network
When it comes to building, nurturing and leveraging your network of relationships, quality outweighs quantity and the old maxim of it’s not what you know but who you know isn’t always helpful either. In larger businesses, who knows you is far better measure of your potential success. It’s less about networking the room and more about being in the right room. Many people are happy with the idea of building a network, most are happy with the idea that you need to nurture your relationships but women are often less comfortable about leveraging – maximising – those relationships for their personal gain.
The session will enable you to understand what makes an effective networker and help you to build powerful connections to meet your business (and personal) objectives. This is a highly inter-active workshop.
Learning objectives:
• you understand the 5 key characteristics of an effective networker
• you develop the mind-set, behaviours and values of an effective networker
• you can identify key connections within their network of relationships
• you can measure the outcomes of their networking activities
Max. 20 participants
Duration: 3 hours
Course materials included.
Masterclass
Your Network
Networking; there are so many opportunities to network out there but which ones are best for you and your objectives? Before the masterclass there will be an intake in which an analysis of your current network will be made and a tailored advisement for each participant on what networks will be best for your objectives.
The results of this intake conversation will be presented and discussed in the masterclass. During the masterclass we will then start working on your personal networking strategy. We will then look at your objectives, your current network and personal development plan once more. After that, we will create a plan of action to activate your network. This will start working for you as an ambassador and help you achieve your goals. This masterclass is based on practicality. The emphasis will be on how to enhance your results without losing your authenticity or feeling you have to sell yourself.
Learning objectives:
• You will know which networks fit your personal objectives best
• You will be able to activate your network on your own
• You will be capable to formulate and transfer your own proposition, target group and business-associated goals (so then can then sell yourself to others)
• You will understand the principle of ‘stop cold acquisition and start being asked to the table’
• You will have created ambassadors within your personal network
Max. 6 participants
Duration: 2,5 days
• 1 day at the client’s location for the intake conversations considering the network plan (about 1.5 hours per participant)
• 1 day Masterclass session
• 2.5 hours as sort of a reunion to share experiences and to adjust (if necessary) your plan of action
Coaching
Your Network
It is also possible to have a tailor-made one-on-one coaching session. You decide on topics and content of this session together with the trainer. The coaching session is set a convenient date and time for both you and the trainer.
Just 1 participant
Duration: at least 3 hours