Women leaders in science and tech
Available in-house UK-wide
Equiping talented women to become the next generation of successful leaders and role models in science, technology, engineering and IT.
- Improve personal impact and get listened to
- Build and manage an effective team
- Develop a strategic mindset
- Navigate male-dominated cultures
About the course
Course overview
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It has been widely recognised that women are under-represented in engineering, technology and science in general, and in leadership roles within these sectors in particular. Part of the reason for this is the difficulty many women have in entering and navigating a male dominated culture. The low numbers of women in leadership roles can contribute to this culture, and also make it harder for aspiring female leaders to identify role models to follow.
In order to succeed in this environment, women need to be confident and assertive, as well as possess a range of skills to manage other people and play the political game successfully. The purpose of this programme is to develop the leadership skills, capability and confidence of aspiring women leaders so that they can flourish as leaders today, and provide superb role models for women in engineering, technology and science in the future.
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It will help them achieve:
- Increased assertiveness and confidence
- Ability to navigate the political landscape
- Ability to think more strategically
- Confidence to tackle difficult issues with their manager and / or colleagues
- Improved interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to handle pressure and increase their resilience
- Increased presence in the workplace.
- Enthusiasm to take on more responsibilities
- More focus
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Programme outline
The programme typically comprises 3 days with additional coaching sessions, and will cover the three key areas of:
- Increasing personal impact
- Leadership & Management
- Strategy, power and politics
The sessions have a mix of theory and practical exercise so that all the learning is applied to their day-to-day situations. Individuals are encouraged to complete an Action Plan to try new behaviours and skills back at work.
Key characteristics of the programme
- The individual coaching sessions enable delegates to focus on individual issues.
- The group environment enables delegates to share common experiences while relating the material to their own work environment
- Additional reading material enables delegates to explore the subjects covered to stretch and challenge their thinking.
In detail
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The primary purpose of this section is to:
Enable delegates to increase their visibility and operate more confidently within a male environment.
The session will cover:
- Increasing personal impact
- Recognising unconscious gender bias
- Enhancing visibility and voice
- Identifying preferred influencing style and how to adapt it (questionnaire completed before the course)
- Communicating assertively
- Five communication styles and how to spot and use each one
- Handling conflict confidently
- Tackling tricky conversations
- Action planning
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The primary purpose of this session is to:
Help delegates develop leadership and management practices that fit with their personal preferences and the team they’re working with to achieve objectives.
The session will cover:
- Engagement science – understanding engagement of teams and motivating individuals within teams
- Leadership behaviours, skills and knowledge
- Leading in a man’s world – identify the areas where women traditionally lack power as leaders and learn how to overcome common obstacles to success
- Management – what does it mean and how do we do it?
- Setting objectives within a flexible research-orientated culture
- Developing an adaptive leadership style
- Action planning
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The primary purpose of this section is to:
Help delegates identify the power networks, navigate the political landscape and build networks that support and help them move forward as women leaders in the future.
The session will cover:
- Strategic thinking and planning
- Seeing the bigger picture
- Power and politics
- Understanding the political landscape and how to influence it
- Increasing your personal profile in the work environment
- Building networks, coalitions and support processes
- Developing personal resilience
- Action planning
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Coaching sessions
Each delegate also receives one-to-one coaching session with the course trainer and qualified coach, Kate. The coaching is entirely tailored to them, providing an opportunity to focus on their specific needs. It can help bring fresh perspectives on personal challenges, greater interpersonal effectiveness, and increased resilience and confidence at work. They might also choose to focus on career development or voice coaching – depending on the needs. Delegates say that they find this session an extremely useful part of the programme, enabling their learning to be further applied and embedded.
We can also base this session around feedback from one of a range of psychometrics and questionnaires, including:
- A 360-degree Emotional Intelligence report (completed by a range of colleagues and stakeholders that the individual works with, focussing on different aspects on Emotional Intelligence)
- Traditional 360-degree appraisal
- StrengthsFinder® skills assessment based on the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment
- DISC
- … and other options depending on your needs
Course leader
Feedback
“This course was unlike any other I have been on and it has been nothing short of transformational for me! I am weaving aspects of it into areas of my life both inside and outside of work with great effect. Being able to openly share experiences with other women on the course was enlightening, particularly discussing challenging situations we have encountered and how we have dealt with them. During the course we established an ongoing network to support and motivate one another in applying the practical strategies and techniques as we go forward with our careers. Rather than being spoon-fed information or told what was best for us, Kate – as an incredibly insightful leader – engaged with each one of us throughout. This created a dynamic environment enabling us to find many of the answers or solutions ourselves, with the guidance of Kate. I am noticeably more confident and self-aware since I took part on the course and feel empowered to develop my career in a way that plays to my strengths and embraces change.”
Dr. Rachel Cavanagh, British Antarctic Survey
Additional learning resources
Post-course support
We understand that your professional development doesn’t end when you walk out of the classroom. The time you’ve put in will only make a real impact if your learning is carried into the way you work. That’s why we offer post-course support in implementing your new skills, for as long as required. Your trainer is available to discuss problems, provide advice or offer feedback until you feel confident on your own.
E-learning package
This course also includes access to a range of additional e-learning resources, includingarticles, videos, interviews and other useful tools around the topics covered for delegates to draw on for inspiration and ideas going forward.
In-house courses at your offices
If you have any questions or if you would like to speak to one of our other trainers about how this course could work for your organisation please get in touch. We can deliver the course at your offices, anywhere in the UK – and beyond.
In most cases we can provide an all-inclusive quote to cover design, delivery and materials with some basic information:
- Which course you are interested in
- Where the course would take place
- How many delegates need to be trained
Just drop us a line with these basic facts and we’ll get back to you with a no-obligation quote on the same day.
