Creating Equitable Access
to Advance for a Client’s Affinity Population
A Case Study By Marie Deveaux
ABOUT THE CLIENT
The client is a multinational communications, public relations, advertising and technology holding company.
PARTNERING WITH HIGH TIDES
Our client partnered with High Tides Consulting in order to create and expand a cohort of ethnic minority women in their North American market. The initiative had been piloted one year prior and was part of the larger company goal and initiative to create a more inclusive culture of belonging that is both equitable and respectful of diversity of thought as well as individual expression.
The main goal of our work together was to develop a comprehensive leadership development program that would allow this communications company to accomplish its objectives:
- Get support for the next phase/cohort, and garner support from sponsors and managers, and acknowledge the program significance in the portfolio.
- Share the need for having safe spaces that speak to the nuance of leadership across identity markers (race and gender)
- Create effective sponsor/protege relationships that grow beyond the 8-week program
- Create a space within the company umbrella where Black women feel supported, have greater access to leadership and no longer feel overlooked and underserved
IN-DEPTH DISCOVERY
High Tides Consulting conducted a series of in-depth discovery interviews which included the following:
- A thorough review of existing content that was being shared with Black women within the confines of their current cultural programming
- Qualitative research, including listening sessions with leadership, participants in the pilot group, former facilitators and coaches and project managers to understand the current drivers, motivations and challenges for this affinity group population
- A review of previous quantitative data from both organization wide engagement surveys as well as pilot participant feedback to better understand discrepancies in the experience of an inclusive work environment
- Attendance at pilot program graduation for context related to key stakeholders and opportunities for further internal sponsorship of the initiative
After 5 months of discovery with the client, the result was an 8 weeklong detailed custom curriculum for a cohort of 24 Black women across the company subsidiaries. The program curriculum focused on supporting participants in the crafting and execution of a personalized leadership growth plan, executive sponsor relationships and weekly group coaching sessions to foster psychological safety, community and emotional resilience in their workplace.
PROGRAM GOALS
- Exploring leadership through a trauma informed lens
- Learning and practicing tools for creating resilience in conversations about difference
- Fostering a deep sense of Black womxn community in the communications industry
- Building authentic sponsor relationships that are authentic and sustainable beyond the 8-week cohort curriculum
- Every participant creating SMART goals to create measurable milestones that align with broader career objectives
- Providing opportunities for participants to practice self-advocacy and allyship in a community of peers
- Each participant identifying personal influencing powers and elements of executive presence to position their upward mobility, promotion and other project-based opportunities
The program not only provides weekly community space for affiliation and communication for members of the identity group, but also provides individual 1:1 executive leadership coaching support for every woman as well. Women were provided post work resources to continue their learning and growth between sessions to support them in identifying their career needs and empowering them to actively advocate for themselves with managers, sponsors and other executives across the organization.
CONCLUSION
At the conclusion of the program High Tides collected another round of survey data regarding the outcomes of the program and leveraged them to extend recommendations for another iteration of the program the following year. To date, more than 30% of the women who participated in the 8-week program have been either promoted or offered a new career opportunity.
The program was extended to a 12-week cycle, with longer durations each week in order to accommodate the desire women had to extend the psychologically safe container they were able to experience during the cohort period.
Additionally, High Tides recommended additional programming to support sponsors, and managers in supporting the culture crafted with the cohort model to support ongoing development of psychologically safe spaces where employees who identify as racial or ethnic minorities can feel empowered and safe enough to engage more fully in the work environment.
Several recommendations have already been implemented (including more training for Sponsors on how to be more effective), helping our client move forward in their DEIJ journey with a focus on advancing a culture of inclusion and belonging for all employees.
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