EXCERPTS OF OUR PREVIOUS PROJECTS

Gender equality building blocks

An industrial company with a significantly higher proportion of men in management positions than women wanted to raise awareness for the topic of gender equality by offering a wide range of workshops on the topic. The pilot versions of the workshops were used to introduce employees to the topic and determine the interest in and demand for the workshops within the workforce. To avoid stereotypes and increase acceptance, the workshops were open to all genders. The one-day workshops on the topics of work-life balance, assertiveness and dealing with power, which FLD designed in close consultation with the client, were very well received and therefore held several times. The workshops revealed areas requiring action and highlighted the lack of equal opportunities for men and women, which provided the company with valuable insights for further action.

Leadership training for postdocs

A university in southern Germany wanted to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching. To achieve this goal, two FLD programs were launched: a mentoring program for female doctoral students and a qualification program for postdocs.

The 18-month qualification program consisted of three leadership workshops. In addition to covering the fundamentals of modern leadership, each of the two-day workshops addressed challenges women in academia face. The workshops enabled participants to reflect on the gender role stereotypes they adopted and how they impacted their professional (leadership) behavior. Exercises and simulations were used to work through the challenges the participants faced. After a successful first round of trainings, the client commissioned another round of virtual workshops with FLD, which started in October 2020.

 

"Success Strategies for Women in Business" at a technical university

The training was offered as part of the "FiMINT" project. FiMINT is the German abbreviation for "women in mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology." The proportion of women in these disciplines, and even more so in management positions at research institutions and cooperations, is still relatively low. The seminar "Success Strategies for Women in Business" is aimed at female (graduate) students and doctoral candidates in the aforementioned disciplines and is designed to prepare them for the career paths that lie ahead of them.

 

"Women in Leadership" for women in middle management in the public sector

The aim of the training was to support women in developing their individual leadership styles - most of the participants already had extensive leadership experience. Other topics that were discussed: "changing identity: running a business- running a household," "working on your self-esteem" and "building functioning social networks."

 

"Success Management for Women" - a seminar has a great impact at a German bank

For several years, our training "Success Management for Women" was conducted at a bank in Frankfurt - with great success. Several participants were promoted to their desired positions in the company, which often involved increased leadership responsibilities. Others enrolled in part-time training courses, continued their education and expanded their networks. Lunches were organized for the women from the ever-growing pool of training graduates, providing a platform for peer group exchange and advice. In addition, some participants were closely supported in their career planning and personal development through FLD's coaching programs.

Business coaching for a new executive in the trading industry

The coachee had just started a new position in management and wanted to work on her ability to handle stressful high-pressure situations and gain clarity about her position in the management team. In five half-day sessions, strategies for acting under pressure and dealing with attacks and provocations were developed. In addition, the team dynamics and various interests of the management team were analyzed and a strategy for working with colleagues was created.

Business coaching and conceptual consulting for the head of human resources development

In this project, we supported our client, the head of HR development at a medical technology company, in adapting to her rapidly changing work environment and helped her find the best way to fulfill her role in the company. In addition, our client wanted advice on the design and implementation of various HR development measures within the company, such as a new leadership development program. The challenge of this project was to separate the process-accompanying role of the coach from that of the content-related and conceptual consultant. This was to ensure clarity in the process for both the coach and the coachee.

Team coaching for two team leaders at a bank

The coachees, two colleagues, both mothers and working 60% of the regular hours, shared a part-time leadership position at the team leader level. There were numerous coaching goals. First and foremost, they wanted to build a good working relationship based on trust. This included jointly defining operational and leadership tasks and their responsibilities. They also wanted to develop a unified leadership style and voice that they could present themselves with to employees, superiors, and colleagues.

Presentation coaching for a department head in the insurance industry

A department head wanted our support preparing for a presentation for a staff meeting with over a thousand colleagues. Through our holistic coaching approach, which includes a wide variety of methods and techniques such as video feedback, and mental coaching our client was able to overcome her stage fright and deliver a confident performance.

Career coaching for a high-potential client in finance

Our client, a young high potential woman, received a year of career coaching to support her personal development. The goal of the coaching was to make targeted use of the client's strengths which were determined in a leadership potential analysis and to work on the identifdied areas requiring action. Her unconscious behavioral and thought patterns were reflected upon and her behavioral repertoire was expanded accordingly. In addition, techniques for dealing with conflict situations were taught and successfully implemented by her. Finally, the coachee was supported in deciding which career path to pursue in the future.

 

Individual coaching - taking on the first leadership role

Our client had just taken on her first leadership role and wanted our support in dealing with the emerging challenges of her new position and develop appropriate courses of action. Some of the topics discussed were: how to structure your first team meeting, how to deal with a colleague who applied for the same position and how to get an overview of your employees' professional competencies without being too controlling. The result of the coaching was that the coachee felt empowered in her new leadership position, was able to grow into her new role and avoid pitfalls.

Client in the non-profit sector

A client from the non-profit sector wanted to determine the leadership potential of two female employees and obtain an external recommendation regarding their suitability for a leadership role. For this potential analysis, we chose a multimodal approach and put together a combination of personality and motivation questionnaires, interviews and role simulations. The focus of the assessment was on the participants' ability to deal with conflict and their assertiveness, as there were some concerns on the client’s part. The outcome of the assessment was that one participant demonstrated strong leadership potential and a remarkable ability to deal with conflict. The other participant decided to withdraw her application for the position, as the requirements of the role became clearer to her during the process.