Project Example: “Gender Check” at a Research Institute

A research institute specialising in AI and robotics set itself the goal of increasing the proportion of women at all levels from approximately 10% to 25% within a five-year period. To identify the relevant levers at structural, process and cultural levels, a “Gender Fact Check” was initially conducted, focusing on structural and process-related data. Building on this, a “Gender Culture Check” was carried out, with a focus on cultural and leadership-related aspects.

Methodologically, semi-structured interviews were used, conducted across all hierarchical levels and departments with a representative selection of employees. Following the evaluation of the interviews, six key areas for action and specific starting points for advancing gender equality were identified, along with opportunities for a substantial increase in the proportion of women within the organisation.

Mentoring program for women and men

This project at a large public institution initially began as “Mentoring for Women” with the goal of encouraging more women to pursue leadership positions. It was also intended to provide mentees with an opportunity for reflection, allowing them to explore the topic of leadership and decide whether this career path was the right one for them, or whether project management or a specialized career might be a better fit.

After several years of highly successful implementation – a high percentage of participants assumed leadership responsibilities in the following years – the program was also opened to men to address the issue of gender equality. However, the selection of mentees was not based on gender parity but was inversely proportional to the significantly higher proportion of men in leadership positions. Due to the current pandemic situation, the entire program is being conducted virtually. Nevertheless, all sessions are designed to be highly interactive, ensuring strong networking among all participants and mentors.

Mentoring Program Specifically for Women

Design of two mentoring programs and facilitation of all program components for a German bank in Frankfurt.

1. Women’s Mentoring: Department heads mentor high-potential female employees with development needs
2. Mentoring by the Executive Board: Executive board members each mentor one female manager at the department head level

Objective: To develop more women into leadership positions and to promote the visibility and networking of high-potential female employees at the staff and department head levels.

The program not only achieved the stated objectives. Through the accompanying communication strategy, all executives and employees of the group were made aware of the topic of “women in leadership.” As a positive side effect, mentoring as a personnel development tool gained popularity. Additionally, several informal mentoring processes – not requiring a formal program structure – were established through self-organization by both men and women.

International Talks

A three-day conference held under the auspices of an international development cooperation organization, attended by female lawyers from various African countries in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, focused on the topic of equality and equal treatment of female lawyers on the African continent.

The interest of the approximately 40 participants in the FLD presentation focused primarily on the status quo of “gender equality in Germany and Europe,” with a special emphasis on the legal profession. The subsequent training session led by FLD expanded the participants’ skills in the areas of “successful self-marketing and professional networking.”

The establishment of a pan-African network aims to strengthen the professional influence of these women, who, despite their excellent education and, in some cases, high-ranking positions in public institutions, still operate within deeply patriarchal structures.

The next conference to consolidate this important network on the African continent, with FLD’s participation, is already planned: Ghana!

The client – a large retail company

The client – a large retail company – regularly hosts networking events for female executives at various levels of the organization. At one of these networking events, we delivered a presentation on the topic “Mixed Leadership for More Success.” In addition to current scientific findings on the benefits of gender diversity, we discussed obstacles and barriers and presented best-practice examples for increasing the number of women in leadership. Following the presentation, participants engaged in small-group discussions to further explore the ideas presented and identify ways to adapt these measures to their own company.

Project Example: Building Blocks of Gender Equality

An industrial company with a high proportion of male employees and significantly underrepresented women in leadership positions aims to bring the topic of gender equality to the forefront within the organization through an expanded workshop program. Pilot workshops are being used both to introduce the topic and to gauge interest and needs among the workforce. To prevent stereotyping and increase acceptance, the workshops were open to all genders. The one-day workshops on work-life balance, assertiveness, and dealing with power – designed by FLD in close consultation with the client – were very well received, leading to multiple sessions. The workshops identified key areas for action, particularly regarding equal opportunity, which provided the company with valuable insights for its next steps.

Project Example: Leadership Training for Postdocs

A university in southern Germany aims to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching. To this end, a mentoring program for female doctoral candidates and a professional development program for postdocs – including female research group leaders and candidates for habitation – have been launched.

The core component and overarching framework of the entire qualification program, which spans 18 months, consists of three workshops on leadership. In addition to covering the basics of modern leadership, each two-day workshop addresses the specific challenges faced by women in academia. Here, trust and space for reflection on one’s own gender role stereotypes and their impact on (leadership) behaviour were also fostered, and concrete challenges were addressed through simulations and case studies. FLD is now supporting the second cohort, which kicked off in October 2020 with a successful virtual workshop.

“Success Strategies for Women in Business” at a Technical University

This training program was offered as part of the fiMINT cooperation project – Women in Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology – specifically for female early-career researchers in STEM fields. In these disciplines in particular, the proportion of women in the workforce – and even more so in leadership positions at the respective companies and research institutions – remains relatively low. The seminar “Success Strategies for Women in Business” was designed specifically for the target group of female students, graduates, and doctoral candidates to prepare them well for their future careers.

“Women in leadership” for women in middle management in the public sector

Leadership roles and female role models often exist in a particularly tense relationship. The aim of this seminar was therefore to support women in developing an individual leadership style that suits them. The participants already had extensive leadership experience. Key topics of this training included “The Shift in Identity: Leader vs. Family Woman,” “Self-Esteem,” and “Building Effective Social Networks.”

“Success Management for Women” – A Seminar Makes an Impact at a Bank

Over several years, the “Success Management for Women” seminar was implemented very successfully at a bank in Frankfurt. This led to numerous success stories. Several participants were able to secure internal transfers to their desired positions, which often came with additional technical or managerial responsibilities. Other participants pursued part-time continuing education or degree programs or specifically expanded their professional networks. Regular lunches were organized for the steadily growing pool of graduates, creating an additional platform for collegial exchange and advice. Individual participants were also closely supported in their career planning and personal development through coaching processes.

Executive-Level Business Coaching in the Retail Sector

The starting point for the coaching was that the coachee had recently assumed a new position on the executive team. The coaching objectives focused, on the one hand, on establishing the coachee’s role within the management team and, on the other hand, on improving the coachee’s ability to handle stressful and high-pressure situations. Over the course of five half-day sessions, these topics were explored together, and clarity was achieved regarding the dynamics and diversity of interests within the management team. A strategy for collaborating with colleagues was developed jointly, along with alternative courses of action for dealing with attacks and provocations. In addition, specific techniques were learned to remain capable of acting under pressure.

Business Coaching and Strategic Consulting for the Head of Human Resources Development

In this project, the goal was, on the one hand, to support a Head of Human Resources Development in the medical technology sector in her role within a rapidly changing environment and to help her find suitable approaches for fulfilling that role. On the other hand, she sought substantive consulting for the design and implementation of various human resources development initiatives within the company, such as a new leadership development program.

The particular challenge here was to clearly distinguish between the coach’s role in supporting the process and that of the content-based, conceptual consultant to the coach, in order to ensure clarity in the process for both the coach and the coachee.

Team Coaching for Two Team Leaders at a Bank

In this team coaching session, two colleagues – both mothers working 60% of full-time hours – shared a part-time leadership position at the team leader level. The objectives of the process were multifaceted. On the one hand, the goal was to establish a strong, trusting working relationship between the two. Both their respective operational and leadership tasks were defined, and responsibilities were established. On the other hand, the aim was to develop a unified understanding of leadership so that, as a team, they could speak with one voice to employees, their superior, and colleagues.

Presentation coaching for a department head in the insurance industry

Through holistic coaching utilizing a wide range of methods and techniques (including video feedback) and specialized mental coaching, a department head was specifically prepared for her presentation at a staff meeting attended by over a thousand colleagues. She gradually overcame her stage fright and delivered a confident performance.

Career Coaching for a High-Performing Employee in Finance

A young high-Performing employee received one year of career coaching to support her personal development. Based on the results of a leadership potential analysis, the goal was to leverage her identified strengths in a targeted manner and address specific areas for improvement. To strengthen self-management, the coaching began by reflecting on unconscious behavioural and thought patterns and expanding the individual’s behavioural repertoire in this regard. Additionally, techniques for handling conflict situations were taught and successfully implemented in practice. Finally, the coachee was supported in her decision regarding which career path to pursue in the future.

One-on-One Coaching – Taking on the First Leadership Role

Support in taking on the first leadership role – that was the focus of the coaching assignment. The coachee used the coaching sessions to discuss emerging challenges and questions and to develop appropriate approaches for herself. How do I structure the first meeting with the team? How do I handle the employee who also applied for the position? How do I gain an overview of the employees’ professional competencies without coming across as overly controlling? These and other questions were the focus of this coaching session. As a result, the young manager was able to feel more confident in her role, avoid potential missteps, and successfully grow into her new position.

Client in the Nonprofit Sector

A client in the nonprofit sector needed to assess the leadership potential of two female employees and obtain an external recommendation regarding their suitability for leadership roles. For this potential analysis, we adopted a multimodal approach, combining personality and motivation questionnaires, interviews, and role-playing exercises. The assessment focused in particular on the participants’ conflict management skills and assertiveness, as the client had concerns in these areas. As a result, one participant clearly demonstrated her leadership potential and, in particular, her ability to handle conflict. The other participant decided during the process to withdraw her application for the leadership position, as the requirements of the role had become clearer to her.