The organization approaches its journey toward workplace inclusion in much the same way.

According to Chairman and CEO Mike Hsu:

We are guided by our purpose of delivering Better Care for a Better World. It drives everything we do. We are proud of the work our team does for Global Inclusion Week. It’s important to our employees and enables us to live our values.

In 2023, Kimberly-Clark’s Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity (IE&D) team delivered a company-wide Global Inclusion Week. This large-scale, global endeavor began as a single virtual Town Hall meeting just three years prior, on the heels of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US.

Global Inclusion Week included presentations open to all employees on challenging topics like “Women and Intersectionality,” “Destigmatizing Mental Health,” “Creating a Speak-Up Culture,” and “Covering” in the workplace. To help maintain momentum, participants received “Power Packs,” on-demand learning resources with summaries and links to programming, recommended go-forward plans, conversation starters, and a mental health check-in guide.

A major emphasis of Global Inclusion Week was engaging mill workers, who make up a large portion of Kimberly-Clark’s employee population. To reach them, the IE&D team worked cross-functionally to create touchpoints within the (often 24-hour) manufacturing environment. From a logistics perspective, they asked that planned maintenance in the plant’s operating schedule, when machines are down, fall during Global Inclusion Week where possible, and that events be streamed in mill conference rooms. Mill employees were also asked to tap into their creativity by contributing to colorful banners decorated to celebrate different aspects of employee identities—which were crafted in partnership with La Casa de Carlota, the first design studio in the world to have creatives with intellectual disabilities on its team. Lastly, the IE&D team provided topical thought-starters for mill leaders to share at pre-shift stand-ups, and “caring conversation” guides to help employees discuss their experiences on topics like the importance of psychological safety or trusted relationships with leaders.

These efforts paid off. More than 2,000 of the 6,800 Kimberly-Clark employees who participated in Global Inclusion Week were mill staff, representing a 1,900% year-over-year increase in attendance by manufacturing employees and a 120% increase in engagement overall. Every event was rated 90% or higher, meaning employees considered the content moderately to highly valuable.

Positively impacting frontline employees is an overarching goal for Kimberly-Clark, says Gary Short, Director, IE&D Organizational Effectiveness Leader, whose work focuses exclusively on mill culture. “As we saw in the pandemic, frontline workers really keep the lights on.” So, when engagement survey results indicated there could be improvement for mill employees on the inclusion indices, the IE&D team set out to make changes. Says Short, “We conduct assessments to see where each mill is from a culture perspective—what’s going well and what could be improved—then we help develop programs and strengthen capabilities to move toward a more inclusive culture.”

Like all culture-related work, explains Short, nothing happens instantly:

There’s no light-switch moment, but there has already been improvement. We’re piloting flex work programs for people with family responsibilities. We’ve also developed lots of mentoring programs…but we’re always asking ourselves, ‘How can we do better when it comes to recruiting and maintaining the best talent?’ It’s a journey, and we just have to stay focused.

Whether on the manufacturing floor or in the executive suite, for two employees who took part in the Destigmatizing Mental Health panel, the ability to bring their whole selves to work is reflective of Kimberly-Clark’s culture.

Tammy Aguilar, Beech Island Operational Excellence (OPEX) Change Agent Leader, felt so passionate about the topic of mental health that she started an Employee Resource Group (ERG) called HOPE (which stands for “Happiness. Optimism. Peace. Empowerment.”), just for her mill. She says, “I’ve experienced firsthand how difficult it is to navigate life’s challenges when you’re struggling with your own battles. If my experience can help others when they feel helpless, then it’s worth sharing.” Response has been nothing but positive, says Aguilar: “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the support and reaction to HOPE, and the growth I have seen from leaders and fellow team members when it comes to understanding the mental health of others.”

Aguilar reports that HOPE supplies resources and support through sharing sessions, “where we provide a safe space for people to share what they’re struggling with, or what they survived.” HOPE also offers focused activities, tips, webinars and more for all employees, in support of Mental Health Awareness Month (May) and Suicide Prevention Month (September).

Regarding her company’s culture, Aguilar says:

It’s so important that we can be open and honest with one another because we may not know what people are dealing with in their lives. It makes me proud when I see my colleagues show genuine care for one another, even in small everyday ways. These things matter, and K-C culture created the environment to allow it.

Dan Howell, VP, Managing Director UK & Ireland says, of his motivation to talk about mental health on a global stage, “I wanted to role model a more vulnerable and open leadership approach to mental health, especially as a man talking openly about my journey… hopefully inspiring other men to be more open.”

And on the importance of inclusion, Howell says:

I believe strongly that business should be a force for good and see this in K-C as a strong value and differentiator to our peers. Making sure everyone feels they can be their amazingly unique self at work feels very aligned to what K-C stands for, and it aligns strongly to my own personal values. I also see strong performance benefits of being more inclusive; fully embracing and leveraging our differences can help us innovate better, move faster, and solve bigger, more complex problems.

Better Care for a Better World evokes Kimberly-Clark’s culture, purpose, and values, infusing care into everything they do. It is the underlying principle behind the IE&D team’s work to ensure all employees have the resources and space they need to have caring conversations, and behind the efforts of employees like Tammy Aguilar and Dan Howell, who are sharing their personal stories to help grow what Howell calls “Kimberly-Clark’s heritage of care.” And with care factored into every endeavor, Kimberly-Clark’s journey toward a whole-hearted, inclusive culture is sure to succeed.

The post Kimberly-Clark: Better Care for a Better World appeared first on Catalyst.

Be of service to others. As a young man, I recall hearing the late Zig Ziglar say, ‘You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.’ This still drives me today. It’s sound advice that stands the test of time regardless of where someone is in their career.

When you look at the efforts Humana—a leading health and well-being company, and the fifth largest health insurance provider in the United States by membership—has championed to provide equitable access to healthcare for its 17.1 million members, and equal access to growth opportunities for its 67,100 employees (particularly those from marginalized communities), it’s clear that Broussard is still leading by that lesson.

One notable example is The CEO Experience: a gender-inclusive program for high-potential Humana employees representative of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) populations, developed to aid participants’ career growth and boost their advancement potential within the organization. The experience is just one component of Humana’s Diverse Talent Strategy: a shared partnership (and accountability) between the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Enterprise People and Effectiveness teams, with the goal of increasing access and accelerating outcomes for diverse talent.

The CEO Experience comprises two cohorts: the CEO Mentorship Experience and the CEO Sponsorship Experience. The two are distinct but have common elements; participants in both groups have access to group mentoring sessions with Broussard, as well as individual mentor or sponsor relationships with senior leaders, career coaching, formalized leadership development training, and more. In addition, sponsorship group participants (Broussard’s protégés) take part in one-on-one mentoring sessions with the CEO and receive supplemental training in areas like executive communication, enterprise strategy, and digital business transformation.

In 2021, 41 BIPOC leaders (from Director to AVP levels)—half of whom identified as women—were enrolled in The CEO Experience, following a rigorous nomination process. Thirty-four participants joined the mentorship group and seven others participated in the sponsorship group. This collective of up-and-coming leaders has largely stayed at Humana, with a 90% retention rate among them and 29% experiencing role movement (inclusive of promotions and lateral moves).

As Broussard sees it, the program is as beneficial to him as it is to the participants:

Relationships are at the heart of Humana’s business. The CEO Experience allows me to build meaningful relationships with individuals across the company and support them in their growth and development journey as leaders. The exchange of ideas that occurs helps not only the protégés, but also helps me better understand the needs of employees and remove barriers to their success.

Two participants from the 2021 sponsorship cohort report that their 10-month journey was more than supportive, even going beyond career-enhancing. According to Tasha Coppin, Director, Care Management, Special Needs Program, “It was life-changing.”

Coppin and her colleague, Marcus Taylor, AVP and Georgia Market President, CenterWell Senior Primary Care, credit the program for equipping them to take on new career challenges, helping them develop a leadership mindset, and allowing opportunities for exposure and meaningful exchanges with executives they would not have otherwise had.

An especially impactful component of the CEO Sponsorship Experience is the enterprise project challenge, in which protégés collaborate to solve a real-world business need. Taylor, who has been with Humana for two years, remarked that the relationships he developed with his fellow participants—particularly as they worked together on a solution to the enterprise project challenge—might be the most valuable aspect of the program for him:

The relationships I formed with my cohort were invaluable and cherished. It reminded me of the power of combining diverse perspectives and expertise—there was healthy conflict, shared leadership, and collaboration. This group of leaders from all corners of Humana came together and successfully developed and sold a concept that will lead to digital transformation throughout our organization. I will never forget the experiences and lessons we shared along our journey.

Coppin, who has been with the company for more than 12 years, noted that the enterprise project was also extremely impactful for her, but for different reasons:

The program did two things really well. First, it helped us develop an executive mindset through formal trainings like the two-day executive communications course we participated in. And second, it gave us opportunities for exposure and interaction with leaders across the organization through the enterprise project. We sought their feedback on our approaches and proposed solutions, and in turn, learned how they look at problems through an executive lens. I heard some version of ‘start small’ or ‘you’re trying to solve too many problems, think smaller’ from at least three different leaders. That was an aha moment for me.

She continues:

Humana’s mission is to put our members first. They are at the center of everything we do. One of the greatest takeaways I got from the program is that, as a leader, you do that differently than you would as an operational employee. Leaders have to stop and ask, ’What is the problem we’re solving and for whom? Are we sure it’s a problem?’ Now, with my team, those are the questions I ask. It’s better to solve one small problem that positively impacts our members’ experiences, or even their lives, than waste time and resources building a big solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.

Taylor agrees that The CEO Experience did much to broaden his perspective, while affirming his belief in Humana as an industry-leading catalyst for change:

The CEO Experience reminded me to remain intellectually curious and to stridently seek understanding of the enterprise picture. Doing so informs how you lead, coach, and develop teams on a day-to-day basis. And taking part in the experience made me proud to be a part of a company that is truly trying to revolutionize care delivery. Being able to sit with Bruce and many of the leaders who are charting this course affirmed my belief that this company has an opportunity to be a transformative force in the industry and the communities we serve.

Since graduating from the experience, both Coppin and Taylor have moved into roles that they might not have pursued prior to the program. But after connecting with Broussard and hearing how much he valued the lateral “knowledge-building” moves he’d made throughout his career, they were more than inspired. Both report being extremely happy with the decision to move out of their respective comfort zones and into something completely different.

Says Taylor:

I now lead an organization that is serving senior citizens in impoverished and underserved communities. These patients look just like my grandmother. By bringing first-class comprehensive care to their neighborhoods, we are helping to keep them healthier, happier, and out of the hospital. As a ‘Grandma’s Boy,’ this is some of the most gratifying work that I’ve done in my entire career.

Adds Coppin:

I’m a nurse by background, so what we do for our members, how we help them, is what gets me up every day. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity the experience gave me to have a seat at the table and to be able to see myself in this position. Not that I didn’t have the confidence in myself before, but the access and exposure from the program was invaluable. All I can say is, I hope it continues for many years. So many future leaders of color could benefit from a program like this.

Broussard and Humana’s mission to grow and succeed by helping others do the same extends well beyond the company itself. In January of 2021, Humana named Dr. Nwando Olayiwola, M.D., MPH, FAAFP, to the position of Chief Health Equity Officer. In her role, Dr. Olayiwola is setting the direction and establishing a strategy to promote health equity across Humana, to ensure everyone can attain their highest level of health regardless of their socio-economic status or demographic. The newly created position is just one component of Humana’s work to address the needs of the whole person—which includes clinical programs, education, and communications that address underlying drivers of disparities in healthcare, with the express goal of fostering more equitable care and health outcomes.

According to Broussard, leveling the playing field wherever you’re able is good for everyone: Members, associates, and communities. And increasing diversity and embracing inclusion is also just good for business. As he puts it:

Inclusion matters, because when everyone feels they belong, growth and development are a natural outcome. We believe the growth of each employee is what drives the company forward and helps us deliver the high-quality care our members, patients and partners have come to expect from us.

Humana, BMO, and Baker McKenzie Are Aligning Actions to Values
These are three of the most recent Spotlight Stories of the 70+ Catalyst CEO Champions For Change organizations committed to advancing more women into leadership. Learn how all of these Champion CEOs accelerated change and measurably outpaced their industry peers by reading our latest report on their progress.

The post Humana’s CEO Experience: Turning Access Into Opportunity for Diverse Leaders (Spotlight Story) appeared first on Catalyst.

Given its heritage—and current standing—BMO is proud to serve and fuel progress for more than twelve million personal, commercial, corporate, and institutional customers in North America and internationally.

BMO champions a thriving economy, a sustainable future, and an inclusive society, as evidenced by its Purpose: to “Boldly Grow the Good in business and life.” Internally, the bank has been focused on enabling an inclusive culture. It launched its first “Task Force on the Advancement of Women” in 1991, which led to diversification initiatives that earned BMO its first Catalyst Award in 1994.

Today, their Zero Barriers to Inclusion strategy focuses on creating a more just society for groups facing systemic barriers—both inside and outside the bank’s walls.

BMO’s CEO Darryl White has said:

Our commitment to inclusion is unwavering. It extends beyond our doors to the customers and communities we serve. As we execute on our Zero Barriers to Inclusion 2025 strategy, we’re driving meaningful change for our employees, customers, and communities. We all have a role to play in building an inclusive society with zero barriers, and it begins where we work.

For customers, BMO is expanding financial inclusion for diverse clients through more inclusive banking products, services, and resources. They’re also focusing on meeting customers’ needs by addressing their unique expectations and experiences. One example is BMO becoming the first Canadian bank to launch Mastercard’s True Name™— empowering transgender and non-binary customers to use their preferred first name on their Mastercard.

In the community, BMO builds strong relationships that foster social and racial justice, Truth and Reconciliation, and promote inclusive local economic opportunities.

For its employees, the bank ensures an equitable employee experience, supporting inclusion and wellness as well as improving access to development and career advancement for colleagues facing systemic barriers.

Across its workforce, BMO has also set specific representation goals. A few standout 2025 representation goals include women in 40-60% of global senior leadership roles (as of 2021, women comprise 41.2% of senior leaders), people of color in 31% of senior leadership roles in Canada and 30% in the US (currently at 24.2% and 24.5%, respectively). Additional workforce-wide benchmarks include greater representation of Canadian Indigenous employees (1.6%), as well as employees with disabilities (5-7%) and 2SLGBTQ+ employees in the US and Canada (3%).

How does BMO plan to tackle these goals in just a few years? By leaning on what works. BMO has built a solid diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) operating model that’s led, prioritized, and championed from the top of the organization.

BMO’s efforts are spearheaded by its Chief Inclusion Officer, Vanessa Lewerentz, and her team of dedicated professionals, and guided by its Leadership Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a consortium of 25+ senior executives who consult on enterprise strategic priorities and oversee progress toward DEI goals. These groups are augmented by Line of Business DEI Councils and supported by the 11 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that lead grassroots communities in building awareness and allyship, supporting recruitment and sponsorship efforts, and advising on strategic initiatives and best practices.

BMO’s impressive advancement in DEI is largely owed to its intentional approach and committed leadership team, along with the bank’s support of building a robust employee resource program.

At BMO, ERGs are regularly consulted as sounding boards and idea generators for the bank’s DEI initiatives. In return, BMO invests heavily in the growth and success of the ERG program and its members. Says CEO Darryl White:

BMO’s outstanding Employee Resource Groups support inclusivity by creating safe spaces for team members to expand their networks, discuss critical issues, and participate in meaningful programs that help eliminate barriers to inclusion. Mentorship, sponsorship, and championship are all driven from connections made in ERGs across our bank. Grounded in our Purpose–to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life–our ERGs are driving innovation and creating development opportunities for our people. They play a key role in fostering our award-winning, globally recognized culture.

It’s a synergistic relationship that leaders like Janie Cervera, Managing Director & Head of Client Field Services, US Wealth Management, and Global Co-Chair of the Latino Alliance ERG, hopes the next generation will use to their advantage from the start. She says, “One of the very first things I did (literally) upon returning to BMO after almost 20 years away was join an ERG, because I knew it would connect me to the organization on a personal level.” Cervera continues:

I credit part of the success in my career to the opportunities and exposure that resulted from my involvement in an ERG. Leading ERG initiatives gave me exposure to senior leaders outside my line of business, and allowed them to see my skills, passion, and leadership in action. That’s why it’s important to me that new employees understand the value they can receive, the value they can give, and the opportunities hard work can create through their participation in an ERG.

What began as an effort to maximize participation during the Covid-19 pandemic became a mission to digitize nearly every aspect of BMO’s ERG model, from learning and professional development presentations to mentorship programming to supporting employees with timely resources and information. To maintain engagement in a largely virtual setting, BMO experimented with new content formats, such as 15-minute micro-sessions and user-friendly apps like 10,000 Coffees, which uses an algorithm to pair mentors and mentees (the app is currently generating hundreds of matches each month).

Critically, the bank revitalized both the awareness and understanding of its ERGs by integrating the program directly into the new-hire onboarding process. The Welcome to BMO ERG Pathway is an onboarding module that allows new hires to learn about—and choose to join—an ERG during their first week on the job at the organization.

The results have been dramatic. Over the course of 18 months BMO nearly tripled its ERG membership numbers, from 6,000 in May of 2021 to almost 20,000 in November of 2022, which translates to a 43% participation rate among employees in North America. Through digital enablement and with a strong focus on providing equitable access, BMO’s ERG program provided virtual event delivery resulting in a 90% average increase in participation.

BMO also gave its ERG members more of what they asked for: professional development training in hard and soft skills, and more opportunities for advancement. Active involvement provides the opportunity to learn new skills and move up the ranks faster than the typical career track might allow. For BMO, it’s also a way to build a diverse talent pipeline ready for advancement.

What’s more, says Cervera, because of BMO’s federated model of governance—where ERG leaders like her have autonomy regarding how they act on strategic initiatives at the local level—ERGs can offer their members a variety of educational and professional development opportunities. She continues, “The Latino Alliance partnered with DePaul University in Chicago to sponsor a BMO MBA (Master of Business Administration Graduate Degree) cohort. We had more than 20 employees participate, and 100% graduated from the program with their MBAs.”

Those who have benefited from programs like the MBA cohort also have plenty of opportunity to pay it forward. Says Cervera, “In Chicago, our ERG has sponsored private high school scholarships for more than five years to help students in underserved Latino communities.”

Cervera shares her own experience of this cycle through her participation in EXCELerate—a sponsorship program where high-potential senior management-level employees receive high-touch sponsorship from executive leaders. She says:

I was selected to be a member of the inaugural EXCELerate cohort, received incredibly valuable hands-on sponsorship from a seasoned leader, and was successfully promoted to a more senior role. Now, I’m a sponsor in the program and have a protégé for whom I am helping open doors. I have no doubt my protégé will do the same.

Cervera feels strongly about the importance of working with her BMO colleagues to “Boldly Grow the Good in business and life,” despite the extra demands on her time. She says:

I want to be able to help the organization narrow the gap in minority representation at the most senior levels. BMO has made it possible for me to contribute to that in an environment where I feel safe sharing my ideas and concerns and empowered to take action to do what’s right for clients, colleagues, and the organization. Saying you support DEI is one thing, but having clear goals that are widely communicated, supported by the CEO, measured, and tracked for progress is true commitment. It’s amazing to see, as a minority employee, that your organization is making a difference.

Making a difference is part of BMO’s core values. The bank has been fine-tuning its efforts for decades and while it is understood that there is more work to do, it has only grown more motivated to help “Boldly Grow the Good in business and life” over time. To CEO Darryl White, there’s no room for equivocating: “There can be no middle ground on issues of inclusion. If we’re not a meaningful part of the change that must be made, then we’re part of the problem.”

Humana, BMO and Baker McKenzie Are Aligning Actions to Values
These are three of the most recent Spotlight Stories of the 70+ Catalyst CEO Champions For Cange organizations committed to advancing more women into leadership. Learn how all of these Champion CEOs accelerated change and measurably outpaced their industry peers by reading our latest report on their progress.

The post BMO: Breaking Down Systemic Barriers to “Boldly Grow the Good in business and life” (Spotlight Story) appeared first on Catalyst.

These efforts were set in motion by late Global Chair and highly regarded champion of diversity, Paul Rawlinson, and have been steadfastly pursued by Baker McKenzie’s current Global Chair, Milton Cheng, as well as senior leaders throughout the firm.

Says Cheng:

Closing the gender gap in our senior leadership is all of our responsibility. I am committed to ensuring that all of our people are given fair opportunity to advance and thrive at Baker McKenzie. Gender equality benefits us all.

Critically, Baker McKenzie’s leaders also understood that a change of this magnitude—impacting some 4,800 attorneys (and 13,250 employees altogether) in 74 offices across 45 locations worldwide—would require more than a quick fix. They needed to spur systemic change on a global scale, which they kickstarted by setting bold but achievable goals (GATs) on a deadline. But to turn those goals into sustainable action, they needed to embed GATs into the heart of the organization and hold themselves accountable by measuring their progress along the way.

As a first step on this journey, Baker McKenzie convened a GAT project team which met with groups across the firm to determine the most efficient path forward. The team concluded that building GAT and diversity imperatives into two key areas—partner promotions and recruitment—would have the greatest impact at the senior-most levels in the shortest amount of time. Later, GAT considerations would be woven into other processes, like succession planning and mentorship and sponsorship programs.

The new requirements were firm but simple: all external candidate pools for recruitment of partners or senior business professionals should meet the 40/40/20 targets. And beginning in July 2020, at least one out of every four partner promotions in offices that did not have at least 25% women partners should be a woman. Other regions were tasked with inclusion goals that went beyond the GATs. In the US, for example, leadership is working to increase representation at the senior levels among marginalized racial and ethnic groups—to 15% of principals, 20% of national partners, and 15% of leadership—by 2025.

Baker McKenzie’s culture was already conducive to adapting in the name of inclusivity—and embedding GAT considerations into existing processes also helped maximize buy-in—but none of this made instituting such large-scale change efforts seamless. However, because the teams most instrumental in driving change, such as recruiting, felt empowered to have the difficult conversations necessary—whether with external recruiters or colleagues—this new method of operating soon became the norm. By working together across teams, with steady support and communication from the executive committee, many of the hesitations that often accompany process changes have largely been overcome.

The progress made toward the GATs since 2019 has been substantial. Perhaps most notably, the firm has met its goal of women comprising 40% of all standing global committees, including the executive committee, as of October 2022. In addition, 30 of Baker McKenzie’s offices have increased their percentage of women principals, with a 6% increase globally, to 25%. There has been a 2% global increase in women local partners (LPs) up to 35%, which is close to meeting the GAT goal of 40%.

But GATs are not just being met through system-wide approaches. The firm has a number of smaller-scale programs that have successfully contributed to gender parity for years and continue to do so today. One of these is Leaders Investing For Tomorrow (LIFT), a personalized, highly focused, 12-month global sponsorship and leadership development program designed to support the progression of high-potential women into senior leadership roles. Since its inception in 2017, LIFT has greatly benefited the careers of almost 150 alumnae, of which 80+% have moved into leadership roles.

Anahita Thoms, Global Sustainability Lead Partner and Head of International Trade, Germany, is one of those LIFT alumnae. Thoms, who was a participant in the 2018 LIFT cohort, says that while the sponsorship and professional development aspects of LIFT were extremely valuable to her career, it was the connections she made with fellow participants that made a lasting impact:

What I really liked was meeting these women from all over the world, who were at a similar level in their careers, and were having some of the same experiences as I was, but whom I likely wouldn’t have met were it not for LIFT. Because we were brought together from different regions, we were able to build a network and develop trust. So, we could openly discuss opportunities and challenges, business and personal. It’s so valuable to have an internal support network of people who can relate to your experience.

This sentiment reflects the need for the kind of wholehearted representation and inclusion for which Baker McKenzie is striving. The firm wants employees to see themselves reflected in their colleagues and leaders, and feel free to be themselves among their peers. It’s something, Thoms says, that the next generation is championing:

Everyone at the firm is well aware of the 40/40/20 GATs. Leaders, of course, but I would actually say that our junior associates are perhaps most aware of them, because they care so much about the topic. In every career recruitment call I participate in, there are always questions like, ‘How do you support women?’ ‘What are you doing to support a diverse workforce?’ These things are a real priority for them.

But it’s not just young lawyers and new hires who are actively lobbying for more diversity. Clients are also seeking increased diversity from their outside counsel. Many regularly request firms’ diversity statistics and often require diverse teams for projects.

To Thoms, and Baker McKenzie as a whole, this is just good business. Says Thoms:

I really believe that diversity of thought leads to higher profitability. Having people from different socio-economic backgrounds, different regions, or of different ethnicities… The best people with all of these different experiences means that as a team or as an organization, you really do think differently, and that’s an advantage.

For Thoms, who recently assumed the role of Head of the German I&D Committee, it’s important that, “Every time you get, you give back twice.” This is why she also mentors in the firm’s Rise program—a mentoring program designed to advance the visibility and career development of mid- to senior-level women associates—and will act as a sponsor in next year’s LIFT program in addition to having multiple external and informal mentees. She explains:

I’m happy to be able to help younger people go after their dreams, irrespective of gender, irrespective of race, or their social background, and I really see how my mentees thrive within and outside of Baker McKenzie. I want to empower younger colleagues to support each other both to maintain our diversity of thought but also to help grow a healthy, profitable business.

The notion that a diverse and inclusive culture contributes substantially to the well-being of a business seems to be at the heart of Baker McKenzie’s many efforts. And while there is still work to be done on the journey to achieving equity, the firm’s leaders are proud of their successes and are committed to continuing to make progress year over year. The firm was first among its peers to declare its aspirations around gender equity and continues to demonstrate its dedication to diversity and inclusion both internally and in the world at large.

Humana, BMO and Baker McKenzie Are Aligning Actions to Values
These are three of the most recent Spotlight Stories of the 70+ Catalyst CEO Champions For Cange organizations committed to advancing more women into leadership. Learn how all of these Champion CEOs accelerated change and measurably outpaced their industry peers by reading our latest report on their progress.

The post Baker McKenzie: Transforming Goals Into Action Through Gender-Aspirational Targets (Spotlight Story) appeared first on Catalyst.

In some ways, she even credits the pandemic with helping her strengthen connections with colleagues through smaller and more frequent virtual interactions that enabled her to hear first-hand what they were personally going through—and to remind her that while we are all in the same pandemic, the impact felt by each colleague can actually be quite different.

The experience has helped her be a more open and vulnerable leader, and further inspires her to create a truly inclusive culture where her colleagues can feel free to bring their whole selves to work—which, in an age of Zoom calls from the kitchen table, has become more important than ever. Says Peck:

While talking about inclusion is easy, creating an inclusive environment for everyone is not once and done. It’s something Zoetis and other companies must continually work on with every action and interaction. At Zoetis, for example, one of our core beliefs is ‘Our Colleagues Make the Difference.’ It means each person has a voice and brings value to Zoetis as we work together in advancing the care of animals and the people who care for them. As a leader, part of my job is to foster a workplace where all colleagues feel validated—and by listening more, we begin to do just that.

Zoetis has done more than many of its peers in the Fortune 500 to incorporate diverse colleagues—and diverse perspectives—within its highest ranks. As Peck reports, Zoetis achieved gender parity at the Executive Leadership level prior to her even becoming CEO, and that 50/50 split continues under her watch. The company also boasts a diverse Board of Directors, counting four women and three people of color among its members. But, says Peck, “there is a significant opportunity to make a difference in our broader colleague base.”

Peck’s plan to get there relies on a combination of radical transparency and a shared sense of accountability. She explains:

We were the first animal health company to publish our transparent state of diversity: to say exactly where we are today, to be public about our aspirations, and to pledge to share our progress over the next five years. I do think that transparency around DE&I is important, and we’ve been on a very comprehensive journey internally to increase diversity inside our company… We measure our engagement as a company, and we measure whether people feel their opinions are respected and if they can bring their full selves to work. Because although diversity is different in every market around the world, an inclusive culture is not.

What are the company’s diversity-related aspirations, exactly? Peck and her team are seeking to broaden the field of opportunity at Zoetis by increasing representation among people of color in its US workforce from 21% to 25% by 2025. Zoetis is specifically focused on building a pipeline of Black and Latinx talent, two groups for whom domestic representation lags. The goal is to increase the representation of US-based Black employees from 4% to 5% by 2025, and of US-based Latinx employees from 5% to 6% within the same timeframe. And, despite gender parity being a relatively strong suit for the company, Zoetis is seeking to increase the percentage of women at director-level and above, globally, from 32% to 40% by the end of 2025.

Tactically, says Peck:

We are committing the time and resources to drive meaningful change by supporting DE&I education, expanding leadership development and networking opportunities, recruiting across underrepresented populations, requiring diverse slates of candidates for open positions, and partnering with organizations like INROADS and Historically Black Colleges and Universities to attract more diverse talent.

What’s more, Zoetis is keeping close tabs on its own progress by tying DE&I aspirations to executive and senior leader performance objectives, and reviewing progress quarterly with the company’s executive team and Board.

But as Peck knows, while a well-executed and measurable strategy is integral to fostering company-wide change, the human side of that equation is just as critical. Since becoming CEO, she has reinforced the value of maintaining a strong purpose that reflects both Zoetis as a company, and the critical role colleagues play in enabling Zoetis to continue advancing care for animals by nurturing the world and humankind. “There is great pride in knowing that even the small decisions we make each day can positively influence the lives of our customers—and a reminder that each of us can, and does, make a difference.”

Peck is intent on helping colleagues make a difference in their careers through her dedication to mentorship. Throughout her career, she has personally mentored dozens of women from Zoetis and beyond, coaching, preparing, and encouraging them to take on positions of increasing responsibility. One such mentee is Saba Belay, Head of US Data Science and Analytics Engineering for the US Operations team at Zoetis.

As a woman who grew up and lived in Ethiopia before coming to the United States a decade ago, Belay worked in companies dominated by male leaders, and felt that she had no women role models in business before meeting Peck. Says Belay:

Kristin’s passion is cultivating confident women leaders who embrace their authenticity to facilitate and lead positive change. I’m a living example of this. Many of the recent accomplishments in my personal and professional life were made possible because Kristin is a leader who firmly believes that mentoring young employees drives success and builds their confidence to continue rising. She isn’t just my first female role model, but the first leader to provide meaningful opportunities for my growth. She constantly challenges me to always dream big, be confident, act purposefully, and help others—just as she has helped me.

Throughout her career, Peck has done just that—she has stepped up to help others at every opportunity. Before being named CEO, she launched an “office hours” program at Zoetis, offering colleagues an open invitation to connect with her and share ideas for improving efficiencies and the customer experience. Prior to that, she launched a leadership development program to give high-potential candidates the opportunity to strengthen their leadership competencies through hands-on projects, formal presentations, site visits, and one-on-one mentoring. Some 60 Zoetis colleagues—about half of them women—have completed the program since its inception. And many of the women advanced their careers with other development opportunities during the course of the program, either through promotions or job changes.

In Peck’s view, she is simply paying it forward. As a compassionate leader who has benefited from great mentors and sponsors—and also as a woman who understands why inclusion is so important to building great companies—she offers her mentees and colleagues a valuable perspective. For example:

Early in my career, my manager advised me to wear more muted colors to appear softer and less passionate. Following my own path and embracing my unique style was not always easy. But it was even harder to be someone I was not. I was so grateful to find sponsors and mentors who believed in me, who were excited about who I was, and fought for me. To this day, I try to mentor others and help pave the way for them.

She is certainly carving an inspiring path. In 2020, Peck was named as a Businessperson of the Year by Fortune. And Zoetis’s business is booming—due, in part, to the urge so many had to adopt pets as lockdowns became the new normal—but also due to Peck’s stewardship during an exceedingly tumultuous time. It is fitting for a company that includes “Our Colleagues Make the Difference” as one of its core beliefs to have an executive leader who holds herself accountable for making a difference at every turn.

Kristin Peck is a signatory of the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change initiative.

The post Zoetis’s Kristin Peck: Inspiring Inclusivity Through Authentic Leadership (Spotlight Story) appeared first on Catalyst.

At Raytheon Technologies, we have established clear goals and actions for a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Our leadership team across the company will be held accountable for making tangible progress. What we value as a company is respect, trust, and empathy—treating everyone with fairness and dignity. These values are not negotiable.
–Gregory Hayes, CEO, Raytheon Technologies

CEO Gregory Hayes gets to the heart of the matter when speaking about the importance of acting on Raytheon Technologies’ values to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. The company–one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the world–might be a newly formed entity in its own right (the result of a merger between the Raytheon Company and United Technologies in early 2020), but its foundation is built upon a strong, storied commitment to workplace diversity and inclusive practices, and Hayes is committed to continuing to advance progress on that critical front:

Our shared values are trust, respect, accountability, collaboration, and innovation. We’ve had candid discussions on the steps we need to take to drive meaningful change in our company and our communities in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe these actions will make us a stronger company, and we know they have already made us better people and better colleagues.

To that end, even in the face of the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, Raytheon Technologies doubled down on its efforts to make meaningful change both internally and externally. The company made a $25 million, five-year philanthropic commitment to support marginalized communities through programs focused on racial justice, empowerment, and career readiness. And to address gender equity, in addition to being a Catalyst Global Supporter and signing on to the Catalyst CEO Champions for Change initiative, Raytheon Technologies joined Paradigm for Parity and pledged to reach gender parity at its executive level by 2030. To achieve that goal, the organization has embarked on an aggressive, strategically focused approach to hiring, developing, and retaining talented women employees.

An integral part of that approach is the company’s WILL Rise program, which aims to accelerate the professional development and advancement of women in Aerospace & Defense leadership positions. The founders of WILL Rise attest to the fact that no matter how dynamic (or daunting) the big-picture situation is, efforts to help retain and advance talented women have always been treated as mission-critical by senior leaders, Hayes chief among them.

WILL Rise (WILL is an acronym for Women in Line Leadership and “Rise” is precisely what the group’s founders intend to help other women do) started small. In 2018, Jennifer Reed—now Vice President of Investor Relations at Raytheon Technologies—was seeking the guidance of a mentor after accepting her first position as a General Manager at Collins Aerospace. A mutual colleague connected her with Jennifer Caruso, Vice President of Transformation at Pratt & Whitney, one of the four RTX subsidiaries. The two established a successful mentorship and were soon inundated with requests from other women looking for the same. It was clear to them that their colleagues needed the kind of support offered by a formalized program. So, Caruso and Reed drafted a proposal and took their cause up the chain.

Says Caruso, “I remember saying to Jennifer [Reed], ‘I’m not asking if we can do this. We’re doing this.’ To me, it’s indicative of our culture that we didn’t feel the need to ask. We had conviction and purpose, and weren’t afraid to say, ‘Here’s our idea. This is where you can support us. It’s so compelling, and it’s so needed. You can’t say no.’”

Those leaders did not, in fact, say no. According to Reed, they said, “We are all in. What do you need? How can we help? Can you make it bigger?” WILL Rise was green-lit shortly thereafter and kicked off with a two-day conference in early 2019.

The program’s mission is to help women prepare for, pursue, and eventually assume P&L level leadership roles, and then to support them once they get there. The foundational components are mentorship and sponsorship, but there is also ample opportunity for networking (both with peers and leaders), practical training, and coaching sessions. Many of these components aim to combat deep-seated beliefs that often hold women back, such as the tendency not to apply for roles for which they are not 100% qualified.

Each cohort of 64 high-potential women is selected through a robust nomination and approval process that includes their leadership, HR, and the WILL Rise Board. From there they move to a “pod” of 10-12 women, led by a dedicated Executive Sponsor. This pod becomes home base for the year and well beyond, according to alumni like Sondra Radcliffe, General Manager of Oxygen and PSU Business, Collins Aerospace, and a participant in the first cohort:

I think the program was absolutely instrumental to helping me feel confident as I moved from a role in the legal function to a P&L role. We did practical exercises, like a day in the life of a GM, and on the financial side, a P&L review. We got to know more about the businesses generally, to better understand some of the operational issues that factor into decision-making. That kind of targeted learning really did help us prepare. But equally important, it gave us a lasting support network that we can access any time. So, now if I’m struggling with an issue or looking for a resource, I have a place to go for guidance. That’s invaluable.

That combination is essential and intentional, according to Erin McCleave, Vice President, Integration, Collins Aerospace, and a founding member of WILL Rise:

We wanted to build a network of people who were on the same path to leadership and could engage around the good, the bad, and the ugly of that journey. But we also wanted to help knock down obstacles—whether real or perceived. We gathered all this data to better understand what holds women back on the path to leadership, and a lot of it came down to their perspective about not being ready (even when that’s perhaps not true) or a concern about a lack of subject-matter expertise. So, we use the training element to address some of those “real” obstacles, but we also tried to create an environment to address the perceived obstacles that we as women put on ourselves. I think those are unique aspects of this program that make it quite a bit different than others.

Reed describes WILL Rise as a “wheel,” but it’s just as easy to see it as a virtuous cycle:

It starts with the conference where we work on soft skills, hard skills, making connections, building a relationship with the cohort. Then you move into your pod where your Executive Sponsor is responsible for understanding your career and trajectory, what you’re doing, what you want to be doing… This creates a safe environment to have open, authentic conversations. At the end of the year, we have a celebration (we don’t call it a graduation because no one ever graduates) and that’s when you become responsible. We ask each participant how they plan to pay it forward, what their commitment is to the program, to women at Raytheon, and to Raytheon as a whole. And every one of them becomes a mentor to the next cohort. The idea is, if we get this wheel spinning, we’ll naturally gain acceleration and raise the water line.

That strategy is already delivering. They know it works because, says McCleave, “We look at everything quantitatively—we’re numbers-driven.” Or, as Reed matter-of-factly puts it, “We’re data nerds.” Since its inception, 81% of the first cohort’s participants received a promotion or desired job change within the company. But the learnings go deeper, says Reed:

We look at gender metrics company-wide, then we slice and dice them by business unit, by how we define a line leader, and as a program, we track every participant quarterly. From just the first cohort, we’ve seen double promotions and executive-level promotions. We also look at attrition rates and lateral career transitions…because we’ve found those are nearly as important. Just take this group for example: Sondra transitioned out of a functional role into a line leader role. Jennifer [Caruso], Erin, and I all transitioned out of non-traditional P&L roles. In fact, the data show that women who end up being successful in P&L roles usually don’t come from a traditional operations path, which makes diversity of experience an even more important factor in hiring and promotional considerations company-wide.

Program participants also have very high retention rates, in part, says Reed, because “we are laser-focused on our pods. If someone from my pod tells me she’s ‘stuck’ in her career, I pick up the phone and start making calls in her division to get the real story and help her plan next steps.” Halfway into the second cohort, those retention numbers are again extremely high.

The tenures of Caruso, Reed, McCleave, and Radcliffe exemplify these results; the most junior among them has been with her legacy company, and now Raytheon Technologies, for more than eight years, and the most senior, more than 30. They all feel supported. They all feel seen and acknowledged for their talent and what they have to offer. And they are all planning to stay right where they are. Says Caruso:

Over the last 30 years, we have come a long way in driving an inclusive and empowered culture. Had it not been for that culture, WILL Rise may never have come to be. No one asked us to create it, we saw a need and felt empowered to address it. And I know that when I have a good idea, it’s supported. I’ve had some amazing jobs throughout my career, but WILL Rise is probably the one thing I’ll remember most. We’ve been able to positively impact the lives of so many women. It’s leaving a legacy.

Reed echoes that sentiment, adding, “This is the last place I will work, and I hope my daughter works for this great company. There’s just so much heart here, and in this program. Leaving this legacy will be the best thing we do.”

Gregory Hayes is a signatory of the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change initiative.

The post Raytheon Technologies’ WILL Rise: Building a Legacy with Heart (Spotlight Story) appeared first on Catalyst.

As a woman of color, I’ve been through my share of gender and cultural obstacles. But it’s because of those challenges that I’ve been able to recognize how important an inclusive culture is in business. Just as I want to feel accepted by my peers, I want Flex employees to know they are valued regardless of race, color, gender identity, or other attributes. We are in the business of creating products that change people’s lives—and that change starts here at Flex.
—Revathi Advaithi, Flex CEO

Flex, the $24B manufacturing behemoth—ranked the third largest contract manufacturer in the world, with approximately 160,000 employees in 30 countries—is a powerful launchpad for transformation. If CEO Revathi Advaithi can foster inclusion and advance gender parity at an organization of this size on the heels of a crippling pandemic, the rest of the business world may be out of excuses.

Says Advaithi, “You think tech has a shortage of women? Manufacturing is a whole different ballgame.” Indeed, manufacturing is a male-dominated industry, but that doesn’t dampen her resolve in the least. Since taking on the role of CEO at Flex in 2019, Advaithi has committed to increasing gender parity at the director level and above globally. As she puts it, “It’s very doable, frankly. I’ve made that clear to all my teams. It’s not about ‘not having enough women,’ it’s about making the decision to promote. We have enough women we can promote to get to those levels, and that comes down to sponsorship.”

And how does one go about instituting sustainable culture change in a diverse, multinational corporation? As a former mechanical engineer, Advaithi relies heavily on advanced planning, steady incremental change, and above all, measurement. She says:

At Flex we do great when we measure things, so we’re measuring the heck out of this. We’re looking at why people make certain decisions, and I’m very comfortable that we can make progress just by opening people’s eyes to the decision-making process.

Advaithi and her team have set their sights on culture transformation and gender parity at Flex with relentless determination.

In February 2021, the company rolled out Ways of Working (WoW), a set of behaviors defined to guide how the organization lives out its values and connects around a shared sense of purpose.

The purpose? Make great products for customers that create value and improve people’s lives. The three simple but powerful values are: support each other as we strive to find a better way; move fast with discipline and purpose; and do the right thing always. The four WoW behaviors are the specific actions for employees to bring these values to life: respect and value others, learn and adapt, collaborate and share openly, and honor commitments.

Clearly, these are not small, easily defined tasks one can check off a list. The goal is to change the way people think and make decisions—as well as the way they see themselves, their colleagues, and the organization—in the service of creating an inclusive workplace that empowers every employee to thrive, while improving performance. To do that right takes considerable planning, layers of support, and of course, measurement.

The WoW initiative—which Flex is methodically implementing with a focus on one behavior per quarter—relies on a structured, top-down approach, a multitude of resources, and perhaps most critically, Culture Champions and Ambassadors like Sharon Johnson, Senior Director of Global HR Compliance. Johnson, who has been with Flex for more than 20 years, says her CEO has ushered in a new era at the company, and she wants to help make Advaithi’s vision a reality. After hearing Advaithi speak in the spring of 2019, Johnson says,

I felt like she was really planting seeds for the journey we’re on now. She spoke to the importance of culture, of collaborating, of transparency, and to the value of creativity. She said, ‘Inclusion is an action, you have to do it to make it real.’ I remember thinking, ‘Changes are coming, and I really want to see this firsthand.’

When the WoW initiative was announced, Johnson raised her hand to help support the effort.

“As a Culture Ambassador,” she explains, “we partner with the executive and extended leadership teams to equip them with what they need [in a manner best suited to their particular learning style] to help drive a culture-change initiative through the organization. So, we train to gain a deep understanding of the topic in order to prepare leaders for conversations with their teams, we get feedback on opportunities for improvement, and we learn as we go to help us make the next quarter’s rollout even more effective.” There are also Change Champions in place who support middle managers in much the same way,“ so that the same message resonates through every level of the organization.”

Each quarter starts with an introductory session on the topic, followed by thematic, monthly trainings offered via Flex Learn, the company’s online learning platform. Managers are also provided with “meetings in a box,” or reference materials, micro-learning videos, and other visuals to help them guide their teams in discussion. Johnson explains,

We consciously embed inclusion and diversity into all WoW elements. For example, our behavior this quarter is ‘Learn and adapt,’ so this month we talked about change and paradigm shifts, and a little about unconscious bias. We’re aiming to give leaders the tools they need to have those tough, uncomfortable conversations. That’s what we’re really working toward.

The measurement component of the initiative is no less thorough than its implementation.

In addition to the important feedback Champions and Ambassadors gather from participants, managers’ efforts to foster the adoption of WoW behaviors are tracked through modules within Flex Learn. The company also covers the topic in quarterly pulse surveys. In a recent survey, employees were asked if their “manager discusses and demonstrates our Ways of Working,” to which an astounding 91% of respondents answered in the affirmative. Flex also plans to measure the adoption of WoW behaviors in its annual employee engagement survey in March.

Johnson notes there are also a number of recruiting and talent acquisition efforts in place to ensure greater diversity through more equitable hiring practices. For example, Flex has applied masking technology to résumés, so that a hiring manager can’t see gender or infer a candidate’s ethnicity. Job descriptions are now written to remove any language that could indicate gender bias. Candidate pools are also more diversified, with at least two qualified women included per slate. And there has been an emphasis on recruiting from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Says Johnson, “We did an intern luncheon recently in Austin and the class was really diverse…different than I’ve seen in the past. We’re making a conscious decision to be very focused in that space and I think it’s making a big impact.”

There is also a notable nine-month intensive leadership program called SheLeads, designed to accelerate the development of diverse women leaders and fortify Flex’s talent pipeline. A cohort of high-potential women from a variety of regions, backgrounds, and career levels are invited to take part in a curriculum designed to bolster their leadership potential. A large component of the program involves networking with executive and senior leaders, SheLeads alumni, and outside experts; participants also can work on high-impact, executive-sponsored business projects.

When it comes to sponsorship—which Advaithi credits for much of her own career success—Flex is currently evaluating which programs would make the most impact within the organization. But you can rest assured that the approach will be robust, and that impact will be measured. Says Advaithi:

I’m a woman from India who came to Oklahoma for my first job. I look different. I speak differently. And obviously, if there weren’t people sponsoring me all the way as promotion decisions were being made, I wouldn’t be here today. I’m glad there’s so much mentoring, but until you’re in the room, championing for someone when a promotion or a job decision happens, then change doesn’t happen. In terms of sponsorship and decision-making at Flex, we’re actually just starting to hold people accountable for it. We’re saying at the end of the day, there’s no reason not to get there.

The bottom line with Advaithi and Flex always goes back to core values. Success comes from supporting one another as we strive to find a better way, moving fast with discipline and purpose, and doing the right thing, always.

Revathi Advaithi is a signatory of the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change initiative.

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The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is in the business of helping the world’s leading companies solve their most difficult problems. So when it came time to solve the problem of how to retain more female talent at the firm, BCG didn’t just reach for an off-the-shelf program. It consulted itself and did extensive internal research that unlocked a breakthrough idea.

BCG found that the gender gap was not completely explained by more traditional workplace concerns such as work-life balance, maternity leave, unequal pay, or differential ambitions. Through its analysis, BCG unearthed a new and different explanation: for women at the firm, the apprenticeship experience (a critical component of the consulting model, where junior team members learn alongside seasoned partners) was as important, if not more important, than just about any measure of work-life balance. As a result, in 2010 BCG launched Apprenticeship in Action (AiA). This program was designed around the core belief that improving women’s apprenticeship experiences would improve and accelerate their careers at BCG. In combination with other programs—such as increased focus on recruiting diverse talent, tailor made development processes, individualized sponsorship, and enhanced flexibility and predictability at work—AiA has proven to be an astounding success.

Eight years into AiA’s implementation, the number of women in BCG’s US consulting ranks has more than doubled. To date, BCG’s executive committee consists of more than 35% women, and promotion rates among women in the United States have risen across all cohorts, with a 22% increase among senior managers. The attrition rate of senior women has slowed by 5%, and, perhaps most tellingly, retention of mid-career women is now on par with that of their male peers. And due to its effectiveness and the universality of its founding principles, AiA has also resonated with other diverse groups and men.

BCG’s CEO Rich Lesser says AiA has been transformational for the firm’s commitment to diversity:

Diversity honestly is our lifeblood. We’ve found that diverse teams get to better answers, build deeper collaboration with clients, and are more likely to understand all the elements required to enable long-term success in a rapidly changing world. And if we can’t make it work for everyone then we’re not behaving as responsibly as we should, but we’re also just missing opportunities to build BCG to its full potential.

BCG’s internal research clearly showed what opportunities were missing for the women at the firm. Women wanted more mentorship, connection, and coaching. And for good reason—mentorship and sponsorship can be career-makers, particularly for women. For example, one Catalyst study found that men with mentors earned 6% higher salaries than men without, while women with mentors earned 27% higher salaries than women without them.

To solve for this complex need, BCG partnered with leadership development consultancy BRANDspeak to develop AiA around three core components of apprenticeship: relational connectedness, strengths-based development, and coaching for a range of effective communication styles.

In the past, employees widely reported relationships as being overly “transactional.” So with an eye on boosting connections, AiA helped managers better understand the significance of mentorships and equipped them with easily accessible methods to help cultivate those relationships. One recommended tactic: use travel time to schedule touch points. Something as simple as a ten-minute phone call can make all the difference to a junior colleague in need of guidance.

According to Jessica Rabie, a Project Leader who joined BCG in 2016, this practical approach has been extremely effective:

I have been inspired again and again by a great leader who has been there to help me when I was struggling. After a hard week working through difficult problems or client relationships, having someone to offer support, give guidance, and remind you what you’re great at, is invaluable.

The move toward strengths-based development was also welcomed by women and men alike—63% of staff previously felt feedback focused too heavily on areas for development. In contrast, AiA helped managers frame personal development feedback through an individual’s strengths, allowing them to leverage skills—rather than deficiencies—to accelerate improvement. This has transformed the way advisors coach, and the way advisees respond to challenges. Namely, with more self-awareness and confidence. Says Rabie:

Strengths-based development has made me more aware of what my unique strengths are and how I can leverage them in situations that are more challenging for me. For example, to use my ability to task-manage to build in time to reflect on the analysis portion of my work…helping me push toward insights that are more impactful to my client. I’ve also learned to leverage my ability to build strong relationships to see problems from my client’s perspective, which helps ensure our messaging resonates.

Prior to AiA, BCG largely operated under “male” communication norms (described as direct or even aggressive) but the firm soon recognized that the most effective communicators do not have a one-size-fits-all style. Rather, they can access a range of styles and tailor their approaches to each audience. With AiA, BCG has pioneered training that focuses on areas like “building rapport” and “reading the room,” as well as individualized coaching that helps people identify and strengthen their own communications gaps.

AiA is having a resoundingly positive impact. Satisfaction with BCG’s efforts to retain women has increased by 20% for all women at the firm, and by 30% among its senior women. And for the seventh consecutive year, BCG has been ranked in the top five of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

While AiA was born out of the apprenticeship needs of women, the program has helped reshape the culture and mindset of the firm as a whole. Says Lesser:

AiA is accelerating change at BCG because it’s improving our culture and creating a better working environment for everyone. Its key to success has been coaching others to recognize and reward the benefits of diverse styles, instead of coaching those with diverse styles to fit into the existing culture.

For other leaders seeking similar change within their organizations, Lesser offers some practical advice. In short, it takes significant effort to accelerate gender inclusion but we must treat it like the business imperative it is:

First, treat this like any other business priority. Otherwise it’ll never get the focus and energy it deserves. Second, you must get men involved. It cannot just be that women are supposed to help other women succeed. Third, don’t just implement best practices. Tailor what you do specific to your business situation. Lastly, you have to measure the change you intend to make. And you have to have goals that you’re really committed to, that you’re willing to talk publicly about. You’re willing to stand up and say, “We’re not as good as we should be, but here’s what we’re trying to do.” That’s how real change happens.

Because of BCG’s own commitment to making lasting change, what began as a program to benefit women has grown into a better way of working for an entire organization. It has also created a consulting firm better equipped to help its clients implement their own gender and diversity improvement efforts. So the success of AiA could soon become a model for even more positive change in other companies.

The post BCG: Accelerating Careers One Apprenticeship at a Time (Spotlight Story) appeared first on Catalyst.